Sub29 Translation

Chapter 52

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“…so that’s the situation. What should I do?”
“I don’t know anything about that. Don’t come to me with this stuff.”

My heartfelt consultation is immediately dismissed by Aeclys.
She seems to think it’s completely trivial and faces her paperwork with an annoyed expression. How cruel.

I, Arius, am deeply troubled. So troubled that I’ve come to Aeclys’s room to seek advice.
Lill is here too, though I’m not sure where she came from. She’s holding a fork in one hand and a plate with hamburger steak in the other. Really, she’s just being her usual self.
It’s a rainy afternoon, and training ended early. Outside is dim, with the gentle sound of rain hitting the ground and windows echoing through the room. It’s almost a peaceful melody, in a way.
On such a day, I’ve stormed into Aeclys’s room, overwhelmed by my worries.

“Don’t say that… This is a matter of life and death for me!”
“I don’t want to hear about your romantic troubles! Especially not about whether someone remembers a marriage promise or not – some people might just think you’re bragging! I don’t have time for this!”

Finally, Aeclys throws her paperwork onto the desk and turns to me with an irritated face.
She really seems annoyed. She doesn’t have to be so harsh… I drop my shoulders in sadness.
Yes, my worry is about Gungrave. No, it’s not that I have any complaints about him. He’s cool, and handsome, and…
My concern is about that engagement we promised back in Arturia.

“Besides, he’s the one who said ‘Let’s get married when I get my country,’ and now he’s forgotten about it while focusing on administrative work and duties – that’s just too cruel if you ask me!”
“Oh, so you do sympathize with me?”
“Just a little!”

Despite everything, Aeclys is kind. While she’s friendly and approachable with Shuri, she’s more casual with others. Still, she shows she cares about people.

“Why don’t you just ask him yourself? Like ‘What happened to that promise?’“
“I can’t… it’s too embarrassing to bring up myself…”
“I understand, but nothing will start unless you say something…”

Aeclys throws the papers on her desk and sighs while answering. Well, what she’s saying makes sense. This could all be resolved if I just spoke up.
I’m the one being cowardly. I keep worrying about things like whether I’ll seem petty for caring about the promise, or if I’ll appear improper for being a woman who’s too eager to discuss marriage. My mind keeps spinning with these thoughts.
Seeing my state, Lill comes to stand in front of me.
Unusually for her typically expressionless self, she’s showing a smile.

“Lill understand Arius’s problem.”
“Lill?”

This is rare. Lill, who usually only shows interest in hamburger steak and magic engineering, is showing understanding for someone’s romantic troubles? What brought this on?

“You’re thinking about this because you’re hungry. Let’s eat hamburger steak. Viva, hamburger steak.”

I take it back – she’s exactly the same as always. I want to punch myself for thinking I’d found enlightenment.

“Yeah, you’re hungry.”

Here comes an unexpected agreement.
Aeclys gathers up the papers on her desk to organize them, then stands up from her chair.

“It’s about time for dinner. Shall we continue this there?”
“Good idea. Think we’ll find an answer?”
“We won’t. I can say that with absolute certainty.”

Th-this is too much! Faced with such a merciless declaration, I say with tears in my eyes

“W-why not?”
“Because in the end, Arius, you’re the one who needs to make a decision. And at this rate, you definitely won’t.”
“Ugh…”

Th-that’s absolutely right. Indeed, at this rate, I won’t make any decisions.
What should we do about the marriage?
The moment that question comes up, I freeze in fear at the thought of seeing even the slightest displeasure on Gungrave’s face.
Even now, just thinking about it makes my body tremble.

“I’m scared… When I think about saying that to Gungrave and seeing even the slightest frown on his face…”
“I really don’t think that would happen…”

Aeclys mutters with an exasperated look, but… what did she say? I couldn’t quite hear…

“Dinner! Dinner! Let’s go, Arius, Aeclys!”

As I’m about to sink back into worry, Lill tugs at my hem.

“Thinking about it here won’t lead to any answers. Take some time to cool off. You might think of something then.”
“Lill’s right. I’m hungry too, let’s go.”

With that, Lill and Aeclys head out of the room toward the dining hall.

“W-wait for me!”

I hurriedly chase after them to the dining hall.
…Come to think of it, after all that long discussion, I am hungry.

“This is no way for a man to act.”

After dining in the mess hall, we decide to consult with Shuri as he’s cleaning up.
In the now-empty dining hall, I ask him outright. About what Gungrave thinks about marrying me.
The response is that such a topic has never even come up. Then he says

“He’s probably just forgotten because he’s busy.”

