The First Night (3)
Neir felt as light as if she were about to take flight. It was the sensation of heavy shackles finally falling away—the feeling of being released from duties she had desperately wanted to avoid. She had managed to preserve her purity, and it didn't matter that she didn't love her partner. If she could just buy enough time to hand over the Red Flame Mercenary Corps' weaknesses, the rest of her problems would resolve themselves. Because of that, she no longer felt gloomy. She didn't even feel like crying.
The breeze felt cooler, and the sunlight felt warmer. For the first time in a while, she strolled through the garden outside the mansion. When had so many flowers bloomed? She had spent the last few weeks doing nothing but crying, so she hadn't noticed these changes. Since she had always spent a lot of time alone, she had grown close to nature. She loved sneaking into the forest, spending time in front of the waterfall, visiting her grandmother’s grave, and slipping out at night to gaze at the moon. This walk, the first in a long time, was refreshing her spirit. She felt so refreshed that morning that it was hard to believe.
All of this was because Berg was a much more decent human than she had anticipated. Of course, he might have just been conscious of her status. Either way, Neir didn't care. Even if he were truly suppressing his carnal desires out of respect for her status, and those desires were boiling over inside him, it didn't matter. They had already promised not to do things they disliked. As long as he didn't touch her, she didn't care about anything else. She wouldn't even mind if he sought out other women to vent his desires.
While she was resting, she heard footsteps. She had been so busy enjoying the peace with her eyes closed that she noticed them quite late. When Neir looked back, her siblings were walking toward her: three older brothers and two older sisters. They were a close-knit group that rarely separated. They always moved in a pack, always laughing together. The very group Neir had so desperately wanted to be a part of was approaching her. Neir’s body stiffened with sudden tension. Under normal circumstances, she would have fled, but it was too late now. Gidin, who led the group, was walking toward her, fully aware of her presence.
Her brothers were all wiping away sweat, as if they had just finished training. Neir carefully stood up and greeted them. "...Older brothers. Older sisters."
"Neir."
The four siblings behind Gidin looked at her as well. They cast gazes that felt strangely uncomfortable. Gidin paused for a moment and looked at the flowers blooming around Neir. "...Were you flower-gazing?"
"..."
Gidin chuckled. At that small sound of laughter, Neir’s heart sank. "...You were so miserable until yesterday, yet today you seem to be in such a good mood."
"..."
"I don't understand how this is even possible."
His tone was laced with sarcasm. Her siblings behind him smiled in the same way.
'Ah.' Neir thought, closing her eyes. Today was *that* day. The day she became the target of their cruel amusement. Sometimes they ignored her, sometimes they berated her, and occasionally they even hit her, but the hardest days to endure were the ones like today, where they picked at her and tormented her with words.
Swan, her younger older sister, asked with a smile, "You're so relaxed, Neir. We all went to watch the training. Even the sisters-in-law went to offer their support, and yet..."
Swan was the same person who would chase her away even if she tried to participate. Neir couldn't understand this criticism. Her eldest sister, Raan, chimed in, "Of course she's relaxed. Her husband is the vice-captain of a mercenary corps, so why would she be afraid? But... he must have satisfied you well. Sleeping in until such a late hour."
The sisters burst into laughter together. Neir clenched her fists tightly. She suppressed the urge to shout that it wasn't like that. Besides, she didn't even know how to rebel against her siblings. Furthermore, Berg had said he would tell everyone they had been intimate. If she denied that fact here, and Berg changed his mind and decided to press his seal on the contract, everything would be over.
Eldest sister Raan continued, "But is it because he's a human? Neir, you must have enjoyed it quite a bit. You look happy."
"..."
The most heartbreaking part of all this for Neir was that, even after suffering all these insults, she still had the foolish desire to be part of that group. She was lonely and wanted to feel a sense of belonging. She was being sold off to a human mercenary for the sake of the Blackwood family—couldn't they at least speak to her a little more kindly? Could they not see her sacrifice? It was a terrible mistake that she had taken her mother's life, but it wasn't something she could have helped.
Gidin looked at his siblings, not Neir, and said, "...It can't be helped. Look at her tail."
Neir instinctively hid her pathetic white tail. "...The color itself is a mutation. From the start, she doesn't need much time to fall in love like we do. Just like humans, when they meet eyes—"
—THUD!
At that moment, someone lunged from the side and shoved Gidin hard, knocking him over. Neir’s siblings, and even Neir herself, were shocked. They had been so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't noticed anyone approaching. Soon, a massive shadow loomed over Neir, blocking the view of her siblings.
"...What was that?" the newcomer asked. Berg’s back was right in front of her.
