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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Why are you suddenly so clingy? It’s not like you.”
“I did all the planning. I deserve some affection.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Then it’s settled. Do you need anything else?”
Elena stared at me, her gaze challenging.
She’d done the planning, she was contributing the most to the preparations, and I, the groom, was essentially along for the ride.
A kiss in exchange for all that work? It was a steal.
I wasn’t flustered by a simple kiss. I wasn’t that inexperienced.
But I still felt uneasy.
“Your personality changes so drastically. Weren’t you crying and throwing a fit earlier?”
“I never cried or threw a fit!”
“You didn’t?”
“No!”
Elena’s indignant denial made me tilt my head.
Had she just been teary-eyed?
Now that she mentioned it, I didn’t recall any actual crying…
Anyway, it was still strange to see her switch from a dignified princess to a clingy girlfriend the moment we were alone.
It was like she was a different person.
Perhaps the age gap contributed to my discomfort.
But…
Seeing her pout and close her eyes expectantly, I couldn’t refuse.
They said women were like children, even when they grew older. I still held onto the belief that men were too.
So, what did that make us?
A child meeting a child?
I chuckled at the thought, then gently kissed Elena’s waiting lips.
It was a simple, chaste kiss. Her lips were soft and warm, and a faint, sweet fragrance lingered in the air.
Not a passionate kiss, just a brief touch of lips.
But it seemed to be enough. Elena’s eyes fluttered open, a smile gracing her lips.
“I was just thinking…”
“Thinking what?”
“Guess.”
A playful smile danced on her lips.
I already knew the answer.
We were practically married, and married couples shared one heart and mind.
“It’s obvious.”
“Oh?”
“You’re thinking all that hard work paid off.”
“Oh…”
Elena’s expression shifted.
I’d hit the mark, and she couldn’t deny it. She hadn’t expected me to guess correctly.
“I didn’t think you’d guess.”
“It was obvious. Your thoughts are always so predictable.”
“Really?”
Elena tilted her head, curious how I’d guessed.
I couldn’t tell her that her thoughts became childish around me, so I offered a white lie.
“Married couples become alike.”
“Married… you’re right. The wedding is almost here.”
Elena murmured, a wistful look on her face.
It was unusual to see her so sentimental, but I understood.
Even if the time before the regression was a distant, meaningless memory for me.
“Rudrick? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…..”.
It wasn’t just Elena. The other four felt the same.
I wasn’t being sentimental. I’d just had a thought.
The time before the regression was a bygone era, lost to the sands of time. Only the five of them, remembered it.
Even I didn’t know what memories we’d shared.
All I knew were the few things Elena had told me.
After all that lost time, we were finally about to get married. In a way, I’d achieved my ultimate goal.
Though I wasn’t sure if marrying me was worth all that.
“It’s nothing.”
“How boring.”
Elena leaned her head on my shoulder, closing her eyes.
“Can I stay like this for a while?”
“Of course.”
“Then…”
I didn’t recognize the melody she hummed softly.
A date didn’t have to be a grand affair. This quiet, peaceful moment was a date too.
Our little date was drawing to a close, but…
A thought struck me.
I might not share those memories, but they do.
It was a sudden epiphany.
I didn’t have to be the one to share those memories. They were former rivals, but now, they were family.
This applied to all five of them, not just Elena.
They were bound by the shared experience of regression.
Could that bring them closer?
Or at least make them fight less?
A thrill ran through me as I considered the possibilities.
“I’m a genius.”
“…”
Elena looked up at me, puzzled.
But that didn’t matter.
This was a brilliant idea, a stroke of genius. It would solve my worries about them fighting after the wedding.
I nodded to myself, impressed by my own ingenuity, but Elena interrupted my self-congratulation.
“Rudrick.”
“Yes?”
“You’re thinking something strange again, aren’t you?”
“It’s not strange.”
“It is… you make that face when you’re having one of your outlandish ideas.”
“It’s not outlandish.”
I replied confidently.
The best way to unite a group was to create a common enemy. But I couldn’t do that right now. So, the next best thing was to create a shared experience.
Simply talking about the time before the regression would create a bond. Especially since it was such an unusual experience, shared by only five people in this world.
I just needed to create the right opportunity. It wouldn’t be difficult to arrange a gathering after the wedding.
Then, I wouldn’t have to worry.
I could just let them talk amongst themselves. Sharing a common experience would prevent them from fighting seriously.
Though I did consider the rotation schedule just in case…
I might actually have to implement it.
I’d chosen this path, and I had to see it through. Or rather, from the perspective of my past life, I had five beautiful wives.
I was lucky.
Complaining would be ungrateful.
I’d chosen to marry all five of them on a whim, so I had to accept the consequences.
“I don’t want to think about complicated things right now. Wedding planning is exhausting. I’m tired,” Elena said, her voice laced with exhaustion.
“Then just rest.”
“Okay. But Rudrick… how many children do you want?”
“…..”
Children.
Well, we were getting married, so children were inevitable.
“I want a cute son who looks like you. But we need a daughter too, to carry on the family name.”
“I guess so… probably.”
“Really? Then let’s have four children, two boys and two girls.”
“…..”
She said “four” so casually.
I had a feeling I was going to be exhausted.
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My man is gonna be drained