Our First Night
Marguerite and I lingered for a while in the village hall, accepting the villagers' congratulations, but everyone kept grinning and urging us to head home already.
Apparently, they all knew how much I had wanted this marriage.
I thought I'd hidden it so well.
The sun was still high, but I pretended I couldn't hold out any longer and left the hall with Marguerite.
"Chief, rest well. See you tomorrow."
"Have a wonderful day."
"Have a wonderful night!"
Blushing at their cheeky well-wishes, I walked side by side with Marguerite.
The children tried to follow us but were caught by the adults.
"You rascals, behave yourselves today."
They threw a tantrum, insisting they wanted to go to the teacher's house, but when we promised to pack them meat and dried fruit if they went to the secret base instead, they dashed back inside the hall.
We walked home along a path where spirits whispered and giggled. When we arrived, a massive tub large enough for a person to crouch inside sat waiting for us.
It hadn't been in the village before.
They must have bought it from a peddler or received it as a gift.
Steaming hot water filled the tub, sending curls of vapor into the air.
Beside it lay a bar of soap—the kind I'd never seen once since arriving in this world.
I remembered Kenson giving us a thumbs-up as we left the hall. These things were probably his gift.
Several smaller tubs stood next to the large one, each filled with water, clearly prepared for rinsing.
These tubs were usually shared by the whole village, and we didn't have many of them.
We'd made some ourselves, but they leaked a little when filled.
Those were mainly used for storage.
"If all these tubs are here, the village must be completely out of them right now," I muttered.
Marguerite smiled brightly.
"It seems the villagers truly love you, Jin-woo."
"...."
Hearing it said out loud made me feel embarrassed.
I gently pushed her forward by the waist.
"You wash first, Marguerite."
Her face flushed crimson as she nodded.
While she undressed piece by piece, I stood with my back turned.
We were husband and wife now, so there was no need to be shy, and we could do all sorts of naughty things, but there was one problem.
We weren't the only ones in the room.
Popcorn watched us with sparkling, expectant eyes, while Orange flew in frantic circles near the ceiling, chirping loudly.
Pudding was absent—thankfully the children had dragged it off to their secret base earlier—but even without that one, the situation was bad enough.
Outside the window, a cloud of spirits had gathered like a storm. I didn't know why they'd all shown up, but every last one of them was brimming with anticipation.
Wherever I moved, their gazes followed. If I went left, they looked left. If I went right, they looked right.
Even the slightest movement of a finger drew everyone's full attention.
They might not be human, but with so many eyes fixed on my every action, I couldn't bring myself to watch Marguerite bathe no matter how much I wanted to.
It was probably the same feeling as freezing up in front of a camera.
Why are you all like this?
Don't tell me you actually hate the idea of me getting married?
I heard the soft splash of water and a tiny pipi cry. When I turned my head slightly, I saw Marguerite stepping into the tub while Popcorn carefully lifted a strand of her hair.
"Pipipi!"
It looked like the weight of her hair was too much for the little spirit.
"Pii?"
Popcorn tilted its head.
The Sprout was calling.
The other spirits must have heard it too, because they all turned and began flying toward the World Tree sprout.
"Ppippi?"
Orange seemed to have heard it as well. It flew in panicked circles, crying out in confusion.
Sigh. Orange was still a baby and wasn't very good at flying yet.
Right now we were extremely busy helping Dad's bride with her bath, but it couldn't be helped.
Popcorn let go of the bride's hair and rose high toward the ceiling. Once it perched on Orange's back and got its bearings, the little firebird finally managed to fly out the window.
Dad was staring at us with a strange expression.
"Pipipi!"
Don't worry, Dad! Popcorn will be right back!
I waved at him through the window, and Dad wiggled his finger in return.
He looked a little sad that Popcorn was leaving.
Alright! We have to hurry back!
When we reached the Sprout, it seemed every spirit living in the area had gathered. The air was so packed with them that there was barely any space left.
As soon as they saw Popcorn, they all backed away slightly and bowed their heads.
Hmph!
When Popcorn puffed out its chest, laughter rang out from the Sprout.
