Chapter 66: 66 The Wedding Witches don’t have a culture of weddings. In fact, the concept of marriage itself doesn’t exist. A tribe of only women, without men. Even their children are created by witches alone through magic. ’With no men or women to marry, why would there be a wedding?’ That’s why I was accepted as Circe’s husband without any formalities. Witches have little concept of marriage or relationships. ’But that alone isn’t enough to solidify my position.’ To the witches, I’m just Human A, brought in as the Great Witch’s husband. To those unaware of the details, I’m little more than a stud. They’re curious and treat me as the leader’s husband. But that’s where it ends. Over time, they might see me as one of the village, but that’s not what I want. ’I need to make my problems the witches’ problems, to wield real influence.’ That’ll make my revenge easier. What lord could stand against the husband of the Great Witch, backed by the witches? In short, not just Circe but the entire witch tribe needs to acknowledge me. ’And the best way to do that is to publicly declare I’m the Great Witch’s husband.’ The best method for that is a wedding. Gathering everyone to openly proclaim our bond. It’s no coincidence nobles hold grand parties or succession ceremonies. They’re platforms to solidify relationships and status. A wedding with Circe would firmly establish me as the Great Witch’s husband to all witches. ’...Well, aside from that, I genuinely want to have a proper wedding.’ Circe is my wife, plain and simple. I want to ensure she gets the happiness a wife deserves. A wedding, a dress... Since we’re married, wouldn’t it be nice for her to experience it at least once? "No matter what happens, no matter what obstacles stand in our way, I’ll love you forever. So, will you marry me?" "Ah..." Circe stood there, dazed, as if she couldn’t process it. A single tear rolled down her pale cheek. "Circe?" "Ah..ah!" Startled, Circe hurriedly wiped her tear. "S-Sorry. I never imagined you’d think of something like this..." "That’s understandable. This is a human custom, after all." "No, it’s not that... Well, yes." Circe is, after all, a witch. She brought me here for her successor, but she probably never considered a wedding. Since it was half a transaction, she likely didn’t expect it. "I really never imagined it. But that’s why... your heart makes me so happy." Circe, her eyes moist, smiled brightly. A smile so full of happiness that even a fairy of joy couldn’t compete. Her smile was so beautiful that even I, who’d seen her beauty countless times, felt my heart race. "Thank you so much. Loving me like this is truly a great blessing and happiness." "...I’m glad. If you’re happy, Circe, I’m happy too." I smiled back at Circe. Even though the wedding and proposal were planned with political motives, seeing her this happy filled my chest with pride and joy. "So, Circe, your answer?" "...Yes, this needs to be said clearly." She reached out with a delicate touch, as if handling glass. "Of course, gladly." I smiled and slipped the ring onto her finger. A new vow was added to our already-married bond. --- "Ehehehe." Circe sat at her desk, staring at her hand, giggling like a fool. On her ring finger was the ring I gave her. Normally, she maintained a dignified expression, but now she wore the widest, silliest smile of any woman. She was truly the happiest woman in the world. Why wouldn’t she be? She’d been confirmed in love by the man she loved. Circe was already content with our relationship. Aside from daily sex, I’m not a man who skimps on affection. I whisper praise and love so much that Circe gets embarrassed. She tells me to stop, but it’s hard to hide how much she enjoys it. For a man brought in abruptly, genuinely loving his wife isn’t easy. Yet I proposed formally! Receiving a proposal on bended knee made her so happy she cried. Even now, recalling it filled her heart with overwhelming joy. ’Really, Karl. If you wanted a wedding so badly, you should’ve told me~’ She’d never cared about rings or weddings. But because it was a gift from Karl, even the jewels she didn’t care for felt so dear. Being proposed to by Karl made her so happy she stomped her feet. She hugged her pillow tightly and kicked the blanket in bed. A witch over three centuries old acting like a teenage girl. That’s how uncontrollably happy Circe was. ...And someone—no, a witch—was quietly watching her. ’It’s really hard to interrupt this mood.’ It was Medea, my personal maid and Circe’s adopted daughter. As one of Circe’s secretaries, she handled various tasks. Being close to me, she also managed matters between us. That was fine, and this situation was actually joyful. Circe’s happiness was Medea’s happiness too. Seeing Circe so openly joyful, Medea was satisfied that the pervert was doing his husbandly duties... ’But she can’t stay like this forever.’ It wasn’t about the Great Witch’s duties or anything trivial. It was about Circe’s wedding itself. A wedding isn’t something you just decide to do. Medea, in her position, was tasked with managing this wedding. She couldn’t let Circe keep giggling like that. "Ahem! Ahem!" Medea steeled herself and approached Circe. "Great Witch, do you have a moment?" "Hah! Uh, what’s up?" Circe turned away from the ring, acting as if nothing happened. Like a kid pretending to study after slacking off. Unfortunately, there was nothing at the end of her gaze. "..." Medea was momentarily thrown off by the blatant act. But keeping her composure, as a top-tier maid would, she showed no sign of it. "Have you thought about how you’d like the wedding to go?" "Oh, I heard human weddings involve gathering people to swear love and receive blessings, right?" "That’s my understanding as well." "Then maybe we can gather everyone and have some dessert. Oh! Karl making a public confession in front of everyone would be nice too. Hehe!" "Hmm." Not a bad suggestion. Medea’s research on weddings in books described something similar. But it felt a bit lacking. This wasn’t just anyone’s wedding—it was the Great Witch Circe’s one and only wedding. Before her status or position, Circe was loved and respected by all witches. Should her wedding be the same as an ordinary human’s? No, Medea, who admired Circe, couldn’t accept that. "Well~ As long as Karl’s there, I don’t care about the rest~ Hehe!" But Circe was already in full-on love mode, blind to everything else. She was satisfied just with Karl’s formal proposal. ’...This won’t do.’ It’s a disloyal thought, but Circe was no help when it came to romance. The bigger issue was that Medea didn’t know much about weddings either. No witch would. ’I guess I have no choice but to ask that guy.’ Acknowledging him was frustrating and annoying. But for Circe’s happiness, he was necessary. --- "Obviously, it’s gotta be as grand and flashy as possible." "...You think so?" How should the wedding be held? Karl answered Medea’s question without hesitation. "It’s Circe’s one and only wedding, no matter what. It can’t have any shortcomings." "...You’re right." Medea nodded, quietly impressed. For once, she was on the same page as this guy. His expression showed genuine enthusiasm too. "Let’s hold it in the village square and invite every witch in the estate. The decorations and food should be top-notch. Oh, are there any singers among the witches?" "Quite a few are talented. Witches are very into cultural activities." An all-female tribe, witches were obsessed with fashion, dance, and song. In fact, Circe and Medea were among the more reserved and quiet witches. "That’s great. I don’t know much about it, so pick some candidates, Medea. Or maybe let anyone who wants to perform do it?" "...Considering Circe’s reputation, we might end up with a whole wedding of singing. I’ll select a few and show you." "Sounds good. I’ll leave that to you, Medea. I’m already swamped with planning the wedding’s structure and proceedings." "Hmm." They were surprisingly in sync. He was offering good ideas actively. Above all, his care for Circe felt genuine. That alone made Medea appreciate his efforts. Grab "Eek." ...If only he didn’t pull this sexual harassment nonsense all the time. "...Why are you suddenly grabbing my ass?" "I haven’t touched it today, and your plump ass is just too cute." "You’re seriously a crazy bastard." "You’re the only witch I can be this casual with." "If this is the result of being casual, I wanna kick you." Karl chuckled and let go. It felt like this kind of harassment had become a greeting after spending time together. "Anyway, about the wedding budget. How much can we spend?" "...Honestly, it doesn’t matter. We have endless money and jewels, and Circe’s never been big on spending." "Then we’ve gotta go all out for this." Karl’s face turned serious again, as if he hadn’t just grabbed her ass. Normally, he’d keep groping, but he showed no sign of it now. ’...This trashy pervert’s love for Circe seems genuine.’ It was true that Circe had been much happier since meeting him. I had to admit he was a good man and husband. ...If only he weren’t such a pervert, he’d be perfect. "The decorations should be lavish, and since no one beats witches at magic, we need fireworks at least. The cake should be massive, enough for everyone, to make it symbolic. Witches like pretty things, right?" Karl scribbled notes, moving busily. Then, with a serious face, as if solving a complex magic circuit problem, he said: "And the wedding dress." "Oh, the dress humans wear for weddings?" "Yeah, a pure white wedding dress that suits Circe perfectly. That’s the most important part." Indeed. Medea nodded in agreement. The bride should be the star of the wedding. Medea knew that much. Circe had to be the most beautiful bride in the world. "I’ll commission the best designer right away." "Great. I’ll review the dress too, so get it to me quickly." Thus, Circe and Karl’s wedding preparations moved forward smoothly. ... A|N: This chap and next two chaps are going to be bonus for the generous car Nagumo_1 gifted to the novel.