An Unexpected Bride
Wow, I really am getting married.
The children leaped from the cart and ran straight to the man.
"Teacher, you have to get married this time."
"You said if you didn't, your hair would turn white, and that would be terrible."
"What happens if your hair turns white?"
"Teacher's magic is dangerous."
"I'll help you."
"I'll protect your hair, Teacher!"
At the children's clamor, the man they called Teacher laughed.
"No, how did it turn into that? That's something you say to a couple so they'll stay together until their hair turns white. Stop remembering only half the saying and twisting it."
The people around them burst into hearty laughter, as if they couldn't believe their ears.
The fluffy spirit left Marguerite and flew toward the man.
It flailed its arms in front of him, clearly trying to tell him something. Then it stretched an arm toward Marguerite, as if to say, Look at this, puffing out its chest proudly.
But the man didn't seem to understand a word.
"Hey, you little rascal. Where have you been for days without coming home?"
The man flicked the fluffy spirit with his fingernail, like giving it a light bonk.
The spirit tumbled through the air. It seemed to enjoy it.
Forgetting what it had been trying to say, the spirit sprang up and rushed back to the man, offering its face again.
It looked like it wanted another bonk.
The small bird that had been beside Marguerite beat its wings and flew to the man.
Chirping softly, it circled above his head.
"Orange, you're just as bad. If you stay away from home for too long, we worry."
At the man's words, the little bird let out a sharp peep and descended. Its landing was still clumsy, and it ended up planting its beak in the dirt.
"You need to learn how to land on something other than random birds first."
When the man laughed, the bird hopped up and chirped loudly in protest.
It waddled over and buried its face against the man's leg, pressing close like a chick seeking its mother's warmth, peeping all the while.
The villagers, long accustomed to such scenes, all laughed.
Some bowed to the fluffy spirit, but no one feared the strange bird or the spirit.
After greeting the peddler and Kenson, the man approached the cart and smiled.
"Welcome. Thank you for coming to our village. I'm Jinwoo, the village chief here."
Popcorn and Orange circled the man in flight while other spirits danced on the breeze, watching.
Marguerite looked again at Popcorn and the spirits swirling through the village.
Ah… so it really is…
This man.
Both the fluffy spirit and the little bird belonged to him. So did the spirits gathered here.
The way they looked at him made it certain.
Marguerite knew her first impression had been right.
The real Saintess wasn't Jeong So-hee in the royal palace. It was this man.
He was the one truly summoned to this world.
"Saintess…"
When Marguerite murmured the word, the man blinked.
"Um… I'm a man, though."
* * *
She was truly beautiful.
When I first saw her, I thought an angel had descended to earth. Not as a joke—I genuinely wondered if she was even human.
Why would a woman like her come to a pioneer village as a bride?
I kept my expression neutral, but my heart pounded so hard it felt ready to leap out of my chest. Even while scolding Popcorn and Orange, my attention stayed fixed on her.
When I greeted Kenson and the peddler, I wasn't even sure if the words came from my mouth or if my mind had spoken them. My entire focus was on her.
Really, why had such a beautiful woman been sent here as a bride?
I couldn't understand it at all.
One thing was clear, though.
This woman had terrible eyesight.
How on earth did she look at me and see a woman?
At my words, her eyes widened in surprise.
Her eyes were beautiful too. I'd never seen green eyes like that before. They were like emeralds.
Huh. Now that I think about it, Popcorn…
Popcorn had tugged at my hair several times and made that wavy motion with its hands, as if telling me to look at something.
I tilted my head inwardly. Something felt off.
My gaze drifted to her hair.
The shimmering strands held an unusual color—neither quite gold nor silver. Platinum blonde, probably. The beautiful, wavy locks nearly reached her hips.
…Hm? Wavy?
Popcorn had made that wavy, flowing motion with its hands more than once. Could it have been referring to this woman?
I'd assumed their paths had crossed by chance on the road, but maybe they'd known each other before.
Was it with her that Popcorn stayed away from home?
Popcorn, who had been tugging at my hair and pleading, now fluttered its wings and flew between me and the woman. It stood before Marguerite's face, chest puffed out proudly.
"…"
Don't tell me this spirit played matchmaker.
Did Popcorn do something?
The thought crossed my mind for a second, but no—that couldn't be it. Spirits might be powerful in this world, but they didn't have the strength to bend fate or see the future. At least, I was certain Popcorn didn't.
Whatever her circumstances, it had been Kenson and the peddler who brought her here, not Popcorn. Something must have happened elsewhere, completely unrelated to the spirit.
Right. She just happened to be a bride bound for the pioneer village.
Popcorn's current behavior was no different from when it proudly showed off a pretty sprout it had found.
Strangely, Orange also circled between us, chirping loudly as if boasting.
The woman, who had been staring blankly, suddenly hurried to climb down from the cart.
She looked unsteady, so I offered my hand. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she took it.
