Chapter 125
“Wow, after all that fighting…”
“I really never suspected a thing!”
“Come to think of it, didn’t similar rumors spread around the same time?”
“What rumors?”
“You know, the one about Lord Arensis having a lover.”
“Ah! There were also rumors about Kirine having a lover too!”
“Exactly! How did we not suspect anything when they both had the same rumors?”
“Well, of course we didn’t suspect. They were fighting like they wanted to kill each other.”
“Life is full of surprises. Who would’ve thought these two would end up dating?”
“They’re not just dating, they’re getting married!”
At some point, her colleagues had stopped listening to Kirine and were busy talking among themselves. They fired questions at her rapid-fire: how they never expected her to be involved with Ares, how she could surprise them like this, how she managed to keep it secret for so long.
“You managed to do everything despite being so busy.”
“That’s what I’m saying. She seemed to have no time to sleep, but apparently had time for romance.”
“Maybe she used her sleeping time for romance.”
“Ah, that’s right. She must have been really efficient.”
“That’s actually kind of admirable.”
As she quietly watched her colleagues nodding along to each other’s comments, one of them suddenly asked with curiosity:
“So what did you like most about him?”
All eyes turned to Kirine at once. She had been quietly sipping her tea, unable to get a word in, when she suddenly found herself the center of attention. Her eyes widened before she quickly averted her gaze.
“Why ask something like that?”
“Why not? We’re curious.”
“Yeah, what did you like most about him?”
“Why ask? She probably liked everything about him.”
Though they were gently scolding the questioner, they were clearly waiting for Kirine’s answer.
As everyone held their breath and urged her to answer with their eyes, Kirine took a sip of tea with an troubled expression.
If asked what she liked most about Ares, it was ‘everything.’ She loved how he took care of her despite his awkwardness, and most of all, how he showed warmth only to her while being cold as ice to other women.
But knowing they would all groan in disgust at such answers, she went with her second favorite reason.
“Because he’s handsome.”
“…”
A moment of silence followed, but then everyone started nodding.
“That’s true.”
“His face is perfect.”
“Let’s be precise. His face ‘alone’ is perfect.”
“Hey, there are plenty of people with both terrible personalities and terrible faces.”
Her colleagues agreed, remembering those who had approached Ares for his looks only to retreat in shock.
On the surface, Ares’s appearance was excellent. Tall stature, broad shoulders, clear skin, and refined features. While his appearance was flawless in every way, his personality didn’t match his looks.
“But his personality is… you know. Are you okay with that?”
When someone asked carefully out of concern, Kirine nodded without hesitation.
“It’s fine. He treats me well.”
“Wow, so he’s one of those men who’s only nice to his woman.”
“Well, of course he’d be nice to Kirine, she’s his lover.”
“Really, what’s the point of being nice to other women anyway?”
“That’s true.”
A colleague who had been nodding in agreement suddenly showed a surprised reaction.
“Still, it’s shocking. Of all people, you and Lord Arensis getting married.”
“We can barely believe it, wonder if others will believe it at all.”
It still felt surreal. It was amazing and surprising how they went from fighting so much to getting married.
But on the other hand, it made sense that feelings developed naturally since they spent so much time bickering with each other.
‘Our faces do match well together.’
As she glanced at Kirine awkwardly drinking her tea, she thought of Ares’s face.
Kirine with her striking features that stood out, and Ares with his neat but cold-eyed appearance. Though they seemed like oil and water that couldn’t mix, their opposite atmospheres actually made them look better together.
***
“Marriage? You’re getting married?”
As soon as Kirine started giving out wedding invitations to her colleagues, Ares also decided to announce his marriage news. However, unlike Kirine, he didn’t hand out invitations and just shared the news.
“Yeah.”
He thought there was no need for invitations and that just telling people would be enough, but when everyone asked if there were no invitations, Ares questioned back.
“Isn’t it enough to just tell you when the wedding is? What’s the need for all that?”
“Come on, if you’re getting married, you should at least give out invitations.”
“And it’s not just about the date, who are you marrying?”
As everyone gathered around, dying of curiosity and demanding an answer, Ares responded halfheartedly with an annoyed expression.
“Kirine Rozentian.”
“Huh?”
“I said, Kirine Rozentian.”
“…”
A strange silence fell for a moment.
Everyone stared blankly at Ares with disbelieving expressions before huddling together to talk.
“Did I hear that wrong?”
“I think I heard wrong too.”
“I think he just said Kirine Rozentian.”
“Kirine Rozentian?”
“The Imperial Mage?”
“The one you were always fighting with?”
“That mage?”
Faced with their doubtful looks, wondering if they had heard correctly, Ares nodded impassively.
“Yeah.”
“But how?”
“How are you marrying that woman?”
“You fought so much!”
“‘So much’ isn’t the right word. More like ‘to the death.'”
“Anyway, didn’t you two hate each other?”
Having witnessed them fighting with swords drawn, everyone was in great shock. At that moment, one unit member asked with a suspicious expression.
“Hey, don’t tell me you were dating in the private training grounds?”
“…”
Ares, who had been standing there indifferently hoping this fuss would end quickly, suddenly froze.
The unit members who immediately caught on fired questions rapidly.
“You were dating in the training grounds that His Majesty gave you?”
“Is that why you always went to the training grounds saying you had no time?”
“Wow, this guy was going to meet his lover. He was going to meet his lover!”
As the unit members reacted as if they’d been deceived, Ares made what wasn’t quite an excuse:
“Yeah, that’s why I was busy. Happy now?”
“Wow, now he’s even being shameless about it.”
“But they do look good together.”
“Hate to admit it, but they match well.”
Everyone couldn’t help but nod as they imagined Ares and Kirine standing side by side.
After the commotion died down, Ares felt much more at ease.
However, not long after, rumors spread again when news got out that Reilly had bought a mountain of baby items.
