Incompatible Interspecies Wives chapter 164

164 – The Opponent of Fate (4) (+revision)

A Fair-weather day.

Cheers had been continuing from early dawn.

The entire capital was stirring in preparation for the forthcoming event.

I might be the only one unable to laugh in this space…

No, probably everyone who is associated with me.

I looked down at Ner who had collapsed from exhaustion while waiting for me.

Before I knew it, I had left the room, and made my way to Ner’s side.

There were tear streaks all around her collapsed figure’s eyes.

That’s probably natural since she had been crying for the last several days.

I didn’t know what the feeling I was experiencing right now was.

It was a strange emotion that I couldn’t describe myself.

Is it anger? Regret? Pity? Disgust? Guilt?

I don’t know.

I found it difficult to put a name to this complex emotion that was strongly mixed within me all at once.

Gideon saw me like this beside him.

He had been polite to me after the subjugation of Blackwood.

“Did Ner stay here all night?”

“…”

Instead of answering, I looked at Gideon and spoke.

“Take her away.”

“…”

Perhaps Gideon realized I didn’t want to talk, he just nodded silently.

I didn’t want to get close to Blackwood specifically.

I still have a debt to pay to the Blackwood family, including Gideon.

While planning to betray the Crimson Flame Squad, I can’t just let things slide without a cost.

…but even that, it wasn’t the time to talk about it now.

I looked at Gideon, who was supporting Ner who couldn’t even stand up.

“…Berg…”

Ner, who had fainted from exhaustion, whispered my name.

Listening to Ner’s murmur, Gideon said to me.

“I understand the crimes we’ve committed.”

“…”

“…however…it seems that Ner truly loves you.”

I instinctively asked Gideon, who was meddling in our conflict,

“Since when have you started caring about Ner like this?”

“Weren’t you the one who said to care for my sister first?”

“…”

I looked at Ner, held by Gideon.

The drooping ears and tails.

Watching her, I blinked… and sighed.

Watching Gideon’s retreating back, I spoke.

“…Please make sure to bring me in time for the event.”

Gideon nodded at me.

****

Arwin approached me after I finished my preparations.

With a sad looking expression, yet beautifully adorned, this was Arwin.

Arwin whispered as if trying to mend our broken relationship.

“…You look handsome today, Berg.”

“…”

I did not give any typical compliments in return.

The more I did, Arwin’s forced expression broke down even further.

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Yesterday was worse than two days ago. Today’s expression was worse than yesterday’s.

Seemed like she was struggling with the fact that our relationship was not improving over time.

I didn’t want this, either.

But within the situation where all my efforts and feelings were trampled on…I was still too raw emotionally to fake a smile and pretend to be fine.

Would even this numb over time?

I still don’t know.

Not knowing immediately what our future will be like…especially, I wanted to hold my tongue.

Perhaps in a few months I could forgive them.

It’s just a guess…but it might be possible.

Forgetting about them sharpening their knives behind my efforts.

I might be able to live thinking only of them showing a sincere heart.

I might be able to overcome the pain with a happiness greater than the feeling of betrayal I experienced.

Maybe I am making a mistake now to the extent that it seems regretful.

…but anyway, I can only be like this for now.

I don’t know what the future will look like, but I can only be like this right now.

I can’t even smile.

I can’t even drop a simple compliment.

I didn’t have the mental freedom right now.

I also become tired when harsh situations continue to occur.

Eventually, Arwin closed her mouth to my cold reaction.

She might have realized that the situation cannot be solved by any words.

Instead, she came slowly by my side and tried to slip a ring into my hand.

Her trembling fingers were digging into the gaps of my hand.

-Swoosh.

I naturally pulled my arm out.

“…”

A moment of silence followed.

“….Berg…please…”

Arwin ended up standing behind me, burying her face in my shoulder.

I could feel the trembling of her, shedding tears silently.

I gritted my teeth and furrowed my brows, where Arwin couldn’t see my expression.

Why does it hurt this much?

Knowing it hurts, why can’t I act differently?

“…Berg.”

Ner soon approached as we stood in silence.

Like me, she had only managed to get quick naps and she appeared exhausted.

Still, she first offered me a broad smile.

