From This Moment, I Am a Married Man
From this moment on, I am a married man.
Marguerite asked, sounding somehow uneasy.
"Um... do you know her?"
"Well, that's..."
Haah, how should I even put this?
I have to tell the woman I'm about to marry about my ex-girlfriend—the very same woman I nearly married myself.
I hesitated for a moment, but lies are the beginning of misfortune. Even if I could guarantee we'd never meet again, there's no telling when or how our paths might cross.
If Marguerite is certain I'm the Saintess, someone else might come to the same conclusion. If that ever happens, it would be better to be honest from the start.
Haah....
I swallowed a sigh.
I couldn't understand why Jeong So-hee had to cast a shadow over my life even in another world. Had we been enemies in a past life?
Countless sighs scattered through my mind.
I looked Marguerite straight in the eye and said, "Jeong So-hee is someone I used to date. Before I came here."
But when I added that it had ended after I caught her cheating, Marguerite blinked.
After a brief pause, she asked, "Do you still love her?"
"No. Not at all."
I answered immediately, as if to cover her words.
My sincerity had to come through clearly here. One wrong move and she'd say she wouldn't marry me—and then I'd be finished.
In truth, not even a speck of lingering attachment remained. I had liked her once, of course, but the moment I saw her tangled up with another man, only disgust remained. A hundred years of love can vanish in an instant when you witness something like that.
There was truly, genuinely, not a single trace of love or attachment left for Jeong So-hee in my heart—not even as much as a bacterium clinging to a fingernail.
When I spoke so firmly, she seemed a little relieved. Marguerite let out a soft breath.
She must have been nervous too.
Outwardly, her beauty had caught my eye first, but now that we were sitting together like this, her cuteness felt far more striking. Every little thing she did—even the way she sighed—was unbearably adorable.
I really wanted to marry her.
Popcorn, oblivious to the mood, tilted his head and suddenly began to dance. It was the same butt-sticking-out dance he always did.
What on earth did he have to brag about right now? Why was he dancing all of a sudden? Surely he wasn't trying to claim credit for bringing her here just because I'd thought she was cute.
Marguerite's eyes softened as she watched Popcorn. She seemed to like him very much.
Thanks to him, the awkward atmosphere from the ex-girlfriend talk eased a little.
"She seems to have some strange power," Marguerite said, beginning to explain how Jeong So-hee received the affection of an unusual number of men.
I had no interest whatsoever in how Jeong So-hee was living at the palace. Marguerite didn't seem particularly eager to dwell on it either.
She hesitated for a moment before explaining that she had originally been the crown prince's fiancée, and that after things grew strange between Jeong So-hee and the prince, she had been falsely accused of damaging the World Tree's sprout.
"Did you like that prince?"
Or perhaps... did she still like him? If he was the crown prince, his status in this world would be the highest, and he'd make a perfect husband. She hadn't said anything, but I imagined his looks were outstanding as well.
"No! I don't like him at all. I hate him. The prince, the entire royal family—they're all rotten!"
She clamped her mouth shut mid-sentence and quickly glanced around to see if anyone was listening.
Only Marguerite and I were here. Well, one spirit was present too.
Looking relieved, Marguerite relaxed her shoulders and leaned closer to whisper, "Speaking ill of the royal family is a crime of disrespect. If you're caught, you could be beheaded."
She lowered her voice even further, as if still trying to be cautious.
"I come from a poor baron's family. We were poor, but we were very happy. Then, just because I could make it rain—the kind spirits like—I was suddenly made the crown prince's fiancée and dragged off to another household. You have no idea how much I suffered there...."
Marguerite's eyes burned with anger. She must have despised the royal family and that noble household.
That was a relief. There wasn't even a fragment of lingering affection—apparently, she had never loved the prince at all.
Our eyes met.
Without either of us prompting it, we smiled.
The obstacles to our marriage had vanished.
Suddenly, something she'd said about the World Tree's sprout nagged at me. There was something that didn't sit right....
Wait a minute. The timing of when Popcorn brought that sprout matches what she just described.
Surely Popcorn wasn't the one who tore off the World Tree's sprout?
"...."
No. That couldn't be it.
The World Tree's sprout should have carried some kind of sacred aura, but the one he'd brought looked no different from the ordinary sprouts he usually plucked from the fields.
As if trying to insert himself between our gazes, Popcorn flew up and tilted his head.
"One day, a spirit suddenly came to me. How did you meet Jinwoo?"
She asked the question out of nowhere.
"...."
There was no need to keep it a secret, but telling her he'd been born from my... that... wouldn't do any good.
Hiding my awkwardness, I smiled brightly.
"It's a secret. I'll tell you after we have three kids."
In the tale of the Woodcutter and the Fairy, the fairy had said she'd give back the winged robe only after they had three children so she couldn't fly away. Borrowing that line, Marguerite's face turned bright red.
After that, we chatted about small things for a while—her parents and older brothers, the possibility that Popcorn might be the Spirit King, the legendary slime, the chance that Orange might be a phoenix, and so on.
