Side Story 6

However, the joy of reunion was brief, as Alice opened her eyes wide in bewilderment.

“How did you know I was here?”

She had never even mentioned Eva’s name to him.

She wondered if Aileen had sent word, but an unexpected name came from Kylus’s lips.

“Lord Helios informed me. He said you left the temple looking too carefree, and he was concerned, so he told me to follow you, my wife.”

In that moment, Helios’s final words flashed through Alice’s mind.

‘…Don’t cause any trouble.’

So he had meant it sincerely.

Well, last time he did say that looking at me was like watching a child left by the riverside.

Somehow, he seemed to be more protective of her now than when the dark specters existed, but it didn’t feel unpleasant. No, rather… it felt good.

Helios’s affection gave her a sense of reassurance different from Kylus’s. Something like familial love she had never experienced before.

Alice let out a soft laugh.

“Lord Helios’s judgment was right, as always. As you can see… my plans went a bit awry.”

As Alice gestured around them, Kylus finally tore his gaze from her and surveyed their surroundings.

“Hmm, it seems so.”

At that moment, the knights, who had been unconsciously entranced by Kylus’s appearance, gradually came to their senses and widened their eyes.

“Could it be… the real Duke Dearrut…”

“That Kylus Dearrut…?”

“The Empire’s hero…”

No matter how remote the countryside, anyone who wielded a sword would recognize Kylus. After all, he was the strongest swordsman and hero of the Pentaum Empire.

“Hero, I appreciate the title.”

At Kylus’s low response, the knights hastily bowed their heads.

“Duke Dearrut!”

Their threatening demeanor from moments ago was nowhere to be seen; some even threw their swords to the ground.

Kylus, observing them bowing at ninety degrees, turned his head to Alice.

“Wife, it seems the situation has been somewhat resolved…”

Just as Kylus was about to finish with a gentle smile, a screeching old voice interrupted.

“You damned wenches! I’ve finally caught you!”

The deranged lord had arrived.

His running, accompanied by heavy breathing, gradually slowed down.

Because he saw a man standing proudly among the bowing knights.

When he finally reached the front of the knights, he blinked slowly with a bewildered expression, like someone who couldn’t believe the reality before his eyes.

Upon recognizing the man before him, the lord inhaled sharply with alarm.

“Your Grace, Duke Dearrut…!”

Kylus asked Alice, not addressing the lord.

“Is this the one? The one who ruined your plans.”

“W-wife? Then, could it be really…”

The lord stammered, his eyes widening to the point they might pop out.

Alice answered with a radiant smile directed at the lord.

“Yes. This man ruined my humane plan. He was brazenly engaging in human trafficking, which is forbidden by the Empire.”

Nodding lightly, Kylus passed by Alice and approached the lord.

“Human trafficking…”

“Th-that’s not it, I was… she… I mean, I was having a wedding with Eva Fordley…”

Without waiting for him to finish, Kylus turned his head toward Eva.

“Miss Fordley.”

Eva, who had been frozen in the dreamlike situation, flinched and looked at Kylus.

“Yes…?”

“Did you consent to marriage with this man?”

Eva shook her head vigorously.

“No!”

“You…!”

Just as the lord was about to point accusingly at Eva, Kylus looked back at him.

“She did not consent. A forced marriage without consent… So beyond human trafficking, you’ve committed abduction as well?”

“Abduction? Your Grace, I absolutely never…”

The lord quickly spoke with alarm, but Kylus continued calmly.

“And to that, you add the crime of insult.”

“Pardon?”

For a moment, the lord’s expression turned stupid as he failed to understand.

Kylus instantly changed the previously languid atmosphere and looked down at the lord.

“‘Damned wench.’ Isn’t that what you shouted earlier? Directed at my wife.”

“Y-Your Grace… I truly didn’t know anything…”

Deep, dark eyes.

The lord trembled and tried to kneel—if only Kylus hadn’t firmly gripped his shoulder.

Kylus tightened his grip on the shoulder and parted his lips leisurely.

“Yes, perhaps you didn’t know. Those who constantly commit crimes often don’t even realize what crimes they’re committing.”

Crack—

Along with the sound of something breaking came a noise like a pig being slaughtered.

“Aaaagh!”

As Kylus withdrew his hand, the lord clutched his broken shoulder and rolled on the ground.

Kylus, looking down at the lord with indifferent eyes, asked Alice:

“How shall we dispose of this one, wife?”

Alice lowered her gaze to the lord groaning in pain.

