Chapter 111 - The Way She Loves (3)

3

I rushed forward and embraced her.

"Raviel."

Countless words circled in my mouth. I could have said [I'm sorry]. Sorry for leaving her with a wound that would never fade. Truly sorry.

Perhaps I could have said [Thank you]. Thank you for believing in me, for waiting for me, and, above all, for loving me. For loving someone like me.

But what I wanted to say was not an apology. Nor was it thanks. This was not the first time I had apologized to her, nor the first time I had thanked her. At this very moment, on the night we had reunited, I did not want to offer apologies or gratitude.

'Something I've never said before.'

I wanted to say something I could offer her only once. To give her words I could speak only once in my life. My first. My last. I wanted to dedicate my time to Raviel Ivansia.

So. Therefore. For that reason.

I took Raviel's hand.

"Let's get married."

A proposal of marriage.

"..."

Raviel slowly nodded.

"I am called by many names. His Majesty the Emperor bestowed the name Silver Lily upon me. To the Empire, I have dedicated my title as the duke's daughter of Ivansia. But my name, Raviel, I shall always leave vacant, reserved only for you to call."

We kissed.

Deeply.

4

The two of us awoke at dawn. The window was a pale blue. Hearing the sound of breathing, I turned my head to find Raviel silently watching me.

"..."

"..."

I gazed at Raviel in silence as well. Then I moved my hand to clasp hers. Cool fingers curled around mine. A beautiful person. We shared each other's breathing, entwined our fingers, and pressed our foreheads together.

"You're a genius, Raviel."

It was dawn. At that hour, every meeting became a secret rendezvous, every whisper a sweet nothing. And so those who shared the dawn were people who loved each other.

I whispered.

"You're incredible. Turning my ability to see trauma to your advantage. Using it to pass your memories on to me... Truly incredible. I never would have thought of a method like that."

"You do tend to regard other people's pain as sacred."

Raviel's touch brushed my earlobe.

"You are every bit as remarkable. How on earth did you persuade the Tower? Even to the many constellations, the Tower is an inviolable administrator. I knew your tongue was sweet, but never imagined it could persuade even the Tower."

"Well, to be honest, I don't remember it very clearly either. It comes back to me vaguely, like a dream. I suppose meeting the higher-ups in the Tower puts a veil over your memories like this."

"That does not change the fact that you succeeded. My lover is quite capable."

"And the lover I love is a genius."

"An undeniable fact."

We rubbed our foreheads together. We could admire each other, without a trace of vanity or pretense. That fact made me simply, utterly happy.

"When should we get married?"

"Are you rushing me?"

"I think phrasing it that way is a little unfair."

Raviel laughed softly. It made me dizzy. Static electricity rose along my spine and penetrated my head. No music could be as beautiful as the sound of Raviel's quiet laughter.

"The first step is to break off my engagement to His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Ah."

True enough.

Raviel nodded.

"His Highness and I are bound by an engagement. As things stand, marrying you would be legally difficult."

"Well, I don't really mind whether we're legally married. A small ceremony together, even with just the two of us, would be enough for me."

"No. It matters to me."

Raviel stroked my cheek.

"This is the world I live in. The Empire is the nation I serve and care for. If they are my world and my nation, then they ought to recognize my marriage. Even if you are of common birth here, you are my lover. Every citizen of the Empire must bless you."

"Uh, but wouldn't it be a little difficult to expect that kind of reaction from people...?"

"It is all right, Gongja."

Raviel was calm.

"Any citizen who does not bless you will die by my hand."

What do I do? She's so wonderful. I've fallen for her again. I want to keep falling for her.

"All right. Let's hold our wedding in your world. But I have a condition too."

"Tell me."

"You do need to break off your engagement to the crown prince, but you absolutely cannot be the one who gets dumped. I won't tolerate ignorant bastards whispering nasty things about you."

If anyone pointed a finger at my lover, I would break that finger. If anyone spoke ill of her, I would cut out their tongue. If anyone slandered her, I would kill them.

I wasn't joking.

I would give them a taste of hell.

"It has to be obvious to everyone that the crown prince is at fault. You should be the one to end the engagement, Raviel."

"Oh? Are you telling me to insult the Empire's heir to the throne? Me, the legitimate heir of House Ivansia, who works in the shadows for the good of the nation?"

