Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 47: The Wedding (Part-3)

If this matter truly caused the Emperor to develop misgivings toward General Helius, then the consequences would only grow heavier with time.

Although General Helius hurriedly bowed and declared his loyalty, Emperor Alexander’s expression never truly softened.

The atmosphere in the great hall remained rigid and heavy, as if an invisible pressure were pressing down on everyone’s chest.

In the end, the Emperor merely lifted his hand slightly and said in a calm but unquestionable voice, "Let the wedding proceed." No anger was openly shown, but the faint chill hidden beneath those words was enough to make General Helius’s spine run cold.

Once the remaining ceremonial steps were completed, Zora was escorted to the bridal chamber by the maids and matrons.

After leaving behind the necessary instructions and courtesies, the servants withdrew one after another, leaving the vast bridal chamber quiet once more.

Only then did Zora finally relax her tense shoulders. The day had been too long, too exhausting, and every step felt like walking on a razor’s edge.

Compared to her, Prince Kael had to remain outside dealing with countless guests and forced smiles, and she did not even need to imagine how weary that must be.

"Master, that old fox General Helius is afraid he’s really going to suffer this time," Black said gleefully, jumping onto the table with its eyes shining in excitement.

Ever since that old man had treated the master so viciously, Black had held a bellyful of resentment. Seeing General Helius being suppressed so thoroughly today made it feel as if a knot had finally been loosened in its chest.

"At the very least, the Emperor has already developed dissatisfaction toward him because of this incident," White added with crescent-shaped eyes, clearly in high spirits as well. "From now on, General Helius will have no choice but to tuck in his tail and behave properly for a long time."

The black-and-white furballs laughed noisily, their joy completely unconcealed. Even if this marriage was, at its core, a deal wrapped in layers of calculation, at least from today onward, General Helius would no longer have the qualification to point fingers at their master. Just that alone was enough to be worth celebrating.

Zora curved her lips faintly, listening to that.

Truthfully speaking, living under the roof of the General’s Residence had always made her feel as though she were sitting on a blanket of thorns.

Even though she now knew she was not actually General Helius’s biological daughter, that did not erase the coldness, the indifference, or the countless injustices she had endured in that place.

Today’s severance was not merely public defiance. It was her final reckoning for everything the original "Zora" had suffered.

"Master, the food is getting cold."

Black’s gaze had already been firmly locked onto the elaborate dishes laid out on the table, its nose twitching nonstop from the aroma alone.

Zora raised her brows slightly. Her mood was indeed not bad today, and with a casual wave of her hand, she said, "Eat."

After all the tension, intrigue, and confrontation, she suddenly found she was genuinely hungry.

Outside, moonlight climbed high above the eaves, bathing the royal residence in a thin layer of silver frost. The night breeze brushed past the curtains with a whispering rustle.

When the door to the bridal chamber was finally pushed open again, Prince Kael stepped inside under the dim lantern light.

The moment his eyes fell on the chaotic scene of half-finished dishes and scattered plates on the table, a warm smile spread across his face without the slightest trace of surprise. If it were any other bride, such behavior would be scandalous. But with her, it felt strangely fitting. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Darling, I’m back."

His voice carried a faint hoarseness, softened by alcohol. The dazzling elegance he usually carried was now touched with a lazy, drifting warmth, making him seem unusually different from his usual composed self.

He approached slowly, the faint scent of wine lingering around him.

"You worked hard," Zora replied lightly, lifting her eyes to glance at him. Even while clearly drunk, he had not forgotten to disguise his legs in front of others. That level of restraint alone earned her a trace of admiration.

Her man was far from simple.

Wait? "Her" man? She blinked in surprise and shook that thought away in the next second.

Meanwhile, Prince Kael lowered his brows slightly, clearly dissatisfied with her perfunctory response. He lifted two wine cups from the side table, filled them, and placed one in front of her. His gaze fixed on her steadily as he said in a deep, unhurried voice, "Tonight, we are husband and wife. At least have one proper drink with me... may we grow old together."

Zora paused for a moment, her fingers hovering over the rim of the cup. The words were too solemn to be taken lightly, yet they were spoken from his lips with such natural ease that she could not tell how much was jest and how much was truth.

"We are merely cooperating with each other," she said slowly. "There’s no need to speak so seriously."

Prince Kael let out a soft laugh, the corner of his lips lifting with unmistakable dissatisfaction as he looked at her. "Darling, you truly are the coldest bride I have ever seen. On our wedding night, even if it’s only for show... shouldn’t you at least say something sweeter to me?"

His words were teasing, yet his eyes were deep.

Zora was too lazy to continue trading words with him. Whether this man was half-serious or entirely acting, she no longer had the patience to analyze every nuance. She lifted her wine cup directly and lightly clinked it against his. "Happy cooperation," she said calmly.

Prince Kael’s smile widened by a fraction, bright and unrestrained. He tilted his head back and drained the cup in one motion. "Drinking with a beauty like this... even mediocre wine becomes mellow and intoxicating."

"Is General Helius already gone?" Zora asked as she slowly lowered her cup.

"You humiliated him in front of everyone, left him nowhere to hide. Do you think he could still stay?" Prince Kael replied casually. "He found an excuse about sudden physical discomfort and fled in disgrace. From today onward, I’m afraid he truly hates me to the bone."

As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on her, clear and bright, without the slightest regret.

"Darling," he suddenly said pitifully, "you must comfort my wounded heart."

Zora gave him an amused sidelong glance. "You were already very hateful to begin with."

Even she had not expected Prince Kael to go that far at the wedding ceremony. Before the entire Imperial City, he had left General Helius not even the thinnest scrap of dignity. The words spoken in public had pushed General Helius straight into an impossible corner.

"Darling, you can’t say it like that," he protested lightly. "Everything I did was for you."

Zora did not respond immediately, but her heart quietly trembled at those words.

She very clearly understood what kind of risks Prince Kael had taken at today’s wedding. Even with the Emperor present, he still chose to stand on her side without hesitation.

Such decisiveness was not something anyone would easily do.

After a brief silence, she finally said softly, "Thank you."

She knew all too well that even if the Emperor had been present today, he would never have directly supported her in the same way.

If things had truly escalated, it would have been far more difficult to settle. Prince Kael had cleared that deadlock for her in the most direct manner.

A faint light flickered in Prince Kael’s eyes. The smile at the corner of his lips deepened, quiet and warm. "Darling, now that you are already my Wife, why do you still say such distant words?"

He paused, then leaned closer slightly, his voice lowering. "Besides, it would truly be a waste for us to sit here chatting like this. Shouldn’t we be doing something more... meaningful?"