After the wedding, naturally, came the program for the wedding night.
Of course, the two of us, me and my 'wife' Isolde, were escorted straight to the 'princess's' room. It was a rather comfortable room, fully furnished with a tea table, a wardrobe, a ridiculously large window, and naturally, a bed wide enough for two people to lie on and do all sorts of other things without worrying about anyone falling off. In general, it was a perfectly normal, well-equipped room.
Did I mention that everything in this room was pink-themed? For a pitch-black castle, it sure managed to squeeze in a terribly feminine room.
Ah, it also smelled quite pleasant, feeling just like...
"This is the room where I was 'detained' for the past month." Even though I hadn't asked, Isolde explained with a glare. "They said pink suited a 'princess' better. So that's how it is."
"I see..." I nodded.
But seriously, are the two of us really going to sleep together here? Although this isn't the first time I've slept with a girl, unlike two years ago, I'm now at the age where I react strongly to the fairer sex. And that's not even mentioning the characteristics related to the sexual drive of the Blood Tribe.
Arggggg! And to top it off, I have to stay in the same room overnight with a super cute beauty! Why do I keep getting pushed into situations where I have to be challenged like this? It's you, isn't it, Man-God!? You suggested I come save Isolde because you wanted me to cheat on Eris, didn't you? Ha ha, unfortunately for you, I have a weapon called my right hand!
"I need to change out of these clothes," Isolde said as she looked at her dress.
So I nodded too. "Ah, yes, right."
Fortunately, there were pajamas for both men and women placed on the table to change into. Based on this thoughtfulness, I think Moore prepared this, not Atofe.
Maybe I should go thank him tomorrow.
And so, we actually retreated to separate corners, both turning our backs to each other. I don't think Isolde had any intention of peeking at me or anything. She's seen all of me anyway, right? More accurately, probably everyone in this fortress has seen me naked already; I hope this doesn't spread.
While I was unbuttoning my shirt, Isolde's voice suddenly rang out.
"Hey."
"What is it?" Luckily, I didn't turn my head.
Isolde didn't answer me. She remained silent like that for about a few dozen seconds, and then I heard a loud 'rip'. Immediately after came a sigh from my 'wife'.
"Never mind, I handled it."
"Yeah... uh, that's good."
Although very, super curious, fortunately, I still didn't turn my head.
But... wasn't that the sound of clothes tearing? So there's a possibility I just missed a 'helping to undress' event? Ah no, I should say I luckily 'avoided' it. Because if I had approached her while we were both scantily clad, God only knows what would have happened.
But the rustling noise on the other side is so distracting. Oh my, my little brother is already looking up. Calm down, brother; if you want to survive and do more than just pee, wait until the day we return home to reunite with my 'real' wife.
Let's return to the path of academia together; shall we discuss Crystal Field Theory and Ligand Field Theory? What? You want to discuss metabolic pathways? Fine, let's talk about the Krebs cycle. What? Still want something more meditative? Fine fine, everything for you, little buddy. How about we read the 10 Commandments of Saint Millis together?
"What are you doing?" Isolde suddenly spoke up.
I still didn't turn my head, replying calmly. "Reciting the scripture."
"Pfft-" I swear I heard a laugh escape for a beat before stopping. "Being in the same room with a beautiful girl. Not even turning around to peek, but reciting scripture instead? Your piety is suspicious."
"He he. If there were only one person left in this world who believed in Millis, it would definitely be me. If no one remembers Millis, it means I am dead," I replied instantly.
Actually, it's a bit ironic since I met a real god but still believe in another saint, right? But what can I do? I truly respect Millis. Like, he was strong, had a thrilling story, and was extremely moral; truly a person worth emulating.
Honestly, I'd be happy if my life were even a fraction like that.
"I thought you went to church just to curse at people?"
Ugh… Fuck. She remembers?
"Well..." I replied awkwardly. "Being willing to share one's worst side with the divine is also a way of showing piety, isn't it?"
"If that's the case, I think you should go to confession instead of cursing."
"Yes, yes. You're right. I should go to Millishion right now to confess for being a foul-mouthed person."
