I Became A Married Man in Another World
Chapter 147
147 Riji Smiled Like a Flower
Juhwan scanned the surroundings. Everyone was leaning in, ears pricked.
It seemed they were desperate to catch even the faintest whisper of the conversation between the Hero and Juhwan.
“My grandson seems to be quite fond of your daughter. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
The Duke looked at Juhwan and offered a thin smile. Juhwan lowered his head slightly in a polite nod.
“I was worried we might have caused an offense, so I appreciate your kind words, Your Grace. If you would excuse us, may I have a moment to speak with the Hero?”
“Of course.”
With an elegant smile, the Duke released the Hero’s hand.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
Waiting until the Duke had moved a reasonable distance away, Juhwan leaned down and whispered into the Hero’s ear.
“Your ability—surely you’re not unaware of it? What you’re doing to those around you? If it’s that intense, it must have manifested long ago.”
Juhwan, who had possessed no mana before, had gained it immediately upon arriving in this world. He had become able to use it without even realizing it. The Heroes must have been the same. It was unthinkable that her power hadn’t manifested yet.
The Hero looked at Juhwan as if he were speaking nonsense. Was she truly unaware? Juhwan gazed steadily into her eyes.
“Haven’t strange things happened around you? Nothing ominous? The way people react, or anything at all?”
“….”
A flicker of hesitation crossed the Hero’s eyes before vanishing. Ah, so there is something. Juhwan pressed on.
“Even if you don’t know exactly what it is, you’ve noticed, haven’t you? That something is happening wherever you go.”
「What are you talking about? I don’t know. You’re strange. Pushing someone so suddenly…」
“Quiet! Just listen.”
“….”
“I don’t know exactly what it is, but you carry something sinister. My Rudolphs’ reactions make that much clear.”
The Hero glanced toward the Duke, looking uneasy. She seemed terrified of being found out.
「I don’t know, I really don’t. I was dropped here out of nowhere and I’m doing everything I can just to survive on my own. What did I do? What did I do wrong? I haven’t done anything. I was just dragged into this world. I was brought here because of this ‘Hero Summoning’ thing, and then everyone just turned their backs on me. What did I ever do to deserve this?」
The Hero cried out hysterically.
「You’re different from me—you have two Rudolphs and can use all sorts of magic. What would someone like you, someone with such blessed talents, know? You have no right to criticize me. We started from completely different places. Do you have any idea how miserable my situation is?」
She spoke with eyes brimming with tears.
「There’s no way you’d know. A Contractor of Santa—that’s something incredible, isn’t it! Could you ever understand someone like me, who was dropped into this world with nothing? Into a world where women are treated poorly, no less… What do you think you know?」
Juhwan let out a soft sigh. He understood. To be cast into a completely foreign world with nothing to rely on—and as a woman, no less. Her anxiety must be immense.
However, this woman, much like the Hero in the Tairon Kingdom, had started from a much better position than he had. It wasn’t as if she had begun her life in this world naked in a wagon full of rotting corpses.
Well, Juhwan had met Riji and Dorothy because of that, so he was fine with it. Now, he was even grateful. He believed he had started that way because it was a necessary path; otherwise, he never would have met his current family.
But hearing her talk about “blessed talents” made him feel a spark of irritation. Just how many times did she think he had brushed with death?
Even now, the kingdom was providing her with every luxury. They might be using her for their own ends, but in any world, those who don’t study and look out for themselves end up being used like fools.
Juhwan closed his eyes and calmed his heart. He didn’t want to criticize her or be angry. He only wanted to tell her to understand what she possessed and consider those around her.
“I don’t know exactly what kind of power you have. I don’t even know for sure if it’s real. But you need to look closely at your surroundings and think about what your ability is doing. If you are making those around you sick, if you are causing harm, it would be better for you to stay away from others.”
The Hero’s face went pale.
“W-what are you saying? I’m not like that. I’m just a normal person.”
Stammering in the Simoni language, the Hero quickly checked her surroundings.
“Surely, you aren’t planning to tell others? What will happen to me if you do?”
Trembling, the Hero reached out toward Juhwan. It seemed she was trying to grab him instinctively.
