Chapter 7

Suddenly, fear gripped me.

I didn’t want to ask why I was afraid. Even I couldn’t understand the reason.

All I knew was that I heard Asulin say we should head toward the Bridal Chamber to end the day.

With each step towards that Bridal Chamber, an inexplicable fear crept up on me.

Thump-thump-thump…

My heart, which had returned to normal after our practice duel, was racing even more wildly than during the duel itself.

No, no. Is my heart pounding like this because I’m afraid of the unknown future awaiting us?

I don’t know. Truly, I don’t know.

I’ve never experienced anything like this before, so I have no idea how to handle this situation.

The only thing I could do was—

“Pained? Your steps seem much heavier than when you first started.”

“It seems the aftermath of you blocking my sword is finally catching up with you.”

“…I hardly ever encounter someone who can properly block my sword, so I’m not sure what to say.”

I turned my head away from my dulled steps, offering nothing but a lame excuse for Asulin’s questioning gaze filled with either doubt or concern.

It was the first time I felt such difficulty taking steps just to reach a specific place.

There was no physical pain, yet my heart raced so fiercely with each step, accelerating and tormenting me.

And with every acceleration of my heartbeat, visions of what might happen in the space I would soon enter began to fill my mind.

The neat and clean atmosphere of the Bridal Chamber I briefly glimpsed.

The candles that would illuminate the room instead of lighting.

The sweet Hua Hun wine (華婚酒) made from southern grapes, used to bless the couple’s future when they share a bed.

Asulin, dressed in revealing clothes that usually showed her curves, approaching me.

…

“Snap!”

“Is something wrong?”

“A bug landed on my cheek; I swatted it away.”

“But it’s winter…”

“I’ve seen swarms of flies that feast on corpses on the battlefield during that season, circling around to lay their eggs.”

“…I see.”

In the midst of countless fragmented moments of consciousness, I silenced the wild delusions with a slap, causing Asulin to turn her head in shock. Even then, she seemed satisfied with the deceit I managed to pull off.

‘Crazy guy…’

While I kept my curses to myself, I followed Asulin, my steps becoming orderly again.

A slap was enough to calm both my delusions and my racing heart, truly effective.

Even if it was an impossible scenario, fantasies grow by finding a spark, so it was crucial to suppress them before they grew uncontrollable.

But, how should I put this? Despite knowing it was an impossible scenario, I still harbored those delusions in my mind.

Did I secretly wish for such a situation to come about?

…No way.

‘Snap out of it, crazy guy.’

After muttering another curse at myself, I walked steadily, gathering my thoughts as I faced the harsh reality ahead.

The Bridal Chamber, though tidy, exuded an eerie atmosphere.

Without candles, this dark room was meant to be the place where two people who completed a strategic marriage would stay.

A small bed, where Asulin alone would sleep on the floor, revealing the harsh reality that someone like me, who sleeps on the floor, wouldn’t need separate rooms.

Asulin, dressed in restrictive clothing that left no room for vulnerability, stared at me with cold eyes, warning me.

Perfect.

Yes, perfect. What will happen in the Bridal Chamber I’m about to enter soon must be like this.

“Huff.”

Suppressing a sigh that even Asulin wouldn’t hear, I straightened my dull, disordered steps and quickly followed her.

Since I felt my steps returning to normal, Asulin’s steps also steadied slightly.

All that was left was to enter the Bridal Chamber and get some rest.

As I moved, I watched Asulin’s blue hair sway rhythmically, mentally preparing myself for what would come next.

Nothing unusual will happen. Yes, nothing unusual will happen.

—

Upon hearing Asulin’s words to tidy up and enter, I cleaned myself up at the facilities provided in the mansion, changed my clothes, and arrived at the Bridal Chamber with the help of the servants.

The sight that greeted me immediately upon entering was unexpected, yet partially aligned with my expectations, making my mind even more confused.

The mixed scene of the Bridal Chamber from my fantasy and the cold reality before me left me bewildered.

Because of Asulin brandishing a knife at me as soon as I entered, I couldn’t properly appreciate the Bridal Chamber, which was quite different from what I expected.

Though there were no candles, the atmosphere was neither gloomy nor overly cheerful.

There was no sweet Hua Hun wine meant for blessing the marriage, but a simple water bottle was placed on either side of a table, creating a comfortable setting for conversation.

“I thought you’d be waiting inside the room since it took longer than I expected, but it turned out I was the one waiting.”

“Just now, I came in but couldn’t find the location, so I had to ask the servants, which delayed me.”

“From now on, I’ll remember. Every night, I’ll spend it here.”

“I won’t forget the second time I enter a place.”

“Alright.”

Asulin’s damp hair, even though it wasn’t completely dry, made her already beautiful face stand out even more, which was unexpected.

Besides this, there were other aspects that deviated significantly from my expectations, but I’ll leave those for later.

When predictions differ, there are also parts that align with them, so let me explain those first.

Asulin’s attire matched my expectations.

She was wrapped up so tightly that it was hard to tell her body shape, making me wonder how she could sleep comfortably on the bed.

“…Why…why like this?”

“Even in winter, it’s too hot to wrap up like this in a heated house.”

“…Really?”

Unconsciously, I looked at her with suspicion, prompting her to speak.

Though her natural beauty remained unaffected by her attire, I considered praising her striking appearance, but it might sound like flattery, so I decided against it.

Aside from her attire, several other things matched my expectations.

Asulin immediately pointed her sword at me as soon as I entered, leading me to escape through the window, which remained open, creating a chilly scene. The cold air, though it would soon dissipate due to the heating, created a brief chill.

“…”

Asulin’s eyes, seemingly holding back something, reminded me of the coldness often seen on battlefields. Yes, they held something close to coldness.

This much means my prediction was half right and half wrong, which isn’t too bad.

However, one prediction that I hoped wouldn’t be off track was completely different.

“…Why are you like this?”

In response to Asulin’s gentle tone,

“Why does the bed have a size suitable for two people to lie together?”

I struggled to keep the panic out of my voice.

“…? Even if it’s just for show, shouldn’t all these little details make it clear that they’re a couple?”

Seeing Asulin, with emerald-like green eyes wide open, nodding confidently,

‘O God…’

For the first time in my life, I prayed to God.

‘Please, don’t test me.’

With a fervent desire not to wake up here tonight and have it be my last act.

—

“Ha ha ha ha!”

Asulin’s laughter echoed loudly throughout the Bridal Chamber.

Immediately after I entered and glanced around, she laughed like this.

“I was serious.”

“Of course, how could you not be serious? I understand.”

I protested to Asulin, who laughed hysterically upon hearing the truth, but all I got was her light-hearted laughter.

Oh, she laughed like this even after I expressed my concern about possible awkward situations.

Though she wasn’t mocking me, and genuinely seemed to find it amusing, it didn’t completely ruin my mood.

“Toasting to the current environment that makes Andymion, who doesn’t even break a sweat facing the demon army encircling the mountain range, say such words!”

Holding a small cup, Asulin toasted to the current situation.

It wasn’t sweet Hua Hun wine, but a high-proof spirit made from barley grown in the cold northern soil, fermented and distilled into whiskey.

In the north, where drinking strong liquor is common, drinking such strong spirits could earn one the nickname “drunkard.”

Yet, Asulin was downing the whiskey straight, without diluting it with water.

“Huff…”

Despite her hearty drinking, her demeanor afterward was very composed.

“…I’m worried.”

Every time she drank, her eyes trembled slightly, and from that moment, I began to worry about tonight.

—