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The translucent girl flickered in the air like a mirage.

She swayed like thin silk fluttering in the wind, ephemeral as if she would vanish the moment someone reached out to touch her.

Her skin was so pale it verged on ghostly, pretty yet lacking life, resembling a doll.

The girl swayed in the air, adorned in a pure white wedding dress that was whiter than her snow-white eyes.

It was as if she were a jellyfish lying at the bottom of a shallow sea, gazing around.

“Ugh-!”

“Haha, Lord William, you seem to be enjoying this too much. After all, how could anyone resist such a beautiful bride? But please, bear with it. Once the feast is over and you are together forever, each day will be as sweet as honey; how could you not wait for that?”

“Ugh-!”

“Desire must be controlled. Whether excessive or inadequate, it leads to disharmony and ruin. You must understand the virtue of moderation and strive to maintain a harmonious and happy home.”

Thomas stated this and emphasized once more.

“Forever.”

Though it was merely a repetition of a short word, there was a strange power behind it.

A weight seemed to bind the two very different souls together.

Then Thomas began to act, as if to demonstrate that his words were not mere rhetoric.

Thwack!

He plunged a sharp metal object into his own body.

It was akin to a nail.

He endured the pain of the nail piercing his flesh.

No, it didn’t end with simply inserting it; he twisted the nail around entirely.

Thus, he widened the wound he created, and when he deemed it sufficient, he withdrew the nail.

“Now, Lord William, let’s begin the wedding.”

With a benevolent smile, he walked towards William.

He manipulated the blood flowing from the hole in his own body, forming it into threads that he then inserted into William’s clothing.

Once inside, the threads clung to his skin as if woven into the fabric, clustering and solidifying to create a framework that rigidly secured William’s body. The compact, viscous textile filled the gaps between the framework, enveloping him, and soon lines mimicking human muscle began to emerge on the surface.

“Ugh-!”

William, perhaps displeased with something strange cloaking his body, voiced his protest, but nobody paid him any mind.

Thus, William was forcibly clad in a bodysuit made of his own blood, moving not by his own will but according to Thomas’s command.

“Now, I shall release you.”

Despite being freed from his bindings, William could not move even a finger at his own behest.

He was left with no choice but to surrender his movements to the bodysuit’s artificial muscles.

“Ugh-!”

William lamented the inability to move freely even after being released, protesting in vain.

Yet, his protests bore no real significance.

His gag was still firmly in place, after all.

He could only emit sounds that were more akin to animalistic grunts thanks to the gag.

“Bastard! Stop it!”

William could only silently scream within himself.

Curses, protests, laments—

None of those thoughts could materialize into words due to the firm gag about his mouth.

Thus, he trudged towards the door.

Subjected to the manipulation of the bodysuit.

However, from an outside perspective, the way he moved appeared to be that of a splendid groom.

The bodysuit remained hidden beneath the garments he wore, its size and volume insignificant enough not to make him look plump. Moreover, aside from the gag, his face was quite presentable.

His hair was neatly combed, and he had even been lightly made up.

Without the gag, he resembled any ordinary, eager newlywed.

His face, flushed from anger, appeared to be blush from excitement over the wedding, and his awkward movements looked like the nervousness of facing a monumental life event, while the slight discomfort from the gag made his breaths come a tad rougher, typical of a groom anticipating a beautiful bride.

“What a splendid groom you are. Ah, how touching it is to see that small boy grow up so well.”

Thomas said, looking at William’s appearance with a hint of nostalgia.

He gazed into space, as if reminiscing about William’s childhood, and looked at the grown William with a sense of gentle pride.

“Now, it’s time for the bride.”

Thomas moved closer to the carrier, gesturing for the ghost to recognize that it was her turn.

Then, the girl’s ghost, with a blank expression, slowly began to move in the air.

Like clouds drifting in the sky, she floated lightly.

The girl glided gracefully, resembling a jellyfish moving through the sea, the hem of her wedding dress undulating in the air as she slowly made her way toward the door.