Unsurprisingly, it only seemed unnatural.

I’ve seen her smile so many times in the past few months that I could tell.

“…”

I nodded softly at her arrival.

Then, staring straight ahead, I spoke.

“…Let’s go.”

*****

Ner couldn’t determine the reason for the tension in the air.

Anxiety hovered in the sky.

Anxiety accelerated with each passing day.

Arwin, who was always beside Berg, seemed more annoying than ever.

Ner understood that all of this was precipitated by her own anxiety.

The pain that would be relieved if she was chosen over Arwin, naturally by Berg.

Of course, endless efforts would be needed afterward… but it was much better than breaking up with Berg.

Despite this, an indomitable fear that she could not comprehend constantly engulfed her.

There was a feeling that the worst pain had not yet come.

This fear made her hesitate to take even a step.

In the midst of an endless crowd, applause continued.

People delighted in the victory, soldiers who were relieved that the war was over, parents hoping they would be able to feed their children, all expressed their joyfulness.

And just when all the triumphant sounds reached their peak, the king slowly walked out and made his appearance.

All the cheers were directed towards the king.

The combat was carried out by the heroes, but the king was the one who declared the war.

He managed to sustain the kingdom by aiding various houses at the appropriate times.

The king raised his hand after receiving the citizens’ applause for a while.

Silence reigned over the capital at that small gesture.

“Today is endlessly joyful.”

Then he pronounced.

In all this, Ner looked up at Berg for a moment.

Berg simply stared quietly at the king.

“Hero Felix beheaded the Demon King, thus ending the long war. It’s been a tough 7 years for everyone regardless of their races. Some may have lost parents, children, or their loved ones in this prolonged war….”

Ner simply wasn’t hearing any of the king’s stories.

All she had was a desperate heart.

She had no intention of denying that her first impression of Berg wasn’t favorable.

A stoic mercenary of the centaur race.

That’s all she was.

But spending time together, Bergh wasn’t just that.

She was kind, warm, and incredibly caring.

She was strong, with an unstoppable will that knew no surrender.

No matter how formidable the enemy, she didn’t fear it, even without hope, she could stick to her convictions.

She treasured her loved ones… As a wife, there couldn’t be a better partner.

Ner didn’t just fall in love with Bergh.

Despite resisting… she had no option but to fall for her.

Such a person was now distancing herself, disappointed in Ner.

Ner was hated by a being she never thought she would meet in her lifetime.

Just looking at her felt miraculous and brought tears to Ner’s eyes.

She couldn’t count the days she was grateful for her being hers.

It was guaranteed that she would be happy if she lived her life with her.

Their relationship was in a great crisis.

…Never to be loved by her again, that was the situation.

She had been crying endlessly over the past few days that she could now restrain herself somewhat, but if she let down her guard, the tears would just flow.

The king continued in that situation.

“… and thus, I wish to grant a suitable reward for that merit. The war god, chosen by Dian… Acran, come forth.”

‘Wowwww!!’

Centaur Acran received a huge cheer as she climbed the stage.

But Ner ignored such a centaur and looked up at Bergh.

Her breathing quickened as a sense of anxiety made her feel like she needed to say something.

“…Bergh.”

How many times had she called her name in the past few days?

How long had Bergh been ignoring her?

“Felix’s closest friend, your merit is deep. You always read the flow in the center of the war, leading so that no casualties occurred. To the warrior of the war…”

Each time Bergh didn’t answer her call, her heart ached as if it was breaking.

She repeatedly tasted a pain she never wanted to experience again.

But she couldn’t not call out to Bergh.

If she didn’t say her name… the increasing distance was unbearable.

“…Bergh, please look at me just once.”

“…”

Bergh closed her eyes once…then slowly looked at Ner.

“…”

“…”

How long had it been?

The black pupils she had loved so much were looking at her.

Different from her own white tail, a complete contrast.

Ner felt the difference between them all over again.

Ner knew well how hard Berg had tried to close their gap.

“…I-“

‘Waaaah!!!’

At moment Ner tried to whisper into his ear, a thunderous applause broke out.

Akran descended, and Sylphren ascended to the podium.

