The Cartier ring on my finger, and the awkward... wedding dress. The planner whispers not to be nervous.

I force my lips into an awkward smile. I've smiled so much that my cheeks are twitching slightly. Funnily enough, even though I'm the bride, I've never seen the groom in person. But soon, I will meet him. This marriage is an arranged one bound by contracts and money, and I am essentially a person being sold off.

There was no love, nothing. He handled all the wedding preparations, and I just... waited for time to pass. My opinion was never asked. I wonder what kind of expression that man—my groom, my husband-to-be—will make when he sees me, hidden behind this veil, for the first time. Will he look at me with contempt? How will this marriage end? Will he cast me out later? My head is buzzing with nothing but these stray thoughts.

The skilled moderator's voice grows distant.

The doors to the hall open. As I look around, everyone is staring at me with celebratory smiles. The overly extravagant chandeliers and the virgin road filled with white flowers come into full view.

Far in the distance, that man is standing there, looking at me.