Chapter 19: Angel's Rest - 2

Night had fallen, and it was nearly time for the lunar eclipse, but fortunately, we made it to the lake before it was too late.

Of all things, it had to be a cliff.

To keep Isabelle safe, I had climbed the mountain by a route with as few monsters as possible, and it seemed we had reached a point higher than our intended destination.

Do I really have to throw Isabelle off this?

The cliff was quite high.

I was worried that she might suffer a serious injury before receiving the effects of Angel's Rest if anything went wrong.

But I can't go in with her.

There was something I had to be careful about before entering. I could not enter the lake before Isabelle did.

Otherwise, the sanctuary's effect might apply to me rather than Isabelle.

As I agonized over what to do, Isabelle spoke to me.

"Ian."

"I'm sorry. I'm a little busy right now..."

"Why do you love me?"

"What?"

The sudden question left me speechless for a moment.

I had already told her I loved her countless times.

But she suddenly asked me that, and I could not figure out what she meant.

All I could do right now was parrot an answer in an attempt to get past the situation.

"Of course I love you."

"That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking why you love me."

It was hard to know how to answer her question.

Why did I love her?

Honestly, even I did not know.

Why am I trying to save Isabelle?

There were plenty of women in this world, and heroines far easier to win over than Isabelle were everywhere.

I could win Reina over right away, or I could focus on the other heroines who would visit Entiel Village later.

There was no reason it had to be Isabelle.

Then why was I working so hard for her?

Why was this body screaming at me to love Isabelle?

"I..."

Just as I was about to answer—

Rumble, boom!

A brilliant radiance suddenly descended upon the lake.

An angel had come here to wash her body, sullied during the lunar eclipse.

Now was the time.

We had to enter the lake now to receive the effects of Angel's Rest.

Her injuries could be dealt with later.

"Isabelle, I'm sorry!"

Without even asking Isabelle's permission, I threw her into the lake.

At the same time, I leaped in after her.

. . .

Because of Rose's Punishment, Isabelle's life had been an unbroken chain of endurance.

She had endured pain and deprivation.

And the way Isabelle chose to endure it was to give up.

To tell herself that she could never be happy.

That she could never be loved.

She gave up on everything.

And so, she killed her emotions.

Because if she had no feelings, there would be nothing to torment her.

Then a man appeared before her.

"Isabelle, from now on, I will make you happy."

Everyone had regarded her as a burden, but that man loved her as a woman.

"...How?"

How are you going to make me happy?

At first, Isabelle had been suspicious of the man, just as she had been of everyone else.

He had chosen her, who was practically a burden, rather than her beautiful older sister.

She had been sure he had some ulterior motive.

"No matter what, I will make you happier than any other woman in the world."

But now Isabelle knew.

That this man loved her more than anyone else.

Because his voice when he spoke her name was full of affection.

Because there was love in the way he looked at her.

She herself had considered herself a burden, but he had never once thought of her that way.

Ian, I was happy.

Simply being with him made Isabelle feel as though the pain of all her past days had been repaid.

Her time with him had been that happy.

Which was why she did not want to see it.

The sight of the man no longer loving her, just like her father had not.

She could endure anything else, but not that.

I'd rather die than become your burden.

As she fell toward the lake from the man's hands, Isabelle closed her eyes.

Splash.

. . .

"Isabelle!"

I had thought Angel's Rest would save Isabelle from the curse once she fell into the lake.

But strangely, I could not see Isabelle anywhere in the water.

As if she had vanished somewhere.

Is there some hidden setting I don't know about, like with the Big-Dick Herb?

I looked around for Isabelle.

Then I saw it.

An angel with three pairs of wings, floating in the lake.

The right hand of Helia, goddess of the sun.

The angel who governed love and light.

Seraphim.

Why is Seraphim here?

There were occasionally Hidden Pieces at Angel's Rest that allowed one to interact with an angel.

But this was the first time Seraphim had appeared.

"[ Is this beautiful woman your wife? ]"

Seraphim looked at me and immediately asked her question.

I did not know why a being as exalted as Seraphim was here, or why she was asking me this, but I had to answer.

"That woman is not my wife."

The woman Seraphim showed me was beautiful enough that calling her a goddess would not have been an exaggeration.

