Ch.250Epilogue – A Love That Will Never Die

“I was a bit worried since spatial magic still feels awkward to me, but it worked properly. That’s a relief.”

There stood Abel, wearing a formal suit and flashing an embarrassed smile. The four immediately recognized the nature of the clothing he was wearing.

It looked like what noblemen wear when they appear at “weddings” to flaunt their family’s prestige, but with elegance and antiquity multiplied by several dozen times.

Christine and Serena were speechless, and even Charlotte, who hadn’t expected Abel to appear in such attire, was staring blankly at him.

Only Olivia, who had somewhat anticipated this situation, managed to maintain a relatively composed reaction, though she wasn’t completely unaffected. Her lips kept moving as if trying to say something.

However, the fact that she couldn’t quite get the words out was evidence that Olivia had received quite a shock—in a positive sense, of course.

“My god, what is that attire?”

Surprisingly, Christine was the first to speak. Abel looked at her with surprised eyes. He never imagined Christine would be the first to open her mouth—

“Ah, this? It’s what I’ll wear when I marry you all… Christine? Christine?!”

Of course not.

As soon as Abel uttered the word “marriage,” Christine, who had been quietly having a seizure on her own, collapsed backward. White foam bubbled up and overflowed from her slightly parted lips.

The shock had been so great that she had initially remained calm, but upon hearing the word “marriage,” her emotional threshold was instantly shattered, and her mind couldn’t handle the overflow of emotions.

Startled, Abel hurriedly ran to her side, stroking her head and activating healing magic. Even after being enveloped in green light, Christine only barely regained consciousness after several more minutes.

“Ugh… uuugh…”

At least she didn’t die of a heart attack. Abel let out a small sigh. Christine continued to groan for quite some time after regaining consciousness.

“M-my lord. Marriage, what does that mean…”

Serena was next. Her face reddened slightly, but compared to Christine, she appeared relatively normal.

Well, compared to Christine, who wouldn’t seem normal? Abel thought absently.

“It means exactly what it sounds like. I’ve been saying it all along—that I’ll take responsibility for all of you. Considering that, getting married now is actually quite late. I feel sorry for keeping you waiting.”

Serena pondered his words for a moment, then her face turned an even brighter shade of red. It was so red that Abel thought if he placed ice on it, it would sizzle and melt immediately.

Watching her intently, Abel gently stroked her head. Serena lowered her head so much she was practically staring at the floor. It wouldn’t have been strange if steam had started rising from her head.

Serena would forever be her lord’s knight, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t hoped for something like this.

In the many fairy tales her mother had read to her as a child, there were countless scenes where knights who overcame trials and their lords confirmed their feelings for each other, held wedding ceremonies, and promised eternity together.

The scene she had only imagined in her heart until now had suddenly approached right before her eyes. There was no way she could dislike it.

“My dear, then is this place…”

“That’s right. It’s a world I created.”

Charlotte looked around at the surrounding landscape, which seemed to perfectly recreate the “ideal natural scenery” they had once shared with each other while sipping wine.

She felt a lump in her throat.

“You remembered.”

“Why would I forget?”

Abel and Charlotte gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment. Black eyes full of affection met red eyes, and they shared a slight smile. Charlotte turned her head away.

Most of the scenery matched what she had described in the past. The fact that he remembered even these small details made her incredibly proud. A warm feeling filled her chest.

“Abel. Did you leave for a whole week to prepare this?”

Finally, it was Olivia’s turn, after Christine, Serena, and Charlotte had each been lost in their own thoughts.

“That’s right. If you had known in advance, you wouldn’t have been as surprised as you are now. Seeing your expressions, I’m glad I didn’t tell you.”

“But for world creation, couldn’t you have just borrowed power from one of us? One person’s mana would have been more than enough.”

“That wouldn’t be fair. If I had made it with just one person’s blue mana, or black mana, or divine power, naturally that one person would feel more proud. I can’t stand that. I won’t allow any one of you to be ahead or behind the others. I won’t let that happen.”

