I Became A Married Man in Another World
Chapter 148
148 Tomb Village
Inside the rattling carriage, the Duke watched Jeong-hwa in silence.
The Hero was a beautiful woman and a person from the same world as the Santa contractor. Though different from the nobility, she possessed a certain level of refinement. He had assumed Juhwan would naturally be more drawn to her than to some ignorant country woman.
It didn’t necessarily have to be a romantic relationship. He simply needed a catalyst to pull Juhwan—whom the Margrave had claimed first—over to his side.
‘But it was a failure. If anything, I’ve only increased his wariness.’
Because the Hero insisted she knew the Santa contractor, the Duke had persuaded the reluctant King to let them meet.
The King had long thirsted for the Santa contractor. His desire for that power was far greater than his obsession with the Hero. Even so, it had been unexpectedly difficult to convince him.
Yet, contrary to expectations, Juhwan hadn’t recognized the Hero at all. In fact, he had looked at her as if he’d discovered something gruesome. The Hero had lied.
“….”
The Duke’s face must have hardened without him realizing it. Jeong-hwa stole a glance at him, looking anxious and on the verge of tears.
“It is all right, Hero.”
When the Duke spoke softly, Jeong-hwa looked visibly relieved. What a foolish woman. She didn’t even realize she was being used for his convenience.
The Duke turned his gaze out the window. The desolate land blurred past. Both the Margrave and the Duke’s younger sister, who had married into that family, seemed to love this land, but he couldn’t understand what there was to like about it.
“….”
The image of a small horned rabbit and a majestic unicorn flickered in his mind.
The Santa contractor was the most powerful weapon in this world. If only he had the Rudolphs that man possessed….
An excited breath escaped his lips despite himself.
Most heads of high-ranking noble houses knew of the Santa contractor.
However, few knew the exact truth about the contractor and the Rudolphs. No one living had actually seen them; they existed only in legends and oral traditions.
And stories passed down by word of mouth always become laced with lies.
Inevitably, details were omitted, while bravado and hyperbole were added.
Some of those falsehoods were planted by the royal family, while others were stories manipulated by the Margrave’s side.
By mixing and fabricating tales so that no one could know the exact truth, some nobles had come to believe that the Rudolphs were an exaggeration or a complete myth. Now, even the royal family couldn’t distinguish truth from fiction because the stories had been concocted for so long.
At this point, the people who knew the most about the Rudolphs were likely those involved with the Adventurer’s Guild and the Margrave.
The Margrave’s fief had been a battlefield for generations. Naturally, legends related to the Santa contractor remained scattered throughout the territory. It was the place where one could get closest to the original truth.
The reason those facts hadn’t spread was that the Margrave was suppressing them.
He was cooperating with the Guild to hide the information, ensuring no one understood the true significance of the Santa contractor.
‘I must hurry.’
Even if they didn’t know exactly what the Rudolphs signified, the nobles were already making their moves. He had to act while the Margrave was still being lukewarm out of consideration for Juhwan’s feelings.
Arriving at the villa he used whenever he visited the Margrave’s fief, the Duke left the Hero in the care of a maid and headed to the wing where his grandson was staying.
‘That man… just as the rumors said, he treats women and children with kindness.’
He had been furious at the servant’s report that his grandson had befriended a commoner, but now, he felt it was divine guidance.
“Organize a gathering for the children. Invite Juhwan’s child—Dorothy, was it? Invite her. Hurry, before the Margrave finds out.”
After instructing the servant following behind him, the Duke opened the door to his grandson’s room. A pretty face with golden hair that closely resembled his own looked at him, stiff with tension.
“Grandfather.”
Watching his grandson bow with perfect etiquette, the Duke felt a slight pang of frustration that he had to pit his precious grandson against a lowly commoner child. But it was a necessary task.
“My child.”
A gentle smile spread across the Duke’s face.
Spending the night inside a large circular tent was more enjoyable than expected. The floor was lined with soft straw, topped with fabric and thick mats for bedding. It lacked the opulence of the villa, but the quality was far beyond what one would expect from an outdoor tent.
