Ch.265-22. End

# Chapter 22. The End

“I can’t believe… I’m doing this nonsense again…”

“She’s definitely pretty, I’ll admit that. I can see why you fell for her.”

Rachel was spouting such strange comments despite the serious situation.

I wanted to stop right away, but it seemed the die had already been cast.

“So what am I supposed to do?”

“You know what to do.”

“You want me to do that?”

“Just do it. We’ve come this far already, so why hesitate…”

We were at the palace where the royal family of the Orion Kingdom resided.

Specifically, in front of Greck’s room.

“Do I really have to do this? Isn’t there another way?”

“We need solid evidence, so there’s no choice.”

“Ah… you really… I’ll deal with you later.”

Albert entered the room with a resigned expression.

Rachel cheered him on with a meaningful smile.

“I’ll make sure to get it all on camera!”

***

And now that video was playing on a giant screen during the wedding ceremony, just as the bride’s entrance was coming to an end.

At that moment, a stranger burst through the doors of the venue.

It was Albert, Luna’s acquaintance and the only person who hadn’t shown up until now despite the ceremony being well underway.

All eyes shifted from the video to Albert.

“I object to this marriage!”

His appearance was sudden, but those who knew about his recent activities weren’t particularly surprised.

Bellian was even jumping around excitedly while filming the scene.

However, those who weren’t aware, especially the people from the Orion Kingdom, were equally shocked.

“This marriage between the bride, Luna Crystal, and the groom, Greck Ignite, has been wrong from the start. The bride, Luna, began dating Greck because she couldn’t withstand the pressure from the Orion Kingdom.”

Albert was making bold claims regardless of the actual facts.

This was only possible because he had Rachel’s permission.

“Moreover, everyone, look at this video. The groom, about to be married, bringing another woman into his room with lustful intentions… After seeing this, would you still send your princess to marry into this country?”

Even Diabolica, who normally disapproved of Albert’s usual conduct, was letting him continue this time.

“If I were in Your Majesty’s position, I would never allow it!”

His confident gaze was quite irritating, but Diabolica knew that this was all for Luna’s sake.

So she decided to play along a little.

“First, is that video authentic, Prince Greck?”

“T-that… I didn’t invite her to my room… she came in on her own!”

Albert confronted Greck with a confident voice.

“Regardless of the reason, you’re admitting that there’s no falsehood in that video.”

That sharp retort hit home.

Greck looked at Luna with a blank expression, as if his mental state had collapsed.

Whether Greck felt otherwise or not, Luna clearly didn’t love him.

Luna smiled faintly, as if she found the current situation amusing.

“Why… why are you smiling? Didn’t you love me…?”

“I’m sorry…”

Luna had already taken Albert’s side, not Greck’s.

That fact seemed to speak for her true feelings.

“This feels strange…”

The wedding ceremony was practically ruined.

Having gone this far, Albert decided to push even further.

He grabbed Luna’s hand right in front of Greck.

“W-wait a minute…!”

“Just follow me.”

Albert hastily escaped the wedding venue with Luna in tow.

Everyone at the venue could only stare blankly at the absurd situation.

Even Diabolica, who should have hated this situation more than anyone, didn’t intervene.

She was even smiling, as if she had expected this all along.

“Your Majesty, are you going to let them go like this? At this rate, the wedding will…”

“Let them be. Honestly, I anticipated something like this would happen.”

Luna’s expression wasn’t gloomy at all.

Rather, she seemed relieved, as if this was for the best.

In such a situation, how could anyone stand in their way?

“It was quite a spectacle, and that’s enough.”

***

“Haa… how long are we going to keep running…!?”

The two had left the venue and entered the streets where a festival was in full swing.

This festival was meant to celebrate Greck and Luna’s wedding, but reality had turned out quite differently.

“I feel a bit sorry for those people.”

“You really did it.”

“You told me to do it.”

“I never said that!?”

However, Luna was enjoying this situation more than anyone else.

It was an exhilarating experience—defying her parents’ wishes and betraying everyone’s expectations at what should have been one of the most important moments of her life.

As always, there was never a dull moment when she was with Albert.

During their school days, during the war, and even now.