Oops, I accidentally sounded sarcastic. But Isolde didn't seem to mind; after all, we used to tease each other constantly about seven years ago.
I heard the creaking of the bed. It seems Isolde has sat on the bed. For some reason, because I couldn't see it but could only imagine it, it felt more erotic than usual. Maybe there is something wrong with my mind.
"By the way... do you plan to stay like that until morning, Atur?"
"Probably. I can't sleep at night anyway."
Actually, I'm quite wide awake. I have to say I'm stone-cold sober (which is why I can imagine all sorts of sexy things happening behind my back). In my previous life, I lived the late-night awake lifestyle for quite a while, not for partying but mostly drinking alone while watching anime or something until near dawn. That lifestyle really affected my health, so when I moved to this new life, I was determined to live healthily. Who would have thought I'd now turn into a new species that specializes in living at night. Sigh...
"Suit yourself."
While I was struggling internally with great difficulty, Isolde calmly walked around the room, even passing right in front of me to look for something. At this point, even if I didn't want to, I had to see her in her pajamas. It was a set of white long-sleeved clothes with long pants. Basically, it was modest, not the indecent things I had been thinking of.
But even so, I could still see something protruding from her chest area...
"Ahem..." I coughed once to keep calm, my legs immediately keeping a safe distance of three steps so I wouldn't turn into a beast and do something inappropriate. Now I have to find something else to talk about, let's see... "Did you really tear the wedding dress?"
Actually, it wasn't exactly the wedding dress but just the top part of the dress; I could see the buttons were on the back, so Isolde couldn't take it off. Honestly, I was a bit surprised she was that violent.
"Actually, I intended to take it off normally." Isolde explained, addressing the thought in my head. "But I thought if it was torn, it would create a more realistic feeling."
"What do you mean by 'realistic feeling'?" I frowned.
"A perverted young groom who has desired his princess for a long time. So, after claiming her, he pins the princess down, tears off the dress violently, and lets his inner beast take over reason. Since the princess is weak and frail, she can only accept her tragic fate." Isolde finished her self-imagined script by wiping away a tear. "It's the 'realistic feeling' I'm talking about."
"Hey hey hey, wait a minute." I raised my hand. "What kind of scumbag are you planning to turn me into?"
"Come on. A few hours ago you said what you Blood Tribe people are like, remember?"
"A few hours ago..."
Ah right, I did say I was very 'vigorous' in bed.
"That's right." Isolde nodded.
"Urg... Please stop reading my mind!" I clutched my head, finally admitting defeat. "But fine, that works. As long as Lord Lan Xin believes I actually have a wife, it saves me from misery."
"Good that you understand." Isolde smirked with delight as she said that.
She clearly just wants to take revenge on me. But I suppose I have to accept it... Or not? What if I really go all the way? That way, even if I get a bad reputation, at least I would have...
"Wait a second while I find a knife."
Now I stepped back three more steps. Alright, six steps seem enough to run away if necessary, right?
Shortly, Isolde found a knife in the drawer of the makeup table.
"Ah, here it is." Then she looked over at me. "We need something to serve as proof."
"Listen, Isolde." I swallowed, raising both hands in surrender. "I swear I won't do anything to you, can you not overreact like that? If you want, I'll take care of it myself. We don't necessarily have to castrate each other or anything, okay?"
"I wasn't talking about that, you pervert." Isolde rolled her eyes and pointed to the bed. "You know how to use healing magic, right? I'll use the knife to make a small cut on my hand to get some blood on the bedsheet. As for what it's for, I think you understand, right?"
"Oh, oh..." It's for that. I immediately nodded vigorously. "Understood."
Only then did I dare to sigh. I thought Isolde had just read my mind that I actually had some fleeting thoughts about really pinning her down. Turns out that wasn't it, thank goodness.
However... Isolde looked like she was struggling internally about whether to trust me or not. Even though I know I'm very suspicious, I swear I only thought it in my head and didn't act on it, okay.