Dorothy and Oz played, rolling from one side to the other, before eventually falling asleep. From one corner of the tent, Yeonhwa watched over them.
Riji seemed to be exhausted from the day’s events. After shedding her corset and dress for comfortable clothes, she sat huddled at the edge of the blankets, nodding off.
Juhwan watched his family resting peacefully before quietly standing up. He draped a small shawl over Riji’s shoulders and stepped outside, where Daniel was waiting.
“Daniel, can I see the Margrave?”
“He has already sent word that he wishes to see you.”
“I see.”
Juhwan walked quietly. The stars in the sky sparkled exceptionally bright. People often described them as jewels set in velvet, and it truly looked that way.
“The sky here is quite beautiful.”
“Is it not so in the other world?”
Juhwan gave a bitter smile at Daniel’s question. He hadn’t spoken a word of Korean, but because he looked like the Hero, it seemed the secret was out. Not just Daniel, but everyone present must have realized.
“Yeah. Over there, the sky is gray and hazy. It’s not beautiful like this.”
“A hazy sky… how strange. Do you wish to return there, Juhwan-nim?”
“No, not at all. Everything precious to me is here.”
His parents, Riji, and Dorothy—they were all here. All that remained in that other world were memories.
The path he used to walk with his father, the stream by the road where he’d hide whenever his mother scolded him, the places where he ran around with friends as a snot-nosed brat.
Daniel grinned.
“That’s a relief.”
“….”
Yes, it really was. He was glad he came here. Recalling the Hero’s despairing expression, Juhwan shrugged his shoulders slightly. He hoped that woman would find some happiness too….
When they reached the Margrave’s tent, the servant standing at the entrance bowed silently. As the flap was lifted and he stepped inside, he saw the Margrave sitting in casual attire, nursing a drink.
“Welcome.”
“Forgive me for the late hour.”
“Nonsense, I was planning to see you anyway.”
The Margrave poured a drink and offered it. Juhwan sat down and took a sip, and the Margrave spoke with a smirk.
“Every noble keeps informants in other territories across the kingdom. Well, ‘informant’ is a grand word for it. They just mingle with the commoners to gauge the atmosphere.”
The Margrave drained his glass and spoke bitterly.
“Lately, strange rumors have been coming out of the Royal Capital. Most of them say His Majesty is far too fond of the Hero. There are even rumors that, out of jealousy, he sends any man the Hero shows interest in to the dangerous borders. And that happens to be true. I know of at least three such men.”
The Margrave looked Juhwan straight in the eye.
“How do you view that Hero? Do you think she is dangerous?”
“Probably.”
Juhwan lowered his head slightly.
“I don’t know for certain either. But if you’re asking for my advice, don’t get close to her. Just touching her—perhaps even just staying near her—is dangerous.”
“I see. I thought as much, seeing the Rudolphs’ reaction.”
The Margrave’s expression turned solemn.
“Thank you for the invitation, but I think it’s best if I leave early tomorrow morning.”
“Is it because of the Duke’s invitation?”
“…Yes. I intend to leave this region immediately.”
“Understood.”
The Margrave picked up an envelope he had placed in the corner.
“This is a permit that allows you to enter any part of this fief. With this, you can enter the borders or the forests without restriction and hunt as you please.”
“Thank you.”
As Juhwan accepted it, the Margrave grinned.
“The hunt was enjoyable. I’d like to test my skills against yours one day. I’d appreciate it if you could find the time.”
“I’m not sure about that…. I’m not confident I could win against you, My Lord.”
“Haha. Are you saying you’re afraid you might kill me if you find yourself in danger?”
“….”
“Hmm, that stings my pride a bit.”
A vein popped slightly on the Margrave’s forehead. Is he actually angry? Juhwan’s heart sank for a moment.
“So you haven’t even considered the possibility of losing. But I haven’t survived decades of war just for show. I’ll make sure we spar at least once, even if I have to force it.”
