Incompatible Interspecies Wives chapter 218

218 – Berg (5)

I looked around at my wives awkwardly.

Arwin and Ner were on the boat with me.

Sien was outside the boat, watching me quietly.

There were countless flowers and various gifts around, as if a funeral was taking place.

The rest of the people were not visible.

It seemed that only these three were bidding me their last goodbyes.

Arwen’s bow was positioned nearby, and I could understand that it was meant to set this boat on fire.

Apparently, I had faced death.

But now I came back like this.

“…”

I did not know what else to say to my frozen wives.

This situation was awkward for me as well since it was my first time.

I glanced around and apologized again.

“…I’m sorry for not keeping my promise.”

“……..Bel…?”

Sien called my nickname and placed her hand on my cheek.

Her eyes were filling with tears endlessly.

“…Am I…not dreaming…?”

She asked.

I looked down at my body.

It didn’t seem like a dream.

“No way-“

-Whack!!

Then, someone struck my chest.

It was Arwen.

Her usually stern face or cold expression was now showing a rich mix of emotions as she cried.

Her face showed a mixture of sadness, relief, and anger.

-Whack! Whack! Whack!!

She didn’t stop hitting me, even as she cried.

Sobbing, she confronted me.

“You were supposed to-“

-Whack!

“Come back!”

-Whack!

“You promised!!!”

-Whack!!

“…”

I had nothing to say.

I couldn’t stop her.

From Noble mtl dot com

As she struck me, I stood there like a sinner, taking it all.

“Do you even know how I felt… *sniff* …when I let you go?! How much regret are you trying to make me feel?!”

“…”

The reason I chose the path I did might have been because of Arwen’s last support.

Because she came to my struggling self and told me to do what I believed was right, I must have pushed forward.

It might have been because Arwen had supported me when Ner and Cien fell.

I could feel how much regret and sadness Arwen must have felt after I had faced death.

It was as if she was finally releasing all the emotions and tears she had held back.

“… *sob*!”

And then, Ner too was infected by that sadness, and she began to cry too.

She, who had been groping and sniffing me… finally seemed to realize that I was alive, and started to hit me like Arwin.

She used her hand like a whip to hit me.

“I hate you… so much… I hate you!”

There wasn’t much power in her hand.

It was no more than the strength of a person who was exhausted and drained.

“How could you leave like that…! What kind of love is that, promising love and then dying!”

Although Arwin and Ner weren’t very strong… maybe it was because they were trying their best with the strength they had.

Gradually, the pain in my body became slightly unbearable.

“Calm down first…”

– Thwack! Thwack!! Thwack!

– Crack!! Crack!!

I crossed my arms over my body to protect myself.

Nevertheless, they couldn’t see my condition as they were both shedding tears, and they didn’t stop.

“Ner…! Arwin…! First…”

“Do you know how scared I was, Berg! Sniff, I told you that you’re all I have!”

“How am I supposed to live without you for a thousand years! Why do you give me such pain again…!”

Perhaps because they were non-human species.

They showed no mercy.

Their standards seemed to be different from humans.

I looked back at Sien and said,

“Sien, please stop them-“

“Take a few more hits first.”

But Sien quickly cut off my words.

Now that I looked, her face was also full of anger.

As the relief swept through her once, the hidden anger seemed to rise.

In the end, Arwin, who lost his strength, fell on me.

Only then did Ner embrace me with her arms wrapped around my neck.

Arwin cried his eyes out, hiding his face.

He poured his tears onto my chest with all his might.

Like shaking off the remaining anxiety.

Nerdo held me, weeping endlessly.

She didn’t let go of me even for a moment.

“……..”

As I looked at them, I reached out and gently stroked their heads, one by one.

Even though they were scratched and bruised all over, it was more than fortunate that we could reach this outcome in the end.

.

.

.

.

How long had we been lying there?

The sunset began.

I carefully sat up, upper body first.

Nerdo continued to sob, her arm still wrapped around my neck.

Arwin was wiping her tears away, trying to calm her emotions.

Cien kept looking at me, as if to make sure that my survival wasn’t a lie.

Once the situation was settled, I asked first.

“… What happened?”

I still didn’t know how I had come back to life.

I had definitely faced death. I had even met up with Adam.

As soon as I opened my eyes, Arwin was the one on top of me.

I asked her if she knew anything.

“Arwin?”

“…”

But Arwin didn’t answer. She kept wiping her tears and catching her breath.

“… You used up all your life vessel.”

That’s when Nerdo, clinging to me, whispered.

I doubted my ears at Nerdo’s words.

“… What?”

“Arwin gave up her thousand-year life just to save you.”

“….”

A thousand-year lifespan.

It was an incredibly long time.

A time I couldn’t bear even if I were to be reborn ten times.

I looked at Si-en in disbelief at that unbelievable number.

Si-en nodded as if to confirm Ner’s words.

I looked at Arwin again.

