Chapter 39

+15 BONUS

The problem was that no one had told Rebecca soldiers would be coming. Over a hundred arrived, occupying many seats and leaving several prominent civil and military officials—esteemed figures in court whose goodwill could greatly benefit Barrett's career—without places to sit. These guests were left standing in the cold, shivering and resentful.

Rebecca urgently turned to Amelia, demanding a solution. Amelia, equally stunned and at a loss, had arranged the seating based on the official guest list; no one had informed her about the additional guests.

The invited guests were equally shocked to see over a hundred unruly soldiers immediately sit down, eat, drink, and laugh loudly with the bride. The scene was bizarre and out of place. Many wedding guests came from prestigious families and had attended out of respect for the king. They had never encountered such a spectacle.

While the Warren family were not nobles, they had a long-standing heritage. How could a wedding decreed by the king turn into such a chaotic event?

Some guests waited, hoping the host would make the necessary arrangements. But as time passed and no additional seats were set up, they realized what had happened. No one openly complained, but they politely took their leave, citing important matters at home. Many claimed they had simply come to offer congratulations and well wishes.

Barrett was utterly bewildered; he had no idea the soldiers would be attending. Watching the guests leave with their families, he felt as if he were being repeatedly slapped. His face burned with shame and anger.

Ignoring the remaining guests, he stormed over to Aurora and pulled her up. “Come with me. I need to speak with you.”

Aurora stood and smiled at the soldiers. “You all keep drinking. I’ll be back soon.”

One soldier teased, “General Warren, are you in a hurry to get cozy with your bride? Hahaha!”

“Take it easy, General Warren. You’ll need to drink with us later.”

“Hahaha, exactly! This isn’t like the army barracks!”

The seated guests became visibly uncomfortable at such crude remarks. Almost simultaneously, they stood and left with their families without saying goodbye.

Barrett was fuming. Such talk might be acceptable in the barracks, but today's guests were high-ranking officials and nobility. Even Prince Jerome and his wife had attended with their children, and they too had departed after a curt remark.

Hearing this, Barrett’s face flushed. As he dragged Aurora to the back courtyard, he tried to control his alternating anger and embarrassment.

After pacing for a bit, he spoke in an annoyed tone, “Why did you invite them? And why didn’t you tell us beforehand? Now, all the guests have left!”

Aurora, who had been drinking with her comrades, hadn’t noticed the guests leaving. She was different from the typical ladies of wealthy families. As a general, what was wrong with being boisterous and celebrating with her fellow soldiers? She believed that showing camaraderie would earn admiration from the guests and demonstrate her unique qualities.

Shocked to hear the guests had left, she glanced around and saw only soldiers remained.

“Why did they leave?”

“There weren’t enough seats!” Barrett couldn’t help but get angry at Aurora’s ignorance. “So, I’m asking why you invited the soldiers without telling us? They shouldn’t have been mixed with these guests.”

Aurora’s temper flared. “Are they looking down on the soldiers? What right do they have? These soldiers fought bloody battles to protect these people’s comfortable lives! Why shouldn’t the soldiers deserve to share in the celebration?”

Looking at his wife’s indignant face, Barrett raised his voice. “It’s not about whether they deserve to or not. It’s that we shouldn’t have invited soldiers to this event! They should be at their posts! You summoned over a hundred soldiers here just because you wanted to? Did you get permission from their commander? If not, they could face punishment for abandoning their posts! Even if General Lane approved it, you should have informed us. We could have set up more tables and kept them separate from the other guests. We could have prevented this mess of over a hundred guests having no seats!”

The final section ("BIG SALE" and below) appears to be unrelated and is likely an artifact from the original text. It has been omitted.