He Chose Another Bride During the Ritual—So I Chose a New Groom Instead Chapter 06

He Chose Another Bride During the Ritual—So I Chose a New Groom Instead Chapter 06

Ian turned gracefully and faced away from the line of women.

The bridesmaids stood shoulder to shoulder in the center of the barn wedding hall. They all wore matching vintage white gowns and lace veils in the same ivory shade. The flowing skirts concealed any differences in height or build, making them nearly impossible to distinguish.

Luna clung tightly to Ethan’s arm, anxiety written all over her face.

Beside her, Ethan’s fists were clenched so hard that the veins stood out on the backs of his hands.

Please.

Please let him get it wrong.

Pick anyone else.

Anyone but Ava.

The prayer repeated frantically in his mind.

“You may turn around now, groom,” one of the elders announced.

Ian slowly turned back.

With long, unhurried strides, he approached the row of veiled women.

His dark eyes moved calmly across the identical figures before him.

There was no hesitation.

No uncertainty.

No struggle.

The townspeople watching from the sidelines began whispering among themselves.

The odds of identifying the right bride seemed impossible.

Then fate intervened.

The last golden rays of sunset streamed through the towering wooden windows of the barn, flooding the dim interior with warm amber light.

The beam landed directly on me.

The antique silver brooch and hairpiece that had been passed down from my grandmother instantly caught the sunlight, scattering dazzling sparks of silver across the room.

At the same moment, as if the entire town had silently decided enough was enough, the other eight mountain bridesmaids stepped backward in perfect unison.

Half a step.

That was all.

But it left me standing alone.

Bathed in sunlight.

Impossible to miss.

Ian’s gaze swept across the sea of red lips and white lace.

Then he walked straight toward me.

Without pausing.

Without doubting.

Without looking anywhere else.

He stopped in front of me and extended his hand.

His fingers wrapped gently but firmly around my wrist.

The moment it happened, Ethan’s pupils contracted violently.

All composure vanished.

“THIS WAS PLANNED!” he roared.

His voice echoed through the barn.

“YOU ALL SET THIS UP! THIS IS CHEATING! THIS ISN’T A REAL CHOICE!”

Silence answered him.

No one defended him.

No one agreed.

Several respected elders merely shook their heads.

The disappointment in their eyes was impossible to miss.

Grandpa John tapped his cane against the wooden floor.

The sound rang through the hall.

“In Blackwood Valley,” he said steadily, “when heaven, earth, and the hearts of the people align, no true lovers should be torn apart.”

His gaze swept over the crowd.

“When an entire community recognizes the truth, that truth becomes God’s will.”

He lifted his chin.

“This was destiny, not cheating.”

“I hereby declare the Veil Dance complete.”

The barn erupted into cheers once again.

Laughter and celebration returned instantly.

Ethan stood frozen in place.

Blood rushed to his head.

Rage.

Jealousy.

Humiliation.

The emotions burned through him until he could barely breathe.

As evening settled over the valley, the next tradition should have been hours of dancing and folk songs.

However, given Grandpa John’s condition, the elders quietly discussed the matter and agreed to postpone the celebration.

Instead, they moved directly to the most important wedding tradition of all.

The Herbal Wedding Boots Ceremony.

Standing there, I suddenly felt nervous.

The desperate text message I had sent Ian earlier had been completely impulsive.

Custom wedding boots in Blackwood Valley required weeks of specialized craftsmanship.

There was no way he could have brought a pair that fit me.

Right?

Before I could think further, Ian calmly reached for the leather travel bag he’d carried with him.

From inside, he withdrew a heavy wooden box.

The crowd fell silent.

He opened it.

Inside rested a stunning pair of hand-stitched bridal boots crafted from premium red deer leather.

The stitching was flawless.

The workmanship was exquisite.

A faint herbal fragrance drifted from within.

Following a two-hundred-year-old valley tradition, the boots had been packed with ten sacred herbs, including rosemary and cedar.

Then my breath caught.

Because embroidered across the polished leather were delicate camellias.

My favorite flower.

The same flower I’d loved since childhood.

Every single blossom had been sewn by hand.

Ian lowered himself onto one knee before me as though no one else existed.

Gently lifting my skirt, he carefully slipped the boots onto my feet.

His touch was patient.

Tender.

Reverent.

Tears gathered in my eyes.

Looking up at me, he smiled softly.

Only I could hear his next words.

“You silly girl.”

His voice was barely above a whisper.

“The moment I learned our names had been written together in that old family Bible eight years ago, I started practicing.”

I stared at him.

Confused.

Practicing?

“Every year, I made another pair.”

My heart stopped.

“I kept asking people for your latest shoe size because I was terrified that one day you might need me and I wouldn’t be ready.”

The tears finally spilled over.

I covered my mouth as sobs escaped me.

Around us, the women of Blackwood Valley watched with open envy.

“Oh my God… look at that embroidery.”

“Do you know how many nights he must’ve stayed awake making those?”

“That’s a man who truly loves a woman.”

Nearby, Ethan’s jaw tightened.

His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white.

He stared at the boots.

Then he thought about the pair he had rushed together for Luna.

The comparison hit him like a freight train.

The humiliation.

The regret.

The panic.

All of it crashed into his chest at once.

When the ceremony ended, the crowd exploded into applause.

Ian bent down, preparing to follow the valley’s highest wedding tradition.

The Bridal Carry.

He slipped an arm beneath my knees and another behind my back.

Just as he lifted me into his arms, a terrified scream shattered the celebration.

“GRANDPA!”

“Oh God!”

“Somebody help!”

The crowd spun around.

Grandpa John, who had been sitting peacefully in his rocking chair, suddenly swayed.

Once.

Twice.

Then his head slumped to one side.

His body collapsed lifelessly onto the floor.

In an instant, joy gave way to chaos.

The entire barn erupted into panic.