Life in Vain: Jobless Reincarnation

189 – The Accommodating Empress – II

A beautiful formal room with a king-sized four-poster bed made from a luxurious dark wood. Violet silk tapestries and black sheets with golden trimming.

It should have been a bit gaudy, but when I walked inside, it just felt elegant instead. Maybe since Rika was the one who designed it instead of me?

At least I knew that if I tried setting something up like this it would instantly push past the borderline into narcissistic prick territory instead of elegant royal bedroom.

But I was just distracting myself from what was important. Looking at Rika, I saw that her expression was neutral, unlike Sylphy and Eri before her.

Seeing that, I frowned and said, "Rika, if you don't want to do anything, we don't have to. I know that you had a previous fiance, so-"

Before I could finish, Rika placed a finger on my lips. "Shush." Staring at me with her shimmering rainbow eyes, she shook her head and said, "Here, it is just you and I."

"...Okay."

Rika nodded and then walked over to a nearby table. There was already a small wine cooler and glasses prepared.

Sitting down, she pulled out the bottle of wine and a glass. After grabbing both, she cracked the top off the bottle of wine and started pouring herself a glass.

I sat down across from her and grabbed the other glass.

Rika took a long drink from her glass, draining the wine in one go before pouring herself another.

Seeing that, I chuckled and said, "You look way too practiced at doing that, Rika."

Rika finished another glass and then poured herself one more. As she was doing that, she glared at me and said, "This is all your fault. You made me like this."

I winced. "Ahaha..."

Yeah, couldn't really say anything to counter that fact.

Rika seemed like she was planning to chug that whole bottle by herself, so I pulled out a bottle of my own from the cooler and poured myself a glass.

This time, Rika didn't drain her wine in one go. Instead, she swirled it around a bit and sipped on it while staring at me.

I recognized she was staring, but just focused on pouring myself a glass of wine. After that, I sipped on my glass while staring back at Rika.

There was an awkward silence for a bit as we both just sat there and drank.

But then Rika let out a soft sigh and said, "I know. This is selfishly intruding on your family life while using Arcadia as justification." She took a deep drink from her glass, finishing it. After that, she set the glass down, her face red. Staring at me, she shook her head and said, "You don't have to pretend to care, Rudy."

I drained my glass of wine too and then set it on the table. After that, I looked at Rika and said, "I don't need to pretend to care about you, Rika. I do care." I frowned and said, "If anything, I should be thanking you for the idea. Without this, there'd be power struggles across different factions."

As almighty as 'Lord Rudras' was, the fact was that Rika ran all the logistics to get the kingdom running. Although it was fine up until now, with the flow of time returning to normal and the Magic Continent opening up again, it was inevitable that a clear split between authority and operations would lead to people seeking opportunity in that gap.

Marrying Rika and naming her as Empress neatly tied up that loose end.

So if anything, I was thankful. ...Even if it was a spanner in the mess that was my relationships.

Rika snorted. This time, instead of pouring herself another glass, she drank straight from the bottle. Wiping her lips, she laughed and said, "Don't lie to yourself." She looked at me, her eyes shimmering a faint green. The light of <Foresight>, peering into my future.

"You are such a great man that no one would dare." She blinked and her eyes returned to the shimmering kaleidoscope of colors. After that, she shook her head and muttered, "I must have just been lonely."

"What?"

I blinked, caught off guard at her words.

Rika? Lonely?

Rika noticed and laughed. Letting out a wry smile, she said, "Can I not be lonely?" She waved her bottle around and said, "Arcadia is a Utopia 'we' raised. But 'I' am someone that doesn't belong."

I frowned. "That's not true, Rika."

Before I could elaborate, Rika cut me off.

"Is it not?" She stared at me, her eyes unusually harsh. "I... 'Kishirika Kishirisu' already exist in this time." She set her bottle of wine aside and then laced her fingers together, placing her hands on the table. "And the 'me' before your very eyes... she is nothing more than a ghost."

I didn't respond right away, taking the time to process her words and what she was thinking.

But Rika continued. Grabbing her glass, she idly twirled it in her hand, staring at her distorted reflection. "I have thought about it a lot. While I have done much for Arcadia, made friends, enemies, and accomplishments... At the end of it all, 'Rika' does not exist." She paused and then looked over at me, smiling. "...You are awfully quiet, Rudy. Nothing to say?"

"...Yes. Because I don't understand."

Rika did exist. Even if she wasn't Kishirika Kishirisu anymore, the woman I knew and worked with to raise Arcadia was real. And though she called herself a 'ghost,' she was very much well and alive.