She would have liked to order the deranged old man’s important parts cut off, but…

She didn’t want to dirty Kylus’s hands unnecessarily. Besides, it seemed he wouldn’t live well from now on anyway.

Alice averted her gaze and said:

“Take him to the capital and let him be punished according to Imperial law. I don’t want to be entangled with him any further.”

“As you command, wife.”

Kylus pointed to two knights who were still bowing.

“Bind this man securely with rope.”

They followed Kylus’s order without a moment’s hesitation. From the moment Duke Dearrut appeared, the lord’s fate was as good as sealed.

“Ack! These traitors, betraying their master… Oomph!”

A cloth bundle was stuffed into the mouth of the struggling lord, and Alice turned away.

She passed through the watchful knights and approached those who had fallen to the daggers.

“Eva, could you help me?”

“Ah, yes.”

Eva, who awkwardly approached her side, spoke hesitantly.

“But what are you going to…”

“These ones are innocent.”

“Pardon?”

“I did get a bit carried away because I was angry about this ridiculous marriage, but I’m not actually a bad person.”

My abilities are also more specialized in saving lives than taking them.

Eva wore a perplexed expression at Alice’s addition, but Alice simply lowered herself to the nearest fallen knight.

“So please pull out the dagger.”

“Ah…”

As if finally understanding, Eva lowered herself.

“It won’t be easy, but close your eyes tightly and pull—”

Shunk—

But before Alice could finish speaking, Eva had already pulled out the dagger embedded in the knight’s back.

“Is this what you meant?”

Eva innocently asked Alice while holding the blood-dripping dagger.

“Sienna…?”

“Yes?”

“No, nothing. That’s… right.”

Alice shifted her gaze from Eva, whose actions uncannily resembled Sienna’s, to the knight who was bleeding profusely. Then she placed her hand on his back.

Pure white light spread from her hand. As the light seeped in, the bleeding stopped and the wound healed instantly.

“Holy power…!”

Just as Eva exclaimed in amazement, the first healing was completed.

Alice whispered softly to Eva.

“Keep what you saw today a secret.”

“Yes.”

As Alice and Eva continued to the next healing, Kylus spoke to the knights.

“Erase what you saw today from your minds. Otherwise, you won’t die with your limbs intact.”

At this chilling warning, the knights’ gazes all turned toward the ground, and Alice, having completed all the healings, rose to her feet.

Kylus took Alice’s hand and wore an apologetic expression.

“If I had known this would happen, I would have just broken their arms and legs instead of using my sword. I’ve unnecessarily made Lien work hard.”

It was a statement where chilling menace and tenderness coexisted, but Alice was already accustomed to his sweet yet deadly love.

“You were trying to save me. If it hadn’t been for Kail… I would have had quite a struggle.”

Honestly, she might have been seriously injured. Dealing with this many opponents would have been overwhelming.

But Alice didn’t say this honestly. If she had…

She didn’t particularly want to imagine it.

Kylus knew her true feelings but pretended not to, smiling charmingly and placing a kiss on the back of her hand.

“The sun has set. Nights without Lien are lonely and sad. So please withdraw your plan to stay out overnight, wife.”

Kylus tempted Alice with an attractive crinkle of his eyes. Alice succumbed to the temptation without a moment’s hesitation.

“Let’s go back together. Home.”

After smiling at Kylus, Alice then extended her hand to Eva, who was standing awkwardly.

“Let’s go.”

“…Are you really taking me with you…? I turned away from my sister…”

“I’ve forgiven you. And your sister wants you to be happy.”

“What…?”

Eva faltered at Alice’s cryptic words, but one thing was clear.

“The Academy. You can’t really give up on your top entrance position now, can you?”

“How did you know…”

Alice firmly grasped Eva’s hand as she started in surprise.

“Don’t ask questions, just think about living happily from now on.”

“…Sister.”

Alice led Eva by the hand and curled her lips into a grin.

“But first, be a bridesmaid at my wedding.”

Imperial Year 981, November 7th, noon.

The chapel of Helios’s Great Temple opened its doors wide for the wedding.

A select few nobles who had been invited took their seats in the guest section with enthralled expressions, and the Crown Prince himself stood as the groom’s best man.

Soon, High Priest Prion, who was officiating the ceremony, gestured to the cleric, who proclaimed loudly:

“The bride and groom will now enter!”

As the majestic wedding march resounded throughout the chapel, the bride in a pure white dress and the groom in a tuxedo stood at the beginning of the wedding aisle.

Alice Dearrut and Kylus Dearrut.

It was the moment when their wedding, which had gone through many twists and turns, finally began.