Chapter 55 of Gaiden. The form of love
2023.02.21.
“Aidan!”
Startled, Mabel hugged Aidan, but his face, filled with pain, showed no sign of straightening.
During that short period of time, his complexion deteriorated, and he was breaking out in a cold sweat.
Mabel helped Aidan, who was about to collapse, in a seemingly unusual state.
thud. thud. thud!
Meanwhile, the sound of footsteps approaching the prison grew louder by the minute.
“what. Who is there!”
“…!”
No matter how much he is the emperor, if he is in the place where the body of the criminal disappeared, he will not be able to avoid a commotion.
Besides, if Emily and Enrique’s existence was discovered, things would get out of control.
Mabel hurriedly activated Yelium before the prison guards knew what they were.
Eventually, the prison door opened wide, and what greeted them was the half-destroyed wall, the blowing sea wind, and an empty coffin.
“The body of the sinner is gone!”
An unprecedented case of body theft that took place in Abysus, which is said to be an impenetrable fortress!
This was a shocking event that shocked the whole of Ermano.
***
Aidan’s bedroom was desolate even though it was the emperor’s official letter.
Mabel’s hand was buried everywhere, but it looked empty because the owner’s indifference was revealed.
The three looked down seriously at Aidan, who was lying on the bed. Mabel asked as she stroked Yang’s head.
“Sheep. how is it?”
[Ummm…]
“Why aren’t you talking?”
[You’ll be fine.]
Yang had expected this situation after hearing about Mabel and Aidan’s plan.
I was not in a position to dare to argue with God’s decision, so I watched in silence, but in the end, this kind of madness took place.
The imperial physician visited, but could not make a proper diagnosis. Mabel bit her lower lip and looked down at Aidan’s pale face.
‘I guess so. Aidan isn’t just a human.’
I can’t help but watch Aidan suffer.
I couldn’t help myself feel so helpless.
Meanwhile, it was quite noisy outside.
“Your Excellency, Duke Javier. There are people who want to see Your Excellency.”
It wasn’t hard to predict what was going to happen. Because they were the root cause of the work.
said Emily, patting Mabel on the shoulder.
“I think we should hold a family meeting.”
“huh. talk later.”
“Call me when the Grand Duke wakes up. My brother…”
“I’m fine, so go.”
When Emily leaves, the only ones left in Aidan’s bedroom are Yangyang, Mabel, and Enrique.
Mabel sat by the bed and looked down at Aidan.
‘I said it was okay.’
Even though he knew he was a god, Aidan had no will to regain his power.
Aidan suddenly made a decision to restore his status, at least partially. for yourself.
Naturally, Mabel, who heard the story, worried about him.
“If you partially recover your status, your authority will be released. Then the influence that can interfere with the world becomes stronger.”
“Isn’t it dangerous? Are you okay?”
“yes.”
I thought it would be really okay to answer without hesitation.
It wasn’t that I didn’t know that Aidan was blind to me.
He could understand why Aidan collapsed after hearing Yang’s words.
It is true that God can intervene in the world. However, all interventions eventually follow causation.
Just as the god Ades paid the price 500 years ago by arranging the future.
‘Just get up. Don’t leave me alone.’
Mabel waited for Aidan to wake up.
And Enrique stayed by Mabel’s side until the end.
***
The interrupted Javier family meeting was held again.
The atmosphere in the conference hall was quite upbeat.
“How can something like this happen? A body stolen!”
“I thought that the Abysus fortress prison would be breached!”
The vassals heard the news that Kietro’s body had disappeared and were astonished.
“Did there be at least one boat anchored at Abysus Island that day?”
“no! Isn’t that the problem?”
“Couldn’t it be the work of the wizards? Recently, the development of magic tools has been made by leaps and bounds, so you might have invented a mobile magic tool that extends to Abysus.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. It is speculation.”
“You don’t know what people do, do you?”
Emily watched with a cold face as the vassals fought fervently, with blood clots around their necks.
The face of the head of the house was cold, but on the inside, it was thrilling to the point of dying.
who knows
The fact that Chietro, who had disappeared, would be resurrected as a Demon Beast and wander the Abysus Sea forever.
After a long discussion, a conclusion was reached.
