Payback: Isekai

[Bonus] Once Upon A Time There Was You and Me

Yoohan looked into the full-body mirror, exhaling a sigh of relief. He patted his cheek, feeling exhaustion creeping in now that he was away from all the furor.

What manner of self-control one had to exert for a high-society event.

Yoohan had no idea how many faces of people he saw today, most of them he didn't even know or recognize. Thanks to Jay's palpable possessiveness, no one tried to shake his hand, or came any closer than what Jay had set out—with a table between Yoohan and anybody else. For once, Yoohan was grateful for the way Jay kept people away from him.

It was overwhelming; the ceremony itself was enough for an uproar with Ishtarhea sending her vestige down to bless their marriage. Apparently, the vestige was also seen from outside of the Temple, hovering above the great worship hall. It took some time for the knights and the monks to clear the road because the capital's citizens and every visitor seemed to be flooding the plaza outside the temple and practically filling the streets around.

Even without the goddess's descent, the citizens were already excited about the event. After all, it's a wedding between their Crown Prince and their goddess's Sacred Knight. Both were popular among the citizens, especially in the middle and lower classes. The heroes of the war, the defender of the downtrodden, their deeds were highly regarded by those less privileged. And now that their goddess even gave her blessing, the capital was in a festive celebration. It was a good thing that the wedding committee also held a festival for the commoners to commemorate the day.

The throng of people on the street and the white plum blossoms scattering in the air as they moved to the palace reminded Yoohan of the parade last year. It felt almost like that, although instead of on horses, now they rode on an open royal carriage, and Yoohan's face was not veiled by a mask. And that his hand was held by Jay all the time, intertwining; the hands with their new sigil.

And before Yoohan got used to the overwhelming feeling, they were already ushered into the great hall, and Yoohan was dazedly seated in the head seat, facing people congratulating them—people he didn't know. And then more at the ball in the evening, which he finally woken up to when Jay took him for the first dance.

As he gazed into the bluish grey orbs, sparkling beautifully like marble, like stormkeeper, smiling so fondly at him, Yoohan couldn't help but smile too. And it was like all those overwhelming, strange feelings were gone, and there was just Jay and him, just like when they were dancing under the starry sky on the balcony last year. It felt right and beautiful.

At least, it gave him sufficient energy to last the main event of the ball, and greet the important people. Yoohan was vaguely aware that the Emperor was coming briefly, although he still didn't see the Empress. But he was too dazed and exhausted to question it. So when Jay told him he could get back to their room, he was more than happy to oblige.

Oh. Their room.

Yoohan had only realized it now, that he was in the Crown Prince's palace. It was Jay's bed, larger than his own. And there was Jay's smell in every corner of the room, his mana trace, like footprints, something he could perceive so easily now with their bond. As he rubbed the sigil, he was even vaguely aware of where Jay was in the great hall. Like he could sense the Prince so vividly, his presence, and it put warmth in his heart.

He realized it too, as he walked towards the mirror, that his belongings were already there, moved during the three days he spent in the temple. A change of clothes was already prepared for him, probably by Albert, and there was warm water on the washbasin. The young attendant had asked Yoohan if he wanted to take a warm bath, but bashfully, Yoohan said no.

"I'll be the one to undress you tonight, so wait for me," was what Jay said before Yoohan slipped out from the ball.

Even when he felt exhausted, he couldn't help but warmed when he remembered the voice Jay used earlier; it was his best voice, the low and smooth and bewitching, the one he used for seduction.