Various birds circled joyfully atop the girl, expressing their delight as well.

“The Goddess of Harmony, chosen by Nicholas, Sylphren. Thanks to your sacrifice…”

Amidst the joyous rejoicing, only Nere wiped away her tears while persistently looking at Berg.

The moment the applause subsided, she whispered once more to him.

His gaze didn’t leave her either.

“…I was wrong.”

“…”

“You know… I’ve always… been a loner…”

She leaned closer towards Berg.

She didn’t care how others might look at her.

She lifted her feet to get even closer to his face.

She tried to make her whisper more audible.

“The prophecy of the grandmother then… it helped me… when my older brothers, sister-in-law, pushed me off… Grandma told me… I would gain an ally; my destined partner would appear.”

“…”

Berg didn’t ignore her this time.

Ner persistently whispered, hanging her hopes on his attention.

She forcefully held back her tears to not miss this opportunity.

She couldn’t help but let her voice tremble, but with a determination to hold onto Berg, she spoke.

“…I have endured, waiting for that prophecy, Berg. Even when I was bullied… even when I had no group where I could rest… even when my grandmother passed away…even when this tail, like a mark of an outcast, was pointed out… I endured with the single thought that my ally would appear… there were many days I wished to die…ehuk… I endured, believing in grandmother’s words…”

‘Waaaah!!!’

The king was in the middle of a speech.

“…the saint chosen by Nicholas. Please, come forward.”

Despite the call for the saint, Berg”s eyes didn’t leave Ner.

Ner grabbed Berg’s arm.

He did not push her away.

“…Grandmother said I would regret it if I miss that partner. That troubled me so… and… I was so scared about it…”

Did he understand her words?

Berg’s cold expression softened a little.

His kind demeanor from the past briefly showed itself.

At the same time, Berg spoke with difficulty.

The words seemed to be squeezed out between the pains.

“…that partner…”

“….”

“……might have been me.”

“The grandmother said that the partner is a noble, so I thought…!”

Ner’s voice rose with a surging emotion.

It might have been desperation.

“So I thought….life with you would be painful…so…”

‘Waaaaaaaahhh!!’

“Warrior Felix! Come forward!”

When the warrior was called, the voice was buried in the cheers of the audience and disappeared.

Ner, with an earnest heart, clung more tightly to Berg’s arm, and raised her voice again.

But their stories never reached each other.

For a short time, they only looked into each other’s eyes.

They were communicating with their eyes about things that they could not convey in words.

Ner looked into Berg’s eyes.

Now she could see him more clearly.

The man who had been so strong seemed to be struggling with so much pain.

It was a pain hidden behind a steadfast attitude.

It took a long time for the cheers for the warrior who beheaded the demon king to subside.

‘Waaaaaaaahhh!!’

‘Waaaaaaaahhh!!’

During that long time, the two of them couldn’t take their eyes off each other.

For a long while, they just silently watched each other.

Ner couldn’t understand why this moment felt like it would be the last.

The air in that assumption was constantly getting tighter.

“…Berg.”

Overwhelmed by the anxiety, Ner called him.

‘…my husband…’

Even in her mind, she thought of him.

He was the only one she had ever truly loved with all her heart.

She had never loved anyone as much as she loved Berg in her lifetime.

The light he radiated made Ner’s eyes glitter with tears.

Ner’s hand was shaking.

Still, with a seemingly natural gesture…she put her hand on Berg’s cheek.

Berg, for some reason, seemed to have moist eyes too.

Felix steps down from the platform, and the king raises his hand.

Once again, silence fell.

And in that silence, Ner spoke.

“…It doesn’t matter who the opponent was now…Berg. It’s only you…only you…”

As Berg listens to her story…he firmly closes his mouth.

And then, with difficulty, he shook his head.

“Let’s stop this, us.”

-thump.

Ner couldn’t catch her breath.

It felt as if a massive hammer had just slammed into her chest.

In that profound silence, the king began to speak.

“There remains one hero still. The chosen one of the god of solitude, Lynn….”

Berg clenched his eyes shut and forcibly pulled his hand away from Ner’s.

“…Let’s stop here, Ner.”

Ner felt her vision darken.

Her vacant eyes saw nothing.