Thus, the groom and bride positioned themselves at the door, and the wedding began.

As the ceremony commenced, they walked down the Virgin Road in order, reaching Thomas.

“Here, today, stands the boy and girl who promised eternal love in their youth.”

As the two stood before him, Thomas began his officiating address.

His face held the emotion of witnessing a child growing up to start a family; he wished nothing but happiness for them as if he were a father figure.

He genuinely blessed their future and was grateful to be able to preside over their union.

“The fierce tempests of time that carve mountains and mold the shapes of rivers. The society that seeks to change people by throwing all sorts of trials at them. And even the not-so-kind neighbors… They’ve faced countless trials, unannounced and relentless.”

Only kindness.

All that filled his heart was kindness.

“But through all their trials, this couple has not lost their love; they never ceased to think of and long for one another. They treasured their love like a jewel, holding it dear even as other things faded and were crushed; they safeguarded it without a single scratch, finally standing here today.”

Thomas gazed at them.

William, bound by a gag, glowering at him.

Beatrice, floating in the air with a blank expression.

What a well-matched pair they made.

“Some say that humans are but halves, searching for their missing halves to become whole. And they say that when they finally unite, it is called love. Just like that, people become whole through love, and two individuals who were once different become one. And now, there stand two who will join to become this perfect unity.”

William had once lost his other half.

The pastel hue of his youthful love had been horrifically stained crimson, and the acrid smell of blood continued to plague him.

Through this ordeal, William may have lived a life of suffering, never finding a new half, perpetually passing on that suffering to others.

“Even if they become a complete whole, challenges will not cease to exist. Differences between those who have lived distinct lives create conflicts. But I believe. The two, who have endured every trial to stand here, will weather any storms ahead. Even if they hurt one another due to their differences and create struggles, they shall undoubtedly overcome.”

Beatrice vanished, carrying love away with her.

The pastel color of love faded into black alongside death, as if it would disperse into dust and disappear from the world.

Forgotten in everyone’s memory, leaving nothing but the strong scent of blood from its other half, it seemed to fade away.

Yet now.

The two had come together once more.

“Now, I declare that the groom and bride have pledged their vows before the great Creator and his angelic presence, Barachiel, as well as the four who aided in bringing the groom here, and the esteemed Jinseong Park, who stepped forth to shine a light on this occasion. Therefore, I will announce the declaration of marriage, and I ask for your blessings!”

With an exuberant voice, Thomas shouted.

Though there was no microphone, his joyful voice echoed throughout the church, prompting Jinseong to clap—clap—clap.

Whoosh—

Moreover, the evil spirits left with only their heads also blessed the couple.

Unable to clap, they moved their lips to whistle in celebration, wearing sinister grins that seemed to stretch their faces, delightfully happy.

“Now, groom and bride, face each other.”

As the applause and whistling ceased, Thomas positioned William and Beatrice to gaze upon each other.

“Now, today, the groom and bride will become one.”

“Ugh-!”

“Dear groom, I ask you. Will you love the bride, even as your body crumbles and your lifespan wanes, through all challenges and despair?”

William clenched his mouth tightly.

It was the only rebellion he could muster.

Yet, his defiance bore no fruit.

Whether he replied or not made no difference.

“Groom, I ask again. You may face many temptations ahead. Beautiful women may appear; someone could seduce you for gain. Will you remain chaste for the sake of the bride amid all those temptations?”

William, too, remained silent at that question.

Yet, despite his silence, the vows continued.

Unperturbed.

“Now, bride, I ask you. Will you love and honor the groom forever, even as your soul crumbles and turns to dust?”

The girl smiled upon hearing Thomas’s question.

It was a smile like that of the moon.

So faint it seemed it might disappear at any moment… Yet, it held within it light and warmth.

Beatrice broke into a smile and moved her lips slowly.

[ Yes. ]

I swear.

Forever.

The girl vowed.

To be with William eternally.

Forever.

 

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