CHAPTER 5
THE PERSON I ONE DAY FALL IN LOVE WITH
1
The preparations for the ceremony in the chapel continued apace as planned.
Fortunately, Regulus’s irritation had not exploded in the chapel, and the austere, dignified building was still standing. The gleaming decorations for the ceremony were safely in place.
Having decided to face the wedding ceremony, Emilia was in the wardrobe room getting her hair styled to look the part of a bride by #184 and a couple of Regulus’s other wives.
It had been a long time since she’d had her hair set in a style this complex. Puck used to tweak her hair every morning, but she had neglected it ever since he had vanished. She mostly went without doing anything complicated to her hair, excepting the rare occasions when Annerose did something fancy for her.
Her long silver hair was braided and carefully done up. Her outfit was adorned with accessories to accentuate the beautiful, pure white of her dress without verging on ostentation. With that, Emilia’s bridal makeover was complete.
Seeing herself in the mirror, she was amazed by their skill.
It was quite different from her usual appearance. She mostly just kept things simple and tied her hair back without much effort unless Subaru was helping out that day, and she usually made a point of not wearing accessories in order to be able to move more freely, but her current hairstyle and accessories were solely focused on enhancing her ladylike allure.
“It feels like this is all just wasted on me, though…”
The women who had helped her change all sighed heavily at that.
Just like #184, they had all said nothing more than the bare minimum necessary while helping her change. Feeling inadequate when she heard their heavy sighs, Emilia straightened her back. Her silver hair shimmered like moonlight streaming against her slender back.
“Let’s go. Be careful to not upset our husband,” a tall, red-haired woman said before taking the lead, with Emilia following behind her. #184, who had been ordered to accompany the procession, was helping carry the train of her dress.
“ ”
She intentionally kept her expression motionless, but there was a faint unease in her eyes. As the only person who had heard Emilia declare she would face the ceremony in her own way, she had especially turbulent emotions. She had no idea at all what Emilia had in mind for the coming ceremony, but she had apparently chosen not to mention her unease to Regulus. And that was enough. Her simple presence was enough to support Emilia’s resolve.
—In the chapel, the guests present were already gathered, waiting for Emilia’s arrival.
“ ”
There was a red carpet over the central path, with the guests beautifully arrayed along either side of the carpet. They were all Regulus’s wives—fifty women—every last one besides the three in Emilia’s procession. And waiting in front of the altar at the end of the carpeted aisle was Regulus, standing calmly in a white tuxedo.
The red-haired woman led Emilia directly to him. Emilia glanced at the expressions of the women lining the aisle but found nothing more than calculated, practiced, expressionless faces.
Beneath the gaze of this masked audience, Emilia approached the altar. The women in her procession stepped away, taking their places among the women lining the aisle. All except for #184, who moved to the opposite side of the altar, a faint tension on her face as she began officiating the wedding ceremony.
Her body still facing #184 and the altar, Emilia turned to look at Regulus.
“I’m surprised. The previous dress was magnificent, but this wedding gown is truly unmatched. My eyes were not mistaken when I first saw you. We really are the most fitting pair in the world.”
Regulus nodded to himself, satisfied with Emilia’s appearance. He brushed back his white hair.
“Still, seeing this, I can see I was right to leave the seat of #79 open. I had a feeling that there would someday be someone worthy to take it. And the confidence and decisiveness to trust in that decision and follow through are quite amazing, if I do say so myself. Believing in yourself through thick and thin is not something just anyone can do.”
“About that number… Why was there an open seat?”
Now that she had entered the chapel and was standing before the altar, the first words out of Emilia’s mouth were a question. Her question clashed heavily with the mood of the ceremony and didn’t complement Regulus or his self-satisfied, flowery rhetoric. But the question didn’t dampen his mood. He merely cocked his head.
“Hmm? Ah, that. Previously, there was another woman I set eyes upon who I thought would be fitting for that number. Unfortunately, before we could be wed, I judged her to be unsuitable. But when it came to the most important point of appearance, she was incredibly close to my ideal. I left the seat unfilled in order to remember her, out of a sense of lingering attachment, I suppose…but thanks to that, I was able to meet you. Truly, ours was a fated encounter.”
“Before…”
As Regulus spoke of fate, Emilia was hung up on another part of what he’d said.
Something that felt very off. A clear oddity that came whenever she interacted with him; an invisible unease that was gradually coming into view, but one she still could not quite pin down.