Not to mention that she genuinely enjoyed both her work and being around people, at least as far as I ever saw her.

So...

"...I don't understand."

Rika paused. Then she let out a bitter smile and said, "I suppose you wouldn't." She set her glass back down on the table and then looked at me.

I stared back at her, frowning.

"Rudy." She stared at me and said, "I have sacrificed everything for your sake and to create Arcadia."

I nodded. "And that is something I will forever be grateful to you for-"

Rika shook her head. "No. You don't understand." She stared at me and then said, "...I didn't either until recently. But... Did you know?" She smiled and said, "Since the time I've met you, I've become mortal."

I blinked. "What?"

"I didn't realize it at first. But the more I interacted with my 'past' self, the more I realized how different we were. And then also how true Kishirika's words were."

Rika looked at me and said, "Although the body reverts at death, and although there may be minor changes in youth, the 'core' is the same. Even if there are different experiences, the way 'I' think should be the same across each 'death' and every 'life.'"

I slowly nodded. "...Right. Because the 'essence' is in one's mana. And since your ability is to resurrect as long as a bit of your mana is around, you shouldn't change."

"Yes." Rika nodded and said, "The 'core' should be the same. But... it's different now."

"It is?"

Rika stared at me and then said, "How did I come be known as Rika?"

"It's because your name was too complicated, so I shortened it, right?" I paused and said, "Also because I thought Rika was a cuter name."

Rika blinked. "...I didn't expect the second reason, but yes. And do you recall how I reacted?" She chuckled and said, "'This One forsakes her name!' 'This One shall be christened anew as Rika!' ...That was how I reacted."

I paused, the pieces suddenly clicking in my head. "Names have power. And since you said that..."

Even if it was exaggerated, Rika was sincere. And although it wasn't formally a familiar contract or anything, the context and sentiment behind what I was doing was definitely similar.

So then the end result was basically as if I had summoned a unique unit in a game and then renamed them, making them a different unit entirely.

...Wait. So then...

Rika nodded. "While my 'eyes' are a power that are inherent to 'myself,' the resurrection magic is one inherent to 'Kishirika Kishirisu.'"

"And since you no longer saw yourself as Kishirika, and since you adopted the name Rika and began to walk your own path, you became 'someone else.'" I frowned and rubbed my chin. "Fascinating."

Rika snorted. "Is that all you have to say about my situation?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, it's just..." I frowned, feeling something weird. "...It seems important."

So names had power.

That probably explained why Hitogami called himself that, since it meant being the Human God.

And it also explained why I could throw all his plans awry since I adamantly refused to acknowledge him as a proper god and just called him Being W or Whitey.

But Rika was right. I could think about that later.

I poured some wine into her glass, and then poured myself some wine as well. After that, I looked at her and said, "So why so melancholic then? It just means that you've come into your own as a person, right? And sure, you might die. But people die if they're killed. That's the way it should be."

Rika stared at me and then laughed.

I frowned. "What's so funny?"

Rika shook her head. "No. It's just..." She smiled and said, "I suppose that's why I wanted to be selfish."

"Huh?"

Rika took the glass of wine I poured from her and then raised it up. "Oh Rudeus, my great and power master who summoned me from across the vast sea of time." She let out a dazzling smile and said, "This Rika has devoted her everything to you. And this Rika will continue to do so, until the end of time itself."

It was a genuine and heartfelt statement.

But hearing that from her...

I frowned and said, "There's no need for that. Even if I summoned you here, you're your own person, Rika."

She chuckled and then took a sip from her glass. "Fine, fine." She smiled and said, "I will stop with the teasing... But it IS true." She stared at me, a solemn expression on her face. "'Rika' and I exist only because of you, Rudy." She drained the glass of wine and then let out a red-faced smile. "I'll give you my everything... but it's fair, isn't it?" She giggled and said, "I get to see that bastard Hitogami die, and I've lived to see my people free and the Magic Continent at peace." She stood up and staggered over towards me.

I frowned and grabbed her. The moment I did, she leaned against me, looking up into my eyes.

Rika giggled again and said, "Compared to disappearing in a collapsing world, this is much better."

"...You've had too much to drink."

"Perhaps." Rika sighed. "But women are only so strong, you know?" She poked my chest and said, "Not everyone is a world-ending force of nature like you are, my dear Husband."

I nodded. "Right. So it's important to lean on people when you need to."

"...So it's right to lean on you then, Husband?" Rika hummed. "...How cruel you are."

"H-Huh?"

