Incompatible Interspecies Wives

28 – Human Village (1)

A few days pass.

Adam and the mercenaries were now preparing to return to Stockpin.

Since there was nothing better to stay here, in a way, I hurriedly prepared to return.

There was no festival or feast for our victories. Werewolves suffered for a long time, so they couldn’t afford to do such a thing.

If the cheers and applause we received a few days ago were a feast, it was a feast.

So, it was right for us to go back and find our way now.

On top of that, back to Stockpin, we’ll be able to play and have fun in our own way.

We have been running a mercenary corps for a long time, and it can be seen that we have accumulated quite a lot of food and property in our warehouse.

In this war, the mercenaries were probably the ones who could live the most well.

So it was right for us and the werewolves to return.

I watched the members drive the nails into the final coffin of the casualty.

A total of 7 people died in this expedition.

It was a very small number, considering that it was a casualty that came from the collision of the Hongyeomdan’s power, but… Even so, the burden on my heart could not be lessened.

“…”

As I was looking at the coffins with a confused look on my face, Adam handed me a cheap drink and said.

“…I think you bought our future, Berg.”

“…”

I take a sip of the alcohol my brother handed me.

He continued.

“If that wasn’t enough, I think that this sacrifice saved many werewolves in Blackwood.”

“…”

“And if that is not enough, you live happily ever after.”

I watched as the coffin was loaded onto the cart.

I nodded and let out a long sigh.

It’s a breakup that happened hundreds of times, but it’s always hard to control your heart.

Since death is so near, delusion continues to bloom.

It always takes away my energy that someone can die so helplessly.

I’m afraid that Baran, Sean, and Jackson might end up like that someday.

“…”

…Especially for Adam. The longer I spend with his brother, the more I feel about his safety.

But I couldn’t tell.

Your brother will do the same to me.

I expressed my feelings for no reason, it might just provide an excuse to quit Chief Joe.

Actually, all of this is a price to pay for living with a full stomach and a warm back.

It was something I had to endure and endure.

After breaking the bottle and drinking it again, I handed the bottle to Adam again.

Also, when it comes to the deaths of the members, Adam must be the one who suffers the most.

As the leader, he must have felt responsible for all those deaths.

You will feel guilty for the member who believed in the prospect he presented and fell down.

So I changed the subject, hiding my emotions.

“So. When are you going back?”

“The preparations will be finished this evening… Let’s start tomorrow morning.”

I immediately think of Ner.

Following her quick return, she also had to say goodbye to her family.

She might be surprised.

“…I’ll prepare and come.”

I said.

My brother nodded.

****

There was still a wall with Ner.

We laughed together at the march a few days ago, but after that, our emotions calmed down and we went back to the same situation as before.

She still put a pillow between us when she went to sleep, still she said honorifics to me, still she expressed a slight reluctance when we were left alone.

Perhaps it was something we should consider fortunate.

At least, as long as the eyes of others reached her, she stayed by my side quietly.

It doesn’t matter when we’re alone.

Because she decided to give her time.

I didn’t want to fit her to my standards.

It is said that it takes time for werewolves to like someone. Love like that lasts a long time.

Love is like charcoal.

If you think of it now as the preparation process, there were no complaints.

She had to understand her.

… And honestly, I’m not quite in love with her yet.

I definitely had the idea that I was my own person to take care of, but this was a different relationship to love.

I definitely knew the difference.

So if she doesn’t reciprocate my efforts, she won’t be hurt too much.

As for me now, I had to worry about how to get along with her without fighting…

If it’s a relationship that takes time, there’s a way to start like friends rather than feeling like a married couple.

“…Ner.”

I found Ner in the forest in Blackwood’s estate.

A place quite far from where we got married.

Here is said to be the forest where Blackwood’s ancestors slept.

A place where moderate sunlight is blocked by leaves and a cool breeze blows.

But it’s not too dark either.

Where birds are chirping and butterflies are flying, Ner just turns his head and looks back at me.

She sat discreetly on her knees in front of a tomb.

Its long white tail touches the grave affectionately.

I’ve felt it for several days, but it seems that touching the werewolf’s tail also implies that it’s precious.

You had to weave your tails when you made a soul bond, and even when you mourn like this, you touch the grave with your tail.

“…How did you find me?”

“I asked a maid.”

“…”

Ner nodded her head.

Looking in front of her, our ring has come off and lies on the floor.

She felt that the combination of her dislike of this marriage and the unfamiliar feeling of her ring made her feel uncomfortable.

It didn’t matter since it was just the two of us.

Those trifles aside, I spoke to Ner.

“I will leave tomorrow.”

“…Yes?”

“Because there is nothing good for us if we stay here for a long time.”

Ner moved his gaze to the tomb. The tail wags gently again.

“…Isn’t it too urgent…?”

“We have to go back too.”

“…”

I’ve never seen her value something of hers so much.

Although she has been distant from her family all her life, the person buried there must have been a precious person to her.

“…Who are you?”

I asked.

Ner paused for a while, as if missing her partner, whispering quietly.

“…Grandma.”

“…They must have gotten along well.”

“Yes. The person I… loved the most.”

Ner’s voice still contained a faint pain.

Just the sound of her voice gave me a vague idea of how much she loved her grandmother.

She continued to speak her words. She seems to be bragging about what she loves.

“… Her grandmother was her mother’s substitute. She became a friend for me when I was lonely. Even when she cried, she comforted me by patting me on the back every time… Even when everyone pushed me away, she was always by my side.”

“…”

“She wouldn’t have made it this far without her grandmother. Especially her grandmother tells me… Ah.”

“…?”

Ner was silent for a moment, then spoke again.

“…Whatever.”

