Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 43: Marrying from Zora’s Manor, not the maternal home?
In the following days, Prince Kael rarely appeared at Zora’s Manor.
He was busy preparing everything for the wedding, while Zora herself appeared completely relaxed.
She traveled freely between the Origin Medical Hall and Zora’s Manor each day, as if marriage were none of her concern at all.
Inside the manor, however, the changes were impossible to ignore.
Servants rushed back and forth in excitement, their faces filled with unconcealed happiness.
Their prince... was finally going to marry.
No one knew that beneath this overwhelming festivity, storm clouds were quietly gathering.
And when the wedding drums finally beat—No one could predict how many fates would be overturned in a single night.
And the morning has arrived...
Zora herself sat quietly at the center of the storm.
From the moment she was lifted out of bed, she had been passed from one pair of hands to another. Makeup was applied, hair was dressed, ornaments were chosen and discarded again and again. She was no longer fully in control of her body, only watching the process unfold through the bronze mirror with a dazed calm.
Only now did she finally understand why Prince Kael had been so busy these past few days.
Custom wedding robes had to be commissioned. The most experienced bridal attendants had to be summoned. Every ritual, every detail, every decoration demanded careful preparation. Even as an onlooker, she could feel how much effort had been poured into this single day.
"Master! Master!"
From the chaotic corner of the room came two faint, tragic cries.
The black and white furballs had been unceremoniously tossed aside by the bustling attendants. One was knocked rolling by the hem of a ceremonial robe, the other nearly flattened under a careless step. By the time they struggled upright, they had already been trampled into dizzy silence.
Zora glanced sideways and only just managed to catch sight of them before they were swallowed by the tide of crimson skirts and embroidered shoes again. By the time she attempted to reach out with her consciousness toward the Ring of Chaos, the two little fellows had already been squashed back into it in protesting silence.
*
Meanwhile, Eric Welsh, Storm, and Silver arrived early.
They all knew that today Zora would marry from Zora’s Manor, not the General’s Residence. From this day forward, she would no longer carry the identity of the House Phoenix’s daughter.
Ordinarily, a bride would be escorted by her family.
But today, this vast Zora’s Manor belonged to her alone.
And so, they came willingly to stand in the place of her family.
They wanted to witness her happiness themselves.
The moment they stepped into the courtyard, all three were stunned by the sheer grandeur before them. The garden that once carried quiet elegance had been completely transformed into a blazing sea of joy.
Storm couldn’t help but suck in a breath. "A royal wedding really is different... I’ve never seen anything like this in my life."
Silver laughed with admiration. "Of course you haven’t. If it weren’t for Miss Zora, even if we cultivated for another lifetime, we might not get a chance to witness such a scene."
They followed the attendants into the inner chamber.
The moment they saw Zora, all three froze in place.
For a heartbeat, no one spoke.
She sat before the bronze mirror in full bridal attire. Scarlet robes flowed across the floor like liquid flame. Her long hair was lifted high into the elegant, queenly style, adorned with golden ornaments that swayed with the faintest movement.
Her brows were softly shaped like distant green mountains. Her phoenix eyes shimmered beneath long lashes. A faint blush tinted her cheeks, while her lips were like freshly opened cherry blossoms.
The most striking detail was the Apple blossom painted upon her forehead.
It mirrored the Apple forest of Zora’s Manor, delicate and vivid, as if the spring of ten thousand blossoms had been sealed upon her skin. It symbolized not only beauty, but also fate entangled beneath falling petals.
Ivory skin. Crimson gown.
Grace and fire merged seamlessly.
Even the most demanding bridal attendant could only nod repeatedly in awe. "Perfect... truly perfect. This is the most beautiful princess bride I have ever dressed."
Zora herself finally dared to look into the mirror.
She was momentarily stunned.
For her, this face felt both familiar and unfamiliar. The person in the mirror carried her soul, yet wore an unfamiliar elegance that made even her feel a faint shiver of disbelief.
When the attendants finally retired to prepare the final rituals, Eric Welsh and the others stepped inside.
Only then did Zora smile at them freely.
"You’re all here," she said softly, her tone warm and unrestrained.
Eric Welsh stood rooted to the spot.
He stared at her, at the noble and resplendent bride before him, and for a brief moment, he almost forgot how to breathe.
The street doctor he once bantered with, the sharp-tongued girl who negotiated prices without blinking, the woman who treated patients with effortless calm...
All those shadows overlapped with the peerlessly beautiful figure before his eyes.
So beautiful.
Beautiful beyond anything he had imagined.
For a long moment, eve, Storm, and Silver simply stood there, unable to pull their gazes away. The dazzling radiance before them was no longer something words could easily describe.
Only at this moment did they truly understand the distance between Zora and themselves.
Once, she had been known as Miss Zora of the General’s Residence. Now, she was going to be the Princess Consort.
Yet when they had spent time with her in the past, she had never once revealed any sense of aloofness. She had spoken freely, laughed lightly, bargained fiercely, and argued without reserve. Standing beside her, one easily forgot who she truly was.
Only today did they finally realize just how far she stood from the crowd.
"Miss Zora..." Storm covered her mouth instinctively, her eyes shining with genuine amazement. "You’re too beautiful today. No one in the Imperial City could compare to you now. The title of First Beauty should belong to you without question!"
She truly meant every word.
In all her life, she had never seen a woman who radiated such overwhelming grace. Even as another woman, she felt no jealousy. That distance between them was already great enough to turn envy into simple admiration.
In the past, the Imperial City never had a truly acknowledged "first beauty." Many once pushed Luna into that position. Others debated fiercely.
After Luna’s disfigurement, the title naturally drifted to Scarlett, Prime Minister Henry’s daughter. In recent days, Scarlett had grown increasingly high-profile, deliberately emphasizing her supposed status at every possible opportunity.
But in Storm’s eyes, Scarlett could not even come close.
Not even a shadow.
Eric Welsh and Silver exchanged a glance and nodded in quiet agreement. This kind of beauty was something that left a permanent mark on the heart. Once seen, it could never be forgotten.
Zora only smiled faintly, unmoved by the praise. To her, such empty titles carried no real meaning. If beauty could protect her, she would not have endured the past she had lived through.
"Miss Zora," Eric Welsh said sincerely, his voice steady, "I wish you happiness."
He had been her friend from the very beginning. From the shabby clinic to the stormy rise of her name, from street corner medicine to imperial recognition. Watching her stand here today, dressed in bridal crimson, his heart was filled with a strange mix of pride and emotion.
"Thank you," Zora replied softly. Her eyes curved gently. "I’m lucky to have friends like you with me on this day."
From the moment she severed ties with the General’s Residence, she had felt the weight of loneliness settle quietly upon her shoulders. Blood ties had been cut, and the past had been buried.
Yet standing here now, looking at three familiar faces filled with sincere concern, she realized she had never truly been alone.
"Miss Zora..." Eric Welsh hesitated for a moment, his brows drawing together. "You’re marrying from Zora’s Manor today. The General’s Residence... what about them?"
