I’ll Be The Matriarch in This Life [Novel] Chapter 279

Above the meadow overlooking the blue sea, white fabrics fluttered in the gentle ocean breeze.

Decorated in off-white and pure white according to Larane's tastes, the outdoor wedding venue was more than enough to draw admiration from everyone present.

True to the East, where blood ties are exceptionally strong, the hundreds of guest seats were already packed with people.

As Perez, my grandfather, the rest of the Lombardi family, and I entered the venue, the curious gazes of the guests gathered on us.

Being used to drawing attention wherever we go, we didn't pay it much mind and were looking for our seats when a servant of House Luman approached us.

"Welcome. Please take these flowers and take your seats at the very front."

Handed out one per person, the white, rose-like flower was a Kalika, a native wildflower to this region and the symbol of House Luman.

Looking around, I saw that all the guests were holding a Kalika flower.

"Shall we head to our seats?"

Perez said to our group.

Just as the servant had instructed, our seats were right in front of the altar where the bride and groom would stand.

Trying my best not to step on the white fabric laid out along the aisle the couple would walk down, I glanced to my side.

Perez was walking right beside me.

With his hair styled to reveal half of his forehead, it swayed gently with his every step.

This feels a bit strange.

Walking together down the aisle meant for the bride and groom.

"Ahem. It seems those are our seats."

Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I cleared my throat and pointed at the empty white chairs.

We must have been the last guests to arrive, as the wedding began shortly after.

Traditional Eastern wedding music began to drift from afar, and the Lord of Luman, dressed in a beige formal suit with long sleeves and flowing hems, stepped up to the altar.

And then.

"Wow…"

"So beautiful…"

Gasps of admiration rippled through the guest seating.

Avinox and Larane had appeared beneath an arch exquisitely decorated not with Kalikas, but with small, white wild flowerbuds.

The soon-to-be husband and wife looked perfectly harmonious.

There was no other word to completely describe the two of them.

Avinox, wearing a beaming smile as bright as the sun, and Larane, smiling shyly by his side.

They looked as if they were born for each other.

The white silk laid over the meadow bore the subtle footprints of the bride and groom as they walked.

Amidst everyone's reverent silence, Larane and Avinox finally stood before the Lord of Luman.

Indit Luman, who had been watching them for a moment unable to hide his gratification, opened his mouth to speak.

"Today, in the presence of so many gathered here, Avinox Luman and Larane Lombardi shall promise to become life-long companions."

Throughout the short but joyous wedding speech, Lord Indit Luman couldn't stop beaming.

The long scar on his chin twitched continuously, completely ignoring his dignity.

"This is a wine of which there is only one bottle in the entire world."

After finishing his speech, the Lord of Luman raised an unlabelled wine bottle and spoke.

"It's a wine I, as his father, brewed myself the year Avinox was born. Specifically for this very day."

In Indit Luman's large hands, the wine bottle was opened, and the crimson liquor was poured into two small glasses.

"When the two of you share this wine, under a sacred vow, Larane Lombardi and Avinox Luman shall become husband and wife."

The two glasses were promptly handed over to Avinox and Larane.

Sitting in the very front row, I could see Larane's fingertips trembling slightly.

She's nervous.

In a way, it was only natural.

The number of guests didn't matter.

How could one not tremble in the moment of promising a lifetime to another person?

I silently clenched my fists, sending all my support to Larane.

Avinox, who had been gazing affectionately at Larane and her fluttering long eyelashes, took his vow first.

"Lady Larane, I promise to stay by your side so that you may smile for the rest of your life."

The wine in his glass disappeared in one gulp.

Now, everyone was waiting for Larane's vow.

Blushing slightly, she let out a short breath and spoke.

"On the day my life comes to an end…"

It was a small but clear voice.

"…I hope to lie by your side, Lord Avinox."

Tilting her glass with trembling hands, Larane persistently emptied all of the wine.

The final step of the wedding vow was for the Lord of Luman to place flower crowns made of Kalikas upon their heads.

It was a Patriarch's blessing bestowed upon the two who were starting a new journey in life.

As the two flower crowns found their places, the Lord of Luman solemnly proclaimed.

"With this, I declare that Avinox Luman and Larane Lombardi are now husband and wife."

The guests rose in unison and began to applaud.

