When the Villains Unite - Chapter 19: Marriage (3) (END)

When I woke up, Belhark had returned home.

He was holding Pellean in his arms, while Damian cradled Jenner. Both of them were leaning against me, fast asleep. The scene warmed my heart—it was such a picture of quiet happiness.

When Belhark held Jenner, it was impossible to miss how alike they looked, with their matching dark hair and piercing eyes. But when he held golden-haired Pellean, I couldn’t help but notice more of my own features in his little face. The same went for Damian—he looked strikingly similar to Jenner when holding him, but with Pellean, his resemblance to me stood out more.

For some reason, the Orca brothers enjoyed switching things up, holding the child who looked less like them.

Sensing my movement, Belhark stirred. Not wanting to wake Pellean, who was fast asleep in his arms, he remained still. I leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek.

Before I knew it, Damian had pulled me toward him, and in an instant, our lips met. His movements were so quick and natural that I didn’t even have time to react.

As the kiss deepened, I quickly broke away, only to find Jenner wide awake, staring at us with his big, round eyes. It was supposed to be the twins’ nap time by now…

Taking Jenner from Damian’s arms, I gently rubbed his back and rocked him as if I were cradling him in a makeshift lullaby. Slowly, his eyelids began to droop. If it had been Pellean, he would have stayed wide awake for hours after waking up.

Once Jenner was sound asleep, I carefully placed him back into his crib.

*

Today was my wedding anniversary with Belhark and Damian, and we had planned a simple dinner party just for the three of us. That’s why Belhark had come home earlier than usual.

After Belhark placed Pellean into his crib, the three of us tiptoed out of the room, careful not to wake the twins.

When we were outside, I shot Damian a sharp look. He pouted dramatically, mumbling something about how I had kissed Belhark first.

So much for the maturity I thought he’d gained since the twins were born.

Unable to help myself, I grabbed him by the back of the neck, pulled him down, and covered his face with kisses. Only then did his sulky expression melt into a satisfied grin.

“And now I’m jealous,” Belhark said, watching us with a sly smile.

“Sigh… You too, Bel?”

Belhark pulled me closer by the waist, clearly aiming for a calculated kiss, but I quickly dodged and slipped out of his arms.

“Do you want to sleep in separate rooms tonight?” I teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Sis, aren’t you hungry? Let’s head downstairs,” Damian interjected, smoothly changing the subject.

“I wonder if the wine we ordered has arrived yet. I chose one that pairs well with beef,” Belhark added, equally adept at redirecting the conversation.

Their attempts at deflection were almost amusingly polished. Watching them, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

*

During dinner, I found myself smiling the entire time.

When I first found myself in this world—or even before I turned twenty here—I never imagined I could be this happy. Back then, I hadn’t thought it was possible to deviate from the original novel’s tragic path. I believed that Aria, Cain, and even Ashik were doomed to their predetermined misfortunes.

At the time, I didn’t trust the Orca brothers. I kept my guard up, and they, in turn, lived with the constant fear that I might leave them. But now, everything had changed.

We had escaped the suffocating confinement of our past lives, built a solid foundation in the Empire, and created a family together.

Aria and Cain had found true love, and even Ashik, who in the original story would have silently endured his unspoken feelings, found freedom and happiness in his relationship with Marquis Fessil. To think I played a part in all of that filled me with gratitude.

Looking at Belhark, Damian, and my beloved children, my heart felt so full that I thought it might burst.

“Bel, Damian,” I called softly.

The two brothers, who had been deep in conversation for once without teasing each other, turned to look at me.

It struck me how far they’d come—from the small, guarded boys I had met to the mature men they were now, fathers to my children. The thought made me feel so sentimental.

“Do you know how much I truly love you both?”

At my sudden declaration, they glanced at my wine glass, as if wondering how much I’d had to drink. But I wasn’t about to let them brush this off. I continued, refusing to let their subtle skepticism stop me.

“You know, I’m not good at saying it often enough, but… thank you. For taking me in as family when I was younger, for promising to handle me at that New Year’s ball, and for being the fathers of my children. I’m so grateful.”

“…Why are you thanking us? If anything, we should be the ones—”

“I know,” I interrupted with a light smile. “It’s just… I’m so happy right now. You know, Bel, Damian… I think this is the happiest I’ve ever been.”

They looked at me with concern in their eyes, but I gave them a carefree smile, as if to say there was nothing to worry about.

“If I had made different choices at each moment, I’m sure I would have been miserable. If you two hadn’t been there to hold onto me when I faltered, I probably would have made mistakes I’d regret forever…”

“Sis, that was just my selfishness. I ended up hurting you because of it…”

“Hurt me? If I’d really thought of it as pain, I would have run far away already.”

Was he still feeling guilty about the past? Damian lowered his gaze slightly, his expression cautious as he studied me. But I brushed off his unspoken worries and continued confidently.

“In the end, I chose to stay. And I’ll never regret that decision. You know how I am—once I’ve made up my mind, I stick to it.”

“……”

“So… well… I just wanted to say that I love you both.”

Did that come out too awkwardly?

As I looked at the Orca brothers, unsure of their reaction, I quickly realized I had been wrong to worry.

Their expressions were unlike anything I had ever seen—an indescribable mix of overwhelming emotion, as if they were holding their breath to keep from being swept away by joy.

When I spoke again, they finally let out the breaths they’d been holding.

“Shall we head upstairs now?”

Even I couldn’t wait any longer for their reply. But, as always, the Orca brothers didn’t disappoint.

“As soon as possible,” Belhark said with a sly grin.

“Something tells me we won’t be getting much sleep tonight, so I’ll apologize in advance, Sis,” Damian added, his tone both teasing and serious.

And so, our night stretched on long into the hours, as it would many more nights to come.

Villains Who Band Together Find Happiness, Vol. 2 – The End