Cardinal Daniele nodded in acknowledgnt before sweeping his gaze across everyone attending the ceremony in the church.
"For all beings under the heavens who are watching this sacred ceremony at this very mont. In a mont, we will be witnessing a historic mont—a historic mont for two human beings who will bind themselves in a sacred bond before the heavens, a bond that ties them together forever,"
"A bond strengthened by their love for each other. With that love, this bond is sothing that can carry them through every challenge, even the toughest ones in the future,"
"Now, at this mont, we will witness the union of these two human beings, a union that will make them officially one family, not only under mundane laws, but also before the heavens. They will beco a pair of husband and wife."
"Aldrian Aster and Angelica Celestine," Cardinal Daniele said as he looked at Aldrian and Angelica with a smile.
"Are you ready to build this new Chapter of your life with your soon-to-be wife, Aldrian Aster?" he asked, turning his gaze to Aldrian.
"I’m ready," Aldrian replied without a trace of hesitation.
Cardinal Daniele then turned to Angelica.
"Are you ready to build this new Chapter of your life with your soon-to-be husband, Angelica Celestine?"
"I’m ready," Angelica replied with the sa steady confidence as Aldrian.
Cardinal Daniele nodded, and his expression turned solemn.
"With the heavens as the witness, the heavens that brought the fate of you two together, I will now begin the vow-taking procession," he said.
A long red scarf appeared in Cardinal Daniele’s hand. He controlled the scarf with his energy, guiding it to drape over Aldrian and Angelica’s shoulders, connecting them through the red scarf.
"Face the heavens. Bow once to the heavens that have already given you their blessing, allowing you to co this far," Cardinal Daniele said. Aldrian and Angelica obeyed, lifting their gaze upward for a mont before bowing deeply.
After two seconds, they straightened their posture.
"Bow once to your parents, the ones who gave you life and have cared for you since you were children," Cardinal Daniele continued.
Aldrian and Angelica turned to face their parents and bowed to them.
Pope Claudius had already been shedding tears since earlier, but seeing Angelica bowing toward him in her wedding dress made them fall even more heavily. He tried to keep wipe them away.
Angelica’s tears also flowed more intensely as she saw the father figure before her shedding tears. In all her life, she had never seen him cry, not even once. At most, she had only ever seen him show sadness.
But at this mont, he revealed his tears, and it stirred her heart even more. It showed just how important she was to him, despite not being his biological daughter.
After two seconds, Aldrian and Angelica straightened once more.
"Now, face and bow toward each other. To the one who will walk beside you for the rest of your life. To the partner who will love and support you, the one who will beco your ho," Cardinal Daniele said.
Aldrian and Angelica turned to face each other. They smiled softly at one another before bowing.
"To Aldrian Aster, you may now say your vow to Angelica Celestine."
The mont Cardinal Daniele said those words, countless people began preparing themselves for what was about to co. Many of them circulated their energy, forming protective layers to lessen the effect of what they were about to experience.
Those who had never attended any of Aldrian’s weddings felt confused by the sudden actions of the crowd, making them wonder what was happening.
"Why do you look like you’re preparing to face sothing?" one of the outsiders asked a citizen of the empire.
"You’d better protect yourself. Believe , after this, the heavens will react, and it will be shocking the first ti you experience it. Although it is embarrassing, I almost pissed myself the first ti I went through it. Prepare yourself if you do not want to embarrass yourself," the citizen replied.
The outsider still looked confused and did not imdiately follow the advice. Instead, he kept his gaze on the screen showing Aldrian and Angelica, wondering what would happen next.
The man who had given the warning said nothing more. He also turned his attention back to the screen, already fully prepared.
On the platform, Aldrian’s expression softened as he looked at Angelica. In his eyes, at that mont, there was no one else. Only her.
"I Aldrian Aster take you, Angelica Celestine, to be my lawfully wedded wife,
to have and to hold, from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish,
until death do us part.
This is my solemn vow."
"I swear upon the heavens, with the entire universe as my witness, that if I ever leave my wife unjustly, stop loving her, or treat her badly, then the heavens may send their strongest tribulation as punishnt and kill on the spot. May the heavens and all the laws that make up the universe curse for thousands of lives."
RUMBLE!
A deafening thunderclap reverberated across the entire land, followed by a strong pressure descending from the heavens, pressing down on everything beneath it. The terrifying aura of the heavens spread outward, sending chills through countless people.
Those who had not prepared for it were completely shocked as their souls trembled violently. The sudden jolt shook both their minds and bodies. They were truly scared shitless, and many instinctively tried to run away.
