Side Story Chapter 7 – Immortality and Mortality
Strange.
It’s all sticky somewhere, yet filled with a slightly dreamy darkness.
It has become so familiar that I even feel a sense of closeness.
Why am I unexpectedly standing here alone in this bizarre space?
“Uh?”
[Have you arrived?]
No, I wasn’t alone; there were two of us.
At some point, Piece appeared right in front of me.
She wore a slightly ecstatic smile on her face.
[Wasn’t it a hectic day?]
It really was a hectic day, just as Piece said.
The moments leading up to and during the wedding were quite tough.
And even the schedule after that wasn’t a walk in the park.
There were so many people that taking photos took forever.
Changing outfits in the reception room and doing the traditional bow was intense.
I was so exhausted that even eating felt like an afterthought.
When I returned home, everyone fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.
I was really worn out, and my fatigue hit peak levels.
The heroines even fainted right after a quick wash!
It was easy to say that preparing for a wedding was tough, and it really was.
Anyway, everyone was so deep in sleep that they couldn’t react even when called.
I wanted to catch some sleep too, so I roughly washed up in the shower and was about to step out.
And suddenly, here I am now.
Looks like Piece dragged me here as I was coming out of the shower.
It was so sudden that I didn’t know how to react.
Above all, the most embarrassing thing is…
“Piece,”
[What is it?]
“…..But wouldn’t it have been better to call me when I had something on?”
The fact that I’m completely naked right now.
Sure, the house is a relatively private space, so that’s fine.
But here, where there’s nothing, it feels too open and burdensome.
It’s so awkward that this sensation is something I won’t get used to.
At the very least, I wish I had some pajamas on.
[Why bring that up so suddenly?]
“As if that’s not a little…”
[Now that we’re married, isn’t it fine?]
“……That’s true.”
Only then did I remind myself again that Piece and I got married.
Honestly, even hearing that still doesn’t feel real.
But just those two words make the corners of my mouth lift slightly.
It felt so good that it was hard to believe we are truly connected.
And then…
“I’m sorry.”
[Why say that out of the blue?]
I felt bad.
“I thought I might have forced things on you.”
[Maybe you felt that because there wasn’t anyone at the wedding that I knew?]
“Yes.”
I felt like I had done something terrible to her.
A wedding is an important event, usually just once in a lifetime for most people.
So, it’s inevitable that many connections come to celebrate.
However, Piece had nobody to show up for her.
Of course, it wasn’t that others didn’t congratulate her marriage.
The heroines didn’t actively ostracize her.
They even showed kindness so we could have the wedding together.
Piece didn’t express any particular complaints about that.
In fact, she even chose to get married, so in a way, everything was resolved well.
But still, my heart felt conflicted.
How lonely must she have been in the crowded bride’s waiting room?
No one would have visited, so it must’ve been quite desolate.
She should have been the one getting blessings.
Yet because of my selfishness, I felt like I had reduced her to just a spectacle.
Piece shouldn’t be treated that way at all.
She deserves all the affection I can give and more.
But my stubbornness had carved deep wounds in her.
And I only now remembered that.
What a pathetic guy I am.
There could have been better ways.
Why settle for just this choice?
“Maybe taking a little more time would have been better.”
Of course, I can’t expect much improvement later on.
After all, this was the content the heroines wouldn’t have agreed upon.
But even considering that, it’s still honestly disappointing.
At that moment, Piece let out a laugh, seeing me looking a bit down.
To her, it seemed like this wasn’t a problem at all.
Seeing her smile made my worries ease a bit.
[Did you really think I called you here just for such a trivial reason?]
Only then did I remember that Piece had suddenly brought me here.
On the night of the wedding, when everyone else had passed out from exhaustion.
I, too, was so tired that I felt I could fall asleep at any moment.
If she brought me here at this hour, it must be for something important.
“So, what did you call me for?”
[I called you to act like a proper couple.]