Juhwan gave a bitter smile, feeling somewhat relieved. This man simply wanted to fight; he truly seemed to enjoy testing his strength.
It was a bit difficult to respond. He wasn’t that kind of person anymore.
The Juhwan who fought as easily as breathing was gone. Now, he was the gentle, doting husband and father version of himself.
Glimpsing a shadow of his old self in the Margrave’s laughter, Juhwan lowered his head slightly. Was he once such a boisterous man? He felt a little embarrassed.
*
Before the deep darkness had even receded, Juhwan left the camp in the early hours of the morning.
Riding in the carriage provided by the Margrave, Dorothy expressed her disappointment at not getting to see the pretty boy she had played with. Apparently, the Duke’s grandson was the prettiest person Dorothy had ever seen. Seeing Dorothy sigh like that made Juhwan feel strangely dejected.
It’s too early for boys, Dorothy. Your dad’s going to cry.
As soon as they arrived at Bern Adventurer Village, Juhwan headed straight for the Guild. Riji and Dorothy stayed at the inn. The two were far too exhausted to make the trip to the Guild.
Inside the envelope from the Margrave, there had been a short letter alongside the permit.
The content was simple. He just suggested visiting a certain village. Naturally, it was a place Juhwan didn’t know.
When he handed it to the Chatterbox and asked if she knew where it was, she tilted her head in confusion.
Villages in this world were often named after nearby large cities or mountains. Things like the Round Rock Village of Mt. XX, Pointy Village of City XX, Wind Valley Village of XX, White Snake Village of City XX, Goblin Village, and so on.
The name written on the paper from the Margrave was just the name of a border region and the eerie title, “Tomb Village.”
“Hmm, please wait a moment. I think I saw it once while organizing documents. I remember it because the name was so unusual.”
The Chatterbox wrestled with the dust on the inner shelves for quite a while before pulling out a small piece of paper.
“There isn’t much here.”
The Chatterbox frowned.
“It seems this is… a closed-off village. The documents just say access is prohibited. It doesn’t even say exactly where the village is. It just lists the general region. Sigh, if he was going to tell you, he should have told you properly. What is this? It’s like he’s playing riddles with a child. Please wait a moment. I’ll send an inquiry over that way.”
As the Chatterbox let out a deep sigh, the Guild doors burst open. A man in neat attire strode inside. The Chatterbox stared at the man with her mouth agape.
‘Ah, that man.’
It was a familiar face. He was the servant who was always by the Margrave’s side.
The servant bowed politely to Juhwan and held out a sealed envelope.
“My apologies. My master sent me because he forgot to deliver this.”
The paper inside the envelope contained a map of the area, including the village. It wasn’t precise, just a rough sketch. Wait, did he really send a servant just to deliver this? While Juhwan stood there puzzled, the servant bowed to the Chatterbox.
“Excuse me, but may I get a confirmation receipt? I was ordered to leave this at the Guild in case I couldn’t meet Juhwan-nim, so I need the Guild’s signature.”
Ah, so this was intentional. Juhwan stole a glance at the Chatterbox. She said she had been kicked out of her home. Since they couldn’t contact her openly, they must have used this method to get in touch secretly.
‘Surely he didn’t just write down some random village name just to make this happen.’
The Chatterbox let out a long sigh and slumped her shoulders.
“Fine. I’m a Guild employee, so… I guess I have to do what the Margrave says.”
“….”
While the servant gave a wry smile, the Chatterbox scribbled a few words and handed the paper back.
“The Madam was worried. She will be very happy to see this. Thank you.”
The servant bowed politely and left.
“Honestly… they kick me out without a penny, and then what? If it weren’t for the Master, I would have starved to death on the streets that very day. They didn’t care if I lived or died, and now they’re doing this?”
The Chatterbox grumbled and complained to herself. Juhwan let her words go in one ear and out the other as he quietly studied the map.
Why on earth did the Margrave tell him to go to such a village? Moreover, the name was Tomb Village. He couldn’t help but feel an ominous sensation.
