Klein coughed lightly, interrupting the maids' noisy chatter: "We can talk about my matters later. Today's protagonist is Daisy; don't keep the bride waiting too long."
Martha finally snapped out of it and slapped her own cheeks hard. "Right, right, right! I almost forgot the main event!" She turned around and waved at the other maids. "Stop standing around! Go get Daisy! Big Tom should be arriving soon too!"
The maids quickly scattered, each busy with their tasks.
However, their steps were noticeably faster than before, and they occasionally glanced back at Ophelia. Their whispered voices were lower now, yet even more enthusiastic.
"The Master is really married... Heavens, I thought I misheard..."
"When did this happen? The Master was still alone when he went out before!"
"No wonder the Master is in such a good mood today. I knew something was up..."
"Do you think the Madam will dislike commoners like us? She looks so imposing..."
Klein ignored the muttering. He just tilted his head and whispered to Ophelia, "Sorry, I should have told you in advance. They're good girls, just a bit talkative."
Ophelia shook her head, her voice as calm as ever. "It's fine."
She paused, her golden eyes watching the busy crowd in the distance, before adding: "I am just... not used to these kinds of occasions."
Not used to being scrutinized by so many eyes.
Not used to standing in the middle of a crowd, but not as a knight.
Not used to... being given expectations as someone's "wife."
Klein caught the almost imperceptible tension in her voice and smiled, his tone carrying a bit of teasing: "Then you'll have to get used to it quickly—there will probably be many more things like this in the future."
He paused, then added: "But don't worry, I'm here."
Ophelia did not reply, but her fingertips curled slightly.
...
The wedding began shortly after.
There were no tedious rituals, nor was there a priest reciting prayers.
However, under Raymond's arrangements, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
He was also the one acting as the officiant.
Raymond stepped forward and cleared his throat.
As soon as he spoke, the surrounding chirping and noise quieted down.
He wasn't a priest and couldn't give any holy blessings, so he simply asked a few questions in his usual steady tone.
"Big Tom, are you willing to take Daisy as your wife, to cherish and care for her from this day forward, whether in poverty or wealth?"
The bakery apprentice's face turned beet red, his neck stiff as a rooster's. He nodded vigorously, his voice booming as if he wanted to shake the ceiling down. "I do!"
Raymond's mouth twitched, and he turned to Daisy.
Before he could even speak, Daisy almost roared: "I do! I certainly do!"
The sound was so loud it even startled Big Tom; the honest big fellow shrank his neck back.
This drew a round of laughter from the surrounding maids. Even the corners of Raymond's usually stern mouth pulled upward, revealing a rare hint of a smile.
Ophelia stood straight as a javelin, looking somewhat out of place with the cheerful atmosphere.
Of course, she didn't dampen the festive mood either.
Her gaze fell upon the newlyweds, her golden eyes showing no emotion, simply watching quietly.
She watched the unabashed joy on Daisy's face.
She watched Big Tom's clumsy yet sincere expression.
She watched the happiness radiating from the faces of everyone around her—a kind of happiness she had never truly possessed.
Klein whispered in her ear, "Everyone is very happy, aren't they?"
Ophelia gave a soft "mm-hmm," her gaze never wavering.
She had likely never seen such a scene before; it was simple to the point of being crude, yet it overflowed with a primitive joy she had never felt.
There was no armor, no military orders, no life or death.
There were only two ordinary people, under the sunlight, promising each other a future.
"Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!"
Someone started the chant, and the maids immediately began to jeer, their voices rising in waves.
Big Tom scratched his head, leaned in with a silly grin, and gave Daisy a loud kiss on the cheek.
"Mwah—"
The sound was so loud it was clearly heard throughout the courtyard.
"Whoo—!"
Cheers and whistles erupted instantly. Martha even jumped up in excitement and showered the two with wild flower petals. The petals fluttered down, shimmering with fine light in the sunshine.
The aroma of ale mixed with the wheaty scent of bread wafted through the air.
The ceremonial part of the wedding was over; next was the feast.
