There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 721: Side Story 4. Endless Journey - 4

In the middle of August, Zein and Bassena--along with their little knights--visited a ranch for the first time. It was also the first time for the twins to have a long road trip, and they were very excited about it.

As the one walking the bride down the aisle, Zein did not need to concern himself with lodging. The place for the ceremony itself was in an Old Age estate, and aside from the chapel, the rest of the building was used as a hotel and a museum.

Because of this, they deliberately came a day before so the kids could look around and play with the animals. Despite being busy handling the wedding, the Austins were very accommodating, even designating a guide for them. That being said, the twins mostly spent their time with Uncle Zhan--who more or less acted like a child too.

How nice. The fathers could have a nice time with just the two of them. No, still no baby-making sex, to Zein’s disappointment.

On the morning of the eighteenth, the hotel came alive. People were going back and forth to prepare the ceremony and reception area since the crack of dawn. Even though the ceremony would only start in the afternoon, some people had already started getting ready in the morning.

Since both the groom and the bride came from the same guild, it became a site of reunion for those who worked in Althrea and those who worked in Lucre. The guests who came early were provided with a comfortable lounge and refreshments, and the twins became the stars of the day--at least before the wedding started.

With so many babysitters available, Zein comfortably left the lounge and looked for the bride’s room. It was an hour before the ceremony, so he figured Senia would already be in her dress. He met one of the organizer’s staff and was led to the correct room.

"Is this my daughter’s room?" he knocked on the door, and Rina turned around, laughing.

"You really roll with this daughter thing, huh?"

"I told you--it’s a practice," Zein shrugged and entered the room.

On one side of the room, there was a line of mirrors and a bunch of make-up and hair-styling tools. The bride, however, wasn’t there. She was sitting on the couch, surrounded by a group of boisterous women of various range of ages whose faces bore similarities to Gus.

When they heard a man’s voice, they turned toward the door and gasped loudly.

"Oh, my Gods!"

"Goodness gracious! I had no idea someone could be this beautiful!"

"Whoa...my friends would never guess that I met the Luzein Ishtera!"

"All thanks to our cute sister!"

The last one spoke while squeezing Senia’s cheeks before the others scolded her for ruining the makeup. They immediately fixed the bride’s complexion in panic, although Zein didn’t see anything getting damaged.

"Umh..."

The one who got damaged was probably Senia’s sense of reality. She was looking dazed as her new in-laws were fusing over her, blinking as if her soul was somewhere else--even though she was the main character.

"That’s interesting," Zein smirked.

"They sure smother the only daughter-in-law," Rina laughed.

"That’s good," Zein smiled, remembering the Senia during their first two meetings. That Senia was nowhere to be seen now. "She hadn’t known what familial love feels like yet."

It was the only thing she wanted, initially, before her mind was warped by the cruelty that made her think the only way she could receive love and admiration was through power. Had she received that love she yearned for so much in the slum at the start, she wouldn’t have turned into the cruel, irritating princess that she was.

"As usual, Sir Luzein is very kind," Rina whispered with a soft laugh. "Where’s your kids?"

"With my husband, checking on the groom and the best man."

Rina smiled wryly. "I’m not sure if appointing Zhan as a best man is a good idea..."

"The point is to have someone who knows him the best," Zein shrugged. "I guess they were bonded through a big family, huh? I heard Zhan had a big one too."

"Yeah; but in his case, it’s full of men...or boys, I guess."

"Men became boys when they were gathering," Zein snorted, before pausing as he realized that the twins were currently in the middle of such a gathering. "I’m worried about what influence they’ll be giving my sons," he sighed.

Rina laughed and smacked the guide’s back. "Look at you! A full-fledged parent!"

"I’ve been doing it for years now," Zein shrugged. He glanced at the girl and asked carefully. "What about you and Ashur?"

"Hmm...it’s complicated."

So she said, but Rina didn’t seem too heartbroken about it. "Why?"

"Because I don’t like to share," she exhaled heavily. She had been in a somewhat polyamorous relationship with Ashur and Iore after the reclamation. She was okay with it at the start, but she started to feel suffocated later on. "Perhaps I should just let him go...in the end."

Maybe she was just okay with it because Ashur was dying at that time, and the thought of losing him permanently outweighed the thought of having him by herself. But it was hard to balance such a relationship when the time she spent with Ashur was far less than the time the other two spent together--seeing they were in the same squad and all.

In the end, she couldn’t help but think that she was becoming a side piece. It was better when Ashur was still helplessly crushing on Zein’s guiding.

"Hmm....well, I’m not one to talk to," Zein smiled.

"Why? Give me some life advice, patriarch!"

Zein simply shrugged. "Because I’m the one who tends to break people’s hearts."

"Oo~" Rina nudged the guide while giggling. "Haa...well, if I’m thinking about letting go this easily, perhaps my feelings are not that deep."

Zein thought it didn’t look easy, but he just patted her shoulder in support. Just like Zach, excepting it was time to back off was already half a step. "Just talk it out with someone with more experience first."

"Yes, Sir~"

"Just in case you’re ready to move on, my Chief of Staff is still single," Zein shamelessly informed.

At any rate, Iron Shield was filled with defenders--the same as Rina. It wouldn’t be bad to have her as a part of the family. Rina laughed at the transparent intent and thanked the guide nonetheless.

Eh--who knew what could happen in the future?

"She’s ready!" the makeup artist--who was also Gus’s sister--finally announced in relief.

"Let’s take a picture first!"

"Yes, let’s--with Sir Ishtera!"

Like a whirlwind, the women moved and before he knew it, Zein was already standing beside Senia, who looked like an innocent princess in her wedding dress. As she wished, she had truly become a princess, if only for a day, and only for her soon-to-be husband.

It didn’t matter. She was happy. Nervous and overwhelmed, but happy nonetheless. She glanced at Zein and whispered softly. "Thank you."

"It’s a reward," Zein smiled while looking at the camera. Still, it was easy to feel Senia’s questioning gaze. "For changing yourself to be a better person."

For a while, there was no other voice but the photographer sister, who was busy directing everyone so they could be inside the frame perfectly. But then she looked at Senia and gasped.

"Oh, no! Why is our Senia crying already," her shout sent the sisters and aunts and mother-in-law into chaos.

"Quick, quick--the tissue! We can’t let the makeup get ruined!"

"S-sorry..." Senia pressed her trembling lips and tried to hold back her tears from flowing. But it was hard because she felt like she was truly receiving Zein’s acknowledgment--something other than her esper prowess.

But oh--now she might ruin her makeup after the sisters worked so hard on it. Oh, no--what should she do?! Senia tried to take a deep breath, but she stuttered and choked instead.

"No worries, sweety," the mother-in-law smiled and dabbed the corner of Senia’s eyes with her handkerchief. "I know we can get overwhelmed and sensitive during the wedding."

Zein shifted back with a wry, awkward smile. He didn’t think that his simple comment would open the bride’s floodgate. Rina pressed her lips so hard to hold back from laughing out loud, but it was truly heartwarming seeing everyone trying to calm Senia.

They truly showed that they would officially be her family in an hour.

Twenty minutes before the ceremony, someone came to check on the bride. "It’s time, are you ready?"

They all collectively looked at Senia, who already had her tears dried and her makeup fixed. Again. One of the sisters had put on a veil and a tiara on her, making her look even more like a princess.

"Yeah," she took a deep breath and glanced at Zein, who was smiling and offering her his hand. "Yeah, I’m ready."

Taking Zein’s hand, she took another deep breath and took a step forward. Toward her future, to become an even better person, to pick up her simple, scattered dream when she was nothing but a child wishing for love and affection inside the darkness of the slum.