OMI 17

Preparation For The Ceremony

The day I proposed to Éclair, I was extremely nervous. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

I wondered if I was being too hasty, if I should wait a little longer, but I thought that delaying might make him anxious again. No matter how much I thought about it, my feelings wouldn’t change, so it was better to tell him sooner rather than later.

Making a commitment and getting married are not the same thing. 

There are circumstances where not registering the marriage is recognized in our country. It’s called a de facto marriage. 

In such cases, child custody is often disputed and it’s not uncommon to end up in court. Generally, the first child is given to the biological parent, and if there is a second child, the spouse has primary custody. This may change in the future.

De facto marriages are common among Beta couples, but it is very rare for an Alpha and Omega who have formed a bond not to register their marriage. However, if the partner is a summoned one, it wouldn’t be strange to classify it as one of those rare cases. After all, they grew up in different environments and have different values. Forcing someone into marriage if they don’t want to is not allowed, of course.

I was a little worried about what Éclair thought. He doesn’t have a very good impression of family, mainly because of his father. Legally registering the marriage means receiving various benefits, but it also comes with obligations. He may find this restrictive.

When we went to the cathedral, I was very nervous.

Before I met Éclair, I relied on the Goddess and came to pray every week. How often did I wish to be reunited with my one and only?

After I met Éclair, I came once to pray and give thanks. Since we’ve been living together, I’ve been too busy to come as often.

As I was giving thanks for being able to bond with him, sparkling particles of light descended beside me.

At first, Éclair didn’t notice.

The glowing particles illuminated him and made him look divine.

It was the blessing of the goddess. It was the first time I had seen it with my own eyes.

“What is this? A performance?”

Éclair finally noticed the commotion around him and seemed confused.

“We have received a blessing. Amazing, it’s the first time I’ve seen it in person. Ah, maybe it’s because it’s Éclair.” 

Éclair is a summoned one. Perhaps the goddess was also concerned about his situation. 

What was he praying for? Anyway, the goddess blessed him. 

I thought again that I wanted to make him happy with everything I had.

Finally, it was time to fulfill the main purpose of the day.

Confessing or proposing in front of the statue of the goddess in the cathedral garden is a tradition in this country.

Vowing in front of the Goddess is not something to be taken lightly. It was proof that I was approaching it with that level of determination.

“Éclair, I need to ask you something.” 

I pleaded on my knees, and he was a little concerned about getting my clothes dirty. 

Normally in this situation you could predict what would be said next, but he didn’t know.

“I want you to marry me. Will you officially become my family?”

“Huh? Oh, I see, this is…” 

He seemed genuinely surprised, and his words trailed off. Was it too soon?

“I didn’t want it to be just a formality because we became partners. If you’re not ready, we can wait…”

I had no intention of forcing it. I was about to give up on getting an answer today when…

“No, it’s not that! Um… I’m happy. Is it okay if I say I accept?” 

Éclair replied hastily. He looked a little embarrassed and looked at me as he answered, which was very cute. 

“Really? That’s great! Thank you very much. I swear by the name of the Goddess, I will cherish you.” 

He nodded properly, not just going along with it. 

I had been watching him long enough to understand that.

◇

“Let me introduce you. This is my oldest brother Ordi and his wife Elfi. This is my second brother Gene and his wife Serge.”

We arranged to meet the family later. Éclair met my brothers and their wives for the first time, except for Renard.

It had been a while since I had seen my two older brothers. Once they had families and children, their priorities naturally shifted.

“I’ve wanted to meet you ever since I heard Lumière found his mate. I’m Ordi, please take care of him.”

“I’m Gene. Nice to meet you. I’m really relieved that you were found in the country. We were about to start a serious search abroad.”

“I’m Éclair. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.” 

Éclair replied to Ordi and Gene’s words. 

Éclair is about a decade younger than my brothers. They are both taller than me and have the typical Alpha appearance. I was worried that Éclair would be intimidated, but he seemed natural. He didn’t seem as nervous as when he first met my parents.

“Young, small, cute, the ideal bride! You said you wanted someone like a princess you could protect, right?”

Elfi, who had known my brother since childhood, also knew that I had dreamed of having a mate since I was young. She was thrilled to see Éclair.

“Uh, no, I’m not really like that…”

As an Omega in this country, Éclair is very small and cute. He may not realize it, but he definitely fits the description of someone you want to protect.

“But if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? They say age doesn’t matter for bonds, but you look quite young.” 

Serge asked, unable to help herself, given Éclair’s youthful appearance.

“I am 19 years old. It’s possible I’m a little older, but that’s how I was officially registered.”

When we submitted the bond registration, Éclair’s official record was also created. Despite slight differences in the calendar, it was determined that 19 was acceptable.

“Well, 19… Then there’s no problem.” 