The earlier outsider who had been warned had already fallen to the ground, staring up at the sky with a horrified expression.
The sky had turned dark, and strands of lightning flickered between the clouds. His body trembled uncontrollably, and the sensation he felt at that mont was as if he were the direct target of a heavenly tribulation.
He wanted to shit his pants!
He had never expected that Aldrian the Great would be crazy enough to declare such an extre vow.
"See, I told you," the man who had warned him said with an expression that showed no surprise.
The outsider looked at him, and at that mont, he finally understood.
Inside the church, Aldrian hugged Angelica, shielding her from the pressure that was focused on him. However, this ti, the pressure that reached them was much weaker than any of the pressure the heavens had exuded during the previous two weddings.
Thanks to the entire First Heaven becoming his domain, Aldrian could withstand the heavens’ pressure much more easily. In fact, he could have completely prevented it from affecting them at all.
But he wanted a reason for her to hug him tightly, and for him to hold her in return. He liked the sensation of her in his arms.
Angelica’s expression showed a trace of fear, yet she continued to hold onto him. In her heart, she kept praying to the heavens to continue blessing them, despite the heavens still reacting to Aldrian’s vows.
After fifteen seconds, the dark clouds slowly disappeared, giving way to sunlight once more. The pressure and the aura of the heavens completely vanished.
Countless people let out sighs of relief.
Aldrian and Angelica slowly separated, both smiling softly at each other.
Cardinal Daniele could only smile tiredly and shake his head. The Emperor was truly extre, making the sa oath to all three of his wives.
But that only showed what kind of person Aldrian was. He was a man full of commitnt, soone who was truly serious about every word he spoke.
That was why he admired him. He was truly a man worthy of everything he had achieved.
He took a deep breath before turning his gaze toward Angelica.
"To Angelica Celestine, you may now say your vow to Aldrian Aster,"
Angelica’s smile grew brighter. With her eyes still wet with tears, she parted her lips.
"I Angelica Celestine take you, Aldrian Aster, to be my lawfully wedded husband,"
Up until this line, Aldrian suddenly sensed sothing from Angelica’s soul. More precisely, from her very being.
"To have and to hold, from this day forward,
For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
In sickness and in health," Angelica continued.
Aldrian could sense the curse within Angelica reacting. The curse that had always remained passive, quietly influencing her, was now showing clear signs that it wanted to act actively!
His mind worked in a split second as he tried to identify the nature of the curse placed upon her. It was most likely a special curse born from anathema laws, sothing that even possessed its own sentience!
Now it was trying to act, and he had no idea what it intended to do.
But whatever it was, he had a very bad feeling about it!
At that mont, Angelica also felt a sudden sense of dread. She could not help but feel that if she finished her vow, sothing terrible might befall her!
She paused slightly.
Why did this feeling appear now? Why at this exact mont, when she was about to officially beco Aldrian’s wife?
Why?
Was this a sign that, even in this life, she would still et a tragic end? After everything, after all this happiness, would she still be forced to face that cruel fate?
A sudden wave of panic rose within her, and she felt the urge to cry, not out of happiness, but out of frustration.
The people who saw her sudden pause began to wonder what had happened. Pope Claudius also looked at her with concern.
What happened to her?
As Angelica stood there, confused and overwheld, unsure of what to do, she suddenly felt Aldrian’s hands gently grasping hers. She looked up at his face, which at that mont carried a warm expression.
An expression that told her everything would be okay. An expression that assured her he would always stand by her side. That he would never abandon her and would always protect her.
In that instant, she felt relief.
She found her courage. The courage to face any challenge, no matter how heavy it might be. The panic and uncertainty in her heart slowly faded away, and her smile returned.
Yes, why should she be afraid?
She believed that this ti would be different.
She believed that this ti, she would have a different ending.
Why should she be held back by her past lives? How could she deny her own happiness because of the repeated tragedies she had endured in those lives?
She had Aldrian. And in this life, everything around Aldrian was completely different from his past selves. Her own life was also no longer the sa as in those lives.
In this life, she would not allow herself to et a tragic end!
"To love and to cherish,
Until death do us part." Angelica finally continued her vow.
"This is my solemn vow."
"I swear upon the heavens, with the entire universe as my witness, that if I ever leave my husband unjustly, stop loving her, or treat her badly, then the heavens may send their strongest tribulation as punishnt and kill on the spot. May the heavens and all the laws that make up the universe curse for thousands of lives."
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