“I see…”

Olivia looked around at the floor covered with flowers, the dazzlingly blue sky, the crystal-clear water flowing through the valley, and the mountains covered with lush forests.

This world wasn’t made from any specific blue mana, black mana, or divine power.

All those powers had merged together, dissolved into Abel’s body, and given birth to a new power that created this world. A new power that was neither blue mana, black mana, nor divine power.

Olivia wasn’t sure what to call this power, but what did it matter? The value lay in the fact that Abel had prepared this entire world for them.

“So, everyone.”

At Abel’s call, which suggested it was time to prepare, the three who had been lost in their happy imaginations looked up. Christine, who had barely recovered from her seizure, also raised herself.

“What kind of dress would you like to wear?”

Someone says that happiness is relative, and absolute happiness cannot exist.

Someone else says that nothing in this world can be eternal.

But I know they are wrong.

Because I know that this happiness is absolute and will be eternal.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the temple, where everything in sight was made of marble. I turned around. In the distance, four figures were calmly walking toward me.

They were wearing pure white wedding dresses, with thin white veils on their heads, and in their hands, shyly clasped in front of their chests, were bouquets decorated with all kinds of flowers.

The hems of the wedding dresses were impossibly long, as were the veils on their heads. But the trailing edges didn’t drag ungracefully on the floor.

Numerous flowers bloomed behind them, supporting the wedding dresses and veils so they wouldn’t sweep across the floor.

In the center of each bouquet, a pitch-black rose peeked out modestly. A flower with a meaning perfectly suited to the relationship between the five of us.

The girls walked slowly until they reached a spot a little distance from me, then stopped. Looking at them, I uttered just one phrase.

“You’re beautiful.”

There was no need for flowery language. No need to lavishly praise their beauty. Not even a need to describe their appearance with all sorts of words. Simply saying they were beautiful was enough.

At my sincere compliment, the four girls each responded in their own way.

Serena showed the most traditional reaction, blushing and looking shy, while Christine’s breathing quickened as if she was barely holding back another seizure.

Charlotte hid her flushed cheeks behind her bouquet, peeking at me with just her eyes, while Olivia smiled brightly. They were truly, truly beautiful.

I slowly took a step forward. In my hand, I held a black rose identical to the ones in the center of their bouquets.

“Normally, there would be many complicated procedures before this… but we don’t need such unnecessary things between us, right?”

The four answered with smiles full of radiance. A procedure to confirm love? A formal question asking if anyone objects? Why would any of that be necessary?

There was no need to confirm that we loved each other, and there was no one who would oppose this love in any timeline.

In the past, now, and forever.

Instead of saying such unnecessary things, I raised the black rose in my hand. The girls looked at the black rose in my hand and put aside their shyness, adopting serious expressions.

“The meaning of a black rose is ‘you are eternally mine.'”

From my right hand, blue mana, black mana, and divine power flowed out simultaneously. The black roses, receiving these three types of power, slowly floated into the air and emitted a brilliant light.

“Like that flower meaning, you are mine. Every part of your bodies, every thought, and even your future possibilities and time. I won’t give you to anyone, and I won’t let anyone take you away.”

The blue mana began to transform the black roses. The black mana started changing their appearance. The black roses touched by divine power began to melt into a specific shape.

“Forever.”

By the time I finished speaking, the black roses had transformed into black rings, with only tiny flower-shaped decorations remaining on top. Rings that would never break and never change.

Understanding the meaning, the four shyly extended their left ring fingers. Having recognized the significance of the rings created before their eyes, there was no reason to hesitate.

I used magic to place the rings on their left ring fingers ‘simultaneously.’ No one went first, and no one fell behind. It was exactly the same time, without the slightest error.

For Serena and Charlotte, rings crafted with their blue mana; for Christine, a ring crafted with divine power; for Olivia, a ring crafted with black mana.

Serena’s blue eyes, Christine’s yellow eyes, Charlotte’s blood-red eyes, and Olivia’s black eyes gazed dreamily at the objects shining on their left ring fingers.

