After Amon and Yue met in the Solaris Lord's chambers, the Patriarch suggested that the two kids take a private walk. There wasn't much thought in his actions; he just wished for Amon and Yue to foster a more profound connection since it was their first official meeting. In the meantime, he could have a long discussion with Yugor and Aaron about the engagement procedures.
Unaware of what to make about the situation he was in, Amon simply followed his orders. Guided by a butler to a fancy garden beneath the Patriarch's chambers, Amon sat inside a pavilion atop a lush and serene pond. All around him, exotic flowers bloomed while colourful carp swam around, making the Spring afternoon of the Solaris House all the more appealing for a date.
Before him was a pot of Solfea's finest tea and world-class pastries that couldn't be bought with money alone. The best baker in Solfea made delicious confectioneries, and many of the treats were laced with local fruits that were sweeter than sugar.
Even as a member of the Solaris House, this was the first time Amon had been treated to such luxuries.
However, Amon couldn't care less about the luxurious sweets before his eyes. His attention was purely focused on the girl happily devouring the delicacies with no fear in the world.
"Wow, this is delicious! The Solaris House is really something else. No baker in Eshon could ever make these treats!"
Yue happily remarked while nibbling onto another scone. She took one small bite before taking a sip of her flower tea.
"The tea here is remarkable, too! Is it because of the climate? Solfea does have a better climate than Eshon. We barely see Spring for two months a year."
The young girl continued to pour out her grievances about her northern hometown, which would be littered with snow for six months a year. Unaware, or perhaps deliberately ignoring Amon's wary gaze that seemed to burn through her pure white body.
"Hmmm, but it's okay! When I marry you, I will enjoy this tea every day! Don't you think so, Amon?"
"..."
Amon was at a loss for words. He didn't know how to react to this young girl's straightforward character, and more importantly, he didn't understand why he was put in this situation.
'Should I just kill her as planned? That would stop the fall of the Elune House in the future.'
Amon was tempted to execute the girl right there and then. However, Yue's behaviour was beyond his wildest calculations. For her to discover the mana crystal vein years in advance and propose an engagement with the Solaris House was something no person could foresee. Let alone the fact that Yue picked Amon out of all the eligible bachelors of the Solaris House.
Her odd antics couldn't be logically explained, and Amon didn't want to waste more brain cells. Therefore, he went for the only method he knew to uncover the truth.
"Who are you?"
"Who am I? Didn't I already introduce myself?" Yue playfully smiled. "My name is Yue Elune, the granddaughter of Yugor Elune. My favourite foods are scones and muffins. My favourite colour is golden-black. But the colour of my panties today is pink!"
"... That's not what I meant."
Amon frowned so hard his two eyebrows were practically knitted together. Ignoring the irrelevant details, especially the part about her undergarments, the boy lowered his voice so soft that it became a whisper. However, even with his voice as soft as a feather, no one could mistake the icy-cold piercing steel in his tone.
"Yue Elune… Do you have knowledge of the future?"
The white-haired girl didn't break her smile. Yue continued to stare at Amon, her shining red eyes glowing even brighter by the second. The two didn't break eye contact for a full ten seconds. If an outsider were looking in, one would have imagined that the two had fallen in love at first sight. Unfortunately, that was far from the case.
Yue snapped her fingers, and a wave of mana almost instantly escaped her petite little body. The mana formed an invisible glass barrier that enveloped the entire pavilion.
"As expected from you, Amon. You were never one to beat around the bush."
The young girl's innocence dissipated into thin air as she got up from her stone stool. Walking casually towards Amon, she passed the wary boy and knocked the barrier of her own making. When she tapped the barrier with her knuckles, no sound was made, and the vibrations turned into ripples that softened the small bubble.
"Though, I would wish you to learn to be more discreet. The walls have ears, after all."
"... You know me?"
"Of course I do," Yue chuckled as she gently reached for Amon's right cheek. Initially, Amon was urged to spin away, but judging from the girl's expression, it seemed Yue didn't want to harm him. Furthermore, the boy was curious about why this side villain behaved this way.
And his answer came in the most shocking manner.
"How could I not know you, Amon Solaris? My one and only beloved… husband."
❖❖❖
"My one and only beloved… husband."
"... What?"
Amon couldn't believe his ears. Husband? Was it possible for him to become a husband? He glared at Yue as if he'd met an asylum patient, not knowing what else to say. However, as if expecting his response, Yue covered her mouth to hide her foxy laughter.
"As you'd guessed, I'm not just Yue Elune. Well, at least I'm not the Yue Elune you know from [Bright]... Number 23."
BOOM!!!
The barrier shook violently with ripples, almost causing the glass bubble to break. The stone stools were overturned, with the pleasantries toppled onto the floor. The boy who was seated down was now on his two feet, and his right arm was directed at the young girl's alabaster swan neck. If not for an invisible force pushing back his fingers, Amon's nails would have clawed into Yue's throat, effectively ending her life in an instant.
Even though her life was being threatened, even though Amon was ready to kill her at any given moment, Yue remained calm. With one hand behind her back, she looked like she was going on a stroll in her backyard, utterly unfazed by Amon's bloodthirst and killing intent. Using her free hand, Yue gently tapped on Amon's wrist and said:
"Hehe, is that how you treat your future wife? Although I'm into kinky play, I don't like it too rough."
"... How do you know me?"
"Well, if you let me finish, I will tell you."
"..."
Left with no choice, Amon let go of his desire to kill. Lowering his claw, the young warrior sheathed the strength in his arm and watched patiently. If Yue did something that required his fist, he would unquestionably kill her without remorse. But for now, he opened his ears.
"Speak. Or else, I'll kill you."
"My, oh my. How coarse."
Yue giggled while covering her face. She lowered her guard and walked past Amon, sitting on the stone stool. Her lips turned downwards as she attempted to pick up the dirtied scones and broken cups. However, instead of lamenting the inedible conditions of her favourite delicacies, the girl raised her index finger and rotated it in an anti-clockwise direction.
And just like a movie being rewound, time moved backwards. The broken cups and split tea returned to their pristine and warm state. The fractured stone table reversed its cracks while the dirtied scones on the floor magically returned to their plates.
"Time reversal?"
"Not exactly," Yue shook her head. "But it's a similar concept."
'Since when did Yue Elune learn how to use time magic?'
Amon searched his memory, trying his hardest to recollect any details about Yue Elune. However, no matter how much he tried to remember, there was no mention of Yue mastering time magic in all of [Bright].
"Wait, does that mean…"
"Hoh, as expected. You catch on quick."
Yue smiled once again, this time more radiant than ever before.
"Did you think you're the only irregular in this story?"
"You've… regressed?"
"That's right! I've regressed from the future! And well, in the future, we were lovers."
"That's… hard to believe…"
Amon had no interest in love, not in his past life or this one. He'd never imagined that he would even get married to someone, let alone a villain of the story. However, that wasn't the most pressing issue right now.
"If you've regressed from the future, you should know how this ends. What happened during the calamities?"
"..."
For the first time, Yue stopped smiling. Her deep, ruby eyes glistened with remorse while her bubbly face turned cold. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her cup of tea and emptied it in one shot. Holding back her body's desperate attempt to shake, Yue answered:
"We failed, Amon. Hyades was destroyed. Humanity was either annihilated or enslaved by Demons. The lucky ones died fighting. The survivors formed a resistance, but we couldn't win against the Demons after they desolated Hyades. With no other choice, our final option was to send my consciousness back in time and to rewrite history."
"... What?"