TSMMT Ch 192

And Thus, She Married the Monster Twice

Did he misinterpret her expression? Guiscard spoke hastily.

[Guiscard] "If you don't want to be queen, I'll abdicate the throne."

Dianna let out a soft sigh.

Is this the least romantic proposal in history?

She stared at the flower crown in his hands. For some reason, its white petals shone with a soft, ethereal radiance.

[Guiscard] "Evening primroses from the Abyssal Forest glow white like this on moonlit nights. They remind me of you. It was... quite a struggle to find them."

[Dianna] "..."

[Guiscard] "It took me nearly a month to track them down."

Dianna stared at him in utter disbelief.

Don't tell me... he was out of reach for an entire month just to find this?

Now that the crisis had passed, his sheer density was painfully obvious.

No wonder we suffered so many misunderstandings in our past life.

[Dianna] "Did it... ever occur to you that I might be waiting for you?"

[Guiscard] "You were waiting?"

[Dianna] "..."

Should I just walk away right now?

Dianna stared at the flower crown, entertaining a fleeting, destructive thought. Guiscard looked back at her with a blank, bewildered expression.

[Guiscard] "I... assumed you wouldn't wait for me."

[Dianna] "..."

[Guiscard] "You suffered so much by my side. I thought... you were enjoying your freedom away from me..."

In her first life, and now in her second, Guiscard remained entirely unchanged. He always jumped to the worst assumptions and distanced himself based on those fears. This habit had always been the root of their misunderstandings.

[Dianna] "Guiscard."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "We have to live together from now on. We need to talk to each other. Always."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "You can't just decide on your own that I'll hate something, give up beforehand, and disappear without a word like this."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "Guiscard... I waited for you. A lot."

[Guiscard] "What?"

[Dianna] "I said I waited. Why else do you think I stayed here?"

She spoke as a wave of frustration swelled in her chest. She could have easily taken a job and done something productive. She could have joined Alexa and lived as a spirit summoner. So why had she lazed around like an idle slacker?

The answer was simple: she was waiting for him.

Of course, one could argue that Dianna had not reached out first either. But when she inquired through Logaple, she was only told that Guiscard had departed for an unknown destination. She never imagined he had ventured all the way into the Abyssal Forest just to find glowing flowers.

Guiscard lowered his head in bashful awkwardness while extending the flower crown. A deep flush crept over his cheeks and ears. Seeing his happy, radiant smile, Dianna realized anew that he was not an all-powerful ruler, but an inexperienced boy at heart.

He was a man perpetually lacking confidence, convinced that being by his side was the worst fate imaginable. It made sense. That was why the Guiscard of the past life had tried to kill his present self the moment he arrived here. He loathed himself that deeply.

She spoke softly.

[Dianna] "Guiscard, I can find my own happiness."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "And so can you."

[Guiscard] "..."

[Dianna] "You'll try to make me happy, won't you? That alone will make me happy."

She took the flower crown from his hands. It slipped effortlessly from his gentle grip, sending a few glowing white petals fluttering through the night air.

She placed it upon her own head as if crowning herself with a tiara.

[Dianna] "Tell me you love me every day, so I never have to feel insecure again."

A gentle smile lit up her face. Guiscard stared at her blankly for a moment before offering a matching smile.

They were separate individuals, unable to understand each other completely. But to prevent another tragic, blood-soaked misunderstanding, both Dianna and Guiscard would learn to know one another.

Though their second story had begun similarly to the first, the destiny Dianna forged had ultimately shifted.

Even as they moved forward together, his clumsy way of expressing himself would sometimes hurt her, and she, too, would inevitably cause him pain.

Yet what mattered was that they had chosen to walk side by side.

Dianna watched as Guiscard carefully adjusted the flower crown on her head. Though she had put it on carelessly, he meticulously smoothed her hair around it.

She looked at him with fresh eyes. During her first marriage, this man had seemed like a monster trampling her destiny, a tyrant brutally destroying everything she cherished without regard for her wishes.

Yet now, this very monster was handling a delicate crown of flowers with utmost solemnity.

Dianna let out a quiet giggle. The petals were fragrant and glowed softly.

As Guiscard finished adjusting the crown, their eyes met, and a playful smile passed between the lovers.

Their noses brushed gently before he pressed a tender kiss to her lips. Her tense shoulders relaxed, and she leaned into his embrace.

His warmth enveloped her, mingling with the cool, sweet scent of the evening primroses.

Perhaps this choice was foolish. Perhaps, in some distant future, another misunderstanding might cause disaster, and she might view him as a monster once more.

A monster…

The word sparked a sudden thought.

[Dianna] "Guiscard, there's something I'm curious about."

[Guiscard] "What is it?"

[Dianna] "Why didn't Fafnir reach out to you in this life?"

[Guiscard] "Asking a question like that right after a kiss?"

