Time flowed like water, and the wedding day soon arrived.

Back then, the wedding was an unavoidable result of a master-servant relationship, but now, with so many people watching, my heart fluttered wildly from the morning.

Moreover, since it was a wedding shared with Veronia, I was even more nervous. At least, thankfully, I wasn’t nervous enough to faint.

Just as I worried I might be trembling so badly I’d accidentally bite my tongue, Sikar entered the bridal waiting room where I was.

“I heard Princess Veronia was trembling, so I came over. Are you alright, my lady?”

Of course, I couldn’t possibly be alright. I trembled intensely as I replied,

“N… not really…”

Sikar came beside me, hugged me, and gently stroked my back.

“I’ll stay right by your side. Won’t that help you feel better?”

“What about the Marquis? How does he seem?”

“How does he seem? Just like always. Why? Are you worried?”

“Of course I’m worried. Seo Yeon disappeared right before the wedding… and since I remained behind, I feel inexplicably guilty. That’s also why I haven’t been able to face the Marquis since then…”

“I already told you—it’s not your fault!”

Still, I couldn’t help feeling guilty. How conflicted must his feelings be, looking at me…?

“Even so, my heart feels heavy…”

Sikar pulled me tightly into his arms and patted my back.

“We haven’t completely given up, and Vika Lamberst and Durion are doing their absolute best to find Seo Yeon. Don’t blame yourself. If we wait, good news will surely come.”

“I really hope so. Truly… I hope they find her soon…”

Then Sikar, as if suddenly chilled, pushed me away slightly and said,

“Wait. Could it be… your purpose is to find Seo Yeon? What if that’s the case?!”

“Huh?”

“If the reason you didn’t vanish even after I broke my curse is because your purpose shifted from breaking my curse to finding Seo Yeon…”

Sikar’s words made sense, and I couldn’t help but seriously consider whether that was truly what had happened.

“If that’s really the case, then it’s no good! I’ll have to tell Vika to stop searching for Seo Yeon.”

“Surely not…”

“They say ‘surely not’ is what gets people killed!”

At that moment, Vika Lamberst swept into the bridal waiting room, tossing his hair dramatically.

“There’s no need to worry, Duke. That won’t happen.”

“V… Vika Lamberst!”

Sikar looked at Vika, who stood crookedly, with an indifferent gaze.

“Vika, you said you’d spend your time finding Seo Yeon rather than attending my insignificant wedding. I suppose you were bothered by the thought of skipping my wedding?”

“Didn’t it occur to you that I came because I found Seo Yeon?”

At this miraculous statement, I jumped to my feet.

“You found Lady Seo Yeon?! Then where is she right now?!”

“Outside, of course.”

I immediately dashed outside. There, someone dressed in clothes from the era I once lived in, hooded in black, was being led toward this place.

To any onlooker, they might easily be mistaken for a hostage, prisoner, or criminal.

And the sight was quite familiar. When I was first captured by Sikar, I looked exactly like that.

“Untie them at once!”

At my shout, the soldiers looked bewilderedly toward Vika Lamberst.

“Lord Vika Lamberst, why did you bring someone tied up like that?”

Vika wore an expression as if to say, “What’s the big deal?”

“Well, we can’t let them escape, can we?”

Honestly, I’d be relieved if they didn’t faint from shock before even thinking of running away.

“Untie them at once!”

At Vika’s shout, the soldiers removed the hood. The person beneath it had a gag in their mouth—but it was truly Seo Yeon.

I rushed over, removed the gag from her mouth, and hugged her tightly.

“Lady Seo Yeon! Are you alright?! What on earth happened?!”

Seo Yeon, seemingly not fully composed, began to cry profusely.

“Wahhh. Duchess. After so many twists and turns, I barely made it back here, when suddenly soldiers appeared, gagged me, and put this hood on me!”

I knew firsthand how harsh these people could be. Understanding Seo Yeon better than anyone, I patted her back and said,

“Lady Seo Yeon, you must have been so frightened. But how did this happen?”

“Waaah… Duchess… waaah… well… you see… wahhh…”

Just then, Reidox, having heard the news, ran out and rushed toward us.

“Lady Seo Yeon!”

Seo Yeon immediately ran to Reidox and embraced him, while I watched them, tears streaming down my face.

Seeing me cry, Sikar began patting my shoulder.

“Those rascals are making my wife cry again.”

But Sikar himself seemed pleased, his lips curling upward. Above all, he was overjoyed that Seo Yeon had returned.

“Seeing her return, it seems they found some way or another.”

After crying for a long while in Reidox’s arms, Seo Yeon tearfully recounted her story.

According to her, the place she returned to after vanishing in the blink of an eye was her own home.

Upon returning to reality, Seo Yeon searched for the book ‘Blood King’ she had once read, but she couldn’t find it again.

On portal sites, people who had seen ‘Blood King’ were openly sharing stories of having gone into the book’s world and then returned to reality.

Everyone’s stories were filled with accounts of the book vanishing once they returned to reality.

Seo Yeon tried to find ‘Blood King’ again, but since the book had already gone out of print, she couldn’t locate another copy.

Though she returned to reality, Seo Yeon, unsatisfied with her life there, eventually managed to obtain a copy of ‘Blood King’ with great difficulty and returned here.

“So, you’re saying one needs that book to return here?”

“Yes, Duke.”

Sikar sighed in frustration, his expression grave, but Seo Yeon smiled calmly.

“There’s no need to worry too much. I’ve figured out why people are summoned back to reality.”

“What is it?”

“What is it?”

Both Sikar and Reidox asked simultaneously. Seo Yeon, as if deep in thought, lowered her head and replied,

“I read posts on portal sites where people shared their reasons. I found one common point among them.”

