Chapter 139: Newlyweds

After proposing to the other girls, Ian came to see Syrah last. He was slightly taken aback by Syrah’s blunt attitude.

As the heir of the Assassin family, she already had all the information—about Ian’s promise to marry Stella and the fact that he was also proposing to the others.

“Why am I the last?” she asked.

“Are you upset because you were last?” Ian replied.

“Yes. I’m upset.”

“Well, maybe it’s more meaningful because you’re the last?”

Ian knew he was grasping at straws. What he was saying didn’t make much sense. You could almost hear a dog whistle in the silence that followed…

But Syrah’s reaction was unexpected. Whether she actually bought his excuse or just chose to accept it, she responded sincerely.

“Yes. Since I’m the last, it ‘is’ more meaningful.”

“Huh? Right.”

“So, Ian—my first was taken, but until this life wears out and fades into the other side of twilight… take care of me?”

She said this with a gentle laugh.

Ian nodded, realizing he had now proposed to everyone who had stayed by his side through everything.

***

“It’s not fair!”

“What isn’t?”

“I thought you were going to marry ‘me’!”

Ian, who had just handed out wedding invitations, quickly realized that sending them was just as emotionally exhausting as proposing.

He chuckled wryly. The only people he was truly close to were the women who, regardless of who he was—or the status of his family—wanted to be connected to him.

Aire, having just received an invitation to someone else’s wedding, stood in front of him with tears in her eyes, clearly upset.

“And! I’m your senior and your older sister, so why are you using casual speech!?”

“Wait, are you bringing up ‘that’ now…? Didn’t the academy already collapse?”

“Still! A senior is a senior, and an older sister is an older sister!”

“Are age and academic hierarchy more important than noble rank?”

“Ugh—!”

Ian’s blunt reply left Aire speechless. She often argued with him like this, but she knew he was right. In this world, noble titles held far more weight than age or seniority.

Aire was the daughter of a duke—but Ian was a marquis. And by marrying Stella, he would become the Duke of the Eritz family. A marquis and soon-to-be duke—he stood far above Aire in status.

“Still…!” she huffed.

When Ian had nothing left to say, Aire, overflowing with frustration, stomped her feet and gave in to her emotions.

Watching her tantrum, Ian gently patted her head, finding her outburst endearing. She was a head and a half shorter than him, so it was easy to do.

“Grr! Just wait! You better be ready!”

“Alright. I’ll see you at the wedding.”

As Aire stormed off, still kicking her feet in protest, Ian continued sending out invitations—to the Emperor, the Princess, the other four great dukes, and even X, whose name he couldn’t quite remember… and to his classmates.

After he was done, Ian realized how thin his personal network truly was. Most of the people he knew were from the academy, and 90% of them were women.

‘I don’t even have a single male friend… It’s not like this world is reversed between men and women, right?’

It just so happened that he never formed bonds with any men. 

With that thought, Ian returned home one final time—as demons had appeared and destroyed all of the Clark estate.

***

Arriving at the main house, Ian gazed down at the land, his mouth slightly agape.

Was it the power of a summon, or magic? Clark’s estate, which had once been reduced to rubble, now stood even grander than before.

‘This is practically a small- to medium-sized city.’

Seeing the manor bustling with tens of thousands of people, Ian could hardly believe it was the same place he had visited just months ago.

Still, there was no mistaking it. It was clear from the view from above.

Ian descended into the estate’s garden.

The lord—his father—rushed out to greet him the moment he saw the imperial flight wing.

“Ian!”

“Long time no see, Father.”

“Hahaha! If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve prepared something!”

The words sounded like a warm welcome, but there was a hint of irritation beneath them. If he’d known Ian was coming, he probably wouldn’t have jumped out in such a rush…

Ian brushed off the comment and asked about the now-bustling land.

“How did all this happen?”

“What? Oh… you mean the estate?”

“Yes.”

“Who do you think my son is?”

“…it’s because of me?”

“The hero who defeated the Demon King, the Princess’s fiancé, and the savior of the Academy! Who wouldn’t want to invest in such a hero’s estate? Even if it was practically a land of livestock dung before!”

At the word ‘invest’, Ian’s gaze sharpened immediately. Investments made simply because of his name felt like people were exploiting it.