He let out a soft sigh.

The Fafnir of this second world must have harbored the same bitter grudge. Herya's tragic death would have tormented her just as deeply.

After a moment's thought, he spoke.

[Guiscard] "When I lost consciousness after Tarascus severed half my body, I heard a voice."

[Dianna] "What?"

[Guiscard] "It asked if I wanted revenge. If I wanted to kill them all."

[Dianna] "..."

[Guiscard] "I told her that I only wanted to save you."

Dianna gazed intently at Guiscard, her eyes suddenly stinging with tears.

Choosing to marry him was not foolish after all. She felt certain that everything would be alright now. In the end, the Guiscard of this life had made a fundamentally different choice from his past self.

She was no longer afraid. She knew how to confront her challenges and live with strength. Guiscard was the same. Unlike his past self, he had learned to master his rage. Though still awkward and prone to mistakes, he now understood how to treat the person he cherished.

So, we will thrive. We will love fiercely and live more happily than anyone.

Her lips curved upward in a smile.

Moonlight washed over the world in shades of silver, and at its center, the man and woman gazed into each other's eyes.

The woman wearing the flower crown smiled brightly as gentle petals drifted down around her. At that sight, warmth spread across the man's face.

Nothing else was needed. No words were required.

Free from coercion and pressure, this serene sanctuary held only their devotion. They cherished this clumsy yet pure, innocent moment, etching its brilliant memory into their eyes and hearts forever.

Dianna looked tenderly at the man she loved so deeply, the man who was once her monster, and married him for the second time.

---

Epilogue

Waves invaded the shores, while fiery lava forged new lands. Rain carved continents into rivers, and lofty mountains weathered into flat plains.

After an unfathomably long time, the creator dragon, Tarascus, opened his eyes.

It had been an immense slumber. Whether a century or a millennium had passed, he couldn't tell.

Blinking slowly, he stirred. Only a single name surfaced in his mind:

Dianna Brienne.

He gestured with his hand, summoning a massive, mirror-like screen that revealed the world. Soon, a soft sigh escaped his lips. The world had transformed beyond recognition.

The era in which Dianna Brienne walked the earth had long since drawn to a close.

With a subtle touch of impatience, he swept his hand through the air. As the ruler of time, seeing into the past was his unique privilege.

Images flickered across the glowing screen once more, capturing glimpses of Dianna's life.

A bright smile curled the dragon's usually stoic lips. He watched her like a joyful child.

In the end, the two had reunited. They had confirmed their feelings and married once more. Dianna had bickered with Guiscard, yet strove endlessly to trust him.

She had borne children, found comfort in times of hardship, and lived her life with radiant passion.

Surrounded by loved ones, she no longer writhed in agony. She became the most beloved and revered queen in Lodbrog's history, adored by all her people.

She always walked the right path, illuminating her own life with brilliance.

And so, she lived embraced by love.

It was a magnificent life.

What a relief.

He smiled with profound satisfaction. Then, a sudden thought struck him. Flicking his fingers, Tarascus shifted the projection to a much earlier point in her past.

A young girl entering a temple came into view.

It was Dianna Brienne in her second life, shortly after her regression, visiting the temple.

Tarascus governed time. Whenever he sensed signs of temporal distortion, he issued prophecies through divine oracles to intervene in mortal affairs.

He shouldn't have answered Dianna's prayer, as the temporal rift was already complete. Yet looking at the young girl on the verge of tears, he had been unable to remain silent.

I always wondered why I gave her a prophecy... So this was why, Tarascus thought with a self-deprecating smile.

[Taras] "You can't stop the flowing river of blood."

He had uttered that cruel prophecy. Still inexperienced with mortals, Tarascus had not realized that such words would plunge Dianna into despair.

After leaving a subtle warning for his future self, he looked down at Dianna.

[Dianna] "That's far too cruel!"

Watching her cry out in anguish, Tarascus mused to himself.

I went out of my way to give you a prophecy, yet you speak so irreverently?

[Taras] "Yet, it will change."

[Dianna] "..."

[Taras] "It can't be undone, but it will change."

[Dianna] "What do you mean, change?! You just said it can't be undone!"

My, she certainly had a sharp temper in her youth. Her tone had been razor-sharp with indignation. Tarascus spoke as if attempting to soothe her.

[Taras] "Because you have changed, your destiny will change as well."

As he observed her pale, trembling face struggling to process her sudden second life, he clicked his tongue softly.

[Taras] "Poor young lady reborn through crimson blood, you will walk the right path."

Yes, you will walk the right path. You did so, and that is why you found happiness.

As he watched the young Dianna, Tarascus smiled and whispered into the expanse of time:

[Taras] "You will surely be happy, Dianna."

And so, the creator dragon and god bestowed his prophecy upon his most cherished creation.