"Where does this go? It's too valuable to be packed with the others."
"Then it should go to Master So-ryong's cabin. This way!"
"You heard them. Follow that servant!"
"Yes, sir!"
Two days later.
The wide river in front of the Tang Clan manor — expanded into the resting docks of Geumdo.
We came down to the dock to depart for the Beast Palace, and it was absolutely chaotic.
Warriors were loading mountains of cargo onto the resting decks of Geumdo, and there were still heaps piled on the dock.
I'd heard the food supplies were loaded several days ago.
"What is all this?"
I asked with a look that basically said why the hell are we loading so much stuff?, and beside me came Hwa-eun and Father-in-law’s response.
“They’re return gifts for the Beast Palace.”
“Return gifts?”
“The Beast Palace sent gifts to match your wedding, so naturally, we need to respond. We received a bride-price, after all — it’s only proper to reciprocate.”
I hadn't seen it personally, but apparently, the Beast Palace sent wedding gifts to us to coincide with our ceremony.
Turns out those weren’t just regular gifts — they were a bride-price.
So it wasn’t just a thoughtful gesture?
I’d heard about this in my past life too — the Central Plains had a tradition of bride-price, or Napchae, where the groom’s side sends gifts to the bride’s family.
It was a way for the groom’s household to show off wealth and social status. Later, it became controversial — people would cancel weddings if the amount wasn’t enough to save face.
Roughly, the process was: once marriage talks begin, the groom’s side promises the bride-price and gifts, and once that’s paid, the wedding happens. It seems the bride’s side also sends return gifts in some cases.
“Oh, so if you receive a bride-price, you send return gifts?”
When I asked, since I hadn’t heard that part before, Father-in-law smiled and explained:
“A wedding is the union of two households. Your original family may have been formed later, but for the Beast Palace to send a bride-price even though you’re a son-in-law coming into our family — that means they want to strengthen ties with us.
So we’re responding with sincerity as well.”
It wasn’t just a wedding, but an alliance between the Tang Clan and the Beast Palace.
In my previous life, celebrity or corporate marriages were practically business deals. The Tang Clan was one of the most powerful families in the Central Plains, and the Beast Palace was one of the four great external sects — so it made sense this wasn’t just a simple marriage.
Still, it felt like way too much.
If this was about symbolic meaning and political alliance, a few tokens should’ve been enough.
Tilting my head, I asked:
“But isn’t this a bit excessive?”
“Well, we did receive quite a bit — our return has to match it.”
“So the Beast Palace sent quite a large bride-price then?”
It was like they were matching quantity for quantity.
I turned to look at Hwa-eun, and she smiled sweetly. That smile made me think — even though people shouldn't be reduced to their price, if anyone deserved the highest bride-price in the Central Plains, it was her.
She was one of the Three Blossoms of the Martial World — beauty on the level of a national pageant queen — and daughter of one of the most prestigious clans.
As I nodded to myself, understanding the scale, Father-in-law added with a teasing tone:
“Yes, quite a lot arrived. Which is a bit disappointing, really.”
“...?”
I blinked.
He wasn’t saying it was disappointing because they sent too little — but because they sent too much?
If the amount was lacking, maybe he’d have been annoyed. But this?
Confused, I gave him a puzzled look, and he lightly tapped my chest and continued:
“Think about it. If the bride-price were low, wouldn’t you feel more pressure to prove yourself? You’d work even harder for our Tang Clan out of guilt, wouldn’t you?
But since they sent such a generous amount... tch. I’m a little worried you’ll slack off on your responsibilities now.”
He put on a disappointed face, but his voice betrayed his playful mood.
And this Fabre? I never miss a chance.
I instantly straightened my expression and replied:
“Father-in-law, that’s quite the unnecessary concern.”
“?”
“Unnecessary?”
Hwa-eun’s eyes widened, and Father-in-law blinked in surprise.