“Now it’s your turn.”

Coming to their senses, the four simultaneously took out the black roses from the center of their bouquets. Then, like me, they created black rings with their own powers.

I also prepared to receive them. Not on my left ring finger, but elsewhere.

—Thrust!

I plunged my right hand into my chest, grabbed my heart, and pulled it out. But no blood splattered on the floor, my suit, or even my palm. Because I made it that way.

The heart, unexpectedly pulled out from inside my ribcage, was still pulsating vigorously in my palm, continuing to do its job. The object made of crimson muscle throbbed steadily.

Despite this grotesque scene unfolding before them, no one was surprised. Just as I thought this was how it should be, they must have thought the same.

Given that I only have two fingers, this was inevitable. I couldn’t wear multiple rings on one finger either. That wouldn’t be respectful to them.

“Put them on.”

I held out my heart. Serena, Christine, Charlotte, and Olivia all approached my heart with their rings without any particular order. The sound of muscle tearing was heard where they touched.

Delicate fingers dug into my heart and fixed the rings symbolizing eternal love inside it. The heart, receiving the love of all four, pulsated even more vigorously.

“Now I am yours too. Forever.”

All four smiled with satisfaction. Just like when I first saw them, they were incredibly beautiful smiles.

I carefully placed my heart back where I had pulled it from and sealed the skin. The heart, back in its place, began pumping blood filled with love throughout my body.

They seemed quite satisfied knowing that the symbols of love they had given me were beating inside my body, as their eyes looking at me were almost glazed over.

“Now for the final part. You know what’s left, right?”

I took one more step forward. The girls also took one more step forward. The distance between us narrowed further. Anticipating what would happen next, all four had reddened cheeks.

But contrary to that, the bouquets that had been covering half their faces gradually lowered, revealing peach-colored lips.

“You will now become my wives. And I will become your husband.”

Expectant gazes were directed at me. And I uttered the words that had to be said here.

“And there’s one thing I want to declare clearly. Since you are now mine, I absolutely cannot allow you to fight with each other. I don’t want my possessions to hurt each other by fighting. If you don’t like that, and if you’re going to continue fighting with each other in the future… then you can give up becoming mine right now. You can give up becoming my wives. I’ll ask one last time. Will you do that?”

After finishing, I waited briefly for an answer. No one moved, and no one answered.

Yes, this was enough. I smiled slightly inside. No matter how they felt about each other, they would never fight again from now on. Even Charlotte wouldn’t pick fights with the others anymore.

Because they had made a vow while marrying me. If they fought with each other after this, it would mean breaking their vow with me, which was sealed by marriage.

From the perspective of these girls who loved me to death, that was something that must never happen.

Confirming that all four had tacitly agreed, I cleared my throat. From now on, I had to act not as the ordinary human Abel, but as Abel the husband of all four.

“I, Abel, swear here. That this love is eternal. That it will never cool nor extinguish. That even after eons pass, my feelings will not differ from this moment of vow. I swear on this heart.”

All four, without any particular order, closed their eyes and slightly pushed their lips forward. Their lips, somewhere between scarlet and peach in color, glistened moistly.

Serena, Christine, Charlotte, and Olivia gently tilted their heads to the side. I also brought my head to their lips ‘simultaneously.’

—Smooch.

Lips met lips. Again, no one went first, and no one fell behind. It was a kiss that occurred at precisely the same moment, without the slightest error.

“…”

I wasn’t sure how long our kiss lasted. But I could tell that the flower fragrance surrounding us had become much stronger. Slowly, very slowly, I pulled my lips away.

I saw the shy faces of my wives. I smiled slightly. My wives returned the same smile to me. The word “beautiful” was more than enough.

Our eyes met. Their blue, yellow, red, and black eyes sparkled like jewels.

“Do you swear?”

To my question, Serena, Christine, Charlotte, and Olivia—all my wives who would be by my side for life—nodded together.

“We swear.”