Chapter 843

Chapter 843: 843

His answer was clear and firm.

The officiant then turned toward Regalina.

"Lady Regalina Osantra, do you take Lord Ethan Blanks as your husband, to stand beside him through the days ahead and cherish the bond you share?"

Regalina took a small breath before answering.

"I do."

A gentle smile appeared on her face, and the tension in her shoulders finally eased.

The officiant nodded and motioned for the rings to be brought forward.

A servant approached with a small velvet box. Ethan opened it and took out the ring, holding Regalina’s hand gently as he slipped it onto her finger.

Regalina then took the other ring and placed it on Ethan’s finger.

Their hands remained together for a brief moment.

Looking at the ring on her finger, Regalina’s smile grew a little wider. Ethan gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and she returned the gesture.

The officiant raised his voice.

"By the authority granted to me, I hereby declare you husband and wife."

The moment those words rang out, the hall erupted with applause.

Cheers and congratulations filled the hall as the guests stood up. Several nobles raised their glasses, while the servants joined in the celebration.

Ethan turned toward Regalina and extended his hand.

"Shall we?"

Regalina smiled and placed her hand in his.

"Of course."

Together, they walked down the centre of the hall as the guests continued to applaud. Ethan glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, and she looked back at him with a gentle expression.

For once, there were no political negotiations to worry about, no enemies to deal with, and no urgent matters demanding his attention.

Today was simply their day.

After the ceremony, the celebration officially began. Music filled the hall, and the servants started bringing out the prepared dishes. Nobles approached the newlyweds one after another to offer their congratulations, while several representatives from House Osantra greeted Ethan with respectful smiles.

Ethan accepted their greetings with a calm expression, though he occasionally glanced at Regalina to make sure she was comfortable.

As the celebration continued, Count Osantra approached the couple with his wife beside him.

"Congratulations, you two."

His face was filled with a warm smile, and his eyes lingered on Regalina for a moment before turning toward Ethan.

"Take good care of her."

Ethan nodded.

"Of course, Father-in-law."

Count Osantra laughed heartily and patted Ethan’s shoulder.

"Good. Then I can rest easy."

Regalina looked at her father with a small smile, while Ethan gave him a reassuring nod.

After exchanging a few more words, Count Osantra stepped aside to allow other guests to approach.

The celebration continued well into the evening. For House Blanks, this wedding marked the beginning of a new Chapter, while for Ethan and Regalina, it was the start of their life together.

And as the night slowly passed, the newlyweds remained at the centre of the celebration, welcoming their guests and sharing the joy of the occasion.

Gu Cheng, who was also present as a guest, drank the wine and slapped his thigh with a satisfied expression.

"The wedding traditions are totally different from ours, but they are still marvelous," he spoke while taking another sip of wine.

"Different? How different?" Rathlos asked, sitting beside him with a glass in his hand.

Gu Cheng thought for a moment before answering.

"In my world, weddings follow a different set of traditions. The bride and groom have to bow to Heaven and Earth first, then to their parents. After that, they bow to each other, which represents their acceptance of one another as husband and wife. There are also other rituals, such as serving tea to the elders and receiving their blessings."

He paused to take another sip before continuing.

"Of course, there are many variations depending on the region and family. But once the formal ceremony is over, the real chaos begins. The guests start competing to make things difficult for the newlyweds, and sometimes it turns into a full-blown war of pranks. It can get quite lively."

Rathlos nodded as he listened, finding the customs rather interesting. He took a sip of wine before asking another question.

"What about you, Sir Gu Cheng? Do you have anyone you like?"

Gu Cheng thought for a moment and then shook his head.

"How can that be? I am totally devoted to the path of cultivation."

He leaned back in his chair and looked at the wine in his cup before continuing.

"The path lying ahead is arduous and lonely. Living a long life, if your heart wanders, you can only watch people wither away until all that remains are brittle bones."

Rathlos nodded slightly, understanding the sentiment. However, Gu Cheng wasn’t finished.

"Also..."

"Also?" Rathlos asked with a frown, noticing that Gu Cheng had suddenly paused.

Gu Cheng looked at him with a serious expression and spoke in a calm voice.

"You might not know, but the presence of a woman only affects the speed of drawing one’s sword."

As soon as he spoke, the festive atmosphere around them came to a halt.

Rathlos, who had been taking a sip of wine, almost splattered it everywhere. He coughed several times before turning toward Gu Cheng with a dog-shit expression.

And then he sensed it.

Several murderous gazes had locked onto him.

’Fuck!’

’If you want to die, then go and die yourself. Why are you bringing me into the pool?’

Rathlos swallowed hard and slowly looked around. Sure enough, he could feel several murderous gazes directed at them.

Especially Sophia, who was smiling like a fox. There was a deep, frightening intensity hidden in her gaze, and it sent a chill down his spine.

She was just about to say something when Ethan suddenly appeared behind her.

"Hahaha!"

Ethan laughed awkwardly and quickly stepped forward, trying to ease the tension.

"Fellow Daoist Gu Cheng is just joking."

"Don’t mind him."

While saying this, Ethan cursed Gu Cheng inwardly.

’Is that something one should say while sitting and drinking at a wedding?’

He glanced around and noticed that the atmosphere was still a little tense, so he raised his glass and spoke again.

"Alright, everyone. Don’t mind these small squabbles."

"Go and drink to your heart’s content."

The guests exchanged glances before slowly returning to their conversations. The music resumed, and the festive atmosphere gradually returned, though Rathlos quietly shifted his seat a little farther away from Gu Cheng.

As for Gu Cheng, he simply took another sip of wine, seemingly unaware of the trouble his words had caused.