My five ghostly husbands-Chapter 457 Wedding day

Ruby’s fingers curled into her robe, her heart thudding hard. Her calm expression didn’t waver, but inside, her thoughts spun like wildfire. She knew exactly what Madame Shades was doing — trying to cut off their time, to corner her before Adrian and Julian could return with the proof they needed.

Madame Shades smiled wider, clearly enjoying the discomfort spreading across Ruby’s face and her husbands’ tense reactions. "Yes, that settles it. Three days. I’ll send priests, decorators, and invitations by tonight. And Ruby, dear..." Her voice dropped low, silky and sharp. "Do be ready. You won’t have time to change your mind."

Ruby forced a polite nod, even as her stomach twisted. "Of course," she said softly, her tone calm enough to fool most of the guests but not Karl, who saw the storm in her eyes.

As Madame Shades and Louis left the hall, satisfaction written all over their faces, Ruby stood still for a moment, her fists clenched at her sides.

****

"Mom, where are Julian and that Adrian? Why didn’t I see them today?" Louis asked suddenly while stuffing another sweet into his mouth. His words came out half-muffled, and he wiped his sticky hands clumsily on his robe. "Or maybe... they’re secretly crying somewhere?"

Madame Shades, who was going through a long list of wedding preparations, paused for a brief second. Her thin brows arched. "Crying?" she repeated slowly, eyeing her son.

Louis nodded eagerly, his round face shining with misplaced pride. "Yeah, probably! They must be heartbroken, right? After all, once I marry Ruby, they’ll have to call me family, hahah!" He let out a wheezing laugh, clearly entertained by his own imagination. "I bet they’re hiding in their rooms crying together! You know, ghosts do that when they lose someone they love."

Madame Shades pressed her lips together to keep from snapping. "You think far too much, Louis," she said dryly, flipping through her notes again.

But even as she dismissed him, something inside her twisted uneasily. She frowned, remembering that she hadn’t actually seen Adrian or Julian anywhere during the whole ceremony.

"Mom?" Louis’s voice pulled her back. "Should I send someone to mock them? You know, tell them I’ll take good care of Ruby? Hehe—"

"Enough!" Madame Shades snapped, making him jump. She took a deep breath and straightened, regaining her poise. "They’re irrelevant now. Focus on the wedding. The decorators will arrive tonight, and we still have to finalize the Holy Vow scrolls."

Louis pouted, clearly disappointed that his idea of gloating had been dismissed. "Fine, fine. But if they show up crying at our wedding, don’t blame me if I laugh, okay?" he said, waddling off toward the food table.

Madame Shades didn’t answer. Her eyes lingered on the open window for a long moment, the night wind tugging lightly at her purple hair. Doubt flickered across her sharp gaze for a brief second.

Where were Adrian and Julian?

The thought pressed against her mind like a thorn, but with servants rushing around her, flowers being delivered, and priests waiting for confirmation, she brushed it aside.

"Later," she murmured under her breath, forcing a smile as she returned to directing the workers. "I’ll deal with them later. Right now, nothing and no one will stop this marriage."

**** 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Ruby stood near the mirror, her reflection glowing under the soft golden lights of the dressing room. The red robe she wore shimmered like liquid fire — every fold embroidered with fine gold threads, every jewel on her wrists catching the light. Her hair was set with tiny crystals that looked like fallen stars, and her eyes, lined with a golden sheen, seemed to hold both calm and chaos within them. She looked every bit the bride the Ghost World expected — breathtaking, divine, untouchable.

Yet inside, her heart was pounding hard. The sacred scent of the holy fire drifting in from the main hall only made her anxiety worse.

She had called Adrian earlier, her voice barely steady. He had assured her that they had almost gathered all the proof they needed — documents, witness statements, and even other victims who were ready to speak. Ruby had sighed in relief then, but now that tomorrow had arrived, the weight of it pressed on her again.

Today was her wedding day. And the holy fire — once lit — would not be easily put out.

The Ghost World had strict laws. Once the holy fire ceremony began, the union had to be completed before the flame died on its own. If not, the one who refused or broke the ritual could be punished by the divine flame itself — cursed with pain or weakened spirit.

Karl knew that too. He stood by the window, looking outside, his hands fidgeting restlessly, his expression dark and full of worry. "Wife..." he muttered, his voice rough, "why does this have to happen today?"

Ruby turned slightly, her earrings brushing against her neck. "Because Madame Shades won’t wait any longer. But Adrian and Julian said they found the victims — we just have to stall."

Karl’s eyes filled with frustration and helplessness. "Stall? Wife, once the holy fire starts burning, it won’t stop! If you don’t marry before it dies, it’ll punish you!" He ran a hand through his hair, pacing back and forth. "Brother Adi said he’s almost here, but if they don’t come on time..." He trailed off, his voice trembling.

Ruby exhaled slowly and forced a small, calm smile. "They’ll come. I trust them."

Still, she couldn’t ignore the uneasy feeling gnawing at her chest.

Karl turned back toward her and froze. His heart twisted painfully as he saw her in the full bridal attire. She was beautiful beyond words, but the thought of her standing next to that greedy fat ghost made his stomach burn.

"Have you seen Milo?" Ruby asked softly, fixing the last pin in her hair.

Karl blinked, pulled from his thoughts. "No, I haven’t," he said, frowning. "He left early in the morning... said his master called him for something important." He pouted, crossing his arms. "I don’t like this. Why is everyone disappearing when it matters most?"

Ruby chuckled weakly, shaking her head, but before she could reply, Karl walked over and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder, his voice low and trembling slightly.

"I hate this," he muttered. "You look too beautiful, wife. You shouldn’t be marrying anyone else... especially not that fat ghost." His fingers gripped the edge of her sleeve, holding on as if she might disappear. "Brother Adi better come before I lose my mind."

Ruby smiled faintly, reaching up to touch his cheek. "I know," she whispered. "But trust me, Karl. This time, we’ll win."

Outside, the priestess began chanting softly. The sound of bells echoed through the hall, and the golden flames of the holy fire rose higher, filling the air with its sacred light.

Karl’s heart raced. "It’s starting..." he whispered.