The light-blinking fishes—or whatever their name was—spiralled gracefully through the dark ocean like celestial comets swirling around a planet.
Trails of shimmering glow followed their bodies, leaving streaks of light that danced in the water. It was like witnessing a dream unfurl in slow motion.
So vivid.
So impossible.
So… beautiful.
Words were insufficient. He couldn’t begin to describe the overwhelming spectacle around him. A moonless night beneath the endless ocean depths, where time seemed to freeze, and Celestia floated before him… asking—no, proposing to him?
Wasn’t it supposed to be the man who knelt, who offered the ring, who whispered those life-changing words?
But here she was.
Doing it!
Doing it so perfectly, so magically, that it put every fairy tale to shame. She glowed like a goddess summoned from myth, more radiant than the stars, more real than any fantasy Aether had ever dared to dream. He didn’t even know if he could ever measure up to this kind of moment, let alone return it in kind.
Aether wryly smiled inwardly, his chest tightening.
This was too much—for someone like him. Someone who had more than one woman in his life.
Someone who didn’t even understand how he ended up here… being loved so fiercely by a woman who shone like the sea’s own soul.
Was he taking all this for granted?
Thoughts swirled like whirlpools in his mind. A thousand self-doubts pressing in.
It wasn’t that he wanted to refuse… far from it. It was just—this grand, magical proposal—it made him question himself.
Doubt himself.
Was he worthy of her?
That question echoed in his heart like a ghostly whisper. But he knew… he couldn’t make her wait.
He took a deep—wait, he couldn’t breathe underwater.
Never mind.
He chuckled softly to himself, calming his heart. Then, slowly, he moved forward through the water, drawn to her like a moth to starlight.
Celestia’s lips parted with a soft breath. She gulped inwardly, even though she already knew his answer. But still… proposing was always terrifying.
Didn’t matter who you were.
Man or woman.
Offering your heart was always nerve-racking.
No one ever felt truly ready for this.
Aether hovered before her. A beam of light from some unknown source—perhaps magic, perhaps fate—fell gently on them, like moonless light piercing the deep. It felt as if the ocean itself was watching.
He looked into her eyes—those otherworldly, purple eyes that shimmered with hope and power—and slowly reached up, his hand brushing softly against her cheek.
Celestia let out a gentle hum. Her body trembled. His touch was like silk through water, tender, reverent.
Aether’s gaze softened. His throat tightened with emotion. He tried to speak through his telepathy, /I…/, but before he could fully form the words—
“You can speak now…” Celestia said, smiling gently. Her voice carried through the water like a warm current.
She had made it possible.
Aether raised his brows in surprise. Then suddenly—
!~Ding~!
[Due to the Is–]
‘I am not interested in listening to useless information… I know she did something… and that’s fine,’ he thought, cutting off his Log and silencing its voice, which seemed desperate to chime in and help.
[🤐]
He parted his lips,
“I… I… I may not be worthy of this effort you’ve poured into me,” he began, his voice trembling with raw, naked emotion. “But…”
His entire body quivered. Not with fear. With happiness. With a love so intense, so consuming, that he couldn’t hold it in.
Celestia could feel it… his love…. She didn’t need words.
“I, Aether,” he whispered, “will… no—I shall become someone worthy of this woman. Of you. My beautiful, fierce, ethereal woman—Celestia Nocturne. Yes. I love you. And I would be honoured to marry you.”
His voice cracked. But his eyes never wavered from hers.
Drip…
Even though she knew it—had always known it—the sound of those words unravelled something deep inside her.
A single tear slipped from her eye.
It wasn’t for show.
It wasn’t dramatic.
It was real.
This wasn’t a false one or acting… it was just her own emotions… that even she herself was surprised—why she couldn’t understand how her body worked, neither had she ever cared. But now… that single tear… was really worth it.
Aether smiled. Softly. Tenderly. He reached up and touched that tear.
Even under the sea, the droplet looked… different. It didn’t dissolve. It shimmered like a gemstone.
‘Wait? A pearl?’ Aether blinked, startled. The tear had transformed—or had it always been?—into a small, luminous pearl. Before he could think more,
“~LL~LLAAA~llaaaaaaa~”
Celestia hummed again—but this time louder, deeper, filled with magic. Her song made the very water vibrate. Instantly, the glowing fishes responded…
Dozens, then hundreds of shimmering sea creatures swam into view, brightening like living stars. They pulsed with light, moving in mesmerising patterns as if performing a sacred dance around the couple.
Aether squinted, the brilliance nearly overwhelming. It was like being surrounded by the sun itself.
He swiftly slipped the pearl into his storage before it could drift away into the vast ocean.
And then the light dimmed… gently fading.
What remained in front of them… was a crescent moon, small and glowing, hovering in the water like a divine relic.
Aether reached for it… His fingers trembled with hesitation.
“Go on… my king,” Celestia whispered, her tone warm and reverent.
Aether blinked, then slowly extended his hand…. He touched the moon.
!~Ding~!
[New Title Acquired: The Sole Siren’s Chosen King]
!~Ding~!
