I Became the Villain’s Wife - Chapter 69

~ 69 ~

Translator: Lioness

“How does the announcement take place?”

Eun-woo looked at Selena and carefully asked.

“The nominations are completely random. The papers from which I applied for candidacy earlier are equally divided among the contestants, regardless of their status, wealth, or family, and lots are drawn. There are only fifty candidates who can pass the first judging.”

“Oh… they’re going to nominate fifty people?”

Eun-woo was startled by Selena’s words and pressed her mouth tightly.

Surely it was said that Flora candidates camped at the White Cathedral.

Eun-woo carefully spat out the instinctive question that popped into her head.

“Is there room to feed and clothe so many candidates in the White Cathedral?”

Selena replied with a kind smile at her naive reaction.

“The Black Cathedral is the largest building in Cremons, or in all of Hellasium. Its scale exceeds that of the Imperial Castle. It’s not exactly like that, but the White Cathedral, a training center located on the other side of the Black Church, also has enough space to feed and dress fifty girls for a few days.”

Eun-woo, who had never seen the black cathedral, blushed slightly, and nodded.

At that moment, Sir Ouns, who was escorting the two of them from behind, shouted as if he had found something.

“Look over there. I think the announcement is about to begin.”

As he said, the crowd’s eyes were focused on the host in front. The synagogue, which had been crowded with hundreds of people, was suddenly filled with humming noises.

Eun-woo found the synagogue leader with both hands empty and whispered in a suspicious voice.

“How is he going to make a presentation? Did he even memorize the names of fifty candidates?”

Then Selena answered with a bewildered smile.

“That can’t be. Oh, Eleanor, you only have some knowledge.”

As Selena explained to her earlier, she seemed to understand and was also astonished at her when she heard her voice that there were fifty nominations for them to be selected at the first judging.

“There is another way to announce the nominees for the competition at the Flora Festival. Just wait a little bit and you’ll find out. The announcement of nominations is one of the highlights of the competition.”

Selena smiled meaningfully and closed her eyes.

Indeed, as she said, the expressions on the faces of the people waiting for the announcement of the nominations glistened with anticipation. Eun-woo could feel the heat of excitement emanating from the crowd.

The girls in white clasped each other’s hands and waited for the synagogue leader to open his mouths, and the other festival goers who were watching them also looked at the leader with eager eyes.

Then the synagogue leader opened his mouth as if giving instructions. Eun-woo predicted that something had started and pulled her head forwards to take a closer look.

But she screamed, startled by what happened next, and grabbed Selena’s arm by her side.

“Kyaaa… !”

The lights that were blazing by the power of Fedellamon’s candlesticks located inside and outside the huge synagogue and all over the streets were turned off all at once.

The entire street, where people had gathered, was dyed in pitch-black darkness.

A few other girls, like hers, looked around her, screaming in fear.

In the late evening, when the sun had already set a long time ago, the moonlight, let alone sunlight, did not shine properly.

Eun-woo realized once again how strong the power of the candlesticks were to light the night of Cremons. As soon as the lights that brightly illuminated the late night disappeared, everything transformed into a world of darkness where the street could not be seen even an inch ahead.

Eun-woo looked around with anxious eyes as it all darkened around her.

“Wh, what is this…?”

She was guessing that something was wrong in the event and murmured. Then Selena answered, holding her arm tightly.

“Shh. Wait a minute.”

Then, as if something had happened, she heard a murmur from a corner of the crowd. Eun-woo raised her head and tiptoed and to look over there, but it was difficult to even identify Selena who was right next to her where the light was suddenly turned off.

At that moment, Selena’s small voice was heard in her ear.

“Eleanor, look at the night sky.”

Eun-woo lifted her head up at Selena’s instruction. Then she let out a deep sigh without realizing it.

Hundreds of thousands of stars, large and small, shone brilliantly and beautifully embroidered the black night sky. It was the Milky Way.

Eun-woo gasped for breath as if the airway that had been blocked suddenly opened, as if something was coming up from inside her.

The night sky, where the waves of the silver river seemed to overflow, and the white thread seemed to be twisted, was more beautiful than any sky she had ever seen in her life.

As if someone had sprinkled silver powder on the black night and stirred it, she was busy looking up at the sky. Everyone was truly mesmerized at the sight of it.

A fleeting moment that felt like a long time had passed.

In her ear, who still couldn’t take her eyes off the night sky, Sir Ouns’s whispered voice could be heard.

“… It’s amazing.”

Eun-woo licked her lips and agreed with his words.

“Yeah… it’s really, really beautiful.”

But Eun-woo, who turned her head in the direction where Sir Ouns had been, soon noticed that he was pointing to a group of people, not the night sky she was looking at.

With such a wonderful sight in front of his eyes, is there something else to be astonished about?

Eun-woo couldn’t understand Sir Ouns.

She frowned and hurriedly turned to the direction she couldn’t take her eyes off earlier.

It was a soft light that lit her eyes. Eun-woo blinked her eyes at the bright light that suddenly entered her eyes and closed and opened it several times.

