Chapter 150: Side Story 6 

“Good morning, Alexa. And you too, Ysildus.”

At Essellia’s calm greeting, Alexa looked startled. Of course, she hadn’t expected a normal reaction from the wolves of Thersion, but still, a warm hug, or at least a ‘We were worried about you,’ didn’t seem too much to ask.

“Yes, Mother. And you look well, Father.”

Unlike Alexa, Ysildus appeared completely unfazed, as if this were the most natural thing in the world. Terrun sat there pouting as he ate, not even glancing in Ysildus’s direction, much less acknowledging his presence. Ironically, it was Jeremiah who greeted Ysildus with a smile.

“Did you come back safe and sound? No injuries?”

And that warm smile was just a bonus.

Right, she had Jeremiah too. Alexa wasn’t the only normal person in this strange country. A small wave of relief washed over her.

‘So it wasn’t just me reacting weirdly!’

Whether she realized it or not, Essellia turned to Alexa, whom she’d just seen the day before, and spoke to her fondly.

“Did you have any nice dreams last night? Was your bed comfortable? Or perhaps someone unexpected returned yesterday?”

“Oh, I slept well. And… I was always hoping he’d come back someday.”

Alexa muttered, sneaking a glance at Ysildus while pressing her puffy eyelids as if trying to will them back to normal.

‘Did I cry too much yesterday?’

She took a gulp of cold water for no real reason.

“…Alexa, you’re still growing, you know. You need to eat well and sleep soundly. I worry someone’s disturbing your rest.”

“I-I’m already grown up, Your Grace…”

Essellia looked at her with a mystified expression before sliding a bowl in front of her.

“Well, who can say for sure? Terrun apparently grew another centimeter this month.”

Alexa stared at Terrun with a face full of betrayal.

‘You… you did?’

Why did it feel like she was the only one stuck in place while everyone else kept growing? No way… Jeremiah too? She turned to Jeremiah with a hopeful, searching look.

“You didn’t grow taller too, did you?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Jeremiah gave an awkward little laugh.

“…What, you did too?!”

Do kids in this world just never stop growing?! Alexa chewed her food with an expression of injustice. She’d eat more than usual today. What else could she do in the face of this unfairness?

While Alexa was reluctantly swept up by Essellia and began her meal, Essellia and Ysildus exchanged glances. Even Carlisle cast a gentler-than-usual look at Ysildus.

“Now that I’ve returned,” Ysildus’s eyes curved in a soft smile, “It’s time for certain people to go back.”

His gaze landed on Jeremiah, who returned the look with a smile of his own.

“I’m not ready yet, Ysildus. I’ve been here quite a while, you know. It’s not easy wrapping things up so quickly.”

Ysildus let out a dry chuckle. As if he didn’t know Jeremiah was just buying time. Still, he wasn’t about to get into a fight with Jeremiah in front of Alexa.

His eyes now turned to Alexa, who was munching away with complete focus. The look he gave her was indescribably tender, entirely different from the one he’d given Jeremiah.

“We should probably get married soon.”

“Cough!”

Alexa choked as if the words had gone down the wrong pipe. What kind of breakfast conversation was this?! Her cheeks flushed red. Of course, they had been preparing for the wedding while he was away under Essellia’s direction, no less. Buying things, then buying more, and more…

‘Wait. Was that really wedding prep? Or just shopping?’

As that thought hit her, Essellia spoke up.

“Speaking of which, your wedding dress is on its way from the Magic Kingdom.”

Alexa finally learned the whereabouts of her dress.

“M-My wedding dress?”

“Well, whose else would it be…? Oh, or do you think Ysildus should wear it again? If that’s what you want, we can arrange it.”

Before she could stop herself, Alexa imagined Ysildus in a wedding gown. His handsome features, broad shoulders, steadily growing height, those long limbs… 

She gave a strained smile.

Of course, he’d look good in it. He always did. He could wear anything and pull it off like it was made for him. But… she really didn’t want to see that kind of heart-stopping image again.

