(Author's note: this particular chapter includes a few details about Regulus that haven't appeared in the anime yet. Personally, I don't think they are spoilers, because they don't reveal any of the events that haven't been adapted into the anime, but I feel like it's something I had to comment anyway)
A whip of enchanting light slid warmly through the impeccable interior of a Church, bathed under the spotless and lovely cloak of elegance. Such visual power was especially embodied in its dazzling arches, bringing an artistic feeling of spiritual conformity to anyone within. The perfect albinism of its columns, as well as its roof and floor, whose length was only interrupted by a formal carpet, gave it a retouched atmosphere of heavenly and mystical purity. It was the idyllic fortress to forget any misfortune and to celebrate a wedding with joy, which was precisaly what was going to happen.
Even so, at that moment there were only two people who could appreciate with their own eyes the majesty of the place, and neither of them seemed interested in doing so.
"Honestly, I can't believe you convinced me for this. You're a weirdo sometimes, mister"
One of those people was a girl with a sweet and high voice, wearing a dazzling turquoise dress so soft and fine that seemed to blend in perfectly with her tender andchildish skin. Said color, in addition, was the perfect accompaniment to her exotic bluish hair and her emerald eyes.
"Hey, I paid you just like I promised, right?"
The second person was a simple, humble-looking man with innately disheveled hair that had very much resisted being combed. He spoke with a dynamism and eloquence that bad fortune had failed to wrest from him while he was wearing a traditional black suit.
The duo was unusual, but they were identical in one thing: even though they were in the very definition of a glittering palace, the light seemed to escape their eyes, as if they were some horrible virus.
"Yes, but I have never been paid to be a bridesmaid, you know"
"Huh?" he then looked at her with a harmless sneer. "Worried about messing up?"
"Of course not!" she snapped, now her cheeks slightly filled with air. "I just have to go into I'm-just-a-girl-so-cute-it-hurts mode. That's way too easy for me."
Her companion couldn't help but gently caress her head, frustrating her even more.
"I know that. Acting is obviously a piece of cake for you, Meili. Still, I think you shouldn't interact with him too much; I'll speak for you."
"Ah, right. He's one of those weird witch lovers, right?"
It is really ironic that the conversation actually managed to create that sentence, because moments later the man they were talking about appeared.
"Huh? Who are you, exactly, and what are you doing here?"
A calm, straight-faced man, with hair white enough to appear cadaverous, entered the room. Virtually nothing seemed to stand out about him: every piece of his body seemed manufactured to appear insignificant. He was neither tall nor short, neither handsome nor grotesque, neither obese nor skeletal: if it weren't for his hair, you would easily forget him.
...Well, to be fair he had a second distinguishing trait: his amber eyes seemed indifferent, but they caught fire with erratic excitement when the noticed those two unknown guys. Now they seemed to drain the light from around him with enigmatic, hyperbolic greed, giving them a dangerous touch, akin to the irises of an owl ready to kill.
"Our sincerest apologies, sir. We wanted to talk to you, so we came to this place hoping to find you. I am Natsuki Subaru, a subordinate of the Archbishop of Sloth, and this little girl is Meili. I heard that you needed some bridesmaid for your wedding, and I couldn't help but think that this trustworthy friend of mine would be a good option. What do you think? "
Subaru spoke with an uninterrupted and polite consistency. Regulus, unaware of the utter hypocrisy of the man in front of him, simply relaxed and replied calmly:
"Personally, I would have appreciated it very much if you had tried to give advance notice. Don't get me wrong: I am not self-centered enough to ignore your good intentions, but you must be more cautious to avoid misunderstandings. Not for nothing is prudence in itself a virtue. A true philanthropist is someone whose ethics triumph in both theory and practice, don't you think? I'm sure you've come here convinced that you were doing something good for me, not to mention that both the girl and her dress are charming as well, so I'm not angry, but you shouldn't limit yourself to that. I despise unnecessary violence, but there are people much rougher than me who would be very irritated if you appeared so suddenly in their lives. I think acknowledging your own imperfections and accepting that you can fail is very important, because thanks to that you can be more prudent. Yes, I am convinced that knowing how to put prudence into practice is essential to be a humble and considerate gentleman. So while I am not going to judge you harshly for a mistake that has turned out to be harmless, I do think it's appropriate to advise you to be more sensible the next time you have to interact with another person. It's for your own good."
Meili was very lucky that Regulus wasn't paying attention to her at the moment. The monologue had exploded in her face with unexpected force, so she was having a little trouble keeping her face solemn. Regulus did not speak with sarcasm or venom in his voice; he harmoniously commented his ridiculous and cartoonish ideals as if they were as obvious as the fact that stealing is wrong. That was the most disturbing of all. After hearing him, poor Meili probably felt as if she had never understood her own native language.
Subaru, however, did not flinch at all while his mind was flooded by the torrent of words commanded by archbishop: he just nodded gracefully from time to time, as if he could somehow understand him.
That was, of course, because time was uniquely relative to him.
"Okay sir. Sorry: I got a little nervous thinking about which dress would be appropriate for the celebration, so I couldn't think straight. I'll be more careful next time."
"I appreciate your attention. Honestly, it seems incredible that you are a subordinate of that idiot. Anyway, I'm sorry to leave, but I have business to attend to." And then the archbishop left suddenly, apparently satisfied with the monologue-turned-conversation in which he had just participated.
This was not the first that Subaru experienced this scene: he was reseting time itself several times in order to discover what kind of bridesmaid dress Regulus would like the most. When he was sure he knew which one was his favorite, Subaru would make sure to notify him in advance of his visit. All to make sure he looked as nice as possible to the arrogant, eccentric, and extremely deadly Archbishop, who could kill them without even moving.
The fact that he allowed an unknown girl to participate in his wedding was an obvious proof of that. Regulus knew perfectly well that she couldn't do anything to him, no matter what she tried.
He wanted to integrate well into the Witch Cult, he wanted them to trust him as much as possible. All because he wanted to betray them all. And Regulus's wedding was the perfect excuse to advance in his goal.
...Honestly, Regulus had a very disgusting and inhuman perception of marriage. I don't think anyone can understand it. Apparently, he killed his last wife just because she ignored some of his orders. Most likely, he thought of his future wife as an object that he had to possess at all costs in order not to have less than any man. Such was his greed, almost matched by his arrogance. Romantic love had no place in the equation.
Anyway, Subaru knew right away that he had to do another reset if he wanted to accomplish his twisted goal. What he did not imagine, however, is that he would wake up in a place unknown to him. When he opened his eyes again, Subaru was...
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