ㅤChapter 3
ㅤEmperor Theodore Leonard Langley of the Langley Empire was in an extremely foul mood from the very morning of that day.
ㅤA horde of goblins had surged from the Demon Forest, which lay between the empire and the Underworld. Impoverished citizens, pleading for tax relief, were crowding outside the castle gates. And to top it off, an envoy from the Central Nations had arrived, proposing a reduction in financial aid.
ㅤThe young emperor let out a deep sigh as a succession of headache-inducing news bombarded him the moment he entered his office.
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ㅤ（We’re already overwhelmed dealing with the endlessly respawning monsters, and yet everyone is only thinking about their own benefit……）
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ㅤHis already less-than-stellar mood plummeted in an instant, but he wasn’t a shallow emperor who would let it show on his face. He issued precise instructions without changing his expression.
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ㅤ”……Dispatch the Knights to the goblin horde immediately. Annihilate them before they reach the Imperial Capital. If you are outnumbered, inform me, and I will join the battle myself.”
ㅤ”Yes, Your Majesty!”
ㅤ”It’s difficult to reduce taxes immediately. We just reduced them six months ago. Given the goblin situation, tell the citizens to return home immediately and ensure their safety.”
ㅤ”Understood.”
ㅤ”I will speak directly to the officials from the Central Nations. Have them wait in the hall.”
ㅤ”Yes, Your Majesty!”
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ㅤOnce the attendants left the room, Arnold, his close aide, who remained alone in the office with him, grinned.
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ㅤ”Today is the day the bride arrives from the Belheim Kingdom, you know. I hear Princess Aquamarine, the Saintess, is famous for her beauty. I’m looking forward to it, Your Majesty.”
ㅤ”……Ah, that’s right. It’s today. I had forgotten.”
ㅤ”You’re joking! She’s your wife, you know. Forgetting your wedding day, such a fool couldn’t possibly be the emperor of our nation.”
ㅤ”……”
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ㅤDespite Arnold’s flippant remarks, Theodore didn’t get angry; he only made a bitter face.
ㅤThese two had a relationship like brothers, having grown up together since they were toddlers. Four years older, Arnold served as a capable advisor and prime minister, effectively supporting Theodore’s reign. With his bright silver hair and cool features, he was immensely popular with women, but he was a cunning and inscrutable man.
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ㅤIn contrast to Arnold’s scholarly appearance, Theodore had a sturdy physique with hard, bluish-black hair. Until he inherited the throne, he had been a seasoned military officer, serving as the Knight Commander and slaying countless monsters.
ㅤTherefore, until he turned twenty-four, he had been completely unfamiliar with concepts like love and romance. He spent his days off fostering a rough camaraderie with his fellow knights, staining his cheeks with the blood of monsters, not tears of love. He feared nothing, but when it came to relationships with women, he found them troublesome.
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ㅤ”You were the one who said that the country’s situation would improve if a Saintess married into the royal family. I had no intention of marrying yet.”
ㅤ”That’s right. You would be playing around with the knights forever if I didn’t push you. There are already rumors about your fondness for men, so it’s best you get married soon. Besides, if your wife is a Saintess, our miasma-ridden country will become somewhat more prosperous.”
ㅤ”……That’s the only saving grace. If she can be of service to the country, regardless of who she is, the marriage will have meaning.”
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ㅤ—The Langley Empire was a very unique country in the world.
ㅤIt was located just inside the border between this world and the Underworld, where the dead and monsters were said to reside.
ㅤBeyond the 『Demon Forest』 that covered the northern part of the country lay the abyss of the Underworld, and to enter it meant certain death.
ㅤLangley’s raison d’être was to serve as a buffer nation between the Underworld and the Central Nations. In other words, it was a country that shouldered the burden of slaying the monsters that emerged from the Underworld, absorbing the miasma with its vast land, and risking its own existence to guarantee the safety of the Central Nations—and ultimately, the world.
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ㅤ”They should be grateful. We were able to buy a Saintess with money. I’m quite good at diplomacy, but it wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for that foolish country. With no Grand Saintess in the world right now, Saintesses are supreme beings in every country. It’s common sense to keep them from leaving the country, grant them status and honor, and have them work for their own nation.”
ㅤ”The rumors about the current Belheim royal family being spendthrifts were true, then…….It gives me a headache to think that their daughter must be spoiled and extravagant. Anyway, once she’s recovered from the fatigue of her journey, we must have her purify the miasma immediately. As long as she works diligently, I won’t interfere in anything.”
ㅤ”That’s a terrible way to talk about your own wife.”
ㅤ”Shut up. You should settle down yourself before criticizing others. Now, go to work.”
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ㅤAfter shooing away the smirking Arnold, Theodore let out his second deep sigh of the day.
ㅤHe didn’t have any particular woman he was interested in, but he felt a strong sense of dissonance about becoming a 『husband』 starting today.
ㅤTo be precise, they had officially registered their marriage on the day Princess Aquamarine departed from Belheim at their insistence, so he had already been a husband for a month.
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ㅤ”……If it can be solved with money, it’s still better.”
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ㅤHe was prepared to overlook anything, whether she wore gaudy makeup or had a difficult personality, as long as she contributed to the country as a Saintess. If the miasma was purified and the power of the monsters weakened, the problems currently plaguing the country should naturally be resolved. A business-like relationship was more comfortable than an uncertain thing like affection.
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ㅤ”……I didn’t have a woman I liked anyway.”
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ㅤHe muttered to himself and switched gears.
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ㅤThen, in the evening, word arrived that the carriage carrying the bride had arrived. Theodore headed out to greet his wife as a matter of minimal courtesy.
ㅤA crowd of vassals and citizens had gathered in front of the main gate of the castle, eager to catch a glimpse of the bride.
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ㅤThe bride, seemingly unable to hide her surprise at the crowd, looked around nervously and stepped out of the carriage, bowing low.
ㅤAt that moment, her cheap lace veil caught on the ceiling of the carriage. Unaware of this, the bride began to walk.
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ㅤ”……！！！！”
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ㅤThe scene froze in an instant.
ㅤAlong with the veil, her golden hair slipped off as well.
ㅤ……Yes, it slipped off.
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ㅤBeneath the beautiful blonde hair, what appeared was hair as dark green as the plants that grew deep in the forest.
ㅤSomeone, unaware of the situation, knelt down with a tense expression and uttered a name that was not their own.
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ㅤ”I am Aquamarine, the First Princess of the Belheim Kingdom. I have come to meet His Majesty, Emperor Theodore.”
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ㅤAmidst the rising murmurs, Theodore felt a vein throb in his forehead.
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ㅤ”……You are not Princess Aquamarine. Who are you?”
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ㅤStartled by his words, the girl looked up with a gasp.
ㅤHer innocent expression was extremely unpleasant to Theodore at that moment.