"Hmm? What is it?" She tilted her head in confusion. She extended her hand and placed her palm on his cheek as she slowly caressed it and wiped his tears with her thumb. Feeling the sensation of the love of his life holding him, he cherished the sensation, holding Nari's hand that was on his face.
After a while, he couldn't help but hug her tightly, which shocked the woman. "W-What happened? Did you have a bad dream?" She asked worriedly.
Andre shook his head slightly while his face was buried into the crook of her neck, "N-No.. D-Don't worry. I-I am okay." He replied hoarsely.
"Shh.. It's okay." She patted his back and stroked it, letting him pour his heart out. "I am here, I will always be here for you, no worries." She whispered lovingly.
Minutes later, Nari broke the hug as she patted Andre's head, "Stay here, okay? I'll prepare our breakfast." After saying so, Nari stood up and walked outside the room. Before walking out though, she first turned around, making her white nightgown twirl elegantly while she placed her index finger on her cheeks with her tongue sticking out and winked, then laughing as she ran out.
Andre couldn't even process what he was seeing. He stood up from the bed and picked up the frame that was sitting on the cabinet.
It was a picture of Nari and him back when they were in Japan. His right arm was around her waist, while hers was around his while they were both smiling happily beneath a Sakura tree. He still remembered this picture because they took it on her birthday beneath her favorite Sakura tree in her favorite playground near her house in Kobe. It was also memorable for him since it was the time when she confessed that she loved him and also when he started to court her.
Seeing this picture here, Andre couldn't help but think. "If this is a dream, please let me live it just once."
Looking past the door, Andre steeled himself and went out of the room. Looking around, the house seemed simple but comfortable. It was how Andre remembered how she liked their house to look. She didn't want luxury nor jewelry and instead wanted to keep a low-profile life, not spending too much money on things that they do not need.
Andre descended on the glossy wooden staircase and saw her in the kitchen, wearing a purple apron over her white sleeping gown. She had a hair tie in her mouth whilst she was gathering her hair up.
Just watching her was already a luxury for him. Her breathtaking beauty and elegance surpasses that of any woman he has ever seen in all of his life.
After she tied her hair, Nari turned around and saw Andre looking at her absentmindedly. She gasped as she rushed and scolded him, "I told you to stay there." She hit him frustratedly, but in a cute way.
Suddenly, out of instinct, Andre held her face and abruptly kissed her forehead, which flustered the angry Nari.
When Andre's kiss parted from her forehead, he noticed that she turned red, which made him smile. As far as he remembered, him kissing her forehead when she's mad worked with appeasing her all the time. Seeing that it worked, Andre couldn't help but reminisce of their past.
"W-W-Why did y-you d-do th-that? Y-You think that that w-would make m-me n-not mad?" Nari stuttered and fidgeted as she couldn't make direct eye contact at him.
Andre held her cheeks and made her look at him straightly, "I'm sorry, Riri. Can you please forgive me?" He pursed his lips and cajoled her like a baby.
"I..I… J-Just sit down." She cried out and quickly turned around, rushing back to resume her cooking while also hiding her face in embarrassment.
Andre smiled and nodded as he walked to the counter and sat on the chair. He placed his arm on the countertop and leaned his head on his palm while watching her cook.
Andre really couldn't get enough of her. With her elegant demeanor, posture, cuteness, and the smile that would definitely topple nations, it would be a disgrace for her to be compared to any woman that he had met in his life.
"I wish everything could stay like this forever." He muttered. Nari stopped what she was doing and turned around to ask, "What did you say?"
"I said I love you." Andre responded with a loving smile on his face, flustering Nari once more. "S-Shut up!" She squealed embarrassedly before turning around in a hurry.
After a while, Nari finally finished cooking. She then placed it on the plate and served it to him. It was a simple tomato soup with three pieces of toast on the side.
"You should heat up your tummy with that." She said while folding up her apron and laying it on the back of the chair. She then sat in front of him as she looked at him intently. "Hurry and tell me what it tastes like." She urged him with anticipation.
Andre chuckled as she scooped a spoonful of the soup and blew on it before extending it to her. "You first." He said.
"I cooked that for you, why am I the one to taste it?" She replied with her eyes wide open.
"Because you cooked it. Its maker should be the first one to taste it, correct?"
She shook his head and responded, "No, the owner should be the first, and that's yours."
"So I should be the first one to taste you too?" Andre smirked knowingly. "Andre!" Nari shouted angrily while her face was red. She turned around to leave but Andre caught her wrist first.
Andre placed the spoon in the bowl and stood up from his seat before walking to her and guiding her to sit down. He then picked up the spoon and scooped another spoonful of tomato soup and blew it. "Say 'Aah'." He requested.
Nari shook her head and turned to the side. "I won't eat this if you don't have a taste first."
She humphed before opening her mouth. Andre then smiled and fed her the soup. After doing so, he also scooped a spoonful and ate the soup. "Hmm! Delicious. As expected of my wife." He quipped.
"W-Wife?" She gasped with a stutter.
He then hugged her from behind and took a sniff from her neck as she whispered into her ear, "Always remember this, Riri." He said seriously, "I love you." He then pecked her cheeks and smiled, while Nari leaned on his head.
This blissful life of his went on for a year.
"Are you ready?" Inside a white room, Andre stood in front of the mirror, dressed in a black suit with a flower on the chest pocket. He fixed his tie and turned around to the man who talked earlier, "I've been ready for this day, Abel."
Abel smiled and walked towards him, "I'm happy for you, as your friend and as your subordinate. Now, let's go. It's time."
Andre nodded and walked out with Abel. Outside, the people that he knew were already seated. Mimicry, Marcus, Calliroth, Cris, Gian, Gobb, Sage, Haron, members of NICE, the Five Glories, and many more that he had been with throughout his life.
Suddenly, the church bells rang and the piano started to play the Bridal Chorus. Andre went to his position and the people stood up as they watched. The church's gate slowly opened, welcoming Nari who was donned in a wedding dress. She slowly strode towards him while holding a bouquet of peonies and orchids in her hands.
Together with her were her parents, as they held her arms, guiding her to her groom. When they reached in front of Andre, her father gave Nari's arms to him, "Take care of our daughter." He whispered while holding back his tears.
"I will, Dad." Andre nodded.
"Oh, my babies!" Her mother couldn't help but cry and hugged the two of them tightly.
Nari's father pulled his wife after a couple of seconds, letting Andre and Nari continue their walk towards the altar.
The priest, namely Hleferoc, stepped forward and started to speak, "We are gathered here today, beneath the house of the Father, to witness two lives uniting into one. Marriage's purpose, in itself, is to establish the bond between two…"
After the lengthy speech, they started to give their vows. "I, ándras Ouroboros, master of the land, come here in front of the altar, not as a man of power, but as a man who loves this woman before me. I take you, Nari Myori, as my life and my end, my joy and my pain, my ease and unease, my love and my friend, as my never-ending partner until the end of times. Death would have no power over us and would never be able to separate us."
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by (f)reew𝒆b(n)ovel.com