Wedding
I thought it would be an event that had nothing to do with me. Every time my friends got married, I dutifully contributed to the wedding gifts, but I felt a little bitter inside. It seemed like money I would never receive.
But now that I’m getting married like this, I want to invite all my friends. Chang-sik! I’m getting married. I put 200,000 won in your wedding, but why no call? Jin-woo only put in 100,000 won, and he called to thank me!
My friend Myung-jun, who contacted me out of the blue after a year to say he’s getting married. I was a bit angry then, but I still gave a proper wedding gift. After that, I made sure to attend gatherings, so I didn’t say much, but I’ll forgive you for that moment when you come this time.
Who am I marrying, you ask?
She’s a lady named Murong Sang-a living in Yodong Province. You’re wondering if she’s Chinese? Well, she is. Hey! No matter how desperate I am for a woman, do you think I would call an international marriage company? But hey, it’s still an international couple, so congratulate me!
Where do you go?
The Martial Arts World. Yodong Province. Murong Family. Sigh Is it tough? What? You don’t want to come because you think it’ll be a bloody wedding? Fine, don’t come. I think that might not be such a good idea either.
“I dreamed of all sorts of nonsense.”
I had a terrible dream where I invited my friends to the wedding, but no one came. I woke up screaming, “My wedding gifts!”
*
The wedding took place late in the afternoon, after lunch.
A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, but it ended faster than I expected.
Just like the preparation for a trip is the main event while the trip itself is just DLC, the wedding’s real hassle is in the preparation; the actual event is quite short.
Moreover, neither of our parents could attend, and the scale was modest for a family like the Murongs.
I thought famous martial artists would come to congratulate us, but apparently, there aren’t many invitations for noteworthy figures. It seems Murong Sang-a didn’t want to spread rumors about her being “sold off.”
Of course, it wasn’t that there weren’t any distinguished guests, but there were plenty of attendees. It’s not like they were exchanging tickets for invitations in this era; etiquette demanded that any guests who show up at a celebration should be treated well.
With no VIPs, no parental figures, and it being somewhat modest for a martial arts family’s wedding,
there was still one thing that made it stand out from any wedding:
“Oh my, look at how pretty Sang-a is!”
“Mom! There’s a fairy over there!”
“She was beautiful before, but now she’s on another level!”
“A beauty that makes you question if she’s even human.”
“To think such a gorgeous bride is being given to that guy. Sniff!”
Seriously, no bride could ever be this beautiful. Seeing Murong Sang-a in her wedding dress made my jaw drop.
Goodness. Tonight, I should be escaping, but she really looks like she’s not going anywhere but back to the bridal chamber.
Now I understand why the original Kang Yoon-ho thought of raiding Murong Sang-a despite hearing about the rebellion news. Going to die without having a union with a bride that gorgeous? I can’t tolerate that.
“If you keep staring like that, it’s embarrassing.”
Murong Sang-a noticed my gaping jaw and startled expression, smiled slightly, and shifted her gaze away.
“Today, Murong Sang-a becomes the bride of Kang Yoon-ho from Joseon. Now! Following Joseon’s wedding customs, we will proceed with the ceremony of inserting the hairpin. The groom, please pin the hairpin on the bride.”
As the host announced, I approached Murong Sang-a, who had turned her back to me.
Everyone’s gaze was on me, and I felt the pressure. I had practiced for the wedding, so I managed to pin the hairpin pretty skillfully.
Murong Sang-a’s pale neck turned slightly pink, sending my senses spiraling with sweetness as I was intoxicated by her fragrance.
Why can’t news of the rebellion just come one day late?
Just one day, please! I’ve lived my life trying hard. Of course, just because I think this way doesn’t change the ending, so the wedding continued.
“Wow! The groom must be a pro since it’s his first wedding; how smoothly he inserted the hairpin. I wonder if the bride will have a tough time ahead. Haha.”
The host made a joke about Kang Yoon-ho’s exploits with women, and the guests laughed in response, creating a joyful atmosphere.
Thus, the wedding went on.
Voices admiring Murong Sang-a’s beauty.
Voices mentioning Kang Yoon-ho as a swindler.
Murong Bi’s relieved expression.
Wedding speeches of congratulations.
As I listened and watched all these, the wedding soon came to an end.
“Now, the newlywed couple is heading to the bridal chamber!”
That was too blunt. I mean, we just got married, but come on. This era shouldn’t be that laid-back about those things.
“Oh my!”
“Ahh!”
“Sniff! My lady!!”
While receiving a not-so-welcoming welcome from those around us, Murong Sang-a and I exited the wedding venue.
Heaven and hell are just a piece of paper apart.
That’s how Murong Sang-a felt about marriage.
Marrying a detestable man felt like stepping into hell. Ultimately, it ended in failure, but she went as far as to conspire to avoid entering hell. But upon realizing the man’s true nature, everything looked different.
The road to hell turned out to be the path to paradise.
When she realized the existence of the Demonic Cult hidden within the family, every day became hell.
Of course, her current situation was also hellish. Just because she married him didn’t change anything; she was still in a dire condition. But while walking through this hell, there would be her husband by her side.
With him by her side, she could walk through the flames of hell. No, if it’s him, he would hate even the flames touching her and carry her through hell.
How could a marriage with that man be hell?
The night was deepening.
Murong Sang-a removed her wedding dress, touched up her makeup, and changed into lighter clothes. If she waited in the bridal chamber, her husband would soon arrive.
The first night is important to both men and women.
If she lay still, he would guide her. Would he struggle if all she did was lie there? Then, she would sit demurely with her eyes closed.
