The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride - Chapter 166

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride
Side Story 16. Kaiser’s In-yeon (8)

“…So they call us beasts, do they.”
“You’re no better, truth be told.”
Lucian and Lia regarded the couple before them with cool, measured eyes.
Kaiser, meanwhile, paid them no attention whatsoever—his gaze fixed on Beatrice beside him, sweet as honey dripping from his eyes.
As he twirled her hair around his long fingers like a dragon freshly smitten with love, Beatrice’s embarrassment reached an almost unbearable pitch.
“But honestly, even if you’re both dragons, isn’t a week without leaving your room a bit much?”
“Right. And the sounds… if Lucian and I hadn’t cast magic in the meantime, everyone in the neighborhood would’ve known.”
“Please… I’m sorry. Please, just stop…”
“Hey, keep quiet. Beatrice is embarrassed.”
With each jab from Lia and Lucian, Beatrice had blushed deeper; now, covering her face in her hands, Kaiser immediately rushed to her defense.
The transformation in him over just two weeks was almost impossible to adjust to.
The way he held Beatrice possessively and growled was less dragon than loyal hound.
A hollow laugh escaped Lia—but it was only brief before she burst into genuine laughter.
“So, how does love feel, Kaiser? My dear dragon?”
“…I think I understand a little now why you two are so desperately devoted to each other.”
Kaiser’s lips jutted out as he spoke with a gruff tone. Yet everyone present knew he was embarrassed.
“Love really does change how you see the world. Now I understand a bit better why you kept telling me to love someone.”
“That’s good to hear. Does that mean you can move forward without us?”
At those words, Kaiser faltered and turned his head.
“…Without you?”
“I’ve been worried about you, Kaiser, after we’re gone.”
At the word “gone,” his heart sank like a stone—but Beatrice’s trembling hand found his, and he managed to steady himself somewhat.
“We’re human, so someday we’ll reach the end of our lives. To you, who live over a thousand years, the time we share will be terribly brief.”
“…”
“I know you regard us both specially and love us. That’s why, when we disappear, I hope you can still navigate this world well without us.”
“…Is that why you told me to experience love?”
“Among other reasons. You’re an Adult Dragon now—it’s time to start a family. If you have a family, then when we’re gone, you’ll have someone to walk forward with. I’m glad you’ve found such a good partner.”
It aligned with what Beatrice had said before.
She too had told him to be ready to let go of Lia and Lucian whenever that day came.
‘But Lia and Lucian…’
The knowledge that they’d worried about him this way from the very beginning made his chest ache.
“If this was presumptuous of me, I’m sorry. But know that we love you because of how much we care.”
“That’s right. I love Kaiser too, as does Lia, more than anyone. We want you to live happily even after we’re gone.”
With Lucian adding his voice to Lia’s words, something unnamed welled up in Kaiser’s throat, surging again and again. He tensed his entire body, trying to hold it back.
“It’s alright, Kaiser.”
Then Beatrice patted his hand.
“It’s okay to let your heart speak honestly at times like this.”
Before he could hold back any longer, tears spilled down his cheeks. As his head lowered, eyes glistening, Lia and Lucian drew near.
Soon tears lined their eyes as well.
“I’m not ready to say goodbye to you yet.”
“…Yeah.”
“Both of you are in your twenties—why are you spouting nonsense about death? You’re strong. I bet you’ll live past sixty.”
“That’s fair.”
“Do you think I can’t live in this world without you? Not a chance! I’ll enjoy everything this world has to offer on your behalf too, so be prepared!”
Though he shouted with all his strength, what met him in return was a gaze of cherishing and love.
At that, Kaiser’s lips trembled as he pulled both of them into a tight embrace.
“…So live a long, long life.”
“For our weeping dragon’s sake, we’d better.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll outlive you, so you can go first.”
Thus the three in-yeon held each other close, sharing honest feelings and tears for a long while.
“So what’s the plan? I was thinking we might travel another year or so.”
Lia, her eyes puffy from crying, posed the question to Kaiser and Beatrice.
Until now, Lia, Lucian, and Kaiser had journeyed together, but now that Kaiser had found a partner, he needed to spend time with Beatrice.
Kaiser hesitated, uncertain, gauging her expression.
“I don’t mind staying with you both.”
Beatrice spoke first.
“I’d like to spend time alone with Kaiser, but if it’s you two, I think it would be fine to stay together.”
“Beatrice…”
“You’re people Kaiser cares for deeply, and spending time with you isn’t bad at all. Besides, I’ll only be with you until your deaths, so there’s no great loss for me. Fifty years will pass in a blink.”
“…Thank you for understanding.”
“No need for thanks. Even if we stay together, we won’t be glued to each other all day, will we?”
“That’s true. Once the journey ends, we’ll return home.”
“Then we’ll settle there too and live out our married life, won’t we?”
Kaiser nodded emphatically, his face overflowing with joy as he pulled Beatrice into a tight embrace.
“…I’ll do better by you from now on.”
“Of course you will. You’re supposed to treat me well your whole life.”
At Beatrice’s offhand snort, treated as perfectly natural, and seeing how Kaiser gazed at her with such tenderness, Lia and Lucian broke into deep smiles.

