Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 46: The Wedding (Part-2)

It was precisely because of this that so many people in the hall felt genuine gratitude toward Zora.

If not for her sudden rise, if not for her medical skills, her Potions, and the power she now carried, how many people would still be trapped in sickness, weakness, and helpless struggle?

She had quietly changed too much.

Yet in a corner of the hall, Prince Philip stood frozen.

His gaze was locked onto the radiant figure in red.

For more than ten years, he had known Zora, yet he had never truly seen her.

In his heart, she had always been nothing more than a useless waste, unworthy of his status, unworthy even to be mentioned in the same breath as Luna. Even in appearance, he had once thought, she could not compare.

And now—

Standing beneath the brightest lights of the Imperial City, wrapped in crimson silk and glory, Zora outshone everything.

Even Luna could not compare.

Such a woman... should have stood beside him.

The one standing at the groom’s position today should have been him.

Not Prince Kael.

The bitter realization crushed down on his chest like a mountain. Regret surged violently, choking his breath until his heart throbbed with pain.

Too late.

Everything was already too late.

*

When Luna followed the others into the hall, her first instinct was to look toward Philip.

At that instant, she saw it clearly.

His eyes were no longer on her.

They had not moved from Zora even once.

Her heart instantly twisted with resentment.

With suppressed fury, she turned her gaze toward the bride—

And in that single glance, Luna’s face turned deathly pale.

How could she be so beautiful?

How could that woman become so dazzling in such a short time?

The jealousy in her heart erupted like wildfire.

Unwilling. Furious. Unrestrained madness surged upward.

At that moment, Zora seemed to sense her gaze. She slowly turned her head.

Their eyes met.

Then, on that exquisitely flawless face, a slow, enchanting smile appeared.

A smile full of disdain.

Full of indifference.

To Zora, today’s Luna was no longer worth even a second glance.

That single look was enough for Luna’s nails to dig into her palms as hatred flooded her chest.

***

The high priest lifted his silver-capped staff, its chimes ringing once through the vaulted hall.

"By the authority of the Crown and the Light above," he proclaimed, voice echoing through stone and stained glass, "the union shall begin."

Prince Kael and Zora stepped forward together.

"First acknowledgment," the priest intoned, "to the Sovereign of the Realm."

Both of them turned and inclined their heads toward Emperor Alexander upon the elevated dais.

No one noticed the frost that flashed briefly through Prince Kael’s eyes, nor the buried resistance locked deep beneath his composed exterior. For the sake of the ceremony, he swallowed it whole.

The Emperor accepted their salute with a faint, unreadable smile.

"Second acknowledgment," the priest continued, "to the blood that gave you life."

The instant those words rang out, General Helius stiffened.

The Crown came first, as expected.

But next—

All traditions demanded the honoring of one’s parents.

Yet without hesitation, Prince Kael and Zora turned away from the General’s platform and instead faced the ancestral banners hanging along the northern wall of the manor.

They placed their hands over their chests and gave their pledge of reverence to the banners instead.

They bypassed the General completely.

A shockwave rippled through the hall.

Whispers broke out like sparks on dry grass.

"They... abandoned the General’s acknowledgment?"

"They chose the Ancestors instead of their own blood?"

"This is an outright declaration of severed ties!"

General Helius’s face darkened to steel-blue.

The rage coiling in his chest surged so violently that the veins along his clenched fists stood out like cords.

This was no subtle slight.

This was a public renunciation.

A ceremonial execution of his authority.

"Third vow," the priest began, raising his staff once more, "as husband and wife—"

Before the words could be completed—

Emperor Alexander interrupted. "Is the second acknowledgment not reserved for one’s living parents?"

His tone was calm, yet it carried the unmistakable weight of command.

The cathedral plunged into instant silence.

Every gaze snapped from the throne to the altar.

The Emperor had intervened.

And now—

All eyes waited to see how Prince Kael and Zora would answer.

A flicker of vicious delight flashed across Luna’s face.

At this moment, she finally believed that the arrogance of Zora would be firmly pressed down by the Emperor himself.

No matter how capable she was, did she really think she could defy the entire world?

Yet—

Zora did not panic in the slightest.

Instead, she lifted her chin calmly and spoke in a clear, steady voice:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, there is no contradiction at all. Days ago, General Helius personally declared that he and I would sever all father–daughter relations. Since I no longer belong to the General’s Residence, naturally, there is no reason for me to marry out from there today. or give my acknowledgment to them."

Her voice was neither hurried nor emotional.

It was cold, clean, and decisive.

As her words fell...

General Helius’s face changed violently.

The entire hall erupted in shock.

Everyone had long known that Zora and the General’s Residence were at odds, but no one had imagined that General Helius would truly go so far as to cut ties with his own daughter.

If that were the case, then everything that happened today suddenly made perfect sense.

If she had already been cast out, Then why should she marry from the General’s Residence?

Instantly, the tide of public opinion shifted.

The mockery that had earlier been directed toward Zora quietly turned into condemnation aimed straight at General Helius.

Only then did everyone realize—What they had thought was revenge from Zora...

Was in fact cold, unassailable logic.

General Helius stared furiously at Zora. He never imagined that she would dare to speak about this matter directly before the Emperor.

Even worse—

Her words left him with no room to retreat.

The entire General’s Residence had been shoved straight into a pit of public disgrace.

Emperor Alexander narrowed his eyes slightly. His gaze shifted slowly toward General Helius.

"General Baili," he asked evenly, "is what she said... true?"

General Helius’s face turned pale.

His lips moved, yet no sound came out.

That single hesitation was already an answer.

The truth was obvious.

Before he could even stabilize his breath, Prince Kael suddenly laughed softly.

"When this Prince learned that my future Consort had been thrown out of the General’s Residence, naturally, I would not allow her to suffer such humiliation. Thus, this Prince prepared the bridal invitation directly at Zora’s Manor."

He lifted his eyes slightly, the smile on his lips carrying a faint edge of mockery. "General Helius... are you dissatisfied with an Imperial Prince as your son-in-law, because of his disability?"

The entire hall drew in sharp breaths.

With that one sentence—

Prince Kael had cleanly flipped the entire situation upside down.

The blame was no longer on Zora.

It was now directly pointed at General Helius.

Was he dissatisfied with the Prince?

Then was he also dissatisfied with the Emperor’s decree?

Emperor Alexander’s expression darkened subtly.

If General Helius truly dared to claim dissatisfaction with the marriage, Then what he was rejecting was not merely a prince.

It was the Emperor’s authority itself.

General Helius’s heart jolted violently.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

All the rage and humiliation of moments ago vanished without a trace. Fear surged up instead.

Without hesitation, he immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, this General was momentarily blinded by anger and spoke foolish words. I absolutely did not harbor any dissatisfaction toward His Highness’s marriage!"

His voice was urgent, even trembling slightly.

The survival of the entire General’s Residence now hung on this single sentence.

And in that moment—

High above the crowd, Emperor Alexander’s eyes slowly narrowed.

But before he could speak—A faint, amused smile curved at the corner of Zora’s lips.

And no one noticed—That the calmest person in this storm was neither the Emperor...

Nor Prince Kael...

But her.

Because she knew—This was not the end of the confrontation.

It was only the beginning.