With a smirk, I added:
“No matter how much they sent, it couldn’t possibly match Hwa-eun’s worth — so isn’t that concern completely unwarranted?”
“What’s this now? Hahaha! This fellow really has a way with words!”
It was technically addressed to Father-in-law, but it was meant for Hwa-eun to hear.
Father-in-law clapped me on the back, delighted, and in my mind, I heard Hwa-eun’s voice:
‘So-ryong, the kids fall asleep early on boats...’
A beastly promise.
An appointment to become a beast — tonight.
Seems Fabre’s social skills worked quite well today.
***
Once all the cargo was loaded and the ship set sail, I sat down for tea with Hwa-eun in our cabin.
Waiting at the table, I watched as she prepared the tea.
—Pour.
A fragrant brew trickled into an elegant porcelain cup.
As I thanked her while accepting it, Hwa-eun spoke in a cautious tone.
“So-ryong, thank you.”
“But... I think we need to fix the way we address each other.”
“How we address each other?”
“Yes. I got scolded by Mother before we departed. She said I was being disrespectful, calling the family head by name.”
“R-really?”
I hadn’t known — earlier, Mother-in-law had pulled Hwa-eun aside in a secluded spot, and I guess that’s what it was about.
Hwa-eun looked apologetic.
“I should’ve been more careful. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. Still... can’t we just keep calling each other like we’re dating?”
I meant it in a can’t we just be casual sort of way, but Hwa-eun shook her head.
“We can’t. Otherwise, I’ll be seen as an ignorant woman who doesn’t know propriety.”
“Is that so...”
Guess this really was a Confucian society — titles mattered.
“So then, what should I call you?”
“When speaking to me directly, you should call me ‘wife’. And when referring to me in front of others, say ‘my wife’ or ‘the lady of the house’.”
Wife? Ugh, that gives me goosebumps.
Maybe because we were still young — that word felt a little cringey.
It wasn’t going to be easy to get used to. So I asked:
“Then what do you call me?”
After a moment’s hesitation, cheeks blushing, Hwa-eun answered:
“I... I should call you ‘my husband’ or ‘master of the house’. Either one...”
“My husband... or master of the house,” she said.
The titles had such an old-fashioned ring to them. My husband felt like something that suited an older man, and master of the house was steeped in Confucian overtones.
Still, if she had to pick one, maybe master of the house was the less awkward option. Just as I was thinking that, Hwa-eun—her face nearly crimson now—spoke again.
“Well... there’s one more. But it’s only used between couples who are really deeply ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) in love. It’s embarrassing to say in front of others...”
She was clearly overwhelmed with embarrassment. And seeing her that way gave me a thought.
That’s it!
I didn’t know what this last term was, but if it made her react like that every time, how could I not use it?
Masking my mischievous intentions, I asked gently:
“And what’s the last one?”
She brought her two index fingers together and wiggled them slightly as she answered.
“Then I’d call you ‘So-ryong, my love’... and you’d call me ‘Hwa-eun, my darling.’”
“My darling Hwa-eun, huh? Like this? My darling. My darling. Kinda sticks to the tongue. My darling?”
At my teasing repetition, Hwa-eun’s ears turned bright red.
Even after seeing and doing everything together, it seemed a simple nickname was enough to make her flush.
It was like saying honey, sweetheart, or love in my past life.
Then Hwa-eun clenched her fists and answered softly.
“Yes... my love.”
Maybe the air was just sweet today, but—
Did someone pour honey in this tea?
The tea suddenly tasted very sweet.
And then—
“So-ryong, Hwa-eun.”
Sister Seol’s voice came from outside.
She was here, it seemed.
“Come in, Sister.”
“Yes.”
Sister Seol entered the cabin along with Gungbong, who was still traveling with Soto.
Since Soto was with Gungbong now, I didn’t have to watch over them, and given that we were newlyweds, it wouldn’t have been appropriate for Gungbong—a man—to share our cabin. So Sister Seol took him in.
