Chapter 34

"Is this going to be our bedroom now?"

At Aristine's words, Tarkan hesitated.

Our bedroom.

Tarkan and Aristine's marital bedroom.

Unlike in Sylvanus, in Ailugo, it was customary for a husband and wife to share one bedroom.

In other words, this would be the bedroom that Aristine and Tarkan would continue to share from now on.

Of course, Tarkan had planned to arrange a separate sleeping place for himself.

While Tarkan hesitated, Aristine casually opened the door.

And what appeared was—

"..........."

"..........."

Shhhhh~

It was a bedroom that seemed to be accompanied by such an effect sound from somewhere.

Both Aristine and Tarkan, standing in the doorway, froze like fossils.

It was incredible.

It was truly an incredible bridal chamber.

Dozens of candles flickered with a warm glow, dimly illuminating the night.

The scented candles and exotic flower bouquets on the table, the pink champagne in the elegant bucket, and in the center of the room, there was a bed.

"..........."

Deep red rose petals formed a heart on the white sheets.

Around the heart, crystal and aquamarine, known as the "Queen of the Night," sparkled under the candlelight, adorning the bed.

Thanks to this, the bed shone brightly and white in the dark room.

The bed seemed even more intimate due to its small size relative to the room.

Not relative to the room, but the bed was really small.

There would be quite a bit of space left if Aristine lay down, but Tarkan, with his large build, would find it hard to roll around comfortably.

Therefore, if the two of them lay down together, they would definitely not be able to stay far apart.

A size that forced them to stick together.

Moreover, the bed had four posts with delicate lace curtains, adding to the intimate atmosphere.

Shhhh~ Shhhh~

A continuous background sound seemed to come from somewhere.

Aristine, who had intended to go to bed quickly, and Tarkan, who had been lost in some inexplicable thoughts, could not bring themselves to step into the room.

* * *

The sky over the plain is high.

The constellations and the Milky Way adorned the deep purple night sky.

The humid wind carried the scent of flowers, gently uplifting the human spirit.

It was a truly romantic night, fitting for the first night of a newlywed couple.

In front of Tarkan's palace, the bride's family knights were standing guard.

This was to show the bride's status and prestige.

Normally, the knights, adorned in shining armor, would have displayed their grandeur for the lady they served, but...

"Can't even sleep, what's this all about, really."

"What hardship are we going through for that woman who doesn't even look like a princess."

Kah, the knight of Sylvanus spat.

The bride's family knights were not displaying their grandeur but were gathered like hooligans in a back alley.

Their faces were flushed, and their breath reeked of alcohol.

They were already so drunk that they couldn't properly stand guard.

"Why should we stay up all night when someone else is enjoying it."

"That's true. If it were us, we wouldn't have to."

The knights chuckled at this, a vulgar laugh.

"I could go all night, without stopping until dawn."

"Indeed, you are the leader."

"Your ability is truly remarkable."

The knights praised the senior knight.

The senior knight, feeling superior, snorted.

"No matter how I think about it, it seems too precious to give to that barbarian."

"Even though she is said to have a bad temper and is uneducated, in the end, words are not necessary for that act, right?"

"Indeed, it's not about words but other sounds."

"I feel regret for just admiring her on the way here."

If it weren't a political marriage, he would have already shown the princess the bitter side of life.

But this was an issue that could invalidate the marriage, so he couldn't touch her.

If that happened, the emperor would not forgive them.

"By now, that barbarian must be having a great time."

The senior knight said with a twisted smile, gesturing crudely towards the palace.

"Poor her."

He was already drunk, and the knights were egging him on.

He threw away the last bit of his rationality.

"I should have been the one to make her happy."

He needed to compensate for the self-esteem he lost when Aristine stepped on him earlier.

To do that, the senior knight tried to assert his superiority by belittling Aristine.

His lost self-esteem seemed to be restored as he spouted vulgar words.

"Of course, just by looking at her eyes, it's clear what she wants."

"Is she deliberately rebelling to increase the desire to conquer?"

"Indeed, she is so vulgar that she can't be considered a noble princess."

"Still, there is a certain appeal, isn't there? Like a fox..."

"Right, so I should push that barbarian aside and put her under me."

"Who?"

"Who else, that arrogant..."

Suddenly, the senior knight, who was answering the question, felt something was wrong.

Sensing an ominous feeling, he stopped talking and slowly turned to the source of the sound.

A huge and grotesque monster with a single, bulging eye was looking down at him.

Terrified by the horrific sight, the senior knight tried to stand up but tripped and fell.

His mind was clear, but his body, numbed by alcohol, wouldn't listen.

"Ma, Ma, a monster..."

"Why is there a monster here?!"

This is the center of the kingdom, the royal palace!

The other knights, also terrified, stumbled and fell as they tried to back away.

Seeing the knights fall clumsily, Mucali's face twisted even more viciously.

The knights, even more frightened by his appearance, couldn't even think about standing up, trembling uncontrollably.

"What kind of knights are these..."

The low murmur startled the Sylvanus knights.

'He can speak...?'

Only then did they realize that the grotesque monster had a human form.

Their vision, narrowed by alcohol and fear, gradually widened.

"A, Ah, you are from Ailugo."