“No, no!”

And when it came to the actual wedding, she wanted it to be like everyone else’s. 

“Alexa, you don’t have to force yourself.”

Essellia smiled gently.

“I really, really want to wear the wedding dress, Your Grace!”

Her heartfelt plea seemed to reach Essellia.

“Is that so? I’m glad. Honestly, tailoring a gown to fit Ysildus would’ve been tough. Dresses made in the Magic Kingdom are considered the best, but reservations are almost impossible to get. I managed to push through once before, but…”

Alexa didn’t even want to know how she managed that. She just nodded with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“We’ll just need to adjust the size a little. Alexa, I’m sure you’ll look stunning. You’ll be the most beautiful bride in the world.”

At the time, Alexa still hadn’t realized it. Somehow, without really meaning to, she had ended up officially engaged.

All she could think about was how she’d successfully secured her wedding dress. It was such a peaceful, ordinary morning. The scene felt so natural, she could hardly believe someone had ever been missing from it.

* * *

Ysildus walked alongside Alexa.

“Where are you headed?”

“I’m helping Lord Karrolf today.”

“Ah.”

Ysildus offered a smile that looked like it had been sketched by hand. Alexa had clearly been keeping busy in his absence. Whatever she was doing, if it made her happy, he had no intention of stopping her, so long as she didn’t overdo it.

“I’ll only be at the clinic in the morning. I have class with Teacher Brillia this afternoon.”

“Brillia?”

“I’m studying advanced healing magic. And I need to report what happened at the clinic.”

“What happened there?”

Ysildus asked casually. As if he’d never been gone, he slipped right back into her life without missing a beat. A few steps behind, Terrun scowled.

“Why the hell did that d**n demon have to come back so fast?”

“Right?”

Jeremiah wasn’t thrilled about the situation either. The things he wanted to achieve would take more time. He couldn’t give up, so he would keep trying while he could. He had already spent a lonely childhood. He wasn’t about to go through that again.

“Would’ve been better if he’d come back later.”

“You know… I really do like you more than Ysildus.”

“Even now?”

Terrun gave a quick nod, arms folded across his firm chest as he glared at the back of Ysildus’s head.

“Why does he get to walk next to Alexa?”

He could still clearly see the sharp fangs Ysildus had bared at him, shoving him out of the way.

“He’s gotten even more aggressive since coming back from the battlefield.”

Terrun grumbled under his breath.

“What, like he’s the only one who went to war? I fought too…”

Suddenly, Ysildus turned and shot him a glare. The icy stare made Terrun bite his lip as if he’d never said a word. A second later, Ysildus’s expression softened again, as if nothing had happened.

“D**n demon…”

Jeremiah gave Terrun a sidelong glance.

Still, Ysildus was relatively kind to Terrun. Compared to how he treated him, that glare was practically affectionate.

[“He said he had so much to prepare, so why is he tagging along? What, did someone slather honey on Alexa or something?”]

The fierce look on his face made it clear that he would never let Alexa become that honey.

[“Honey? Please. After all the grace I’ve received from Thersion, it’s only right I repay it somehow. And it’s not like I’m doing the actual prep work, my human aides are. I just need to wait. So I’m paying my dues in the meantime. Do you know how much volunteer work I’ve been doing?”]

Ysildus’s eyes narrowed, ready to call out his nonsense until Alexa came to Jeremiah’s defense. She explained that he’d been a great help at the clinic. They needed every hand they could get, and she was grateful to have him.

[“Don’t be too harsh on him, Ysildus. He’ll be gone soon, just like you said. You can afford to be a little nicer in the meantime.”]

Of course, Jeremiah had known she was approaching and had played the part of the poor little kitten accordingly. His gaze grew more intense.

Alexa. Ysildus. Terrun.

He didn’t want to lose anything he was being given now. Once again, Jeremiah reaffirmed his dangerous resolve.

……

T/N: Once you have everything you’ve wished for, it’s difficult to just let go