"Yes."

"An easy task."

The two of us took some time to kiss.

Life became a little richer.

"Do you have a plan?"

"Of course. Who do you think you are asking? Every time His Highness the Crown Prince secretly meets Golden Silk Blossom, another document is added to the drawer in my study. By now, the documents I began collecting that way number in the hundreds. I have all the alibis and witnesses ready as well. If I take it to court, victory is assured."

What do I do? She's so wonderful. I've fallen for her again. I want to keep falling for her.

"Of course, there is no need to actually go to court. The imperial family will not want this matter brought up. I need only bring the documentary evidence and request an audience with His Majesty the Emperor."

"When do you plan to go to the imperial palace?"

"As soon as possible."

Raviel quietly brushed back my bangs.

"Gongja, once you marry me, you will be the wife of House Ivansia. The imperial family will bestow a title upon you directly. And I will become your husband."

My heart pounded.

"At official functions, I will refer to you as my wife. You will call me your husband. Are you all right with that?"

"It's a hierarchical society. You're the head of House Ivansia, Raviel. I'm only an outsider, after all. Don't worry. I'll simply follow the Empire's customs in the Empire. Things like that don't bother me at—"

"I am glad you are all right with it. I knew you would be. Then try calling me husband."

I froze.

"Why? Are you embarrassed?"

"..."

"You are embarrassed. I knew you would be. I shall demonstrate first."

Raviel smiled with her eyes.

"Wife."

My heart.

"..."

I swallowed. Saliva gathered thickly in my throat. I tried to open my mouth slowly, but it wouldn't cooperate. Only after my upper lip slid against my lower lip several times did I finally manage to make a sound.

"... H-husband."

Raviel blinked. Silence settled over us. My beloved's red eyes stared straight at me. How should I put it? Her expression was like that of someone who had just seen the sole of a hedgehog's foot. In short, I had absolutely no idea what kind of expression it was.

"Gongja."

"Yes."

"Call me that again."

"... Husband?"

"Just once more."

Hmm.

"Husband...?"

Raviel's eyelashes fluttered. Her shoulders drew in slightly.

'What kind of reaction is this?'

At first, I hadn't noticed because her face remained expressionless, but I soon realized. No way. Could it be? Perhaps? No, I wouldn't have thought it possible even if the world collapsed.

"Raviel, are you embarrassed right now?"

"Mmm..."

Raviel murmured.

"He is maddeningly adorable. My man..."

Her embarrassment spread to me in an instant. Fuck.

My face burned red, and my lips went dry. My mind was still working at full speed, though. The perfect counterattack would be [You're the cutest person in the world yourself, Raviel]. I could pay back all the damage she had inflicted on me so far. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was so embarrassed I thought I might die.

Instead, I decided to compromise.

"Husband."

Mutual affection rather than a one-sided attack. I would settle for a draw, with neither a winner nor a loser. Had she figured out my strategy? Raviel parted her lips too.

"... Wife."

"Husband."

"Wife."

"Husband!"

"Wife..."

"I love you."

"I love you."

"My husband..."

"My wife."

Repeat indefinitely from here.

By the time I came to my senses, dawn had turned into morning.

—Fuck, you goddamn bastard...

The attendant spirit muttered with his back turned to me. In his own way, he was trying to give the two of us some privacy.

—Goddamn couple. Fucking lunatics with your sickening sweetness. A pair of psychos. Fuuuck, I, huh? Do you know how desperately I called out to you when you got immersed in that butler bastard and completely lost your mind? Huh? And as soon as you come to your senses, you just get all lovey-dovey with your lover without so much as thanking me? Huh? Do I look like a fucking pushover to you? Should I just move on to the afterlife right now? Huh?

[Sparkle offers words of comfort to the Sword Emperor.]

—Ah, you're all I have left now! Sparkle!

The ghost and the sword forged a mysterious friendship.

'I'm sorry, and thank you both too.'

But for now, I wanted to love my love just a little longer.

5

Amid all that love, I reminded myself of this stage's objective.

[Prevent this world's destruction.]

And the primary cause of this world's destruction was my husband's artifact, the holy sword fragment, and the wish that had run out of control.

'In other words, if I recover the holy sword fragment, there will be no danger of demons destroying this world.'