I nearly faint from shock.
Seeing my reaction, Shuri seems to grasp everything and says

“Making a beloved woman wait this long is honestly despicable or downright cruel. I should tell Gungrave…”
“W-wait a minute, please!”

I hurriedly try to calm down the fired-up Shuri. What would I do if Shuri took action now?

“That’s right, Shuri. This is ultimately between Gungrave and Arius – outsiders shouldn’t interfere.”
“Hmm, you’re right.”

Surprisingly, it’s Aeclys who steps in to help here. Why would she do that when she was just complaining about being consulted earlier?
Shuri seems to have calmed down after Aeclys’s words and lowers the cleaning cloth he had raised.

“So what should we do? I think Gungrave has probably forgotten about marriage completely due to his daily busy schedule.”
“Agreed. Gungrave is giving everything to his dream that’s just one step away from coming true.”

Shuri and Lill’s words make me sink even further into depression. I see, his dream… That’s important, of course. Important enough to forget about me…
I feel like I might cry from how depressed this is making me.

“Since Arius is just going to sit here moping, Shuri, do you have any good ideas?”
“Well, she has to speak up. Ask him what happened to the marriage plans. There are some things that won’t be understood unless you put them into words, right?”
“Ugh. Y-you have a point. I need to speak up.”
“No, let’s make Gungrave bring it up himself.”

…Huh? I freeze for a moment, not understanding what Shuri just said.
His answer is so paradoxical that I can’t comprehend it. The whole reason I’m troubled is because Gungrave isn’t saying anything.

“Listen, Shuri. Arius is troubled precisely because Gungrave isn’t saying anything.”
“Yes, I understand that. And since she wants to bring it up herself if possible, we should quietly watch. Right?”

Shuri looks at me as he says this. Yes, that’s right. If possible, I want to do it myself.

“But since that seems unlikely, I think we should subtly remind Gungrave and get him to take action.”
“What?!”
“Don’t worry. We just need to get Gungrave to remember.”

I-isn’t that basically the same as asking him directly?!

“Sh-Shuri, about that…”
“Shuri is right. Gungrave should remember and take responsibility for Arius.”
“Eh?! Lill?!”
“Ah, that’s one way to think about it. Nice one, Shuri!”
“Even Aeclys is joining in!”

Things are progressing without my involvement! This isn’t good – I can’t let myself get swept along!
This is ultimately between Gungrave and me. That’s exactly what Shuri himself said earlier.
So I need to take action. My life is at stake here!

“Since Arius is such a coward despite her appearance, we’ll have to do something about it.”

…What did he just say?

“Shuri, wait a moment.”
“What is it?”
“Did you just call me a coward?”
“Am I wrong?”
“Yes, you are!”

I won’t stand for this baseless insult! I stand up from my chair and declare

“Fine, I’ll show you that I’m not a coward!”
“You don’t have to push yourself, you know?”
“Yeah, Arius can’t do it.”
“Probably not.”

Even Lill and Aeclys are giving me skeptical looks!

“I can do it!”
“So how will you tell Gungrave?”
“I’ll tell him myself!”
“After we remind him?”
“Yes, now that it’s come to this, I’m actually getting angry at Gungrave for forgetting! Making him worry just like I did would be best!”
“So after I subtly mention it to him?”
“That’s fine! I’ll show you I can do it!”
“Then it’s settled.”
“Eh?”

I suddenly feel like all the heat has drained from my head.
Wait, did I just get played?

“Now that we have Arius’s approval, let’s plan our strategy.”
“Agreed.”
“Right, let’s start by arranging for them to be alone together.”
“Good idea, Aeclys.”

Ah, this is hopeless. They’re going to plan everything without me.
I sit back down in my chair, desperately trying to restart my cooled brain. At this rate, what I should be doing myself will end up being done by Shuri and the others.

“Ah, Arius, since we’ll need your final approval, would you like to join the discussion?”
“I-I suppose I have no choice! Thank you everyone for your help!”

The fact that I’m going along with this shows just how easily I get swept up in things.
Well… since they’re giving me the final say, I guess I’ll accept it.

And so, after involving more and more and more people…
Gungrave remembered our promise and even proposed to me.
That was fine. That was all fine.
But… as the wedding day approaches, a shadow of doubt passes through my heart.
Am I really good enough?
Someone like Gungrave could surely make a better match. He could even welcome a princess from a neighboring country to strengthen diplomatic relations.
Thinking about it that way, I feel I’m not worthy of Gungrave.

“Sigh…”

Lost in these thoughts, I sit alone in the preparation room on our wedding day.
I’ve locked myself in the room, endlessly worrying.

“Is someone like me really good enough…?”

