Looking down from a high place is quite an exhilarating experience.
Skyscrapers climbing higher and higher by the day. A view that reveals everything below. Airplanes. Spaceships.
Maybe humans are instinctively made to admire high places, like ladybugs. You just keep wanting to go higher.
I suppose I was like that too.
Sitting higher than anyone else and looking down at the world below—it was pretty fun. Opening a window ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) and watching the playground, the garden, the children playing, and the adults coming and going—it made ti pass without even noticing.
Even now, it's the sa.
I stood at a place higher than anyone else in this world, overlooking my life and the lives of those colliding with it, all at a glance. The world was smaller and more intricate than I had imagined.
Like a precious glass box soone carefully crafted. Even the monts I cried, laughed, or frowned over annoying matters felt like the trivial gas of children.
However—
I realized sothing long ago. That rather than watching from high above, it's better to go down beneath that window and play together with everyone.
"Everyone looks like they're having fun."
I too wanted to go down there right away—to the place where everyone laughed, cried, and lived, brushing against each other. But... the reason I couldn't do that was the sa as before.
My eyes fixed on a distant hill from long ago. Like a little boy from an old, old ti waiting for soone to co back, I waited for soone to return to this land.
"I wonder when they'll co."
"......"
"When do you think they'll arrive?"
Sitting in a flower field, the most beautiful gift in the world, I asked the man behind . As always, he remained silent.
I thought we'd spent quite a lot of ti together here. Enough to at least make small talk. But he was far more tight-lipped than I expected. Was he still holding a grudge because I broke his sword? Or because I smashed his helt with magic?
There were just too many things it could be.
Just when I was resigned to watching the sun set and rise again alone for yet another day— For the first ti in what had been several days, no, months, he finally opened his mouth.
"Aren't you angry with ?"
"Well."
It would be a lie to say I wasn't. But just as much as I resented him, I also liked him. A perfect fifty-fifty. So, plus and minus, zero.
"Isaiah Gospel."
"......"
"I don't know how you did it, but—you're Solomon, and at the sa ti, you're Isaiah. The words you showed . The ones that told to go back. The story about making a family and having children."
"......"
"That was all you. I know that now. Because as much as you saw , I saw you."
The words I saw in my eyes held both malice and goodwill. The malice belonged to the fallen Demon King Solomon. The goodwill, to Isaiah—the father and husband.
Suddenly, I beca curious.
"Why did you split into two in the first place?"
"Because beside a nymph... only good people can stay. Only kind, good people can remain near Beatrice."
It was a vague explanation. But the nuance, I understood.
The Demon King Solomon must have known. That even if his precious nymph Beatrice returned to the world by a miracle... He himself, by then, would no longer be soone good or kind enough to be at her side.
And so the two were split. Even after they reunited as one again, he continued watching over . He was helping .
Because I understood that, I could neither resent nor forgive the man before . That's what family is like. Yes—family. The man in front of is my father.
But—
Since I'd never called him that even once in my life, the word wouldn't co out of my mouth. It rely swirled in my mouth like a tiny vortex, then faded.
No matter how high I climb, so things are simply impossible.
Still, fortunately, we had plenty of ti. If not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, the day after. We'd find the right mont.
It was with that feeling that I looked out at the distant horizon of this eternal flower field—when I saw it. Far away, among the swaying petals, soone was walking toward us.
At that, both the man and I stood up.
The small figure gradually grew larger until I could make out her face, her expression, even her disheveled breath from running so hard.
It was exactly the face I had been waiting for.
"I... took a while, didn't I?"
The woman spoke.
"I got a little lost. Had to co the long way around..."
A gentle hand touched my cheek.
"You... were waiting all alone this whole ti, weren't you? Suffering by yourself. And I didn't even know... I don't even know what to say..."
There were so many things I wanted to say. And truth be told, so many things I resented too. But at that single sentence that seed to understand my heart, the snow that had piled up over a long winter lted like spring sunshine.
"Ah..."
So this was the feeling.
I think I understand it now.
No need for elaborate words. As long as it's sincere, that's enough. "I'm sorry." "I love you." Those words are enough—just as Elga once said.
Because this is what family ans.
But—
My mother was wrong.
I wasn't waiting alone. Now that I think about it, there were countless people who stayed with . It was a surprisingly pleasant ti.
When evening ca, the children who played with would return to their mothers' arms with happy faces. Now, I can understand how they must have felt.
With that sa feeling, I took her soft, cool hand in mine.
"I wasn't waiting alone."
Rustle.
With my other hand, I pointed at the man standing silently like a shadow over there. He'd been around when things felt confusing and lonely. I'd relied on him for a lot.
"......"
"......"
The gazes of a man and woman long separated finally t. No one seed to know what to say, so all remained silent.
Still, a corner of my heart filled up with the realization that I had a mother and a father. And yet, another part of it felt empty, aching slightly.
I have a family.
Not just here.
Out there in that distant world, too... My family is surely still waiting for .
At that mont—
As if sensing my wistful gaze, the man spoke.
