Chapter 1 (2/2)

Leticia reached out elegantly with her gloved hand. Erden gently took her hand and escorted her out of the banquet hall with perfect manners. They left the people who were still filled with curiosity and climbed into the carriage.

***

“Erden, I didn’t think there would be that many people who were interested in us. You must’ve had a difficult time alone.” “Oh.”

Across the carriage seat, Erden seemed to shrug.

“I also didn’t think we would get this much attention. My wife, you must’ve been very embarrassed to be accompanied by your ugly husband.”

Leticia was silent for a moment. Erden’s figure caught her eyes. She saw some women secretly skim his physique in the banquet hall. What if he didn’t have the face of a monster? It was as if they were thinking that.

He didn’t have a sports-trained body like the other noblemen. Ever since he was a boy, his body was one that has been rolled

around and struggled through the bloody battles. That was why it must’ve looked very different to them. Otherwise, he had a natural unique atmosphere. No devil brought fear to him. He didn’t bow his head to anyone. He never forgot his status as a castle Lord and he became arrogant and prideful because of that.

But there was a moment where Erden showed a different side of himself. It was when others bullied Leticia and tried to hurt her for having an ugly husband. It was the only time where he looked like he couldn’t do anything. This was like that the moment. At times like this, Leticia’s heart hurt felt a pang of pain in her chest.

Leticia didn’t know what to do and just squeezed the hem of her dress. Actually, you….. She suppressed the words that reached to her neck. She pinched her thighs to hold the words in. She shouldn’t say it. She barely swallowed the words into her heart. After that, she looked around her surroundings. Of course, there was no one. It was the inside of a running carriage.

“Excuse me, now that it’s only the two of us, you can take off that horrendous mask and be comfortable.”

At the words of Leticia, Erden muttered ‘ah’ and looked up.

“May I do that?” He asked politely and carefully. Erden never tried to show his face beyond the mask. But after a shocking encounter, in the end, he also gave up to some extent.

Sometimes Leticia would persuade him and give him the courage to take off his mask. It’s definitely more comfortable. Leticia put more effort, knowing he was tempted.

“Of course! Of course! I have adapted to your face now!”

That was a lie. Even after 100 years, she wouldn’t be able to familiarize herself with his face. How could you adapt to such an amazing face……?

“Well then.”

Erden put his hand slightly on the magic device that held his mask. Leticia began to prepare her heart and her eyes. She must watch out for his brightness. However……

“I can’t do this. I can’t do such a cruel thing to my wife who worked hard for our castle honor today. I don’t want to show you this ugly face and make you more tired.”

Erden just dropped his hand.

Leticia’s shoulders dropped. Rather his face relieves her fatigue. It was eye cleansing. Why can’t you say that! She bit her handkerchief because her chest tightened up. It was like this. The man who was known as a horrible monster was actually a great beauty.

But because of the cure that has been passed through the family, he thought he had a repulsive appearance. Because he was so caring for others, he hid his face. Leticia first saw his face after a long time the wedding ceremony had ended. When she was reminiscing about that day’s shock, Leticia smiled shyly. Outside the bleak window, she saw a hallucination as if petals were falling.

“Wife.”

Erden’s sweet voice reached her.

“I am always grateful for you. This monster-like face must be disgusting and terrible, but you didn’t let it show on your face and took it in greatly.”

“Of course.”

“Since your arrival, our land has developed remarkably. The demons are tied to their wives. That’s amazing. No matter how much you think about it, you’re too good for me. That’s why I have to divorce you myself!”

Leticia, who was listening with a hazy face, was shocked. What? Divorce? The story that has been told many times when pummeling demons has come back. Her heart was shaking. She did her best to not let him notice the change in her face. Erden then said, “Monster husband. Old and gloomy castle. Tiring demons. We can get a divorce quickly so you can escape all of this. But what do we do? I lost the divorce papers that I made with the help of a lawyer.”

“Really? What a shame!”

Leticia felt remorse for that paper. Those papers fell to the floor. But of course, the paper landed in front of the fireplace. The wind blew and the paper was engulfed in flames. Leticia just watched the whole process silently.

“I’m sorry. I will meet with the lawyer to make the new divorce papers.”

“Please do so slowly.” Leticia replied. Either way, the new divorce papers would also disappear without a sound.

Leticia didn’t have any thought of divorcing him. Where could she ever meet a husband like this again? As she looked at the sitting Erden across from her, her ears became red. To calm her mind, Leticia reached for her pocket. Inside it was a flower from the classic garden that she picked. She secretly picked the petals one by one until it hit the bud.

My husband and I will go well, not well, well, not well……well!

As always, a good result came out. To that day, she never received a ‘not well in the end. It was because most flowers had an odd number of petals. The annoying flowers that had even petals like cosmos and forsythia were to be avoided.

The petal trick is always correct.

With a happy face, Leticia looked outside the window.

Whenever she thinks about her destiny with Erden, it was as if she’s been intertwining long and long threads ever since she was a child. The beginning was like that. The demons in the north lost their parents and grew up with cruel uncles and aunts, when the parents had died they returned to the same northern area. That was when Leticia was twelve. The day when everything started was still vivid to her.