"Hey, hey, Acting Grand Master Jean, are you serious?"
"Yeah, yeah! Where did this part come from?"
"Why didn't you tell us about this beforehand?"
An uproar swept through the venue. The friends and family gathered there could no longer sit still.
"You... don't all look at me like that!"
Seeing the commotion, Jean grew a little flustered herself.
"This is my first time officiating a wedding, too. And look, this is what the wedding guide says!"
As she spoke, Jean held up a book for everyone to see.
"Uh..."
The bride and groom onstage were dumbfounded, too.
"Acting Grand Master Jean, are you serious?"
The groom muttered quietly onstage.
"Yes, really!"
"That's what the guide says. Besides, I've attended plenty of weddings, and the bride and groom always seal their vows with a kiss!"
Helpless, Jean whispered, "I know this wedding is an act, but we have to see the act through. And according to the schedule, the wedding kiss really is the next step."
"If you want to lure him out, you have to keep going. If you give up here, the whole plan will fall apart. All the manpower, resources, and money everyone has put into this over the past few days-all their hard work-will go to waste."
"Well..."
The bride and groom both found themselves torn.
In the distance, Aether remained hidden in the shadows. When he saw Lumine hesitate, a gratified smile finally appeared on his face.
"Just as I thought. This is nothing but an act the Knights of Favonius arranged to lure me out."
"But, hmph, Knights of Favonius, you underestimated the bond Lumine and I have shared as siblings all these years."
"The moment she hesitated, your lie was exposed."
"Why would Lumine kiss a strange man just to help you