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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Breaking up the fight was a chore.
Three hundred years was an unfathomable length of time for me, encompassing both my past and present lives. But for Arwen and Sylphia, it seemed like yesterday.
Mediating between Arwen’s lingering resentment and Sylphia’s avoidance required considerable effort.
The process was as childish as reconciling two kindergarteners after a squabble.
“Even if it was an accident, Sylphia was the one who fired the spell at her… pet.”
“Rudrick…”
“See? Even Rudrick agrees. And it wasn’t a pet, it was a clan member.”
Sylphia looked at me with wide, pleading eyes, while Arwen puffed up with pride. But my next words turned the tables.
“Still, calling a dragon a lizard isn’t nice. Arwen, you were wrong too. Apologize to each other, and let’s not fight about this anymore.”
“B-but…”
Now Arwen looked at me, aghast.
I’d recently learned that calling a dragon a lizard was a grave insult in this world.
It was like using a racial slur in my past life. You might get punched in the face, or worse.
Dragons were practically natural disasters. In some ways, they were even more dangerous.
The only reason Arwen had gotten away with it was because she was a True Ancestor vampire, a being on par with a dragon.
It was like two people from marginalized groups trading insults in my past life. Not exactly a pleasant sight.
“So, let’s apologize and make up. Now, shake hands!”
Silence.
I forced their hands together, hoping they’d bury the hatchet, but their expressions remained unchanged.
I felt like a kindergarten teacher, but what else could I do?
As they said, men are just grown-up children. And in this world, it seemed women were too.
I briefly wondered if I’d been tricked into this marriage, but looking at Arwen and Sylphia stubbornly refusing to look at each other, I realized something.
“Now that you’ve made up, if you fight about this again, especially in front of me, you’ll be sleeping in separate rooms for a month, even after the wedding.”
“What?!”
“That’s outrageous!”
Their indignant cries confirmed my suspicions.
This was the easiest way to handle these near-transcendental beings. I didn’t want to resort to such tactics, but it was the most effective.
They hadn’t realized this?
“If you fight about this again, especially if it’s a serious fight, I’ll bring out the divorce papers immediately.”
Arwen and Sylphia fell silent at my stern warning.
It was like a moment of enlightenment in a martial arts novel.
I’d found their weakness.
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The discussions continued. It wasn’t so much a discussion as a chaotic free-for-all, each of them pushing for their own preferences.
“Let’s summarize the points we’ve agreed on. Please review them.”
I scanned the document.
First, the guest list.
“This is… impressive.”
And I meant it literally.
Family was a given, but thanks to Elena, the list included most of the Imperial family, ambassadors and diplomats from various countries, and influential nobles.
Elena, her pride slightly inflated, shrugged.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. We need to invite these people to maintain appearances. My goal is to dazzle them with the wedding’s splendor, so they forget about the… unconventional nature of it.”
“I think the bride situation is more likely to cause confusion than mockery…”
“You underestimate human nature. They’ll smile and offer congratulations to our faces, then gossip behind our backs.”
“That’s a rather cynical view, but… I don’t mind the guest list.”
“Good.”
Elena smirked, reverting to her usual casual tone.
It was an unspoken rule.
I’d recently discovered that Elena enjoyed being pampered. I indulged her when we were alone, but we spoke formally in public.
We hadn’t discussed it, but it was a tacit agreement.
The guest list was settled. Next, the venue.
I turned the page.
“We’re having it at the Imperial Palace.”
“An outdoor venue could accommodate more people, but it’s less hassle to use an established facility.”
“True. My appointment ceremony was held in the Hall of the Sun. We’ve come full circle.”
“It’s the designated venue for such events.”
Frankly, I didn’t care where we had it.
The plan seemed flawless. It was evident how much effort Elena had put into it.
But there was one problem…
“But…”
“Hmm? Is there a problem?”
“Don’t you think having a plan B for the magic stone lights failing is a bit much? That’s just… excessive.”
Did we really need such detailed contingency plans?
It explained why Elena had been holed up in her office for a week.
“You don’t understand. I’ve told you, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event.”
“Right.”
“That’s why it’s so important. I don’t want something so trivial to ruin my wedding.”
Elena scoffed.
I could see the determination in her eyes. An almost obsessive desire for a perfect wedding.
“I agree, but this is a bit extreme. I didn’t make the plan, so I can’t really complain.”
A hand landed on my shoulder.
I turned to see Lassiel grinning.
“Admiral Repert, you haven’t offered any opinions. Even the quiet cousin was excited earlier.”
“The Grand Duchess was surprisingly enthusiastic. I have no complaints about Her Highness’s plan.”
“A commendable attitude.”
Elena nodded, then added,
“My cousin, who was nowhere to be seen while I was planning, had a laundry list of demands.”
“I’ll refrain from commenting, lest I be accused of gossiping about the Grand Duchess,” Lassiel replied with a playful smile.
And there I was, caught in the middle.
It was a trivial conversation, but it painted a clear picture of our future married life.
They’d agreed because they knew objecting would be pointless, but they all secretly wanted me to themselves.
Polygamy was unusual in this world.
It meant they wouldn’t get along, constantly bickering over trivial matters…
“This is going to be difficult.”
“What’s going to be difficult, Rudrick?”
Lassiel asked, her arm now casually draped over my shoulders.
Our future married life, as I could easily envision it, was heading for disaster.
This was going to be a problem.
“I’ve been thinking about how to prevent you all from fighting…”
“Oh?”
“I think we need a rotation schedule…”
Weekdays assigned to each of them, weekends shared. Something like that.
It made me feel like a shared resource, but it couldn’t be helped.
“You’re suggesting… a schedule… to prevent us from fighting?”
Elena asked, her face a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
I nodded. I hadn’t changed my mind.
This was the only way. Unless I took control from the beginning, they’d fight constantly, leading to a disastrous outcome.
“Otherwise, you’ll be fighting every other day. There’s no other way.”
“I suppose that’s true, but…”
“It can’t be helped.”
Elena trailed off, and I shrugged.
“I’m used to being the bad guy…”
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