“No matter how much Lumière was in a hurry, he wouldn’t propose to someone under 16.” 

Gene followed up on Serge’s comment. Even now, Éclair doesn’t look like an adult. The age of adulthood in this country is 16. They might have thought I proposed as soon as he reached that age.

“I’ve heard that I’m called a summoned one. My appearance and way of thinking might be a little different from everyone else’s, so please teach me.”

Although it’s not something that should be shared widely, Éclair had consulted with me beforehand because she wanted to inform my family properly.

“Really! So that’s why you’re small. Wow… a summoned one.”

Elfi said, seemingly moved.

“Literally, your destiny is summoned. That’s Lumière’s determination.”

Gene teased.

“Éclair has learned a lot from Lumière about this country and the language, right? It’s kind of beautiful, isn’t it? It’s like a man’s dream.” 

Renard chimed in from the side.

“That’s the situation. I’ve heard a bit about summoned ones. I never thought I’d meet one in person… There may be challenges ahead for you as an Omega. Please do not hesitate to consult with me.”

Serge had already reverted to her government mode. She might have heard about the appearance of the summoned one in this land.

“So, what are your plans for the ceremony? How much time do you need to prepare?”

My mother asked excitedly. She had been worried about her youngest son’s marriage for a long time. My parents seemed very excited.

“Well, the size depends on how many people we invite. What do you two want?”

My father was also eager.

“Um, what did you all do?”

Éclair looked around at everyone, wanting to know what a typical Padilla wedding was like. 

“We invited as many family, friends and colleagues as we could. It was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime event, so we wanted it to be big.”

“What do you mean “was supposed to be”? It was a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

Aubert exasperated, retorted to Renard’s words.

“We should definitely pay attention to the outfits! I can recommend a few shops. Lumière, you want to dress up Éclair too, right?” 

Given her profession, Elfi must have spent a lot on clothes… She had many outfit changes and even designed some of her own wedding dresses.” 

“I didn’t end up wearing a dress, but being an Omega, it’s not unusual to wear one. If Éclair is interested, it’s definitely an option.”

“A dress? A wedding dress? I never imagined that…”

Éclair exclaimed in surprise at Renard’s words.

“I think Éclair would look wonderful in a dress. There are many designs and colors for men. If you’re at all interested, you should consider it.

Elfi suggested enthusiastically.

Éclair looked up at me, a little worried.

“Why not try it on? Even just for a photo.”

“If Lumière says so…”

I thought Éclair would look great in it. With his androgynous appearance, he could pull off different styles.

He might even find it surprisingly good once he tried it on.

“If you want to rent the cathedral, you have to book well in advance. There are many plans available even at regular venues. Location is important, so it might be good for the two of you to visit and check them out.”

Serge and Gene’s wedding was held in the cathedral. Many women in Padilla dream of having their wedding there.

“Éclair, we can have a small ceremony with just family. You don’t really like big crowds, do you?”

Lately, many Beta couples have small ceremonies with just family and then invite friends to a party afterwards.

“What about you, Lumière? Don’t you have a lot of people you want to invite?”

“I…”

I would like to invite my supportive boss and friends who have always worried about me. But that’s just my wish.

Éclair can’t do that. Even if there were people he wanted to invite from his world, it’s impossible. That bothered me a little.

“I don’t have anyone like that. Even if I got married in my world, I don’t think I would have had a ceremony. Well, getting married itself is a surprising situation for the old me…”

If he wasn’t keen on the ceremony, I thought we should just have it with the family, but then he said.

“So invite whoever you want, Lumière. These are people who helped you, right? If you want to show them off, that’s fine with me. I’ll do my best to make a good impression. Introduce me to them.”

“Are you sure? It could be a lot of people.”

“As long as we’re together, it’s okay. Besides, if we have a wedding, you shouldn’t have any regrets. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, right?”

He smiled mischievously, probably influenced by Renard’s earlier comment.

“You’re so serious, Éclair! If you have any other wishes, just let me know. Your big brother will make them come true! Do you like sweets? Let’s order a big cake.”

Renard, who looked like he couldn’t resist, hugged him tightly. Ah… I really wanted to do that myself.

“Big Brother…?”

“That’s right. If you marry Lumiere, I’ll be your brother-in-law. Ask for anything, my dear little brother.”

When he said that, even the other brothers and sisters-in-law joined in.

Éclair looked around and then smiled genuinely, obviously happy.

“I’m so happy to have so many siblings now. Please take care of me.”

It was a scene I had always wanted to see.

I also wanted to introduce my destiny to my family, to show them that this person was my partner. And I wanted them to recognize it.

If Éclair allows it, I will invite the people who helped me. I want them to see how wonderful my partner is.

And if Éclair receives many blessings, there would be nothing more joyful.