I keep asking myself over and over, finding no answer, while my heart continues to tear itself apart.
I ignore the repeated knocking on the door, just continuing to think. Whether this is really okay.
It can’t be okay. Thinking about the future, I should quietly step aside.
Getting his own country. For Gungrave, who brilliantly achieved that dream, there must surely be someone more suitable.
Yes, I don’t need to be the legal wife, I could be a concubine instead…

No. I absolutely refuse that.

The child inside me cries out in denial. When I close my eyes, I can see my younger self staring at me with tearful eyes, as if glaring at me.
I don’t want that either. I don’t want to give Gungrave to anyone else.
But I…

“Arius. Can you hear me?”

That’s when I hear it – Shuri’s voice.
His gentle voice comes through from the other side of the door.

“Eh? Shuri? Is that Shuri out there?”

When I call out toward the door, he replies.

“Yes. I won’t try to peek inside or enter, of course. So let me say what I need to say from here. Arius, do you trust Gungrave?”

Do I trust Gungrave? At Shuri’s words, I express the feeling that wells up inside me.

“Of course I do.”

It’s an immediate answer. And why wouldn’t it be? I wouldn’t have come this far with Gungrave otherwise.
I fell for him. Admired him. Wanted to be by his side.
That’s why I’m here now. I’m here because I want to be with Gungrave.
I believe in him with all my heart. My feelings won’t change.

“I think you’re probably worrying about things like, ‘Am I worthy of Gungrave? Wouldn’t it be better for someone with the talent to acquire a country to marry someone more suitable than me? In fact, wouldn’t it be more important to welcome a princess from a neighboring country and legitimize that bloodline? Maybe I should just be a concubine instead.’ Aren’t you thinking something along those lines?”

I find myself at a loss for words. How can Shuri read people’s hearts so perfectly?
It’s truly mysterious. He’s hit the nail exactly on the head about what’s in my heart.

“It’s okay. Gungrave, me, everyone… We all think you two are the best match. No matter what happens or how things turn out, you two will end up together. That’s the kind of bond you have.
So, there’s no need to act all grown-up. Please, be happy.”

Be happy? Me, be happy?
Is it really okay for me to be happy? For me?

…No, that’s right. This marriage is what I wanted. What I dreamed of.
And Gungrave said it himself. Let’s get married.
I wished for it, and Gungrave proposed to me.
Everyone around us is celebrating it.
I look down at myself. A pure white wedding dress.
I look in the mirror. Beautiful makeup applied to my face that usually only wears simple cosmetics.
I remember the happy smiles of Lill and Aeclys waiting outside.
The smiling faces of Tegue and Kuuga flash through my mind.

Everyone is celebrating my marriage to Gungrave.

Just thinking about that makes the worry inside me start to melt away.
As I feel this great weight dissolving from my chest—

“Arius!!”

That’s when it happens – a voice that interrupts my thoughts, no, a voice I want to interrupt my thoughts.
Looking at the door, there he is.
The person I love most. The one I cherish more than anyone or anything.

“Gungrave!”

I stand up from my chair and rush toward him.
I jump straight into his chest, burying my face there.
I feel a moment of hesitation trembling through Gungrave’s body. But only for an instant.
Soon, Gungrave holds me tightly, so very tightly.

“I’m sorry, I’m such an idiot. I thought I was the only one feeling anxious and worried.”
“No, no. I was the idiot. I was worrying about marrying you.”
“Me too… I was wondering if I was worthy of you.”
“I was thinking I wasn’t worthy of you.”

I look up at Gungrave’s face.
His face is filled with such a refreshing smile, as if all his worries have been lifted away.

“But such worries are foolish! Arius, I’ll say it once more.”

Gungrave takes a deep breath, as if preparing his heart.
Whatever he’s going to say, whatever he’s thinking.
I focus all my attention to not miss a single word.

“Marry me. You’re worthy of me – no, I belong only to you, and you belong only to me. No matter what anyone else says, I’m the only man worthy of you. You’ll accept, won’t you?”
“Of course! You’re the only man worthy of me. You belong to me, and I belong to you. That will never change for all eternity!”
“Then we never needed to worry!”
“Yes!”

We laugh together. All our previous worries seem ridiculous now. Everything we were thinking about seems foolish.
We can only love each other. Not anyone else, nothing else.
We can only be paired with the person standing before us.

“Ah… the wedding dress really suits you.”

Stepping back slightly, Gungrave comments on my attire.

“Your clothes suit you very well too.”

I reply in kind.
Then, without either of us saying anything or initiating it.
Naturally, Gungrave and I find ourselves holding hands.

“Shall we go then?”
“Yes.”

Saying that, we leave the room.

Thank you, Shuri.
All that worrying was pointless, wasn’t it?

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