Lack of Guilt

~~ Author Note ~~

https://discord.gg/6PBf4ccNCT

Hello, readers.

Umu. That is all.

As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

~~ End Author Note ~~

***

"Where are we?" Rina asked as she looked around in wonder.

The group of three had just stepped out of the rift Dianthus created. On all sides, they were surrounded by a never-ending field of flowers. Rina couldn't help but be astonished by what she saw.

"Hehe, welcome to my amazing husband's realm!" Eruza excitedly introduced the world to her close friend. "What do you think? Pretty impressive, right?"

Dianthus pinched the smug woman's cheek. "Why does it feel like you're bragging about my hard work?"

"As your wife, I reserve the right to brag about my amazing husband," Eruza shamelessly stated while rubbing her sore cheek. "Or am I not allowed?" Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, and her lips twitched.

Seeing her crocodile tears, Dianthus sighed and gave in. "Yes, yes. My wonderful wife can brag about whatever she wants."

Eruza hugged his arm tightly and kissed him on his cheek. "I knew you wouldn't mind."

"Umm, why do I feel like you two are ignoring me?" Rina broke the light atmosphere between the two lovebirds.

Dianthus lifted Eruza into a princess carry. "Probably because we were. At least, I was." He started to walk towards the nearby house while carrying Eruza.

Eruza peeked over his shoulder and mouthed an apology towards her friend. Rina was upset by the poor treatment she received. Of course, she couldn't say anything about it as she had attempted to take his life.

Unbeknownst to her, it's not that Dianthus held a grudge over the attempt at his life. His treatment towards her was due to simple child-like jealousy. Upon her arrival, Eruza immediately showed worry for Rina rather than him. It sparked unpleasant feelings; hence, he flaunted his relationship in front of her.

Eruza's worry made more sense when directed towards Rina, as Dianthus was unlikely to be injured during their fight. Despite knowing this, he still decided to show that his relationship with Eruza was more intimate. If Rina knew his thoughts, she'd be shocked at his childish reasoning. At the same time, Eruza would burst out laughing at such an amusing reaction from her lover.

Upon walking through the entrance to the house, Dianthus' waist was tackled by a white-haired blur. "Papa! You're back!"

Dianthus released Eruza from the princess carry and picked up Shiro. He kissed her on the forehead, "How'd your day go, princess?"

Shiro smiled wide, "It was fun. Shiro got to see a cool castle. The three beautiful big sisters Shiro met there were all really nice."

"I'm happy you had such a good time." Dianthus patted her head.

Shiro closed her eyes, relishing in the warmth and safety that his large hand provided. "Those three big sisters are going to be Shiro's mamas as well, right?"

Pausing his hand, Dianthus frowned. "What makes you think that?"

"Shiro heard papa and mama talking about it." She reached up and forced Dianthus to continue providing head pats. "The pretty sisters also kept asking about Shiro's papa."

Dianthus mentally kicked himself for talking about the girls with Semiramis at that time. However, he was happy that Shiro saw his wives as family members since she referred to Semiramis as her mother. "I don't know yet. We'll have to see how things develop."

He could only push back the topic, hoping that she might forget. Eruza snickered at his attempt at shelving the subject. Her laughter earned her a wink and a smile from Dianthus. She shivered upon thinking about the implications her laugh had.

At that moment, Ui walked into the foyer. "Welcome ba—" Ui paused upon seeing Rina behind the group. "Rina!" She ran forward, embracing the blonde-haired puppeteer. "I didn't think we would be able to see you again after you left."

Rina patted Ui's back. "I promised you all that I would come back and free you guys from that scum. I guess it wasn't necessary, though. Instead, I came back and found out you three survived a massacre and got married to the perpetrator."

"Hehe," Ui giggled, "I'm pretty happy it worked out this way." To the side, Eruza nodded along to Ui's words.

"If you girls wish to continue catching up, we should first head inside." Dianthus walked through the entryway with Shiro still snuggled in his arms. The women followed after the father-daughter duo.

Soon, everyone was seated in the lounge. Ui and Eruza animatedly described everything that had happened since Rina disappeared. They told her about how terrified they were when an enormous wolf stormed into the mountains, devouring every yokai it chanced upon. The only yokai the wolf allowed to live was the lesser, harmless ones. As embarrassed as they were to admit it, they were included in said category.

"Why'd he attack the yokai anyways?" Rina curiously asked.

Both girls looked at Dianthus, who was occupied petting the sleeping Shiro's head. "I needed to recover from my wounds. Devouring entities with unique constitutions is the most effective way. However, the yokai didn't help as much as I would've liked.

"I didn't devour the lesser yokai because it wouldn't help at all. Also, I didn't only attack the yokai. Before arriving at the mountain, I went after some humans with strong spiritual prowess to assist my recovery."

His nonchalant attitude while explaining the mass killing shocked the group of women. They were just as surprised to hear that they survived because they were too weak to aid his recovery. Ui and Eruza breathed a sigh of relief internally, knowing they barely escaped death.

"Didn't you feel anything after killing so many?" questioned Rina.

Dianthus shook his head, denying any feelings of guilt. "It's not the first time I've killed, nor will it be the last. I've been around long enough to understand that such useless thoughts can lead to regret. If it's for myself or those I care about, I'm willing to become a monster."

Eruza looked at Dianthus strangely. "That was kind of corny."

"I think it was sweet," Ui interjected.

Dianthus sighed. "Anyways, I don't have any regrets on the matter. If there were one, it'd be that I still have yet to recover fully."

Ui and Eruza worriedly looked at Dianthus. They were still unsure of the wounds he was talking about. Neither Semiramis nor Dianthus would talk about it.

Seeing their concern, Dianthus attempted to reassure them. "You needn't worry too much. I'm nearly healed. It'll just take a little bit more time. I promise to tell you about my past at a later time."

Both girls smiled when they heard his promise. They had always been curious about what he had been through. Now they had a guarantee from him.

Rina, who was ignored once again, spoke up. "When can I see Hitomi?"

Dianthus slowly stood up. "You can visit her right now. I'm sure she's awake and probably incredibly bored." The others all followed suit and stood as well. Dianthus walked over to Ui and handed off Shiro to her. "Please lie Shiro down for me on your way to Hitomi."

"Sure, but what are you going to do," Ui asked.

Dianthus picked up Eruza, causing her to yelp in surprise. "I'm going to deliver somebody's promised punishment."

With Eruza in his arms, Dianthus walked off towards one of the nearby bedrooms. Eruza mouthed a silent plea for help. Although she seemed reluctant, Ui saw apparent excitement contained within her eyes.

Ui turned towards a different hallway, ignoring the fake plea. "Let's go."

Rina pointed towards the room they had disappeared into. "What about Eruza?"

"She won't be able to catch up with us. I'm sure she'll soon be in the same state as Hitomi," Ui said.