Ch.90Connected to the Future

The commotion in the underground prison concluded with the arrival of Bartlant’s messenger.

We walked back silently through the dim passageway, as if the recent uproar had been nothing but a dream.

At the end of the long corridor, before the door leading to the imperial palace, the Emperor offered his opinion. I shuddered at his crimson eyes filled with guilt. It seemed the emotions of his abandoned past still lingered within him.

“I plan to pardon Zikharun.”

“What?”

“Your Majesty?”

Irefi and I opened our eyes wide in surprise. The Emperor who spoke seemed like a lost child, conflicted somewhere between criminal and ruler.

“It’s not just because he switched sides at the end. Thanks to the Marquess’s efforts, Charle’s kidnapping was thwarted. And though the reason is unclear, I heard he fought alongside you during Marquess Justitia’s rampage.”

“That’s true, but his crimes aren’t exactly light.”

My chest ached as I objected to the Emperor’s decision. I had been merged with Netionphis for too long. Selfishness tormented me when it came to seeking punishment for the bloodline of the woman he loved.

Fortunately, the Emperor shook his head. He hadn’t noticed my selfishness. He was making a bold decision to move forward.

“If Zikharun’s misdeeds had actually caused substantial damage, he wouldn’t have dreamed of a pardon.”

“Minimal damage… is that the only reason?”

“No. At this point, judging Zikharun would be… the imperial family’s past sins were too great. His mother, Lorian Feita, was truly an innocent victim. Zikharun, born knowing nothing, is simply the karma created by the imperial family.”

He was acknowledging that Zikharun was guilty, but arguing that it was the imperial family who had sown the seeds of his crimes.

The old Emperor’s mountain of sins was self-inflicted. But it’s hard to deny that Lorian and her baby were innocent victims.

The Emperor added with a bitter smile:

“Honestly, isn’t it shameless for me, who carries the blood of the third Emperor, to even pardon him?”

“I understand your intention. You should do as you wish, Your Majesty.”

“Hmm. Yes. Let’s say it’s what I want and bear the burden.”

He opened the door with a slight smile. I found the Emperor’s final answer rather unsettling. While pondering the ambiguous response and the meaning behind his smile, I squeezed my eyes shut.

‘Damn! He must have seen right through me.’

Secretly, I was glad about the Emperor’s declaration to pardon Zikharun. I felt relieved that Netionphis’s bloodline had survived. As someone who had lived a past life, I hoped for a sliver of redemption in their ending.

The Emperor must have seen through it all with those unique eyes of his. His cheat ability to read emotions doesn’t allow for secrets. Feita’s descendants, stripped of emotions, were rare exceptions.

We parted ways with the Emperor as he headed to his office, and we exited the main palace. I was relieved that we no longer had any connection to official duties.

‘I guess all I can do is throw money at problems. Building structures with Ever-Changing Forms would obviously result in shoddy construction.’

But more than that, I was concerned about Irefi. Her silent matching of my steps made me uneasy.

Irefi’s gaze was dark and damp like an overcast sky. Anyone could see she was troubled. Even if she understood intellectually, her heart would need time to process.

I casually broke the silence.

“Irefi, have you seen Miren?”

“Not even a piece of her clothing was torn, so you can rest assured.”

“That’s a relief. Thanks to her, I can dump all the work on Miren. Right?”

“Indeed.”

“Hmm…”

The conversation was as lukewarm as water left out during early winter. Though the coldness emanating from Irefi was chilling, I couldn’t ignore helping improve her mood.

Since I’m not particularly skilled at such things, I decided to take direct action. As a starting point, I suddenly took Irefi’s small hand in mine.

Startled by the sudden connection of warmth, Irefi was taken aback.

“Nepy?”

“Yes.”

“… Nothing. It’s nothing.”

A slight blush appeared on her cheeks, but that was it. I decided to take the next step.

“Hmm?”

I pulled her closer with a hook made from my fingers. Then I gently embraced her back as she pressed against me by inertia. She resisted slightly at first, but soon relaxed and yielded to my support.

“I am me, Irefi.”

“Nepy?”