Juhwan pulled back slightly to avoid the contact. He had no desire to feel that horrific sensation again.
That stickiness that coiled into his very gut. Those hideous, agonizing emotions. It felt as though he were being swallowed by a darkness seething with crawling lava. Just imagining it made it hard to breathe.
Recalling that, Juhwan sighed quietly. He didn’t know why she had ended up with such an ability, but it wasn’t her fault. He felt a pang of pity for her.
Juhwan threw one last word to the Hero, who was biting her lip.
“If you want to live, don’t drag those around you down. If someone eventually notices, your life will become miserable. Find a way to live in isolation. That is likely the only way for you to survive in this world.”
If she was lucky, she might find someone who could stay by her side despite her ability. Even if not a person, perhaps an animal or a magic beast. It was a faint hope, at best.
“And… learn the language of this country. If you don’t understand the nuances of what people say, you won’t even realize when you’ve walked into a trap.”
Having said his piece, Juhwan stepped back.
He didn’t know the exact nature of the Hero’s power. He didn’t know how it manifested or how it tainted the surroundings. He only knew that what was inside her was incredibly horrific.
Perhaps there were already people who had been consumed by that power.
The words of Leonard and Percel came to mind. They had said the King was acting strange. The most powerful man in this world might already be under the Hero’s influence.
It might already be too late to do anything about her.
He glanced at the Duke. He looked fine on the outside, but he too might be affected. The fact that he couldn’t tell who was infected was terrifying. If he acted recklessly, he might be stabbed in the back before he knew it.
Besides, I don’t even know if everyone gets infected, or if only certain people are susceptible.
Yeonhwa approached and stood by Juhwan’s side. She snorted and pawed at the ground, as if declaring she would attack if they didn’t leave this place immediately.
The Hero trembled, looking around helplessly. She looked pitiful. How had she ended up with such a power? Back on Earth, she had likely just been an ordinary person.
But unlike humans, Yeonhwa and Oz had no such sentiments.
They seemed to have lost patience with the Hero lingering there.
Yeonhwa’s horn began to glow, and the grass around the Hero started to wither and turn yellow. It seemed Yeonhwa could bring death not only to beasts and humans but to plants as well.
「W-wait, what is this? What’s happening?」
With a tearful face, the Hero scrambled backward. But even as she retreated, the grass in her wake wilted and died. It looked as though death itself was following her.
The crowd began to murmur, and someone let out a small scream.
Though they had only thought of them as beautiful and cute, the abilities of Yeonhwa and Oz were not so charming. The silence that followed the initial surprise began to feel heavy.
Amidst the suffocating quiet, someone suddenly muttered.
“My god, what is that? Why does a magic beast have such a power…?”
What would happen if they realized these creatures’ powers could be applied to humans? Would the hands that had been stroking their heads in admiration pull away in terror?
Silence blanketed the area. No one spoke. Even the sound of breathing seemed audible.
From the distance, the loud thundering of hooves approached. Several horses arrived in a cloud of dust and came to a halt behind Juhwan.
“Margrave!”
As the Duke spoke with a bitter expression, a lively voice rang out from behind.
“Is the Duchess well? I heard she was quite ill. My wife was worried.”
“Yes. She is fine. Thank you for your concern.”
“However, this is unexpected. To think you brought the Hero along.”
The Margrave hopped down from his horse and took a step toward the Duke.
“Thank you for making the effort to attend. But my wife’s concern is great. She is quite close with the Duchess, after all. She complained that her elder brother was too cold-hearted to attend alone while leaving his sick wife behind. Haha.”
The Margrave grinned and looked at the Hero.
“She is a beauty. I have heard that His Majesty favors her. Duke, if you bring such a precious person to this dangerous border, you’ll cause His Majesty great worry. It has been quite chaotic around here lately.”
Though phrased politely, the meaning was clear: take her and go home.
The Duke offered a twitching smile and extended his hand to the Hero.
“It seems we’ve arrived at an inconvenient time. Hero, this way.”
While escorting the Hero, the Duke cast a glance at Juhwan. His eyes crinkled softly as he smiled.
“Mr. Juhwan, let us speak again at a better time. I shall send my man to you.”
