On the meadow overlooking the blue sea, the white cloth fluttered along the gentle sea breeze.
The outdoor wedding hall, decorated in off-white and white according to Larane's taste, was enough to evoke admiration from everyone.
Just like the East Coast, where blood ties are particularly strong, hundreds of guest seats were already filled with people.
As the people of Lombardi, including me, Perez, and my grandfather, entered the wedding hall, the curious eyes of the guests gathered.
As we are accustomed to attracting attention wherever we go, an employee of the Luman family approached us and talked to us, who were looking for a seat without paying much attention.
"Welcome. Take this flower and sit in the front seat."
The white flower resembling a rose, given one by one to each person, was the symbol of the Luman family and its native flower, Kalika.
I looked around and all the guests were holding a Kalika.
"Shall we go to our seats?"
Perez said to everyone in the party.
As the employee said, our seats was right in front of the podium where the bride and groom would stand.
I glanced to the side, trying not to step on the white cloth as much as possible on the passage where the two would enter.
Perez was walking right next to me.
As I walked, my hair, with my half forehead exposed, was swaying.
This feels a little weird.
Walking down the aisle for the groom and the bride together.
"Hmm. I guess it's over there."
Embarrassed, I cleared my throat and pointed to the empty white chairs.
As we were the last guests to arrive, the wedding soon began.
Traditional Eastern wedding music began to play in the distance, and Patriarch Luman, dressed in a beige suit with long sleeves and hem, stepped onto the podium.
And.
"Wow-."
"Beautiful…"
Exclamations flowed from all over the guest seat.
It was because Avinox and Larane appeared under the arch decorated with small white wildflowers, not Kalika.
The man and woman, who would soon become husband and wife, were in harmony.
Other than that expression, there was nothing to fully explain the two of them.
Avinox was smiling brightly like the sun, and Larane was smiling shyly next to him.
The two got along as if they were born for each other.
Swish, swish.
A subtle mark was left on the white silk spread on the meadow, following the steps of the bride and groom.
In everyone's reverent silence, Larane and Avinox finally stood in front of Patriarch Luman.
Indite Luman, who could not hide his excitement for a moment, and looked at the two of them, opened his mouth.
"Avinox Luman and Larane Lombardi have promised to become lifelong companions at this meeting with many people today."
Throughout the brief but joy-filled wedding celebrations, that was how Patriarch Indite Luman was smiling.
The elongated scar on his chin twitched without knowing the body aches.
"This is the only bottle of wine in the world."
After the congratulatory speech, the Patriarch Luman raised a bottle of wine with nothing written on it and said.
"In the year Avinox was born, it is the alcohol that I, who is his father, made by myself. It was just for today."
Indite Luman's large hand opened the wine bottle, and two small glasses shared red liquor.
"If two people share this wine, under a sacred pledge, Larane Lombardi and Avinox Luman will be married."
The two glasses were soon delivered to Avinox and Larane's hands.
Sitting in the front row, I could see Larane's fingertips shaking finely.
You're nervous.
In a way, it was natural.
The number of guests is not important.
How can you not be trembling at the moment when you make a promise for the rest of your life with one person?
I silently clenched my fists in support of Larane.
Avinox, who was looking at Larane with her long eyelashes fluttering through her mellow eyes for a moment, vowed first.
"Miss Larane, I promise to be by your side to make you smile for the rest of my life."
The wine in his glass disappeared at once.
Now everyone was waiting for Larane's pledge.
Her face blushed slightly, she exhaled briefly and said.
"The day my life ends."
It was a small but clear voice.
"I hope that I will be able to lie down next to Sir Avinox."
Larane, who tilted her glass with trembling hands, patiently emptied all her wine.
The final step in the marriage vows was to put flower crowns made of Kalika on the two.
It was a blessing from the Patriarch for the two who started a new journey in life.
Like that, the two corollas returned to their place, and Patriarch Luman solemnly proclaimed it.
"I hereby declare that Avinox Luman and Larane Lombardi are married."