“Not Netionphis. I’m Nepy… the name you hastily gave me.”

“I-I didn’t name you hastily!”

“I’ll pretend to believe you just this once.”

“Nngh…”

Irefi, seemingly overcome with guilt, lowered her gaze. She looked like a cat wanting its head patted, so I guided my fingertips toward her.

Swish. Swish.

I slowly placed my hand on Irefi’s silky hair. Then I stroked downward in a straight line from her round crown to her nape, following her straight hair.

With each repetitive stroke of my palm, Irefi’s head moved slightly. As if asking me to stroke a more pleasant spot, or indicating that she wanted my touch here rather than there. She approached with affectionate sighs.

“I like you.”

“… I know.”

“I love you, not Lorian Feita or Zikharun.”

“Ugh.”

“If you’re anxious, feel free to tell me. When you’re upset, take it out on me.”

“You’re not my personal wooden doll for stress relief, Nepy.”

“I am yours. Perhaps that’s why I arrived in this world as an immortal.”

“Then is it okay if your waist bends like a bow again?”

“…”

“Nepy?”

“I am yours. Perhaps that’s why I…”

“It’s too late to repeat your cool lines as if nothing happened.”

“Ahem!”

Under Irefi’s glare, the dust in the air seemed to transform into sharp needles. I tried to cover it up with a fake cough, but it was in vain.

“Your charm is how you always ruin the moment when you try to be cool.”

“Urgh, don’t mock me, Irefi.”

“Not at all. I’m being sincere. Without that charm, I’d worry about that woman chasing after you…”

“I don’t know any such woman!”

“If you knew her, wouldn’t she have disappeared? That woman, of course. Oh, is Nepy included at times like this?”

“…What?”

Her gradually encroaching warmth easily crosses the boundary between touching and terrifying. She’s truly charming with her temperature swings more extreme than seasonal changes!

Ugh, probably. That’s right.

In the end, though Irefi put a positive spin on it, it’s sad to hear your lover say you’re not cool. It’s a man’s instinct to try to appear as impressive as possible in front of his lover. So I decided to gather my courage once more to impress her.

“Irefi.”

“Nepy? Your face is unusually serious…”

“I’m nervous.”

“Nervous?”

“Huff…”

I recalled the commotion from dawn when I brought Irefi to the estate after her rampage ended. I clearly remember freezing at the innocent question Bartlant had thrown out.

[Sister Elfi, Brother Nepy. So when are you two getting engaged?]

[Miren, how long have you been there…!?]

[Engagement… that’s right.]

Irefi fell into deep thought amidst the chaotic mansion. After coolly calculating, she slowly expressed her opinion.

[The engagement date…]

“You said when Miren inherits the title of Marquess.”

“What are you talking about? … Oh.”

“Back then, I thought I could wait. It would have taken only five or six years at most. But I’ve already waited for decades. My patience has reached its limit.”

I stepped back a couple of paces from Irefi in my arms. In reaction, her hands that had been around my waist grasped at empty air. I didn’t leave those empty hands idle.

On her slender, white index finger—which could be described as delicate jade—the finger that would often form sword seals, I carefully placed a black ring.

“Let’s get engaged, Irefi.”

How I’ve wanted to say these words since returning from my past life. I wonder if Irefi ever guessed.

Even a small form would be fine as long as it existed. I’ve had enough of Netionphis’s regret of leaving nothing behind.

I will never repeat that mistake.

“I wanted to propose in a better atmosphere. At a more suitable time. In a more impressive place. But that wasn’t going to happen. I’m sorry for being a man without even brief moments of leisure. I know… I know well… but I still choose to make this mistake. I must really like you a lot.”

“Nepy…”

“Forgive me for lacking an adult’s composure.”

I look her straight in the eyes. With a face as rigid as a bronze statue. But mocking my determination, she unexpectedly let out a soft laugh.

“As always, Nepy has a knack for saying foolish things.”

“W-what?”

The corners of Irefi’s eyes curved like a rainbow. With laughter blossoming on the blue lake. It felt as if my soul was being drawn into Irefi’s blue eyes that sparkled with mirth.

