I Became the Hero's Bride!

Chapter 23

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IBHB 28 - Jealousy

TL: Eevee
Ed: Hungry Panda

In one of the plazas in the center of the capital. Minwoo was waiting for Orleia there. Date. This was the very last time he would put up with her antics, he told himself that as he waited. Although he had covered up well enough with a hat and sungla.s.ses, but just in case anyone recognised him, Minwoo looked around cautiously. The square was bustling with people. Everyone was enjoying the festival. Which made him feel even more awkward.

Because this festival was to celebrate his and Clarice"s marriage.

It wasn"t that he disliked them, or disliked festivals. It was just that, self-loathing p.r.i.c.ked at his conscience. He himself had abandoned Clarice, and was on a date with the one who had caused this rift, Orleia.

Once this was all over, he"d confess everything and apologise, he resolved.

"Guess who~♪"

A cheerful voice chirped, accompanied by a pair of hands that covered his sungla.s.ses. Forcing down a surge in irritation, he sighed. Minwoo shook off the hands with an unmistakably apathetic air and looked behind him.

"You"re here?"
"Wrong! It"s not "You"re Here," but Orleia!"

Orleia happily said, even making a point to imitate his strict, solemn, serious face. With her hair tied up in a ponytail, Orleia was wearing a simple light violet one-piece decorated with floral patterns, with a beige cardigan on top. Even though her appearance was beautiful enough to draw the eyes of all the pa.s.sing men, Minwoo"s gaze was cold. Did she not even bother to disguise herself. Then again, it"s not like she"d come to a loss even if she was recognised.

"Heh. Even in gla.s.ses you look fine. Really, it"s beauty that make clothes shine."
"…………"

Minwoo answered with silence. Orleia puffed up her cheeks and fidgeted with the hem of her clothes. An obvious gesture. "Alright, I"ll humour you for today." Minwoo sighed and said lifelessly.

"Yes, you"re pretty too."

Orleia"s expression finally loosened. Minwoo"s line of sight went for Orleia"s neck. Her freely revealed neckline was very enticing. As to what was enticing-

"What are you thinking?"

Orleia asked, tilting her head. Following her head movements, her while hair flowed like a stream. Minwoo coughed and looked away.

"No, nothing."
"Hmm?"

Watching Minwoo fl.u.s.tered, a quaint smile surfaced on Orleia"s face before she lifted her head. All the better to see, she turned around and said.

"Here. Look."
"What?"
"Isn"t this what you wanted to see?"

She seductively stroked her neckline as she smiled. Minwoo made a face as if he was about to swear. He briefly considered unleashing a torrent of curses as well, before he decided to ignore her and go on his way. It wasn"t like she was going to bother listening anyway, it was just going to make his mouth sore.

"Huh? Wait up!"

Orleia ran to catch up with Minwoo. As if it were completely natural, Orleia linked arms with Minwoo and leaned her face on his chest. Her cheeks were dyed pink as if she were happy, and she even smiled and simpered like a girl in love. Ah. d.a.m.n it. Minwoo"s eyes narrowed in a scowl.

"What? That face, did you forget? That you"d be my lover for today?"

For the however manyth time, Minwoo answered with a sigh. It meant alright, do what you want. The two of them mixed with other couples coming and going in the square as they went their way.

Although their relationship was one which gave him stomach ulcers, on the surface, they looked quite the couple. To the point where even the "trio" trailing behind them couldn"t see any awkwardness.

Hiding behind a stack of firewood to be used at the bonfire that night, there was a trio whose faces poked out from behind it, watching Minwoo and Orleia"s date. Despite not even being winter, their attire of beanies, sungla.s.ses, masks and coats drew the attention of others for completely different reasons than Orleia.

They were none other than-

"Th, that idiot! Why is he linking arms!!"

Senyun who was leaning over so far it was about to threaten the firewood stack,

"Hmph. No doubt. That Orleia went "Hmmm♪ Not listening to me. So you don"t care what happens to the holy sword?" and threatened him that way, obviously."

Ericia who was sneering as if everything was obvious,

"Um. Before that, I think a lot of people are looking at us…"

And Clarice, who was making a face that was crying "do we really have to wear this." Wouldn"t invisibility magic be better, she had asked, but for the reason that petty tricks didn"t work on Orleia, who was blessed by Mitohi with access to his power, they were currently in a disguise that you might find in some third-rate detective work.

Whether Orleia was fooled by this disguise or not aside, Clarice was loathe to move due to the embarra.s.sment brought on by all the people watching her. The silver lining was that since she"d thoroughly wrapped her face up, at least no one recognized her. If they had… She didn"t even want to imagine it.

"Alright. Let"s get moving."
"Okay."

Scuttlescuttlescuttle. Senyun and Ericia tailed Minwoo and Orleia swiftly through the crowd like c.o.c.kroaches. People being startled seeing them move like that was a side note. In Clarice"s eyes, there was simply no room to maneuver, but they were moving seriously swiftly. As she stared at the two blankly, they gestured at her to hurry up.

