What's the most important moment in life?
Our lives are filled with so many events, big and small, but if I had to pick the most pivotal one, most people would probably say marriage.
It's the promise you make with the person you'll spend the rest of your life with, vowing your love. Marriage has to be the defining moment of our lives.
Of course, you have to choose your partner for such a marriage with the utmost care.
Otherwise, you might end up living in misery for the rest of your days.
'Haa... How did things end up like this?'
In that sense, it feels like I won't be living a particularly happy life.
Because I seem to have chosen my marriage partner all wrong.
"The bride, please enter."
The infamous villainess.
Kailin Dwenvell. That's who I'm marrying.
'Marriage to a villainess...'
Far in the distance, the bride approached in her wedding dress.
With sky-blue hair and emerald eyes, her beauty was so striking that calling her a peerless beauty felt entirely appropriate.
But looks aren't everything.
As a possessor in this world, I knew it was the world of a novel.
So I knew her far better than she knew herself.
'The Mage of Jealousy, Kailin.'
She was the one who relentlessly sabotaged the hero party, the protagonist's group.
She couldn't stand seeing the hero party succeed without her.
She'd do anything—by any means necessary—to make them fail.
But if your tail's too long, you get caught eventually.
It took time, but all her misdeeds came to light.
Every interference she'd made, even her dealings with the demonkin, all exposed.
There was no saving her.
In the end, she was beheaded at the guillotine.
A clean, fitting end to her karma.
'What kind of bullshit situation is this?'
And yet, here I am, marrying that Kailin.
Even on the wedding day itself, all I could do was sigh.
So why am I marrying her?
Why go through with it if I hate the idea so much?
Because I have no choice.
'Getting her pregnant... Come on.'
I'd gotten her pregnant.
'I just wanted to live a normal life...'
I never dreamed something like this could happen.
Not back when I first possessed this body.
The son of a baron's family, utterly ordinary with no special talents—an extra noble named Davian. Nothing remarkable except being Kailin's childhood friend.
My first thought upon possessing him wasn't anything special.
Just live it up moderately, eat well, and coast.
That was it.
This world had a protagonist anyway.
If I followed the novel's plot, the hero would save the day for sure.
I didn't need to do a thing.
So I figured I'd just enjoy my new, ordinary life.
And as a bonus, play the dutiful childhood friend to the villainess, flattering her just enough.
'Drinking was the mistake.'
That's why I remember just trying to humor her that day, as usual.
We were having dinner, chatting about this and that—mostly listening to her vent—as always.
But one thing was different from usual.
The alcohol.
I didn't think much of it.
We'd both just become adults, and a little drink wouldn't hurt, right?
We sipped sweet grape wine, one glass, two.
And then we got wasted.
Unfortunately, Kailin, who was drinking for the first time, had zero tolerance.
She passed out after just a few glasses.
And I wasn't much better.
A bit more resilient than her, but with no alcohol tolerance to speak of, I could barely stand.
I barely managed to drag her to an inn, and that's where it all went wrong.
'To think I'd sleep with the villainess there.'
By the time I came to, it had already happened.
We were both naked. It wasn't hard to guess what went down that night.
That one night ruined everything.
'How the hell...'
No matter how I thought about it, I should've held back.
No matter how pretty Kailin was.
No matter how she tempted me in my drunken haze.
I should've resisted somehow.
But the reason I couldn't? Probably because she was just too damn gorgeous.
Even while doggedly sabotaging the hero's party and acting like a total jerk, she stayed in the top ranks of popularity polls purely on her looks.
Any guy would be drawn to her beauty.
That's why rational thought flew out the window that night.
How could anyone resist?
If I were impotent, maybe—but sadly, I wasn't.
'One mistake, and my life's ruined.'
Anyway, I shouldn't have done it, and the price was steep.
Soon after, she announced her pregnancy.
And now, I'm marrying her.
That's how it all came to this.
'What can I do? Gotta make the best of it...'
At least I came to terms with it quickly.
What choice did I have?
Marrying a villainess was hard to swallow, but running away? No way.
I wasn't the type to shirk responsibility.
For the child's sake, if nothing else.
Even if life with a villainess wouldn't be easy, I'd give it my all.
I'd just have to work hard at it.
That's what I'd settled on.
"..."
But Kailin still hadn't made peace with it.
She stood there, hand on her slightly swollen belly, wearing a gloomy expression throughout the ceremony.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Hoo..."
The wedding, at least, went off without a hitch.
Surrounded by well-wishers, we successfully tied the knot.
Once the guests had all left, I finally caught my breath.
Weddings are exhausting.
I'd never even had one in my past life, so the fatigue hit hard.
"This is tough... Kailin, let's head home."
Anyway, it was time for us to leave too.
I took her hand as she stared blankly at the sky outside the window, ready to depart the venue.
"Don't touch me."
But she refused.
She shook off my hand, her face twisted in clear displeasure.
"What's wrong? Still upset?"
Here we go again.
I was used to it by now.
It wasn't just me who disliked this marriage.
She hated the pregnancy, the marriage—everything.
So she'd lash out at me now and then.
"I told you to forget it..."
"..."
"Forget that dream of becoming a great mage or whatever. Let's just live well together. How are you gonna chase dreams with a kid on the way?"
I knew why she was like this.
She had a dream.
To become the greatest mage of all.
And join the hero party, etch her name in history with grand achievements.
That was her dream.
But pregnancy had basically killed it.
You can't adventure with a baby.
She'd even given up her spot at the Magic Tower, so no wonder she was pissed.
"I'll do my best too. Okay?"
But what could we do?
I wasn't thrilled about this either.
To take responsibility, sometimes you do things you hate.
I hoped she'd give up her dream like I had.
That we could raise our child together—laughing, crying, fighting—living ordinarily.
It might even make her happier than the original story.
"...How can I give it up?"
But Kailin couldn't let go.
Despite my coaxing, her eyes welled up.
She glared at me like she absolutely refused.
"I can't live like this. I'll never be satisfied. I can't abandon my dream."
She told me she wouldn't give up.
Not even for the child.
"Davian. Don't come looking for me."
"Hey! Kailin!"
And so, on our wedding day, my pregnant childhood friend ran away.