***
The day before the wedding, I was on my way to meet Serdin.
It was along a familiar path—one he often took for walks.
‘I just want to go back to Promian already.’
With that thought in mind, I arrived at the destination and found Serdin already waiting for me.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“No, I just got here.”
With a gentle smile, Serdin gestured toward a spot for me to sit.
Then, without hesitation, he handed me a red potion and informed me about Emperor Ilnord’s plan.
“This is what the Emperor ordered me to give you.”
“If I drink this… will I lose control?”
It looked similar to the transparent potion I had seen before—only the color was different.
“It’s a catalyst. Tomorrow, in the waiting room, tell them you feel dizzy and nauseous. That should be enough to fool them.”
“Should I also pretend that my hands are trembling?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t worry. I can do this.”
“Just in case, be careful with what you eat tomorrow.”
Even after his instructions, Serdin still seemed concerned.
I turned to him and asked,
“Serdin, you’re coming back with me tomorrow, right?”
“No. I’m staying here.”
…What?
I had tried to ease his worries by shifting the conversation to what would happen after we succeeded.
But I never expected him to be thinking this way.
Judging by his expression, he was completely serious.
“Staying here will be dangerous.”
“I’ve already accepted that. But I have something I need to do in Ilnord.”
Serdin’s resolve was unwavering.
If we managed to take Luciel and return, he would be left in a precarious situation.
Even if I pretended to deceive the Emperor and those around him, there was no guarantee they would believe it.
But since Serdin had already made up his mind, I couldn’t force him to come.
I decided to wait until tomorrow and try persuading him again if things got too dangerous.
“Then… let’s head back.”
I stood up, dusting myself off.
Tomorrow would be an incredibly busy and perilous day.
At the very least, I needed a good night’s sleep.
Just as I bid Serdin farewell and turned to leave—
“Ollia.”
His voice called me back.
Was there something else he wanted to say?
Serdin hesitated, his lips slightly parted as if struggling to speak.
He seemed… nervous?
“What is it?”
Serdin slowly opened his mouth to speak.
“After we resolve the counterfeit magic stone issue…”
“………?”
“…Will you marry me?”
Serdin’s sudden words caught me completely off guard.
“Of course! Did you forget? We’re getting married tomorrow.”
I had never imagined my first wedding would happen like this.
But thinking about it, the situation was almost funny.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
But Serdin’s face looked… different.
What was he trying to say?
Before I could figure it out—
“I want to be your husband.”
His voice was serious, his gaze unwavering.
“This wedding isn’t the end of everything.”
“…….…”
“I want this to be the beginning… I want us to be a family for life.”
…What?
Serdin spoke slowly and deliberately, as if choosing each word with care, but I couldn’t grasp the meaning right away.
“…What do you mean by that?”
I found myself asking dumbly.
“I’m confessing.”
“………?”
“I like you, Ollia. I want to be with you.”
His low, steady voice resonated deeply.
“…Wait, are you saying—”
There was only one possible interpretation.
It wasn’t even a complicated statement, yet I hesitated, unsure if I had understood correctly.
“After the wedding tomorrow… will you truly marry me?”
…Oh. My. God.
He was serious.
“W-What…? What did you just say?!”
My voice came out as more of a shriek than a proper response.
What was he suddenly talking about?!
“We’re already g-getting m-married tomorrow…”
My voice trembled uncontrollably.
Was he just overwhelmed by the emotions of the moment? Was his mind spiraling in some strange direction?
I tried to laugh it off and steer the conversation away.
But—
“You know that’s not what I mean.”
Serdin didn’t give me a chance to dodge the topic.
His confession was calm, but direct.
There was no mistaking his sincerity.
His eyes, his voice—everything about him was completely honest.
“Do you remember what you told me before I left for Ilnord?”
“Huh? What did I say?”
Out of nowhere, Serdin brought up something from ten years ago.
What had I even said back then?
I truly couldn’t recall.
