What a Coincidence, You Also Ran Away From Marriage!

On the day of my grand wedding, the bride I hired to take my place was paraded through the city in a lavish procession.

Hidden among the crowd, I watched the spectacle unfold.

A curious young man beside me asked, "Which family is hosting such an extravagant wedding?"

Panicked, I took off running.

My fiancé had escaped as well!

1

The grand wedding procession of the Vale family marched through the bustling street, and I, hidden among the onlookers, enjoyed the scene.

"Which family is having such an extravagant wedding?" the gentleman next to me inquired.

Only the Vale family of Eldermere could afford such splendor.

I turned to respond, "Of course, it's..."

To my shock, there was my fiancé, Cedric Vale!

Without a second thought, I fled, crashing into a burly man behind me.

2

I stammered apologies as the man glared at me, raising his hand to strike.

A hand shot out, stopping the man's arm mid-air.

"Mind your own business," the man grumbled, trying to free himself, but the grip remained firm.

"How much do you want?" Cedric asked calmly.

True to his family's reputation, Cedric believed money could solve any problem.

The burly man, satisfied with the payment, left.

I turned to Cedric and thanked him.

"Miss, I don't recall offending you. Why do you look at me as if I'm a monster?" Cedric asked, puzzled.

In that moment, I feared he had recognized me and would drag me back to the wedding.

But it seemed he didn't know who I was.

3

"I had a nightmare last night where someone who looked like you was chasing me. It scared me," I lied quickly.

"I find you familiar too. Perhaps we've met in a dream," Cedric said, his gaze piercing.

Under his intense scrutiny, I felt exposed.

"Maybe it's fate?" he said after a long pause.

Indeed, it seemed fate had a twisted sense of humor, bringing us together even as we tried to escape marriage.

I laughed awkwardly, hoping to end the conversation.

After parting ways with him, I continued towards the Vale Hall to see if things went smoothly.

If both of us were here, who was attending the wedding?

4

To my surprise, Cedric followed me all the way to his family's gate.

Wasn't he afraid of being recognized?

I, on the other hand, rarely left the house without a veil, always accompanied by my elder sister.

"Mr. Vale has always been frail and seldom goes out."

I remembered the information my brother had gathered.

But if Cedric was truly frail, how did he restrain that burly man with such ease?

I shook my head. There was no point in dwelling on it now that I had successfully escaped the wedding.

5

The procession arrived at the Vale Hall amid the clamor, yet the groom was nowhere to be seen.

Originally, the Vale family had informed my father that Cedric, due to his delicate health, could not personally fetch the bride.

Now, the substitute bride had arrived, but the groom couldn't possibly greet her since he was standing right next to me!

Guests at the gate whispered among themselves, surprised by the Vale family's apparent neglect of the bride.

"Something's wrong! Mr. Vale is missing!" someone from the Vale Hall shouted.

I really wanted to yell out that Cedric was right here.

As I debated whether to expose him, the bride I had hired suddenly made a run for it.

Someone recognized her and shouted, "That's not Ms. Hart! Why has the bride been switched?!"

6

I watched in astonishment as the substitute bride used her agility to escape, fleeing beyond the city walls under everyone's gaze.

I had paid her handsomely to marry Cedric, and now she was running away!

"Was that... the bride escaping?" Cedric asked me, bewildered.

This was truly disastrous.

My original plan was to return home in half a month, by which time my siblings would have prepared my parents for the situation. I would then repent quietly for a few months.

But now, my substitute had publicly eloped in front of everyone!