Our adorable future wife seemed to have a vivid imagination. It made her seem like a girl, which was incredibly cute.
"I'm thirty. How old are you, Marguerite?"
"I'm twenty this year."
"...That's quite an age gap."
She had looked young, but I hadn't expected a full ten-year difference.
When I faltered, Marguerite hurried to say, "I don't know how it is in the Saintess's world, but in this world, it's common for husbands and wives to have large age gaps."
She passionately explained that couples with twenty- or thirty-year differences weren't unusual, and that ten years was nothing at all.
Still, my expression must have looked a little strange.
Marguerite asked uncertainly, "Do you... not like me?"
"No. I like you very much."
The moment I answered, her face flushed red.
Cute.
"...."
What did age matter? I just felt a little sorry, that was all.
A strange atmosphere flowed between us. I gently took Marguerite's hand.
This was the time for a kiss.
Following my instinct, I leaned a little closer. Marguerite seemed to realize what was about to happen and closed her eyes, her face as red as an apple.
Her long eyelashes trembled. She must have been extremely nervous.
I was nervous too. My heart felt like it was about to leap out of my chest.
Just as my lips were about to touch hers—
"Pipit?"
Suddenly, Popcorn wedged himself between us.
He tilted his head, then grabbed my lips tightly and planted a kiss on them.
Startled by the sound, Marguerite opened her eyes. Popcorn happily kissed her lips as well.
"...."
No! That's not it! This isn't some kiss-passing game. What are you doing, Popcorn?
"Uh...."
Marguerite's eyes widened, then she began to laugh.
"Pipit! Pipit! Pipit!"
Popcorn danced proudly between our faces.
"Kkur...."
"Ppi?"
We turned toward the sound and saw Pudding, who had arrived late, standing on the windowsill. Looking as though it had despaired at Popcorn's dance, Pudding dropped to the floor with a plop.
Orange, the brightest of the three, didn't seem to understand what was going on. Tilting its head, it flapped its wings vigorously and flew over.
The pink atmosphere of the kiss had completely vanished. Marguerite laughed happily amid the circling bird and spirit and the slime that had crawled its way over.
It seemed I was the only one left unhappy in this situation.
They say having kids makes married life difficult—this was exactly that.
Can't be helped.
I'd just have to wait for nightfall.
As we left the house together, the spirits—greatly excited—filled the area around it.
Maybe I really was the Saintess after all.
Just as I was thinking that, Marguerite tugged lightly on my clothes.
When I turned toward her, she asked in a small voice, "If you go to the palace as the Saintess, you'll end up marrying a woman far more beautiful than me. If you wanted, they'd give you beauties, money—anything. Are you really all right with this?"
I took Marguerite's hand.
"Let that other woman be the Saintess. I want to live here with you. I can't give you the luxury the crown prince could, and I'll probably make you work hard too. Even so... will you marry me and stay by my side for the rest of our lives?"
"...Yes."
When Marguerite nodded, the spirits around us flew about joyfully, scattering glowing dust as if in celebration. The entire area filled with light.
Popcorn flew among the spirits, caught the falling dust, and sprinkled it over the two of us. In an instant, we were enveloped in light.
This moment felt like a wedding ceremony the spirits themselves had arranged.
Perhaps Marguerite thought so too. When our eyes met, she smiled brightly.
"I like you. I fell for you at first sight."
The words slipped out before I could stop them. It wasn't a lie. The moment I saw her, it had felt like lightning struck my heart.
When I said that, Marguerite's eyes widened. Then she smiled radiantly.
To think she'd make such a happy face.
It had been a slightly embarrassing thing to say, but I was glad I had.
This time, I gave her a kiss that only lightly brushed her lips.
"Pipipipipi!"
Seeing that, Popcorn stuck out his rear and began to dance.
The area grew noisy with the cries of spirits, Pudding, and Orange.
We laughed at the sight and headed toward the village hall.
When we reached the front of the hall, stew and water were boiling in the large stone hearth the villagers shared. People bustled about preparing food, while others came running with baskets overflowing with fruit. They must have gone all the way to the forest to pick them.
There were also three barrels of liquor the merchants had brought down. It seemed Kenson and two others had each contributed one.
Whether someone had ordered them or they'd come on their own, the children who came running breathlessly had their arms full of small flowers. Each child received a large basket from an adult and began filling it with flowers.
Though flowers weren't heavy, the baskets were large for one child to carry. Two children grabbed each basket from either side while others quickly joined in to help, worried that if they didn't carry it, their efforts would be stolen.
"Teacher! These are the flowers I picked!"
"I only chose the prettiest ones!"
"The bride is prettier, though."
"It was really hard!"
"There's honey in the bottom. It tastes good if you suck on it."
The children brought the baskets over to show us. They were the same wildflowers we often saw in the fields.
Far smaller than roses, each bloom was tiny, and instead of being grown in one place, they had to be found and picked one by one. They weren't expensive flowers from a shop, but the children's sincerity in gathering each small flower brought tears to my eyes.
Marguerite knelt on the ground to meet the children's eyes.
