That Marriage, I’ll Do It in this Life

“Being willing to do anything for that person, wanting to give them everything in the world, and wishing for their utmost happiness.”

The man named Mac delivered his lines while looking at the woman on the other side of the stage.

‘Mac?’ And that green figure.

‘Hmm, could this be…?’

No, still not sure. Need to watch more.

“Why can you continue loving her when she doesn’t even look at you?”

“Aki, that doesn’t matter. My heart is no longer my own.”

“How can your heart not be your own?”

“Because she took it away.”

…Aki?

‘Could this really be what I think it is?’

“Aki! No! Don’t kill her!”

The story became increasingly exciting.

“That woman tried to kill you.”

“Even so, you can’t! I… I can’t kill her.”

The play reached its cl*max.

Mac had to overcome all sorts of hardships.

Demonic beasts were everywhere he went, and he had to survive countless near-death experiences after being deceived and pushed around by people who coveted his power.

The world was in chaos, and the woman Mac loved did not return his love. She only pretended to love him to use his power.

And throughout their journey together, Aki never understood Mac.

“I simply cannot understand what humans call ‘love.'”

“Someday… you too will understand, Aki.”

The woman Mac loved eventually died. She met her end being used as bait by enemies trying to harm him.

“Actually… Mac. I loved you.”

And only in that moment before death did the woman reveal her true feelings.

“I knew.”

“If I had only… met you a little earlier…”

Mac held her corpse and wailed. He cursed his enemies, crying for revenge. In the end, his enemies were brutally annihilated by his hands.

Finally came a peaceful world.

Having completed his revenge but with an expressionless face, Mac stood as Aki asked.

“If that woman loved you, why did she do that?”

“She loved me the best she could. The circumstances at the time simply didn’t allow for it.”

“Now that the woman is dead, is the love over?”

“No. My love will never end.”

Mac said that love was the most sublime and beautiful emotion in the world.

Yet Mac’s expression seemed to be in despair.

“Then why do you have such an expression?”

“Because she’s gone… I don’t want to exist in a world without her anymore.”

“Then instead of dying, why not just stop loving?”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I cannot stop my heart from loving her.”

“I really cannot understand you people.”

“Someday… you too will come to understand.”

Mac’s hardships and revenge. Mac’s love. And the green being who helped him by his side.

At first glance, it seemed like a story about one man’s love, but that love remains unrequited. Moreover, the narrative was too extraordinary to be just about a single man.

‘No, no matter how I look at it, this content is…’

Saena couldn’t help but ask.

“…Isn’t this the story of the First Emperor?”

“Hmm. Perhaps it is.”

There were naturally many artistic works praising the First Emperor. Several operas had been created, and numerous artworks, sculptures, and musical pieces existed.

But this was her first time encountering it as a theater play. Since it was about the imperial family (and specifically about the most noble member of the imperial family), such small theater troupes usually didn’t attempt it.

No, they couldn’t.

If they made a mistake in adaptation or acting, and someone took issue with it, they could face severe punishment for insulting the imperial family.

So why this kind of play…?

Was it possible because they were far from the imperial capital and relatively free?

‘Moreover, it’s about the First Emperor’s personal life…?’

Though puzzling, the play continued.

After some time, the dead woman’s friend came to find Mac.

In her arms was a small baby sleeping peacefully.

“…This child!”

“It’s your child with her.”

The woman had secretly given birth to Mac’s child and entrusted it to her friend.

Mac’s despairing face brightened again. Tears of joy flowed.

“My baby with her…!”

Mac regained hope and stood up with renewed strength. He began helping people again.

As the child grew up, Aki became a good friend to the child.

“Aki! Play with me!”

Rather than Aki’s intention, it was more the child unilaterally following Aki.

‘If Mac is Macfeyden… the First Emperor…’

Then Aki must represent Achelion, the imperial family’s Guardian Spirit turtle?

While the all-green appearance was an obvious symbol, the costume was so poor that it simultaneously made one think it couldn’t possibly be Achelion.

But considering everything, it did seem to be a story about the First Emperor.

Unlike the operas that typically focused on the First Emperor’s great achievements and the founding of the nation, this focused on his personal story about the woman he loved.