"Pipi?"
But why did you call us?
I flew closer, grabbed the Sprout, and peered inside. A clear voice rang out.
[...Today is an important day... A joyful day... You must not interfere... Everyone....]
Interfere?
Were these spirits trying to interfere?
How naughty.
Popcorn put its hands on its hips and glared at the spirits. The Sprout laughed again.
[...Popcorn... Child who bears a name... You are the same... Today, you must not go to Dad....]
Pii?
But Popcorn wasn't interfering.
Popcorn was only helping Dad's bride.
Today was a very important day, so Popcorn was needed.
Something wonderful was going to happen. Ever since Dad's bride arrived in the village, Popcorn's heart had been pounding nonstop.
"Pipi."
Dad and Dad's bride are waiting.
Popcorn spun around in a hurry.
Its wings flapped as it tried to fly away.
That was when something small extended from the Sprout.
Pii?
Startled, I looked back. A root thinner than Dad's bride's hair had risen from the ground and wrapped around Popcorn's body.
"Pipipi! Pipipipi!"
I struggled in shock, but the Sprout's root didn't budge.
I shouted for Orange to save me. The brave little bird charged at the Sprout, but it was caught immediately.
It seemed there wasn't just one thin wooden root.
While the other spirits giggled, Popcorn and Orange dangled helplessly in the air, trapped by the roots.
Popcorn's body went limp.
Pipi... I have to go to Dad.
Something truly wonderful is going to happen today.
I didn't understand it completely, but Popcorn knew. Today, Dad was going to become incredibly happy.
Pii... I wanted to see it... How happy Dad would be, and what wonderful thing would happen.
[...You little rascal....]
The Sprout laughed, its voice rolling like tiny bells.
Suddenly Popcorn and all the spirits withdrew, and the room fell completely silent in an instant.
No one was watching.
If I missed this chance, I might never get another one….
The thought struck me, and I turned around.
Marguerite had tilted her head to the side, washing her hair. The elegant line of her slender neck and shoulders made me swallow hard without thinking.
"It must be hard to do alone. Let me help."
When I approached, Marguerite didn't flinch or try to hide herself. She simply lowered her head quietly.
I couldn't see her face, but her neck had turned bright red.
The sun was just beginning to set.
Red light poured through the window and bathed her body, stirring up an indescribable emotion inside me.
It wasn't mere lust.
It was the ecstasy of finding the perfect missing piece.
The fact that she was my wife felt like the final fragment of a shattered soul clicking perfectly into place.
Without a word, I gently wiped her body with a small cloth, then moved in front of her.
Our eyes met, and Marguerite smiled shyly.
Ah, so this is happiness. This is how my father and mother felt. This is the feeling they've lived with all their lives.
I held back the sudden urge to cry and whispered,
"I will never betray you. Only you, forever. You are the only wife I will ever have in my lifetime."
I would never do something like Jeong So-hee, ripping people's hearts to shreds.
"Me too. I will love only you for the rest of my life."
After we finished our private vows, our lips met without either of us needing to move first.
Even after the short kiss ended, Popcorn and the spirits still hadn't returned, so I closed the window.
I shut it tightly so that even if the little rascal came back, it couldn't get in.
As if she'd read my mind, Marguerite laughed brightly.
After that, Popcorn never returned, and our night together continued deeply for a very long time.
When I opened my eyes the next morning, the three little rascals were sitting in a neat row on my chest.
Popcorn, Orange, and Pudding.
"Pipi… Pii…."
"Ppik?"
"…Kkur… Kkur… Kkur…."
All three of them were crying sadly.
"Hehe, is this how every morning is going to be?"
Marguerite must have woken up too. She laughed while resting her head on my arm as a pillow.
Both of us were completely naked under the blanket.
Just yesterday we'd been practically strangers, and I'd been too embarrassed to even look at her bare body.
But after spending just one night together, this felt completely natural.
Moved by the strange feeling, I tightened my arm a little and pulled Marguerite closer.
"It's rare to see all three of them lined up like this. They don't usually come in the morning either."
The window was slightly open, letting in a sliver of light.