Serdin, however, simply smiled and spoke again.
“You said that family is something you can choose for yourself.”
Ah.
Now I remembered.
I had said it, hoping he would treasure his relationships more.
“I never forgot those words.”
“………”
“I want to be your real family.”
My heart pounded. Was I getting dizzy?
What… what did I just hear?
The shock nearly made me hiccup.
That’s not what I meant!
I told him to find his own family—not to make me his family!
I can’t be his family…
Serdin was serious.
It didn’t feel like a sudden confession.
‘Did he… think about this ever since he first came to Promian?’
Somehow, I had a feeling that might be the case.
“…….…”
My heart sank.
I had never considered this possibility, not even once.
My mind was in complete chaos.
Without realizing it, my face turned red, and my heart pounded wildly.
‘It must be because I’m too shocked.’
There was no other explanation for how flustered I felt.
No. I needed to calm down and give him a proper answer.
I took a deep breath and spoke as steadily as I could.
“…I’m sorry. I have to turn you down.”
As unexpected as his confession was, my answer had been decided from the start.
“…I figured as much.”
Serdin let out a faint smile, as if he had expected my response.
But his eyes trembled ever so slightly.
He was trying to suppress his emotions.
Seeing him like that made me feel guilty, but I couldn’t waver.
I needed to be clear.
“Our relationship ends with this fake wedding.”
From the moment I suggested this marriage to Serdin, up until now…
I had never once forgotten that it was all pretend.
And of course—
“I have no intention of turning this into something real.”
This marriage had to end with the ceremony.
“To me, Serdin… you’re a good friend.”
He was, without a doubt, the first friend Violyana had ever made.
I never thought things would turn out this way.
Thinking back, I let out a small chuckle.
He had been a lonely child, an orphan held hostage, filled with nothing but determination.
He had approached me with the intent to use me.
And I had planned to use him in return.
Back then, I had only intended to repay him fairly for whatever I took advantage of.
But now, Serdin was someone I wanted to protect.
Things had changed a lot since then.
I looked at Serdin and spoke slowly.
“But that’s as far as it goes.”
I reached out and gently pushed him away.
“I’m sure you’ll find someone… better.”
I stopped mid-sentence.
That didn’t feel right.
It sounded like an excuse.
I wasn’t rejecting him because I thought he could find someone better.
So, I rephrased.
“Even if you don’t find someone better than me… I still won’t marry you.”
And yet, as I spoke those words, a strange thought—one I had never considered before—briefly crossed my mind.
For some reason, a thought crossed my mind—
I wanted to be the most important person to Serdin.
The unfamiliar feeling startled me.
What was I thinking?
This was just… seeing the pain in his eyes made my heart sting, like being pricked by a needle. That was all.
Still, I couldn’t let myself waver because of a fleeting emotion.
If I was going to reject him, I had to do it properly—without leaving any room for false hope.
Giving him even a sliver of hope would be far crueler.
‘I need to leave.’
Staying here any longer would only make things more difficult for both of us.
I turned to go.
“…Ollia.”
His voice stopped me.
“Have you really never thought of me seriously?”
“………..”
“Am I only a friend to you?”
His words were laced with uncertainty, as if he was clinging to the last shred of hope.
“See you at the wedding tomorrow.”
I didn’t answer him. Instead, I simply walked away.
Whether or not he was special to me didn’t matter.
‘My feelings don’t matter at all.’
There was no point in questioning a possibility that never existed in the first place.
This wasn’t about Serdin.
‘I’m not going to marry anyone.’
I may have ended up as Delight’s daughter, living this new life—
But that didn’t erase my past.
I was still Sherina, the Archmage, and nothing could change that.
As long as I carried those memories—
‘Marriage isn’t part of my life.’
The family I had now, with Delight and Blueny, was enough.
“I did the right thing.”
I forced myself to ignore the lingering weight in my chest.
And just like that, the last night passed.
