One of the sect's marriage traditions is that the acceptance must be declared three times.
And when you do, you must state your partner's full name, formally.
Just as I did, Sera did the same when the shaman asked her,
"Do you accept Theodore Karl Silver as your husband?"
Calmly—just like me—she answered,
"I accept Theodore Karl Silver as my husband."
Then she repeated it three times.
After the third declaration, the shaman spoke.
"Since both parties have accepted, I hereby announce before the sect that they are now husband and wife, with my blessing and the blessing of the sect leader."
The ceremony was surprisingly simple.
There were no complicated rituals. No vows about staying together forever.
Otherwise, no one would ever marry. The sect's philosophy was simple—make marriage easy so our race could multiply quickly.
The shaman asked us to hold each other's hands.
Despite my hesitation, I did.
Sera's hand was soft and warm—far softer than you would expect in a place like the Abyss.
In truth, our race looked completely out of place in the Abyss. Our overwhelming beauty made us stand apart.
We were considered one of the most attractive races.
The moment the ritual ended, the shaman vanished before our eyes.
Not slowly.
Instantly.
It looked as if her body had scattered into grains of sand drifting through space.
I turned toward Sera and saw the same expression of stunned surprise on her face.
It had been… strangely beautiful.
I was about to say something to her when a disgusting voice cut through the moment.
"Hahaha… So the sissy is finally getting married?"
I knew that voice well.
The third-ranked talent.
And the most unhinged bastard among the Ten Talents.
Gerald Constantine Black Rose.
No one even knew who his mother was. The only thing known was that his father was Elder Constantine.
...
I was still stunned by what had happened with the shaman.
The way she vanished so suddenly—it was incredible.
I couldn't help wondering when I would ever reach that level of power.
While I was lost in thought, I heard someone mocking Theo loudly.
Of course, I recognised that voice.
Normally everyone respected the elders—except him.
I was certain that even if the sect leader himself were here, Gerald wouldn't care.
And he had chosen the perfect moment to insult Theo.
Even the elders seemed interested in the drama about to unfold.
The hall filled with murmurs and laughter.
I looked at Theo.
I expected him to respond with anger.
But instead, he calmly said,
"Are you talking about me, Gerald?"
Gerald sneered.
"Who else is getting married today? Besides being a sissy, it seems you're stupid too."
Then he added with a cruel grin,
"I honestly pity your wife… I wonder how you're even going to satisfy her in bed."
The hall buzzed with mocking laughter and surprised whispers.
I didn't like this at all.
This was my wedding day.
I didn't want it to turn into something this chaotic.
No matter what, Theo was my husband.
And we even shared some blood ties—my mother was technically his aunt.
But Theo gestured for me to stop.
Then he stepped forward and stood before the platform.
His voice carried a strange mix of dignity and solemnity.
"Let me tell you something about myself."
He opened his arms toward the crowd.
"Do you know how I used to deal with worry and misery during difficult days?"
What is he doing?
What does that even mean?
You shouldn't have responded at all.
Does he seriously think anyone here cares about that story?
Just insult Gerald back and be done with it. Why is he telling his life story?
Theo fell silent for a moment.
Then he continued.
"Every time things got hard… I would climb a great mountain. For hours, until I reached the summit."
I covered my face in embarrassment.
If this weren't my wedding day, I would have run out of the hall.
I wished no one here knew me.
But Theo acted as if he hadn't noticed anything.
His voice grew even more dramatic.
"I would fall to my knees, crying in misery… and scream into the skies of the Abyss!"
Then he actually dropped to his knees, acting out the scene.
He raised his arms toward the ceiling, tears filling his eyes.
And shouted,
"I wish I were gay like Gerald…
Then my worries would disappear the moment
there was a dick in my ass!"
The entire hall went silent.
Complete silence.
Then—
I burst out laughing.
I couldn't stop myself.
My loud laughter ruined all my elegance and composure.
Tears streamed down my face as I laughed.
A moment later, the entire hall exploded with laughter.
That response was downright criminal.
To tell such a filthy joke…
With the tone of a holy preacher.
And on top of that, the emotional acting.
It was an entirely different level of savagery.