AHEIAID Chapter 38: My Dad Got Married
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The night before the first day of the month, Joey tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, all he could think about was his promise with Garius.
His emotions swung wildly between extreme joy and extreme sorrow.
He was thrilled—he was going to have children. Two of them, even. But he was also devastated—because once the children were born, he would have to leave Garius forever.
"System."
Unable to sleep, Joey murmured his worries in his mind.
"You know, I used to just focus on living my own life. When I graduated from college, I was ambitious, thinking I could land any job and make millions a month with ease.
"My dream was to find a little bar after work, have a drink, and occasionally travel."
"But reality was nothing but rejected interviews, unpaid rent, endless internships, indifferent senior employees, and salaries that kept getting delayed…"
"By my second year after graduation, living in a basement, I was telling my parents I was doing fine. My old dreams had already changed—I just wanted to pay my social security and health insurance myself, cover my next month’s credit payments, be independent from my parents, and maybe save a little to send them gifts or money once in a while…"
"Sometimes I felt like breaking down completely, but isn’t that just how adulthood is for most people?"
Lying in the dark, Joey opened his eyes. A faint light flickered in his deep black irises.
He wasn’t a great person.
But he was human—and who doesn’t try to stay strong?
The system listened quietly, saying nothing.
Because it knew Joey didn’t need comfort—just someone to listen.
"Compared to that world, this place is a paradise," Joey chuckled silently. "Here, I have Garius. I don’t have to work, yet I have food and drink. I don’t have to worry about affording medical care. I can buy whatever I want. And online, there are even people calling for the protection of humans—such cute messages."
"This place is really wonderful."
Joey whispered to himself.
"But it doesn’t belong to me…"
There were no parents waiting for him to come home. No small hometown without a subway where he had grown up. No few scattered readers waiting for him to update his stories.
His past had been tough, but he couldn’t let it go.
Humans… are strange creatures.
The more critical the moment, the more hesitant they become. The harder it is to say goodbye.
Overcome with emotion, Joey wiped his eyes with his hand.
Seeing him like this, the system hesitated. It almost told him the truth.
But it knew—even though Joey couldn’t bear to leave Garius, he would still choose to go back.
[You won’t be able to take the children with you…] the system whispered. But before it could say more, an internal warning forced it to shut up.
"Hm? What did you say?" Joey didn’t catch it.
[Nothing.] The system opened its mouth, then closed it again before finally saying, [Your dad is awake.]
Almost as soon as the system spoke, Joey felt an arm tighten around him.
The person beside him, who had been lying flat, turned onto his side. A strong arm draped loosely over Joey’s waist, hand resting lightly on his thin chest.
A weight pressed down on his head, and a low, slightly hoarse voice, still laced with drowsiness, spoke in his ear.
"Can’t sleep, or did you have a nightmare? Hmm?"
The warmth from behind, the soothing touch, and the deep voice made Joey’s nose sting again.
"I… I’m nervous…"
Joey sniffled and found an excuse. Gallius, hearing his words, assumed the little one was simply excited for tomorrow’s events. For once, he spoke at length.
"You don’t need to be nervous. Since long ago, the Heine family has remained neutral among various factions, serving only the Empire. To avoid conflicts of interest, we never choose our spouses from the nobility or other influential groups. That’s why my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother were all commoners."
"…Oh."
Garius continued to reassure him. "One of my ancestors even married an alien girl."
"…Oh."
"Because workers in District 13 must hide their personal information and marital status for their family’s safety, all identity records bypass the Empire and are stored directly in the District 13 archives.
"The same applies to me. The fewer people who know about your existence, the better.
"That’s why the wedding won’t be extravagant. It’s just a simple meal, and there won’t be any unfamiliar faces."
"…Oh."
"I’m sorry that I can’t give you a more formal, perfect ceremony. And I don’t have enough vacation time to take you on a trip afterward."
Garius lowered his head and kissed Joey’s black hair with a deep sense of guilt, his heart filled with tenderness.
Joey, utterly confused, responded with another "oh," unable to understand why Garius was telling him all this.
Was he just telling bedtime stories because Joey couldn’t sleep?
Well, it worked.
Surrounded by the familiar scent of Garius and his soothing voice speaking of the Heine family traditions, Joey’s eyelids drooped until he finally drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The next morning, before Joey even opened his eyes, someone yanked him out of his warm, soft bed.
Still groggy, he struggled to wake up, only to find Garius crouching down and dressing him.
All the male servants were gone. Even Lucian, the butler, was nowhere to be seen.
Unbeknownst to Joey, they had all been temporarily sent away under the guise of vacation to maintain secrecy.
His black curls bristled with tiny question marks.
"Garius?"
"Hmm."
"C-clothes…"
Gallius fastened the last button with his long fingers. From almost eye level, he gazed at Joey and whispered with a smile,
"From today onward, I’ll be the only one dressing you."
And the only one undressing you.
"……"
Joey stared into those beautiful eyes, momentarily stunned.
That look—so solemn, so gentle—made his heart race in panic.
"Garius—"
A kiss landed softly.
Cool, like a snowflake, it fell on Joey’s eyelid, making him shrink his neck at the chill.
Gallius lingered there for a few seconds before pulling away, smiling at Joey’s startled expression.
"I still find it hard to believe this is real…"
"Huh?"
What’s real or not?
Sure, today was an important day—I was going to the hospital to help cultivate the little cubs—but was there really a need to get so dressed up?
Joey glanced down at his little black suit, then looked at Garius.
The handsome man wore a District 13 uniform Joey had never seen before, even more elaborate than usual. His chest was adorned with rows of medals, his shoulders bore golden insignias with matching long tassels.
His golden hair, as smooth as ocean waves, was neatly tucked behind his pointed ears, cascading down his back. A delicate forehead chain of thin gold, set with a drop of ruby, ran across his brow, accentuating his sharp, elegant features.
When he turned to the side, his long, narrow eyes held an air of noble arrogance.
His presence—so fierce, so commanding—was even more striking than his god-like beauty!
Simply put:
He looked absolutely stunning! Freaking incredible!
Visibly shaken by this beauty attack, Joey wiped away his drool and dumbly let the ever-smiling Garius lead him to freshen up.
But after washing up, instead of heading to the dining hall as usual, they walked towards the vast backyard.
A wide-open grass field stretched into the distance, with snowy mountains visible on the horizon.
The moment the door opened—
Still hand-in-hand with Garius, Joey barely had time to adjust to the dazzling sunlight when an elegant, heartwarming melody filled his ears.
A long white carpet.
Pristine tablecloths.
Rows of archways overflowing with fresh flowers…
The sweet scent of cake and mead drifted through the air.
Countless red and white balloons floated into the sky.
Two long banquet tables, adorned with food, candles, and a towering champagne fountain, stood on either side.
At the end of the archway stood Lucian, dressed in ceremonial priest-like attire, holding a book. Upon seeing them, he smiled with fatherly warmth and approval.
Meanwhile, Amon, Saxis, and the others—all dressed formally for the occasion—grinned and clapped as they watched them approach.
Joey: ……
Joey: ……
Holy sh—
WHO? WHO’S GETTING MARRIED TODAY?!
I didn’t bring money for a wedding gift!!
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍊🍊🍊
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