Even as he was being enthralled by the devil, Kirion had left a place for Rublier to return.

Satin glanced sideways at Rublier. Vitalis awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

“I-I… was also r-relieved because of that.”

The structure of the knighthood is strict and complex. Rather than restoring the position of a leader who had left the Holy Knights, it was procedurally much easier to treat it as returning from a long-term leave.

“I-I’ll believe it’s an indefinite long-term leave. T-take your time resting, whether it’s m-months or years. We’ll wait.”

The tone was closer to a plea than a suggestion. As it was awkward to simply refuse the Pope’s request, Rublier just quietly swallowed a hollow laugh.

“I-I really need… really need both of your help.”

Vitalis carefully added.

Satin tilted her head inwardly. Rublier showed signs of not budging an inch from this house until Satin gave birth to the child.

But after the child is born and some time passes, he might need a place to return to.

It would be good to keep Vitalis’s request for that day.

“Oh r-right. When are you two g-getting married?”

Vitalis quickly changed the subject. Satin, who had been caressing her lower abdomen, was startled.

“Marriage?”

Now that her belly was just starting to show a little, she had been so focused on prenatal care that she hadn’t even thought about marriage.

There was also the thought that she couldn’t bear to wear a wedding dress twice in one year. These days, she was busy enough just taking care of her body with regular doctor’s check-ups.

“I-I should start stamping the P-Pope’s seal soon… S-since I used to handle marriage and divorce matters, I thought I’d start with familiar tasks. But the documents are p-piling up… It’s hard to keep you waiting for long.”

Although he stammered and mumbled, Vitalis managed to convey all the requests he had prepared. Satin evaded the topic vaguely. Somehow, it felt like she had been given homework.

“Satin, His Holiness has left.”

Rublier, who had returned after seeing Vitalis off, laid Satin on the bed and covered her with a blanket.

She had told Vitalis that there was no worry because the baby was strong, but it was somewhat of a white lie.

How could there be no shock after surviving a massacre scene caused by evil spirits?

It was just that Satin’s mind, tempered by repeated incidents, had overcome the shock.

The doctor Rublier had brought after searching through the lines of people pleaded that she should now live like a proper pregnant woman.

So she lacked the mental capacity to consider surrounding circumstances like marriage. For a while, Rublier acted as if Satin might somehow be harmed if she even moved a finger wrong.

Satin, too, felt guilty towards the child who had unintentionally gone through harsh experiences with her and didn’t know what to do.

Due to the stress of being reminded of evil spirits at the sight of shadows, her stomach often cramped, her head throbbed, and sleep overcame her at odd times.

“If I sleep now, I’ll wake up again at night…”

“It’s okay. What does it matter? Sleep deeply if you’re sleepy. If you wake up at night, let’s get up and get some fresh air. The weather is very nice these days.”

Satin curled up on her side like a shrimp. Then she stared at Rublier.

“What about you?”

“Hmm, I should take a nap too and wake up.”

Rublier lay down next to Satin. He embraced her closely, facing each other.

Satin closed her eyes. Falling asleep quickly would be helping Rublier.

Rublier, who had a regular lifestyle ingrained in him, never took naps. He just didn’t leave her side, soothing and watching over her until she fell asleep.

She burrowed into his arms, rustling as she tried to fall asleep.

Due to the whirlwind of time spent from marriage to evil spirits, sometimes this tranquility felt like it might be a dream.

Then, even if she had fallen asleep, she would suddenly wake up startled. Nevertheless, it was all thanks to Rublier that she was getting through this period safely.

Because before she could open her eyes and look around, Rublier’s playful voice would come like magic, melting away the tension.

It took several trials and errors for both Satin and Rublier to adapt this much.

Especially regarding the devil, neither Satin nor Rublier deliberately brought it up. It was once reality, but now it had become a memory that must be overcome.

They don’t forget, but they don’t dwell on it either. As time passes, they’ll be able to say, ah yes, that happened, and move on.

Now the devil has become the past, and most of the evil spirits that lost their master have disappeared.

As in ancient times, there might be some that have scattered and hidden somewhere, but they probably won’t appear.

For a very long time.

Although there were some aftereffects, Satin was quite content with her current life.

Having learned that peace doesn’t come easily, it became even more precious. These days were days that Satin had created herself, together with Rublier.

Satin often recalled her parents’ teachings.

That the more one has, the easier it is to conform to injustice in order not to lose what one possesses.

However, not everyone conformed to injustice.

Unexpected people sometimes show inexplicable courage. Like the priest who had revealed the secret of the oracle, even though he must have known he would be in danger. Like the manager of the mortuary who had kept the evidence he discovered and traveled a long way to prove it.

Moreover, Delilah’s name was quickly forgotten.

Rather than actually being forgotten, everyone was trying to forget.

For a woman who wanted to make her name known, whether as an actress or as a mistress, being forgotten would be the greatest punishment.

Judging from the fact that a piece of Delilah’s clothing was found clutched in Gjorn’s hand when his body was discovered later, Satin and Rublier speculated that Delilah might have escaped from the evil spirits using Gjorn as a shield.

She was an extraordinary woman. And in her own way, she had played a part in the devil’s scheme. Nevertheless, Satin believes that Delilah was sincere when she cried that she had never wanted this outcome. It’s just that her excessive greed probably brought about a disaster she couldn’t handle.

If her infamous sponsor hadn’t exploited her, if a pretty and talented but young and powerless girl hadn’t had to take contraceptives for a long time, Delilah’s life might have taken a completely different direction.

