After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World

On the bride’s side, there was also plenty of preparation going on, even more so, in fact, because the bride had to be absolutely beautiful for the pride of both families.

Liaroa had two dresses, one for the wedding and the other for the reception.

This dress was completed more than a week ago. After all, the wedding was just delayed. However, when she tried it two days ago, they encountered a bit of a snag.

She could still remember that infuriating scene.

”What’s taking so long?” She had asked, glaring at her maids who were trying to close the dress.

The maid paled and panicked a little, adding a bit more force.

”I... I’m afraid to break it.”

”Why?” Liaroa asked, eyes sharp.

”It... it doesn’t fit—”

Slap!

While waiting for the delayed wedding to proceed, she had apparently gained a bit of weight. It was made of special fabric and could no longer be extended, at least not in time for the wedding.

It was also very expensive, and there was no way her family would buy her a new one! There wouldn’t be time even if they did!

She panicked and slapped a lot of maids at the time. Fortunately, after not eating for two days, she finally gained the right size. She was starving, but not eating for a few days, at her level, wouldn’t kill her.

Now, it fitted perfectly, and she was twirled around to show it off, admiring the movement of the fabric and its beauty on her curvaceous body.

”So beautiful! Your new husband wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off of you,” the seamstress exclaimed. Most of the other girls there also swooned, sending her various compliments.

Speaking of her husband, Liaroa blushed a bit. During the past weeks, she also had lessons on how to properly pleasure a man.

Well, her mother already taught her a lot of things since she was young, and it was how she got Eveco to like her in the first place.

She has hoped to do this to Otto, but alas.

Anyway, she learned a few more things in the past few days, and she was confident in her bed skills.

Chest puffed up, she turned to her friends at the side. ”What do you think?”

”It’s beautiful!” Lizbeth said. She then turned to a quiet woman at the side. ”Estra! Isn’t it nice?”

At this, everyone else all turned to the redhead who seemed to be blankly staring in space.

Lia wanted to roll her eyes, but her image was that of a good, caring friend. So, wearing her beautiful dress, Liaroa sat down next to her friend, leaning down slightly in concern.

”Are you okay? Do you need water? I’m sorry... I realize this could be painful for you. I should’ve been more considerate.”

Their other friends looked at each other and whispered among themselves, though at their levels it could be heard relatively clearly.

”Look at Lia, she’s so kind. Obviously, it’s her day but she’s still worried about others.”

”Estra is really shameful. She’s lucky her family is so good, otherwise...”

”Otto never gave her time. Why is she still so obsessed? Too dramatic.”

These whispers made Liaroa smile internally, though outwardly she appeared extremely worried for her friend.

Estra, on the other hand, didn’t hear these. Rather, she couldn’t find herself caring for others’ opinions at this time.

Estra had never really recovered from Otto’s disappearance. However, when she found the Lord sent families after them, it actually gave her hope.

Although her logical side reminded her that those families after them were not a good thing, at least this meant they were alive... right?

Besides, why would the Lord hunt for them? Perhaps they had or hid something he wanted? In that case, those families wouldn’t hurt them.

But there was still no news in the end, and she heard the investigation was also stopped, and it made her heart clench.

Still, at the back of her mind, her instincts told her there was something more. Estra had relatively good investigative skills, and she could actually follow Otto’s caravan around if she wanted to. She just had an inkling she was missing something.

She had consolidated the news they got about the Golds, and the ’sightings’ were incredibly variable and far apart.

It was like someone deliberately planted them there.

But if the two families couldn’t find anything, how could she?

This was what had been going through her mind, though her ’friends’ thought she was pining for a certain blonde (which she still was, but that wasn’t entirely the case).

Liaroa watched her friend fall deeper into depression. Pushing down a small smirk that was creeping up her face, she immediately adopted a heartbroken expression on her face.

”Otto is gone. My fiance and my cousins have confirmed they were not there.”

”They’re traitors, Estra,” she said, gently holding the woman’s hand. ”They didn’t just betray you; they betrayed the territory. We can only move on.”

The others nodded. ”Yes, yes.”

Lia smiled, eyes sharpening as he stared at the redhead’s face. ”The best way to move on is with another,” she paused. ”Have you seen my brother? He likes you very much.”

Liaroa’s half-brother, Leccher, had a very public long-standing crush on Estra. It was just that she was so confident she’d get married to Otto that many people believed it too, so on top of her family’s position, he hadn’t made a move.

Now that that was gone, it was only a matter of time until that guy would make a move. Rather, it’d be sooner rather than later.

After all, that half-brother of hers— who had always looked down on her and her mother—had actually politely asked for her help this time. That alone made Lia a bit smug.

That man was a coward, a lecher, and a good-for-nothing, but without Otto, he was fairly confident in himself.

Instead of answering her, though, Estra just stood up. ”I’d give you space,” she said, walking away. She looked prideful, but to her friends, she just looked like she was running away.

Lizbeth sighed. ”She’s hopeless...”

”I’m surprised to see her soft,” another said. ”She hadn’t been her arrogant self since Otto left.”

Lia sneered internally, though her voice was soft. ”Of course not. How could she? Even the whole territory is still adjusting to the loss of the Golds.”

Lia was sad too. She had cried for Otto, but her interests would always come first.

Her eyes were sharp as she looked at herself in front of the metallic mirror. ”Well, a lot of things are changing in our generation,” she said, making another gentle twirl, eyes full of admiration for herself. ”A new era, so to speak.”

There was a lot of fighting—subtle or otherwise—since the Gold disappeared, and they left a huge void to be filled. Now, she was marrying into one of the families with the most to gain. If her brother succeeded in winning Estra, then she’d be deeper connected to another top family.

She smiled beautifully. A new era, indeed.

And she would succeed in forcing a place in it.