And as she was thinking that, Regulus adjusted the collar of his matching tuxedo.
“Well then, shall we exchange our vows? Unfortunately, we will have to settle for a shortened ceremony without official witnesses, but you don’t mind, do you? Such an important ceremony is not for fussing over details but for cementing our binding love. Fretting over appearances only to neglect the substance of it all is truly nonsensical, and yet, it is a rather trite and common mistake. Naturally, I would never stoop to such folly.”
#184 began her preparations behind the altar as Regulus’s torrent continued unabated.
#184 performed the preparations that the officiant was normally supposed to take care of with a practiced ease that indicated this was not the first of Regulus’s weddings that she had presided over.
“Obsessing over appearances and losing sight of the point is just absurd. Form over substance? It’s all the more unsightly because people like that don’t even realize that everyone is laughing at them behind their back. Though I suppose that by living in ignorance, they are happier for it.”
Regulus did not even pay any attention to #184 and her sadly practiced ease.
She seemed something like the leader of the wives. And from the fact that Regulus had tried to kill her on a whim, it was clear that he did not view his wives as actual people.
It was a little late to be reaching that conclusion there, but she simply couldn’t forgive his revolting behavior.
“—Hey, Regulus. There are a few things I would like to tell you before the ceremony.”
Because of that, she had a declaration for him while she was standing there, face-to-face with him.
#184’s face tensed at that. There was a slight wave of unease spreading among the wives lining the pews as well.
“That’s true. Once we’ve exchanged vows, we are man and wife. There are things that can only be discussed before that.”
But unexpectedly, Regulus responded with an approving nod.
“In fact, I also have something I should disclose about our upcoming married life. It could wait until after the ceremony, but it is important to be mentally prepared when embarking on something this important. It would be a tragedy for a marriage to suffer the fate of ‘This wasn’t what I had imagined.’ In order to avoid that, we should both freely share our thoughts. As future husband and wife and as individuals. Right?”
“Yes, exactly. It’s really important since we are individuals.”
“Yes! Fantastic! It seems like we can truly understand each other. Then, I have insisted on a few promises from my other wives, so I suppose I should start there. Don’t worry, the promises are the same for everyone, so it isn’t anything too demanding. If anything, you could even say they are almost natural for a wife.” Regulus shrugged humorously as he held up a finger.
“The first is—once we have exchanged vows, you are forbidden to smile.”
“—Huh?”
Emilia furrowed her brow, clearly failing to understand the point of his demand. Still holding his finger up, Regulus slowly shook his head.
“You see, I like your face. Truly, I love it. I choose my wives based on their faces. A beautiful, sweet, and alluring face is a requirement for my wives. Every last one of the two hundred and ninety-one wives I’ve wed has had a beautiful face. And your face is lovely as well. That is why I chose to make you my wife. Do you understand?”
“ ”
“This is something I’ve thought about for a long time, but there are many people in this world who simply do as they please. Far more than you would imagine. It is common to hear tales of lovers or married couples whose love has faded, no? They presumably loved each other at some point, and yet when they actually began living together, various areas where they were incompatible were revealed. Food preferences, habits, hobbies, schedules… There is a truly large number of people who are trash and offer up selfish excuses for falling out of love with someone they supposedly loved once. From the depths of my heart, those people are utterly worthless.”
Regulus was still smiling, truly enjoying himself as he spoke about such detestable garbage innocently, unrestrainedly, and with a sense of righteous indignation as well as a lack of understanding for people who made light of love.
“They are—each and every one of them—selfish. You loved them? Then why would you drift apart over something as trifling as mere aesthetic differences? Isn’t that the height of foolishness? That is why I choose partners based on their faces. As long as they have a face that I love, my love will never fade, no matter what kind of person they end up being. Because it is their face that I love. As long as that remains, my love will be eternal.”
“ ”
“Whether they are the sort of person who doesn’t pick up their clothes, whether they are a serial murderer who only kills children, whether they can’t cook even if their life depended on it, whether they were sold off by their family to pay off a loan, whether they don’t make any effort to prevent colors running in the laundry, whether they are the sort of off-kilter person who snuffs the life from small animals, whether their sense of style is absolutely appalling, whether they are obsessed with money, whether they don’t bathe and smell like refuse, or whether they were genuinely planning to destroy the whole world—I don’t mind.”
