With shaking hands, Noah picked up his drumstick, but suddenly he had no appetite. Ah, he really didn’t like horror stories! And to think this horror story nearly became a reality!
He let out a long breath of relief. So glad the two had enough foresight to convince their parents not to go through with this catastrophe!
But now he felt curious, what solution did the two manage to come up with that would be better for the union of two cities but didn’t involve them getting married?
Noah’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud ringing of his communicator. Noah saw Case’s name light up on the screen and hesitated whether to answer. He was currently in the middle of a dinner with his sister and Levi; it didn’t feel right to chat with Case now.
But on the other hand, he remembered telling Case he’d call him when he was free to hang out with him but ended up completely forgetting about him. Ai, he felt a bit guilty…
Noah hesitated for a while, and the call ended up being dropped.
With complex emotions in his eyes, Noah returned to his chicken drumstick, but not a second passed before his communicator started to ring again. Case was calling again.
This time, Noah didn’t have the heart to reject him, so he shot his sister and Levi an apologetic look and picked up the call.
The light screen of Noah’s communicator popped out, displaying Case’s very outraged image, which was only a wee short of spitting out fire. Case held a fancy-looking piece of paper, and before Noah could even greet him, he screeched like a banshee, “What the fuck is this?!? Oi, oi!!! What the hell is going on?!?”
Case frantically shook the piece of paper in front of Noah’s confused eyes as if attempting to exorcise the demons possessing it through brute force. It was only several moments later, when Case’s hands stopped their reenactment of a man having an epileptic seizure, that Noah managed to recognize what the other was holding. It seemed to be a wedding invitation between… Noah’s eyes squinted, trying to make out the names of the bride and groom, “Astar Levi and…”
Maery’s satisfied smile cracked, and Levi bent his fork out of shape. Both lurched towards Noah, trying to press the hang-up button, but they were a step too late!
Noah’s eyes widened into saucers, and his voice broke, “…Cordia Aris?!?!”
His own trembling voice rang in Noah’s ears, and his head spun. However, the physical reaction speed of a worldborn was not to be underestimated. Even under these circumstances where his entire body was shaking and heaving, Noah still managed to accurately slap away the naughty paws trying to press his hang-up button.
“Case… wait a bit… I’m going to have to call you back…” Noah ended the call himself and turned to face Maery and Levi, who held their slapped hands, looking like they had just swallowed a fly.
Their expressions were an interesting mix of emotions, including guilt, fury, sourness, resentment, and embarrassment, but there was no surprise. Seeing their very synchronized ugly expressions, Noah abruptly realized what was going on, and his blood pressure skyrocketed.
“In lieu of recent events, you said? A better way to unite the two cities for all parties involved?” A humorless chuckle escaped him, “Heh, heh, so the better solution you were talking about was not to dissolve the marriage but to change the bride?!”
Maery, ‘This is not how this was supposed to turn out!! QAQ We were so close! So close, ah!’ ○| ̄|_
Levi, ‘Fucking Case!!!’ (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ ‘I still haven’t paid you back for trying to take liberties with my baby, and you had to jump out again to draw aggro?! Paint a blood-red target sign on yourself, why don’t you?!’
Seeing their precious darling’s current furious visage, Maery and Levi were forced to set aside their dissatisfaction with Case. Not knowing what to do to remedy this, the two shrunk back in their chairs, looking like a flustered pair of children who’d done something wrong.
Noah seemed to be hyperventilating, his wide angry eyes looking between the two culprits whose backs were now covered in cold sweat.
‘No wonder they confronted me with that “We’ve got good and bad news for you” attitude earlier!!’ Noah’s hands clenched into fists, “So, this is the news you’ve been keeping from me!”
“Bro... brother... don’t get mad... anger isn’t good for the health...” Maery croaked dryly while avoiding Noah’s eyes.
“Well then, aren’t I lucky there is a Healer in the room.” Noah smiled perfunctorily and reached towards his glass of water, thinking that he needed a drink, and since there was no alcohol present on the table, he had to settle for plain water. Unfortunately, his hands were shaking too badly, and he ended up spilling half of it before it reached his mouth. And then, when the cool liquid finally trickled down his throat, it even slid down the wrong pathway, causing him to start coughing.
Levi’s arm instinctively darted to pat Noah’s back but seeing those two livid yet teary-due-to-coughing eyes looking his way, his hand froze midair, and he flinched back. Several times Levi moved as if to pat Noah's back but didn’t dare, looking like a lost child.