Among the three, Pudding was the best at physical tasks, so it had probably been the one to open the window.
Pudding trembled and offered Marguerite some sparkling powder while making its usual kkur kkur sounds.
It seemed upset that it hadn't been able to do anything when Marguerite first arrived in the village.
When Marguerite accepted the powder and put it in her mouth, Pudding shook with joy.
"Hmm? This has a unique flavor."
It usually didn't taste like much.
Curious, I reached out my hand, and Pudding happily poured some sparkling powder into my palm.
It had a fizzy, tingling sensation, almost like soda.
I wasn't sure, but it looked like Pudding had created a new medicine.
I reached out to praise it, but my arm suddenly stopped midway.
"…Huh?"
Strength suddenly surged through my body.
Don't tell me this is….
When I turned to look at Marguerite, her face had gone bright red.
"…Um… Jin-woo… Something… feels strange. I feel a bit… hot all over…."
Was this some kind of stamina potion?
When I looked at Pudding, it shook its body proudly and let out a loud kkur kkur.
"Pii…."
Popcorn, who had been looking sad earlier, flopped onto my chest in frustration.
It seemed to think it had lost.
Pudding shook its body even more vigorously while looking at the defeated Popcorn.
"…."
You three need to leave for a while.
It looks like this is going to take some time until the effects wear off.
"High Priest Baldo, I've brought your meal."
The thick door opened and a young apprentice priest entered.
As always, the meal consisted of bread, stew, and a few fruits.
Since Baldo was still in the middle of prayer, the apprentice priest stood quietly in the corner and waited.
When the prayer ended and Baldo turned around, the apprentice approached with the tray.
The ten-year-old apprentice had entered the temple at a very young age and had been receiving Baldo's teachings ever since.
Baldo smiled gently as he accepted the tray and set it on the floor.
"Thank you again today. Now then, shall we continue your studies? Was there anything you found difficult to understand?"
The apprentice priest glanced at Baldo's face with a slightly uncertain expression.
"…The passage I read in the scripture yesterday was a little difficult."
"Which part was difficult?"
"It was about the summoned Saintess…."
What the apprentice mentioned was the fact that the Saintess had come from another world.
"When you say another world, do you mean a place completely different from our country? Or does it mean someone from another continent?"
It seemed the child didn't quite understand the difference between another continent and another world.
In truth, no one knew the exact answer.
Every time a Saintess arrived, everything about her world and her powers was recorded, but there were many things that defied common sense.
The current Saintess was no exception.
Her debauchery was something never seen in any Saintess throughout history.
Moreover, every previous Saintess had possessed the ability to enrich the land, yet this one was strange.
No, only she was strange.
Is she truly the Saintess?
Baldo was the priest who had discovered the sprout on the Spirit Tree, and the only one who had witnessed the moment it disappeared.
He had heard that the Crown Prince's fiancée had ordered someone to damage the sprout, but Baldo didn't believe it.
He couldn't believe it.
No matter how much time he spent thinking about it, that was not something done by human hands.
After talking for a while, the apprentice priest asked,
"High Priest Baldo, why don't you leave this room? The investigation is already over, and you're free to come and go as you please."
"…."
Baldo gently stroked the apprentice's head.
He had been seeking an answer through constant prayer.
So far, no answer had come.
But that didn't mean God had ignored his prayers.
This is the answer.
The very absence of an answer was God's reply and rebuke that they were doing something wrong.
"I intend to leave this place."
The apprentice priest looked shocked at Baldo's words.
"Where will you go?"
"I'm not sure."
Though he said that, his heart had already made its decision.
He planned to go to the small temple on the frontier where the first oracle had been received.
If there was an answer, it would surely be there.
"Please take me with you."
The young apprentice grabbed Baldo's robe.
This child had grown up by his side all this time.
To the boy, Baldo was like a parent.
I originally hadn't planned to take him….
But today, near the end of his prayer, he had faintly heard something like a child's laughter.
Baldo believed that was God's answer.
It was telling him to take this child with him.
"Will you come with me?"
"Yes!"
Baldo stroked the apprentice priest's head once more and smiled gently.