I Became A Married Man in Another World
Chapter 49
049 Are we poor now? We were rich a moment ago.
It felt as though she were walking on soft, drifting clouds.
In the distance, she could see an area designated for carriages and horses. No one stood at the entrance, but the caretaker was likely somewhere inside.
Lij suddenly looked up. Her husband’s face seemed so far above her.
As if sensing her gaze, he looked down and met her eyes.
A soft smile spread across his face, his fierce eyes curving downward into a gentle expression.
In that moment, she realized it.
‘He doesn’t know.’
He had no idea. He didn’t understand the true value of the money they had just received. He probably hadn’t ever been as poor as Lij.
When Lij told him they were rich, he had smiled, but he clearly hadn’t grasped the full weight of those words.
The old man Lij’s sister had married was a ‘prosperous peasant’—well-off by the standards of the poor.
Most transactions in the village were done through bartering, but one could still estimate a general income.
She had heard that her sister’s husband earned about 100 Lina a year. That was the combined income of him and all his grown sons working together.
Sometimes it was more, sometimes less. Some years it was 120 Lina, other years only 90.
120 Lina was equal to 10 silver coins.
For just seven rabbit furs, they had received several times more than what her sister’s family earned from a whole year of grueling labor.
Of course, prices were higher in the city, and to the incredibly wealthy, this might be a pittance. To the rich or the nobility, it was surely a trivial sum.
But to a peasant like Lij, 49 silver coins was an amount of money one might never even touch once in a lifetime.
Moreover, they hadn’t even sold the wolf pelt.
Juhwan had said it didn’t matter if they sold it, but it was the first thing her husband had hunted. When Lij showed her reluctance to part with it, Juhwan had let her keep it.
A mere wife’s feelings shouldn’t have mattered. He could have ignored her and sold it anyway, yet he had smiled and told her to do as she pleased.
Lij stole another glance at Juhwan. She wondered if he was angry that they couldn’t sell the wolf pelt because of her.
She knew he wasn’t that kind of person, but this involved a massive sum of money. Normally, anyone would feel regret or anger.
After all, wolf fur would be much more expensive than rabbit.
Yet, Juhwan’s expression remained unchanged, his smile steady. He wasn’t even thinking about the wolf pelt. He was just his usual self.
Lowering her gaze, she saw her small hand completely enveloped within her husband’s large one.
She felt like she was exactly like that hand.
Cradled by him, she was being kept away from the world’s harsh waves. She was completely shielded from misfortune.
If his hand ever let go of hers, she would be instantly exposed, naked, to a world of thunder and lightning.
Suddenly, she felt afraid.
Once you taste a sweet world, you can no longer breathe in the filth of the gutters. You can’t go back to living like that.
Lij watched Juhwan’s face as he answered Dorothy’s questions. Dorothy was only now asking what an adventurer was.
‘Juhwan.’
The man was a sweet poison. He surrounded her with sweetness and delight, unraveling the heart she had kept tightly bound. He was making it so she couldn’t live without him.
Even if she were beaten or lived day to day on terrible gruel, she could never go back to the days when she thought that was just what life was. If she returned to a time when she was merely surviving, her heart would fall ill, and she wouldn’t be able to go on.
It wasn’t just about the money. Compared to the light she knew now, the days when she didn’t know the kindness of a man felt like being deep in a dark, subterranean hole.
‘I don’t want to go back.’
Lij squeezed her husband’s large hand tight.
Please, don’t ever change.
She didn’t know why. She was so happy right now, yet she felt far more anxious than when she had been miserable. It felt as if the ground beneath her feet were made of clouds.
“Lij, are you okay?”
Her behavior must have seemed strange. Juhwan leaned down to look into her face.
“Mommy, does your tummy hurt?”
Dorothy asked, her eyes wide with concern.
Lij replied that it was nothing and that she was fine, but Juhwan still seemed worried. He moved to pick her up like a child with his remaining arm.
“Hehe, I’m fine.”
Only when Lij laughed did he seem to relax.
“Let’s find a place to stay and get some rest.”
Juhwan spoke tenderly, giving the hand he held a light squeeze.
His warmth seemed to tell her that the man before her was the same person who had been with her all along. Her consistently kind husband.
As she walked, led by Juhwan, Lij felt a deep sense of relief settle in her heart.
Yes, he wouldn’t change. He wouldn’t change even if they became rich. He was a man who was invariably kind and gentle.
He still called Dorothy, who wasn’t his blood, his daughter, and he loved her—the woman he had been forced to marry.
‘There’s no need to be anxious.’
The clouds beneath her feet, which had felt so weightless she might fall through, seemed to solidify.
Before she knew it, she was back on solid ground.
[It’s okay to stay happy. No one will take it away. If anyone tries to drag you back to a place of misery, I’ll strike them all down.]
