Chapter 300: Karma (XVIII)

Night had fallen over the capital.

A gentle breeze stirred the flowers in the royal gardens, carrying the faint perfume of roses and moon-bloom lilies.

Lanterns glowed softly along the paths, their light reflecting in the still waters of the fountain.

And there I was, lying across Isabella’s lap.

Her fingers trailed slowly through my hair, combing lazily as she gazed up at the stars above. Neither of us spoke for a while, content with the quiet and each other’s warmth.

“…It’s beautiful tonight,” she murmured at last, her voice low, almost tender.

“Mhm,” I hummed, my eyes half-closed.

“But not as beautiful as the queen staring at them.”

Her hand stilled, then gave my hair a sharp tug.

“Hmph~. Sweet words again.” She pouted faintly, but her cheeks carried the soft glow of satisfaction.

“Do you think I don’t know how easily you say them?”

I smirked faintly, tilting my head to look up at her.

“Then why are you blushing?”

Her emerald eyes darted away, and she pinched my cheek, hard.

“Y-you’re insufferable.”

I shifted a little, making myself heavier in her lap just to hear her sigh.

“Honestly…” Isabella pouted, flicking my forehead with her finger.

“You’re heavier than you look.”

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow lazily. “That’s funny. Weren’t you just clinging to me this morning, saying you didn’t want to let me go?”

“T-that’s different!” Her cheeks flushed faintly.

I smirked slightly.

“Different how?”

She pinched my nose.

“Different because I say so. That’s enough.”

I chuckled, tugging lightly on a strand of her hair.

“Queen’s orders, huh?”

“Exactly.” She puffed her chest out proudly, though the effect was ruined by the way her lips curled into a playful smile.

“And you’re obliged to obey.”

“Obey, sure…” I muttered, closing my eyes again.

Her fingers threaded through my hair again, softer this time. For a while, the only sound was the whisper of leaves rustling in the night breeze.

Then… her hand on the grass twitched faintly, her smile faltered, and when I opened my eyes, her expression had shifted.

“Aestrea…” she called softly, her expression was a little serious.

“Mhm?”

Her emerald eyes glistened under the starlight, unguarded for once. She bit her lip, pushing back a strand of her hair behind her ear, and with a little hesitation, she asked:

“…Will you marry me?”

At her words, I frowned slightly without meaning to.

The change in my expression was small, but Isabella caught it immediately. Her smile faltered, and her eyes dimmed.

Before she could speak, I let out a quiet sigh.

“Isabella… you’re aware I already have other lovers. And one of them is still in the Divine Realm.”

Her eyes lowered, lashes trembling, though she didn’t pull away.

I shifted, wrapping an arm around her waist and rolling us gently until my back rested against the soft, cool grass.

Isabella landed softly against my chest, her breasts flattening against my chest.

“…So,” I murmured, stroking her hair, “I was simply waiting. Waiting until everyone was gathered, so there could be one wedding… whole, complete.”

Her lips parted, as if to argue, but instead she buried her face against me.

My hand patted her head lightly, fingers combing through her black hair. I leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead.

She inhaled shakily, then exhaled against my chest, clutching at my robe like a spoiled child.

“…Idiot,” she whispered, her voice muffled. “You could’ve just said that instead of making me nervous.”

I chuckled softly.

“Would you believe me if I said I enjoyed watching your face turn red?”

“Hmph…” She pouted, lifting her head just enough for me to see the faint blush blooming across her cheeks.

“…I’ll forgive you. But only if you promise I’ll be the first bride to walk down that aisle.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her words.

“That…” I shook my head, smirking faintly.

“You girls are the ones deciding that on your own.”

Her cheeks puffed in an adorable pout.

“Coward. You just don’t want to make enemies.”

“Smart man, you mean,” I corrected, brushing a strand of her hair away from her face.

“I’d rather let the lionesses fight amongst themselves than jump into the middle.”

“Hmph… you’re only getting away with that because I like you too much.” She poked a finger into my chest, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her mood.

We lay there in the garden, talking idly about nothing, from her favorite foods, the ridiculous way one of the palace maids tripped yesterday, to the constellations overhead.

Her voice softened bit by bit, slowly getting more and more drowsy.

“…Aestrea…” she mumbled, curling against me like a cat, “you better… not make me wait too long.”