.
.

And so the two humans and two dragons spent another year journeying across the world, building memories.
Beatrice, in time, melted into their in-yeon and grew comfortable living alongside them.
Once all their travels ended, Lucian and Lia returned to the Grand Duchy to fulfill their assigned duties and established a new home.
Kaiser and Beatrice, too, purchased a grand mansion near the Grand Duke’s Castle, maintaining their in-yeon unbroken.
As time passed, children were born to Lia and Lucian, and Kaiser and Beatrice rejoiced at each new life even more.
The Grand Duke’s Castle overflowed daily with the laughter of happy children.
Time flowed on until the young child grew into adulthood, found a new partner, and brought new life into the world once more.
For Kaiser, the Grand Duke’s Castle had become a space brimming with blessings.
Sixty years had now passed since settling in the Grand Duchy alongside Lia and Lucian.
“…It reminds me of twelve years ago.”
Kaiser, still young and beautiful, pushed a wheelchair through the garden carrying an elderly woman whose hair had turned white.
“What does?”
“When Lucian left us.”
“…Lia, how long are you going to milk that story?”
“Heh heh, even the widow herself couldn’t have cried as many days as you did. How could I forget?”
Lia, now in her mid-eighties as a human.
Wrinkles had multiplied, her legs had lost their strength, and her eyes had grown dim. While natural given how far she’d surpassed human life expectancy, in Kaiser’s eyes she remained beautiful still.
Lia had sent her husband Lucian ahead twelve years prior.
A Good Death
(好喪)
it had been. He slipped from the world as peacefully as one falling asleep.
Lia, having long since prepared her heart, had bid him farewell with grace—but Kaiser had suffered far more, spending a month in tears.
Lia had even had to comfort him.
Knowing she was teasing him for it now, Kaiser pouted his lips.
“Kaiser.”
“What.”
“Were you happy living with us?”
“Do you really have to ask? Look at me serving you so faithfully now.”
“I feel sorry toward Beatrice. I’ve unintentionally stolen her husband’s time.”
“Don’t worry. Beatrice understands perfectly. If anything, she’s been more concerned about you lately. She says your vigor has dropped considerably.”
“I’m in my mid-eighties now. I’ve lived a long life.”
Kaiser couldn’t laugh along with her gentle laughter.
Thump-thump.
Then a ball, rolling from somewhere, bumped against the wheelchair.
A young girl bearing Lucian’s childhood features came running over from a distance.
“Great-grandmother! Kaiser!”
“Ah, playing ball, were you?”
“Yes! My older brother threw it so hard it came all the way here! Thank you!”
Kaiser handed the ball back, and she saluted brightly before dashing off toward her companions in the distance.
Clustered together, the children’s faces bore a fitting blend of Lia and Lucian’s features.
“Seeing that brings back old memories.”
“…Doesn’t it.”
“When Lucian was young, he was exhausting to play with. No matter how much we entertained him, he’d never tire. I suppose all children are like that—yours, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren. They all seem to take after Lucian.”
Watching new lives be born and grow up would stir memories of those early days in the Ghost Mansion with Lucian and Lia.
Lost in nostalgia, Kaiser struck upon a pleasant thought.
“Shall we visit the mansion for a change? What do you think, Lia?”
Kaiser, studying her face, froze.
He quickly moved to the front of the wheelchair and knelt on one knee.
Lia held a rose Kaiser had plucked from the garden earlier—a bloom from the rose garden Lucian had created for her.
Holding it dear, she rested with a gentle smile, her eyes closed.
There was no sound of breathing.
Kaiser’s lips trembled as he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lowered brow.
“You’ve worked hard all this time, Lia.”