After Noah’s cough settled down, Maery cleared her throat awkwardly, “That… brother… you... you can be mad all you like, but... before you get mad… can you hear us out?”
“I’m listening,” Noah smiled very brilliantly, but his smile sent chills down the other two’s spines.
“Bro… uh… me and Levi don’t get along, but you and Levi do! Since you two like each other very much and enjoy spending time together, if the bride was changed from me to you, this marriage would turn from slow torture into something much closer to a marriage between a loving husband and wife!”
Worried that Noah would disagree, Maery didn’t even pause to take a breath before continuing, “I know you are feeling very wronged right now because…” Maery paused and then swiftly decided to fling the blame to their parents, “…because our parents went ahead with this before consulting your opinion! And you have every right to feel wronged! Levi and I also felt very wronged when this marriage fell onto our heads! We understand you, little brother! If you are really against it, we can talk it out… but… we had hoped that you would be able to accept it with time… just like Levi and I did back then…”
“Accept it with time? The wedding is in three days!!” Noah let out a long humorless chuckle, “We can talk it out? The wedding invitations have already been resent!”
Maery and Levi flinched, and their heads dropped down lower. Why did their easy-to-fool dumpling suddenly turn so smart?
After a moment of silence, Maery tentatively spoke up, “That… mom might have gotten ahead of herself… but if you are unwilling… we can… we can say it was a prank? Or a printing error? Don’t… don’t feel pressured, baby brother… ah… tell sister the truth about your thoughts on this matter… if you are unwilling to marry Levi, then no one will force you…”
Noah glanced between Levi and Maery in silence, his thoughts unreadable. “Then, what if I am unwilling? What will happen to the wedding in three days?”
The room was suddenly enveloped in an oppressive silence.
After a moment, Maery responded, “Sis has already been living all this time prepared to marry this scourge, so, in the end, if I still have to marry him, I’d accept it, but… Levi…”
The man in question finally spoke up in a somber and low voice, “If you are unwilling, the wedding can only be canceled…” Levi lowered his head to avoid meeting Noah’s eyes, with a forlorn and devastated expression that simply spelled out a mournful ‘no one wants to marry me...’
As expected, seeing that look, Noah felt his little heart got pierced with something sharp. Maery too clutched at her heart, but her thoughts were, ‘Who is this shameless scoundrel acting pitiful?! Levi, you have really opened my eyes today!’
The wronged Levi, (ꐦ °Д°) ‘What do you mean acting pitiful?! Thinking that my precious doesn’t want to marry me, my heart really hurts, ok?! You try being unwanted by your precious and let me see whether your expression will look less “pitiful”!!!’ Ah, ah! His chest felt really painful and stuffy! Levi’s shoulders slumped further, yet the look in his eyes grew obstinate. “If I am marrying, then… the bride can only be you…” Levi rasped out, sounding apologetic yet not. Sorry that his decision might have wronged Noah, but be that as it may, his resolution could not be shaken, nor would he regret it. Seeing Levi’s nervous yet unyielding demeanor of a martyr resolutely walking towards his demise, Noah couldn’t help but find it funny. And those words, ‘the bride can only be you’, made something warm and ticklish flutter through Noah’s insides, calming down his roiling blood. Ah, that sounded really too ambiguous! Like a love confession! No
Levi’s previously nervous and stiff expression slackened and then blossomed into a foolish grin of bliss. Sitting there with a bent fork in his hand, he should have looked like a lovestruck idiot, yet due to the virtue of his very handsome face, this bright smile didn’t look idiotic but actually had a heart-stopping boyish charm. There was really something very special in witnessing a fierce and cold man suddenly display the pure and clean happiness of a child. Even Maery, whose romantic interest in Levi was below zero, couldn’t help but feel her heart skip a beat at the sight. Then… she felt nausea climb up her throat. Bleurgh, how could she had gotten confused for a moment there?? This was clearly still that same scourge! Noah couldn’t see Levi’s bright smile, but he could feel the sheer bliss radiating off Levi in waves through his mental power. Knowing that the other was feeling happy, Noah couldn't help but feel happy too. Carried along with these feelin
“Then it’s settled,” Maery proclaimed, “I better go back to Concordia and help mother make all the necessary arrangements. And you”– she pointed towards Noah –“You need to decide on your best man and contact them immediately!” And with that, she heartlessly abandoned her barely eaten salad, waved her goodbyes, and with a speed of a hurricane, walked out of the private room. She needed to catch the first train back! Her stomach was grumbling in hunger! She needed meat!! Greasy and juicy meat!! This dog food was fiiine, but it wasn’t enough to fill her actual physical stomach! With her leave, the room fell into a long silence with the two resuming their, now almost cold, meal. Noah fidgeted in his seat, looking everywhere but at Levi. Being alone with this newly obtained fiancé of his was very awkward in itself, and Levi’s expression of utter bliss didn’t make it any less embarrassing! That being said… ‘Just look at him smiling so happily!’