While I was entranced, Irefi’s sharp remark struck me unexpectedly.

“Atmosphere? Time? Place? Nepy, you’re the man who confessed to me in the brutal atmosphere of a late dawn, at the place where I had faced my end? Aren’t you overestimating yourself?”

“Gack?!”

“Since when did you become so sensitive that you’re putting on airs now?”

“Huk…!”

It was supposed to be one of the most solemn moments recently, but Irefi’s criticism showed no mercy.

Moreover, it was all the absolute truth, which opened an internal wound.

Just when tears seemed about to well up:

“And I cried my eyes out at that confession of yours.”

“Irefi?”

“Even now, when I close my eyes, I recall your confession. That confession under the starry night, with not a single element of atmosphere, time, or place being appropriate… I was happy. Even a confession that gathered all the romantic elements in the world couldn’t surpass the courage Nepy showed that night.”

“…”

“Thank you for being by my side.”

“…”

“I’m glad you chose me.”

“…”

“For twisting fate… and meeting me… I’m happy.”

She smiled.

Like a morning glory blooming under the bright morning sun after enduring the dark dawn.

She sobbed.

As if a gentle breeze was brushing through grass blades, sprinkling dew on her.

She said:

“I love you, Nepy. My one and only eternal companion.”

“I love you, Irefi.”

When I fluctuated with her every gesture.

When I was terrified because she was angry.

When our conversation topics ran dry.

I expressed my love at every opportunity. Perhaps, so frequently that I worried it might seem cheap.

Deep down, I wanted to captivate her with elaborate and flowery modifiers. I wanted to give her a noble and elegant response, like a serenade where nobles offer the language of love.

But what remained was a simple phrase commonly used by couples in love. It was the limit of my ordinary and clumsy self.

Yet.

While I was suffering from self-loathing.

You give such a radiant expression to these humble and insignificant words.

With her snow-white hair flowing like a brilliant galaxy, and her clear blue eyes like a pristine lake looking straight at me, I was overwhelmed. I wiped away the tears flowing down her pretty cheeks.

“Somehow, it felt long.”

“If anything, it was short.”

“That’s true.”

“Hehe.”

I was moved by her blooming smile in a world restoring a broken future. Like a precious life blooming alone and nobly in a gray world, only Irefi shone brightly.

I pondered for a groundbreaking word to convey my feelings to Irefi. I struggled to choose an expression, rummaging through my mind.

But that was a grand illusion.

The lips that were supposed to convey words had already pounced on Irefi, sharing passionate affection. It was certainly a more intuitive method than language. As if to prove that instinctual judgment was right, Irefi also actively entwined her tongue with mine.

Just then, we heard a voice calling us from beyond the garden.

Miren Justitia. A girl with round golden eyes and short hair bearing Irefi’s colors. The young Marquess whom I wanted to hold and cherish forever.

Beside her, Arnel stood like a gallant knight. As a bonus, Enella, who seemed to be shedding tears of blood, sat down in a daze. Bartlant, who had arrived at some unknown time, was busy trying to comfort Enella.

Witnessing the peaceful chaos, Irefi freshly suggested:

“Shall we go? My beloved fiancé, Nepy.”

“How could I refuse if my fiancée wishes it?”

I unhesitatingly interlocked my fingers with Irefi’s. It was a hand I would never let go of from now on. Just that simple act painted a fluffy picture of the lifetime we would spend together.

As if reading my imagination, Irefi whispered in my ear:

“I will love only you forever.”

Irefi’s whisper created an illusion of time stopping. A sentence with a strong sense of déjà vu. Like a film replaying, someone’s passionate confession filled with vast amounts of love passed by.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Though Irefi pouted and seemed annoyed, I appeased her with a playful peck.

The past has already connected to the present.

And the present leads to the future.

If she will love me forever, I dare not delay my response.

“I will twist any sad future for you, forever.”

There’s no need for a golden chain to engrave our vow. Because there’s something stronger than such divine mischief with unclear meaning.

I’ve clearly experienced how human will can change the world.

As we walked in sync, we once again exchanged those predictable words:

“I love you.”

“I love you.”