Davey wondered if this speed was what people meant by the blink of an eye.
"Rinne, since you’ve been here the whole time, you probably know when preparation started for this, don’t you?”
"Rinne evaluates tight-lipped operations highly.”
Rinne puffed out her chest and shook her head with an expressionless face. Despite the lack of emotion on her face, Davey could tell she was quite pleased with herself.
"Alright. It was something I was bound to do eventually... though I’m not sure if it’s the right thing to do," Davey murmured, eyes downcast as he became lost in thought.
As Davey stayed silent, Rinne approached him and gently placed a pure white flower in his chest pocket.
“Let's go.”
Davey realized there was no need to waste energy worrying. If it was something that had to be done anyway—if he wanted to see everyone in the passage—he figured there was no reason to hesitate.
"Let's go," Davey repeated. In response, Rinne picked up some random boxes and followed him, flying up into the air.
The Saintess's Sanctuary, prepared for the wedding, was filled with heroes waiting on the railings, just like the first time. Perserque was nowhere to be seen, likely assisting the two somewhere in the back.
Soon, Daphne, who was standing at the officiating table, pointed toward Davey.
“Hey, come and stand over here.”
“You’ve got quite the temper,” Davey replied, grumbling as he approached her. When he stood across from her, Daphne couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Congrats.”
"Thank you," Davey responded, not bothering to hide his emotions.
Daphne nodded, seemingly satisfied with his response. She leaned in close and whispered, “You really have high standards, don’t you? Even though you already have a wife, you’ve had relationships with some very beautiful girls.”
“It wasn’t intentional.”
“But that beastfolkman girl? I can see why.”
“What?”
“She’s like Rho Aias, with her elegant and pure atmosphere.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Tsk, tsk. You foolish bastard.”
Despite her teasing, Davey knew there was some truth to her words, so he didn’t argue. As he slowly turned his head, he saw two girls entering the passage of Saintess's Sanctuary.
"Ah..."
Davey stared at them in a daze as they walked in. They continued to walk with their gazes at their feet.
“Given the situation, I hope you can understand why we’re having the ceremony at the same time,” Daphne said, thinking that the situation was troublesome as she scratched the back of her head.
“How is she? So beautiful that you’re at a loss for words?”
“Yes.”
"Huh?" Daphne was taken aback by his straightforward response.
“Mute made the dresses.”
Mute, the hero who had taught Davey everything he knew about being a bard. As he turned around, he saw the small-sized fairy sitting quietly on one side. In addition to being a bard, she was a nymph from the continent of Peslisa, just like Rho Aias. She had told him that she didn’t care whatever else he did, but she didn’t want him to sing. As they looked at each other, she waved back at him quietly.
“Davey,” Illyna called softly.
"Ah...Mhmm."
“How... do I look?” she asked, nervously fidgeting with her white dress.
Davey wondered if she was shy or nervous about herself. He knew there was only one thing he had to say in response.
“You look good.”
“...”
“You look beautiful. Really.”
Ilina frowned slightly at his first response but then smiled at the following words.
Aeria, wearing a veil, then cautiously approached. Her dress was different from Illyna’s, exuding a cute and dreamy charm rather than pure beauty.
“Aeria, you look lovely too.”
“So, have you decided what to do?”
“On what?”
“The first night as a married couple,” Perserque asked. “You married not one, but two people at the same time. How are you planning to handle the first night?”
Davey fell silent, caught in the ambiguity of the situation. The first night was an important tradition, a way to consummate the vows made as a couple.
“Hah... Do you remember our first night?” Davey asked. She then smiled as she reminisced about their night.
“Oh, yes. We were so nervous, we didn’t know what to do.”
Perserque, who had pretended to be calm, had been so anxious that she didn’t even think to remove the cork from the wine bottle properly—she ended up blowing off the tip with her hand. The two had hesitated, almost as if they were meeting for the first time, drinking wine and gauging each other’s thoughts before finally giving in to the atmosphere.
“It’s different this time. You may be nervous, but it’s not your first time.”
She smiled warmly as she stroked his cheek.
“So, don’t make them embarrassed. Just give them an enchanting night. If you truly love your wives, love them even more than you do now.”
That was, of course, a given. But he had other concerns.
“The problem is that spending the first night with both of them at the same time is a bit... unusual.”
“It’s not something I had considered before, but I suppose if you spend time with one the other might feel left out. Even if they say it’s alright, who knows how that might affect things down the line.”
Ironically enough, both Illyna and Aeria had been willing to give up the first night to the other, neither making a move to claim it for themselves. But then Perserque, unable to stand the awkwardness, had dropped a bombshell suggestion of sharing the night together.
The impact of that suggestion had been immense. Aeria and Illyna, understanding what she meant, had frozen on the spot, faces turning a deep shade of red. Yet they hadn’t rejected the idea, perhaps seeing it as the only fair way for each other.
Davey got the impression that his opinion on it didn’t matter. Even a king with dozens of concubines rarely had two in the same bedroom at the same time. It was almost unheard of! He wasn’t trying to be some Casanova.
“If there’s no precedent, just set one. Remember what I told you? Don’t worry about the world’s prejudices, just do what’s right for the four of us. Do things the way we want to.”
Just because others did things a certain way didn’t mean they had to follow suit. They were doing things the way they did because they wanted to, not because they had to.
Davey looked down at his wine glass and took a sip, even though he had sworn off drinking.
“Want to join?” he asked playfully, trying to lighten the mood.
“Keep talking if you want to die.”
“So sensitive...” Davey muttered, though he knew it was just her way of easing the tension.
“Today isn’t about me,” she said, giving him a quick kiss before pulling away. “It’s not too hard to give up just one day.”
She then pushed him and said, "Alright, then. I wish you luck.”
He left her smiling face and headed toward the bedroom where Aeria and Illyna were waiting. As he walked down the hallway, his thoughts raced concerning whether this was really okay to do. He knew it was pointless to overthink things now, but he still felt uneasy.
Glancing outside, he saw Rinne struggling with a wine bottle while Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon reached out to grab it.
“Red Ribbon wants to drink!”
“Blue Ribbon is curious too!”
“Rinne... determines that alcohol is bad for growth! Rinne values confiscation highly!”
“I don’t like you!”
“Blue Ribbon is leaving!”
Davey found the sight of the two children causing a ruckus while Rinne tried to stop them, breaking out in a cold sweat, amusing. He figured they were probably just curious about the taste of alcohol.
He then wondered what it would be like if he just lived here for the rest of his life. This place with its isolated time zone didn’t seem so bad. As long as he was happy, that was enough. Here, with Perserque, Illyna, and Aeria; this was his reality.
With those complicated thoughts swirling in his mind, Davey reached the door to their bedroom and slowly opened it. He could sense their presence inside. As he quietly stepped in, their eyes met his. He saw two figures hurriedly adjusting themselves in the atmosphere lit by candlelight.
The two reminded him of his own awkwardness when he had spent his first night with Perserque, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Are you two building something?”
ChubbyCheeks & FriedNook's Thoughts
Editorb’s Thought
Daphne going to bed after all her wedding pranks and hazing:
Bonus points to the readers who can recognize my own little touch to the chapter. Here’s a big hint: