Ah, what bliss.
I prayed that I might continue laughing with this adorable girl for the rest of my life. I had only noticed her many charms thanks to Lord Endo and Lady Kobayashi, but I hoped to never lose sight of them.
My silent prayer went out to the gods in another world.
────
Afterward, I struggled with Liese’s stubborn, bold front on a handful of occasions. Yet each time, we worked to understand one another: she slowed down to try and tell me her honest feelings, and I used my own brain to think through all that she said.
Slowly but surely, my time without the gods passed by. I like to think that the days we spent like that only deepened our love.
At long last, the day of our wedding came.
“Liese, I’m coming in.”
Having finished dressing up, I entered the anteroom my bride was waiting in. Beside her were plenty of attendants praising her gorgeous looks, but it was as if they and the world at large had lost their shine.
To me, the radiant beauty of the blushing Liese was overpowering. Her divine allure was like that of...
“...A goddess,” I said.
“You called?!”
Unfortunately, my first reaction to Liese’s grace was intercepted by an unwanted third party. Lirenna hopped in between me and Liese, so I shoved her out of the way and made sure to let my bride hear the truth.
“No. I’m saying that Liese is as beautiful as a goddess. Wait, no, she’s far prettier than Lirenna, so...what do I do? Liese, I can’t think of anything stunning enough to liken you to!”
Liese awkwardly averted her eyes as I let out my frustration.
“Your Highness, aren’t you being a tad rude to Lady Lirenna? Of course, I want you to see me as the finest woman in all the land, at least for today. But I can’t help but feel that insulting Lady Lirenna in the process is a bit much.”
Although Liese was turned away, her tone and expression hinting at anger, I caught a glimpse of her lips twitching up into a smile. I was enjoying my fiancée’s heart-melting cuteness when the goddess I pushed to the side came back to block my view.
“Lady Lieselotte, you’re so kind!” Lirenna turned and invaded my personal space, shouting, “On the other hand, what’s with you, Siegwald?! I don’t think you’ve ever shown me a shred of respect!”
“The only gods I serve go by the names of Endo and Kobayashi,” I said curtly. “I refuse to worship anyone but my two friends.”
“But I’m the Creation Goddess!” Lirenna said, stamping her feet. “Neither you nor Lady Lieselotte would even exist without me!”
“Such a pity that all you have to be proud of are the accomplishments of yesteryear. It must be tough to grow old,” I said with a sneer.
“I can’t believe you’d break your princely character just to diss me!” Lirenna fell to her knees in defeat. “Dang it... Dang it!”
Lirenna continued punching the ground on all fours for a while. As I’d once thought, perhaps it would be best to recreate all the statues in our churches; if nothing else, her image wasn’t fit to be shown standing on two legs. This thought occupied my mind until an unsettling laugh derailed my train of thought.
“Mwa ha ha... But today is the day you thank me, Siegwald! You’ll be praying to me before you know it!”
Lirenna slowly got up and began channeling a large amount of magical power. Platinum light swirled around her as she prepared to cast her spell.
“Feast your eyes in wonder on the power of the Creation Goddess!” Lirenna sang, twirling around in a little dance. “This is my magnum opus!”
The brilliant light dancing alongside her flew into the air, morphing into a pair of shimmering statues.
When the light receded, what was left were a semitransparent boy and girl. They were around my age—no, actually, they were surely a year younger. The hearty boy and cute girl appeared hand in hand. Both of them looked surprised and happy in equal parts, and my expression was no doubt the exact same.
“Long time no see!” the girl said in a familiar voice. “Er, nice to meet you? I guess this would be your first time seeing us, huh?”
I knew it! The girl tilting her head was none other than Lady Kobayashi!
“Hold up,” Lord Endo said. “This is the waiting room for family and stuff, right? Are we allowed to be here?”
“It has been too long, Lady Kobayashi, Lord Endo. There is no need to worry, as Lirenna is here to give Lieselotte her blessing. In fact, I am most honored to have you join us.”
