"Spouse? Didn''t I just say something?" Luceria''s voice, calm yet chillingly cold, echoed.


    "You already have someone, didn''t I mention that...?" Her tone intensified, as if she was ready to mete out divine punishment for my broken promise. The tension was palpable, and even I couldn''t help but feel nervous in her presence.


    "You are...!" Marika reacted first to Luceria''s hostility, her face clouded with fear upon realizing that the cause of the current predicament was right in front of her.


    "My dear, I regret to say I cannot ignore what just happened. It seems I must reduce the number of foolish beings coveting what''s mine." Luceria then began to conjure a spell, her eyes growing cold and void as she red at Marika.


    Marika, terrified by Luceria''s demeanor, clung to me even tighter, as if to soothe her own fear.


    But her action only aggravated the ancient deity more, and Luceria''s expression darkened further.


    "This can''t go on... I must eliminate her right now." She muttered, almost like a prelude to a murder, and extended her hand towards Marika.


    "Ah...!" In response, Marika shut her eyes tightly, cringing like a frightened child.


    "Wait!" I shielded Marika with my body, as if to protect her from Luceria''s wrath."Spouse, move aside." Luceriamanded, but I remained resolute, determined to protect Marika at all costs.


    "We made a deal, to set Marika free..." I reminded her, hoping to leverage the agreement she had made earlier.


    "That was only as long as it didn''t interfere with my goals. How can I forgive you unting another woman right in front of me, the one you''ve promised to?" Luceria''s words were sharp, and I knew that in terms of power, I stood no chance against her in this environment, which was undoubtedly more favorable to her. "If you''re going to be like that, then consider everything we''ve talked about up until now null and void." I had no choice but to resolve this through words, and the only topic that came to mind was our arrangement as partners.


    "If you refuse topromise, then I have no reason toply either. If you harm Marika, then our rtionship is over. We''ll be more than just adversaries, sworn enemies beyond reconciliation." It was a statement I had been holding back, a crucial point regarding why Luceria and I had set conditions for each other.


    "Wait a minute..." Luceria seemed to catch on to what I was implying, her face mixed with confusion as she tried to interrupt.


    She had agreed to help correct my twisted memories and return to my original life in exchange for several conditions, including willingly bing her partner. However, if Luceria was unwilling to ept these terms and tried to breach the deal, then I had no obligation to fulfill her wishes either. It was a no-win situation for both, but the one with greater desperation was likely to be at a disadvantage.


    Frankly, even if my memories were corrupted, I was content with my current life. The asional inexplicable phenomena were just minor ws. If regaining my original memories meant sacrificing Marika, I was ready to boldly relinquish them.


    "If you won''t ept my conditions, then I won''t respond to your desperation." It was a bluff filled with false confidence, but I needed to show as much strength as possible to minimize risk.


    Luceria, seemingly affected by my stance, frowned deeply, weighing which option held more value for her.


    After a moment, she sighed, a mix of resignation and defeat, and nodded. "Alright... I won''t touch the princess..."


    Finally, Luceria agreed to spare Marika''s life, withdrawing her hostility. "It''s okay, Marika." Sending a signal of safety to her, Marika finally rxed and released her tight embrace. "Thank you, Harold...! As expected... you''re so dependable..." Marika''s cheeks flushed withplex emotions as she looked at me.


    "Ah, really!" As a cozy atmosphere began to develop between us, Luceria''s voice,ced with frustration and anger, interrupted the moment. "Wait a minute..." But that was only for a moment. Soon, with a suspicious expression and a wicked smile, she emphasized the word "partner" in a peculiar way.


    Marika, previously fearful of Luceria, now looked confused and slightly uneasy. "Indeed... you still don''t know, do you?" Luceria mumbled to herself, her expression mischievous and ominous.


    Something felt terribly wrong.


    "There''s something I''m going to do now, Harold... It''s nothing strange for us, right?" Before I could grasp what was about to happen -


    Suddenly, I felt an intense sensation on my lips. It was soft, tender, yet carried a whirlwind of desires. It was Luceria!


    "Luceria―?!!" In a surprising move, Luceria had caught my head and stolen a kiss, right in front of Marika.


    Marika, releasing breathy gasps, helplessly watched as Luceria passionately kissed me.


    As our lips parted, a silver thread seemed to connect us, symbolizing a deep connection.


    "Harold... what is this..." Marika''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "Princess? It seems you''re not aware of our rtionship... As part of saving you, Harold agreed to enter into a betrothal with me." Luceria dropped a bombshell.


    "A betrothal... Then, Harold..." Marika looked at me with eyes full of betrayal and usation.