"Go, Teo Gospel."
"Go where? I belong here now. We're finally together as a family."
At my words, the man gave a faint, somber smile.
"This isn't where you're ant to be yet. Let show you proof."
Clap.
He clapped his hands. And then—my body began floating into the air.
I was stunned. I had assud he'd lost all magical, miraculous power. I thought all of it had been passed on to ! But clearly, that wasn't the case.
The man said:
"Young life—don't be disappointed. Fathers are ant to grow old. Your era is just around the corner. I understand the restlessness of youthful blood, but there's no need to rush."
"What are you—"
"You don't need to take responsibility for the things I've done. You'll do better than I ever could."
My body, which had floated like a soap bubble, suddenly began plumting toward the faraway ground—as if a heavy lump of iron had been tied to .
And then—
Both my mother and father, as if they had arranged it beforehand, scooped up flower petals from around them and tossed them into the air.
Well, sure. It's been a long ti since they last t. They probably have a lot to talk about. In this place, perhaps it's my duty as a son to give them space.
***
And so...
I fell from the heavenly throne. Into the glass box I had once only observed and cherished from afar.
The omnipotence of looking down upon the world slipped from my shoulders. The once-light body, now weighed down by gravity, felt a touch of nausea, but still, I felt incredibly happy.
I was returning to the place where everyone was waiting.
...What if I'm too late?
What if they've all forgotten about and gone on living happily without ?
So many worries flared up, but like the tail of a falling star, they one by one burned out and vanished. Now inside , there was only joy—that I would see my family again.
But, uh...
How do I stop?
I flailed my arms and legs, but it was no use. All I could do was spread out my limbs like a gliding bird or flying squirrel and steer a bit.
Still, it was a needless worry. Right before hitting the ground, my body ca to a safe halt midair.
The bubble that had surrounded popped, and at last, I stepped onto the earth I had been watching for so long. I didn't know where I was, but—
It was a beautiful path, with flowers and foliage gently swaying. The rain of petals falling from the sky felt so unreal, like I was inside a dream.
But I didn't have ti to savor it.
I began to walk.
Down a path I didn't know, toward a city I had grown so familiar with. Ho. The place where my family waited.
And as I climbed a hill where I could see the city walls—
I locked eyes with a set of brightly colored irises staring up at in the sunlight.
"I told you, didn't I? On the day the petals fall—he'll return..."
Before I could even say anything, they ran at . As if they wanted to ld into like sticky putty, they hugged tight.
The warmth, the softness of their hair, the texture of their clothes and skin...
"Hey! Why are you so late?! I gave birth without my husband!"
"Everyone! Beat up this wicked nymph bastard!"
"Ah, wait—heek...!"
The won grabbed my arms and legs and began yanking around. They were clearly furious I had spent so many nights away from ho.
In the end, their anger finally cooled—on a sunny spring day, in a bright adow, when the biggest wedding the world had ever seen took place.
『The Wedding of the Great Mage Teo Gospel and His Beautiful Brides!』
Countless people from all over the world gathered, a surging sea of guests— and among them were so truly unexpected attendees.
━This body... demands more honey for Yujinoi...!
━This Punchnoi's honey-fist! Taste the Honeyfistna...!
━Ogre Gorgor... sings the wedding song.
Well... Let's talk about the chaos caused by the guests and the events that unfolded—later. There's not enough pages just for the happy stories alone.
Yes, there were so many joyful monts.
"Here. A gift."
Like, for example, a tiny wedding present from my mother and father, sitting on the groom's side.
When I opened the small box, there was a shimring, translucent body and alternating moving forelegs...
━Hyuooooong...!
"Bael!"
Yeah, sothing like that.
━Aaah! Lord Reinhardt is playing the saxophone again...! The legendary live show begins once more...!
━It's not saxophone, it's saxxophone. I can tell the subtle difference.
It was all noisy and delightful. Imps and nymphs chatted away rrily. Beautiful flower petals fell from the sky. The weather was that of a perfect spring day.
It truly was a wonderful ti.
Unfortunately—
I'm out of pages, so I have to end it here. This is why I said we should've bought more notebooks. But no one listened to . Is this what married life is like?
Well, I didn't expect the story to go on this long either. Originally, I thought it'd wrap up in about 200 chapters, right?
Yes.
My story should have ended with a period long ago.
But life... Life doesn't end neatly like stories do. Boasting about "ending it with a period!" when I didn't even understand that... was pretty embarrassing.
Even if I put a period here and close this book—
My story will go on and on, without ever ending.
So I write it down again, with that hope in mind.
The title?
Taming the Villainesses.
I had a lot of other options, but since it's about and the girls, this really is the best one.
And who knows, maybe you, reading this, opened the book out of curiosity because of this title.
That's why I hope it was you who read this story.
Then, to you, who might still be sitting alone by so window, waiting for spring to co on a twilight hill...
To you, enduring an especially long winter...
One day.
One day, spring will co for you too. A spring brighter than anyone else's.
I promise.
* The END*
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