So this chapter, I wanted it to be a wholesome chapter.

What I listened to make this chapter: Love for you

Thank you as well to the patrons, OdeToAKite, Danielle Warvel, Michael, JewBot9000 and Anonymous8418

See you tomorrow!

The morning sun filtered through the windows of their shared room, casting soft golden hues across the space. Seraphina stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the delicate fabric of her dress.

One of her finest outfits, chosen specifically because Aric had asked her to wear something nice.

The silver gown hugged her figure perfectly, its intricate lacework catching the light with every movement. Her long silver hair cascaded down her back in loose waves, framing her flawless features.

Aric appeared behind her moments later, dressed impeccably in a tailored black suit that complemented his figure. He carried himself with confidence, though there was a nervous energy about him that betrayed how much this moment meant to him.

"You ready?" he asked.

Seraphina turned to face him, "Seriously, Aric. What did you plan? Like this is my finest dress you know. I swear if this is just some restaurant and-"

He chuckled faintly, reaching into his pocket to pull out a blindfold and an ear muff crafted from creation magic.

"You'll see." he replied teasingly, stepping closer. "But first, I need to put this on you. I need to cover your sense of sight and hearing."

She raised an eyebrow skeptically but allowed him to proceed. Aric gently wrapped the blindfold over her eyes and tied it gently as well.

"Is it tight?"

"It's secured. What's the other thing you had?"

"Back in my world, it's called an ear muff. This helps with isolating noises from the outside so you can't hear them. If you ever feel scared, please let me know and I'll undo them for you. But it would be great if you could endure until I take it off."

Aric held on the ear muff. "Can I put it on you now?"

She nodded. He placed it over her ears to block out external noise. The world around her faded into silence, leaving only the sensation of his hands guiding her forward.

Aric's touch was firm yet gentle as he led her step by step toward their destination. His low voice carried instructions to those gathered outside, ensuring everyone stayed hidden until the perfect moment arrived.

"To everyone waiting," he murmured under his breath, addressing the townsfolk who had gathered nearby,

"Please don't enter just yet. Stay outside and follow the plan we discussed."

They dispersed quietly, taking their positions while exchanging excited glances. For days now, Aric had been orchestrating this surprise, enlisting help from everyone in Ashwick without tipping off Seraphina for that matter.

As they approached the entrance to the town hall, Aric paused briefly to open the door, wedging a stopper beneath it to keep it ajar. He guided Seraphina inside, closing the door softly behind them before locking it securely.

She couldn't hear any of this but she could feel the subtle shift in atmosphere as they entered the building. Inside, the town hall had been transformed into a breath-taking scene straight out of a dream. Hundreds of roses adorned every surface, their sweet fragrance mingling with the comforting scent of freshly baked goods wafting from the kitchen.

Tiny lilies were scattered throughout the room, adding delicate accents of white against the vibrant reds and pinks of the floral arrangements. In the center of it all sat a towering chocolate mousse cake, stacked five layers high and decorated with edible roses that matched the décor perfectly.

Seraphina could smell the roses and the cake. It was overwhelming her nose as all the other senses had been cut off. Beside the cake rested the bouquet of 300 roses Aric had painstakingly created using his magic earlier that day.

On the left side of the table lay a small, intricately wrapped gift box tied with a satin ribbon.

Aric took a moment to double-check everything, ensuring every detail was perfect before removing the ear muffs and untangled the blindfold from Seraphina's head. He placed his hands gently over her eyes immediately after the blindfold was off.

"I just want to say that, Happy Birthday, Seraphina Arkwright."

With that, he let go of her eyes, allowing her to take in the sight before her.

Seraphina blinked slowly, her eyes widening as the full scope of the surprise unfolded before her. Her lips parted slightly in awe, disbelief warring with wonderment as she absorbed the sheer effort and care that had gone into creating such a masterpiece.

"Oh…" she breathed softly, "What… is all this?"

She scanned around to take it all in. "Oh great heavens..."

Aric stepped beside her, gesturing toward the room with a proud smile.

"I wanted today to be special for you."

Her gaze swept across the room, taking in the countless details: the roses lining the walls, the lilies scattered delicately on tables, the intoxicating aroma of chocolate filling the space. And then there was the cake.

A decadent work of art that seemed almost too beautiful to eat.