……It was indeed something that could be considered important.
She probably meant that she wanted to have a physical relationship.
But as soon as I heard that, my worries leaped ahead of my agreement.
Because of a certain ultimatum the heroines had tossed out.
“Didn’t they say it’s forbidden until someone gets pregnant?”
[If it’s not caught, then it’s fine.]
“I can’t even… seriously.”
Of course, Piece wasn’t in a state to care about such things now.
Somehow, I felt like she was readily agreeing with the heroines’ statements.
She’d never been the epitome of normalcy; why would she suddenly start?
It seemed she had been waiting for this very moment all along.
At the same time, I kind of understood it.
Having seen me interact with the heroines, if nothing changed even after becoming a couple, she might feel a bit unjust.
Whether her body is there or not, if she’s only watching, how would that be different from before?
Honestly, it was a bit surprising that she had endured all this time.
Since I’d married Piece, it would also be right for us to be doing such things.
And as she said, as long as we don’t get caught, it shouldn’t be much of a problem.
While rationalizing that, another sudden question popped into my head.
“Piece, could I ask you one thing?”
[What is it that you’re so curious about, my lord?]
Piece approached, grinning playfully.
It felt like she was hinting that I didn’t really need to say it.
Yet, I thought I had to definitely pin this down this time.
It was perhaps the most fundamental question about the current situation.
“After all, you were an immortal, right?”
[That’s true in the past tense. I no longer am since we share our souls.]
“But why did you accept to be with me so stubbornly?”
Why on earth did Piece want to be with me?
Sure, she could indeed be an immortal.
Not the incomplete god she once was but a complete god with regression.
Yet she didn’t remain an immortal.
She engaged in the unprecedented act of sharing her soul with me.
Even while participating in what could sound like a somewhat comical scene for gods.
And never once did she use her status as a god to gain an advantage over the heroines.
Above all, she boldly declared that we were in a marital relationship.
I was grateful for that Piece but couldn’t understand why.
What benefit could there possibly be for her?
No matter how much human lifespans have increased.
In comparison to immortality, this mortal life is nothing but trivial.
Absolute numbers might seem long when compared, but as soon as you compare them to immortality, it’s merely a fleeting moment.
[Do you really want to hear the reason that badly?]
“It’s fine if it’s too hard for you to say.”
Especially since my lifespan is already in fragments.
On the other hand, though her past life may have been nonexistent,
her future could infinitely continue.
That’s the inherent nature of the word immortality.
Unlike my life, which is being extinguished in real-time, even as we speak.
[Indeed, as you say, I could have been an immortal based on a transcendent domain, unlike you.]
“What if you were a third case that didn’t sacrifice your existence?”
[That’s right.]
Moreover, I am one with an exceptionally short lifespan among mortals.
My body is almost entirely gone, and my soul too has hardly any left.
A precarious candle that could flicker out even without a breeze.
And Piece must be very aware of this.
“What if you decided to choose immortality again right now?”
[That’s not going to happen. I actually prefer this.]
“Why?”
Even knowing all of this, why did Piece choose someone like me?
The word immortality is undoubtedly alluring.
How many have yearned for it?
I’m about to get enchanted by it myself.
Yet, Piece casually tossed away that immortality.
It’s clear that if I die, she too would perish.
Her power of regression would vanish without a trace as well.
As a human, I couldn’t possibly understand a god’s reasoning.
Meanwhile, Piece approached close to me.
I sent a silent question to her with my gaze.
What could be the reason for all this?
Then, Piece chuckled softly and began to speak.
From the perspective of a god who has cast aside immortality,
[I had the chance to be immortal, but I found interest in you, who lives every moment fiercely through your mortal life, and I willingly want to live that life together.]
“That’s way too deep; I don’t get what you mean.”
At that moment, Piece drew a soft smile on her lips.
[I meant it literally.]
“Oh.”
She immediately toppled me over, starting to pile on top of me.
