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[Translator - Angel Dust]
[Proofreader - Prototype]
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Side Stories 12
No longer a returning student, but an academy graduate.
No longer an academy couple, but truly a bride and groom-to-be.
A passage from the Teachings of Light suddenly came to mind—
—Every beginning has an end, and every end is a new beginning.
It's been quite a journey. I never imagined it would turn out like this.
Confessing and getting rejected. Enlisting in the military as a soldier to try and move on.
Thinking I had moved on, only to realize my feelings were as strong as ever when we reunited.
They say life doesn't go according to plan, and looking at the current situation, that seems to be the most fitting statement.
"Hey, so! Are you not going to propose to me like that?!"
"I expect you to, Master. I believe you'll do it at my graduation too."
"Ah! If you're going to do it for everyone, please do it for me too!!"
...I didn't want it to go this far, though.
A surprise proposal to Selena on graduation day.
I had failed miserably in the confession attack a few years ago, but this time was different.
Back then, we weren't in a relationship, but now we're officially a couple.
Our families have already set a date for the wedding.
More than anything, the public sees us as a couple.
In the end, this proposal attack was successful. A great victory.
Selena accepted the ring with a bright smile and received many congratulations.
Now all that's left is to get married this spring...
"Why aren't you answering, Karl?! Do it for me too!"
"Me too, Master. No, Orabeoni."
"If you're doing it for both of them, please do it for me too...!"
I can't believe the other three girls are also asking for proposals.
I honestly didn't expect this. To be honest, this was a huge gamble.
People want attention from others, but they also feel burdened by it.
In that situation, confessions or proposals... If done publicly, they might be embarrassed.
Didn't Selena reject me in the past because of a public confession?
Thankfully, she accepted the proposal this time.
If it had been the other way around, I would have died of embarrassment.
But these three don't care about that and want me to do the same for them.
Get married, spend time as newlyweds, and finally, next year, they want me to propose to them with a ring at their graduation ceremony!
"No, look. It's not as romantic as you think..."
"Lies! Then why did you do it to Selena?!"
"That's because I made a mistake... No. Anyway."
And there's one more reason why I can't give a definite answer.
"You all know you're graduating at the same time, right? You're not going to tell me to propose to three people at the same time, are you?"
Even though I have four wives, you want me to propose to three of them on the same day, at the same time?
If I did that, I'd be labeled a scumbag for sure. Even my comrades in heaven would throw stones at me.
They'd say, ‘What a shameless scoundrel! He hasn't even finished one marriage, and he's already moving on to the next?!’
On top of that, my reputation would probably be shattered.
Of course, I'm not the type to obsess over honor, but there's still a thing called reputation.
The Medal of Honor isn't a dog bone, so if you receive it, you should behave.
The fact that there are so many things going on in my name is also a problem.
I now have to become a real 'adult.’ It's an obligation.
If I don't, it's not just me who's going to ruin my life.
"Right. Now that I think about it, three is definitely too much."
"...I agree."
"Oh, then what should we do? Should we do one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening?"
"Isn't that the same thing, Lefia...?"
Just when I was starting to get a headache, thankfully, everyone fell silent as if they had all agreed on something.
"Young Lord, it's really time for you to get ready."
"Alright."
I've been like this since morning to relieve the tension.
So today is the day I finally become an ordinary husband.
* * *
My heart feels like it's going to burst. Ugh. What do I do? What do I do?
My hands and feet are trembling. I try to force myself to stop hyperventilating.
"Lenny. Are you alright?"
Marquis Nafplion, who was next to her, asked in a worried tone.
Selena nodded her head frantically, ‘Yes! Yes!’
She clearly didn't look alright.
"Don't be nervous... I can't say that, can I? To be honest, I'm nervous too."
Marquis Nafplion also gulped and looked at the door.
Inside was the man who would become his daughter's husband. His son-in-law.
There were his in-laws, and countless guests who had attended as VIPs.
'And among the VIPs are His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress. And Her Highness the Crown Princess.'
Just thinking about it made her head spin. She wanted to run away.
Why was the emperor attending the wedding of a subject? Isn't this a bit too much?
She felt like she was going to throw up what she had eaten for breakfast three days ago. She was so nervous she was going crazy.
"Miss Selena! It's time for the bride to enter!"
At that moment, the people inside, having received the signal, grabbed the doorknob and signaled.
"Father."
"Yes. Let's go."
