Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Will You Marry Me?

Chapter 132: Will You Marry Me?

The night gradually gave way to dawn, and the golden light of the morning sun began to quietly spill over the Azure Cloud Sect.

Rhain remained seated on the grassy bank exactly where they had talked the night before.

He hadn’t slept.

Not because he couldn’t, but because his mind had been turning over a single thought for the entire night.

Resting peacefully on his lap was a delicate figure.

Sometime during the quiet hours of the night, after she had cried and poured out her entire heart, Seris had fallen sound asleep.

Her breathing was even, and her stunning silver-blue hair spilled softly over his dark robes.

As the morning light gently brushed against her flawless face, her beautiful eyelashes fluttered.

She slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the haziness of sleep.

The moment her pale purple eyes focused, she found Rhain looking down at her, his dark grey eyes filled with a tenderness that could melt even the coldest of glaciers.

"Rhain..." Seris whispered sleepily, rubbing her pale purple eyes.

"I hope it was a comfortable sleep on my lap," Rhain whispered with a smile, gently brushing a strand of silver-blue hair away from her face.

Seris’s face flushed rosy red as she realized she had slept the entire night on his lap.

She hurriedly pushed herself up, her small hands nervously smoothing down her dress.

"I—I fell asleep on your lap! Why didn’t you wake me up? Your legs must be numb!"

"With your soft body, even if you slept there for a hundred years, I wouldn’t feel the slightest strain." Rhain let out a soft chuckle.

Seris lowered her head in shame as she heard Rhain’s cheeky praises.

Fortunately, it was early morning and no one had watched her like this.

"Seris," Rhain spoke, his voice carrying a tender warmth, "I have decided something."

Seris raised her head curiously, her embarrassment momentarily forgotten. "What is it?"

Rhain looked directly into her eyes.

"I want to marry you."

For a few seconds, Seris just stared at him, her pink lips slightly parted like the petals of a flower.

She wanted to speak, but her mind had went blank momentarily, and she couldn’t formulate a single response.

"Y-You... w-what?" she finally stammered, her entire face flushing down to the nape of her neck. Her heart began to hammer so wildly it felt as if it might leap straight out of her chest, "M-Marry? You want to... to marry me?"

"Yes, and before we leave for the Inner Province," Rhain nodded slowly, a look of deep affection clearly printed on his face.

He reached out, grasping her soft, snow white hands in his own.

"I have been thinking about this the entire night. We are going to the Inner Province soon. The stage there is vast, and the dangers are unpredictable. It is completely unknown when we will ever return to the Outer Frontier again."

His eyes were entirely locked on her face, attentively watching every single shift of her expression.

"We will definitely marry in the future, if not today. But if we are going to marry, it has to be surrounded by the people we know. This sect is our home. The people here are our people. There couldn’t possibly be a better place or a better time than this for our marriage."

Rhain leaned in slightly, his voice lowering into a gentle whisper that seemed to pull her very soul.

"Seris... do you want to marry me?"

Seris’s eyes glistened, tears threatening to spill again.

Within last twelve hours, she had found her entire world. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

All of her worries evaporated in the face of the overwhelming happiness flooding her heart.

"Yes!" The word burst from her lips before her brain had even finsihed processing the question, "Yes, yes, I want! Of course I want!"

She threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face into his chest.

Her slender shoulders shook as she laughed and cried simultaneously, overwhelmed by a happiness so vast it felt as if her heart might shatter from trying to contain it all.

Rhain caught her easily, one arm wrapping securely around her waist while his other hand rested against the back of her head, holding her close.

He kissed her forehead gently.

"Then let’s go tell everyone."

_________________

A short while later, Rhain and Seris walked hand-in-hand toward the highest peak of the sect.

They stepped through the massive wooden doors of the Sect Master’s Hall.

Inside, Harmon sat at the head of the long table, a steaming cup of morning tea in his weathered hands.