The Duke turned away before Juhwan could even respond.
Watching the Duke board the carriage with the Hero, the Margrave muttered under his breath.
“That old snake.”
Despite his wife being the Duke’s sister, it seemed their relationship wasn’t particularly warm.
Juhwan looked at the tables and chairs scattered all over the ground. Servants were already clearing away the wreckage, but the scene was a disastrous mess.
“I am sorry, Margrave.”
“Ahaha. You mean that? It’s fine. Thanks to that, my guests got to see something rare. It made for excellent entertainment.”
The Margrave laughed as he looked at Oz.
Oz was still being scolded by Dorothy. Repeating the same words over and over, Dorothy pressed her face close to Oz’s and furrowed her brows.
“Oz, really… sigh… are you going to be such a bad bunny? Do you know how upset I am? Hmm?”
“Ppiiii….”
Oz’s ears drooped low to the sides.
“Are you sorry? For real? Okay. Then Dorothy will help you apologize to Mommy.”
Dorothy hugged Oz and started walking forward when she suddenly noticed Yeonhwa.
“Yeonhwa, you come here too. You have to apologize with us. That’s what a big sister does.”
“….”
As if letting out a sigh, Yeonhwa walked over with a slight toss of her mane. When the unicorn stood beside her, Dorothy whispered softly.
“Bow your head.”
Once Dorothy confirmed that Yeonhwa and Oz had lowered their heads, she looked up at Riji with a piteous expression.
“Mommy, Oz says he’s sorry. Please forgive him.”
Well, if they were going to ask for forgiveness, it should have been from the Margrave, not her mother. As Juhwan offered a wry smile, the Margrave burst into a boisterous laugh.
“Well, I’ll be. These fellas looked like they were ready to kill someone just a moment ago, but they’re like gentle puppies in front of the little lady.”
“So it seems.”
Leonard smiled as he watched Dorothy, then spoke to the Margrave.
“I have already contacted a place associated with our merchant house. There will be no issues with the party.”
He was likely referring to the food, tables, and chairs.
“I’d appreciate that. Since things turned out this way, shall we go with a slightly more wild atmosphere tonight? It might be unfamiliar to the ladies, but we men are used to this kind of setting.”
A short distance away, the Margrave’s wife gave instructions to the musicians. They began to play.
While the servants worked hard to clean up, the Margrave’s wife approached.
The Margrave narrowed his eyes as he looked at his wife.
“This reminds me of when we were young. There was a commotion once when a magic beast suddenly appeared. You suggested we dance in the middle of the mess back then. I thought you were magnificent. My lady, shall we have a dance?”
As the Margrave held out his hand, his wife took it, casting a brief glance at Riji.
“You should have a bit more confidence. Men are surprisingly fragile creatures. If a woman doesn’t hold the center, they waver. Become strong enough to strike back no matter who challenges you, Riji.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Your strength lies in your smile. Always show it to everyone. Your husband will become the strongest man in the world because of it.”
“…Thank you.”
At Riji’s soft voice, the Margrave’s wife smiled warmly. Then, she looked at her husband with a somewhat stern expression. The Margrave’s face seemed to flinch slightly. It appeared even a man of his stature was weak before his wife.
The Margrave couple began to dance to the music in the field littered with food. They didn’t seem to care about the eyes of others.
The two held hands and ran from one side to the other, a dance that involved vigorous movement. The tempo was fast, and the motions were powerful.
In a way, it looked less like dancing and more like they were fighting something. It was a strange sight.
After a moment, others began to join in. Laughter bloomed once more in the chaotic field.
Juhwan and Riji did not join them. It was a dance they hadn’t learned.
Riji stepped closer and leaned her head gently against Juhwan’s chest.
“They’re wonderful, those two.”
“They are.”
“I hope I can become like that lady someday.”
“No, I don’t think so…”
The Margrave’s wife felt less like a flower and more like a tree reaching out bravely. Honestly, it was hard to imagine Riji becoming like that.
“…Riji, you don’t have to change.”
He preferred Riji just as she was, smiling modestly. She was lovely, like a shy flower. When he told her that, she smiled.