For some reason, my greeting struck a nerve, evidenced by the gods’ irked faces.
“Don’t call me a lady!”
“And quit it with the stuffy language...”
The pair were perfectly in sync. Although I should have felt ashamed for upsetting the gods, my first reaction was to laugh. These two had class, unlike the goddess who’d thrown a tantrum on all fours when I’d refused to respect her.
“Sorry,” I said with a light bow. “How’s this?”
“Much better,” Lady Kobayashi said with a broad grin. “We’re friends, remember?”
“You’re right,” I said. “I’ll loosen up a little as well, seeing as I’m surrounded by friends. But let me just say that you two are still the supreme gods in my heart. You watched over us, opened our hearts, imparted your wisdom, and led us all to this blessed day safe and sound. Asking me not to hold you in high regard is a pretty tough task.”
“Man, this is sorta embarrassing.” Lord Endo shyly scratched his cheek. “Nowadays, we’re just a couple of slightly lucky high schoolers.”
“Yup,” Lady Kobayashi said. “We’re such commoners that we ended up wearing our uniforms because we didn’t know what to wear to a real prince’s wedding.”
I felt a bit disappointed. Had I known they were coming, I would have prepared the finest clothes for them. That said, it would have probably been a waste, seeing as they were see-through and all.
Suddenly, I realized that my supremely gorgeous Liese was watching us agape. I’d forgotten that for as long as my two friends had watched over her, this was the first time she’d ever heard their voices. I figured I needed to introduce them, but my bride began to speak first.
“These...voices.” A single tear rolled down Liese’s cheek. “You two...”
“Whaaa?!” Lady Kobayashi was in a state of shock. “Why are you crying, Liese-tan?! It’s way, way, way too early for that! Let’s save the tears until you hand the letter to your parents, okay?!”
“Is that even a part of weddings in this country?” Lord Endo asked.
It is not, I answered in my mind. At the same time, I pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away my fiancée’s tears.
“Liese, these two are gods from a foreign plane of existence. Their titles are the play-by-play caster Endo and the color commentator Kobayashi. The two of them protected you from the Witch of Yore, and they opened my eyes to the obvious truth that you are the cutest person in the world. They are our saviors and my dear friends.”
“I’m aware,” Liese said with a heartfelt nod. “I’ve seen you two before, in a dream. I’d thought it was a fantasy of my imagination, but... It is good to see you again.”
The unexpected turn left me befuddled. Liese and Lady Kobayashi exchanged meaningful looks and nodded to each other. Liese recomposed herself and elegantly pinched her dress, bowing in a dignified curtsy.
“I humbly welcome you to join us today,” Liese said. “With all that you have done for us, it is difficult to find where to start expressing my gratitude, but allow me to first show appreciation for our reunion. Thank you very much.”
As Liese slowly raised her head, I saw that the tears had disappeared from her eyes. Her unusually serene smile charmed Lady Kobayashi to such a degree that the goddess turned to stone.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Lady Kobayashi said, trembling at what she considered an undue honor. “We’re just a pair of Liese-tan fans!”
“That’s right,” Lord Endo said. “We’re just two high school broadcasters who wouldn’t give up on our favorite villainess, Lieselotte.”
“Fans?” Liese was quizzical.
“Yup!” Lady Kobayashi said. “Liese-tan, you’re so darn adorable that we started shouting out in the hopes that Sieg would see your charms.”
“Honestly,” Lord Endo said, turning to Lirenna. “Just how rotten can the Witch of Yore be to try and possess someone this wonderful?”
Lirenna instantaneously slid into a groveling position.
“What are you saying?” Liese asked. “I’m not adorable. And Sieg! Don’t nonchalantly call me the cutest in the world like that! Oh my word, why must you all tease me together?!”
Lady Kobayashi, Lord Endo, and I exchanged looks. All three of us loved and cared for Liese, and we each smiled together; she really was the cutest.