"This…" she struggled to find the words as her throat had a lump from all of this,

"This…it's so beautiful..."

Aric watched her carefully, gauging her reaction. "Do you like it? I mean, I know it's not enough to erase the past, but—"

"It's perfect. It's really perfect." she interrupted. She turned to face him fully,

"Just...how did you manage to keep this a secret from me?"

Aric put a finger over his lips, "I have my ways."

She walked around the hall to observe everything. She looked like a little kid playing in a playground. Her gaze was especially fixed at the beautiful rose bouquet.

I have no words...to just tell how pretty this all is. It's like he knew everything that I liked. From the colours, to the scents, to the flowers...I'm sure the chocolate is a very chocolatey kind.

But, Vayne never asked what I liked. All he ever did was put on a decent act but never got to know me deeply...

What the hell? How could I let you go now when you treat me better than my own family.

She started to tear up but kept on walking around and wiping away her tears. Her fingers finally brushed lightly over the satin ribbon. She picked up the gift and observed the box.

It feels light. I wonder what it's in it? I can't feel any mana from it so it's not magic related.

She glanced up to Aric.

"The box is beautiful but what's inside?"

Aric smiled faintly, "Back on Earth, people would give gifts to remind their partners of something meaningful. Something that represents who they are or what they mean to each other. In this case…"

He paused, struggling to form the words from his thoughts.

"…I wanted you to remember some semblance of me. Ah but I also made sure it fit your colours and matched your… well, your beauty."

Seraphina's curiosity flickered as she loosened the ribbon and lifted the lid. Nestled inside, on a bed of velvet, was a bracelet of gold. Delicate motifs in the shape of four-leaf clovers, spaced evenly along the chain, caught the light with each subtle movement.

The clovers, some in polished gold, others in glossy onyx, gave the piece a mesmerizing contrast, like sunlight and shadow dancing together. She picked it up carefully, letting it dangle from her fingers.

Aric continued, gesturing toward the bracelet, "The four black leaf clovers are meant to represent your magic. I also chose the four leaf clover since it is the symbol of good luck. I made it black since it's my favourite colour and well, I like to dress in black so I hope you could see me in that. As for the gold…"

He trailed off momentarily, "…well, that's you. You're like gold. Always valuable and resilient, no matter how unfair the world has been to you."

Aric scratched his head as he couldn't help himself but joke around,

"And if we get into the practical value, you could probably pawn it off and get more money if you choose to."

Ivy naturally, facepalmed herself. [What the hell. Why do you do this to yourself? You had THE BEST SURPRISE FOR A WOMAN AND YOU DECIDE TO JOKE AROUND? C'MON MAN!]

Seraphina blinked rapidly, as if she was caught off guard by the sweetness yet dry humour from this man. She put down the bracelet back into the box, placed it on the table and threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Aric." she murmured against his chest, her voice thick with emotion.

"This may be the best birthday surprise I have ever gotten. You made this into an unforgettable experience...thank you."

Aric was startled by the hug and looked at Seraphina. Seraphina's hug was tight and Aric could even feel her heartbeat going up.

[Well.] Ivy breathed in, sitting into her chair, [At least you made her happy. Just like you said you would.]

Aric chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around her in return.

"You don't have to thank me. All I did was plan and ask the people here for help. Kim, Claire and the butlers did the decorations. Kim with the flowers, Adam with the heavy work, Claire with the colours and the butlers with arranging everything. Mira baked the cake."

"Right speaking of Mira, teaching her how to make the chocolate mousse cake took longer than I expected. There were so many steps involved plus, creating edible roses turned out to be harder than I expected."

"Like, all I did was instruct people since there's no way I could've done this by m—"

Seraphina looked at Aric who was just rambling on but she didn't mind it. In fact, she had a smile on her face. She hugged him tighter, burying her face into his chest,

"Just shut up, idiot. You have no idea...how much this means to me."

Aric could feel some dampness on his shirt. "You...have...no idea...hik..."

Aric smiled and rubbed her back. "Happy birthday."

Hope you enjoy this chapter because I know I did when I wrote it.

Also, thank you for the support. It's insane. Any comment, suggestion, correction or anything nice is appreciated.

Thank you for reading reincarnated into a failed marriage.

If you want, patreon is now at chapter 103.