・・・・・
The gentle curve of her eyes, a faint smile lingering at the corner of her lips, the fleeting dimples that vanished in an instant — and the kindness in her gaze.
For a moment, his heart skipped a beat.
"Ir..."
Larry couldn’t bring himself to say her name completely and let his words trail off.
It was a gaze that looked at a complete stranger.
A devilish impulse stirred within him.
More than the sting of being unrecognised, he saw her warm, unguarded smile as an opportunity — an opening.
If they were like blank sheets of paper right now, couldn’t he approach her pretending to know nothing?
Couldn’t they start over, as if meeting for the first time?
Just as he was about to act on that dangerous impulse and hurriedly move forward, the ringing bells — signalling the end of the wedding ceremony and blessing the newlyweds — brought him to a sudden halt.
Ding, dingᅳ
The sacred ringing, imbued with divine power, snapped the devilish thoughts to a halt.
He clutched his throbbing head, then swept his dishevelled bangs aside.
As his vision returned to normal, a familiar silhouette appeared at the edge of his sight.
He had no idea how long the man had been watching.
A man glowing entirely in white — Felix stood there, quietly blended into the sanctuary, as if he belonged perfectly in a place like the Grand Temple.
“It’s been a while.”
He smiled gently and greeted him like an old acquaintance.
No sarcasm, no anger, no malice, nor any false pretence, just a calm, straightforward greeting, just like when Larry first met Felix Chamberlain in his true form.
"Well...”
‘What? Why is he acting all chummy?’
Even if he recognised him instantly despite looking different, they certainly weren’t on casual terms to exchange greetings so calmly.
Maybe if it were with fists, yes.
Larry tensed up completely, pressing his lips tightly.
He couldn’t figure out Felix’s intentions, and the awkwardness left him speechless.
Felix lowered his eyes, tilted his head slightly, and then suddenly closed the distance without hesitation.
Just as Larry, suspecting a fight might break out, instinctively began to summon his powers, Felix smoothly sidestepped him.
"You made the first move. I was planning to greet these people separately, but..."
He casually nudged one of the unconscious nobles sprawled on the ground with the tip of his shoe as he spoke.
These were the nobles who had been badmouthing Irene from before the ceremony started until after it ended.
With a snap of his fingers, Felix made all of them disappear at once.
“Bit of a hassle, but I need to treat them before sending them off — so I’ve stashed them in a pocket dimension for now.”
Larry wasn’t exactly sure, but it seemed like Felix had used magic to erase the evidence.
He stood there awkwardly, unclenching his fists and glancing away.
He felt embarrassed, annoyed, and unsettled. He thought about picking a fight, but soon realised it would be pointless.
From beginning to end, Felix was so consistent that Larry didn’t even feel motivated to try.
“I’m leaving now.”
“Aren’t you going to say goodbye one last time?”
Felix asked gently.
“To Irene.”
Larry couldn’t read his opponent’s intentions, so he locked eyes with him.
For a moment, he thought Felix might be basking in the composure of a victor.
If he was trying to act merciful, Larry was more than ready to give him a piece of his mind.
But those piercing blue eyes held no pity — only clarity.
Steady and unshaken, just as they always had been.
“I’m telling you, this is your last chance.”
“…What a bastard.”
The words slipped out before Larry realised it.
Felix simply smiled lightly at the insult, unmoving, waiting for Larry’s response.
“Forget it. I didn’t come here on purpose. I was just tracking a devil’s power that leaked into the human world and happened to pass by.”
He shouldn't have come.
A sigh escaped him.
He knew this would happen — so what had he been expecting?
All he had to do was finish the errand and return, just like he’d planned from the start.
But as soon as Larry set foot on the imperial land, he heard the news of their marriage.
Before he could think rationally or make a judgment, his feet had already carried him to the Grand Temple.
‘Damn, how pathetic…’
This was exactly why he’d been holed up in Hell for so long — to avoid ending up like this.
“At first, I was a fragment of a devil. Now I’ve become a devil. You get what I’m saying, right? I’ve never been human. Not even once.”
Larry kicked a small stone on the ground and continued.
“Your human lives are shorter to me than a single night’s dream. There’s no point in giving meaning to something so fleeting. No need for farewells, either.”
And all dreams eventually faded with time.
“Is that so?”
Felix didn’t ask anything further. He just nodded calmly, as always.
