My five ghostly husbands-Chapter 460 New Groom

Julian, Adrian, Karl, and Ruby stood in the middle of the hall, their faces wet with tears but finally full of relief. They had fought so hard, lost so much sleep, and carried so much fear, and now it was over. The truth was out, Madame Shades was gone, and Ruby’s parents finally had justice.

Karl sniffled loudly, wiping his face with the back of his hand before hugging Ruby again. "Wife! We did it!" he said, his voice trembling between laughter and tears. Julian smiled softly and joined in, wrapping his arms around both of them, and even Adrian, who rarely showed emotion, smiled faintly and pulled them close. For a moment, the four of them just stood there together, their warmth melting all the fear that had filled their hearts for weeks.

But that peace didn’t last long.

The priestess, who had been silently watching the holy fire flicker brighter and higher, suddenly spoke up, her tone sharp and worried. "Wait—what about the holy flames?"

Everyone froze and looked at her in confusion.

Karl frowned. "What do you mean? Can’t we just stop the ceremony? The groom isn’t ready to marry anyway! Or... one of us can marry wife again!"

The priestess’s expression turned grave. "No. You can’t remarry the same spirit under this fire. And look—these flames are not normal." She pointed to the pit, where the holy fire had grown tall, golden-red, glowing like a living creature. "It’s very rare to see the flames this strong. It only happens when true soulmates are chosen."

Karl’s eyes nearly popped out. "You mean—fat Louis and wife are soulmates?" he shouted in disbelief.

The priestess only shrugged helplessly. "Maybe. But that doesn’t matter now. What matters is this—if your wife doesn’t marry before the flames die, her spirit will weaken. She might even lose her energy permanently."

Angeline’s face turned pale. She stepped forward quickly, worry written all over her face. "How about we find another groom as soon as possible?" she said. "Someone who can take the vow before the fire fades?"

Ruby’s eyes widened in horror. "No!" she said, shaking her head. "I can’t ruin anyone else’s life because of me. I won’t marry just to survive. That’s not love, that’s punishment."

Angeline tried to reason with her. "Ru, many would marry you gladly! You’re not ruining anyone’s life—they’ll be saving yours!"

But Ruby shook her head firmly, her hands trembling. "No. I won’t drag anyone innocent into this."

The air grew thick with worry. Everyone exchanged anxious looks.

Then Max suddenly asked, "Where’s Milo?"

The room fell silent again.

Ruby blinked. "Milo?"

"I haven’t seen him all morning," Karl said slowly, his expression changing as realization hit him. "He didn’t even eat breakfast. I thought he went to his master’s place..."

Julian’s brows furrowed. "That’s strange. He never goes anywhere without telling us."

Karl’s face darkened, his voice low. "He’s been acting worried since yesterday. I told him not to overthink about the holy fire..."

Ruby’s heart began to race. "No..." she whispered, stepping back as a strange chill ran through her. "No, don’t tell me he was—"

Karl quickly interrupted, shaking his head. "No, wife, Madame Shades was here the whole time. She didn’t take him."

The guests in the hall were already murmuring among themselves, whispering and glancing at one another, unsure if they should wait or quietly leave. The flames in the holy pit burned high and bright, and the tension only grew heavier with each passing second.

Then suddenly—

"Wife, I’m here!"

Everyone froze and turned toward the entrance. The large doors opened, and in walked Milo, his robe slightly wrinkled from running, his innocent eyes sparkling with excitement. But he wasn’t alone.

Behind him walked Kaelan, tall and composed though still pale, and with him were his parents, Martha and Loren.

Gasps spread through the hall.

Karl’s eyes widened so much that his jaw nearly dropped. "Where have you been?" he shouted, half in anger, half in relief, as Milo and the others approached.

Milo looked at him proudly, his face shining with happiness. "I found the groom for wife!" he announced, pointing at Kaelan with both hands.

The hall fell completely silent.

Ruby stared at him, her lips parted in shock. "What?" she breathed.

Milo smiled even wider. "Brother Kai and his parents agreed! He’s going to marry you!"

Everyone stared, speechless. Even the priestess blinked in disbelief. Karl’s mouth hung open, and Julian stood frozen, unsure if he heard right.

"Oh my goodness, Brother Kai—when did you wake up?" Karl finally shouted and rushed over, throwing his arms around Kaelan. "You scared us all to death!"

Kaelan smiled faintly, hugging him back. "I woke up yesterday," he said calmly, though his voice was still weak. "And when Milo came to see me, he told me everything... about the holy fire, the ceremony, and..." his gaze shifted toward Ruby, "...you."

Ruby’s heart twisted painfully as she met his eyes. His face looked tired, his skin still pale, but his presence was steady, and his deep voice carried warmth.

"Please, Kaelan," Ruby said softly, her eyes trembling. "If you’re doing this just to save me, don’t. I can’t let you ruin your life because of me."

Karl nodded quickly, stepping beside her. "Yeah, Kai, don’t do this just because of that stupid holy flame! We’ll find another way!"

But Kaelan’s calm expression didn’t waver. He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving Ruby’s. "No," he said firmly. "I’m not doing this out of pity or duty. I’m doing this because I want to."

Ruby blinked, stunned.

Kaelan took another step forward, his voice steady but full of quiet passion. "I’ve loved you since the day I saw you at that car race competition. You probably don’t even remember it, but I do. You were fearless. You didn’t care about losing—you only cared about winning with your own strength. Since that day, I couldn’t forget you."

Ruby’s eyes widened.

"I didn’t say anything before because I knew you were already surrounded by people who loved you," Kaelan continued softly. "But when Milo told me about the fire... I knew this was my only chance. If fate gives me even one moment to stand beside you, I’ll take it."

The hall went silent again.

Even Karl and Julian couldn’t speak. Angeline covered her mouth in shock, tears welling in her eyes. "Oh my goodness..." she whispered. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Karl blinked rapidly, looking between Ruby and Kaelan, his heart suddenly softening despite his confusion. "So... you really love our wife?" he asked dumbly.

Kaelan smiled faintly, his gaze still fixed on Ruby. "Yes. I do."

The flames in the holy pit flickered brighter, as if answering his words. The light danced softly across Ruby’s face as she stood frozen, torn between disbelief, fear... and something deep in her chest that felt strangely warm.

To be continued... 🪄