Albert always made her heart race when it had stopped.

“Then shall we go back? It’s probably not too late yet.”

The fact that he could make such jokes after causing such a commotion… she liked that about him.

Albert always lived as he wanted.

‘Unlike me…’

That fact itself was very attractive.

And now she wanted to live like Albert too.

Luna embraced him amidst the bright festival lights decorating the night sky.

The two fell to the ground, losing their balance, and Luna pressed her chest tightly against his.

“Can you hear it?”

“W-what are you doing…?”

“I asked if you can hear it!”

“Hear what?”

“My heartbeat! You can hear it, can’t you!”

And Luna could hear Albert’s heartbeat too.

His heart was racing just as wildly as hers.

“Don’t tell me this is because of me!?”

“No way…? It’s just the situation we’re in…”

“Then I’ll make it so.”

Luna stole a kiss from his lips as he lay on the ground.

The kiss was as intense and messy as the current atmosphere.

It was an awkward, inexperienced kiss, but Luna liked even that about it.

“Haa… haa…”

“How about now? What’s causing it? That?”

“Fine… yes! It’s because of you, because of you!!”

Luna was satisfied with Albert finally admitting it.

But this time, Albert was the issue.

Properly fired up, Albert rose and immediately pinned her to the ground.

“Kyaaa…!! S-suddenly?”

“Like you said, this is because of you. So take responsibility.”

The wedding dress that had been so painstakingly prepared.

It must have taken an enormous amount of time to prepare it.

But now it was just an obstacle.

-Riiiiip!!-

Albert tore the dress apart and tossed it aside.

The exposed pale skin and delicate figure were enough to drive anyone crazy.

Luna pleaded with him while trying to cover her most intimate parts.

“B-be gentle… it’s my first time…”

The first place Albert’s hand went was, naturally, Luna’s ear.

When he caressed her ear, Luna’s body trembled instantly.

“Not the ears…! That’s off-limits…!!”

The next target was, of course, that place.

“Ahh…!!”

“You’re already wet?”

“It’s because of you… because of you…”

Albert soon removed his pants.

Luna gazed at a man’s thing with her own eyes for the first time in her life.

“T-that… goes in here…? There’s no way something like that can fit…”

“I’ll be gentle, don’t worry.”

***

Somehow, Elizabeth and Bellian had left the venue and were watching the two from a distance.

They were observing the scene from a spot where they wouldn’t be noticed.

“Kyaaaa! It’s too lewd!!”

Bellian covered her eyes with her hands but peeked through the gaps.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, had turned her head away, trying her best to pretend she wasn’t seeing anything.

“Mother! Isn’t this moving too fast!?”

“I know… he wasn’t like this before… he’s changed a lot.”

“But you still love him.”

“What kind of thing is that to say…”

“Then it’s fine.”

It had ended up like this after all.

In truth, she had somewhat anticipated this from the beginning, when she first allowed him to take Lilith as a concubine.

“He’s really something.”

“That’s my dad for you!”

“Don’t you end up like that.”

“Shouldn’t you be saying that to my brother instead of me?”

“My son doesn’t need that warning.”

“You never know.”

***

Though they might look different from other families, they were clearly a harmonious one.

Typically, families with multiple husbands or multiple wives can hardly dream of harmony.

But this family was different.

There might have been occasional conflicts, but they were never actions born from genuine hatred.

Of course, it was also true that the man bore all the hardships in this family structure.

But he didn’t mind those hardships.

It was the path he had chosen, so he walked it with responsibility and dignity.

Without a single complaint or sign of weakness.

Who could cast stones at someone living so earnestly?

Of course, reality was harsher than expected, and there were people who criticized him, but those close to him—especially his wives—didn’t reproach him.

They believed in him, loved him, and grew old together.

That fact became a great wall for him. A sturdy wall he could lean on for a lifetime.

And he, too, loved and trusted them.

“That’s why we were able to come this far.”

It was a messy and chaotic life, but it was good and happy in its own way.

Perhaps, if he were to go back to the beginning and live his life again, he would have lived it the same way.

Just like his second life, which, despite many changes, wasn’t so bad after all…