The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 454: Nothing is a coincidence in these worlds

Chapter 454: Nothing is a coincidence in these worlds

"Ah, that was fun," D’Ara threw herself on the chaise lounge in our suite like it was her own place.

The party was over when half of the guests had become drunk. Well...it should have been over when the food was gone, but even after we emptied the trolleys, the energetic side of the guests swept the rest into the festive atmosphere.

It only stopped when Natha ended it and sent his vassals back to the Castle--since it seemed like the party would continue inside the Lair if Arta and Opti were staying. With the help from the servants and the golems, I put my friends to their rooms to sleep, even though it was only the afternoon. Even Jade spent his energy and ended up sleeping in Amarein’s lap--who was more than happy to babysit him for the rest of the day. I felt bad since she was supposed to be a guest, but she said it was a reward instead, so...

That brought me and Natha, finally having our private talk with D’Ara in our suite.

"It’s been a while since I can go to an event without a disguise," D’Ara stretched her arms and leaned back, letting out a blissful sigh.

Right--people would be too tense to enjoy a party in front of a pseudo-deity like her. Besides, who would have invited her unless they had a personal connection like us?

Hmm...seemed like being the Sacred Guardian had its own disadvantage.

Perhaps that was why, she looked really vibrant today; she didn’t exactly mingle or sing and dance with the others, but he observed the party with a big smile and created all kinds of effects to increase the party’s mood even more.

"But it’s time for me to get back now," she smiled in satisfaction, although there was a hint of loneliness in her eyes.

"You’ll really go back today? Not even attending the other banquet?" I sat on the armchair by her side, feeling a bit of a loss since we only spent time together for less than twenty-four hours, and let’s be honest...who knows when I could see her again?

"I don’t like going to an event with more than a hundred people there--unless they are all family," she sighed. Oh, I could relate to that; if it wasn’t for my own wedding, I didn’t think I would enjoy the banquet tomorrow at all. "Besides, I have my regular appointment with Terre--ah, too bad...I still want to talk some more with my other sweetling."

"Stop bothering my subordinate," Natha gave the vampire a side eye while he was opening a bottle of wine.

"What do you mean ’bothering’? I only showered him with my love! Or what? Do you want me to be a horrible in-law?"

Natha scoffed and walked toward us with three small glasses of wine. "Just do it in moderation," he didn’t even bother to give the glass gently, throwing it toward the vampire--and what do you know? It floated gracefully without swaying even a bit. "He doesn’t even remember what his mother looks like, so he gets overwhelmed."

"Isn’t that the more reason? I need to give him lots of love to make up for the lost one," the vampire mother argued before nonchalantly sipping the wine.

Natha sighed and gave me one of the glasses, which I sipped a little bit--since it came from his priciest collection--while listening to this bit of information.

"You usually just make another offspring when you’re lonely," Natha tilted his head, and D’Ara clicked her tongue at that.

"It’s no longer nice after a while," the vampire sighed. "They always stayed out and left me alone in the end."

"What do you think will happen after you make them stay isolated for two centuries?"

"Well, they can visit once in a while!" D’Ara clicked her tongue and waved her hand dismissively. "Enough talking about this. We’re here for my wedding gift to the sweetling."

Oh--I almost choked on my wine when she suddenly mentioned it. With how things went, I had thought she might forget it. While I cleared my throat and Natha stroked my back, she took out a scroll of...parchment? Canvass?

"Here, the sketch I promised you," she let go of the scroll and it flew to me, softly landing on my palm.

I put my glass aside and looked at the scroll with held breath. Honestly, I was kind of scared to open this. Natha, meanwhile, looked at the scroll in confusion.

"What is this?"

Oh, right--I hadn’t told him about it since we were on our ban period at that time. "Ah, I...I asked her to draw the portrait of Valmeier’s grandfather."

"The Princess’s husband?" he raised his brow, before frowning slightly as he digest my request. "Is this...because you met Ahrat’s Mayor?"

Oh--as expected, my Demon Lord was so smart.