Rika laughed and reached up to place her hand on my cheek. "My. Have you not realized it? A man so strong, and yet so soft. Strong enough to take everything, but too weak to say no to those who reach out." She paused and then shook her head. "...It's why cruel women like myself can force themselves into a happy life between you and those you love."

"...That's not true."

Rika scoffed. "Do not lie." She pulled her hand back and then leaned against me, looking directly into my eyes. "I am not dim. You do not love me. There is affection, and that affection can turn into love. But there is no love between us."

"...Even if that's true, does it matter?"

I lifted up her chin with my hand and said, "You wanted to marry me, and I chose to marry you. You shouldn't feel guilty about your feelings or the situation at hand."

It was true that I didn't understand Rika's feelings for me or returned them in full. But that didn't mean I couldn't or wouldn't try.

Not only that, but like Rika said, I was responsible for her being here.

And for all that she had done for me and my family, it was the least I could do to make her happy the way she wanted... or at least as close to it as possible.

And if she wanted to do that by marrying me, then so be it.

Rika stared at me for a moment and then muttered, "Yes. A very cruel man. I can see how you became the Magic God now."

"Oh?"

"Yes." Rika looked into my eyes and then said, "A cruel man who devours anything and everything without question... How vile." She pulled back and said, "You're the bane of all women in existence."

I laughed and said, "Then it's good that I have strong and grounded women to keep me in line, no? But anyway." I reached into my pocket to pull out the most important thing.

Between Rika's sudden tangent and self-musings, I had almost forgotten. But now since we were back on track...

"Here."

I grabbed Rika's left hand and then slipped a ring over her left ring finger.

Rika blinked in surprise. "What's this?"

A golden ring with a vine motif forming the wedding band. Then, for the jewel, a red spider lily formed from a mana crystal I made from my own mana.

As I slipped it onto her hand, I looked at Rika in her eyes and said, "With this ring, I vow to ensure your happiness and to love you, for now and for always."

Hearing those words, Rika jerked her hand back. "What are you doing?!"

I smiled and said, "I'm making a promise to my wife."

Rika glared at me and said, "That is something you should do to your other wives, not me!" She stared at her ring, looking like she was seriously contemplating wrenching it off and chucking it back at me.

Before she did that, I said, "Look, Rika. Even if this is meant to be a political marriage... or whatever you want it to be."

Rika's reasons were a bit unclear after her monologue, but the point remained.

"I'm not a person who will marry someone without loving them. So..." I stared into her eyes and said, "It's a promise. Even if I'm not in love with you yet, I WILL love you."

Rika flinched. Her eyes started to shimmer, swirling a chaotic mess of colors. But then they settled on a beautiful violet hue, the same color as her hair. "...Idiot."

I chuckled and then grabbed her left hand. "If I wasn't, would I dare to marry four beautiful and competent women?"

Rika scoffed.

I smiled and then, "You're right. I may not love you with all my heart just yet, but I WILL love you and treat you with love, always." I gently rubbed her hand and said, "It's the least I can do as your husband. Besides." I put on a serious expression and said, "I hate competing. So I'm going to do my damned best to make sure you forget all about your former fiance."

I put on a bright smile and said, "Got that?"

Rika stared at me and then looked away, her face flushed red. "That's cheating. I'm weak to handsome men."

I laughed and said, "Well, looks like I inherited something good from Dad then."

For a brief moment, I just sat there, holding Rika as she leaned against me. But then she stood up, her face red. "W-Well?"

I blinked. "Well what?"

Rika huffed and said, "Are you going to just speak with that silver tongue all night of love, or are you going to prove it?"

I raised my eyebrow and said, "There's nothing I have to prove. But since you were so adamant about this marriage and about the 'royal lineage'..." I glanced over at the bed and said, "And since you went through so much trouble, we should secure that, right?"

Rika trembled. "W-Wait a moment. T-That look in your eyes..."

"Hm?" I played innocent and said, "What look?"

Rika flinched and said, "Y-You look like you're going to eat me!"

I laughed. "Well... if you want?"

I had plenty of experience now, so I could guarantee I wouldn't disappoint. And I could definitely guarantee my stamina.

Rika gulped. But then she crossed her arms and said, "W-Well, even if you are, I'll be fine! In fact...!" She grabbed my arm and then dragged me over to the bed before pushing me down. After that, she started slipping off her dress. "I'll eat you first!"

"Really now?" I smiled and then said, "Is that how Demons do it?"

Rika slipped off her top and then started slipping off my clothes. As she did, she said, "It's eat or be eaten, Husband. And-"

"Then bon appetit."

"W-Wait? H-Husband?! No, Rudy- Eek! D-D-Don't, Hn~!? W-What are- Kya~!"

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