She was more beautiful than Isolde, warmer than Adelia, and more captivating than Reina.

But strangely, I was not drawn to her.

"My wife is not as beautiful or as charming as that woman."

"[ Then is this beloved, who will bring her husband wealth and glory, your wife? ]"

Seraphim showed me another woman.

She was surrounded by wealth, power, and every kind of rare medicinal elixir.

If she were my wife, I would be able to possess so many things.

But once again, I was not drawn to that woman.

"She isn't either. My wife cannot support her husband as that woman can."

"[ Then is this woman your wife? ]"

At last, Seraphim showed me Isabelle.

I smiled and answered.

"Yes. That woman is my wife."

"[ This woman is not your wife. ]"

But Seraphim denied my words.

"[ This woman cannot support you, nor can she bear your children. She has nothing about her worthy of love, so how can you call her your wife? ]"

I denied Seraphim's words as well.

"Simply seeing her smile gives me strength. Even if she cannot bear my children, merely having her by my side is the same as having the whole world. How could she not be my wife?"

"[ This woman rejected your love. ]"

"That is because I failed in my duty as her husband. I should have paid more attention to her feelings, but I did not. It is entirely my fault as her husband that she could not accept my love."

"[ Your wife is no different. Husband and wife are one body, yet she failed to fulfill a wife's duty under the excuse that her body was unhealthy. How can that be called marriage, and how can it be called love? ]"

"Then I will try even harder for her. Until she herself wishes to accept my love, I will love her and love her again."

Only then did I think I understood.

Why I loved Isabelle.

"[ Man favored by the goddess. ]"

At my answer, Seraphim smiled softly.

I did not know what that meant yet, but there was one thing I could tell.

Rose's Punishment, which had tormented Isabelle all this time, was disappearing.

"[ One who fulfills true love. ]"

"[ May your love burn until the very end. ]"

"[ I, Seraphim, will pray for you. ]"

With those words, Seraphim left a mark upon my chest and vanished.

. . .

Splash.

"Isabelle!"

Someone was calling her name.

It was the voice of the man she loved.

"If you can answer, please answer me!"

The man continued searching for her, and Isabelle could not understand why he was looking for her.

I am a woman unworthy of your love.

Isabelle dreamed.

She dreamed of herself, beautiful.

When Isabelle saw that form, she immediately went to find the man she loved.

But the man did not recognize her.

"My wife is not as beautiful or as charming as that woman."

At the man's answer, Isabelle's appearance changed.

This time, she was surrounded by gold and every sort of rare treasure.

"My wife cannot support her husband as that woman can."

But once again, the man did not recognize her.

Isabelle's appearance changed once more.

A shabby appearance. An unhealthy body.

Her most useless self.

But—

"Yes. That woman is my wife."

The man she loved recognized her at once.

Don't love me.

Instead, Isabelle tried to hide the self that the man loved.

I am a useless woman. I am not worthy of being your wife. So please, don't love me.

Yet despite all her efforts, the man poured his words over Isabelle.

"Simply seeing her smile gives me strength. Even if she cannot bear my children, merely having her by my side is the same as having the whole world. How could she not be my wife?"

All the love he possessed.

"That is because I failed in my duty as her husband. I should have paid more attention to her feelings, but I did not. It is entirely my fault as her husband that she could not accept my love."

Please!

Whenever she rejected his love, the man offered it to her once again.

"Then I will try even harder for her. Until she herself wishes to accept my love, I will love her and love her again."

Until Isabelle accepted his love.

And the outcome of this confession had already been decided.

"Ian, you're an idiot."

Held in Ian's arms, Isabelle spoke with difficulty.

"Why do you love a woman like me?"

Ian answered her question.

"Because I'm happy when I'm with you."

There was no such thing as one-sided love.

Ian gained something from Isabelle as well.

And that was happiness.

Though being with Isabelle would bring him many hardships, even taking that into account, Ian wanted to be with her.

Because she made him that happy.

So he could not give up on this love.

"It doesn't matter if you don't accept my love. But please, at least stay by my side."

"...How could I possibly not accept it?"

Isabelle said in a tearful voice.

Then, wearing the brightest smile of her life, she took Ian's hand.

"I'm this happy when I'm with you, Ian. How could I not love you?"

"I love you, darling."

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