Seeing Ian’s expression, the baron quickly waved his hands in denial, as though trying to erase the implication from Ian’s mind.

“Of course! No one demanded any favors! If they had, I wouldn’t have accepted their investments in the first place…”

“Then what did they see and invest in?”

“Um, as you know, there’s a cave near the territory that the demons dug. I want to use the oysters found there commercially—”

‘Well, anyways, I guess it’s only right to put my name on it.’

Ian felt slightly offended by that fact, but considered it the price for taking the body of his child and let it slide.

He even explained the real reason for coming here.

“I’m getting married.”

“Oh, oh—finally. Okay. The Demon King is dead, and there’s no longer any danger, so the time has come. Be well.”

“…You’re not going to ask who I’m marrying?”

“Who are you marrying? You’re already engaged to the princess—”

Seeing Ian grinning, the baron felt uneasy and silently prayed that it wasn’t what he was thinking.

However, Ian nodded, confirming the baron’s suspicion.

“I’m marrying Stella.”

“Stella… who’s that…?”

“Oh, you don’t know. She’s the daughter of the Duke of Eritz.”

“…Whew. Well, she’s a respectable woman.”

The baron had been terrified at the thought that Ian had ditched the princess for another woman, but he was relieved to learn she wasn’t a commoner or a low-ranking noble.

If she was the daughter of the Duke of Eritz—one of the four great dukes of the Empire and powerful enough to challenge even the emperor—then that was more than reassuring.

“Oh, and—I’ve also decided to marry Noah, the second daughter of House Erebus, and the eldest daughter of House Acacia, whom I had already met.”

“…What?”

“A man once said he should have at least three wives.”

Hearing that his son was entering into a grand marriage from the start, the baron looked at Ian with a complicated expression, torn between punishing him and respecting him.

It didn’t take long to decide.

“Son—you are a real man.”

“Thank you, Father.”

He could only be proud that such a man was his son.

***

The wedding was held modestly.

Normally, noble weddings were lavish enough that the entire estate would know of them—but when news spread that their daughters were to be second wives or concubines from the very start, the brides’ families suggested keeping the wedding small.

To Ian, it was a welcome proposal, and in the end, only about a hundred nobles were invited.

“Let’s keep it simple…”

“This is simple enough. I only invited relatives and truly important people.”

Well, considering four brides were attending the ceremony, their relatives alone added up to dozens. It was a relief there were only a hundred guests.

Ian stepped onto the stage, meeting the gaze of nobles who judged him for taking four wives in his first marriage, and of fathers-in-law fuming over their daughters becoming second or fourth wives.

”Today, something truly incredible has happened.”

The moderator tried to convey just how much of a rogue Ian was, though everyone in attendance already knew.

”Marquis Ian, who stands alone with four wives—we support you.”

Of course, some of the married men pitied Ian. After all, having four wives sounded like a nightmare.

Ian looked at the four women walking toward him in elegant dresses. They were all stunning.

“Uh, how do I look?”

“Do you like it, Ian!?”

“If you say no, I’ll kill you.”

“Oh? How will you kill him? In bed?”

Even when four women spoke one word each, it was enough to make his ears ring. After gently k!ssing each one on the back of their hands, Ian officially registered them as his wives.

And then, they left for their honeymoon—somewhere across the continent with a breathtaking view.

***

Married life turned out to be more difficult, more exhausting, and more joyful than Ian had ever imagined.

After finishing a tough round of work, Ian stepped onto the office terrace. The fresh air helped clear his mind, which had grown foggy from stress.

“Whew…”

He took a deep breath and looked out at the scenery of this other world. It felt so familiar now—perhaps too familiar. He had warned himself not to grow too comfortable with it.

Just as he felt he couldn’t delay any longer, the presence he’d been waiting for finally arrived.

[Ian Clark.]

“Blue Dragon.”

[It’s just as you said.]

“You’ve seen it now?”

[Yes. Given the importance of the matter, it had to be verified repeatedly.]

Swip—

The Blue Dragon, now in human form, perched on the terrace railing and spoke calmly.

“I’ve found the way to Heaven.”

Upon hearing those words, Ian smiled.

At last, the time had come to bring everything to a close.