[Congratulations on Completing the Hidden Mission: Seduce Celestia Nocturne]
!~Ding~!
[Reward: 200,000 Affection Points]
!~Ding~!
[Reward: Skill: Love’s Trident]
[Skill: Love’s Trident]
[Effect: This skill allows the user to breathe freely underwater and move with natural grace and speed, as if they were born in the sea. Their body adapts automatically to water pressure and currents, enabling seamless travel in both shallow and deep waters.]
[Additional Benefits: While this skill is active, the user gains enhanced agility and fluid movement underwater, reducing resistance and increasing swim speed by 50%. Aquatic creatures, including fish and ocean beasts, are naturally drawn to the user, displaying affection or curiosity rather than hostility. Some may even come to the user’s aid when in danger.]
[Limitations: The user’s underwater advantages do not apply on land. Hostile or corrupted sea creatures (e.g., cursed, undead, or mind-controlled beings) are not affected by this skill. The skill does not grant control over ocean creatures—only peaceful coexistence and potential assistance.]
Aether blinked in surprise, ‘Seduction? How is that possible?’ he thought, after all, she never gave affection points before, but now,
!~Ding~!
[❗Notice: In order to know the answer, you need to reach Level 100]
Aether hummed softly before he hesitantly breathed in… the water.
Inhale~
His eyes widened as he instinctively touched his neck, half-expecting to feel gills or some strange appendage. But there was nothing.
No fins, no slits… no strange transformation?
And yet… he was breathing. Just like that.
‘How…?’ he thought, stunned.
“Aether…” Celestia’s voice softly flowed toward him like a tender wave. She was clearly amused, her eyes gleaming with affection as she watched his shocked expression.
He flinched slightly at the sound of her voice, then turned toward her. His hand, still trembling from the sensation, clutched the blue, marble-like stone that hovered gently in his palm—shaped like a crescent moon and softly glowing.
Celestia gazed at him with a warmth that could melt glaciers. That look—so intimate, so full of silent promises—made Aether forget the world around them.
He floated forward, instinctively closing the distance between them, drawn to her like gravity itself had rewritten the rules of the ocean.
Without a word, he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.
“~hmm~”
A soft, melodic hum echoed across the depths, like a bell being rung in an underwater temple.
The fish circling them shimmered with joy, their scales flickering with brilliant colours—turquoise, gold, violet, even shades he couldn’t name. They drew in closer, spiralling around the couple like they were witnessing a sacred union, their bioluminescence pulsing in rhythmic celebration.
Aether slowly pulled back, his lips parting, and rested his forehead against hers.
“They call you heartless,” he murmured, voice low and trembling with emotion. “And yet here you are… making my heart go insane, woman~” he added, gently pinching her lower lip with teasing fingers.
“Hehe~” Celestia let out a soft giggle, her cheeks flushed faintly as she whispered, “Well… you’re the one who made the heartless me… feel again. To become this. I never thought… not even once… that a day like this would ever come into my life. Never…” Her voice trembled with nostalgia.
Aether smiled. He turned his gaze to the fish around them. They were starting to drift away, slowly disappearing into the darkness—like guardians who had fulfilled their duty.
They had witnessed something divine.
Aether hummed quietly, then looked back at Celestia, his gaze sharpening.
Celestia’s breath hitched.
There was something in his eyes—love, yes—but now it was laced with an unmistakable hunger.
A soft gulp escaped her.
“H-Here I was thinking… I should go easy on you,” she whispered, her tone slightly horrified, though her voice trembled with excitement. “How can you be so insatiable?”
Aether raised a brow, amused. “Okay, my lovely wife… You need to take a moment and think about what you just did,” he said, his fingers sliding downward, slowly tracing the curve of her waist, “You really expect me to hold back… after that proposal? Hell no.”
He leaned in, his breath brushing her skin like fire and silk. “Since it’s our marriage… You do know what’s coming next, right?”
His fingers slipped lower, caressing her hips with a gentle firmness that made her shiver.
Celestia’s body stiffened, heat blooming across her skin as her cheeks turned pink, then red. “C-Come on… we can’t do it here,” she stammered, voice flustered, trying to keep her composure.
Aether grinned, unrepentant. “Why not? I mean… don’t you wonder how it feels to do it underwater?” His tone was so casual, so teasing, it sent goosebumps across her body.
Her face turned beet red…. Absolutely scandalised!!
She stared at him, wide-eyed, unable to believe the shameless man before her. And before he could grab her again—
She shot away like an eel, her body slipping through the water in a blur of speed and grace, darting toward her home.
Aether floated there, stunned for half a second, then burst into laughter.
“Ahh… she’s fast when she wants to be,” he muttered, before kicking off the seafloor and giving chase.
To his surprise, swimming was unbelievably easy now. There was no drag, no resistance. Every movement flowed like a dance. He could breathe without even thinking about it—it felt… natural.
As if the ocean had accepted him.
As if he belonged here.
He glanced at his hands, then to the water around him.
“That’s certainly a useful skill,” he whispered with a smirk, eyes gleaming as he pushed forward after his bride.