After being trapped in that dark hell for so long, losing even herself, the man was the first ray of light to descend upon her. 

Looking down at her feet, Rose closed her eyes. She imagined the towering stairs crumbling and the dark red carpet being replaced by a pure white floor. 

When Rose opened her eyes to the sound of clean water, she found herself on the platform of a wedding hall decorated with flowers and fountains. She stared for a moment down the pure and beautiful aisle, a white path that resembled the temple of a pure goddess. At the end of the virgin’s path lay a neatly folded white cloth and a bouquet of flowers. 

As she stepped down from the platform, her feet hit the white path. She slipped off the black slip as if it were an old garment, then put on a white chiton and veil, holding the bouquet in her hand. Remembering the wedding scene she had vaguely dreamed of in her youth, she took each step slowly. 

One step, one step.

As Rose walked barefoot along the white path, she paused before the empty platform and tried to recall the forgotten vows, mentioning the dreams of her youth that had gradually faded. 

“In the name of my mother in heaven, I swear…” 

No, I can’t say those words anymore. A fleeting thought crossed her mind and she closed her eyes. 

‘Not anymore?’ 

When did I learn and use those words? The question surfaced in her mind and quickly faded. Digging into a past she couldn’t remember had long since become something tedious and impossible to revisit. 

But more important than all that was the present moment, the day her new husband was so close to her. 

After a few moments of contemplating various words, she cleared her throat and spoke. 

“The bride, Rose, and my husband…” 

As she practised the vows, Rose realised she didn’t really know the man’s name and muttered to herself. 

‘I don’t know his name yet.’ 

I wonder: Will I know his name tomorrow? 

‘I hope so.’ 

“The bride, Rose, and the groom, the holy knight, with all my heart…” 

In the darkened hall, the sound of the vows echoed through the night. 

* * * 

That night, after preparing for the wedding all night, Rose fell asleep on the throne, drifting into a light sleep. She dreamed. 

– Rose. – 

……. 

– Rose……. 

Awakened by the sound of someone murmuring, Rose found herself standing under a pink sky. In the distance she saw a blonde man with black wings limping towards her. 

As she stared at his figure moving away, she noticed the red footprints behind him. Watching them blankly, she took a step forward. 

Splash

The moment she stepped on the bloodstained footprints, the surroundings suddenly brightened and the scene before her changed. 

When Rose regained consciousness, she found herself standing on the high platform of the banqueting hall, with a man standing in front of her. His white hair shone like a sculpture in the faint dawn light streaming through the window. 

He was a holy knight. 

Before Rose could process the situation, she blinked and heard the sound of a sword falling. 

Clang. 

As the sword rolled across the floor, Rose stared down at the holy knight who was suddenly kneeling before her.

– I can’t do it. 

– ……. 

– I… I just can’t… 

What is this situation? 

– How could I hurt you? 

At a loss for words, Rose hesitated, unsure of how to respond to the sudden outburst. Just then, footsteps could be heard from behind, the sound of them approaching.

Following the presence that brushed past her shoulder, Rose turned her head, her eyes widening in surprise. The side profile of the man approaching the kneeling knight with a serene smile was clearly visible in her vision. 

– No, you know that too. 

– ……. 

– Even if you don’t kill me, the power of the contract will make me disappear. 

It was her own face. 

The woman, pausing at the edge of the platform, leaned towards the man and whispered. At her words, the man lifted his head, his jaw opening silently. 

Rose wanted to see the holy knight’s expression, but she couldn’t because her own figure, kneeling before him, blocked his face from her view. 

In the cold silence, the two watched each other in silence. As Rose watched from behind, she was about to take a step forward. 

The morning light streaming through the window made everything on the platform glow brightly, like the blade of a holy knight passing judgement on evil. 

In the blazing rays of light, everything before her crumbled to dust, and the scene before her changed once again. 

Rose, sitting on the throne, her eyes now open, looked out at the blurred landscape of the white wedding hall. 

A dream? What was the dream about?

Rubbing her tired eyes, Rose shook her head quickly to shake off the lingering sleepiness. There were more important things to focus on, and pondering an obscure dream wasn’t one of them, so her thoughts were quickly forgotten. 

After drinking from the fountain beneath the statue, Rose turned her head towards the sunlight streaming through the window. 

It was morning, and it was time to meet her new husband. 

Holding the bouquet in her hand, Rose approached the door. She took a deep breath and imagined him waiting for her on the other side of the closed door, dressed in his white uniform. 

With a snap of her fingers, the door opened, revealing the holy knight standing like a statue at the entrance to the shabby prison. 

Rose smiled softly at his cold face. 

“Good morning, Sir Knight.” 

“……” 

“How do I look, does it suit me?”

With no response from the man, Rose spun around, the white fabric flowing around her. His dry gaze swept over her body like a blade, down to her toes. 

“It seems you value formality and procedure, Sir Knight, so I wore this. It’s our wedding, after all.” 

The holy knight, unmoving, lifted his gaze and spoke in a stiff voice. 

“A wedding?” 

“Yes, a wedding.” 

“You came here looking like that to go through with it?”

” That’s too much, I even made you new clothes, Sir Knight.” 

As she grumbled, the holy knight immediately put his hand on the shoulder of his uniform. Rose gave him a beaming smile. 

“I even reattached your arm.” 

“……” 

“Grateful, aren’t you? I also made sure everything inside was put back properly, so take a look.” 

At her words, his hand moved to the inside of his chest and with a small sound, a silver cross necklace came out. 

“I can’t give you the holy sword, but I can give you this.” 

“……” 

“You can be as grateful as you want.” 

But despite her gesture of goodwill, the holy knight offered no thanks. Instead, he looked at her suspiciously, as if trying to understand why a demon would show kindness to a holy knight like him. 

Having waited for an answer, Rose sighed. 

“I do all this and you’re still so cold? Dear.”

“Who is this ‘dear’ you speak of?” 

“But you never told me your name.” 

“I have no name to give a demon. Why would a demon want to marry a human?” 

“That’s true.” 

He looked away with a sigh, and Rose added in a nonchalant voice. 

“You killed my husband.” 

“……” 

“So you were to be my new husband.” 

A short silence followed. Rose stared silently at the holy knight’s face, which had lost its colour, as if he were somewhat shocked. 

“You.” 

“……” 

“Are you the one who killed the demon king Pluto…?”

“You are Demon King Pluto’s……”

He trailed off, then fell silent. It seemed that the holy knight didn’t even know that Pluto had a wife. 

No one knows I’m here anymore. 

Having confirmed this with his words, an unwanted bitterness rose in Rose’s mouth and she let out a weak, tired laugh. 

‘I know now you’re not the knight who came to rescue me.’ 

But it didn’t matter. The fact that he had saved her remained. 

She had never had high expectations, like hoping for hope or wanting to get out. Such futile desires had long since been shattered. 

What Rose wanted now was simply to experience this excitement, something she had never felt before. 

“Forget it, let’s go!” 

As Rose snapped her fingers, the holy knight’s body lifted off the ground.

Thud!

He flew about ten metres, cutting through the strong wind, before being slammed onto the white platform.