Finally, she perhaps finished her internal struggle, or was convinced by my thoughts, and sighed too, then used the knife to lightly slice a line across her palm. Drops of hot red blood began to ooze out. Immediately, all my cells seemed to scream for something I didn't even understand. Then, in the blink of an eye, I had Isolde's hand in my mouth, sucking the blood flowing from it.
Even though blood is supposed to taste salty, right? But I found it strangely sweet. It was like tasting mother's milk. It was fragrant, delicious, and gave a feeling of intense pleasure. Ugh...
But wait...
"..." Isolde looked at me.
"..." I looked back.
Isolde seemed unsure how to react to this strange behavior of mine. As for me, I couldn't stop licking that beautiful hand. Even being watched like that, I licked more hastily like a dog dying of thirst. We stayed in that posture for two minutes before I freed myself from my thirst and backed away as far as possible.
Until I ensured a safe distance, only then did I speak up.
"Um… Thank you for the meal." I wiped my mouth. Immediately bowed my head, kneeling in a Dogeza posture. "My Blood Tribe nature is like that. Please don't kill me."
Isolde didn't reply but continued to look at me with a gaze full of concern. Immediately after, it shifted to a face full of horror. She seemed to be imagining how I would react if that blood hadn't come from her hand. Hey, wait, wait, don't imagine that, young lady...
"Calm down." Seeing that, I had to explain. "I'm only interested in blood near major arteries like the wrist or neck."
"Is that so... So that's how it is."
Though she said that, the look of disgust remained. This reminded me of the time I forced Isolde to chew rice to make sake. But compared to that, I didn't do this on purpose this time. And what is this awkward situation? In manga or anime, there are only embarrassing ecchi situations! Why did it turn out like this arggggggggg!!!
And indeed, I didn't know what to say, until a drop of Isolde's blood fell on the floor, and I immediately flew over and licked it clean. Only then did we both remember our main task.
"Well then... let's continue." I said.
"Yeah… And please don't lick the bedsheet."
"I know."
My 'wife' walked over to the bed, clenching her fist. After three drops of blood landed on the sheet, she looked over at me standing all the way at the door.
"Is this enough?"
"How would I know?"
"Huh?" Isolde raised an eyebrow. She intended to say something but seemed to change her mind. "Whatever. Please heal me now before you do anything weird again."
"Uh... Are you sure?" I asked back.
"Honestly, no." Isolde clicked her tongue. "But if you obediently resolve everything normally 'like a human', I will pretend what just happened never occurred."
"Alright."
So I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the beast within me, walked over, and took Isolde's hand.
"Ugh... Be gentle."
"Right..."
Could you also please not moan just because I gripped it a little tight?
But I still succeeded in suppressing my bestial nature and focused on using magic. Those few short seconds felt like hours. I swear I could hear both our hearts beating. But not out of shyness like a normal couple, but out of fear of knowing what the hell might happen next.
Fortunately, nothing happened, and I immediately let go of Isolde's hand after finishing the job.
However, the blood still on my palm really looked very... gulp. No, try to maintain some dignity. And with that thought, I clenched my palm tight and tried to forget it.
"Done." Only now did I dare to breathe. It seems the smell of blood, and specifically Isolde's blood, excites me strangely. I don't understand why.
Isolde raised her hand to look and nodded.
"Thank you."
"So that's done." I waved goodbye and stepped back. "I'm going to read the bible until morning. Goodnight."
"Wait." Isolde held my shoulder.
I broke out in a cold sweat. "What is it now, 'dear wife'?"
"Please don't call me that." Isolde said it firmly. "Anyway, if we decide to stay silent now, I think tonight will be very awkward. So why don't we talk about something?"
Actually, she has a point. After all, my head is currently full of not-so-decent things. Honestly, I planned to sneak out. But if talking helps to calm down, it might be feasible, probably.
I sat in the far corner of the room and propped my chin up.
"So what shall we talk about?"
"First of all, why don't we talk about what happened in the past years." Isolde smiled softly. "Like how you got engaged. Then became the Dragon Demon King or whatever."
"It will be very long." I sighed.
On the other side, Isolde was sitting on the bed, hugging a pillow. Her eyes lit up.
"We have all night."