It was a good thing I came straight to find Neir after finishing morning training. If I hadn't heard about their relationship from Baran earlier, I might have been too late. Especially since my own brother was teasing me mercilessly about the first night, there was no way Neir’s siblings—who didn't get along with her—would be any kinder. As I knocked Gidin over, his younger brothers approached me roughly. However, Gidin stopped them.
"...This is my problem."
He growled as he stood up. I hid Neir further behind my back and faced the rising Gidin. He maintained a cold, calm composure. It was enough to calm down his brothers, who had been rampaging behind him.
"...What do you think you're doing, Vice-Captain?" Gidin whispered quietly. Our faces were so close they were almost touching. "I am trying to maintain as much courtesy as possible, but if you keep crossing the line..."
"Which line are you referring to?" I asked out of curiosity. Gidin’s eyebrows twitched, and his jaw muscles bulged.
"...I clearly told you that the Wolf-kin dislike it when others interfere in their family affairs. I wonder if humans have short memories. Have you forgotten already?"
"..."
That again. At the time, I had accepted it. As he said, it was someone else's family affair. But not anymore. Looking down at Gidin, who was glaring at me coldly, I said, "...Until the day before yesterday, she might have been your younger sister, but as of yesterday, she became my wife."
"..."
"...Did you forget?"
Gidin’s eyes trembled again. His pupils sharpened into slits. I’ve seen this look many times. Gidin was preparing for combat. I prepared to react to the incoming fist.
"..."
But he stood there for a long time before bowing his head and letting out a deep sigh. "...Hoo."
He seemed to decide to endure it, taking a deep breath. After a while, Gidin looked up at me again. "...I see. My apologies."
With that, he left without another word. His brothers, too, alternated between looking at me and Neir, who was hiding behind me, before following Gidin. It was a good choice on his part. We had received Neir, but they still had monsters to deal with. It wasn't as if the contract would break just because Gidin and I fought, but there was no benefit in bickering either. I watched Gidin and his brothers leave before turning back to Neir. Neir was already shedding tears.
"..."
Why do I only ever see her crying? I couldn't say I loved her yet, but it was only natural that my heart felt uneasy seeing my wife cry. "...Are you okay?"
Neir didn't answer my question. Perhaps she wasn't okay, given that she was crying. Neir muttered in a whisper, "...Why... only me..."
Her words stirred a sudden sense of pity in me. I pondered how to comfort a woman who still disliked me, but in the end, I simply took her by the wrist and led her away.
Neir hadn't even known she was crying. The pain of being bullied never grew familiar, but she could usually hold back her tears. If she cried every time her siblings bullied her, she would have no tears left. But this time, something was different. Perhaps it had changed the moment Berg appeared.
Neir hadn't expected Gidin, the strongest warrior of the Blackwood family, to be knocked over so easily. It was the first time she had ever hidden behind someone. It was the first time someone had fought on her behalf. It was the first time her siblings' bullying had been cut short. It was the first time she had someone on her side. After everything was over... it was also the first time she had been comforted.
For some reason, her emotions were running wild, and she felt choked up. It was as if Berg had shaken the emotions she had been suppressing every time she was bullied.
"..."
Neir found herself sitting in front of the waterfall with Berg. The beautiful sound of the falls, the water droplets lightly splashing on her face, and the rainbow that slowly appeared. It was a good place to find peace of mind. Berg hadn't said a word since he first asked if she was okay. He didn't offer any further comfort, nor did he ask what the situation had been. He simply brought her to this waterfall, which she also liked, and sat at a distance.
Neir felt comfortable with that. If he had persistently questioned her, she would have felt even more uncomfortable. After all, just because Berg had saved her didn't mean she would foolishly start liking him right away. No matter what he did, Neir had only one dream: to spend her future with her fated partner. Therefore, he was still an awkward presence, and that fact hadn't changed.
She told herself that. ...But she was grateful. Neir didn't forget the warm feeling she felt near her heart when Berg offered his back, hid her from her siblings' rage, and fought in her stead. The lingering scent of that overwhelming emotion remained in her chest.
She had thought he would only be cruel and cold... how could he show such delicate consideration? Neir secretly turned her head to look at Berg, who was sitting far away.
—Swish.
At that moment, Berg turned his head to check on her. Their eyes met for a moment.
"..."
"..."
Berg smiled at Neir, who had stopped crying, without saying a word.
"......."
Neir couldn't say anything either. Even such a warm smile was a first-time experience for her. She hadn't known that someone could smile like that for her. For some reason, it became difficult to keep looking at him, so she turned her head away. It was for a reason clearly different from fear.