Chapter 58

Chapter 58: The Proposal

Ria had filled out the naturalization application form in advance with my help.

The examiners reviewed the contents of her application.

One of the immigration officials then asked Ria with a warm smile.

"Did you write this yourself?"

This much, Ria could understand.

"Yes, I wrote it with Seon-u's help."

Ria spoke in slow, slightly halting, but accurately pronounced Korean.

"Your handwriting is very beautiful."

"Thank you."

The examiners exchanged remarks among themselves.

They were admiring Ria's Korean writing ability.

'Ria has good Dexterity, after all.'

That translated into beautiful handwriting.

The examiner then asked about her address.

"Your current address is listed as the same as Hunter An Seon-u's. What is the nature of your relationship?"

That was a rather difficult question for Ria.

I explained it to her with gestures and simple words.

"Ria and my address same. They are asking what we are, what our relationship is."

Ria and I were not using the Sigil of Wisdom to communicate at the moment.

So I spoke in a way a Korean beginner could easily understand.

"Ah, I understand."

Ria pointed to herself and me as she spoke.

"Seon-u and I are in a loving relationship."

......

I had expected her to say they were lovers or a couple.

Then again, "love" was more intuitive and simpler than "lover" or "partner."

Smiles spread across the examiners' faces at Ria's answer.

Ria looked puzzled.

"Seon-u, did I say something wrong?"

"No, you did great."

The interview continued in that warm and friendly atmosphere.

When asked whether she would be willing to step forward and help during a national crisis caused by Rifts, she briefly used the Sigil of Wisdom magic to hear the question's content from me.

After understanding the question, Ria deactivated the magic and answered.

"Yes. I will help for Seon-u's sake."

For my sake......

I was reminded once again how much Ria cared for me.

The examiner who heard that said to me.

"In the end, everything comes back to you, Hunter An Seon-u. You two must absolutely never break up."

Those words seemed to carry an underlying concern that if we were to break up, Ria might not wish to maintain her citizenship.

I said with conviction.

"That will absolutely never happen."

The Sword Saint, who was present as sponsor, also stepped in.

"I guarantee it as well. That will never happen. The bond between these two is stronger than you can imagine. And......, ahem!"

The Sword Saint stopped mid-sentence, glancing at me.

"Ahem!"

I also cleared my throat and gave him a look.

The examiners caught on and exchanged knowing glances.

Only Ria, whose Korean level was still developing, could not follow the flow of the conversation and tilted her head curiously.

"Seon-u, what was that conversation about?"

"They were saying how good our relationship is."

"Ah......"

Ria then had her turn to introduce herself in Korean.

She briefly introduced herself, saying her family name was Aveline, her given name was Emeria, that she was learning Korean from me, and that she was also learning various Korean dishes.

The examination panel applauded.

"Your Korean is quite proficient, and you are a thoroughly prepared individual."

"Indeed. And she is even learning Korean cooking."

I spoke to them as if showcasing Ria's culinary skills.

To give the examination an extra positive push.

"Ria is quite skilled at Korean cooking. She can make basic side dishes, and she can also prepare Soybean Paste Stew, Kimchi Stew, beef bulgogi, and braised spicy chicken, among other dishes."

Hearing that, the Minister of Justice, who had been silently observing, spoke up.

"If Chef An Seon-u vouches for her skills, that is certainly credible. After all, you were the one who commanded the kitchen at Pungjeong, which was the finest restaurant in the country."

"Oh, did you happen to visit during the time I was working there?"

"Yes, I visited several times as Vice Minister, bringing guests. Chef An even personally explained the dishes to us."

"I see."

During my time there, Pungjeong had been Korea's premier fine dining restaurant, so it had attracted not only celebrities but also many politicians.

The Minister then addressed the Sword Saint.

"Master Hwang Myeong-u, you have submitted a guarantee pledge stating that you will serve as Emeria's legal sponsor for one year, assisting her in settling well in Korea and sharing responsibility should any issues arise. Are you truly comfortable proceeding as stated?"

Normally, a sponsor only needed to maintain their role during the application and examination period.

However, the Sword Saint had voluntarily pledged to serve as legal sponsor for one year and submitted a written guarantee.

This was to stake his reputation in order to instill confidence in the examiners regarding Ria and to shorten the examination period.

"Yes, I am comfortable with it. Please proceed as stated."

"Understood. We will proceed accordingly. Let us now complete all the remaining procedures."

The Minister of Justice then took what looked like an award case out of the bag he had brought.

He stamped the documents inside the case with the seal he had prepared and had a staff member deliver it to us.

As he did so, he said.

"This is Ria's naturalization certificate."

"Excuse me......? Just like that?"

"Haha, yes. Normally there would be quite a lengthy waiting period, but Director Jeong Jae-yong was so insistent, saying we might lose Emeria to a neighboring country if we delayed. So I prepared it in advance."

I looked at Director Jeong Jae-yong.

He gave me a thumbs up.

His expression said: I did well, did I not?

"Haha......"

I gave him a thumbs up in return.

'Very well done, sir.'

Thanks to him, my plans would also be moved up significantly.

Ria then used the Sigil of Wisdom and pointed to the naturalization certificate as she spoke to me.

"Seon-u, this......"

"That is right, Ria. Congratulations on becoming a citizen of the Republic of Korea, just like me."

"Really? Wow-!"

Ria hugged me in joy.

'Ahem! People are watching.'

Well, so what if they are watching?

I hugged her back.

Everyone applauded in congratulations.

Ria and I then bowed our heads to each and every one of them to express our gratitude.