“Yeah.”
“Was it a nightmare?”
“...”
Then, abruptly, Felix asked a blunt question about what their shared past meant to the devil.
Surely, he wouldn’t bear his true feelings after coming all this way.
And yet, Felix’s words — how he had emphasised that this was Larry’s last chance — kept echoing in his ears.
Larry hesitated for a few seconds. But Felix spoke as if he already knew the answer.
“I felt the same.”
He was a damn bastard until the very end.
“Live well, you mayflies.”
Without another word, Larry turned away and gave a half-hearted wave, as if flicking away dust.
This was truly the end.
・・・・・
As soon as I went down to the banquet hall, the Chamberlain couple greeted me.
From the moment they laid eyes on me, it was as if they had already anticipated how things would turn out — there wasn’t a single word like, ‘Please take good care of our son.’
They simply welcomed me as if I were their own daughter.
Olivia, who had once been so weak that she couldn’t walk far without a wheelchair, now stood on her own two feet and opened her arms wide to me.
The skin that used to be dry and gaunt now had the healthy glow of someone fully recovered.
I held her tightly and asked:
"How have you been lately?"
“I’ve been well. Actually, things have been going so smoothly lately, it almost feels strange.”
She playfully whispered that she might pick up the first-place lottery ticket on the way back.
“By the way, how’s your younger brother? Is he doing well?”
“If you mean Liam, he’s doing fine.”
Liam had publicly exposed Viscount Amber’s vices — his addictions to drinking, women, and gambling — and at the same time proved he was unfit to manage his estate.
Imperial approval was granted immediately.
In the old corrupt empire, such a thing would have been nearly impossible — but things were different now.
After all, Claudia was on the throne.
Liam swiftly stripped Viscount Amber of his title and sent him off to a monastery.
He seemed to have agonised over the decision for quite some time until everyone’s intentions aligned and they had completely seized power.
He didn’t give his own blood relative a second chance — he cut him off sharply. That’s just like my brother.
And so, Liam inherited the title and became the new Viscount Amber.
“The reason Liam isn’t here… well, he decided to stay at the Amber estate for a while. I told him to go ahead and return to the territory after the ceremony. It’s against tradition, but…”
“It’s a bit too late to worry about tradition now. Just do whatever you want.”
Her laughter was so infectious that I couldn’t help but smile along with her.
But then Hugo, who had been standing nearby, motioned for me to come over.
When I did, he spoke with a very serious expression.
“I’m not joking. Every business I’ve started lately is going well.”
“Well… I guess things will turn out well for you, then?”
Of course, the family's prestige was bound to skyrocket.
After all, the Chamberlains produced none other than Claudia and Felix.
It was now a house that held absolute political power, wealth, and prestige all at once.
Even if they were now royalty, such a thing had never happened before in the empire’s history — and likely never would again.
“Look at Olivia, too. She’s noticeably healthier. Not only that, but her chronic illness — the incurable disease she had resigned herself to living with until the end — is completely gone.”
Hugo seemed deeply moved by this miraculous change, joyful, yet at the same time, a bit sceptical.
"Hmm..."
I couldn’t help but think maybe the reason everyone around me was doing well was probably because of me.
If what Leraze said was true, then this could be the ‘Kim Hee Soo Effect’ — after all, ‘Kim Hee Soo’ was summoned into this world by a wish for Claudia’s happiness.
“Maybe even the heavens were moved.”
It wasn’t exactly wrong.
Hugo, uncharacteristically, seemed to seriously consider my words.
Normally, he would have dismissed it right away with something like, ‘What nonsense is that?’ — but not this time.
While he was still lost in thought, I quietly stepped back and slipped away.
Then, the nobles who had been hovering nearby, clearly wanting to say something to me, finally approached.
"My lady, you are truly remarkable."
“God’s blessing? This is the most sacred wedding I’ve ever witnessed. Truly fitting for a place like the Grand Temple… ugh!”
At that moment, the swarm of nobles who had gathered suddenly scrunched up their faces in disgust, pinched their noses, and scattered in all directions.
I slowly turned around.
Cedric stood there, leaning slightly to one side.
I couldn’t help but look him over.
He looked like he’d just tumbled down a mountain trail — dishevelled, dirty, and carrying a strange, unpleasant odour.