The senior knight, belatedly trying to smile, spoke to Mucali.

Upon speaking, he realized how pitiful and meager his response was.

Considering how he had boasted that one strike from his sword would knock down those barbarians every day, it was even more embarrassing.

Trying to appear brave in front of his subordinates, the senior knight puffed out his chest.

However, his face, pale with fear, and his trembling body made him look pitiful.

Unaware of this, the senior knight deluded himself into thinking he was still brave in front of the disgusting barbarian.

'Up close, he looks even more grotesque and terrifying.'

Looking at Mucali's face, he frowned.

Even upon closer inspection, it was hard to tell if this was a human or a monster.

The left side of his face, which looked as if it was rotting, was quite noticeable, and the Sylvanus knights were already familiar with Mucali's appearance.

They would mock him from a distance as he passed by.

So they were well aware that Mucali did not look favorably upon the princess.

Speaking ill of the prince's wife was a serious crime that could land them in prison immediately.

It was fortunate that the person who was caught was Mucali.

"Come to think of it, you didn't like the princess either, right?"

Aware of his subordinates' gazes, the senior knight asked Mucali, trying to appear relaxed.

"Would you like to join in?"

In truth, he didn't want to be in the same room with such a grotesque barbarian for a moment.

But seeing Mucali's iron-like fist, he couldn't say that.

"I know why you don't like the princess. No man likes a woman who acts stiff and pretentious."

The senior knight nodded as if he knew everything.

Then he lowered his voice and whispered.

"The more stubborn they are, the more they become obedient once tamed."

He added a vulgar gesture.

The senior knight smiled.

There is no man in this world who would dislike such talk.

Especially when the other party is a barbarian as uncivilized as an animal.

Sure enough, Mucali's mouth opened, seemingly interested.

"So, who are you talking about?"

The unexpected response made the senior knight frown.

He had said enough for Mucali to understand.

'Is this stupid barbarian too dumb to understand?'

He tried to hide his thoughts as he answered.

"Of course, I'm talking about the princess. What do you think?"

"Really, you're talking about the princess."

"Right, she has a strong personality, but—"

The senior knight's words were cut off.

Smack!

With a bone-cracking sound, the senior knight's jaw was dislocated.

His body, unable to withstand the rotational force, was flung to the ground.

Thud!

The Sylvanus knights, shocked, froze in place, unable to react.

Seeing someone thrown so far with one punch, they couldn't think of how to respond.

On the ground, the senior knight's body twitched intermittently.

"Ugh..."

Only after hearing a groan, as if he were dying, did the knights, like they had been released from a spell, rush to the senior knight.

"Are you okay?"

"Leader...!"

The senior knight, supported by his subordinates, managed to raise his upper body.

His cheek, hit by an iron-like fist, was swollen and bruised.

It seemed there was a problem with his bones.

His eye on the hit side couldn't open properly, and it was red with blood.

"Le, Leader!"

"How...?"

His face looked as if he had been hit dozens of times.

"Huh, Ah, Ah..."

His tongue was swollen, making it hard to understand what he was saying.

Blood mixed with saliva was flowing from his mouth, and two of his teeth were missing, making it embarrassing to look at his face.

"What are you doing?!"

"I will officially protest this!"

"To be so violent, indeed, a barbarian is—"

The Sylvanus knights, raising their voices, stopped when they saw Mucali's face.

Seeing his terrifying face, they realized it wasn't the right time to step forward.

"Ah."

At that moment, someone walked out from behind Mucali.

He looked at the senior knight's face and shook his head.

"Here we go again."

It was Jaccalen, Tarkan's strategist.

"You deserved it."

"You always say that after hitting someone."

"But this guy...!"

"I know."

Saying this, Jaccalen lifted the senior knight.

He didn't really lift him but rather dragged him up by the collar.

Smack!

With a dull thud, the senior knight's face turned.

The other side of his face, which was still intact, began to swell.

"You did it too."

"Right."

Mucali and Jaccalen, exchanging words, looked at the knights, who were pale with fear.

Then they raised their fists.

"Ah!"

"Aaaah!"

Watching the two happily beat up the knights, Durante sighed deeply.

With the strategist joining in, the aftermath was now his responsibility.

He had no choice but to handle the final cleanup.

Approaching the senior knight, who was foaming at the mouth and lying on the ground, he pressed down with his booted foot.

On the senior knight's testicles.

"Kaaaaah!"

A bone-chilling scream echoed through the air.

Crack, the testicles broke.

* * *

Back at the bridal chamber.

Tarkan and Aristine were still frozen.

It seemed as if a heart-wrenching scream, as if someone had lost the most precious thing in their life, was heard from somewhere.

But it was drowned out by the shhhh, shhhh sound and didn't reach their ears meaningfully.

Tarkan couldn't bring himself to step inside.

Meanwhile, Aristine boldly entered the bridal chamber.

She was a bit surprised by the unexpected interior but didn't find it strange.

While it was a bit too extravagant for everyday use, it was much better than the place where she had been confined.

'Actually, it's embarrassing to compare them.'

Walking to the bed, she turned to Tarkan, who was still standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing? Not coming in?"

Seeing Tarkan's eyebrow twitch, Aristine tilted her head.

"Are you not going to sleep?"

This time, his eyes dart