"Yeah," I exhaled slowly and looked at the scroll again. "I had this thought that...perhaps..."

"Perhaps your grandfather in your previous life is the same person?" D’Ara tilted her head, curling his lips in interest.

"Rather than the same person...I thought maybe they had an identical soul," I glanced at Natha. "like you."

"But sweetling," D’Ara shifted so she could lean forward and looked into my eyes. "What are you going to do with that information?"

My hands, which were holding the scroll, tightened. Honestly, I had no idea. What if they were different? What if they were the same? The information itself wouldn’t change anything, and I wasn’t sure which one would be better, or which one I was hoping for.

If they had identical souls, would I feel happy knowing that the grandfather I had never met was the grandfather I knew all along? Or would I feel sad knowing that one of them had their soul crushed to bits for putting on a curse?

I took a deep breath and felt how heavy it was. I only realized my hands were trembling when Natha held and caressed them gently.

"It doesn’t have to lead to anything, no?" Natha stroked the back of my hand with his thumb. "Just a peace of mind."

"...just a peace of mind," I repeated, nodding.

"You know you don’t have to open it now, do you?" D’Ara said. "You can wait until the wedding--or the honeymoon--is over."

I bit my lips and contemplated for a while. But in the end, I shook my head even with a heart full of fear and uncertainty. Or rather, because of it. "I don’t think I would be able to function properly if I don’t do this now," I said, inhaling deeply so I could capture Natha’s soothing scent. "I need that peace of mind."

Natha smiled and squeezed my hands, lifting them so he could kiss my knuckles. Exactly the lovely support that I needed.

"Hold my hand?" I whispered, and he shifted to sit on my chair, holding my arms from behind.

I took another deep, deep breath and slowly pulled the cord tying up the scroll. It unraveled slowly, or perhaps it felt slow because my mind was fuzzy. But I didn’t close my eyes, nor did I blink. I stared at the portrait; a druid who sought a Sacred Guardian for his revenge, who let his soul be destroyed if he couldn’t live with his beloved wife. He abandoned everything--his life, his community, his daughter--to make sure his hatred burned for all eternity. I did not condone what he did, but I understood.

I understood, and I understood it even more when I saw the portrait. Even in black and white, I recognized the stormy eyes. The face might be slightly different--after all, I only met my grandfather when he was already old--but I would never mistake those eyes.

The hard eyes that contained an equal amount of loath and love. The eyes that could turn extremely cold like a blizzard and soft like a summer breeze.

But oh...it hurt. I didn’t think it would be, but it hurt. If it wasn’t for the cold hands holding me securely, I would have broken down and cried my heart out.

Oh, Grandpa...I missed him so much. Grandma was my world when I was a child, but Grandpa was my everything when I grew up; my pillar of support, the one who made it possible for me to stay alive until I could meet Natha. When he was gone, there was no one I could call my kin anymore, because how could I call those predatory relatives as such?

But Grandpa was gone, and the other soul identical to him was burned as fuel for a curse. It was just...hurt.

"Sweetling, do you know what happened to a paper that got burned?" D’Ara suddenly asked. I lifted my face, blinking with silent, parted lips. "It becomes ash; blown by the wind or scatters on the ground. It’s hard to see it, but...it’s there, it does not disappear completely."

"Teacher..."

"What do you think happened to a burned soul, then?" D’Ara continued. "My Soul Meister friend said this: ’A burned soul no longer has a concept of identity, so it will go to the closest place resembling their former identity--a belonging, a monument in their name, or perhaps...’"

"An identical soul," Natha finished her explanation.

D’Ara smiled and stood up, holding my trembling chin. "Perhaps, it is not a coincidence that your dear Grandpa fell in love with the Princess."

I looked at her, whose smile was getting blurred by the stinging tears pooling in my eyes. I had no idea if she was telling the truth, or if it was all merely a lie to console my heart. But I didn’t care.

Even if everything was a lie, I would choose to believe it.

"Thank you," I held the portrait close to my chest, to my heart. "Thank you..."

It was the most beautiful gift I received for my special day.