Yes yes I"m coming. I"m coming. For the however manyth time lately, she sighed and moved from the firewood pile. The people"s gazes followed her. Wow. She wanted to die. Pressing her hat firmly down her face, she hurried her footsteps.

As to why they went as far as wearing these ridiculous outfits and following Minwoo and Orleia, it was simple.

Because they were staking out Minwoo and Orleia"s date today.

***

The previous night, when Senyun charged in after watching Orleia, she told them everything about the nefarious plot that she"d overheard while watching Orleia. No one could hide their horror. Under the cover of the last date tomorrow, to knock Minwoo out and use a "ritual" to turn him into her captive, an absolutely heinous plan. Transcending the boundary of mere speechlessness, it made her laugh at the sheer farce of it all. The most ridiculous part was the part where Minwoo would get pregnant.

"Eh? Hero-nim?? Not Orleia??? How???? Eh?????"

Even though she"d thought her experiences had built up quite the resistance to bulls.h.i.t, she couldn"t help but think that this bulls.h.i.t was of a most ridiculous type. More than that, how would a man get pregnant. Would she turn him into a man like herself? But then Orleia would have to be a man first??

"Borrowing the power of Mitohi, it"s not impossible for women to impregnate men."

But Senyun"s follow up made her accept it instantly. If it was that insane evil G.o.d it seemed very much possible. Senyun urged to tell Minwoo this truth instantly. But after a long hesitation, Clarice shook her head.

Holy sword. If they told the hero now, then tomorrow"s date would be ruined. In that case, so would the promise to get rid of the holy sword. Rather, shadowing the two, in order to catch Orleia when she showed her true colours, save the hero and obtain the holy sword, would be a much better plan.

Orleia"s plan was wait for the right time during the dances at the night bonfire, where she would have Minwoo drink drugged wine. Since everyone was caught up in the festival right now and getting boozed up, even if she were to push quite hard for alcohol, it wouldn"t seem out of the ordinary.

Leading Minwoo whose apathy was getting more and more obvious, Orleia scouted out the street stalls. The street stalls were filled with so many foods that even Clarice, who had secretly gone out to observe the common people"s lives and situations, hadn"t seen. As Orleia cutely begged, Minwoo sighed and opened his wallet. Not knowing anything, the vendor smiled and said that his girlfriend looked cute. As if to show off to her surroundings, Orleia linked arms and smiled happily.

Meanwhile, Clarice wasn"t feeling that great. Despite the fact that this festival was to celebrate her and Hero-nim"s marriage, they were praising that hero going around with another woman. For some reason she couldn"t stand it. Not even she herself had done all that with him yet…

Feeling the sprouts of a dark emotion sprout from within her like black mud, Clarice continued following them. Contrary to her previous worries, she wasn"t discovered even as the day was about to end. No matter how good Orleia"s intuition was, in this thick crowd, especially with the attention of all the countless gazes on her, it seemed that it was hard to tell she was being followed. Or it could just be that all her attention was focused on Minwoo.

As the sky turned red in the early evening, Orleia entered the beauty contest that was opening in the city square. Although she entered under a false name as if at the very least she didn"t have any ideas of openly flouting her ident.i.ty as the Holy Maiden, but the response was still overwhelming.

"Do you have a boyfriend?!"

Boyfriend. At the MC"s(1) question, Clarice"s heart tightened. Clarice was shocked. Orleia looked in her general direction. Had she been discovered. She hadn"t. Her eyes had gone to the hero, who was close by her. Orleia smiled cutely at Minwoo and said.

"Yes."

All the surrounding men sighed as one. The MC giddily called Minwoo up to the stage. When he did, all the women sighed as one. The MC took a look at Minwoo and excitedly said.

"Iya! This is one heck of a couple! It seems like the two of you could even rival the hero and Princess Clarice?!"

Clarice didn"t fail to notice Minwoo biting his lips unnoticed by everyone else. Just what was the MC so happy about that was worth all his prancing around everywhere.

"A couple. We"re-"

All of a sudden Orleia linked arms with Minwoo and happily smiled.

"We"re already engaged to each other?"

The square turned silent. Then it started rumbling. But Clarice was still caught in the quiet moment. The MC yelled something excitedly. But she couldn"t hear anything else. All she saw was Orleia getting closer and closer to Minwoo"s lips.

It couldn"t be.

"Who the heck is that?"

When she came to she had already burst out in front of the crowd. Senyun and Ericia yelled panickedly.

"Y, Your Highness?!"
"Princess!"

Just before their lips touched, Minwoo and Orleia heard voices and turned around. Princess?

"Clarice?"

Minwoo came closer with an expression of disbelief on his face. Clarice took a step backwards. And, she fled. Because she realised. She went and realised. That this dark emotion that had been tormenting her ever since Orleia had started making moves on Hero-nim was-

Jealousy.

Author"s Note

Transator"s Note

What the author said. Gimme a couple of minutes and you"ll finally see the end of this arc.

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(1) Master of Ceremonies, not Main Character

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