It was a dress. In the middle of the crowd, a girl’s white dress was shining white.

Eun-woo squinted and intently stared at the girl’s white dress she had never seen before.

A faint light, like the tail of a firefly or the light of a dim bedroom, was shining like a decoration on a Christmas tree through the frills, sleeves, and collar of the girl’s dress. For a moment she thought she had put lights on her clothes.

But she soon noticed that the light was shining from the fabric itself that made up the girl’s dress.

Eun-woo felt her heart tremble with shock. She turned her head hastily and looked at Selena. Then she opened her mouth to another surprise.

“Selena, your clothes…”

Selena’s face, looking at her, was seen to be slightly shocked and delighted. Eun-woo saw Selena’s white clothes shine on their own, just like the girl’s clothes she saw earlier.

A little epiphany flashed across her mind. Eun-woo murmured incredibly.

“Then… this is how they present the candidates…”

Selena smiled shyly and nodded.

Eun-Woo saw her facial expression, which was nominated for 50 people, rise with excitement, a little anticipation, and a sense of pride that she was nominated. At the same time, her mind was also imbued with an unknown sense of happiness. She thought it was a good thing that she came here with Selena even after overcoming the pain in her hand.

Eun-woo began to look around in earnest and find other candidates, as if she had become a child in an amusement park to enjoy and play. Joyful cheers erupted here and there.

And as candles lit up one by one, the dresses of the girls who were nominated in the middle of the crowd shone brightly. Then the people around them were more surprised and hugged the girls in shining dresses in unison and greeted them with congratulations.

It was a rare opportunity to have such a rare sight right before her.

Eun-woo watched the scene happily and suddenly thought of how happy she would have been if Tashian had been by her side at this moment.

When she thought of that, her heart suddenly pounded. Eun-woo was shocked by the sudden flow of her thoughts and hurriedly turned her head.

At that time.

Eun-woo felt the body of Sir Ouns standing right next to her, half stiffened in surprise.

Had he found another candidate nearby?

Eun-woo looked at his face to see where Sir Ouns’s gaze was leading. However, his two hardened eyes were directed to none other than her own face.

Eun-woo blinked her eyes slowly and received a bewildered look.

“Lord Ouns…?”

But even to her question, he was unwilling to answer, his lips twitched, and he mumbled something incomprehensible.

Just then, Selena’s suspicious voice called her name.

“Eleanor…?”

For a moment, she felt Selena’s hand hurriedly pulling her own arm from behind, and Eun-woo felt her body sway and Selena turned Eun-woo around.

Selena looked at her in disbelief as she grabbed Eun-woo’s shoulders and scanned her up and down.

Eun-woo then followed Selena’s gaze and lowered her eyes under her body.

She felt goosebumps all over her body in an instant, Eun-woo grabbed Selena’s arm, which was holding her shoulder, to keep her awake.

It was shining. Her white dress was as bright and beautiful as the dresses of other girls selected for the contest, illuminating the dark surroundings.

Selena’s expression, which can be seen more brightly due to the light emanating from her dress, was slightly distorted with astonishment and suspicion.

When she saw that, Eun-woo became dizzy and blinked her eyes.

***

“… You are talking about the crack of a Fedellamon’s candelabra.”

Ikshid opened his mouth with a smirk as if he couldn’t take care of the situation any longer due to the continuous twitching of his mouth. His fingers were flicking the handle of the cold teacup that was lying on the table.

At the terrifying remarks of the Crown Prince, who openly joked about the matter of the country, some members of the Senate who were seated on the other side with the table in the center frowned openly.

“Your Highness, how can someone who knows the seriousness of the royal family’s words speak such vulgar words…!”

“… Isn’t this because your mouth is having a hard time finding sounds that make sense? I know a good teacher, mind being taught by that teacher?”

Now, the central meeting room of the Black Cathedral was darkened by the occasional confrontation. On the other side of the table, there was the crown prince, who sat cross-legged, showing that he was dissatisfied with the current situation, and the duke, who had an indifferent and cold expression as usual. And on the other side, there were four members of the Council of Elders, sent by the chief, guarding the seat.

It was as if walking on thin ice, and even the slightest sound of breathing could be heard in the conference hall, where if anyone opened their mouth the wrong way, their feet would crack.

The only person who was making a big fuss when he went here was none other than the Crown Prince of the Empire.

Ikshid opened his mouth with a grunt, not stopping the ferocious sound from the bouncing of the teacup handle.

“I guess you guys don’t like this place too. Actually, it must be very difficult to come as a proxy and deal with me and the duke. Both of us are very wild, not like a dog on a leash, who doesn’t show their teeth.”

As he said those words, Ikshid’s golden eyes glared at the other side of the table.

“So, why don’t that person, who gave the order, come to this place in person, huh?”

He smiled as he revealed it.

“Call the chief right now.”

At the threat of the prince, who was very uncomfortable with this meeting, the faces of the delegates across the table, who kept their expressions on their faces, showed a look of anxiety.