Hearing his future husband's honesty, Alrain fell silent. As someone who had witnessed Arvin die before his eyes, he had a very different perspective on current priorities. To him, love and jealousy meant nothing compared to a future destiny that might be terrifying, especially since he still didn't know the identity of the person who had killed him in that previous life.
Without a word, Alrain stood up. He walked over to Allen, staring at the pink-haired teenage with an incredibly serious expression, then slowly knelt down directly in front of him.
"Allen..." Alrain called out. His voice was low, heavy with a deep plea. "I'm begging you... please, lower your ego. Allow Arvin to make Ordion, or anyone out there who sincerely loves him, became his spouse in the future."
Allen stared at Alrain with a furrowed brow, never expecting such a request to come from the man who clearly loved Arvin just as much.
"We have to be realistic, Allen. You are still very weak right now!" Alrain continued bluntly. "Even yesterday, during our duel... I wasn't being truly serious when I fought you."
"What did you say?!" Allen exclaimed in shock. His eyes widened, unable to believe what he had just heard from his rival.
Alrain had expected this reaction. He had thought Allen might get angry or flatly reject the idea of expanding the harem to gather strength. However, Allen's focus was on something else entirely.
"You... you weren't fighting seriously?" Allen repeated, his tone one of disbelief. "How is that possible?! Your wind and lightning powers were so devastating and lethal when we fought yesterday! If that wasn't serious, then just how strong are you, really?"
Hearing Allen's response, Alrain actually let out a sigh of relief. He was grateful that "sharing a husband" wasn't the primary issue in Allen's mind at the moment.
"Yes, I wasn't being serious at all." Alrain answered, maintaining his intimidating yet honest gaze. "I held back a massive amount of my mana and only released a quarter of my power."
"Do you know why?" Alrain continued. "Because I know how much you regretted killing Arvin in that timeline. You cried hysterically in the middle of that sea of ice. You didn't even want to fight me and were ready to accept death at my hands when I came to kill you."
Alrain lowered his gaze for a moment, remembering the tragedy. "That is the reason I held back my strength yesterday. I didn't want to hurt, let alone kill, the person our husband loves so dearly."
That statement made Allen's chest feel tight. The words "killing Arvin" echoed in his ears again, bringing up a major question that had been gnawing at his logic.
"B-But, Alrain..." Allen's voice suddenly trembled, driven by curiosity and a fear of the truth. "Why was he able to die by my hand? Could it be... that in the future, my strength will grow so rapidly that it surpasses our husband's insane power?"
Hearing the innocent question, Alrain gave a bitter smile and shook his head slowly.
"There is no way you could defeat a monster capable of destroying three great kingdoms single-handedly, Allen." Alrain answered with a tone of finality that shattered all assumptions. "Our husband is the strongest human to ever exist in this world. No one can defeat him in a fair fight."
Alrain looked straight into Allen's eyes, which were beginning to well up. "He, who had lost everything... it seems he decided to die at your hands. He made himself a martyr to atone for all his sins against you. That's why... back then, you said Arvin simply opened his arms and gladly accepted your fatal strike without resisting in the slightest."
"S-S-So..." Allen's voice caught in his throat. His eyes burned, and his composure completely collapsed.
"Yes!" Alrain stated firmly, confirming the most painful reality. "He loved you too much and couldn't hurt you. Because he regretted making you hate him so deeply, he gave in and was willing to be killed by you. He was always lost in an endless spiral of regret, and death at the end of your sword was the way out he chose."
Everything Arvin had said previously proved to be true, exactly as Alrain had just described.
The tears that had been welling up could no longer be contained. Spontaneously, Allen began to sob in front of Alrain.
Even though the current version of Allen had never committed that murder and had not personally experienced the horrors of the war in that era, his soul trembled violently.
He could feel how much Arvin had suffered for all those years. Not only did he have to bear the pain of the murder of every member of the Vedegra family, but Arvin was also willing to swallow an immense internal torture just because of Allen's misplaced hatred.
No wonder... Allen thought through his sobs, his chest heaving with pain. No wonder he has been protecting me from the beginning. No wonder he treated me so well, even if he had to do it secretly and act like a villain.
Through a vision blurred by tears, Allen looked up, staring at the handsome face of his husband, who was now looking back at him with an expression full of regret.
I don't want my husband to experience the kind of regret that happened back then. Allen thought, his heart breaking as he realized the magnitude of Arvin's sacrifice. He always did everything for me... bearing the label of a cold and brutal figure, while I never knew the tragic reason behind all his actions.
Seeing Allen so devastated, Alrain reached out and gripped Allen's right shoulder with a comforting hold.
"Enough, Allen. Don't cry anymore." Alrain said softly but firmly. "Now, he has changed everything, hasn't he? That tragedy hasn't happened yet. And we are here to ensure that it never happens again."
Alrain squeezed Allen's shoulder lightly, channeling his strength. "For now, we can't be crybabies. We just need to support him with our whole hearts and souls. And to do that, we desperately need strong allies to protect him."
Alrain looked deep into Allen's eyes, trying to instill a new understanding. "Haven't you always been protected behind his back? He always protected you from the nobles. Now, it's your turn to protect him by casting aside your jealousy and supporting his every decision. Finding and seeking strong allies, regardless of whether they become his subordinates or his spouses, to help him in a future that may have already changed... that is our main priority now."