Ch.91Our Salvation, You and I (Part 3 Episode – Complete)

About a month later. It was the time when most of the system’s restoration had been completed.

In the bright midday sun, I entrusted my body to darkness and walked through a desolate corridor. After walking for quite some time, a red light appeared from the distance.

It was Zikharun’s piercing red eyes. Finding an unexpected visitor interesting, his eyes gleamed with curiosity. I cut straight to the point without preamble.

“Today is a joyous day.”

“Is it someone’s birthday?”

“It’s my engagement ceremony with Irefi.”

“So the first thing you say to your son after all this time is about your remarriage. I’m moved to tears.”

“…”

Should I just kill him right here? There’s no one around. We’ve only exchanged a few words, but murderous intent is already taking over my nerves.

“Your son cannot accept his new mother.”

“And I can’t accept responsibility without pleasure, you madman!”

“My mother was prettier.”

“Irefi is the most beautiful woman in the country, you know?”

“My mother had a better personality too.”

“Irefi’s charm is her personality that fluctuates more dramatically than seasonal temperature changes, you know?”

“My mother’s figure was overwhelmingly better.”

“What…?”

“Haha.”

“I… I… prefer smaller ones… No, why am I explaining such things to you?!”

“Because you’re half made from my sperm?”

“Argghhh!”

It’s maddening that I can’t even refute this fact! It’s hard to keep up with his composure. His personality is quite different from Lorian, Netionpis, or Zikharun. Perhaps it’s the influence of his future godfather, Bartlant.

I decided to give up trying to beat him. As long as he holds the switch to my triggers, Zikharun remains undefeated in verbal sparring. Even Irefi, the strongest in this world, would find it difficult.

Shaaaa…

“Hmm?”

Zikharun was startled by the sudden manifestation of Malice. The Malice flowing across the floor reached Zikharun’s restraints, contaminating them with darkness.

Click, clang!

Using the Ever-Changing Forms technique, I released all of Zikharun’s restraints.

He stared at me blankly, not understanding what was happening.

“It’s amnesty. It was already arranged to coincide with the engagement date. Thank the Emperor.”

“Amnesty? For me? The Emperor?”

“It’s part of an apology that’s 400 years overdue, he said.”

“Ha!”

Zikharun sighed in disbelief. Despite all the restraining devices turning into a pile of scrap metal, he didn’t move.

“Well… Father is impressive. The future lineage will be completely unrecognizable. Completely twisted.”

“If you understand, hurry up and come out.”

“I’m sorry, but could you go ahead? It’s still awkward for us to walk together. That’s how estranged father-son relationships are…”

“Okay! I’m leaving now. Take care, Zikharun.”

“Really. Not even a hint of attachment.”

I reached the outside with quick steps, not looking back. Zikharun remained motionless as I left.

I expect he’ll bid farewell to the underground prison by the time he arrives at the ceremony venue.

Irefi and I agreed to keep our engagement ceremony simple. The funds for system restoration had reduced our budget for extravagance.

Moreover, the current mood throughout the system was subdued. It would have been burdensome for us to celebrate ostentatiously.

‘Irefi’s distance from luxury made the discussion quick.’

For her, luxury was something nice to have but not necessary.

Looking back, when we first met, we faced situations where sleeping outdoors was inevitable for several nights. Each time, she quietly prepared our sleeping arrangements. It was behavior that would typically repel a noble’s sensibilities.

‘I remember it clearly. We lay directly on the grass without even a blanket or pillow.’

It was a dignified posture suggesting nothing in the world was to be feared. A declaration of will that cold, heat, beasts, and humans could be faced with a defenseless bare body.

I can’t believe the day has come to hold an engagement ceremony with such a woman. My body seems to tremble with fear tickling the tips of my hair.

…No, not fear but nervousness. That must be it.

Definitely.

“Brother Nepy!”

“Oh my, Miren.”

Miren greeted me as I returned to the grand mansion of the Founding Nobles. Near the garden where Miren was waving, unfamiliar decorations caught my eye. The exterior of the mansion had been renovated to match the engagement atmosphere.

The mansion was so spacious that we refused any unnecessary expenditures.

“Where is Irefi?”

“Sister is getting ready.”

“I’ve been to the Imperial Palace and back, and it’s still taking a while.”

“Are you getting impatient?”

“Honestly, yes.”

“Oh…”

Miren gasped at my candid admission. The desire to see Irefi all dressed up rose intensely within me.

“Congratulations, Marquess Alteon.”

“Arnel…”

Arnel Chester offered his congratulations while fidgeting beside Miren. Arnel seems to find me quite intimidating.

Of course he should be intimidated. How dare he look at cute and adorable Miren with those eyes! All men except me are wolves, I tell you.

But still… I should acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged.

“Thank you for protecting Miren, Arnel.”

