Chapter 606: The Wedding
Chapter 606: The Wedding
"Louise, is that your boyfriend?"
Just as the young girl left the large tent, a familiar voice called out from behind her. A pretty French girl was walking towards them.
"No, Mr. Anderson already has a girlfriend. It's the red-haired girl by his side. So, give up on your little schemes," Louise retorted sharply. "I bet he wouldn't give you a second glance. Go ahead and try your luck if you don't believe me."
This cousin of hers always tried to steal her things. Ever since her school boyfriend was snatched away, their relationship had turned sour.
Louise didn't mind at all that Alice was flirting with Albert. It was quite amusing to watch her make a fool of herself.
To be honest, Louise was surprised. She hadn't expected Albert to bring his girlfriend along. What bothered her even more was that Isabelle also had an invitation, and the people sitting at their table were guests invited by her father.
"I think that's the famous International Wizard Chess Champion from a while back!" Adam appeared out of thin air after Alice left, holding a large bunch of golden balloons. He had come over to get some information from Louise. "Do you know the name of that red-haired girl? She doesn't seem to be a student at Beauxbatons."
Isabelle was very beautiful. If she attended Beauxbatons, Adam was sure he would have known her.
"She has a boyfriend. It's the International Wizard Chess Champion you just mentioned," Louise replied, not feeling like talking to Adam.
She knew exactly what this guy was thinking. These siblings were cut from the same cloth.
"What a pity!" Adam muttered softly. "Why are all the beautiful girls I know already taken?"
"Are you sure?"
Louise folded her arms and glared at Adam, causing him to turn and walk away quickly.
"I just saw Adam," said Lotus as she approached with her sister, Gabrielle. She greeted the girl standing not far from Louise. "Long time no see, Alice."
"By the way, is Louise the bridesmaid?" Alice asked sharply. "I thought it was Lotus."
"Yes, I am the bridesmaid," Louise confirmed. Noticing another figure appearing at the far end of the yard, she quickly walked over to greet them and then turned back to say, "Lotus, please help with welcoming the guests too."
"Alice, don't let Adam be lazy. Get him over here to greet the guests."
A few minutes later, Lotus led a middle-aged man to a spot in the corner of the large tent, where several witches and wizards were already gathered, including a familiar face.
"We thought you weren't coming today," they said with a smile as they greeted Mog.
Albert looked at the young girl who had led Mog over, his gaze then falling on the little girl by her side, whom he remembered meeting once before.
She was the one who had participated in the Triwizard Tournament, a very beautiful girl, as were all the girls with Mewah ancestry.
"A familiar friend," Isabelle said gently.
"We met briefly when I visited France during the summer holidays," Albert glanced at Hctor, "I believe she's Mr. Drakul's daughter."
As he finished speaking, Albert saw Mr. Drakul approaching with a smile, greeting them warmly.
The witches and wizards gathered in this area were all somewhat connected.
"These are my two daughters, Lotus and Gabrielle," Mr. Drakul said with a smile as he introduced them to Albert, "I believe you've met them before, Mr. Anderson. If you wish to court my daughter..."
"Father," Lotus interrupted, sounding annoyed.
Albert nodded, then sneaked a glance at Isabelle beside him, meeting her gaze and offering an awkward smile.
"Isn't Mr. Belleby coming?" Mr. Drakul asked, shaking his head as he watched his daughter walk away.
In his opinion, Albert was an excellent choice.
He was wealthy (not concerned about the prize money), talented (an International Wizard Chess Champion), gifted (a friend of Hctor Dagworth, even Adrian spoke highly of him), and came from a good family (a close relationship with Bard). He was the ideal candidate.
"I've spoken to Damocles, and he should be coming to... attend the wedding as well," Hctor said, waving to someone in the distance.
As the two men chatted, Damocles Belleby was led over by Louise.
Everyone was very enthusiastic about meeting the inventor of the Wolfsbane Potion.
Due to the success of the Wolfsbane Potion, Damocles Belleby's status in the magical potion community had risen considerably.
"Oh, this young man must be Mr. Anderson!" Damocles enthusiastically shook hands with Albert, his warmth surprising those around them, even making Albert feel a little uncomfortable.
"Your previous suggestion was of great help to Damocles." Hector whispered in explanation.
The tent was noisy, with everyone chatting excitedly, but it didn't disturb the group sitting in one corner.
They spoke quietly about their recent research topics, all experts in their field, comfortably discussing without worrying about others understanding.
However, it was indeed too loud, and after a while, Albert and Isabelle stepped out to get some fresh air.
"Have you ever been to a wizard's wedding before?"
"Once, a long time ago."
Albert gazed at a witch in the distance, adorned with golden bells and magical birds.
"That's a bird-of-paradise," Isabelle noted, seeing Albert's confusion. "We usually release birds-of-paradise."
"Muggles release doves, I believe," Albert added.
"Muggles?"
A young man approached, eyeing Albert up and down before turning his gaze to Isabelle. He smiled and spoke a string of French.
Albert and Isabelle shared a glance, pretending (or perhaps truly) not to understand, offering polite smiles before walking away, leaving Adam alone, bewildered.
"What are you doing here?"
Louise approached, eyeing Adam with disdain. "Stop slacking off. Go and help welcome the guests."
"But I thought they understood French?" Adam asked, confused.
Louise gave her cousin a look that clearly conveyed she thought he was an idiot. Suddenly, she found him quite annoying.
The wedding ceremony began as the sun set.
To be honest, Albert had never attended a wizard's wedding before, and he found it quite different from the weddings of his previous life.
At the very least, there had never been a wedding cake before.
Perhaps it was a Western tradition.
It was worth mentioning that Hebe Drakul looked incredibly handsome, his Mewah ancestry adding a unique charm to his appearance.
An elderly wizard, dressed in a tailcoat, presided over the wedding ceremony.
"We gather here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls... I now pronounce you lifelong partners."
The old wizard waved his wand high above the couple, showering them with a cascade of silver stars that swirled around them.
At that moment, the balloons at the top of the tent burst, releasing a flock of birds-of-paradise and tiny golden bells from their cages, adding birdsong and the gentle ringing of bells to the already bustling tent.
The feast had begun.
A pool of molten gold spread from the center of the tent, forming a dazzling dance floor. The band struck up a tune, and waiters appeared from all directions, offering guests champagne, wine, and other beverages on silver trays, while an abundance of delicious food materialized on the dining tables.
Hebe and Lucia took the first dance, inaugurating the ball.
Albert shot Mog a resentful glance, feeling that he had been duped by him the last time, as those etiquette lessons had been of little use.
But soon enough, Albert was whisked away by Isabelle onto the dance floor, where they slowly twirled to the melody.
As night fell during the winter solstice, the temperature dropped even further, yet the chilly air did nothing to dampen the festive atmosphere within the grand tent.
Albert felt the wedding was gradually spiraling out of control, with the revelry becoming more intense and unrestrained by the minute. The air was thick with the scent of hormones.
Several young ladies approached Albert to invite him to dance, and no shortage of young men asked the same of Isabelle, only to be politely refused by the couple.
"Rejecting those girls like that will surely break their hearts," Louise remarked as she sauntered over with a glass of champagne in hand, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she watched Alice, who had just been snubbed. "I'm sure your girlfriend won't mind, though."
"I'm a bit tired," Albert demurred.
He found French culture far more open than he had expected. If he so desired, he surmised that many of these young ladies would not object to more intimate exchanges! In France's ancient past... well, during those times, having multiple lovers was seen as a display of one's allure and charm.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
