I Became A Married Man in Another World
Chapter 144
144. The Hero’s Appearance
I must not fail. This will surely be my last chance.
Jeonghwa muttered to herself repeatedly as she left her body in the hands of her maids.
Since arriving in this country, she had several extravagant dresses custom-made. She had received jewels as well. Unlike the King or the Crown Prince of the Tairon Kingdom, the Majesty of this nation was kind.
In Tairon, she was nagged every single day to study. She wasn’t even on Earth anymore; she couldn’t understand why she had to come all the way here just to study.
The sheer volume of things she had to learn was beyond imagination. Manners, language, the history of the kingdom. Whenever she failed to complete the assigned amount, her tutors wore expressions of blatant dislike.
But it was different here. No one forced her to study.
She thought she should at least learn the language properly, but the people of this country were understanding even of that.
An interpreter capable of speaking both the languages of Tairon and the Simoni Kingdom stayed by her side, explaining things step-by-step with gestures until she understood. There were still many words she couldn’t quite grasp, but they simply smiled and told her it was alright.
She was told it would be best to learn etiquette, but since she was a Hero, a bit of clumsiness was permitted. Everyone understood that she couldn’t help it, being unfamiliar with this world.
They told her there was no need to know the kingdom’s history or its territories. Even without knowing such things, the Hero only needed to look as beautiful as a flower and smile for the people.
The Hero was a being sent by God, a flame of hope that warmed the hearts of the people. It was enough for her to simply exist. That was what they told her.
However, the people here also asked her several times if she had ever met a Santa. The King, the Duke, and the escorting knights were all the same. Just when she was about to forget, they would slip the question in.
This time, she answered firmly every time that she had never met one. Even so, they didn’t seem disappointed. They merely smiled and said, “Is that so?” It might have been a mere front, but she felt much more at ease here than in Tairon.
People also asked about the male Hero in the Tairon Kingdom, but she replied that she didn’t know much.
She hated the idea of the attention directed at her shifting to that man. If she told them he was a necromancer, they would surely covet him. That could never happen. She couldn’t fail this time. Surely, this was her last chance.
While she was lost in thought, her makeup and hair were finished.
“Jeonghwa-nim, it is done. You look truly beautiful.”
The maid looked at her with a soft smile. She seemed to genuinely believe she was beautiful. Jeonghwa gave a bright smile.
“Thank you.”
Since first arriving at the royal palace, Jeonghwa’s maids had changed several times, but most were Shrine Maidens from the temple.
She heard that each country’s attitude toward a Hero differed slightly. In this country, she was told the Hero was called a Messenger of God. Accordingly, the people’s faith and admiration were stronger than in other nations.
Moreover, Jeonghwa was an exceptionally rare female Hero. They said they couldn’t imagine placing anyone beside her other than the Shrine Maidens of the temple.
In reality, however, it was the result of competition among nobles who coveted the Hero. It was obvious that complaints would arise no matter who was by her side. So, the first Shrine Maiden told her that they, being in the most neutral position, had become her maids.
“….”
The maid currently with her was an ordinary noble. Had they said she was the daughter of some Count? When she was moved briefly to the Duke’s mansion, the King had assigned her as a maid.
To be honest, she liked this maid better than the Shrine Maidens. She didn’t know why, but being with the Shrine Maidens made her feel stifled. Was it because they were too quiet? Perhaps it was because the Shrine Maidens were too rigid.
They rarely laughed, were always offering prayers to God, and were simply no fun.
Furthermore, for some reason, she felt small when she was next to a Shrine Maiden. Even though they weren’t explicitly criticizing her, she felt as though they were rebuking her for not studying this world. It felt like a subtle form of condescension.
This maid was fine. She was always soft and kind. However, the one thing she didn’t like was…
“Jeonghwa-nim, have you thought about it?”
“Oh… about what?”
“Staying by His Majesty’s side. Everyone would be so happy if you did.”
“….”
“Of course, it’s a wonderful opportunity for you as well, Jeonghwa-nim. If you were to bear His Majesty a son, it wouldn’t be a mere dream to become the official Queen.”
“….”
This was it. She kept asking why she didn’t become the King’s concubine. Not even the Queen, but a concubine. Did she take her for a fool?
In Tairon, they at least recommended young nobles as spouses. But the King of this country said he wanted to take Jeonghwa as his concubine.
If they wanted to make her a possession of the royal family, shouldn’t they at least offer a Prince?
Recalling the King’s face, layered with old wrinkles, Jeonghwa shuddered involuntarily.
