“I will choose this dress.”

“Good choice, Ansi!”

Elize nodded, bouncing up and down. After the long process of choosing a wedding dress, Ansi plopped down on the sofa, exhausted.

When she first got married, she left almost everything to Damion. Only the bouquet was her own decision. It was possible because she didn’t feel the wedding ceremony was worth the attention.

But this time was different. Unlike then, she wanted to pay attention. She wanted to prepare the ceremony of becoming one with Damion with sincerity.

“The dress really suits you. I can’t even imagine how beautiful you will look on the wedding day.”

Elize smiled brightly with a flushed face.

The dress was also the traditional plum color this time.

However, it didn’t bother her like before. When she saw those red colors, they no longer felt like the color of blood to her.

“Have you decided what bouquet to use?”

“Yes. I have decided.”

Previously, she held anemones with the flower language of betrayal. It’s a ridiculous thought, but somehow it felt like their marriage had followed that flower language.

So, Ansi decided to choose the flower language for this bouquet based on what she wished for.

On an unusually sparkling spring day, the wedding of Duke Laurel and Countess Loubell was held.

The news that the two people who had been married and divorced had reunited caused a stir throughout the empire. Many people flocked to see their wedding, even from afar.

For a while, there were those who disliked their marriage, but thanks to Empress Amelia’s support for their marriage and names, public opinion gradually changed.

Moreover, the fact that the two, who rarely appeared at parties, actively attended balls as if to show off also played a part.

Before long, people’s thoughts leaned toward the fact that it was not so strange for them to become a married couple as Loubell and Laurel.

Amidst the expectant gazes, the gentle music suddenly changed to a majestic tune. It was the music announcing the groom’s entrance. Everyone’s eyes turned to the starting point of the path.

A beautiful man and woman stood hand in hand. Exclamations of admiration spontaneously burst from people’s mouths at the sight of the two.

“As I predicted, right? Didn’t I say that this time, those two would enter together?”

Seeing Ansi and Damion appear together, Hofry bragged to Henet beside him, excited. He couldn’t be happier as he was the best man along with Henet.

“Be quiet and clap, Hofry.”

Henet scolded Hofry and clapped with as much congratulatory feeling as possible. Hofry clapped diligently, asking what was so strict.

Amid the roaring celebration of the people, Ansi and Damion stood side by side and slowly walked down the path in the middle.

Damion lowered his gaze to the lily of the valley bouquet in Ansi’s hand. He slightly tilted his head to the side and whispered to Ansi.

“Lily of the valley, what is its flower language?”

Then Ansi looked at Damion once, then stared straight ahead again. And as if embarrassed, she spoke in a coy tone.

“Surely, it means becoming happy.”

At those words, Damion’s face flushed with color without resistance. He couldn’t stand how lovely this woman walking beside him was.

Without realizing it, he kissed Ansi’s cheek. The sound of guests gasping in surprise could be heard.

“…The bride and groom, please restrain yourselves a little.”

The archbishop who was officiating the wedding coughed awkwardly.

Laughter erupted from the audience, but Damion was simply delighted.

Surely becoming happy.

Damion and Ansi could be certain that this marriage would turn out that way.

The wedding ended successfully with everyone’s blessings.

Deryl, who enjoyed the reception held at the count’s residence and entered the room to turn on the light, raised one eyebrow. An unfamiliar hand mirror was placed on his bed.

Is it Ansi’s? Deryl picked up the mirror and examined it.

“If you break that, the contract I made with Loubell will be broken.”

At that moment, upon hearing the voice coming from nearby, Deryl whirled to the side. Roma, dressed in colorful clothes, was leaning against the wall, smiling slightly.

“How did you get in?”

“Well.”

Roma shrugged. Deryl narrowed his eyes.

“As I thought, you… are not an ordinary person, right? Are you a god or something?”

“Hmm, rather than that, I’d like to talk about that mirror.”

Roma gestured with his chin toward the mirror in Deryl’s hand. It looked like an ordinary mirror on the outside. However, Deryl was convinced that it was definitely not a common object.

“Check how I appear in it.”

At Roma’s words, Deryl tilted the mirror with a doubtful face. Soon, he flinched. The Roma reflected in it had an indescribable color.

“Loubell’s direct descendants can foresee and prevent the death of their spouse due to the contract made with me. However, it comes at the cost of their own life.”