And Satin believes that Kirion also had concerns for the country’s well-being.

Kirion did his best as an archbishop in his final moment. He gifted his younger brother a legend and departed.

He was once the devil, but in the end, he was the son of the Pope.

As it’s often said, the brighter and more splendid the light, the darker the shadow that follows.

It’s just that the devil was there.

* * *

The ripples sparkled like scales.

Although he had said they would get some fresh air if they woke up at night, Rublier had brought Satin all the way to the lake.

It was too far to walk in one go, so they walked as much as they could, and for the rest, Satin relied on Rublier to arrive.

Satin, who had carefully been set down on the ground by Rublier, walked on her two feet to the sculling boat with his support.

“It’s amazingly unchanged.”

The lake, which Kirion had thoroughly searched for the holy relic by sending people and scraping the bottom, remained in the exact form unchanged from her memory.

It was fitting as the first hiding place chosen for the holy relic.

Satin sat on the upper edge of the side of a boat and lightly brushed the waves. Her hand became gently wet. As she tried to stretch her legs comfortably to sit, her toes touched Rublier’s legs.

The narrow sculling boat drifted slowly on the water surface.

“Satin.”

“If it’s that diamond, I won’t accept it.”

Satin retorted as soon as he called her name. Rublier looked blank for a moment.

“Huh?”

“When you, who worry even about a short outdoor walk, deliberately brought me to the middle of a lake where I can’t even run away, carrying me. Isn’t your intention quite obvious?”

He must have decided to establish this relationship. It didn’t even require great intuition.

In fact, when such moments approach, most women sense it early on with their instincts.

The choice is only whether to show it outwardly or not. Moreover, Satin was already experienced.

“Don’t worry. It’s not that grand of a ring.”

Someone else’s family heirloom that had been sold at auction had become a trauma for Satin. Even if it were given back, she didn’t feel like accepting it. Besides, there was someone who would naturally come to mind when seeing that necklace.

It was better not to keep treasures that touched on wounds.

“Then what is it?”

“Even I don’t like the idea of passing down our marriage token to our children. No matter how great a treasure it is, if it’s something that will eventually pass into someone else’s hands… it doesn’t feel like it’s mine.”

Rublier opened the box and took out the rings. It was a pair of rings with the same setting, just different sizes.

“So this time, let’s share it between just us, and keep it forever.”

He knelt on one knee in front of Satin. As he put the ring on her finger, he proposed.

“Satin Del Mare, will you marry me?”

She had received two proposals from the same man. Back then, she saw stars spinning in broad daylight, but now the stars scattered across the dark night sky were brilliantly reflected in the lake.

To Satin, who was just looking down at the ring with her lips tightly closed, Rublier pulled at the corners of his mouth and whispered softly.

“You have to marry someone anyway. So marry me.”

Her heart ached for a moment at the words that touched on memories.

Holding back the stinging tears, Satin coyly asked back.

“So? What do I gain from this marriage?”

Rublier answered.

“One stupid man who will live his whole life atoning to you.”

“And you?”

“… A marriage with you?”

“Ah, I feel like I’m losing out somehow.”

Satin glanced at him and then suddenly hunched her shoulders. It was because she had just felt something tap in her lower abdomen.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well somewhere?”

“The baby just moved.”

“What?”

Satin caressed her belly. Rublier also placed his hand on top of Satin’s with a somewhat dazed expression.

“Where? Ah… Has it gone back to sleep?”

Rublier floundered, not knowing what to do. It was a face she had never seen before. But as if nothing had happened, the baby remained quiet.

See, even the baby doesn’t like daddy’s proposal. The baby shares feelings with mommy.

Satin felt a lump in her throat.

“The second proposal is like this too? Even the baby is kicking. Don’t you have anything else to say to me?”

It was a night full of events that brought tears — two proposals, marriage and divorce and remarriage, and the first felt movement of the baby.

Each of these would require time to adjust to if they came one by one, but they all hit at once. And it happened to be a time when emotional fluctuations were severe.

Strangely, tears suddenly poured out. Satin burst into tears like a child.

Embracing the sobbing Satin, Rublier also buried his teary eyes in her hair.

“I’m sorry, Satin.”

“I don’t need a man who only atones, if you atone twice I’ll die. Make a different promise.”

A voice thick with emotion pounded on Satin’s chest.

“Give me the right to love you proudly for a lifetime.”

“And?”

“Let me see you every morning when I open my eyes. Give me the right to boast to our child about how amazing and cool their mother is. When you need someone else, I want to be the first name you call. I’ll try to be someone you can rely on and trust for your whole life.”

They were so busy crying and laughing together that they were completely lost.

“Then what should I do?”

“To me, you…”

Their eyes met. Rublier pressed his forehead against hers and caressed her face.

“Just being there is enough. Because to me, you are the most perfect person there is.”

Satin nodded. Rublier solemnly promised.

“I’ll make sure you never lose out.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll make one more obvious promise. I love you.”

“…I know, me too. I love you.”

It was dazzling. Satin closed her eyes. Her heart fluttered, ticklish.

The lips following the tear tracks were deep. With eyes closed and ears shut, she focused solely on the sensation she felt.

She had shown all of herself and seen all of him. From the most beautiful aspects to the most hateful ones, everything. That’s how she understood him and accepted him as he was.

No one had experienced this much overwhelming emotion. So no matter what happens in the future, they will be able to live on, relying on each other.

She changed her husband at the wedding venue.

That was the best decision she had ever made in her life.

<The End>