"Alright." I gave up and complied. "But promise not to laugh."
"I swear to only laugh at what I think is laughable."
And so I recounted what had happened to me over the last seven years since I left the Ars Royal Capital. Most of what happened in Roa I had told briefly through letters, but when spoken directly, Isolde listened as if it was her first time hearing it. Isolde laughed at my stupid antics when I tried to challenge the Sword King Ghislaine to impress Eris. Then she giggled again when I told her about how I met Rudeus and his family.
"That Paul guy is truly terrible, isn't he?"
Of course, my friend couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a negative comment about Paul. What can you do? Who told you to two-time, Paul? But since I'm his friend, I had to speak up for him.
"At least my uncle is still less terrible than my father."
"You have a point." Isolde sighed. "But I feel sorry for his wife. I can't imagine the pain she has."
"True. But if it were you, what would you do in that situation?"
"I would divorce and raise the child myself." Isolde replied instantly.
Actually, I thought she would take a sword and slash her husband. After all, Isolde is someone who doesn't use violence to talk, right? Maybe I accidentally projected Eris's actions onto her. But we are just hypothesizing, right? Because who knows how Isolde would react if it really happened. Life is like that; you only know for sure when it happens.
Anyway, I continued my story.
I told how the following years in Roa passed. How we gradually grew up, Eris's birthday party, mine, Sylphiette's, and Rudeus's. And I didn't skip the important part about how I got engaged. Isolde tried to suppress her laughter when hearing Philip used Darius to force it. Although I never said it out loud, my friend probably knew how much I hated the Prime Minister because every time I went to church, I cursed him.
Ah, of course, I didn't forget to tell how lucky I felt to have met the Boreas family.
"To me, they are exactly the family I always wished for."
Even though it's been a long time since I saw them or heard any news, just thinking about Philip, Hilda, Lord Sauros, and especially Eris, I always feel an indescribable warmth. To me, they are the reason I can continue living and regain my belief in a happy family.
"Then when I thought everything was settled, a strange light appeared. And in just the blink of an eye, I was in a Labyrinth on the Demon Continent."
"A labyrinth?" Isolde exclaimed.
"Yeah." I nodded. "The name is Ant Nest Labyrinth because well… it's a bunch of ant nests."
"I heard you conquered an S-rank labyrinth alone." Isolde stared at me. "So that is true?"
"God, no. Ha ha..." I laughed, a bitter laugh. "It was the opposite; I got beaten to a pulp."
Then an uncomfortable feeling suddenly rose in my chest. The battle with the spider in the incubation nest. Me getting poisoned... And what happened after that.
"At first I fought alongside Ken and then we met a group of adventurers…"
Those matters were held back by a fragile dam named oblivion. Whenever I thought of it, I always steered the subject to something else so as not to remember my own helplessness.
But at this very moment, right in front of Isolde, it rushed out like a flood that had been held back too long.
Everything reappeared in my head as if it all happened just yesterday. The pain, the despair, the torment, the misery, and the regret continuously invaded my mind.
"Ha... Ah..." And without realizing when, I started to cry. "Because of me... that... ah..."
The image of Ken proudly smiling at me after I killed that damn spider flashed by. It should have been something I would be very happy about, but it only made my heart clench.
"Ah... ah... ugh..."
Then the image of that man appeared again, but in the form of a skeleton still rotting as if striking at my mind. It screamed about how stupid and useless I was.
"Ah... It was because of me..."
And so I sobbed; there was no way left for me to hide my weakness anymore. I had tried to keep myself emotionless and carefree about what happened. But now it was truly hopeless.
I am truly hopeless...
"I... was too weak... so Ken had to..."
Isolde... It's all my fault. Because of me, Ken died. This is exactly what I wanted to say. Maybe the teleportation was a natural disaster, maybe I wasn't strong enough to save anyone, but the consequences were entirely due to me.
Even saying that simple sentence to admit it to Isolde, I couldn't do. I was too cowardly to accept that things could have had a much happier ending.
And there it is. The Dragon Demon King Lan Atur that everyone respects, the one who defeated the Immortal Demon King Atoferatofe Rybak, is truly such a despicable coward...