She felt as if Juhwan’s rugged profile were saying those words to her.
Maybe he had something on his face. Lij kept staring at him.
‘But…’
Whenever their eyes met, Lij would give him a sweet smile, making him think he might have actually become handsome. Perhaps the mana filling his body was affecting his appearance.
Juhwan tentatively stroked his own face, but well, it didn’t feel particularly different.
‘Maybe I’ll check my reflection in the axe later.’
He’d sneak a look to see if his face had changed when Lij and Dorothy weren’t around.
As they headed toward the carriage, they saw the caretaker in the corner, feeding other horses.
Upon spotting Juhwan, the caretaker gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
“I’m gonna ride in the front! Because I’m an adventurer!”
Just as an excited Dorothy pointed at the driver’s seat and shouted, the ten-year-old boy they had met at the entrance popped out from behind the carriage.
“….”
“I was guarding the carriage really hard. I kept a sharp eye out to make sure no thieves came by.”
“….”
The boy stole a glance at Juhwan, then scratched his head with a sheepish grin.
“If you haven’t decided on a place to stay yet, shall I take you to my house?”
Since he had seen them meet the three adventurers at the entrance, he seemed to know his lie had been found out.
The caretaker spoke as he carried a bucket of water for the horses.
“As long as you don’t give that kid any money, it’s fine. His house is a bit shabby, but the prices are reasonable and the food is good. The owners are decent people, too. It’s just that the kid is a bit of a troublemaker.”
Juhwan thanked the caretaker and looked at the boy.
“Alright, let’s go to your house.”
“Haha! Thank you!”
The boy beamed and ran ahead.
“This way! Just follow me in your carriage.”
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Lij began to drive the horse. The ten-year-old boy ran as fast as a squirrel, glancing back frequently.
“Over here! This way!”
He raised his hand high to guide them. Lij chuckled softly.
“He’s a lively one. He lies a bit, but maybe that’s for the best. With that much survival instinct, he’ll manage wherever he goes.”
Lij glanced back at Dorothy.
Dorothy was busy playing adventurer.
It seemed Oz was the magical beast and Toto was her party member.
Oz, who was napping on Dorothy’s lap, was currently said to be brooding a fire-breathing egg. Why a rabbit was laying an egg, and how that egg breathed fire, was a mystery.
“The world isn’t easy for men either, but it’s especially hard for girls. A man can become independent when he’s an adult, but a woman can’t decide anything for herself. In reality, there’s no path other than marriage.”
Lij gave a bright smile.
“I want Dorothy to grow up strong, like a wildflower.”
Dorothy seemed absorbed in her play, but she must have been listening to the adults. She shouted out loud.
“Mommy! Dorothy is an adventurer! I can’t be a wildflower because I’m an adventurer. Wildflowers can’t go anywhere.”
“Hehe, you’re right.”
Lij laughed quietly. She seemed to be remembering her own childhood. Her expression was a bit bittersweet.
The lodging the boy led them to was tucked slightly into a messy alleyway.
The center of the village was quite clean, but the alleys beyond were a different story. They were cluttered with makeshift buildings, shabby houses, and littered with waste and trash everywhere.
The alley wasn’t wide, making them anxious that the carriage might bump into people with every turn of the wheels.
“It’s here. Come inside.”
The boy guided the carriage next to a wooden building that was slightly better than a makeshift hut.
It wasn’t a proper stable; it was just a small open space without a roof, featuring several wooden posts for tying horses. Feed troughs were set up in front of the posts.
There was one peddler’s wagon in the corner, likely belonging to another guest. The horse hitched to it looked very old. For some reason, the cramped space felt even more pathetic because of that wagon and horse.
Juhwan must have had a slightly unimpressed look on his face.
The boy rubbed his nose awkwardly.
“The horse feed is good, though. And even if the house looks like this, we use really good ingredients.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just my first time at a place like this, so I was a bit surprised.”
He might have hurt the child’s feelings. When Juhwan spoke to the boy as he stepped down from the carriage, the child grinned.
“Then please try the Special Meal. My mom’s Special Meals are really delicious. They’re amazing. And the portions are huge.”
The word the boy used seemed to mean a “special set menu.”
Lij, having climbed down from the carriage, whispered in Juhwan’s ear that it sounded expensive. Based on her whispering, it seemed she intended to eat something cheap.
‘Well, I think we can afford to eat something decent for at least one day. It’s not like the food here will be that expensive anyway.’
Juhwan thought this but said nothing, only smiling quietly. He pressed the pouch of money he’d received from the guild into Lij’s hand.
“Lij, you keep this.”
He would leave the choice of food and supplies to Lij from now on. She was the party’s accountant and manager.
She seemed uncomfortable spending money now, but as they earned more, she’d get used to it. The day would come soon when she’d say, “Let’s eat something expensive and delicious today,” without worrying about the cost.