As Seo Yeon paused dramatically, Sikar, impatient, urged her on.

“This is frustrating—just say it already.”

“They returned when they released negative beliefs they’d held about themselves, or when a curse was lifted. I used to believe I was cursed to live my whole life without ever being acknowledged—like a nightmare. But when Lucy accepted me as her mother, I stopped believing in divine curses or fate.”

So, she returned when the negative thoughts controlling her changed.

“I see. Anyway, this is wonderful. I’m so happy you’re back, Lady Seo Yeon.”

“I have no idea how hard I worked to return here.”

Seo Yeon and I embraced again, but soon the wedding ceremony began, so we couldn’t hold each other for long.

Seo Yeon wiped the tears gathering at her eyes and congratulated us on our wedding.

Soon after, we prepared to walk down the aisle side by side with Veronia and her spouse.

I hadn’t believed Veronia would tremble, but indeed, her shoulders were trembling slightly.

Living long enough in this world, I suppose even I’d get to see Veronia trembling.

“Her Royal Highness Princess Veronia and spouse, please enter!”

As rehearsed, Veronia and her spouse entered first, and then it was our turn.

“His Excellency Blake and spouse, please enter!”

This outdoor wedding had drawn far more guests than the modest ceremony Sikar and I had held at the ducal manor.

Amidst a sea of guests so vast we couldn’t even see the end of the garden, we walked down the aisle.

As we took each step forward, familiar faces appeared.

Vika Lamberst and Durion. Hersia and Aaron. Roen and Jeremi Iker. And my beloved son, Kian Blake, along with Lucy and Luid. Even Reidox and Seo Yeon.

The only regret was that Grandmother couldn’t attend, but I knew better than anyone that she was blessing us in spirit.

“It’s a little sad that Grandmother isn’t here, right?”

Sikar nodded in agreement with my words.

“Let’s go visit Grandmother next time.”

“Will the Grand Temple permit our entry?”

“I can’t guarantee that either.”

If only the Grand Temple granted us permission, I’d want to go straight to Grandmother right after the wedding.

After the wedding procession ended, it was time for the couple to exchange vows of love and kiss. We kissed simultaneously with Veronia and her spouse, and at the moment of our kiss, cheers and fireworks erupted from all around.

Even though this wedding was blessed by so many people, I didn’t tremble at all.

No, my heart had never felt so peaceful.

I was simply grateful to be with the people who blessed me.

Kian, who had run over without us noticing, kissed each of us fairly in turn.

“I’m truly blessed. I have two mothers and two fathers. I love you. Mother. Father!”

That moment filled my heart to bursting. We all embraced Kian at once, and though Kian stuck out his tongue as if suffocating, he was happier than anyone.

Honestly, when we found Veronia, I worried I’d have to send Kian away, but thankfully, Veronia showed us that even in this form, we could still be one family.

We whispered “I love you” to each other endlessly.

“I love you. Your Majesty.”

“I love you. Mother.”

“I love you. I love you.”

“I love you. I love you.”

But since Veronia still hadn’t said she loved Kian, we all turned to stare pointedly at her.

Then Veronia, hiding her face behind her bouquet, said to Kian,

“L… l… I love you… Kian.”

Because Veronia’s face flushed as if burning, we barely managed to suppress our bursting laughter.

And Kian, after staring blankly at Veronia for a moment, soon smiled and pulled her tightly into his arms.

“I love you too, Mother.”

It was such a touching scene. Perhaps now, the two of them would love each other even more.

Valije, watching them with moved eyes, sniffled back tears.

“Son-in-law…”

They say Valije cries easily, but he seemed even more tearful than I’d expected. Even after the wedding ended, we held each other for quite a while.

“Congratulations on your wedding.”

Lucy presented us with flowers as a gift, and Luid offered flowers as well.

“Thank you, Lucy. Thank you, Luid.”

“You both look so beautiful!”

I’d vaguely thought a wedding with many people would be intimidating, but a wedding blessed by so many was nothing but pure happiness.

“Oh, right. Now Lucy is part of our family too.”

At the words “part of our family,” Lucy’s face turned red.

I reached out my hand and, just as I had with Kian, pulled Lucy toward the center of our circle.

Lucy, unsure what to do, shyly blushed, but we simultaneously embraced both Kian and Lucy.

“I love you, kids.”

Lucy hesitated for a moment, then embraced us along with them.

“I love you. Mothers. Fathers.”

Valije smiled, apparently quite pleased with the address.

“That’s fine, child. Don’t think of it as having two in-laws—just think of it as having two mothers.”

“I’m honored.”

Seeing Lucy smile shyly with flushed cheeks, we burst into laughter again.

In the garden, where a gentle breeze blew, we mingled with the guests, laughing brightly and dancing.

Strangely, even in this joyful moment, many past events came to mind.

Those days when everything seemed resolved, yet everything became tangled again.

Perhaps in life, other variables may yet arise, but as long as I’m with the people I love and those who love me, we might overcome anything.

Just as Seo Yeon, who missed us, returned to us today.

In life, other losses may come, but we will embrace and hold each other, overcoming loss together.

As long as love remains.

“What are you thinking about?”

Sikar rubbed his cheek against mine and asked.

“I was thinking about love, Sikar. What do you think love is?”

“Love isn’t something you think about. It’s staying together and remaining by each other’s side.”

“Then what do you feel from me?”

“I feel love. Absolute love.”

Sikar smiled and kissed me.

“I’ll always stay by your side and ensure we live only in a world overflowing with love.”

The blowing wind, the bright sunlight, sparkled beautifully toward us.

As if to show me that my future life could shine so brilliantly.