“Anyway, I can’t hold a funeral.”
“The head of the house must be heartbroken too.”
The retainers comforted Emily. She didn’t feel any heartache, but Emily put on a sad face.
“okay. Isn’t that something that can’t be helped?”
That’s how Kietro’s funeral was skipped over because it was ‘unavoidable’.
The ending does not openly turn a blind eye to the death of the father, but neither does the funeral of the guilty person.
It was like taking two things: external impression and personal revenge.
Everything came true as the Javier siblings hoped.
***
Aidan opened his eyes slowly.
He frowned at the fact that it was an unfamiliar place, but when he realized that this was his bedroom, he let out a low saliva.
It was because I was always in Mabel’s bedroom, so my bedroom was awkward.
I wasn’t feeling well. Since he paid the price for intervening in the world with a body that was not even a perfect god, there was no way he could recover quickly.
“Are you awake?”
As he turned his head to the place where the voice came from, a well-groomed Enrique approached him.
“…What about Mabel?”
“His Majesty has been away for a while to observe the regular meeting.”
“Right.”
An understandable silence passed.
From one day on, it was not a natural situation because we avoided situations where only the two of us were left.
Enrique, who thought he would leave soon after confirming that he had woken up, continued to hold his seat, and in the end, Aidan spoke first.
“Do you have anything to say?”
“There is something I want to ask you.”
“what?”
“The Grand Duke of Aserad. Why did you help me?”
“I didn’t help you.”
It was not worth the price for Enrique.
Aidan’s actions were all because of Mabel.
Mabel hoped.
That alone was worth the move.
Even if it wasn’t for Mabel herself, she didn’t care if it was for someone else.
“Are you saying that everything was done for His Majesty?”
“okay. You must feel the same way.”
“yes.”
Enrique had no intention of hiding his feelings.
It was a strong feeling that would stand out even if you pretended not to and hid it.
I can’t erase this feeling even if I deny it.
“As the Grand Duke knows, Your Majesty is my savior.”
Enrique grew up watching his father who was only greedy for wealth and fame.
Chietro was a man who used his wife and children as tools for his own ends.
Wasn’t he the one who, despite the death of his wife, was angry at the fact that he could no longer give birth to a child for an arranged marriage?
Keith said.
“You are my son.”
“No matter what anyone says, you are my blood. Do you understand?”
Kietro instilled in his young son that he was his son even as he stabbed his hand to vent his anger.
Seeing that, Enrique thought.
‘Since I am my father’s son, the same blood must flow through me.’
The days when I worked hard because I didn’t want to become a person like my father.
It was like that in the past, but not now.
At some point, Enrique, who had been living under his father’s shadow and could not escape, did not even think of the existence of his father.
‘It’s all thanks to you.’
my majesty.
my light.
“Bugs are out of business now. So, Enrique, don’t cry.”
The center that firmly held him who was about to scatter.
“Because Enrique is the prettiest when he smiles.”
The kind touch and warmth that patted the back of his hand with a small hand for a long time.
You who looked at me as a good person. Every time I stood in front of him, I felt like I had become a really good person.
“Don’t worry, Archduke. Nothing you worry about will happen.”
“…”
“Because His Majesty has a heart for the Grand Duke.”
The days of being heartbroken at the fact that I didn’t agree with Mabel are over.
Enrique’s love was no different from everyday life.
Doing it naturally, like breathing.
Because it was such a life, the reason didn’t matter anymore.
“I don’t think of getting this heart in return.”
“How could that be?”
At Aidan’s question that he couldn’t understand, Enrique smiled lightly.
“There is such love in the world, grand duke.”
Love has many forms.
Someone might say it’s a lie to say that if the other person is happy, it’s okay not to be reciprocated.
Enrique was sincere.
***
The reason I wanted to exist in the state of a fallen god all along was because I wanted to be subordinate to Mabel forever.
There was a reason why Aidan decided to restore his dignity.
A firm belief that no matter what happens, you will never abandon me.
I had that belief.
As soon as the late evening meeting was over, Mabel, who arrived at Aidan’s bedroom, gave a meaningless knock and opened the door.
“braided!”
Suddenly, Aidan’s expression turned serious when he saw the pushed object.
“…doll?”