The maids crowded around, surrounding Daisy and Big Tom, shouting their blessings.
Klein watched this scene with a smile on his face.
He turned his body and reached out his hand.
"Let's go."
Ophelia looked down at his extended hand and remained silent for a moment.
Then, Klein simply took her hand without ceremony.
The warmth from his palm made Ophelia's body stiffen instantly. She instinctively wanted to pull back, her fingertips exerting slight force, but Klein held her with a grip that was neither too light nor too heavy.
His hand was very warm, carrying a reassuring strength.
It wasn't a shackle, yet it wasn't to be refused.
Klein didn't mind her subtle resistance; he just wrapped her hand in his palm, his fingers naturally interlocking with her long fingers. He turned his head, the smile in his eyes even brighter than the sunlight in the sky.
"Come, it's our turn to give our blessings to the newlyweds."
Ophelia neither nodded nor shook her head.
Her gaze moved away from Klein's face and fell upon their joined hands, watching how his fingers locked with hers one by one, watching how their palms pressed together.
After a moment of silence, she finally allowed him to lead her as she took a step forward.
As soon as the two moved, the noisy crowd surrounding Daisy and Big Tom instantly quieted down.
"Sss—"
Someone let out a sharp intake of breath.
Countless gazes snapped toward them in unison.
Like the parting of the Red Sea, the crowd automatically stepped back to both sides, clearing a path to the newlyweds.
Martha stood at the very front. Seeing Klein walking over holding Ophelia's hand, her eyes widened into circles and her mouth formed an "O" shape. She wanted to say something but swallowed it back, instead repeatedly poking the person next to her with her elbow. Her expression was as spectacular as if she were witnessing a miracle that occurred once in a century.
Her elbow was nearly breaking the other person's ribs.
This was the first time the Master had held a woman's hand in front of them!
And it was that "Madam" who seemed so unapproachable!
And the Master's smile... Heavens, she had never seen the Master smile so... so...
Martha couldn't find the right word for a moment and could only scream internally.
It seemed what the Master said was true, not just to fool them!
The Master really was married!
Daisy and Big Tom were even more nervous, not knowing what to do with their hands and feet.
The groom, Big Tom, was flushing deep red, his hands hanging stiffly at his sides. His lips trembled, and it took him a long time to squeeze out: "Mas... Master..."
His voice shook like a sieve.
Klein smiled and patted his shoulder. The force wasn't heavy, but it made Big Tom stand up straight instantly, his entire body tensing up.
"Congratulations, Daisy, Big Tom."
Saying that, Klein took a small but heavy coin purse from his coat and handed it to Daisy.
The purse was heavy in her hand, making Daisy's arm dip slightly.
"A small token of my appreciation. Use it to buy things you like. Get some clothes or jewelry for yourself, or prepare something for your future children. Anything is fine."
Daisy clutched the heavy purse, her eyes turning red instantly, feeling like she was in a dream.
However, it didn't end there.
Klein glanced around, his voice reaching everyone's ears clearly: "In addition, that plot of empty land near the riverbank on the east side of the manor will be assigned to you from now on. Build a small house for yourselves; whether you want to plant flowers or vegetables is up to you. A larger yard will give the children a place to run around in the future."
"Master—!"
Daisy's tears fell immediately. She clutched the purse tightly, so excited she couldn't speak, only repeatedly bowing to Klein while wiping her tears.
Big Tom even let out a "thump" as he prepared to kneel, but Klein was quick to catch him.
"Enough of that."
Klein pressed on his shoulder to stop him from kneeling, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness. "Just live a good life from now on and don't let me down. Daisy has been with me for so many years; I can't let her suffer after she gets married."
After saying that, he stepped aside, making room for Ophelia beside him.
Everyone's gaze focused once more on this mysterious "Madam."
They all wanted to see what this new mistress would say.
Would she give a valuable gift like the Master?
Or would she say some elegant blessings?
After all, judging by the Madam's aura, she must have seen much of the world...
Ophelia faced everyone's gaze, her expression still calm.