“Berg. Come onto the podium.”

All eyes turned towards Berg.

Pushing Ner aside, Berg shuffled towards the platform.

“…..Huh…?”

Ner could only watch as Berg slowly walked away. She couldn’t do anything.

All she could do was watch his retreating back.

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Her head failed to comprehend the unfolding situation on the spot.

She was aware that the Phoenix Squad had earned tremendous merit. However, she thought the negotiations about the reward would be done elsewhere.

Why then, was Berg advancing forward like the other heroes?

Slowly, Ner turned her head towards Arwin.

Arwin was also looking at her.

Tears streamed down even from that Elf’s eyes.

He, too, seemed to sense the same anxiety as her.

Berg kneeled in front of the king.

The king approached him and said,

“…I know that the Phoenix Squad has suffered significant losses. Despite being mercenaries, your tribe demonstrated endless courage and zeal that helped us win the war. The surprise attack on the Demon King also succeeded because of you all.”

Berg received his words without any expression.

“I’ve heard that ‘Adam’, whom you followed as a brother, has fallen in the process. I extend my sincere condolences. Even the best warrior, Gael, said that his end was heroic.”

Applause erupted around them.

“…Though we were not able to kill the Demon King’s right-hand man … we definitely won the war. Berg, I made a promise to your brother Adam. A reward was promised for a huge contribution. Although it would have been best if Adam himself could have received this reward…in his absence, I think it right to give it to you, who is keeping his legacy alive.”

Ner blinked her eyes.

From that moment, it felt as if everything was moving in slow motion.

” I award you, Berg, captain of the Phoenix Squad and solitary warrior, the lands of Stukfin and its surroundings!”

Without realizing it, Ner whispered.

“…That… can’t be.”

Ner couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Berg should not receive a title.

He couldn’t become a nobleman.

If Berg became a nobleman…there would be no need for Blackwood.

The only reason that he had to continue their marriage would disappear.

For some reason, at this moment, Ner remembered her conversation with her grandmother.

‘There is a boy who really suits you. He is brave, warm, and kind. A man who would be loved by many women. Nevertheless, this man will fall deep for you. And you also naturally fall for him.’

The brave, warm, and kind Berg who was loved by countless women.

“Is… is that really true?”

“Indeed, it is. No matter who is against you, I will stand by your side. I will protect you more than anyone else.”

“Even… even from my brothers?”

“I will protect you from anyone even more fearsome than them. Even if the world turns its back on you, I will be there. Even if we are the last two in the world, we still could live happily ever after, you know?”

That was Berg, who had always fought by her side.

“…when that child comes, I can be good to her, right?”

That was a promise made by innocent Ner.

“Of, of course. I’d make pies every day.”

“I could really take good care of her, right? She seems like a child who might be a bit wounded, like you were.”

These were the scars that Berg carried.

The king announced in a loud voice,

“I will bestow upon you, the owner of this region, the title ‘Leiker’! as the first head of the family…I expect you to lead your clan well.”

Cheers erupted, pouring out towards Berg.

And among those people throwing their blessings, Ner blankly stared at Berg.

“…Ah….Ah…Ah…”

-Thump…

Tears that wouldn’t dry poured from Ner’s eyes.

“From the…. very beginning….”

Berg, who wouldn’t require the power of Blackwood anymore.

Ner recalled the promise she had made.

“Yes…! I will get rid of all your pain! I’ll heal all your wounds…! I’ll treat you really preciously!”

Contrary to that promise, Ner had only given unbearable pain to him.

Saying that maybe she could never love him. Rejecting him coldly as if she had no feelings. Preparing for betrayal…

“Alright. Then there’s nothing to worry about. Ner, I don’t usually want to say such things, but…”

“Hm?”

“You mustn’t let that child slip away.”

Ner clutching her chest, suddenly dropped to her knees.

“…from the beginning. It was you.”

When the last piece fell into place…suddenly everything seemed to make sense.

Why Berg was so lovely.

Why being by his side was so comforting.

…All her life she had been waiting for him, Berg was right there.

With a hollow smile…Ner whispered slowly.

“…from the beginning…. it was you…”

But it was a realization that had come too late.