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“Tonight is the first time you and Prince Rafael will share a meal as a married couple,” Lily said.
Though she felt sorry for the bride being so hungry, the significance of this meal was profound.
“In theory, as a prince’s bride, you shouldn’t have left the banquet so early. But His Highness is considerate of you, allowing you to return and rest early. After you eat, we’ll help you with your bath. The staff from Elegance Atelier will help you remove your makeup.”
The phoenix crown was indeed too heavy and not kind to the neck. Lily felt sympathetic for Sophie’s discomfort.
After summoning the servants to attend to Sophie, Lily marveled at the conveniences of Orchid Hall. The bathhouse was conveniently located just outside the bedroom. It was ingeniously designed with a golden pipe that carried hot water from several rooms into a small basin in the bath chamber.
There was no need to carry hot water from outside, which made bathing extremely convenient. Even in winter, it was warm inside, thanks to the braziers.
Tonight, the hot water would remain running. Simply turning the faucet on the golden pipe would produce a steady flow of hot water. But in the future, Luke had mentioned that the hot water would only be available for a couple of hours at a time, which would be more than sufficient.
Several maids came in to assist, and Sally from Elegance Atelier joined them to help. After removing her makeup, Sophie’s natural beauty shone through, still captivating and beautiful.
She changed into a light blue gown made of luxurious brocade, embroidered with butterflies flitting among flowers. The bodice was adorned with delicate orchids, and the outer garment was made of the same soft, flowing fabric that trailed gracefully along the floor. After removing the crown, her hair was tied in a high ponytail with a white silk ribbon.
In preparation for her marriage, Sophie had acquired numerous new outfits.
Along with the engagement gifts from Rafael, her collection included many pieces of luxurious brocade and cloud satin. Her trunk was filled with clothing for every season-spring, summer, autumn, and winter —all in varying colors and with exquisite embroidery. There was even a separate trunk for fox fur and heavy cloaks.
Looking at the engagement gifts and dowry items now, she felt she had more than enough clothing for a lifetime. The garments she wore today and those freshly arranged in her wardrobe were intended for the coming days. They were mostly vibrant in color but remained elegant rather than gaudy.
Sophie found that blue hues suited her exceptionally well.
The outfit she wore tonight was a gentle shade of blue. Not a dark blue, but rather light blue with a hint of lavender, which highlighted her snow-like skin and complemented her beauty mark.
The outer layer made of cloud satin was incredibly soft, and its glossy surface shimmered with every movement. Though the garment was somewhat thin, the heated floor was enough to keep her warm. Sophie felt remarkably at ease. After her earlier bout of crying, her nose had been stuffy, but it had cleared up once she took a bath.
Word from the front courtyard indicated that Rafael had drunk quite a bit and would likely return to the newlywed suite soon. It was still only about ten at night, earlier than midnight, which was when Lily had anticipated Rafel would return.
Tonight’s guests were truly making an occasion of it—how often did one see a wedding feast lasting this long?
It was a mark of great respect.
Lily quickly instructed the servants to remove some of the food and replace it with fresh servings. The food had not been originally intended for immediate consumption, but it was customary to have a full spread in the newlywed suite, symbolizing that the couple would always be well-fed and cared for in their future.
Except for the wine and the wine glasses, everything else was brought in fresh. The food was the same as before, but the chef had prepared these dishes fresh, keeping them warm in pots until they could be served again before Rafael arrived at the newlywed suite.
With everything in place, Dylan helped Rafael back to Orchid Hall.
Turning her head, Sophie suddenly remembered there was a ceremony they might have missed.
That’s right, the First Light Revelry.
It was a tradition where the couple’s friends and family gathered once more to extend their congratulations. The event was about well-wishing and included lively activities and games, giving guests a chance to receive special gifts from the couple.
Sophie remembered when she married Blake. Despite his imminent departure for the battlefield, they had carried out the tradition, and people had made a ruckus in their newlywed suite, demanding rewards. It had been quite embarrassing at the time.
If Sophie had still had her old temper back then, she would have thrown them all out.
She quickly asked, “Lily, aren’t we supposed to do the First Light Revelry in the suite?”
“His Highness forbade it,” Lily replied calmly.
Sophie sighed in relief. “That’s wonderful. That tradition is really quite annoying.”
Aware of Sophie’s memories from her first marriage, Lily quickly added, “Yes, that incident at Valor Estate was excessive. Those people General Jaffe’s younger brother brought in were not reputable individuals. But enough about that. The prince is coming.”
Dylan helped Rafael to the door of the newlywed suite but didn’t dare to go any further.
Lily called for Sophie to assist her new husband, as Orchid Hall had not yet arranged for servants to be present. They were waiting for Sophie to choose the servants after her arrival. For now, only Sophie’s few attendants and Lily remained.
The matchmaker and the staff from Elegance Atelier had already been sent away.
Sophie supported Rafael, who leaned heavily on her. If she were a weaker woman, she might have fallen to the ground. His body reeked of alcohol, indicating that he had been drinking a lot. Sophie had seen him drink extensively when they had gone out together to make toasts with the guests. With so many people present, the toasting had been relentless.
Dylan waved to Lulu, who came over.
He said softly, “His Highness drank a lot tonight. The Pathfinders Guild members and other factions continuously filled his cup. It was difficult for him to refuse. I’ve already had someone prepare a hangover remedy. It will be brought over shortly.”
“He was forced to drink more?” Lulu’s sympathy for Rafael grew.
She had spent time in Meadow Ridge and knew that when people there drank, they either drank moderately or were forced to drink excessively by relying on their inner force.
Tonight, Rafael had already been expected to drink heavily. To be forced to drink even more was excessive.
“Has he thrown up?” Lulu asked.
“He has thrown up once already. He rested in the outer courtyard for a while, then had his mouth rinsed and face cleaned before being sent back. He was in considerable discomfort. The rose wine from the Lunar Guild was unusually strong,” Dylan replied.
Lulu nodded in understanding and hurried off to fetch hot water, to be used to freshen up Rafael’s hands and face.
Sophie had just settled her husband onto the divan when Lulu returned and said, “Sage Adrian and Mr. Spencer, along with the other guild members, forced His Highness to drink. Deputy Ziegler said His Highness couldn’t refuse, so they poured a lot for him. They drank rose wine with people from other guilds.”
Sophie frowned. “My master had someone force His Highness to drink?”
Wasn’t that just bullying? With so many guild members around, each one having a cup, they could have made Rafael drink until he vomited blood.
“Yes, he drank a lot. But isn’t the rose wine from the Lunar Guild supposed to be mild? Why was it so strong?” asked Lulu.
“It’s likely that my master brewed the wine, so it’s not the kind the Lunar Guild usually provides,” Sophie replied.
She glanced at Rafael, whose cheeks and ears were flushed red from the alcohol. It seemed unlikely they would be able to drink the ceremonial wine tonight, and she would probably be the only one eating all the food on the table.
She had a lot of questions for him, especially about what Lily had mentioned to her earlier that evening. She had hoped to ask him for more details. But now, not only could she not ask, he was completely unconscious.
Pearl brought over the hot water.
“You should all go and rest. You’ve had a long day too. I’ll take care of him,” Sophie said.
“But tonight…” Pearl hesitated.