She looked at the newlyweds who were so excited they were about to cry, and something seemed to flash across her golden eyes.
Her lips moved.
In the army, whenever someone was about to embark on a journey, what would she say?
Whenever a comrade was about to face life or death, what would she say?
Countless images flashed through her mind—
Farewells on the battlefield.
Blessings before a campaign.
Vows between life and death.
And now...
She took a deep breath.
After a long while, she spoke four words in her usual cool, flat tone, enunciating each one clearly.
"May your fortunes in battle be prosperous."
The voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears distinctly.
The entire venue instantly fell into an eerie silence.
You could have heard a pin drop.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
May... May fortunes in battle be prosperous?
As a wedding blessing for a baker and a maid, this was what she chose??
Big Tom and Daisy were stunned, staring at her blankly, their minds going completely empty, not knowing how to react.
Daisy's mouth was slightly open, tears still hanging on her face, frozen in place.
Big Tom was even more petrified, maintaining his posture of preparing to say thanks, motionless.
The maids looked at each other.
Martha's expression went from expectation to confusion, then to disbelief, all in three seconds.
The air remained frozen for about five seconds.
Five seconds felt exceptionally long at this moment.
Ophelia's expression did not change at all. She even gave a slight nod, appearing very satisfied with the blessing she had delivered.
Klein's mouth twitched.
He tried very, very hard to stifle his laughter.
Then—
"Pfft—"
Someone couldn't hold it in any longer and laughed.
Immediately after, Martha slapped her thigh exaggeratedly, her whole body doubling over in laughter, tears almost coming out:
"Hahahaha—Well said! The Madam said it perfectly! Big Tom, did you hear that? From now on, you have to knead the dough with murderous intent! Fortunes in battle! Hahahaha—"
The crowd burst into thunderous laughter.
"Fortunes in battle! Big Tom, you better fight your way to the top of the bakery!"
"Daisy, you better wipe the tables with more spirit from now on!"
"Big Tom, that oven is your battlefield!"
"I'm dying, the Madam's blessing is just legendary!"
The laughter rose in waves, and several maids were laughing so hard they couldn't stand straight, leaning on each other for support.
This blessing was truly... unique.
Unprecedented and unlikely to be matched.
Big Tom scratched his head and began to grin foolishly: "Then, then from now on when I bake bread, I'll... I'll treat it like a war?"
"Yes!" Martha laughed so hard she couldn't straighten up. "Treat the dough as the enemy! Knead it ruthlessly!"
"Understood!" Big Tom replied honestly. "I will definitely have prosperous fortunes in battle!"
At those words, the laughter grew even louder.
Ophelia stood where she was, watching the people around her laughing uncontrollably, a hint of confusion flashing in her golden eyes.
Did she say something wrong?
Klein was suppressing his laughter so hard his shoulders were trembling. He took Ophelia's hand and turned to leave the center of the crowd amidst the laughter.
Only after they had walked some distance away could he no longer hold it back, letting out a low laugh.
He leaned close to her ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Ophelia, I never knew you were so good at giving blessings."
His voice was full of teasing.
Ophelia finally realized something was wrong.
She turned her head, her golden eyes looking straight at Klein, her voice carrying a rare hint of... hesitation.
"I... said it wrong?"
Klein laughed even harder. He held her hand, the warmth from his palm making the question seem exceptionally adorable.
"No," he said. "You said it very well. Extremely well."
He paused, then added: "Just... next time if we attend another wedding, we can change the blessing. For example, 'may you have a harmonious union for a century' or something like that."
Ophelia was silent for a moment.
"...Oh."
Her voice was very soft, almost inaudible.
But Klein still heard it.
He suddenly felt that this Ophelia, who had said "May your fortunes in battle be prosperous" with such a serious face, was more adorable than ever.
Just thinking of it, Klein couldn't help but let out another low laugh.
Ophelia looked up at him in confusion.
Klein smiled and tightened his grip on her hand.
In the distance, the laughter of the wedding continued.
Rate on N.U.
