Chapter 53
The sunlight outside the castle was incredibly bright.
So bright that I only now realized how long I'd spent doing my makeup and getting ready.
And there were way more people gathered outside the castle than I'd expected.
I thought there'd be a few hundred people, but looking out now, I saw a sea of heads - it felt like there were over a thousand.
I took another deep breath and found I wasn't as nervous as before.
Standing at the front of the crowd was someone familiar to me.
It was Kane.
He had turned around, holding a bouquet of flowers, smiling at me.
I couldn't help but smile back, and walked toward him with determination.
I could feel everyone's eyes on me.
Those gazes were hard to read - good or bad - but there was definitely scrutiny and curiosity in them. Mostly curiosity.
I could vaguely hear people talking.
"Is this our future, Mrs. Moretti? She looks really beautiful."
"I heard she came from the slums, but she doesn't look it at all."
"Well, she's the one Mr. Moretti chose, so she can't be that bad."
Their approval made the last bit of my nervousness disappear.
I reached Kane and stood in front of him, smiling and blinking at him.
Kane took my hand and said firmly, "You look absolutely beautiful today."
I smiled at Kane.
He'd obviously gotten dressed up too, looking more polished than usual.
I couldn't help but think how unfair God was.
Some people already have such a good family background, and then they get blessed with such good looks too.
But then I thought about it.
If Kane had these looks but not such a good family background, even I would feel it was unfair to him.
I reached out my hand and placed it in Kane's.
We held hands, fingers intertwined, and walked step by step toward the priest.
When I stood before the priest and saw his face clearly, surprise showed in my eyes, and I instinctively looked at Kane beside me.
Kane seemed very satisfied with my reaction, smiling and winking at me, saying, "Didn't you hope the priest would come to your wedding?"
I remembered what Kane had promised me before, but I hadn't expected him to do even more.
I thought I wouldn't cry, but my eyes got wet anyway.
I nodded with a choked voice, not daring to blink, afraid tears would fall and ruin my makeup.
Kane turned his head to look at the priest and said, "The ceremony can begin now."
The priest cleared his throat and recited the words I'd heard countless times before.
"We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Mr. Moretti and Miss Sonya. In this sacred moment, I want to ask Mr. Moretti - whether in poverty or wealth, in sickness or in health, through any hardship, will you love Miss Sonya faithfully?"
Kane slowly said those words: "I do."
Those short words hit my heart like a hammer, so much so that I almost didn't respond to the priest's question in time.
It was only when Kane gently squeezed my hand that I snapped back to reality.
Under the priest's smiling gaze, I nodded with a choked voice and also said, "I do."
The moment my words fell, fireworks went off, doves were released, and I heard cheers from the people behind me.
I didn't know how many people were genuinely happy for Kane and me.
But I knew that right now, I was truly happy.
At this moment, I really was surrounded by happiness.
Beside me was the man who loved me most, behind me was my steadfast best friend, and there was the priest who had always helped and supported me in my past life.
My life couldn't be more perfect than this moment.
With everyone cheering, Kane put his arm around my waist, lowered his head, and slowly moved closer to my lips.
I closed my eyes, and the moment our lips touched, I felt like an electric current ran through my entire body. I couldn't help but shiver and lift my eyes.
I didn't expect Kane's eyes to be open, either. He was staring at me intently, those deep gem-like eyes almost pulling me in.
My eyes held only Kane, as if I couldn't see anyone else.
Until Kane's head tilted back slightly, he looked at me with a smile and asked, "What's wrong? Stunned?"
I quickly shook my head, feeling my face flush.
Kane gently stroked my cheek, murmuring softly, "Every time you blush, I find it breathtaking."
Of course, my face got even redder.
The priest looked at me with a satisfied smile, nodded at Kane, and slowly walked down from the platform.
I was supposed to throw my bouquet backward, but I thought of Nina.
I turned around and walked directly to Nina, handing her the bouquet.
Nina, who had been clapping along with the crowd, froze.
She looked at me, her lips trembling, her bright eyes filled with tears.
"You're giving this directly to me?" Nina asked, seeming unable to believe it.
I smiled and nodded calmly, saying to her, "You're my best friend. I hope you'll find your happiness next."
Nina took the pure white bouquet, took a deep breath of its fragrance, and nodded at me. "I believe with today's bride's blessing, I should be able to find the person I love very soon."
Hearing Nina say this, I felt quite satisfied and turned back to Kane's side.
The rest of the time was pretty relaxed.
I couldn't really pay attention to Nina.
But Nina understood.
She came up beside me, grinning and saying, "I see there are quite a few men here. Maybe I really will find my true love today."
I looked around - the male mafia members all looked quite dashing indeed.
Any one of them would be good enough for Nina.
But I thought Nina's personality was like mine - maybe not suited for life in the mafia.
Finding a mafia member as a husband might not be a wise decision.
But seeing Nina looking so excited, I didn't say anything. I just smiled and nodded at her, "I wish you the best, dear Nina."
Nina waved at me, picked up a glass of Martini, and said, "You still have other things to do. I'll go have fun on my own."
I said to Nina with some concern, "Just be careful. If anyone gives you trouble, come find me."
Nina laughed and gave me a big hug.
Then she looked at me with mixed emotions and said, "I used to be the one protecting you, and now it's your turn to talk about protecting me. Dear Sonya, I'm really happy, so happy that you have someone who can protect you."
Nina's words pierced my heart like a thorn, making it feel both sour and soft, filled with sweetness.
Watching Nina's back, I slowly let out a breath, returned to Kane's side, took his arm, and went to toast with the mafia members.
Their names were complicated, and I drank until I felt dizzy.
At some point, Kane brought me back to the room.