But that was not the only cause that would bring this world to ruin.

—An apostle of 'The Ox That Harvests Ruins.'

—An apostle of 'The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains.'

—An apostle of 'The Immortal Evangelist of Happiness.'

The beings from other worlds that had descended through the cracks in the torn sky on the final day. I clearly remembered the invasion by apostles sent by other constellations.

'They'll definitely come.'

The fact that no stage-clear message had appeared yet was enough to tell me that.

'My husband drove the holy sword fragment into her heart and awakened as a half-fledged constellation.'

According to her, a constellation was the representative of the world. A barrier that protected it. In other words, this world had possessed something like half a shield.

But now my husband had not driven the holy sword into her heart. Thus, she had not awakened as a constellation either. In other words, in the fullest sense of the word, this world now had no constellation.

"I shall set the wedding for one month from now."

One month from now.

"That would be exactly ten days after the point when I possessed this body."

"Yes. I matched the date deliberately."

My husband had deliberately chosen the day this world had originally met its destruction as our wedding date. She meant to reject the time that had been the end of the world and make it our starting point instead.

How gallant.

"That means I have quite a bit of work ahead of me. We will only be able to hold the wedding a month from now if everything goes well."

"What things need to go well, for example?"

"First, breaking off my engagement to the crown prince. Second, inheriting my father's title."

Raviel spoke as though it were only natural.

"It would be difficult to marry you while I am still merely a nobleman's daughter. There are cumbersome legal procedures to go through, and high society would needlessly make a fuss over my taking a commoner as my betrothed. A nuisance. It would be better for me to become duchess and take you as my wife. Once I am the head of the house, there will be considerably more things I can handle as I please."

"Uh..."

I was at a loss for words.

"Raviel, I still have quite a few of the butler's memories, so... Isn't it pretty difficult for an heir to become the head of the house? Especially when it's Ivansia. The noble and great House Ivansia. Inheriting the dukedom just because you want to..."

"Yes. If I were not Raviel Ivansia, it would be difficult."

Raviel spoke calmly.

"But I am Raviel Ivansia."

What do I do? She's so wonderful. I've fallen for her again. I want to keep falling for her.

"My house's retainers have already sworn their loyalty to me. I control the military as well. If my father refuses to relinquish power to the very end, his only option will be to run to His Majesty the Emperor and plead with him."

THUD.

Raviel placed a stack of documents on the table.

"I have more than enough evidence to prove His Highness the Crown Prince's infidelity. His Majesty is every bit as capable as the special task forces under his command. Rather than remain loyal to my father, who has no real power, he will naturally protect the dignity of the imperial family."

"That sounds like a statement overflowing with loyalty, Raviel, but doesn't it actually mean you're going to exploit His Majesty's weakness to threaten him...?"

"Wife."

Raviel looked at me seriously. I flinched at the sound of that word, wife. To get used to our new forms of address, we sometimes deliberately called each other [wife] and [husband] even when we were alone.

"Yes, husband."

"You have a job in the Tower, not in this world. I will understand even if you rarely return to my world, to our Empire. Just as you understand that I cannot give up my noble title."

Put that way, I sounded exactly like a husband working far from home...

"But there will be times when you must be with me. Year-end celebrations, New Year's celebrations, and the like. And events attended by a ducal couple are inevitably political. You will become the moon of Ivansia, revered as the noblest wife in this Empire, second only to the empress. You must acquire a certain degree of political savvy."

Hmm. So, in other words.

"Loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor and threats against the imperial family can coexist. The Empire won't suffer any loss from you becoming the head of the ducal house. On the contrary, it's fortunate to gain a noble as capable as you, husband."

"My wife learns two things when taught one. Capable, clever, and splendid."

"Of course. I'm your man, Raviel."

"I love you."

"I love you."

The two of us took some time to kiss.

Life became a little richer.

—Fuuuuck...

For some reason, the ghost's face grew increasingly gaunt.

—Who was it? Who was the bastard who taught this lunatic about love? Who slapped the name 'love' on this bastard's insanity and bullshit...? Why does this bastard love? If he hadn't fallen in love, I could still have been happy...

[Sparkle sadly points to the Sword Emperor.]

—I was the bastard who deserved to be killed. Me...

And so we entered a busy time.

For the best happy ending... No.

For the best wedding.