She hated it. She wouldn’t marry the King if it killed her. When she got close, the King smelled strange. A rotten stench wafted from his mouth every time he spoke. To sleep in the same bed as such a person, to kiss him and do things beyond that—she absolutely hated it. Just thinking about it made her want to vomit.
Jeonghwa smiled brightly, taking care not to let those thoughts show.
“So, today we’re going to meet the Santa-grade Adventurer, right?”
“…Yes, the Duke will be here shortly.”
“Until when do I have to decide? On a marriage partner?”
“Well. It would be best to decide by the time summer arrives at the latest. The sooner, the better. I hate to say this, but you are a bit older, Jeonghwa-nim.”
The maid spoke as if troubled, then shook her head slightly as if flustered.
“Of course, I don’t mean that you look old. You are truly beautiful and look very young, Jeonghwa-nim. But in this country, women marry early. If it’s too late, it becomes difficult to have children, and well…”
Jeonghwa nodded with an awkward smile.
“Yes, I know. Speaking honestly like that is actually helpful.”
Jeonghwa let out a small sigh.
They said it was better to decide on a marriage partner quickly, but in reality, there was no one to choose. The only candidate was the King.
There were a few more nobles, but since the King was set on making her his concubine, there was no way they would dare approach her.
At this rate, it felt like she really would end up married to the King.
To avoid that, she had racked her brain and come up with the Santa-grade Adventurer.
She heard that a Santa-grade Adventurer was as special as a Hero. Besides, his name was Juhwan…
The moment she heard that name, it felt as if a light had switched on in her head.
It was a Korean name, after all.
When she asked what he looked like and what kind of person he was, it was one hundred percent the man she had seen on the subway. There couldn’t be many men with such a massive build and a Korean name.
From what she heard, he seemed to have a good personality, and unlike Taehyung, who had come to this world with her, he was said to be kind to women. He was supposedly on good terms with the woman he lived with.
From then on, she had kept pestering them, saying she wanted to marry the Santa adventurer, that he was someone she knew, and to let her meet him. Today was the opportunity she had finally won.
Jeonghwa stared quietly into the mirror.
‘Lee Jeonghwa, you have to do well. You must make a good impression. If you don’t catch this man Juhwan, you’ll be married to the King. If you want to avoid that, you absolutely must make him like you.’
Thanks to her family genes, her appearance was quite outstanding. Dressed up like this, even she thought she looked rather pretty. Jeonghwa placed a finger on her face in the mirror and stroked it gently.
It’s okay. It’ll definitely work out. We’re both from Earth. Surely he must miss people from the same Earth too. Maybe he even wants to go back. He’ll definitely be happy to see Jeonghwa.
Suddenly, she thought of the woman said to be Juhwan’s wife. She heard she was a woman who had been another man’s wife. A wife he had obtained by force in some small country village.
Poor thing, unlike her, it seemed that man had been thrown straight out into that harsh outside world instead of a royal palace.
If she could comfort and heal the wounded man and gradually build a good relationship, she could surely find happiness in this world too.
“….”
If she married Juhwan, would she become the primary wife and that woman become the second wife or a concubine? Or would that woman be sent away somewhere else?
She hadn’t heard the exact details yet, but they might stay together as concubines. In this country, it was said a man could have several concubines in addition to a wife.
‘I don’t like that very much.’
Jeonghwa sighed softly. It couldn’t be helped. There was no world where everything went exactly as one wished. She would just have to fix things to suit her little by little.
An attendant brought word that the Duke was waiting.
When Jeonghwa nodded that she was ready, the large doors swung open.
“This is… you are truly beautiful. I can fully understand why His Majesty desires you so much.”
The Duke approached with a soft smile and held out his hand.
Being told she was beautiful always made her happy. It was likely because she believed her appearance was her only merit.
As Jeonghwa placed her hand on his, the Duke turned and led her outside. He leaned his upper body slightly and whispered into Jeonghwa’s ear.
“I hope you can build a good relationship with Juhwan-ssi.”
The Duke was the benefactor who had persuaded the reluctant King and brought things this far. Without the Duke, there might not have been a chance for her to meet Juhwan. I can trust this man. Thinking this, Jeonghwa bowed her head toward the Duke.
“Thank you, Your Excellency.”
“Hehe, don’t mention it.”
She liked this country. Although she had no desire to marry the King, he still craved her, and the people were all kind.
Compared to the days when she was locked away alone in the Tairon Kingdom, this was like heaven.
Besides, there was Juhwan, a man who hadn’t been tainted by the mindset of this world.
As she boarded the carriage, Jeonghwa’s heart began to flutter.
Inside a large tent, chefs were busy preparing food. Steaming meat dishes and food made of unknown ingredients were beautifully decorated and moved to the main pavilion.