Flanking him were Maren, Torin, Silas, and at the far end of the table, Declan — who had apparently been invited to join the elders for the morning briefing.

All five heads turned toward the entrance.

"Rhain, Seris," Harmon greeted warmly, setting down his cup. "You two are up early. Come, sit. Senior Declan has made such a fantastic tea—"

"Sect Master," Rhain stepped forward, Seris at his side, their fingers still intertwined, both of them bowed to Harmon, "We have come to inform you of a decision."

Every pair of eyes locked onto him.

Rhain glanced briefly at Seris, who gave a tiny, shy nod.

"I have decided to marry Seris," Rhain announced. "Before we depart for the Inner Province."

Silence.

And then, the entire room erupted.

"Hahahaha! Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!" Harmon threw his head back and laughed heartily, his face blooming with joy.

Torin slammed his heavy hand onto the stone table, grinning broadly. "It is about time! I was wondering when our Supreme Elder would finally make his move!"

"A match made in heaven!" Silas looked at Rhain and Seris together, and praised with an expression of deep satisfaction. "Our Azure Cloud Sect will host the grandest wedding the Outer Frontier has ever seen!"

"Oh, Seris!" Maren rushed forward, abandoning all decorum as she seized Seris’s free hand. Her eyes were already glistening with maternal tears. "I am so, so happy for you!"

"Congratulations, Rhain. I am sure you will be a truly great husband!" Declan also stood up, and patted Rhain’s shoulder.

Seris stood beside Rhain, her face buried halfway behind his arm, unable to meet anyone’s eyes directly.

But the radiant, uncontainable smile stretching across her face was visible to all.

Rhain gave a polite nod to the cheering elders, before his expression turned slightly helpless.

"There is just one problem," Rhain spoke, "Both Seris and I are orphans. We have no parents to guide us, and frankly, neither of us has the slightest idea about the customs and rituals of a proper marriage."

Seris also felt disheartened when Rhain mentioned it.

It was the time when they need their parents the most, but unfortunately...

Maren placed a reassuring hand on Seris’s shoulder. "Don’t you worry about a single thing," she said firmly, "I will handle all the rituals and preparations. I may be an instructor in martial arts, but I’ve presided over enough weddings in my younger years to guide you through everything perfectly."

That would be deeply appreciated, Elder Maren," Rhain nodded.

Harmon rose from his seat, walking forward to stand before both Rhain and Seris, who had fundamentally altered the destiny of his dying sect.

His usually caln face carried an expression of deep, fatherly affection.

"Rhain, Seris," Harmon spoke with a fond smile. "I have spent my entire life burdened by the affairs of this sect. I was so busy trying to keep our foundation from collapsing that I never had the chance to take a wife, let alone have children or grandchildren of my own. Since neither of you has family of your own... if you do not find this old man unworthy, would you allow me to fulfill the role of your parent for this marriage?"

"Sect Master..." Seris was deeply moved by Harmon’s sincere words.

Rhain’s expression also softened.

"I was going to ask you myself, Sect Master," he replied with a tone of profound gratitude. "There is no one more fitting."

Harmon’s eyes reddened, and he quickly turned away, clearing his throat loudly. "Good! Good! Then it’s settled!"

By afternoon, the preparations were already in full swing.

Maren, who had taken command of the wedding arrangements with the intensity of a general preparing for battle, had consulted with Harmon and the other elders.

Together, they cross-referenced the celestial charts to determine the most auspicious dates for significant life events—and determined that exactly five days from today was the most harmonious date for a union.

"Five days!" Maren told to Rhain and Seris happily. "Gods are sending you both their best blessings. The alignment of the stars will be at the perfect angle to form the structure of the Twin Crescent Lotuses. It happens rarely in a whole century."

"Then five days it shall be." Harmon, and others also nodded.

Rhain and Seris looked at each other, their eyes showing the deep affection and longing for each other.

Five days.

Then they will be bound together for their entire life.