She wouldn’t even meet my eyes.

She wasn’t showing any signs of her sacrifice.

“…Arwin, is this really true?”

“…”

I didn’t know what to say.

Would I ever have thought that there could be someone who would sacrifice a thousand years of their life for me?

I didn’t even know that was possible.

A feeling of strangeness and tightness overlapped with guilt.

Despite knowing I don’t deserve this… I can’t help but ask Arwin how much she has given me.

“Arwin, you-“

“I’ve come to realize something, Bergh.”

However, Arwin cut off my words in an instant.

And then, finally, she looked me in the eyes.

“…That without you, I wouldn’t want to live even for a day.”

“…”

“Please, don’t say anything. I don’t even think about that thousand years right now. Rather, I’m grateful that you were able to come back to life…”

“…”

Gazing into my face, she whispered with a sincere look in her eyes, as if she were opening her heart to me.

“…I am so, so grateful.”

I was frozen in silence.

Arwin and I locked eyes for a long time.

She was looking at me unshakably.

“… After all, you’ve risked your life countless times to protect me.”

“…Yeah.”

So, I let out a hollow laugh.

I could feel the depth of her feelings for me.

Even though it’s been a long time since we got divorced, she still showed the same resolve.

Now that I think about it, there was really no reason to push Nell and Arwin away.

Nell once tried to hurt my precious people, but in the end, she protected them from the plague.

The people of the territory and the agents of the Red Flame Group, as well as… Sien and my child.

If it wasn’t for Nell, Sien and my child might have already crossed over to the other side.

Arwin, on the other hand, once tried to kill me with a poison exclusive to elves, but ultimately saved me like this.

By sacrificing a thousand years of time, she saved my life.

How could I push them away when they compensated for the mistakes they once tried to make in such a complete way?

“…”

I could no longer say anything to Arwin.

If she has come to that conclusion, it wasn’t my place to regret her sacrifice.

On the contrary, it was my duty to make her happy.

I stood up and approached Arwin.

I brushed off the flowers that were on my body and got off the ship.

Then, I tightly hugged Arwin.

“…Thank you.”

I told her.

“…Thank you, really.”

“……….”

Arwin didn’t refuse, hugging me back.

With trembling hands, she held onto me tightly.

“…Yes.”

She replied.

Sien, watching all of this, approached me and said,

“…Bel.”

A comfortable smile was on his face.

“Let’s go back for now.”

He said after briefly admiring the sunset.

“The time is getting late. Everyone will be pleased to know that you’ve survived.”

Arwin nodded.

“Yes. Go back, Berg.”

Nerd spoke from atop the ship.

“…Go and rest, Berg.”

“…………”

For some reason, their words made my body stiffen.

Go back.

Does it mean returning to Stuckfin?

In my mind, Adam’s last words echoed.

“Please live happily. Don’t think about duty. It’s harder for me to see you in pain.”

Those words, so vividly resonant, were spoken by Adam, who had given me a second chance.

“Live happily, and after living for a long time… tell me how life was.”

When facing death, I had wondered why I couldn’t live happily.

I also wished for happiness for my remaining wives.

If I return to Stuckfin.

Can I live happily?

Can Nerd and Arwin, who couldn’t stay by my side due to the abolition of polygamy, be happy?

Nerd, who sacrificed her life for me, and Arwin, who dedicated her lifespan.

Is it right to inflict such pain on them?

Of course, I could try asking the king to revive polygamy with this achievement, but I didn’t know how likely it would be.

“…Berg?”

Arwin embraced me, looking at me with confusion as I stood still.

“…”

I continued my momentary contemplation.

There’s no guarantee that Stuckfin won’t face difficult challenges again in the future.

I might continue to live a life of hurriedly handling documents.

I didn’t want such a life.

My dream was always…

…to live in a peaceful place, free from tension, with the people I love.

Even Gale, who noticed my true nature, once suggested that I escape and live.

At the time, it was merely a laughable proposal, but now, for some reason, it seems overflowing with reality.

Actually, abandoning the family and running away didn’t make sense in the first place.

As if there had never been anything like a fugitive noble.

But now, to the outside world, I am in the state of having met death.

The situation has become freer than ever before.

The plague problem was now settling down.

The farming issue was resolved.

The Kruund problem was solved, and there was hope for an improved reputation for our race.

Even my brother Adam said not to dwell on such dreams anymore.

I had resolved all the issues given to me at the moment.

There was no more work left to do.

I thought for a moment.

Living a life away in a peaceful place.

“…”

I let out a snicker quickly.

It seemed like it wouldn’t be too bad.

“Bergh, return-“

“-No.”

I cut off the words that Cien continued to say.

Then I turned my body.

Taking a deep breath, I made my choice.

It was a choice that made my chest feel refreshed.

Cien.

Nehr.

And even looking at Arwin, I said.

“…I want to achieve my dream like this.”

Having finished everything…for the first time, I made the choice to escape.