Inside the large pavilion, which was open at the sides, several tables were pushed together and covered with clean cloths. Freshly made dishes and drinks were lined up atop them.
Near the food tables, small tables and chairs were set out.
Attendants in neat attire moved between the tables, serving the nobles.
Perhaps because it was outdoors, unlike yesterday, people were laughing and chatting loudly. The pavilion, as well as the entire hunting ground, was filled with a noisy, excited atmosphere.
A short distance from the large pavilion, circular tents were erected.
The circular tents filling the wide field were mostly lodgings for the nobles. She heard that about one was assigned per family.
A few spots seemed to be places where anyone could go and rest, rather than being for a specific family. They were likely used as places for men and women to couple. Seeing Daniel trail off his words, it seemed to be the case.
Immediately after Juhwan left with the men, Riji remained tense for quite a while.
However, after a few hours, the atmosphere among the people changed. Men and women danced together to the music played by musicians, or some disappeared between the circular tents. She didn’t even want to think about what they were doing.
A few people headed to their own tents to rest for a while.
As the atmosphere loosened in that way, the people scattered, and the crowd that had gathered around Riji eventually quieted down.
Only then was Riji finally able to catch her breath. As the tension bled away, her entire body felt as heavy as water-soaked fabric.
To be honest, she was exhausted.
Riji watched the people with a slightly dazed expression.
There was so much delicious food, but she couldn’t eat it. The corset tightening her chest and waist made even breathing difficult. There was no room for food to go in. Besides, she was too tired.
“Sigh.”
A sigh escaped her lips involuntarily. It was such a waste. This was an opportunity that might only come once in a lifetime. Still, the silver lining was that Dorothy was eating to her heart’s content.
Dorothy, who had been focused only on eating for a while, was looking around for something with food smeared all over her face and hands.
“Dorothy, what is it?”
Sensing something was off, Riji approached and asked, to which Dorothy replied with a hint of disappointment.
“I’m looking for the kid who made me a squire. But he’s not here, Mom.”
“Who?”
“Um, the young master? He’s a really pretty kid. He’s a boy, but his eyelashes are this long and his cheeks are white.”
She seemed to be talking about the noble young master who was the Duke’s grandson. Watching Angelica wipe Dorothy’s hands and mouth, Riji let out a small sigh.
“Dorothy, you must call him ‘Young Master.’ And you shouldn’t just approach him and talk to him whenever you want.”
“Why?”
“….”
How should she explain it? Riji hesitated for a moment.
Juhwan was a special being, a contractor of a Santa. But Riji and Dorothy were just commoners. They were just commoners who formed a family because Juhwan cherished the two of them so much.
The reason the people around them accepted Riji and Dorothy as special to Juhwan was solely because Juhwan valued them that much.
Even then, that wouldn’t hold weight with most nobles. This party by the Marchioness was an exception among exceptions; she shouldn’t expect this kind of treatment to continue in the future.
Furthermore, in the eyes of others, Dorothy was not Juhwan’s daughter. There was no blood connection. No matter how much Juhwan thought of Dorothy as his real daughter, the thoughts of those around them would be different.
But she didn’t know how to explain that to Dorothy.
Just as she was choosing and re-choosing the right words in her head, she heard the sound of people buzzing with excitement.
Turning her gaze, she saw an extravagant carriage approaching from afar.
The carriages here were all fancy and large, but she didn’t think she had seen one as magnificent as the one coming now.
As soon as they saw that carriage, Daniel and Angelica, who were near Riji, spoke almost simultaneously.
“Madam, it would be best to step away for a moment.”
Without knowing what was going on, Riji began to walk under Angelica’s guidance. Angelica looked calm, but the atmosphere was somehow ominous.
Dorothy followed behind Riji, led by Daniel. The child still seemed to want to eat, but when Daniel said he would bring the food to the tent, she followed without a second word. Perhaps Dorothy was a bit tired as well.
However, the carriage was coming straight this way along the central path. The carriage, which had arrived in an instant, stopped right near Riji.
Everyone stood and stared at the carriage. Daniel and Angelica could no longer walk and came to a halt.
An attendant who had been sitting on the coach box with the driver quickly hopped down and placed a step stool covered in pretty fabric beneath the carriage door. Then, he opened the door.
The first to emerge was an elderly noble man.
Everyone bowed their heads slightly. Angelica whispered to her that he was the only Duke in this country.
The Duke was not alone. After stepping down from the carriage, he reached out his hand to a woman coming from inside.
Along with a flamboyant dress, the woman’s figure appeared.
“….”
Riji’s heart gave a heavy, loud thud.
’Oh my god.’
She muttered to herself involuntarily.