What irony.
I always feared that people would remember me as a terrible person. But I constantly made wrong decisions. But if it only affected me, that would be one thing; instead, it made everyone around me bear the responsibility for it.
"I... I always... make others suffer..."
It's always like that... I made Sarah and my old colleagues suffer because of my hero delusion. Even though I tried to escape the truth, if I had always been by her side, Mia might still be alive. Then Ken... And most recently, I was the one who pushed Isolde into this place.
Always... It's always f*cking like that!
"No."
But Isolde's voice rang out. And I felt it, warmth.
"You are not weak at all, Atur." One of her hands was touching my shoulder and shaking it gently. "And you didn't intentionally make anyone suffer anything."
I raised my head. What I saw was a face full of determination.
"You aren't the one who got me captured." Isolde continued. "It was you who saved me, remember? If you hadn't said I was your princess or whatever, Atofe would have captured me to be her subordinate anyway. So it wasn't because of you. And didn't you yourself immediately go straight here afterwards? You set out to come here with the possibility of losing your life, yet didn't you come here with the craziest plan possible?"
Isolde paused for a moment; she took a breath and continued speaking.
"You might be a pervert, Atur. But you are not an irresponsible person. You do everything because you think it is the best thing to do." Isolde's gaze softened slightly. "Things might never go as we intend, I understand. But you tried your best. So, please, for your own sake, don't blame yourself, okay?"
"But..." I gritted my teeth. "If not for me then-"
"I wasn't with you then, so I shouldn't have the right to say these words." Isolde immediately cut me off, her eyes immediately returning to determination. "But I firmly believe that back then, every decision you made was because you firmly believed it was the best thing, right?"
And with just that one question, I seemed to suddenly realize something.
It is true, I could have completely turned my back, ignored Nelu's party, and returned. But then what? I would have a happy ending. But I would carry the torment of a lingering 'what if'. And from then on, I wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully either.
That is why I chose the opposite. Not because I wanted to be a hero, but because I believed it was the best thing possible. It was a wrong choice, yes. But it was the choice that I believed would let me live without shame in this life.
Honestly, I still regret my choice. But if time were turned back but I didn't remember what happened, perhaps any version of me would follow the path I chose.
I don't know what I should do in the future. Will I choose what depends on my standards or the best result? I don't know; it's truly a difficult question.
But at least now, perhaps I have my answer.
"Yeah." I replied, trying not to avoid the gaze of the person opposite me. "I truly believed so."
"Then perhaps Ken would also be proud of that." Isolde smiled softly. Her hands reached up to cup my cheeks. They were so soft and warm.
"You... are sure?"
Responding to my question, Isolde just shook her head.
"This question, only you can answer."
So I remembered Ken's expression toward me when I threw away the sword and saved The Diggers. And also when I decided to save Tristina with Henry.
Both times, he had the same expression. It was a smile.
I could never read Ken's expressions and thoughts no matter how well I learned 'Reading'. He was always such an unpredictable person. He always acted like a calculating, pragmatic person who sought every opportunity to mock me.
I always wondered what Ken wanted when he tried his hardest to stop me from helping Tristina, yet was proud when I went against his will. What did he want? Ken always taught me to be a calculating person, but wanted me to do the opposite?
Why?
I thought a lot. I even planned to ask that directly, but arrogance made me prioritize the desire to understand it myself, winning out. And now, perhaps I will never know the real answer.
However, there is one thing I am certain of; I am certain of what that smile meant back then. And it is exactly as Isolde just said; it was pride.
Ken was proud of me. And he was ready to give up his life for me.
How strange... Why did I only realize that now?
How stupid.
And I burst out laughing, like a fool, along with tears welling up once again. I probably look very weird right now.
"No. You don't look weird at all." Isolde rubbed my face as she said that.
"Please don't read my mind, okay?" I laughed again as I leaned back into her hand. "You're ruining my touching moment."
"What a pity, it's because you are always too easy to read."
So it's my fault? Well, that's fine too. At least there is one mistake I can admit that definitely isn't wrong.