‘Where will he lead me to tonight?’
Should she use what she learned from the Joseon Women’s Handbook as she imagined a little more daringly before heading to the bridal chamber?
“Lady!!”
Suddenly, the Great Lord of Spear Peak appeared before Murong Sang-a, bowing as he made his way towards the bridal chamber.
“It is against etiquette for a newlywed lady to encounter someone on her way to the bridal chamber. If you don’t want to receive heavy punishment, step aside.”
Having a strange man appear just before a woman is about to enter the bridal chamber is quite a scandalous affair.
“I’ll bear any punishment after delivering this message.”
“… If the Great Lord of Spear Peak is prepared for what’s coming, go ahead.”
“The Kang family… has been annihilated.”
The truth Murong Sang-a had dreaded to hear slipped from the Great Lord of Spear Peak’s lips.
“W-What do you mean?”
Murong Sang-a’s voice trembled faintly.
“A letter came from a source in Joseon that had not made contact. The Kang family has been annihilated for plotting treason. Kang Yoon-ho’s father and his clan executed by beheading.”
“Ah, ahh…”
Stunned, Murong Sang-a’s legs trembled, losing balance as she leaned against the wall.
“This news is known only to you and me. But in a few days, the family will also learn of this.”
“What have I done…?”
The news hit her like a whirlwind. Why is this happening? Didn’t they say it failed?
“Lady, you must get a grip. It’s not too late yet. I’ve brought a sword.”
The Great Lord of Spear Peak tried to hand over the sword in its sheath.
“What do you expect me to do with this?”
She felt she had ruined everything.
She had committed an irreversible sin against the man who had come to save her from all this.
How could she atone for this?
Should she just kill herself with the sword?
“Kill Prince Kang Yoon-ho with that sword.”
“W-What?”
“Though you’ve had the wedding, you have yet to consummate the marriage. If you kill Prince Kang Yoon-ho now, you can return to the Murong Family.”
The Great Lord of Spear Peak spoke of a lifelong scheme.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“Lady! You must think of your father! Think of the Murong Family!”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the Great Lord of Spear Peak pleaded with Murong Sang-a.
“… Are you saying I must kill my innocent husband for our family?”
“That man’s family was condemned as traitors because of you, Murong Sang-a!”
“…..”
Murong Sang-a couldn’t retort against that miserable fact.
“Though that man may be a wretch, he may not have committed a grave sin. However, from the moment you sent false evidence to the Joseon court, Prince Kang Yoon-ho was already a dead man.”
Right.
That’s right.
It was her fault for ruining everything.
She was so intoxicated by the talent of the sword that she failed to see her surroundings.
When she defeated her older brother, how arrogantly had she acted?
She hadn’t considered the ones who looked up to her, the ones who were shaken by her older brother’s inferiority.
Her father fell ill.
When others began to say her brother was acting strangely, why did she ignore it?
People around her began to die one by one.
When they came to her out of fear and despair, all she did was focus on training with her sword.
She lost to her older brother.
People who once relied on her turned their backs that day.
After losing with her petty skills, she finally realized that her place had vanished.
She had done nothing to prevent it.
She just didn’t want to get married.
So she actively stepped forward for the first time. And look at the result.
The man who risked his life to find her,
His entire family was wiped out.
It took everything precious from him.
She had destroyed the family of the only person who reached out for her salvation.
All because of her own actions.
“Ah… A-Ah”
It was all her fault for ruining everything.
“Lady! Get a grip!”
If she stayed still, it would crumble; if she interfered, it would be ruined.
Right now, she was standing in hell.
“It’s about time the news arrives.”
Before heading to the bridal chamber, I took off my wedding dress and changed into more comfortable clothes. Clothes that would be easy to escape in.
The wedding was more nerve-wracking and exhausting than I had thought. I felt completely drained, wanting nothing more than to lie down.
However, the news from Joseon should be coming soon.
“Is anyone there?”
“Who is it?”
“It’s the Guard Unit Leader.”
“Alright. Come in.”
The Guard Unit Leader, who had led the wedding procession for the Kang family, opened the door and stepped forward.
“Sir, please don’t be alarmed by what I’m about to say.”
The Guard Unit Leader stood before me with a gloomy expression. It’s fine. No worries; I won’t be shocked by the news.
“Speak.”
“Sir, it has come to my attention that your family has been captured and annihilated for treason. The head of the family and all relatives have been executed.”
Finally, it has come!
“So it turned out like this.”
I spoke in a subdued tone.
“Sir?”
Thinking I’d react with shock, the Guard Unit Leader seemed surprised by my response. Come on! Do you really think I’d be shocked when time is as critical as this?
“Father gave me a warning before heading to the wedding. Do the people here know about this?”
“I doubt it. I learned of it urgently through the Kang family’s emergency communication line from Yodong Province.”
“Good. Since the family is extinct, this place is no longer my bride’s home but a den of thieves looking to seize our family fortune. We must escape immediately.”
“Yes, understood.”
“However, if I flee without stopping by the bridal chamber, the people here will be astonished. Whether they know about the Kang family’s news or not, they will send pursuers after us.”
“Yes, that seems certain.”
The Guard Unit Leader nodded, realizing the urgency of the situation.
“That’s why I’ll head to the bridal chamber for a moment before leaving. Guard Unit Leader, go find Dolsoi, who should be on standby outside the Murong family, and prepare to escape together.”
“Understood. I’ll get ready right away.”
“Thank you.”
The Guard Unit Leader nodded and exited the room. I also carefully left the room.
In the end, the anticipated situation had arrived.
Now, it’s the final hurdle.
