Investing In My Crippled Wife Every Return Makes Me Stronger Chapter 201

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[ … words ]

’As for my sister,’ Soren continued, his mental voice softening, ’she had recovered enough by the time of our wedding to be moved. I remember them taking her straight to the Temur Empire.’

Ethea let the piece of information settle, the memory of that day finally making sense. ’So that’s why she wasn’t at the wedding.’

’Mm. And actually, only a handful of people from the family attended it, mostly because of my father’s orders. He wanted to keep the whole affair as quiet as possible. And I think the same went for your family.’

Ethea remained silent for a moment. Her thoughts drifted back to their very first meeting, recalling the sheer shock in his eyes when he had looked at her. Back then, she had misread his expression entirely.

’…Did you find out who your bride was only on that day too?’ she asked.

’…Yeah,’ Soren admitted, a chuckle echoing through the link. ’And to be honest, I was completely lost. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was the dud, the embarrassment of the family, yet there I was, marrying the most beautiful woman in all of Oros. It was hard to process, let alone accept that it was actually happening.’

Ethea felt her pulse quicken. The sudden praise caught her completely off guard, sending a warmth straight to her cheeks. But she quickly realized what was happening. He was, as usual, letting his raw thoughts leak without any filter.

’…Idiot,’ she thought, her mind scrambling to regain its usual composure.

Soren paused, sensing the sudden spike of flustered emotion through the bond. ’Huh? Did you say something?’

’…’

No response.

Soren cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to smooth over the sudden awkwardness. ’Right… well, as I was saying. I had heard the rumors about your condition, of course. But actually standing there in front of you, seeing you in person… it felt completely surreal. It made me realize that despite everything the family had put me through, I was incredibly lucky to be the one standing by your side. And…’

Soren paused for a moment before letting out a self-deprecating laugh. ’…I was somehow relieved too.’

’…Why?’ Ethea asked, a hint of curiosity slipping into her tone.

’Well, I guess I have my own wild imagination and overthinking to blame,’ Soren replied, his mental voice warm with amusement. ’Before the ceremony, I was secretly agonizing over who they were going to force me to marry. I kept imagining the worst-case scenarios. I thought my father would pair me up with some incredibly terrifying, short-tempered noblewoman who would use me as a punching bag. Or worse, some snobbish, power-hungry lady who would treat me like a servant. I even seriously prepared myself for the possibility that I’d end up marrying an old widow who had bought me from the family.’

’…Pfft.’ Ethea couldn’t stop herself. The image of Soren, terrified and bracing himself to be handed over to an old woman, was too funny.

’A-An old widow?’ she teased. ’Is that really what you thought of your future bride?’

’Hey, can you blame me?’ Soren protested, though the warmth in his voice showed he was glad to hear her laugh. ’My father was smiling weirdly when he offered the deal. Whenever that man smiles like that, it usually means someone’s life is about to be ruined. So, I just assumed the worst.’

He paused for a second, his playful tone softening into something much more sincere.

’But then the doors opened… and it was you.’

“…”

At the sudden silence, Ethea found herself pulled back to the memory of their wedding day. At the time, she had been too numb, too consumed by her own ruined state to pay attention to the details of the ceremony. The faces, the vows, and even the man standing next to her had all been a distant blur. But now, a sudden curiosity gripped her.

’…What about my condition?’ she asked softly. ’What… did you think when you saw me like that?’

Soren understood her question instantly. It was a polite way of asking what you thought of a cripple like me.

’Or… were you just relieved because I was beautiful?’

’…’ Soren fell silent, turning her question over in his mind. He knew he had to tread carefully, but since he had decided to be honest, he had to give her a genuine answer without trying to paint himself in a better light.

’I won’t lie to you,’ Soren said. ’Finding out that the woman I was marrying was the most beautiful person I had ever seen… of course, it made me relieved. Honestly, it made me strangely happy, too… Wait… When I put it that way… Well, I guess I’m just pretty shallow.’

He laughed a little at himself, wondering if he messed up just now. (Urgh… Was that really necessary? She doesn’t hate me now, right?)

As the seconds ticked by, the awkwardness began to feed his insecurity, bringing back the nagging doubt that he had somehow ruined everything again.

’…Was that the only reason?’

Ethea’s voice finally came through, her tone unreadable.

’N-No,’ Soren said, wanting to correct the impression he had just made. ’I… I was also incredibly glad that it was you. Ethea, The Ice Empress. Actually, I admired you a lot. You were like a true hero, always risking your life to save others, protecting the helpless, and even making those massive donations… Well… What I am trying to say is, you were the perfect partner anyone could have ever asked for.’

’…’ Ethea continued to remain silent.

’But all of those thoughts were just a blur until we finally got home. Because that was when the noise of the day finally died down, and I could actually think properly. After putting you to bed, I lay there for hours, just staring at the ceiling as the reality of our situation gradually sank in. I realized we were both abandoned, essentially cast aside by everyone we knew. And then, I made a promise to myself. I decided that I would support and protect you until the very end, no matter what.’