Having gone through so much, Larane and Avinox had finally become a married couple.

They walked down the same path they had entered together earlier, now truly as one.

"Congratulations, Larane."

Saying so, my grandfather handed a Kalika flower to Larane.

Eventually, tears welled up in Larane's large eyes.

But that was only the beginning.

Guests from all sides tossed flowers onto the silk aisle.

It looked as if a rain of flowers was falling from the sky.

The couple took step after matching step.

"Congratulations!"

"Congrats!"

"You must live happily!"

Amidst the blessings of so many, a single Kalika petal landed softly near the corner of Larane's eye as she smiled happily.

"Lady Larane."

Pausing for a moment, Avinox reached out and carefully brushed the white petal away.

"Pfft."

"Haha!"

The two burst into laughter at the same time.

"They look alike."

They say people who deeply love each other start to resemble one another.

Before anyone realized, Larane and Avinox had grown to look remarkably alike.

Under the showering white rain of flowers, the two people holding hands tightly smiled in pure happiness.

"The East truly is a place overflowing with festivity."

The reason I was saying this was…

"The wedding goes on day and night for three days straight."

"They say the main ceremony alone is three days. If you include the after-parties, it easily lasts over a week."

Clerivan replied with an exhausted face that mirrored my own.

The wedding vows took place during the day.

Yet, even though the sky had already turned dark, the loud and lively atmosphere showed no signs of cooling down.

"Wow… These people are truly serious about partying."

Even just looking at the banquet hall proved it.

Having lived in Lombardi, I prided myself on having attended all sorts of raucous banquets, but an Eastern wedding was on a whole different level.

Most of the guests who attended the vow ceremony had stayed right where they were.

It was utterly different from the Central region, where people would converse quietly under the guise of keeping strict etiquette.

As if they were all relatives, they merrily ate, drank, and chatted without a moment's pause.

And what about the banquet hall?

With mountains of food piled up here and there, the hall was as bright as if they had borrowed the midday sun, and it was incredibly spacious.

This was because they had thrown open the large floor-to-ceiling windows, eliminating the boundary between inside and outside.

"Ugh, I'm so tired."

My feet throbbed from walking around and dealing with all the people looking for me just moments ago.

I found a suitably inconspicuous spot out of people's line of sight and took a seat.

"Then I shall go and converse a bit more."

"Alright, Clerivan. Do your best in my stead."

I gave a gentle wave to Clerivan, who forced a bitter smile on his face that was now adorned with dark circles, and then I was truly left alone.

But I didn't feel lonely.

"It's such a relief that Larane came to the East."

I muttered to myself while watching Larane, who was standing far away next to Avinox, surrounded by people and engaged in conversation.

I had been worried about what to do if she still felt out of place.

It seemed my worries were entirely unfounded.

Larane looked genuinely happy.

Here, Larane had found her home.

"It's good to see."

As I watched Larane and Avinox for quite a while, a familiar voice spoke to me.

"Matriarch of Lombardi."

"Ah, Lord Luman. It's a beautiful wedding."

"Thank you for the compliment. It's all thanks to you, Matriarch."

"Oh, not at all."

"No. I mean it with utmost sincerity,"

Lord Indit Luman said with a serious expression.

"It is thanks to you, Matriarch, that Larane arrived safely in the East, and that the Eastern Trade has been maintained so successfully. And I will never forget for the rest of my life how you sent the scholars of Lombardi here for research."

It was true that I had done all those things.

Still, receiving such deeply respectful gratitude from the Lord of Luman, who was around the same age as my father, was a bit embarrassing.

I changed the subject.

"Have you seen the wheat fields?"

"Ah."

As soon as I brought up the wheat fields, Lord Luman's face lit up.

"Yes. The moment I saw the fields ripened in gold, I'm embarrassed to admit, but I actually shed tears."

Indit Luman laughed heartily.

"When I thought about how the people of the East will never have to go hungry again…"

Aside from being Avinox's father, Indit Luman was also a good Lord.

"You have suffered a lot, having to stay by Chanton Sershou's side all this time."

"Thank you. It is all thanks to you, Matriarch."

"There you go again."

I awkwardly scratched my cheek and, to change the subject once more, asked about some people who happened to catch my eye.

"By the way, Lord Luman."

"Yes, please speak."

"Who are those people over there?"