He just hoped that day would come sooner rather than later. If possible, he wanted to eat something tasty.
Lij’s eyes went wide, and she froze in her tracks.
“Welcome, guests!”
The boy, who had gone ahead, gestured for Juhwan and his family to come in. But Lij didn’t seem to hear him. She was staring at the money pouch as if it were some kind of monster.
It couldn’t be helped. When he scooped up the frozen Lij, Dorothy, who was being held in his other arm, tilted her head.
“Why did Mommy turn into a dummy?”
“I wonder.”
Only after a long moment did Lij seem to snap out of it, whispering urgently into Juhwan’s ear.
“What if we get robbed?!”
“Then there’s nothing we can do. We still have money in the account, so it’s fine. Besides, we’re going to keep earning money from now on.”
Just like the adventurers who had come to subjugate the goblins, Juhwan could spend his time hunting magical beasts. Even if not that, the guild would have other jobs. He didn’t know if they’d pay well, but they’d be able to make a living.
“Hahaha! Mommy looks like a dummy. Her face turned into a dummy.”
Dorothy giggled, pointing at Lij’s face.
Lij’s mouth just hung open, no sound coming out.
*
The first floor of the inn seemed to be a tavern serving food. There were several tables and chairs made from roughly cut wood.
He had expected it to be empty, but there were surprisingly many people.
Most of the customers were dressed in shabby clothes.
There were also several people who looked like adventurers.
Perhaps people who weren’t staying at the inn also came here for food and drinks.
It felt more like a neighborhood eatery or a pub than an inn.
A large woman, carrying a tray stacked with several plates of food, spotted the boy as she walked between the tables.
“You brat! Where have you been running around telling lies again?!”
“Mom! I brought guests.”
“I know! Your mother has eyes, too. You little brat, do you have any idea how much my throat hurts every time because of you?!”
The woman shouted as she set the plates on a table, then marched over huffing.
As soon as she reached Juhwan with a furious face, she didn’t even listen to the story before rapping the boy on the head with her knuckles.
Then she bowed deeply to Juhwan.
“I’m so sorry. Did he try to sell you beer again? Or did he take money for guarding your carriage and horse? Oh, honestly, that boy is going to be the death of me.”
The customers sitting at the tables burst into loud laughter.
“No. We came as guests. That boy guided us from the front of the guild.”
“Oh, really? He just guided you?”
The woman blinked, looking skeptical.
The boy pouted and grumbled.
“Really, Mom, you’re too much. I’ve been working hard from dawn till night bringing in guests. And they’re overnight guests!”
He certainly had a silver tongue. Especially considering he’d tried to scam them every chance he got from start to finish.
“Oh dear.”
The woman looked flustered and began stroking the boy’s head where she’d just hit him. Then she gave Juhwan and Lij a wide smile.
“How many days will you be staying?”
“We’re not sure yet. We just registered as adventurers at the guild, so…”
“Oh my, then it’ll be at least a month.”
The woman’s smile grew even wider.
“What kind of room would you like? Since you have a child, two beds would be best, right? A room with one bed is 1 Lina for two days, but there’s a small extra charge for two beds. But, oh well, let’s just go with the basic rate. You have a kid, and it’s a long-term stay.”
The woman’s large frame swayed as she walked toward the corner where the stairs were.
“Payment is in advance, but if you pay for a month at once, I’ll give you a discount. It’s normally 15 Lina, but I’ll take off 3. One silver coin will do.”
“E-Expensive!”
When Lij spoke up in shock, the woman climbing the stairs turned back.
“No, no, this place is very cheap. You get two beds, lamp oil is provided, and even if there’s no heating, I’ll give you water skins filled with hot water. If you put them in bed with you, they stay warm until morning. Compared to other places, this is practically half price. This house is really cheap.”
Lij muttered with a pale face.
“But I heard my sister’s family earns 10 silver coins a year, and just for a month’s rent, one silver…”
The woman gave an ‘ah’ and laughed.
“Goodness, it must be your first time in a big town like this. You’ll faint when you hear the food prices. For an amount that two people can eat, I charge 1 Lina per meal.”
“I-It’s that expensive?”
She looked like she was on the verge of foaming at the mouth and fainting. Juhwan was also a bit surprised that food was more expensive than the room. He had expected the opposite.
The woman laughed loudly and said, “Haha. Look, the room is actually half price. The rooms, the food—the service is different here. If you’d gone to another shop first, you’d have said you’d rather sleep in the street.”
Lij grabbed Juhwan’s clothes and whispered.
“Juhwan, let’s sleep in the carriage.”
“….”
Dorothy’s eyes welled up with tears as she said sadly, “Are we poor now? We were rich a moment ago.”
“….”
A few steps up the stairs, the landlady of the inn began to double over with laughter.