“Hello, Master So-ryong.”
“Soto, good to see you.”
These days, Gungbong was barely visible—only Soto showed up. As they came in, Sister Seol chuckled.
“I was going to invite you for tea, but I see you’ve already started?”
“Oh, were you? Please, take a seat, Sister. Soto, you too.”
As they sat down, I put on a playful grin.
“Sweetheart, could you serve our guests some tea?”
Hwa-eun’s eyes trembled in shock.
“H-huh?!”
Sister Seol smirked knowingly at the sound of it.
Of course. We really were siblings.
She’d caught my intention right away.
Sister Seol added, clearly enjoying this:
“Hwa-eun, your dear husband gave you an order—you should answer him.”
Hwa-eun, now red enough that you could see her veins pulsing, trembled as she replied.
“Y-yes... R-Ryong-dear.”
God, why does it feel so good to see her flustered like this?
Sister Seol gave me a wink. Well done, she was saying.
I winked back in return.
Then we heard voices from outside—the Dragon Brothers.
“So-ryong! Are you there?”
“What are you doing in there?”
“Seems like we have a lot of visitors today. Come in, would you like some tea?”
“That would be great.”
“Of course.”
The moment I called out, they both barged in with surprising speed.
And yet... they seemed to be trying to feel me out. Like they wanted something.
I tilted my head.
What do they want from me?
I sat them down and offered tea as I asked:
“So, what brings you both here? Need a favor or something?”
“W-what? A favor? Us? No, no, we just dropped by. That’s all.”
“Yeah. Just came for a bit of tea, is all.”
They were clearly angling for something, but trying way too hard to play it off.
Sister Seol gave them a look of mild disdain.
“Oh come on. It’s obvious you have something to say. Just spit it out already—men shouldn’t be so hesitant.”
Finally, they scratched their heads and began, awkwardly.
“It’s... well, you see, So-ryong...”
“Yeah, it’s about...”
They were taking so long, you'd think they were waiting for a pressure cooker to go off.
Sister Seol finally lost patience and snapped.
“Oh for the love of—just say it already!”
“Ahem. Fine. It’s about Lady Gun.”
“Lady Gun?”
“Yeah, her. Since we’ll be traveling together, we thought maybe there should be... an opportunity to get to know her better?”
“Sure, bonding is important when traveling together.”
They were suddenly bringing up Gun Hye-rin.
She was technically a reclusive martial expert who had inherited skills from her grandfather before he passed, then joined us as a guest of the Tang Clan after we met her in the mountains of Sichuan during a demon raid.
To keep her identity hidden—since running into the Dragon Brothers too often might expose her—she’d been staying in the Eastern Wing of the guest compound with me and Hwa-eun, and on the ship, her cabin was right next to mine—Hwa-eun’s old room.
She’d only exchanged a nod or two with the Dragon Brothers.
But she was a blonde beauty, and clearly, the two of them were smitten and looking for a chance.
This is bad. If those two get too close to her, we might have a martial world scandal on our hands.
They had no idea, drawn in like moths to a flame by her looks.
As I was trying to figure out how to respond, Sister Seol spoke first.
“Seriously? Can’t you guys read the room?”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it. She stayed in the Eastern Wing—So-ryong and Hwa-eun’s bridal quarters. And now she’s using Hwa-eun’s old cabin. What do you think that means?”
The Dragon Brothers’ eyes went wide.
Panicking, I quickly whispered to Sister Seol:
[Sister! Why would you say that?! That’s a misunderstanding!]
[Exactly. Let them misunderstand. Better that than them getting too curious and exposing her identity as a demonic cultist.]
She wasn’t wrong... but then both brothers shot up from their seats and shouted at me.
“So-ryong! From this moment on, you’re our sworn enemy!”
“No doubt! Worse than the Five Venoms Sect!”
Sigh.
Thanks to Sister Seol... I was now officially Public Enemy No. 1 among the men.
