Dioclyde returned to the Demon Castle.
As he transformed from the form of a shadow crow back to his original form and descended to the ground, he heard a voice from behind.
“Father.”
Surprised, he turned around to see Clyde and Eila standing there.
“How did….”
“I’m sorry, Dioclyde. I put an alarm spell on you that would alert me if you left the Demon Castle.”
“I saw everything, from when you met Giyu to the conversation you had there.”
Dioclyde’s expression clouded at Clyde’s words.
“…Clyde, that’s-“
“I know. You lied about planning to leave Giyu. I explained everything to Clyde.”
“Why did you undertake such a thing alone? I heard Eila tried to stop you.”
“…….”
Dioclyde remained silent, his eyes slightly lowered.
“In the end, there wasn’t a big problem. Thanks to that, we learned about Giyu’s scheme…” I spoke, pulling Clyde’s arm. I was bothered by Clyde’s interrogative tone.
“Still, he should have discussed it beforehand. This time it was resolved, luckily, but there’s no guarantee it will be the same next time. You know that.”
“But….”
“So tell me, why did you act unilaterally without saying anything to me?”
After a short pause, Clyde raised his gaze to look at Dioclyde.
“Until now, I haven’t done anything for you as a father.”
“…….”
“The same goes for your mother. If I hadn’t let Hena leave like that, she would undoubtedly still be alive.”
“To say such things again… It’s not your fault, Dioclyde; you didn’t know anything.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that I failed to protect the woman and child I love.” Dioclyde spoke in a low voice.
“Of course, I know that nothing I do now can atone for that, but I want to do what I can for you…. and for your deceased mother.”
“Dioclyde.”
I unintentionally let out a choked sound. Dioclyde looked back at me and smiled faintly.
“I’m sorry, Eila. But I don’t have the confidence to convince you. When I face you, I can only nod in agreement with what you say.”
At that moment, Clyde, who had been silent all along, spoke up abruptly.
“Regardless of what Father’s true intentions were, the fact remains that you deceived me and Eila.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Dioclyde lowered his head silently. I gripped Clyde’s arm again, feeling a sense of sadness.
“Clyde.”
“So promise me. Promise that you won’t take risks like this alone again. No matter what happens, discuss and decide with us.”
It was a quiet but firm voice.
“You said you haven’t done anything for me as a father, but the same goes for me as your son. Please don’t let me have the same regrets as you.”
“…….”
Dioclyde’s eyes slowly widened. In those transparent red irises, similar to Clyde’s, there was a faint hint of moisture.
With a furrowed brow, he quietly smiled.
“…Yes, I see. I promise.”
There was a somewhat heartwarming feeling. I held Clyde’s arm and tightly grasped his hand.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
Afterward, we decided to proceed with the plan to have Giyu attack Clyde during the wedding ceremony.
The idea that Dioclyde could nullify Clyde’s magic was, of course, a blatant lie. However, it had to appear that way in Giyu’s eyes, so both of them agreed to collide while suppressing their magic as much as possible.
In fact, Clyde hesitated and didn’t want such a thing to happen, especially on our wedding day. I was the one who insisted that we do it.
I felt it was the surest way to prevent Giyu from getting away with the fact that he had attempted treason, while at the same time setting a clear example for the other demons gathered there.
“But then there’s also the risk that you’ll get caught up in the attack; do you realize that?”
“It won’t be Giyu who launches the attack, but Dioclyde, and it won’t be a full-force attack. I’ll have the protective ring you gave me, and I’ll also cast defensive spells in advance. And when the attack starts, I’ll quickly dodge to the side.”
“Still, Eila.”
“Besides, there are not one but two people here to protect me. Are you telling me you can’t handle Giyu? I don’t want to marry a man who can’t handle a pathetic guy like him.”
Even with a deliberately playful remark, Clyde didn’t loosen his stern expression.
That’s when Dioclyde intervened.
“If Eila is okay with it, then let’s do it.”