Imperial Calendar, Year 394, April 6th.
A woman sealed long ago by an emperor, who had lost her beloved, drifted as a ghost for over three hundred years before meeting a new in-yeon and finally breaking free of her seal.
Thus Lia, who lived some sixty years more as a human being,
breathed her last in the embrace of the friend she had cherished and loved most dearly, after building a family with the man she adored.

* * *

A innocent child with flowing black hair held the hand of a handsome man with red hair as they entered a mansion.
They toured the grounds and made their way toward the cemetery in the rear garden.
As they placed a lush rose there, the child cocked his head.
“Dad, where is this?”
“This is the grave of the humans Dad loved most. I’ve told you before, haven’t I? About having wonderful friends.”
“Yeah! Mom talks about them a lot too!”
“Since you’re meeting Dad’s friends for the first time, you should introduce yourself, shouldn’t you?”
“Hello! My name is Raymond! I’m fifty-three years old! I just learned how to Polymorph, so I came to the human world for the first time with Dad!”
At his spirited self-introduction, Kaiser smiled deeply.
“He’s a magnificent Black Dragon, takes after Beatrice. The daughter born five years ago is a Red Dragon, but she’s still too young to bring here. Once Lena learns to Polymorph, I’ll bring her too.”
“I want to see what Dad’s friends looked like. Do you have pictures?”
“There were no photographs in those days. But the mansion has portraits—we can look at them before we go.”
So Kaiser took his son’s hand and tidied and cleaned the masterless mansion. Evening fell, and carrying the tired Raymond in his arms, he descended from the mansion.
Much time had passed—the forest that once surrounded the area had long since become a residential neighborhood.
The world now boasted steam engines, motorcars, cameras, and countless other inventions unimaginable in ages past.
Fortunately, the Imperial Family remained intact, and the treaty forged with the Dragon Clan was still in effect.
Moreover, the magical knowledge of dragons had greatly aided human civilization’s progress, so now humans knew of dragons’ existence and regarded them not as mere prey, but as companions to live alongside.
All of this had been made possible by the in-yeon laid down in the past.
“…You’d be amazed if you could see it.”
A melancholy smile flickered across his face—but then something caught his eye.
Kaiser’s eyes widened as he turned his head sharply.
In the distance stood a boy and girl, each around ten years old.
“Really, Lucian, that’s not how you do it.”
“But Father said this is the right way.”
“That so? I heard something different.”
A girl with black hair and violet eyes, and a boy with brown hair and brown eyes.
Their faces seemed an exact recreation of Lia and Lucian.
Watching the two pass by, engaged in spirited debate with each other, Kaiser went still.
“Um… Dad?”
At Raymond’s whimper, he snapped back to awareness.
“…They’re doing well.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Let’s head home now.”
Kaiser patted Raymond and allowed a smile to settle at the corners of his mouth.
If it was in-yeon, someday they would meet again.

The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride Side Story [Complete]

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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