Regulus pointed to the other fifty-three women in the chapel one after the other as he spoke.
Emilia could not say how many people in the building actually fell into any of those categories. But she could at least say that he was not lying. He would love anyone without distinction.
It was impartial. He was talking about an unquestioning love—proclaiming that he loved each and every one of his wives without qualification.
But Emilia could not see the connection between that treatise on love and the requirement he was asking of her.
“What is the correlation between that and not smiling, though?”
“It’s simple. There are people whose normal expression is cute and beautiful, and yet when they smile, they become ugly, aren’t there? I can’t accept that. That’s why. I said ‘forbidden to smile,’ but really any and all changes of expression are out of bounds. Basically, the thought that your lovely face might become ugly is unbearable to me. It would be a net loss for the world. That is why. So don’t laugh. Don’t cry. Don’t get mad. Don’t rejoice. Just stay like this with your beautiful face, always.”
“ ”
The second part had been a command, with Regulus grabbing her chin and leaning in so close that she could feel his breath on her skin.
That was the promise Regulus wanted. Though it could hardly be called a promise, since it was clear as day what would happen to anyone who disobeyed.
But if it had simply been a command or a demand of obedience, then at least it would not have a hollow ring to it.
“You said you wouldn’t fall out of love with someone as long as you liked their face. So what happened before?”
“Hmm?”
“If I hadn’t grabbed her arm, she would have died by your hand.”
Emilia pointed to #184 on the other side of the altar. #184 froze as Regulus glanced over at her. And after thinking about it for a second, he nodded slightly, as if remembering.
“Ah, that is an unfortunate misunderstanding. That had nothing to do with a change in my love for her. It was merely that she upset my mood because of her inadequate attention. That was why I thought she should take responsibility for it.”
“What? If that isn’t fickle, then…”
“No, that isn’t it at all. I still love her face. Therefore my love is unchanged. It would remain unchanged even if she was to die. It’s a common thing to hear, right? Even when someone you love dies, they will still live on in your heart. Your love will continue on without fading. That is precisely how I feel.”
“ ”
Holding his hand to his chest, Regulus spoke in the clear voice of a stage actor. It was a perfect, flawless logic that started and ended with him. It left no room for other people’s thoughts to intrude. It was entirely flawless in its incompleteness.
In the face of how much he had built up and refined his way of life, Emilia felt completely let down.
Even in that moment, she had wanted to believe. She had wanted to believe that even if he was one of the Archbishops of the Witch Cult, there was some way they could get through to each other.
“By any chance…do you happen to have some complaint with me? If you did, that would be just a little bit vexing. I’ve made so much effort and compromised on so much out of consideration for you, and you won’t even acknowledge it? That’s one of those things that make you question a person on a fundamental level. If you ask me, that simply wouldn’t happen if you would just spend a little effort thinking about others and putting yourself in their shoes.”
When he noticed Emilia’s silence, for the first time Regulus’s brow furrowed suspiciously.
That probably meant that this was the first time he was truly seeing his bride-to-be. But nothing else changed about how he interacted with her.
“Concern for others is the most basic of basics when dealing with people. And negligence in that most fundamental of things is a sign that you don’t view the person you are interacting with as worthy of even that much effort. In other words, it is an action that reveals a contempt for me as an individual. A grievous infringement of my rights. That is not something I can forgive.”
A dangerous mood radiated from Regulus’s whole body as he spoke. It warped the air around him, and a dangerous air filled the chapel that almost seemed to grip everyone else’s lungs.
And standing directly in front of the madman responsible, Emilia inhaled softly.
“—I think that marriage is something really happy.”
“…Huh?”
“It’s a ceremony that gives shape to the thoughts of people who love each other and truly want to be together. It is something that happens when a person finds another person that they really love out of all the people in the world, and that person loves them back…and I think that is really amazing.”
Regulus looked suspicious as he saw Emilia smiling there in her bridal attire. But while he could not read the situation, the expressions of the women in the pews and #184 behind the altar clouded over.
They were expressions that showed fear of the direction the wedding ceremony was taking and concern for Emilia, who stood at the center of it all.
They were wonderful, kindhearted souls who were worried about what was about to happen to someone else.
“Regulus, why do you refer to your wives by number?”
“A fixation on form of address? That’s just another mode of obsessing over form. A truly surface-level relationship. It is simply proof of a lack of confidence in your ability to continue your love without unnecessary trappings. I am not swayed by such trivial self-aggrandizement. My love is unqualified and pure, so that truth will remain without any unneeded elements getting in the way. Isn’t that just the truth of the matter?”