It was gratitude I hadn’t been able to express due to lack of opportunity. Arnel stiffened as if he’d just learned a secret about his birth.

“Th-thank you, Marquess.”

“But what’s not allowed is still not allowed…”

Just as I was about to lecture Arnel.

“Ah, is that Sister Elfi?”

“Huh!”

I instinctively scanned behind me where Miren had directed her gaze. However, there was only a table lined with refreshments, with no trace of any person.

When I turned my head back, wondering if it was a mistake, Miren was already holding Arnel’s hand and running away like a deer.

“What? Y-y-you little rascals…!”

It wasn’t like this in my day, honestly.

I should probably discuss with Irefi about doubling Miren’s workload. When dark circles appear under her eyes, she’ll probably prefer her bed over men.

As I was tasting bitterness, a familiar large figure approached me.

“Oh! Marquess Alteon. It’s been a while.”

“Duke? It has been a long time.”

“Please speak informally. Whether by build, age, or status, you are certainly not beneath me.”

“No… that’s…”

I wonder if Bartlante knows?

The reason why the first-generation heads with clear age differences spoke informally was because of the first Bartlante…

Bartlante, whose bones and growth plates were extraordinary from childhood, was different. Along with Astel and Netionpis, he was part of the younger group. Lorian said it gave him goosebumps to hear Bartlante speak formally to him.

Therefore, the older group of Lorian, Aselln, and Rusheon requested it first. They suggested speaking informally to each other, saying it would put them at ease.

“Hmm. I’ll do that when I’ve sorted out my feelings.”

“Haha, I’ll wait!”

“By the way, shouldn’t the Duke be at the Imperial Palace? Since His Majesty isn’t attending…”

“Of course I took leave! How could I possibly miss the engagement ceremony of none other than Marquess Alteon?”

“Hmm. As long as His Majesty is fine, I suppose.”

The Emperor and Empress were not planning to attend the engagement ceremony. From another perspective, it was for an impolite reason. He had seen how Irefi disliked the Empress all along.

Since it would be counterproductive for the celebrant to be upset at such a joyous occasion, the Emperor took the initiative to ask for understanding.

I parted ways with Bartlante after our conversation. Though the engagement ceremony was simple, the attendees were distinguished. It inevitably took the form of a social gathering.

Moreover, Bartlante was assigned the role of officiating the ceremony. He would need time to review to avoid mistakes.

“Phew.”

Just as I broke away from the crowd after conversing with various people.

“Marquess Alteon?”

“Charle.”

Charle Millote called out to me with a meaningful gaze and arched eyebrows.

“You know you’re lucky, Marquess.”

“Umm, suddenly?”

“Just saying. Actually, I’d like to say more, but it seems the other party is having a hard time waiting, so I’ll step aside. So… good luck.”

Charle rattled off some cryptic words and disappeared. Since she wasn’t one to seek me out frivolously, various conjectures clouded my thoughts.

I didn’t know then. Charle’s imperious voice was a kind of prophecy.

Step, step.

Light yet flawless footsteps. A gait capable of responding to threats from all directions approaches. This unnecessarily thrilling walk was a skill only she possessed.

“Irefi.”

I naturally follow the echo of her steps. I cherish each moment of our eternal scene in my heart.

“Have you been waiting long, Nepy?”

“Uh… yes… Ah, no. No…!”

“What is that foolish reaction?”

“Foolish, you say…”

This is cheating.

How can I not be dumbstruck?

Pure white, embodying innocence, wrapped her from shoulders to ankles. The plain appearance without any frilly decorations actually served to highlight her beauty. The white rose and pearls blooming at her chest harmonized with Irefi’s colors.

Moreover, she had received makeup inside, giving her a mature charm unlike usual. I prayed that being Irefi’s fiancé wasn’t just a dream.

‘She’s never worn makeup before… The only exception might be the day we first visited the dress shop.’

To me, whose soul was freely wandering, Irefi gently informed:

“Nepy, people are watching us.”

“Tell them all to close their eyes.”

“Why?”

“You’re not asking because you don’t know, right?”

“Of course not! I know best!”

“It would be troublesome if we went to the terrace like during your debutante at sixteen.”

“Now that I have Nepy to hold my hand, such unfortunate incidents won’t happen.”

“Pfft.”

“Hehe.”

Our light laughter hid itself in the fluffy clouds. The white clouds carrying our laughter traveled across the vast sky, freely adjusting sunlight and shade.

Every moment of feeling close to Irefi came as a beautiful scene. Even if we were to end the engagement ceremony just by gazing at each other like this, I felt I would remember it as beautiful.

But people seemed to think differently. Soon after, Bartlante, the large-framed officiant standing on the platform, announced in a booming voice:

“I will now commence the engagement ceremony of Marquess Nepy Alteon and Marquess Irefi Justitia.”