Click!
The door opened, and the eyes of everyone inside were on them.
Family. Relatives. The Officiant, the VIPs. And the man standing in the center.
Selena carefully took a step. Maintaining her composure.
But not in a negative way, but with an overwhelming sense of happiness.
The groom was nervous, too. Karl, the ordinary husband-to-be, was no exception.
That woman is my wife. She was always beautiful, but today she's truly stunning.
I think I made a really good choice marrying her. I'm so excited to see what tomorrow brings.
'...So.'
So. So. I guess I did a good job surviving in that place.
I lived simply to exist. I thought I was living for you, to honor your memory.
I thought I was destined to carry this burden of duty and guilt until my dying breath.
Can you see? Your youngest, who couldn't even shoot a gun properly, is getting married.
He's being treated like a hero, with even the emperor as a guest of honor.
I've lived a good life. So that I wouldn't be ashamed in front of you who left before me.
So that you, who left me behind, would be jealous and come back.
If we meet later, this should earn me a lighter punishment.
Suddenly, the light coming through the window felt brighter than usual.
As he stared blankly at the scene, he thought he heard a playful laugh from somewhere.
The youngest. Our youngest. The useless youngest who couldn't even shoot a gun. But still, our youngest.
"Today, we welcome a beautiful couple. The groom, Karl Adelheit, is a true hero of the Empire. The Goddess will bless this young man as he becomes a husband. And the bride, Selena Ifrit, will be a most virtuous and wise wife..."
During the congratulatory speech, Karl and Selena looked at each other and smiled.
Memories of their past interactions surfaced. Confessions made and received, hearts both broken and mended.
They were young then, perhaps a bit naive, quick to wound and be wounded.
But there were no regrets. In fact, it was those very experiences that had brought them to this moment.
"Under the watchful eyes of our Goddess, I now pronounce Karl Adelheit of Friedrich and Selena Adelheit husband and wife."
Cardinal Nicolaos, the officiant of the wedding and head of the 1st Diocese, made the declaration.
Karl quickly took out the ring he had prepared and put it on Selena's finger himself.
Now, the only thing left to do was...
"Hurry up! Kiss her!"
"What are you waiting for? Kiss her now!"
"The heir of the Friedrich County has no manners!"
"Come on, do it!"
Those damn four. Karl gritted his teeth.
But the guests were rather amused by the four friends.
They had added a touch of humor to an otherwise overly stiff and tense ceremony.
Moreover, it made everyone think that Karl was close to them.
"I'll do it, you guys! Stop nagging!"
"Boo! The heir should reflect on his actions!"
"You guys haven't even been in a relationship, let alone married!"
The emperor, who had been smiling quietly, burst out laughing.
As expected of a Medal of Honor recipient. Look at that. He subdued his opponents with a single blow.
The heirs of your family are defeated by that one sentence!
"Uncle! Uncle!"
"Just be patient for a little while today, Crown Princess. At least today, he's not your uncle, but a groom."
The emperor said, glancing to the side.
"..."
The empress was... No, Rikata, Karl's sister, was sobbing.
It was strange that Karl's parents were smiling.
He wanted to tell her not to cry because it was a happy day, but he decided not to.
It was natural to cry on a day of such joy.
'Oh, that reminds me.'
The emperor gestured for them to begin.
The captain of the Imperial Guard nodded, and a group of Imperial Army soldiers in uniforms, armed with ceremonial swords, marched forward.
They were not the Imperial Guards, the empire's elite.
Nor were they members of the Imperial Legion, responsible for actual military power.
They were not commanders, nor high-ranking officers. None of them were.
"Congratulations on your wedding, Sergeant Karl."
"Sergeant Casey."
They were men whose duty had ended. But they were men who had willingly taken up arms in the face of danger.
They were the most glorious warriors, the most loyal soldiers.
And yet, they were also ordinary reservists who would live as dependable sons, husbands, and fathers.
"Present arms!"
"Cheers!"
Comrades who shared the same battlefield, the same memories, the same pain, and the same glory.
That's why they were all the more willing to step forward on this occasion.
"Of course, even Sergeant Karl..."
Sling!
Naturally, even a Medal of Honor recipient had to uphold tradition.
"From now on, you'll have to pass our tests. Are you confident?!"
"I can pass anything but shooting!!!"
And so, Karl became a groom without much difficulty.
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[Translator - Angel Dust]
[Proofreader - Prototype]
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