“It is—but I don’t hate it when Subaru calls me Emilia-tan.”
“Subaru…?”
Suddenly hearing something that he could not let pass, Regulus raised his eyebrows in displeasure. But Emilia ignored the dangerous change and continued.
“The way he feels is all there in his voice when he calls me Emilia-tan. And when he sometimes just calls me Emilia, it is always obvious that it’s a special moment. I don’t think that is meaningless at all. A name should have that sort of thought behind it.”
“You spoke very eloquently on that subject, but who exactly is Subaru? That’s a person’s name, right? A man’s name, right? Isn’t a woman mentioning the name of another man when she’s standing at the altar about to be married just a little too irrational? Even if he was someone you had hardly any interaction with, it would be hurtful to your partner. It is hurtful, in fact. You know that, right?”
“He isn’t someone I’ve had hardly any interaction with. Subaru is my one and only knight, the one who calls my name while saying that he loves me.”
“What?!”
Regulus’s dreadful aura swelled at those words. #184 and all the other wives tensed up at the sudden, violent shift in demeanor.
“Don’t move! If you do, I’ll erase everything below her head.”
“ ”
“Let’s have an explanation. Be careful with your words and do your best to make sure there are no misunderstandings. I don’t want this wedding to turn into someone’s funeral. You understand, right?”
Regulus’s shoulders trembled as he shouted, biting back the humiliation he was feeling.
Everyone in the pews froze, but Emilia faced his swelling rage with an unchanged, calm expression and a clear state of mind.
The broadcast had given Emilia courage. She wanted to be able to live up to that.
“Marriage is something two people who love each other share together. But I don’t have the qualifications for that.”
“ ”
“I’ve never once loved a man as a woman before. So when Subaru tells me so insistently that he loves me, I can’t give him the answer he is hoping for, or the other answer, either. And I know how hurtful that is and how much it has bothered him. But…”
Regulus fell silent. However, Emilia no longer saw the man standing before her. Everyone in the chapel could tell. Regulus was not reflected in her eyes at all. But Regulus could not accept that fact as he bit his lip.
“I’ve never experienced falling in love with someone. But I am sure that I will fall in love with someone someday. I will love someone as a woman. And when that happens, I already know who it will be. So…”
Taking a breath, she looked at Regulus while focused on someone else entirely.
“—I will not be yours.”
“—! So that’s how it is! I certainly don’t have any more intention of wedding such a selfish, wanton woman as you! So that’s a relief!”
When he accepted Emilia’s rejection, Regulus’s face turned red as he grew enraged. He extended his fingers in a fit of anger as a chill welled up from Emilia’s body and she prepared to attack. Her first clash with his incomprehensible destructive ability—
“—?!”
Just as both of their attacks were about to start, a powerful crack resounded through the chapel. Something flew through the air like an arrow, striking Regulus head-on. What hit him as he stood there in his white tuxedo was a wooden door—one of the two great wooden doors that stood at the entrance of the chapel—sent flying by a tremendously powerful impact. It had flown all the way from the entrance and struck Regulus.
And—
“We both kicked in at the same time, but the results were so different. What are your legs even made of?!”
“Apologies, I failed to hold back. I did at least aim properly at the target, though, so could you perhaps forgive my earlier mistake?”
“Yeah, but our coolness levels are totally different now. My kick opened the door, but your kick turned the door into a direct attack…”
Two figures appeared in the doorway of the magnificent chapel, joking around with each other. A black-haired boy and a red-haired young man.
“—Ah.”
Emilia’s eyes widened at the sight of them, and Regulus brushed aside the door like it was an annoying gnat. He was wholly uninjured, but there was a tremendous displeasure in his eyes as he glared at the two interlopers.
“That is some nerve, barging your way into a sacred wedding. Who are you and what gifts have you brought, I wonder? Well?”
The two wedding crashers glanced at each other in response to Regulus’s bluster and then nodded at each other.
“Subaru Natsuki, a spirit knight whose spirit is currently not present.”
“Reinhard van Astrea of the Sword Saint family.”
Reinhard took a step forward as he introduced himself. Beside him, Subaru winked at Emilia and then pointed to Regulus, his expression hardening.
“I object to this wedding! I’ll be taking that bride!”
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