And so we started giggling and then burst into loud laughter even though we didn't understand why. I don't know why it was like that. Perhaps Isolde didn't know either. Whatever. Just know that we laughed.
When it subsided, my heart felt strangely light. That was when I looked straight at Isolde opposite me. I took her hand, then used all my sincerity to say:
"Thank you, for listening."
Isolde's hand squeezed gently. It was strange that this touch didn't make me feel any sexual arousal at all.
"It's okay, I'm actually glad to see you like this."
"What do you mean by that?" I pursed my lips. "You like seeing me crying like a kid?"
"Not exactly. I'm glad you can be honest with your emotions."
Isolde admitted as she tilted her head slightly, her blue hair cascading over her shoulder as she did so. Indeed, she was truly very beautiful. Beautiful enough that I thought I might have fallen for her if this continued. Even though I didn't want to, I involuntarily turned my face away, avoiding that pretty scene.
Maybe this is just a moment of weakness. No way I would fall for any girl other than Eris.
"Ahem." I coughed once to regain my composure.
Then I remembered what I was talking about. About Ken. And because of that, I couldn't suppress a sigh.
"And you probably understand what happened next. Ken lost his life because of me." I said, my heart still hurting like it was being cut. However, I had enough courage to say it out loud. "Also a few others in an adventurer party."
Then I continued to tell the rest of the story, about how I tried to survive alone in that labyrinth. Then how I met Lord Lan Xin, and the result was that I became a Blood Tribe member.
"After that, I became the temporary master of Vasile. Then I met you again."
I didn't think I should mention the Man-God much. Because mentioning a god who once told me to leave others to die is truly a bit awkward. And indeed, he seemed to suggest that I actually marry Isolde, right? Sometimes I don't know what that god's true purpose is.
"So that's it." Isolde nodded. She had remained silent throughout the rest of my story as if trying to understand everything that happened to me. "What a thrilling story, isn't it? Honestly, I don't think anyone other than you could have survived that situation."
"Maybe."
I also don't know how I survived. Suddenly, when near death, I met someone who could save my life and grant me power. If this were a novel, surely the readers would say I have plot armor or a plot device for sure.
"Anyway, what about you?" I asked. "How about your story during this time?"
"Oh my, compared to yours, it's much more boring." Isolde sighed. "It's like comparing a duck and a dragon."
"Interesting comparison." I nodded. "But even if it's a duck, I still want to try to see what it looks like. Because after all, it's your duck."
"Still so glib, aren't you?" Isolde put her hand to her mouth and laughed softly. "If you were still single, I might have fallen for you already."
"Just with one sweet remark?" I raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were harder to please than that? Has seven years turned the Perfect-Seerker-Isolde into a shallow person?"
"Look at the sarcasm, very impressive. But just think about it, you appeared in front of me and confronted a legendary Immortal Demon King twice. Then you are very faithful, you are strong, and not to mention you are also quite handsome if you had hair. If I had to say, you are truly too perfect. Then if I have fallen for you, I still have the perfect match."
Woah there, that much praise? I think my nose is about to explode. He he he. Hear that, everyone? Even a fastidious girl like Isolde considers me perfect. S-rank husband material here.
"But anyway, in return, I will tell my story." Isolde placed her hands on her lap as she said that. "However, please try your best not to fall asleep."
"Definitely not." I gave a thumbs up.
"Then I think I should start from when you just left. Hmm... Do you remember Veronica?"
And so I was told Isolde's story.
Although it didn't have too many thrilling or painful things like my story, honestly it wasn't boring at all. I could sit and listen to it forever without blinking once. Maybe because I'm too focused on her beauty. Or maybe the story is actually interesting. I don't know for sure. But I looked at her and listened for hours just like that.
We then told each other many things that suddenly popped into our heads. Jokes that only the two of us understood. And then, many more stupid things we can think of like talking about the future, the plans.
That is how my 'wedding night' passed. Both of us chatting until morning. Without realizing when, we lay on the floor and fell asleep.
…
I must be the luckiest person in the world to have a friend like Isolde.