The Queen and the Lion - Chapter 68

Once the wedding date was set, Aslan became busier than usual. He checked the wedding attire multiple times and confirmed the guest list for the Florea family and dignitaries once more.

Although he was to become a king, Aslan was, at his core, an outsider. He had learned Florea’s customs and etiquette, but it was merely a façade, nothing more than surface-level knowledge.
If he had been born a native of Florea, his mistakes could have been forgiven more generously, but now, if Aslan made even the smallest error, sharp glares would rain down on him, and Lysian’s evaluation would certainly be diminished. Therefore, Aslan worked tirelessly to avoid even the slightest mistake.

Not long after, the late Queen and late King arrived at the royal castle. To help Lysian settle into her role, the late Queen had refrained from visiting the castle for many years. Lysian was overjoyed to see her parents after such a long time and welcomed them with great excitement.
“Mother, Father, welcome.”
“You have grown, Your Majesty.”
The late Queen, embracing Lysian, gently stroked her cheek and spoke. With time having passed, one might have thought that Lysian would resemble them more and more in height, physique, and appearance—the similarities were uncanny.
The late King, from behind, wiped away tears, deeply moved. His slightly frail frame stood quietly as he watched the reunion of his wife and daughter from a step behind.

After exchanging light words with Lysian, the late Queen looked at Aslan, who was standing behind her. In the midst of the joy of meeting her daughter after so long, her vision briefly narrowed, and she hadn’t noticed him at first, but Aslan’s presence would not be so easily forgotten.
“And this is?”
“Yes. This is the one who will become my king.”
Lysian’s eyes were filled with affection as she looked at Aslan. Aslan, feeling his throat tighten with nervousness, stood rigidly and greeted them.
“…I am Aslan Yilmaz.”

Until now, everyone in the castle, like fathers-in-law, had been pushing Aslan around, so he hadn’t realized it, but upon thinking about it, this was his first time meeting Lysian’s parents.
The overwhelming tension made him feel as though he might throw up.
Aslan wanted to make a good impression on Lysian’s parents, but he knew all too well that, to their eyes, he must look like a scoundrel sneaking around with their beautiful daughter. He gripped his hands tightly with anxiety.

Given the Blossom family’s bloodline, Aslan had expected the late Queen to resemble Lysian, but the resemblance was even greater than he had imagined. If the late Queen showed even the slightest sign of hesitation or dislike towards him, he could only imagine the immense emotional pain Lysian would feel as if being cast away.
Aslan stood before the Queen, feeling a level of tension greater than when he stood under a sky full of arrows.
The late Queen’s gaze scanned Aslan.

As soon as Aslan’s eyes met Lysian’s violet gaze, his body froze, like Perseus under Medusa’s gaze. He swallowed hard, feeling like a discarded item on a stall counter.

“It will be a difficult task as king, but I trust you will do well.”

To Aslan’s immense unease, the late Queen smiled warmly and gently, as if it were a lie.

The late Queen’s smile overlapped with Lysian’s image. In about 20 or 30 years, would Lysian look like that? Aslan’s heart swelled with emotion, imagining their future—just like the warm and affectionate scene of the late Queen and late King standing side by side.

Having lost the ability to even recall the words of greeting he had prepared, he simply bowed repeatedly, like an old crow, muttering his request.

On a warm day, as if flower petals were about to fall, the national wedding of Florea took place. The only one who could hold such a national wedding in the royal family of Florea was Queen Lysianthus.

The people of Florea, filled with excitement for the rare national wedding that would only occur once in several decades, poured into the streets. Flowers named after Lysianthus, the queen, decorated the capital, and pale pink petals fluttered through the sky, adorning it like embroidery.

To attend the wedding at the royal palace, an invitation was required. High-ranking nobles who received invitations rushed to the imperial palace, while lower-ranking nobles, unable to obtain invitations, eagerly searched for any that might remain. Those who could not obtain an invitation made their way to the streets, waiting for the queen and her king to appear, hoping to catch a glimpse.

Those who were able to enter the royal banquet hall greeted each other with a sense of superiority, congratulating the queen on her wedding. However, whenever the conversation turned to the king, all expressions turned to disdain.

Aslan had appeared at the banquet a few times, such as when Kaplan visited, and each time, his behavior, which did not conform to Florea’s etiquette, had earned him the disapproval of others. Everyone was skeptical about how he had passed the rigorous tests of the kingdom’s distinguished teachers and had become Lysian’s king.

In the midst of this, Aslan and Lysian appeared in the banquet hall. Standing next to the slender Lysian, Aslan appeared even taller and more intimidating than usual. Dressed in pure white wedding attire, the two slowly made their way through the banquet hall toward the altar where the late Queen awaited.

The ceremony was long and complicated.

Those who had looked at Aslan with suspicion widened their eyes, fearing he might make some mistake, but Aslan’s etiquette was as natural as flowing water. Even those who had been unable to hide their contempt for him, seeing him as a Heiban, closed their mouths at his flawless manners.

Lysian and Aslan exchanged rings as a symbol of their vows. The ring, which was adorned with flowers like vines wrapping around a finger, appeared somewhat feminine for Aslan, but he didn’t mind and wore it without hesitation.