The guests stood up in unison and began to applaud.
After going through a lot, Larane and Avinox finally became a couple.
They walked the path they had entered together a while ago as a true one.
"Congratulations, Larane."
Having said that, my grandfather handed the Kalika flower to Larane.
Eventually, Larane's big eyes were filled with tears.
But it was just the beginning.
Guests from all sides threw flowers over the silk hallway.
It was as if flowers were falling from the sky.
The couple stepped forward, step by step.
"Congratulations!"
"Congratulations!"
"You have to live a happy life!"
In the blessing of countless people, a petal of Kalika fell to the corner of Larane's eyes, who was smiling happily.
"Miss Larane."
Avinox, who stopped walking for a moment, reached out his hand and carefully removed the white petals.
"Pfft."
"Haha!"
The two burst into laughter at the same time.
"They look alike."
People who love each other deeply resemble each other.
Larane and Avinox were already very similar.
The two people holding hands in the white rain of flowers smiled happily.
***
"The East is a really exciting place."
The reason I'm saying this is because…
"The wedding goes on for three days and nights."
"It is said that only the main ceremony is three days. After that, if you do a follow-up session, usually a week goes by lightly."
Clarivan answered with a tired face like mine.
It was daytime when the wedding vows were made.
Even though the sky had already darkened, the buzzing atmosphere did not subside.
"Wow…they are really serious about playing."
It was so just by looking at the prepared banquet hall. Living in Lombardi, I was proud to say that I had attended all kinds of noisy banquet, but the wedding in the East was different level.
Most of the guests who attended the pledge ceremony were still there.
It was different from people in the Center, who talked quietly, saying they were polite.
They all ate and drank happily, laughing and chatting about whether they were all relatives.
Also, what about the banquet hall?
The banquet hall, where food was piled up like mountains here and there, was bright and spacious as if borrowing the midday sun.
It was because the large windows were wide open and the boundary between the inside and the outside was removed.
"Oh, I'm tired".
A little while ago, I was walking around dealing with people looking for me, and my feet were itching.
I took a seat and sat down in a place that would not be easily seen by people.
"Then I'll be back after talking a bit more."
"Okay, Clarivan, do your best for me."
When I waved my hand gently to Clarivan, who smiled bitterly with a face with dark circles down, I was really left alone.
But there was no loneliness.
"I'm so glad that Larane came to the East."
I talked to myself as I watched Larane from afar, with Avinox, surrounded by many people, having a conversation.
I was worried that it might still be unfamiliar.
It seems like she was all over the place.
Larane looked really happy.
Here, Larane found her home.
"It's nice to see."
For a long time, I was watching Larane and Avinox, and a familiar voice spoke to me.
"Matriarch Lombardi."
"Ah, Patriarch Luman, it's a beautiful wedding."
"Thank you for the compliment. It's all thanks to the Matriarch."
"Hey, what are you saying."
"No. I'm telling you from the bottom of my heart."
Patriarch Indite Luman said with a serious face.
"It was all thanks to the Matriarch that Larane arrived safely in the East, and that trade in the East was able to be maintained so successfully. And I will never forget that you sent scholars from Lombardi for this research."
All I did was right though.
Still, this kind of polite greeting from Patriarch Luman, who is about the same age as my father, is a little embarrassing.
I changed the topic.
"Have you seen the wheat field?"
"Ah."
As soon as I brought up the story of the wheat field, Patriarch Luman's face was brightened.
"Yes. The moment I saw the golden field, I was embarrassed to cry."
Indite Luman smiled haphazardly.
"Now that I think that the people of the East won't starve anymore…"
Aside from being Avinox's father, Indite Luman was also a good householder.
"You've been through a lot with Chanton Sushou."
"Thank you. It's all thanks to the Matriarch."
"You're doing that again."
I scratched my cheek awkwardly and asked about the person who came into my eyes to change the topic once again.
"By the way, Patriarch Luman."
"Yes, tell me."
"Hey, who are these people?"