Noah wanted to refuse, but he just couldn’t squeeze those words out of his throat. This… this was important, ah! He hesitated, his emotions and rationality waging war within. In the end, rationality won over. Even if it was embarrassing to death, this needed to be done! He absolutely couldn’t mess up their act on their wedding day! And so, Noah gritted his teeth and nodded his agreement with equal doses of reluctance and determination, a rather peculiar sight. Levi had expected such an outcome. His baby was cute that way. ❤ It was easy to get him to agree as long as he appealed to reason. Ah, his baby was really the cutest. (/≧ω\) So cute, so darn cute that Levi just wished to tease him and “bully” him until he puffed up like an angry yet cuddly little kitten. The urge proved to be too strong for Levi to resist, so instead of stopping while he was ahead, he greedily pushed onwards. “For a loving couple, endearments are also a must…” Levi’s eye
Looking very forlorn, Noah looked towards the ceiling as if he could see beyond the walls to the clear skies above. In the end, he gritted his teeth. What needed to be done still needed to be done. He opened up the light screen of his communicator, and with an attitude of a kamikaze soldier flying to his last battle, he bravely returned Case’s call. The other side immediately accepted, and soon enough, Noah was staring face to face with ruffled-looking Case. It would seem Case had been pacing back and forth ever since the last call, running his hands through his hair the entire time, because right now, his usually stylish hair resembled prairie after a fire. Seeing Case’s bloodshot eyes, Noah felt inexplicably guilty, “Sorry about that, Case…” He greeted awkwardly. Case shot him a look imbued with exasperation and incomprehension. And then he wordlessly shook the wedding invitation, which by now looked a bit worn out. Noah peeked at the shiny
Levi had been worried that his baby would suddenly think about all those years he had been friends with Case and decide to give him a chance. He had been worried that his baby would abruptly realize he also liked Case back. Even if Levi logically knew that the chance of that happening was low, he still wasn’t willing to risk it. Yet, how come this giant jar of vinegar he had been fed suddenly turned into a big bowl of sugar?? Unlike him, Case’s mouth wasn’t filled with sugar but by biting bitterness that left him unable to spit it out or swallow it down. He arduously squeezed out, “Don’t let yourself be pressured into marrying him in a rush!” Case took in a few shaky breaths, then spat, “Screw the alliance! You barely know him, and he has a reputation for being a cold-blooded asshole! If he was really gay, what had he been doing dating your sister for 6 years? I smell bullshit! Don’t get involved in this matter. Let your sister handle him. You are too kindhea
One moment Noah was facing Levi, and in the next, his feet left the ground, and then suddenly, he was cradled in a warm and comfortable embrace?? This rapid assault was too much for Noah to wrap his head around. He didn’t even remember to resist and just sat there like a boneless plushie, letting himself be stroked here and there while staring straight ahead with befuddled and watery doe-like eyes. And then he felt something soft, warm, and ticklish touch his cheek causing warm tingles to spread throughout his body, and the red color of his already flushed face turned deeper. His fluffy head lowered to stare at those familiar, strong arms that were once again securely wrapped around him, and both his heart and his thick eyelashes fluttered in incomprehension. “Oh? Baby, you are in the middle of a call? Hello~ Who is this?” Levi flashed a provocative smile at the light screen in front of them, carrying himself with the demeanor of a legal wife confronting a mi
It was this thoughtfulness and sincerity of Aris that had attracted him in the first place. And then, like layers of an onion, the more he peeled, the more he liked what he saw within. The kindness and purity, the selfless dedication, the gentle tolerance. The other had everything, yet he never lost himself to temptation, always working hard to become the best version of himself. “I see,” Case swallowed down the acid that rose up his throat and smiled a bitter smile, “You are right… You are always right…. Then, I’m hanging up…” And with that, the call was disconnected. Noah blinked and tilted his head in confusion, “That… that's a no… right?” ( •᷄⌓•᷅ ) Blackie, “Yep, I’m pretty sure that’s a no.” ╮(╯▽╰)╭ Noah fell silent, mulling over what to do next. True, he was worried about the best man matter, but actually, he was more worried about Case’s current state of mind. He didn’t look good – as pale as a sheet and looking like he might cough a mouthful o