Chapter 69

"Ah, Oz, Ozv...!"

"What's the reason we came to this town?"

As she was asked while being released, Charlotte moved her mouth hesitantly.

"Charlotte"

"That... that is...!!"

Charlotte tightly closed her eyes and obediently answered as prompted.

"To receive the marriage... marr, marriage blessing magic...!"

"That's right. The marital bond between us is currently only a legal document recognized within this country."

Ozvalt and Charlotte are truly a married couple.

It was an unbelievable and awe-inspiring fact, as if all the happiness in the world had been condensed into it, but they were undoubtedly husband and wife.

However, that was only a legal procedure according to the country's laws, a way for the state to manage who was married to whom and which households they lived in as a family.

But in reality, that wasn't enough.

"Listen, I'll go over it again. Normally, marriage requires a double procedure. One is the legal process, which we completed while you were unconscious..."

"Y-Yes!! Thank you, I'm so happy!!"

When Ozvalt said 'while you were unconscious,' he was referring to a few months ago, when Charlotte's divine powers were sealed by Ozvalt.

Charlotte, who had been acting as a cruel saint, had her powers sealed by the king's order.

At that time, she also lost her memory, either due to the shock of the sealing or the impact of the memory loss.

During that time, Ozvalt had restrained Charlotte, brought her back to his mansion, and completed the legal marriage procedures at the royal castle.

"The remaining part is the other one. We need to receive the 'blessing' that proves our marital relationship through magic."

"The blessing magic to bless the marriage between Lord Ozvalt and me..."

"Exactly. Once we receive it, it will be clear to everyone, no matter where we go in the world, that we are husband and wife—Charlotte."

"......"

Of course, Charlotte understood why Ozvalt's gaze was piercing. She had tightly closed her eyes and covered her ears.

"Hey, why are you pretending not to hear!?"

"I, I can hear, I can hear, there's no way I can't hear!! Lord Ozvalt's voice reaching my ears is impossible even with the strictest soundproofing!! But, the destructive power of the words 'Lord Ozvalt and husband' is just too high...!!"

"For you, who have no memory, there hasn't been a moment since you woke up that you weren't my wife, right!? You're being stubborn!"

"Ah, please stop, please forgive me!! Oh, Lord Ozvalt is trying to incapacitate me...!!"

The two of them were screaming on the stone bridge, and passersby were looking at them curiously. None of them would have guessed that the two were the hero mage and the cruel saint.

"It's not that! I really, really like Lord Ozvalt... ugh..."

"......"

Ozvalt looked down at Charlotte, who was covering her face with her hands and sobbing.

"Whenever I try to accept the fact that I'm married to Lord Ozvalt, it's just too overwhelming... ugh, sniff..."

"A little while ago, you seemed happy to be my wife, didn't you?"

(Back then! Lord Ozvalt hated me, so even if I called myself his wife, it didn't feel real...!!)

She didn't say that out loud. After all, the kind Ozvalt felt guilty about being cold to Charlotte and had apologized many times for saying he hated her.

Even though Charlotte didn't mind at all, Ozvalt had repeatedly apologized for saying he hated her. So, to avoid bringing up the past, Charlotte kept quiet.

(The weight of calling myself 'wife' is completely different now! Because, the recent Lord Ozvalt... )

She widened the gap between her fingers and glanced at her beloved.

Then, the Ozvalt in front of her said with a pouting face,

"Didn't I at least look forward to the day we would receive the blessing as a married couple?"

"U... ugh..."

The words pierced her heart, and Charlotte instinctively pressed her left chest.

"A, ah...? Why is it dark in front of me...? And in the night sky above me, there are so many images of Lord Ozvalt since we met... there's one Ozvalt, two Ozvalts, three Ozvalts..."

"Charlotte? Hey, Charlotte, stay with me, don't stop breathing!! And don't use people as a unit of measurement!!"

Even before they had passed through the town gates, the two were already battered and bruised.

***

"...I will soon be able to meet you, Saint Charlotte."

A beautiful young man murmured as he quietly closed his book.

The black gloves he wore were adorned with exquisite golden embroidery. When he slowly removed the gloves, large hands with prominent veins and a somewhat rugged impression were revealed.

"I want to go and fetch you soon. To take your hand and bring you with me..."

He smiled and then narrowed his eyes, looking out the window.

"...Yeah, that's it."

When he ruffled his red hair, his deep-set eyes with long lashes were revealed. They were a deep blue.

"I have to make her mine before she gets tainted..."

He slowly drew the curtains, shrouding the room in dim light.