"They're beautiful flowers. Thank you."
"When you get married, you have to eat the honey. It's delicious, Bride!"
"It's true!"
Marguerite laughed at the children's words.
"I know. I ate plenty when I was little too."
"You've eaten the honey?"
"Was it this kind of flower?"
"What do other flowers taste like?"
Learning that she'd done the same thing as them, the children's interest exploded. Questions poured out all at once.
I'd never tried it before. I casually picked up a flower and sucked on it, but nothing sweet like honey came out.
How strange. Was it only the flowers I'd picked that were different?
Seeing my expression, Marguerite and the children burst into laughter.
A village man who had been watching spoke up.
"People who've never tried it before can't taste it at first. But after a few tries, you'll realize it's flower honey, Chief."
"Is that so."
I tried a few more, but still couldn't tell. The tongue of a modern person raised on sugar was too dull.
"All right! Let's begin the wedding ceremony."
At Kenson's words, everyone entered the village hall.
Only now did I notice that the villagers looked cleaner than usual. Their clothes were the same ones they wore every day, but they had washed their faces and slicked back their hair with water or spit.
A few of them, whom I'd thought had naturally dark skin, apparently didn't. Today, their skin looked a shade lighter. It seemed they hadn't bathed in at least twenty years.
From now on, I should pay a little more attention to personal hygiene.
Thanks to Popcorn swimming in the food, food poisoning hardly ever happened, and even if someone got a stomachache, Pudding would cure it quickly. Still, personal hygiene was important.
The spirits, who usually kept their distance from Popcorn, had all come inside the hall today for some reason. Perhaps because so many were gathered in one place, the light sparkled unusually brightly. It seemed the villagers could see them too.
"Good heavens, so many spirits came today," someone muttered.
A few people prostrated themselves on the floor and began to bow.
"Please let me get married this year too, O Spirits."
"Please grant me a bountiful harvest."
When the adults prayed to the spirits, the children also pressed their foreheads to the floor and voiced their wishes.
"Please let me find a pretty stone."
"Please let me catch a big stag beetle this year."
"I want a hundred dragonflies. No, lots and lots!"
Everyone was serious, but Ji-geu's face was the most serious of all.
He bowed several times, pressing his head to the floor, then declared loudly, "I want three younger siblings. Please give me three siblings this year."
Everyone burst into laughter at Ji-geu's wish. Ji-geu's father and stepmother turned bright red.
The commotion lasted only a moment. When Kenson raised his hand, everyone quieted down.
"I am truly delighted to stand here today as the host of this wedding."
After saying that, Kenson looked at Marguerite and me.
"As someone who's already married, I'd like to give you long—very long—advice and well-wishes, but the one who'd suffer for it would be the groom. Once this ceremony ends, you'll probably head straight home. The villagers have already boiled water for you to wash with. I've never seen people so enthusiastic about their chief's wedding."
Laughter erupted.
I'd seen water boiling in the village's largest pot earlier. So that had been for us to wash with.
I didn't expect them to prepare even that.
The villagers usually avoided water like cats avoiding crows. Firewood was scarce in ordinary villages, so most of them had probably never bathed even once in their lives.
And yet, for my sake....
They must have racked their brains—those who had them and those who didn't—to think about my wedding.
A corner of my heart ached with emotion.
Waiting for the laughter to subside, Kenson continued.
"So, for the groom's sake, let's move on to the vows quickly. Now, Groom Jinwoo—will you cherish and love Bride Marguerite in sickness and in health, without change?"
This world had no officiant or vows of love like on Earth. The word "officiant" I'd used had probably been understood as something like "host."
Nobles were different, but in the city, receiving a blessing from a priest served as a wedding, while in small villages, people simply ate together. If they went a step further, the village chief or an elder would offer a few words of blessing. Sometimes, I'd heard, a couple would simply declare they were marrying in a field, live together, and receive a certificate—that was it.
So Kenson must have asked someone about village weddings and followed that custom.
I was truly grateful to him as well.
When I answered "Yes," the spirits laughed with clear, bright sounds.
Popcorn stood between Kenson and us, spinning in circles. Everyone seemed happy.
"Bride Marguerite—will you cherish and love Groom Jinwoo in sickness and in health, without change?"
"Yes!"
Marguerite's voice was louder than mine.
"The bride is quite spirited. Today, Jinwoo and Marguerite, who love each other, have sworn before everyone to share joy and hardship for the rest of their lives. I solemnly declare that this marriage between these two has been truly and harmoniously formed."
The moment Kenson finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the villagers.
Kenson took a piece of paper from his pocket and held it out.
"Now, both of you, sign here. It's the marriage certificate. My name and seal are already on it, so with your signatures, it's complete."
After we each wrote our names and signed, Kenson smiled.
"With this, you are officially husband and wife. Congratulations from the bottom of my heart."
When my eyes met Marguerite's, she smiled as if she were glowing.
"I'm... Jinwoo's wife now."
At her single sentence, my heart leapt as if struck by electricity.
From this moment on, I am a married man.