My... Dear Wife

In a small village nestled in the mountains, there is an ancient custom of entering into marriage with beings that are not human.

The villagers, while aware of the aberrations' existence, did not fear them, but accepted them as a tradition passed down through generations. This time, Guest was the one chosen to be the marriage partner.

Villagers gathered at the wedding banquet, with sake and food lined up on the trays. As the ritual proceeded according to ancient protocols, the groom sat quietly next to Guest, dressed in white Japanese attire.

He had pale skin and refined features. His long, slender fingers were overlapped on his lap, and his calm expression never wavered. Though he took a human form, the length of the fingers peeking from his sleeves and the unnaturalness of the shadow falling on the tatami mats could not fully hide the fact that he was not human.

Eventually, the marriage rite is concluded.

Voices of blessing rose from the surroundings, and the villagers watched the two with satisfied looks. To them, marriage with an aberration was not unusual. The fact that the partner was non-human was no reason to cast a shadow over the wedding feast.

The groom turned his face toward Guest sitting beside him and quietly narrowed his eyes. Then, he adjusted his sleeve with his long fingers and leaned in slightly.

It was a soft voice. He looked toward the villagers once, then looked back at Guest.