I’d heard rumours of Cedric gathering companions and going after corrupt officials — like something out of an adventure novel. But still…
“Why did you bother showing up looking like a beggar?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Cedric raised an eyebrow, clearly baffled.
“I came running the moment I got the message. It took weeks, and now you’re calling me a beggar?”
“No, really — I’m so grateful,”
“I'm so moved, my nose is running.”
When I added that and pinched my nose, Cedric let out a small chuckle and said, "You still speak so well."
“Well, now that I’ve seen your face, that’s enough. Like you said, I look terrible, so I’ll go wash up a bit.”
“Yes, please do.”
I smiled brightly and waved my hand cheerfully.
If he came back clean and fresh, I was more than willing to give him a grand welcome.
Besides, I was eager to hear all about his exciting adventures.
“Oh, right. By any chance, did you see Felix on your way here?”
I naturally assumed he’d be in the banquet hall, greeting guests, so I was a bit puzzled when he wasn’t there.
Just as Cedric was about to leave, he turned his head back toward me and said:
“He was talking to someone, I think?”
“Who?"
“Some young noble I didn’t recognise.”
It wasn’t surprising that Cedric wouldn’t know him.
After all, since the shift in imperial power, new nobles had been springing up like mushrooms after rain.
“Handsome kid. Had this sharp, refined smile. Reminded me of myself, back in the day.”
What was he on about?
Sure, Cedric was good-looking, I would give him that, but sharp?
He was more... dazed and dreamy if you asked me.
I tuned out his nonsense and figured the guy must’ve been from one of the new noble families.
After asking which way he went, I took off in the direction Cedric pointed.
・・・・・
Before I had even taken a few steps, I ran right into Felix.
"Oh, you’re here?"
Talk about perfect timing.
I glanced behind him, but there was no one there, which struck me as odd.
‘If he’s a noble guest, then he must’ve been one of the attendees. Felix probably greeted him and saw him off.’
It didn’t seem all that important, so I just made a rough guess and let it go.
"My wife."
What shocked me even more was the way he said it — with a warm smile that could’ve melted ice.
Wife? Me, Felix’s wife?!
‘Wow, I still can’t believe it…’
Was that flawless man really my husband?
We’d already had a grand wedding, but I still felt like shouting it from the rooftops.
And now, hearing that embarrassingly affectionate title — my wife — I had no idea how to respond.
I stiffened like a robot and let out a dry, awkward laugh.
Felix held out his hand to me.
I stepped closer, intending to take it, but instead, naturally linked my arms with his.
“He said he had a pleasant dream.”
"Huh? Who?"
“Someone who misses my wife.”
“Really?”
If he was going around telling people about it, it must have been one hell of a dream.
Did people in this world believe in dream interpretations, too?
“If he misses me, he could’ve just come to see me before leaving.”
“Hmm, not anymore.”
I tilted my head, confused by what he meant, and responded without thinking.
“Then I hope that person is happy in real life, too.”
If the dream was that good, they should go buy a lottery ticket.
I didn’t know who it was, but I hoped they hit the jackpot.
While I was lost in such silly thoughts, Felix intertwined his fingers with my linked hand and kissed the top of it.
At this point, kissing had become second nature to him.
“I hope so too, my wife.”
That way, he wouldn’t get lost in dreams anymore.
He pressed his lips close to my ear and whispered, his voice dropping just slightly.
Honestly, ever since he started calling me ‘my wife,’ I hadn't been able to process half of what he was saying.
I was just responding on autopilot.
It felt unfamiliar and awkward, yet at the same time, so sweet it made even my idle tongue ache.
“Stop calling me ‘my wife.’”
"Don’t you like it?"
“I-it’s not that I don’t like it…”
As I flinched from the ticklish sensation, Felix whispered even more sweetly.
“Then I’ll call you that secretly only when we’re alone.”
He left it at that, stepping away with his usual calm.
But his voice — sweet and sticky like melted candy — lingered in my ear, refusing to fade.
He definitely said it on purpose.
‘What a sly husband.’
Since getting married, Felix’s seductions have become even more blatant.
But then again, it wasn’t like I had any reason to refuse.
The wedding night was part of the celebration, after all.
‘I should change back into my wedding dress later.’
It was a plan I had completely written off, but now found myself quietly adding back in.
Martina was right.
What was so wrong with being a bit of a pervert?
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