From Deryl’s perspective, who had not yet met his spouse, it was the first time hearing this story.

However, he could immediately understand the words of Roma, no, Amor. The situation where Ansi suddenly appeared on the battlefield finally made sense to him.

“Ansi has already been freed from that contract.”

As if seeing through what Deryl was thinking, Amor spoke. Deryl realized the moment she was referring to.

When Ansi, who was in the hospital, stopped breathing for a moment and then came back to life. It must have been at that very moment.

“That power is a blessing to some and a curse to others. So the choice is yours. Whether to break the mirror or not.”

If the mirror is broken, the contract ends.

No one could know how that contract would approach Deryl himself.

Perhaps, just like Ansi and Damion now, both Deryl and his spouse could become happy.

But…

“I will break it.”

Deryl answered firmly. Amor gave a wry smile.

“You are resolute. Do you consider this contract a curse?”

“No.”

Deryl shook his head.

He didn’t particularly think of this contract as a blessing or a curse. It would vary depending on the perspective from which it was viewed and how it was accepted.

However, Deryl no longer wanted to become special. Good things, bad things. He wanted to experience them only to the extent that others did.

That was the happiness Deryl envisioned for the future.

“It’s a good reason.”

Amor smiled. She unknowingly found solace in Deryl’s words. The fact that the last contract party did not mention a curse as the reason for breaking the contract was a more joyful matter than she had thought.

Deryl bowed his head to Amor.

“Thank you. For awakening Ansi.”

He was confident in saying that it was also Amor’s power. However, Amor smiled and shook her head.

“Although it is the result of the contract made with me, the one who paid the price was not me. It was thanks to those children throwing themselves for each other.”

In the first place… If Ansi’s feelings toward Damion were not strong enough to save his life, the contract could not have been established. If Damion had not been determined to give his life, the contract could not have started.

So, the reason Ansi woke up was because Ansi loved Damion too much, and Damion loved Ansi too much.

Then how could one not be satisfied? How could one not cherish those children?

“Now, go ahead and break the mirror.”

Deryl raised the mirror.

With the sound of the mirror shattering, Amor, the goddess of love, left the place with a slight smile.

Finally, she could end the long contract and look at these children without any reason.

The car stopped in front of the grave of the former Count Loubell. Under the warm sunlight, Ansi reached out and caressed her father’s tombstone. The stone was cold but not too chilly.

“I got married.”

Ansi spoke calmly. Damion, who was standing beside her, placed the flowers he had brought in front of the tombstone.

Ansi took out the dog tag from her pocket. Hoping that the object that had reminded her of her father’s death and made her sad and distressed would no longer be considered painful, Ansi tightly grasped the dog tag and closed her eyes.

“Thank you, Father. For sending Damion to me.”

“I will live happily with Ansi for a lifetime so as not to be ashamed in front of you, Colonel.”

The two looked at each other and smiled.

After finishing their greetings, Ansi turned around with Damion. The longing for her father remained the same. But now, the emotions she felt in front of her father’s grave were not guilt or anger.

Perhaps that was what her father had wished for.

So, now that she could smile and greet him like this, she could finally leave without worries.

Surrounded by a sense of relief, the two left the cemetery together.

At that moment, Damion, who had been looking at a certain place, stopped as if he had unfinished business.

“What’s wrong?”

“Can you wait a moment? There is someone I want to greet.”

Ansi nodded. Damion walked and stood in front of a grave a short distance away.

Damion scanned the name written on the tombstone with his eyes.

Leo. The subordinate who had shot Damion under Kardian’s orders.

“You didn’t want to do that either. That’s why you shot yourself.”

Even while shuddering with a sense of betrayal, he couldn’t fully blame him… Leo remained like a lump in the corner of his heart. Despite being the one who shot him, the sight of his death replayed in Damion’s nightmares countless times.

“I forgive you.”

But now it was different.

Damion realized that he actually wanted to forgive him.

While embracing Ansi and acknowledging the emptiness and void, he also acknowledged the desire to forgive Leo.

Because he now had Ansi as his support. Because he was no longer trapped within the walls of fear of betrayal and distrust.

“You rest in peace too.”

Now it was time to let go of everything and move forward.

Damion turned around and walked toward Ansi.

Their hands intertwined firmly. They took a step together.

With each other, who were their light and salvation.

Toward the comedy they would write.

〈Epilogue of “This Marriage Must End in Tragedy” End〉