“Father.”
“Don’t worry. While you suppress Giyu, I’ll focus on protecting Eila. Trust me.”
After several more rounds of persuasion, Clyde reluctantly nodded.
Even after leaving the palace and returning to the inner chamber, Clyde still had a worried expression. I plopped down on the bed and hugged him from behind.
“What’s wrong? Are you still worried?”
“…….”
Clyde silently stroked my arm wrapped around his neck.
“Don’t do that. We’re perfectly prepared. You know it in your head too. It’s just unnecessary worry.”
“…In my head, yes.”
I kissed Clyde’s cheek, making a soft sound.
“It’s okay. Did you forget that your bride is a genius mage? I know more than a few spells that I can use if things go wrong that day. So, calm down. If you keep sulking like that, I’m not going to let you touch me today.”
At my words, Clyde smirked, turned around, and faced me.
“How are you going to make me not touch you?”
“I’ll tell you not to touch me. You listen to me well, don’t you?”
“Well, did I?”
“No?”
“Want to try?”
Clyde said that and pushed me. I made a small squeak as I fell onto the bed. Clyde climbed on top of me, placing his hands on both sides of my face. His gaze, looking down at me, had turned subtly passionate.
“Tell me not to touch you. Just once.”
“…Don’t touch me.”
“I don’t want to.”
Clyde’s hand brushed my shoulder slightly, then he pulled down the shoulder strap. I involuntarily swallowed hard.
“I told you not to touch…”
“I did.”
Clyde pulled the negligee down to my chest and kissed the exposed skin.
“Hmm….”
I moaned, shivering slightly. Clyde nibbled on my breast, leaving shallow teeth marks, then lifted his head.
“You told me not to touch you, but you don’t seem to hate it at all. That’s why it’s pointless.”
“…What can I do if I don’t hate it?”
I muttered under my breath, and Clyde chuckled. He folded his eyes and stared at me, the corners of his eyes elongating. It was like he was looking at something irresistibly adorable.
“So why did you say something you didn’t mean in the first place?”
“It wasn’t something I didn’t mean. If you kept going like that, I would’ve really… ah…!”
As Clyde’s affectionate actions resumed, I involuntarily pulled his head closer. He continued skillfully moving his tongue, sending shivers down my spine.
“Ah, Clyde…. I love you….”
“I love you too.”
In response to the unintentional words that slipped out, Clyde whispered in a low, sexy voice. Leaving a silvery trail on my skin, he slowly moved down below my belly.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
A few weeks later, the wedding day finally arrived.
During that time, Dioclyde had another meeting with Giyu and conveyed the detailed plan.
The wedding dress I wore emitted a subtle light, as if woven from starlight. It was made of a fabric that glowed on its own even in places without any lighting, a material that I had never seen before in the Palma Empire.
“There is a small spring in the center of the Shadow Forest, and on days when the two moons stand side by side, they soak the Nimona cloth in it overnight. It is a dress reserved only for the noblest of women in this realm.”
Inka explained in a soft voice. The train at the back was as long as my height, leaving a sparkling trail as I walked.
The wedding took place at an outdoor altar outside the palace. I walked out with a long veil covering my face. At the end of the path, lined with petals, Clyde was waiting for me.
Clyde was dressed in black from head to toe. Although it had a slightly unfamiliar feel compared to the attire I was used to seeing, it suited Clyde extremely well. In fact, even if he wore a sack, he would still look handsome.
Clyde’s face, which had been stiff with tension and worry, instantly softened when he saw me. He watched me approach him, step by step, with wide-open eyes full of anticipation.
Eventually, I stood in front of Clyde.
As if enchanted, Clyde reached out and lifted my veil. There was no need to bow his head because of the height difference.
“…beautiful.”
Clyde was staring at me blankly, unable to take his eyes off of me, as if he hadn’t even realized he had muttered the words. I smiled shyly.
“You look handsome too,” I whispered softly, and only then did Clyde smile back at me.