‘Though since such content isn’t in history books, there’s no way to verify its truth…’

Perhaps as a way to create some deniability, the characters’ names were subtly different.

Similar enough to recall the real figures, but strictly speaking, different?

‘In some ways, this is quite a bold theater troupe.’

Whether the troupe knowingly performed this, or perhaps the playwright knew but the actors didn’t. They might even be performing thinking it’s just a love story.

Worried she might see displeasure on Constantine’s face, she glanced at him, but saw no such sign.

While Saena respected the imperial family but only to that extent, it seemed that even Constantine, one of the empire’s four pillars, didn’t show any blind reverence either.

‘Well, does it matter?’

The play continued regardless of Saena’s thoughts.

The child was innocent and lovable. As the child grew, Aki often felt inexplicable feelings but couldn’t exactly identify what they were.

Then one day, Aki announced like a bolt from the blue.

“I think I can no longer stay here.”

“Aki! No! Why are you leaving?”

“I’ve used up all the time given to me.”

“But you’re… practically family to me.”

Mac was saddened.

But what couldn’t be helped, couldn’t be helped.

Aki turned around without regret.

“No! Aki! Don’t go!”

It was Mac’s lovely child who grabbed him while crying loudly.

“Child. I must go.”

“Why?”

“Because I must.”

“But you don’t have to go, right?”

The child said innocently.

“I cannot do that.”

“Then can’t you come back after you go?”

“I can’t… promise that.”

“Will you come if you can?”

“…If I can.”

“Then promise!”

The child held out their pinky finger with sparkling eyes.

When the child held onto him, Aki felt he might finally understand what the word ‘attachment’ meant.

“So this is… what ’emotion’ is.”

Aki said, looking down at the child.

“I think I can understand you people a little now.”

Aki nodded while wrapping his finger around the child’s.

“Aki, you must come back!”

Aki gradually disappeared from the stage, leaving behind the child waving their hands enthusiastically.

Time passed, and the child grew up and became an adult. She became a beautiful woman. And when she found herself in danger while living her life, someone appeared.

“…Who are you?”

A man saved her.

“I am Aki.”

“Aki? But Aki…”

“I am Aki. The Aki you missed, the Aki who promised you, and the Aki you wanted.”

The woman’s eyes widened. Aki grabbed her hand to help her up and said.

“I’ve come to keep my promise, lovely child.”

Waaah–!

The play ended. The audience applauded and cheered.

“Ah…”

Saena had been completely immersed in watching it.

While it was certainly based on the First Emperor’s story, its truthfulness remained uncertain. If that content was true, what did the playwright want to say?

‘These beings, though different in nature, mostly have an element of attachment. It’s like what binds them to the human world rather than the spirit realm.’

Suddenly, she remembered Duke Aberdeen’s words.

Did Achelion have such an element too? Is that why he returned? If so, that element was…

One thought led to another.

While automatically applauding the actors taking their final bow, she suddenly came to her senses. Saena stopped clapping and turned her head, only to be startled.

“……”

Constantine’s blue eyes.

Though the face beneath the hood appeared momentarily expressionless, his eyes were different. Those deeply sunken eyes, cold enough to send chills, stared at her as if to ensnare her.

‘Constantine?’

Had he been watching her instead of the play the whole time?

When Saena looked at him with round eyes, his lower eyelids twitched, and Constantine closed his eyes.

His tightly shut eyes and furrowed brow.

Somehow looking very pained, his expression made Saena’s heart sink.

Reflexively, Saena reached out to him but stopped when his bright blue eyes appeared again.

As their gazes met, the outside world seemed to disappear as if only the two of them remained in the world. The crowd around them was pushed beyond her field of vision in an instant, leaving only his gaze within her awareness.

“……”

His hand slowly approached. It touched her cheek. The cool feeling of leather gloves enveloped her cheek.

Saena looked up at him while pressing her face into his palm.

At that rare display of coquetry, Constantine approached as if enchanted. The two hooded faces gradually drew closer.

Saena naturally closed her eyes.

“……”

But that was all.

When nothing touched her lips even after a long while, Saena opened her eyes again.

A flash of regret seemed to cross his eyes.

“…It’s time to return.”

Ah. What had she been expecting?

“……”