“…”

“Are you leaving at dawn tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“… It’s the first time I’ve ever left her grandmother’s side… I’m afraid to be honest. And going to the human village.”

I listened quietly to her words.

I could understand. Will definitely be afraid

As for me, I could only offer formal consolation.

“…I’ll help you get used to it.”

Ner looks back at me.

Certainly, within a few days, we became very close.

She didn’t seem to be afraid of me anymore.

In the first place, it didn’t make sense that the couple were afraid of each other.

But Ner looked at me for a long time before sighing with guilt.

“…Berg?”

“Yes.”

“Can I be honest with you?”

I feel a heavy topic coming. Maybe it was her sincerity that she was hiding while she was afraid of me.

I nodded. I didn’t want to forget that even this was only possible because she opened her heart to me.

“… I want to stay with her grandmother…. I don’t want to leave my hometown.”

She speaks slowly.

“My marriage with you…Still weighs heavily on my chest. I don’t hate the time I spend with you as much as I did before… but if I have to live like this for the rest of my life, I feel helpless.”

I nodded once. It was all understandable.

Blackwood gave me Nere, but Nere didn’t want it. It’s no different than taking her by force.

“I know you are a good person. To the point where I felt like an idiot for what I was afraid of. What you did for us… Thank you so much. But…”

“…”

“…But I’m really sorry…I’m sorry…But my heart is still the same. This feeling for you… I think it’s far from love. No, it’s far.”

I wasn’t surprised by her words.

“…I know.”

This is a story we have already shared. I didn’t even expect that her change would come to her already.

Ner says, biting her mouth tight.

“…So, Berg. Maybe… It might be better for each other if we don’t try too hard. You don’t want to work for a heart that won’t be rewarded either. It’s not like we got together because we wanted each other. After all, it’s what we sacrifice for each other’s people.”

I looked around and asked lightly. Her remarks didn’t matter much to me.

“So, let’s not even start…? Were you forced into it?”

“…”

Silence was like affirmation.

I sighed for a moment, then moved toward a pretty flower in the distance.

Walking through the tall grass, we head towards the flowers.

“Nobody knows what the future holds. There would be no point in saying this now.”

“But… Uh…”

But Ner couldn’t relax his expression. I can’t erase my sorry expression

As if it was decided that they would never accept me.

I watched her silently, plucked the flower she found, and put it in her hand.

Then they approached the graveyard where Ner was sitting.

Flowers were placed in front of the grave.

Ner looked at me curiously.

Looking at that expression, I asked.

“Don’t werewolves give flowers?”

“When it comes to honoring the deceased, we do this with our tails…”

Ner’s tail swept across the grave again.

I nod and go back to my previous topic.

“Yes. Clearly, there will be many difficult days in the future. Especially… To match each other’s cultures. There are different ways to honor the deceased…”

I said, pointing to the ring she had taken off.

“Something like that. You would have taken it off because it was uncomfortable, but in front of people, I have no choice but to force you to wear the ring. That’s what a human couple is like.”

Says Ner, looking down at her stripped ring.

“…Isn’t this… Just a culture of restraining each other? Is it the human couple who imprison each other and mark each other…? Berg, from this point on, werewolves and humans are no longer compatible. Werewolf couples value each other’s freedom the most…”

“That means it will be difficult.”

“Then you don’t even have to start-“

“-That said, I don’t want to give up and live.”

I raised my voice as I cut off Ner’s words. Ner also closed his mouth and listened to my words.

“…You just have to guess. We are a couple You should be with each other for the rest of your life. I don’t want to live without a couple of affection.”

I sat next to Ner.

Her eyes didn’t know how to leave me.

“…Ner. Didn’t you say I was a good person earlier?”

Ner said with his mouth closed.

“…Yes. But that’s love-“

“I guess we can start with friends.”

“…Yes?”

I looked at her too.

“Even if you don’t love, you can be friends.”

“…….”

From noble mtl dot com

Ner blinked her eyes three or four times as if chewing on those words.

Then she lowered her head and whispered quietly.

“…A friend…”

She seemed to repeat the words in her head.

“I’ve said it before, but you said that it takes a lot of time to love werewolves. So I’m not going to force you.”

“…”

“Of course, we have to look like a married couple in front of others. Even for you know?”

In fact, there’s nothing more certain than s*x to solidify your alliance with Blackwood.

Having a relationship, making my child pregnant. If that’s the case, Ner should be completely subordinated to me.

It should be seen that we are tied to the Red Flame Team.

If she has a child of mine, whether our relationship is good or bad… The members of the red yeomdan will not doubt the alliance with Blackwood.

But if I do that, she might hate me. Even after that, she doesn’t know what the consequences will be.

Her

I didn’t want to rape her, leave her all.

So instead, we pretend to be good friends.

By our actions, we signal that the alliance is solid.

I believed that if we cared about each other a little, we would be able to make much better choices.

In the first place, my older brother told me to be happy. I was meant to be.

Ner says.

“In front of others…I will continue to act.”

“I’m glad. So, let’s start with friends?”

“…”

Ner is silent again.

How difficult this is, she looked at her floor with a guilty expression.

Or maybe you just don’t like me that much?

Even though he was ostracized by his family and was alone, enough to reject me?

-Tok…Tuk…

But at that moment, I saw Ner’s tail moving behind her.

As if Ner felt the momentary movement, he immediately grabbed her tail.

I recall a story I heard a few days ago.

When the tail wags from side to side, it meant ‘good’.

I told her, smiling at her.

“I’ll take it as a good thing.”

Ner blushed at her with a look of resentment, as if he was ashamed that her true feelings were revealed.

But in the end, she too, nodded her head.