Someone whistled.
"So the village chief really is a man."
At the muttered remark, laughter erupted all around.
No, helping someone who looked like they might fall was only natural. Why did that turn into talk about men and women?
Despite my thoughts, when her face reddened, mine did too.
It probably looked exactly like what the villagers were implying, but I'd only helped because she seemed unsteady.
Once on the ground, the woman straightened, gripping the sides of her skirt with both hands. She lowered her head in a bow.
I didn't know much about this world's etiquette, but somehow I understood that her gesture was of the highest respect.
"My name is Marguerite."
She remained perfectly still in that posture.
She didn't rise.
Kenson, who had come to stand beside me, spoke quietly.
"That's the bow given to royalty. She's waiting for your permission, Chief. You need to tell her it's all right before she can stand."
Perhaps because she had mistaken me for the Saintess. Her voice had been so soft that no one else seemed to have heard.
"I'm just the chief of this village. That kind of formality isn't necessary."
"Thank you, Lord Jinwoo."
Marguerite rose with graceful poise.
Between the royal bow and her appearance, she was clearly of noble birth.
Why had someone like her really come to this village?
Most brides arriving in pioneer villages came with anxious hearts. If she had once been nobility, her unease would be even greater.
To ease that worry quickly, I added, "In this village, marriage follows the bride's wishes. Please choose a husband from among the village men within a month. If you haven't decided by then…"
As I spoke, Marguerite's eyes widened and she stepped forward.
She seemed to have moved without thinking.
Startled by her own action, she blinked, then spoke in a rush.
"Please forgive my rudeness. But I'm in a hurry… If I may choose, I would like to marry you."
"No, you should get to know the person first before deciding—"
"No. I already know."
"…"
We'd only met today.
When I gave her a dumbfounded look, Marguerite, thinking she was about to be rejected, spoke in a panic.
"I know a fair bit about farming too. I may not be much help right now, but I'll learn quickly. From what the children said, it seems you teach letters—I can help with that as well. I can speak not only this country's language but others too. Um… and… I can make it rain, which spirits love… and… er… what else…"
Listening to her, I felt strangely inadequate, as if I didn't deserve her.
She seemed far more capable than me. Why had she really been sent here as a bride?
When I said nothing, Marguerite grew more anxious. Her face turned apple-red as she cried out, "A-and I can climb trees! I can take eggs from nests. I fail sometimes, but my success rate is pretty high."
"…That's impressive."
I couldn't do that.
Marguerite blinked several times, then asked uncertainly, "So… will you marry me?"
"Ppi-pi?"
Before I could answer, Popcorn appeared in front of my nose, tilting its head.
The surroundings, which had fallen silent at Marguerite's sudden declaration, suddenly erupted into noise.
"Oh! So the chief is finally getting married!"
"Congratulations, Chief."
"We knew you were worried about it."
"We're happy for you, Chief."
As the villagers cheered noisily, even the distant spirits began to stir, as if they understood something was happening.
"We'll have to throw a feast for this."
"I've never seen anyone get married like this before."
"I got something like a reverse proposal from my wife back in the day. Reminds me of the old times. I should treat everyone too."
The peddler and Kenson laughed as well.
If those people were treating everyone, it would definitely involve alcohol.
The villagers cheered loudly.
Popcorn spun excitedly between Marguerite and me, dancing, while Orange flew overhead, chirping loudly above everyone's heads.
Everyone was suddenly in an uproar.
I still hadn't given an answer.
I wasn't the only one who thought that.
Marguerite looked up at me anxiously.
She really was beautiful.
"Um…"
Marguerite gazed at me quietly, as if asking a question.
Her action drew everyone's attention, and the surroundings fell silent once more.
No, it would have been better if they'd stayed loud like before.
The quiet made answering strangely embarrassing.
Perhaps sensing my hesitation, the children came running over.
"Teacher, if you don't answer now, she'll be taken away. You have to say yes quickly!"
When Ji-geu whispered this, the other children nodded.
"Men are supposed to have courage."
"They say eating lots of meat gives you courage. Teacher, should we bring some meat?"
They were trying to keep their voices from reaching Marguerite.
The children whispered among themselves.
One child hesitated, glanced around, then said, "Um, Teacher… if you don't want to get married, could I marry you when I grow up?"
"…"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Popcorn flew over and gave the child a light bonk on the head.
Taking advantage of the commotion, I leaned slightly toward Marguerite.
"The timing's a bit awkward, but… please marry me, Marguerite."
"Thank you."
Marguerite's face flushed crimson as she answered.
"Ppi-pi! Ppi-ppi-pi!"
At some point, Popcorn had gathered armfuls of sparkling powder that seemed to belong to other spirits. It scattered the glittering dust over Marguerite and me.
Standing amid the falling sparkles, the villagers shouted loudly.
"Congratulations, Chief!"
"May the two of you be happy until your black hair turns white!"
Wow, I really am getting married.