***

After the examination ended and we stepped outside, Deputy Director Kim Cheol-su informed me that a GPS tracker had been found attached to the underside of my car and had been removed.

'I had a feeling that was the case.'

The Deputy Director promised to trace the transmitting device back to its source and find the firm that had been surveilling me without fail.

It was reassuring, given that the Deputy Director was a former high-ranking police official.

Afterward, Ria and I finished our business and drove down to the provinces, where we completed Ria's resident registration at the local community center.

With her resident registration card now issued, we stepped outside.

"It is truly all done now."

"It is."

"Then shall we go? To the home listed on Ria's address."

"Yes......"

Ria and I had the same address on our resident registration cards.

And so, we returned to the countryside house.

We sat side by side on the wooden veranda.

"The Director said he will officially announce your naturalization tomorrow through the Rift Management Bureau's social media account."

"I see."

"There will probably be some noise after the announcement, but you do not need to worry about it, Ria."

"I am not worried."

The announcement would state that the naturalization had been carried out with the Sword Saint's sponsorship and after thorough review by the Rift Management Bureau.

Her face would not be disclosed — only her name.

'The naturalization of the woman who defeated the Sword Saint will be made public.'

The internet would probably be in an uproar for a while.

Whether it was or not, we would be living our relaxed daily life in the Rift house.

"Shall we go back and celebrate together?"

"Sounds good."

And so, we opened the Gate portal and headed for the Rift house.

***

A celebration required food.

I grilled meat, shrimp, Glace Mushrooms, sausages, onions, Bell Peppers, and whole garlic on the barbecue grill.

Plus potatoes and corn.

I prepared three dipping sauces for the barbecue: barbecue sauce, chimichurri, and lemon herb sauce.

I also made salad and mac and cheese, along with a simple vegetable-based stew.

The wine was a 2009 vintage Chateau Lafite Rothschild that I had obtained with great difficulty from Director Jang.

As the meat was nearly done, I raised a glass of red wine and spoke.

"Ria, I sincerely congratulate you on your naturalization."

The knight order members raised their glasses and offered their congratulations.

"Congratulations, Lady Ria!"

"Lady Ria, congratulations!"

"Captain! Congratulations!"

"Congratulations!"

And Rin also raised her glass of Health Juice.

"Ria, congwatulations!"

She had no idea what naturalization meant, but she was congratulating Ria by following everyone else.

Bell also howled in celebration.

A smile spread across Ria's face.

According to Vice Commander Garrett, this was the traditional way of celebrating on the Continent of Bellinta.

The celebrated Ria downed her glass of wine in one shot and said.

"Thank you, everyone, for congratulating me."

We all followed Ria's lead and downed our glasses in one shot.

"Ahh, this wine is incredible."

"Wine is definitely better from that other world."

Neville marveled at the wine.

Ruina was also very pleased with it.

That was to be expected — at current market prices, this was a premium wine that cost over 10 million won.

Normally I would have hesitated to pour even one glass each, but today I let them drink freely.

Of course, only one bottle was the premium wine. The rest were mid-to-low-range wines.

"Drink as much as you like. Ria, you should have just a little."

"Why me?"

Ria pouted.

"Because I want to have a drink with just you later."

"Ah, is that why. All right."

We enjoyed the barbecue celebration party.

"Thank you for the wonderful meal. We will take our leave."

"Please enjoy the rest of your celebration, you three! We will head off to rest."

The knight order members finished their meal and cleared out early.

Ria looked puzzled at that.

"Why did they eat so little today?"

"Who knows."

In fact, they had not eaten little at all.

Each of the four had eaten about two servings.

But it was true they ate less than usual.

"Shall we have that glass of wine together now, just the two of us?"

"Sounds good."

We sat at the outdoor table, clinked our glasses.

Took a sip.

And smiled at each other.

Ria spoke.

"Now I belong to your world too, Seon-u."

"You do. You used to be anxious because we lived in different worlds, Ria."

"I was."

"How do you feel now?"

"Hmm, I am still a little anxious, I suppose."

"Why?"

"Maybe because I am too happy. The happier I am, the more anxious I get that this happiness might suddenly vanish."

"I think I know how that feels."

I took another sip of wine.

I stood up, opened Acresia, took out a bouquet of flowers, and held it out to Ria.

Ria accepted it and asked.

"How beautiful......, but why a bouquet? To celebrate my naturalization?"

"That is part of it. But the greater meaning is."

I took a small box from my pocket, dropped to one knee, and opened it toward Ria.

Inside was a brilliantly shining diamond ring.

I had decided long ago that I would propose on the day Ria's naturalization was approved.

I had not expected that day to be today, but I was glad I had prepared in advance.

I gathered my courage and said to Ria.

"Ria, will you marry me?"

Ria looked at the ring once, then looked into my eyes and blinked as if she could not believe it.

Her whole body began to tremble, and she covered her mouth with both hands.

Tears streaming down her face, she threw her arms around me.

"Yes, I will......!"

I held her close and gently comforted her.

Then I released my arms and slid the ring onto her left ring finger.

"Let us become a real family."

"A real family......"

Rin was beside us, watching with sparkling eyes.

"Come here, Rin."

Ria and I both reached out our arms toward Rin.

"Heh......!"

Rin came into our arms with a smile.

And so, we held each other tightly and shared our joy.

Bell also squeezed in between us.

"It would not be the same without Bell."

"Woof!"

And so, we decided to go from being an ambiguous pretend family to a real one.

"A real family......"

Ria seemed so happy with those words that she kept repeating them, shedding tears of joy.