    "Make sure you understand this, Princess. Harold himself agreed to be my partner. So, don''t go around proiming your love for my partner. I won''t let it slide." Luceria was clearly warning Marika, establishing her territory. In an effort topletely eliminate any unforeseen dangers and firmly imprint her identity, Luceria acted decisively. "It''s a lie, right? What are you talking about..." Marika, in disbelief, continued to speak with a dazed look, as if denying reality.


    "Say something!" Despite her desperate plea, I remained silent. It wasn''t a lie, after all... I had voluntarily agreed to be Luceria''s partner, so I couldn''t say anything against Marika''s plea.


    "It can''t be..." Marika, overwhelmed by despair, copsed to her knees.


    "Harold can''t say anything because it''s an undeniable fact. I agreed to his conditions and offered my cooperation in exchange for him bing my partner," Luceria interjected, adding fuel to Marika''s confusion andughing mockingly as if a victor taunting the defeated.


    "Looks like this discussion is pretty much over, so let''s return to the real world. This ce is too gloomy with all its darkness, even for someone as fallen as me." As she spoke, Luceria sped her hands and murmured something, causing a purplish wave to distort the surroundings.


    "The anticipation of proving to many women that you are mine, once we return to the outside world, is already exciting me," Luceria said with a mischievous, wicked smile.


    "Wait, that''s forter -" Before I could express my opinion or understand if it was a coincidence or her misdeed, my vision blurred, and the scene changed abruptly.


    When I opened my eyes, I was under an unfamiliar dim ceiling. "Harold? Marika?!" Voices of concern echoed in my ears.


    "Aris... Miss Erina... And Miss Arsia too..." As I looked up, several worried faces surrounded me, looking at Marika and me with concern.


    Marika was beside me, but in a dazed state, fortunately under dim lighting. "Harold, are you okay?! Are you hurt anywhere?! What happened to the ancient god?!" Erina, now speaking informally to me, urgently questioned.


    "Can you tell me what happened at the end? I''m struggling to grasp the situation." From my perspective, everything suddenly went dark, and then Luceria appeared, we negotiated, and returned, but... The situation was fully exined by Arsia. "Harold was captured by Luceria, who possessed Marika, and she then summoned a sphere of darkness, locking herself and Harold inside it," she detailed.


    "And no matter how hard we tried, no magic or physical force could break through the sphere," she continued, demonstrating her depleted magical energy and Erina showed her nearly broken sword, illustrating the intensity of their efforts.


    I understood the sequence of events. Luceria had created the sphere to invite me into her inner world for negotiation. "I think I understand what happened..." I cautiously shared my experience, omitting details about the partnership with Luceria and the pendant, suggesting it might be lost somewhere.


    The pendant in my possession was the key to the negotiation with Luceria. As per our agreement, she should be residing within it now. A faint vibration from the pendant seemed to confirm her presence, though there was no active response, suggesting she might not be able to manifest immediately.


    ''I have be the partner of the ancient god, Luceria.'' This fact had to be kept secret for now. Eventually, the truth woulde out, especially considering Luceria''s final words before we returned, but for the moment, revealing that I was married to Luceria would only plunge the already delicate situation into chaos. It was a truth that needed to be revealedter, not while everything was still so tumultuous.


    Carefully looking beside me, I noticed Marika still hadn''t woken up. She appeared peaceful, as if simply asleep, without any sign of consciousness. Marika remained unconscious, a key witness to the false arguments I had presented. As long as she didn''t wake up, I believed we could safely navigate the immediate situation. "Maybe that''s how it is..." I concluded my exnation, leaving the others immersed in their thoughts, faces a mix of various emotions.


    "Where is she now, then?" Arsia pondered, her own issues with Luceria unresolved.


    Erina, showing signs of disappointment, clicked her tongue, "I said I wouldn''t let her escape this time..."


    Despite the tension, Aris pragmatically suggested, "So, we''ve averted the crisis for now. Let''s head outside." I internally breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the turn of events aligning with my hopes.


    Just as we were about to leave, a sudden voice echoed in my head, ''Good intention, but I''m not a patient god...'' Was it a hallucination, or was Luceria really whispering to me?


    ''Sorry, but it seems I have to fan the mes...'' Luceria''s yful tone sent a chill down my spine.


    Oh no... I need to stop her...


    ''It''s toote.''


    With a burst of light from the pendant in my possession, a purplish smoke began to emanate and converge into a distinct form.


    "What''s happening -"


    "Luceria?!"


    "What in the world..."


    As Luceria''s figure materialized, everyone expressed their shock, and the tense atmosphere intensified once again.


    "I made a deal with Harold, he''s now my husband," Luceria dered, potentiallyplicating the situation even further.