“I won’t,” I whispered back.

But by then, her breathing had evened, her lips parted in the peaceful rhythm of sleep.

I watched her face for a moment, the starlight brushing against her skin, and a quiet smile tugged at my lips.

She looked so calm, so unguarded… it was rare to see her like this.

Carefully, I began to shift, ready to scoop her into my arms and carry her back to her chambers.

But before I could even rise, a shimmer rippled in the air before me.

My smile froze.

A panel… familiar, yet dreaded, manifested in front of my eyes, glowing faintly with that oppressive light.

[…Would you like to peek into the future?]

My breath caught, a chill running down my spine.

“No….”

My gaze trembled as I stared at the words.

Another calamity was about to happen.

“Damn it…” I gritted my teeth.

Those damned glimpses into the future.

Every time they appeared, it was the same curse… tearing me out of peace, dragging me away from the fleeting warmth I managed to grasp.

Always at the worst fucking moments!

Not once had they appeared when I was ready, or when I needed them.

No… they always came to haunt me in moments like this, when I was happy, when I almost believed I could keep a peaceful life.

I hate it.

I hate that I can’t ignore it.

I hate that some part of me still leaned forward, desperate to know, desperate to prepare.

My jaw clenched as I stared at the panel, its glow reflecting against Isabella’s sleeping face. She was so peaceful… completely unaware of the storm raging within me.

“…Tsk,” I clicked my tongue softly, lowering my gaze.

“Why now, of all times?”

A long breath left me, shaking with frustration.

Slowly, I let my back sink deeper into the cool grass, grounding myself in the faint scent of the night-blooming flowers around us.

My hand found Isabella’s cheek, fingers trailing down gently, memorizing the softness of her skin.

I brushed away a stray lock of hair, kissed her forehead one last time, and whispered, barely audible to myself.

“I’ll carry this burden alone… as always.”

And then, with a grim acceptance burning in my chest, I extended my finger toward the hovering panel.

[Yes]

The world around me shuddered.

For a dizzy moment, I couldn’t feel Isabella at all.

Then a hot, sour bile rose in my throat.

“BLUUGHH!” I retched, the world tilting as an invisible force shoved me to my knees.

I looked forward, and my eyes widened…

A whole battlefield of blood.

Countless corpses… no… the corpses of countless gods spread across the ground, all of them having the familiar sword marks of my own technique.

…Does this mean that I failed?

“Aestrea, may I say that I’m very impressed with your strength?” a voice suddenly reached out.

In that instant, I realized that it was the same voice that was making such an oppressive force fall on my body.

“I didn’t expect you to kill so many gods during the invasion of the Nether into the Divine Realm, but as expected of those demons, tsk, tsk tsk…”

The voice teased him.

“They abandoned you! AHAHHAHAA!”

…I allied myself to the Nether… why?

Based on my knowledge, the Nether is the opposite of the Divine Realm, and instead of gods, there are Demon Gods.

“But I must say, I can’t believe that Yggdrasil and the [Midnight] sword bonded themselves to you. You really are a jack-in-a-box, aren’t you?”

“But of course, you can’t beat me, the Deity of Time, Chronos!” he declared proudly.

“You’re only a 5✯ True God, and thought that you could beat me? I must say that your arrogance is even bigger than mine!”

…I get it.

Maybe the ascension to the divine realm didn’t go that great.

“…But now, what are you thinking? Just because you are peeking into the future, does that mean that you can ignore me?”

Huh?

“Hah? What’s up with the surprised voice?”

I finally took a look at Chronos; his whole body was practically particles of glowing white, with a giant clock behind his back.

“…Y-you… n-noticed?”

“Of course I did! I’m not the God of Time for a reason, brat. But well, I don’t really care if you peek into the future, because no matter how many times you peek into it, you won’t be able to defeat this deity…” He laughed out loud.

“However… the power that you’re using is quite strange indeed.”

Crack…

“Ah… it seems that my time is over with you…” Chronos shook his head, clicking his tongue.

“But don’t worry, I’ll wait for you… after all, I have all the time in the world!”

“HAHAHHAHAHAHA!”

Slowly, my surroundings blackened… and then, a bright light filled my vision, causing me to shut my eyes.

And when I opened them…

I saw…

The Moon.

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