The bustling mansion gave way to a damp silence. Following Bartlante’s instructions, I escorted Irefi toward the ceremony venue.

Walking down a path reminiscent of a bridal aisle, all sorts of thoughts came to mind. I wondered what the difference was between an engagement ceremony and a wedding ceremony; at least in my previous life, this would have been considered a very grand wedding.

However, someone seemed to think that even such a splendid venue was insufficient. An unexpected mysterious phenomenon bloomed throughout the mansion, creating a surreal scene.

“What is this!?”

“Beautiful…”

“My goodness, I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“How is this possible?”

“Truly magnificent.”

Numerous red butterflies swirled around the ceremony venue, fluttering gently. Wherever a butterfly landed, it turned into luminous powder, reflecting rainbow colors like fireworks.

Even the composed adults unconsciously tried to catch the butterflies out of curiosity. The butterflies that were caught dissolved like scattered stars, becoming brilliant light sources that melted away like blessings.

Everyone attending this mystical and dreamlike phenomenon, witnessed for the first time in their lives, honestly exclaimed in admiration.

We looked into each other’s eyes as if by agreement.

“Mad Spirit Butterfly… was it?”

“Really, making someone else’s engagement ceremony extravagant without permission.”

Somehow I felt like that guy would say something like this:

‘This is natural fireworks I’m gifting to the Marquess who prefers weddings.’

…Though he’d probably call me something other than Marquess now, but I decided to pretend not to know because it gave me chills.

We continue to move forward in the spectacle of light gifted by the spirit.

The entrance to the venue was the starting point where we once waited.

The wine-red carpet is the path we tread in the present.

The platform we’re about to reach with our next steps will be the near future.

Further ahead, Bartlante is preparing to welcome us with a pleased smile.

We will stop there.

But only briefly. A very brief pause.

We will continue walking together forever.

The present is pushed into the past, and the future approaches the present moment by moment. We abandoned the idea of settling for that long ago.

Irefi and I want to live for the future.

We will aim for an ideal future that remembers the past without sacrificing the present.

Surely, I came to this world to hold your hand. I believe I was chosen to completely change your world that had turned to ashes.

As we reached the platform, Bartlante asked mischievously:

“How do you feel? Marquess Alteon and Marquess Justitia.”

Receiving this playful question, the couple spoke simultaneously without a moment’s difference:

“I feel exactly the same as Irefi.”

“My feelings are the same as Nepy’s.”

“Haha, there couldn’t be a more perfect answer for a match made in heaven.”

Bartlante laughed it off heartily. Similar reactions were heard from all around. Miren was one thing, but the most unexpected was the enthusiastic response from the servants.

“Finally, ‘those’ Marquesses of all people…”

“Watching the two of you who weren’t even engaged, I didn’t need sugar in my coffee… now I could eat grass without sauce.”

“Does this mean Marquess Justitia won’t come to the kitchen anymore?!”

“The Marquesses’ acts of eating such things were even sacred. May that sacredness last forever…!”

Hey, that last one crossed the line. Why do I have to receive a curse on such a good day? It’s already becoming frightening.

But the engagement ceremony didn’t end just because I was secretly chewing on my fears.

In the midst of sharing pleasant well-wishes, Bartlante finally asked:

“Are you both prepared to live happily together?”

At his question, we glanced at each other.

A smile broke out from each of us.

Because it was a resolution we had already habitually made, like the rising and setting sun and moon.

Our answers interlocked symmetrically like flowers reflected in a mirror.

“Yes.”

The perfectly matching response drew warm feelings from Bartlante.

Without hesitation, I kissed Irefi. As our body temperatures mingled, our resolutions and hearts harmoniously blended.

Irefi was my future. The future I had to take responsibility for was solely Irefi’s world.

I will create a world where she smiles brightly and loves, not one where she sheds tears.

“Irefi.”

“Nepy.”

I will love only you forever.

Until this fresh confession yearning for the future,

Reaches you at the end of happiness.

I promise to accompany you as an immortal wish.

“Thank you for coming to meet me.”

“I’m happy you came to meet me.”

Irefi held my waist with both hands. I too embraced her whole body with all my might. This was enough.

The vibrant Irefi in my arms was the very future I wanted. The trajectory of life I had grasped after many twists and turns was so precious that I kissed her forehead.

As if wanting to reciprocate, the blue lake reflects a bright future and embraces me.

At the end of the joyful applause, you called my name.

I too called your name and was drawn into your half-open eyes.

In the middle of this blessed scene, the only words to express our feelings were predictably simple.

Words we would hear like everyday life as long as we allowed each other to stay by our sides.

“I love you, Irefi.”

“I love you, Nepy.”

Episode: The Wish That Reaches You (End)