“It’s a hospitality gift.”
“thank you.”
First of all, I received it, but the shape was a little… I was taken aback. It was a doll that seemed familiar or unfamiliar.
“What is it?”
“The sheep doll released this time. Is not it cute?”
“…yes.”
Aidan roughly tossed the doll somewhere on the bed.
As part of Aidan’s Awakening Dried Emotions project, Mabel often gave gifts such as flowers or cufflinks, but this time the item seemed to be a doll.
Mabel opened the window to ventilate the bedroom and sat down on the bed.
Looking at Mabel’s bright expression without any sign of anger, Aidan finally asked first.
“Aren’t you upset?”
“what. Do you want to be scolded?”
…changed?
Mabel looked at her strangely. Aidan silently shook his head.
Aidan had been asleep for a week.
At first, Mabel was furious when she learned that Aidan had lied to her.
However, the longer Aidan didn’t wake up, the more his feelings faded.
After that, all that was left was a desperate wish for me to wake up.
He lied, but he knew it was all for his own sake.
“I’ve already had enough anger. What did I secretly do while Aidan was sleeping?”
“What did you do?”
“secret.”
“…”
“I woke up safely, so that’s it.”
The bright smile on her face was gone and Mabel was wrapped in Aidan’s arms with tears in her eyes.
“But next time, don’t take it all by yourself.”
“…yes.”
“I’ll be really mad next time.”
“yes.”
“What do you mean get angry…”
Aidan smiled lightly and wrapped his arms around Mabel’s grunting little body.
***
As the night progressed, Mabel yawned and stood up.
“Goodnight Aidan.”
Iman tried to take a step back to his bedroom, but failed.
“You should sleep together.”
Aidan grabbed Mabel’s fingertips.
Mabel burst into laughter at the timid gesture of holding hands rather than holding hands.
“Aidan. The patient needs to rest.”
“I think I’ll get better faster with you.”
“Excuses.”
Despite giving him a scolding, Mabel meekly lay down next to Aidan. Aidan gave me an arm pillow and covered me with a blanket.
“I don’t know who’s welcome.”
Mabel touched Aidan’s face, which was still disfigured but still handsome.
Thinking of waiting for him to wake up for a week, the moment we were facing each other was precious.
Aidan, who grabbed Mabel’s hand on my cheek, started playing with it.
Mabel, who was looking at her husband like that, proposed with a smile.
“When it’s all better, let’s go secretly play again.”
“Where do you want to go?”
“I want to go to the desert once…”
“I need to clean up the desert beast.”
“Stop it…”
Mabel calmed down Aidan, who was about to go to the desert and subdue the beast.
I tried to sleep, but I couldn’t fall asleep. After closing her eyes for quite some time, Mabel opened her eyes and met Aidan’s eyes, who were still looking at her.
“Is there anything you want to say to Aidan?”
Aidan remembered what Enrique had said to him.
Watching and wishing you happiness is my love. He said he didn’t want an answer.
If so, Aidan’s love was greed and patience.
The desire to only look at me and to endure the urge.
“Mabel.”
When Aidan called his name in a low voice, Mabel answered with a smile.
“huh.”
Aidan let his feelings out.
“i love you.”
“What is it? suddenly.”
Big hum. big big After clearing her throat for a long time, Mabel mumbled softly as her head hit Aidan’s chest.
“I love you too, Aidan.”
It was so lovely that Aidan felt his chest tighten.
“…I didn’t hear that.”
Mabel noticed Aidan’s intentions with the sword, but had no intention of moving as she wished.
“I hope you haven’t heard.”
“one more time.”
“I hate it, it’s embarrassing.”
“I can say anything.”
“Aidan is Aidan and I am me!”
“The couple said they were one body.”
“Then why are you sneakily holding hands? Did you forget that Aidan is a patient?”
“All is well.”
“lie.”
“You will get better soon.”
“Yes, go to sleep quickly. Sneaky husband.”
Even after that, the two of them did not fall asleep and talked for a long time in whispers.
.
.
.
A conversation that has stopped.
The moonlight filtering through the window became a blanket over the sleeping couple facing each other while only the regular sound of breathing could be heard.
It was a warm and cozy night.
-Abduction End-
