The Werewolf King's Bride

(From Demetrius's Perspective)

Today, not just the palace, but the whole kingdom was preparing a celebration. It was so noisy everywhere. I could not even tell them to stop because my wife had been very excited about this day.

Though today was not the day, they were preparing everything for tomorrow. I was quite tired. After my wife told me about what her father said, I could not rest well. Continue reading stories on empire

What if she believed him? Although she told me she did not, there was no guarantee. I could not read her mind. All I could do was listen to her.

Would she think that I lied to her? But I did not. I never lied to her about my past. If she believed her father, that would be very disappointing. After all, she had known me for ten months now, while she had known her father for only a few months, a lot less than me.

Today, for the first time, my wife told me to go out to get her something. It was very unusual, but I was very happy that she demanded something from me. I always wanted her to do so.

She wanted a rare flower that only bloomed at night. We did not have it in our palace garden. Since she wanted something directly from me for the first time, I went out to get it myself.

I went out in the evening. It took me a long time to find it. At last, I found an old lady who had it. She was not even a florist. She lived alone in a little house. I saw the flower in front of her window and told her that I wanted to buy it.

"Does the lord want it for a lady?" she asked.

"Yes," I nodded. "My wife wants this flower."

"The lord's wife must have an eye for beautiful things," she said. "But this flower is not for sale."

"I will give you as much money as you want."

"As the lord can see, there are only two flowers. These flowers are too rare. I have cared for them for a long time and thus could grow two of them. How can I sell them?"

"Then, where can I find them other than here?"

"Perhaps nowhere," she replied.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Tsk…"

"Maybe I can sell one of them to the lord…"

"… Don't stop without making sense."

"But can the lord help me with something in exchange? I don't need money. What will this old lady do with money anyway?"

"What help do you need?"

"I have made cookies. Can the lord taste them and tell me how they have come out?"

'What the hell? What kind of weird request is that? She doesn't even know that I am the King and doesn't have any bad intentions. She truly just wants me to taste her cookies. But why?'

"… Alright, but you must give me one of the flowers," I said.

"This old lady does not lie, my lord."

She led me inside her house. The space was very little which was understandable. But why was all the furniture so short? Even if the person was short, all the furniture was usually of normal height. It was my first time seeing a table that short.

"My house might be shabby for the lord's taste. But bear it with for now," she chuckled.

"Shabby is not the point. I have more things to care about than judging others' houses. But why is all the furniture this short? This table, the chairs… I think even my five-year-old niece will think it's too small for her."

"Oh, this? My husband was rather short, so he built the items this way. That old bastard never had a taste. I had to bear with him because I did not have anywhere to go. Now that the old fart died, I don't have the motivation to make new furniture. What will this old lady do with new furniture anyway?"

"…"

'Ugh, I don't even want to know about her husband. Just by hearing this much, I can guess what kind of person he was.'

"Here are the cookies, my lord," she said, handing me a plate full of cookies. They had a weird shape, but the smell was good. "Please taste them."

"Can you get me a glass of water?" I asked.

"Sure, please wait a second."

She went to pour me a glass of water. In the meantime, I took out the bottle of antidote from my pocket and drank five drops of the liquid. Even if there was poison in the food, it would have no effect on me. Though it was advised to take it sometime before the consumption of the food, it would still have an effect even if I took it right before eating.

"Here you go, my lord," she said, handing me the glass of water.

I drank the water first. That was when I realized it. I had forgotten to thank her. "Thank you," I said.

"My lord seems to be less mature for your age. It's like the lord is learning some things now, which should have been taught when you were a kid. But it is great to see the lord trying," she said. "Is it the lord's wife?"

I ignored her and focused on the cookies. I liked the sweet food. Some people said it was a shame if men liked sweets. But I did not see the problem. Some men hid it if they liked sweet foods. But it was just too illogical.

I still did not understand why they did so.

The cookies, despite their odd shape, were indeed very tasty. I did not taste anything like this before. It was very hard to discover the flavors too.

"How is it?" she asked.

"They are good. I like them," I replied.

"Oh my, I am glad," she smiled. "You see, I always liked to cook food for my kids. But they have their own families now. The lord reminds me of my elder son. So, this old lady became greedy."

'It's a different type of greed though. Are people supposed to feel this way? I will ask my wife. She knows about these kinds of things.'

After finally telling her every bit about the taste of the cookies, I got the flower. I still did not know why my wife asked for this flower all of a sudden. As far as I knew, she did not like flowers much.

'Well, I don't need to think like that. Either way, if she asks for something, I will give that to her.'

It was eleven at night when I returned to the palace. I was surprised to find Blue waiting for me at the gate.

"Why are you here?" I asked as I got down from my horse.

"You were being late, so I was worried," she said. "Oh, what is that?"

"This… is the flower you asked for," I said, giving her the flower. I had wrapped it in scented paper.

"You… you found it?" she asked, shocked.

"You thought I would not?" I chuckled.

"… Thanks," she mumbled. "It means a lot to me… really. Thank you so much."

"You don't have to thank me so earnestly," I said. "But if you really want to thank me, why don't you do it in a special way tonight?"

"Dem! There are people… Let's go in," she said loudly, pulling me with her as I laughed.

"Are you embarrassed, darling?"

"I am! Who won't be?"

"But I have worked so hard to get the flower for you. Shouldn't you reward me tonight?" I smirked. "Just kidding. Having you by my side is more than enough."

She brought me to the dining hall. Usually, I took a small shower before eating. It was not like I was sweaty, so it was fine, even if I ate first.

I pulled her chair out and helped her sit. Just when I was about to go to my seat, she pulled my hand and brought my face down. A small peck fell on my cheek.

"Wha…?"

"I… I will reward you tonight," she mumbled, looking down on her lap.

"… Honey, do you want me to eat you right now and right here?"

"… Let's eat first. Then…"

"Oh, fuck…!"

"Don't swear at the dining table!"

"Alright, alright," I said. "Don't make me wait after this, okay? I am holding back enough already."

After dinner, she kept glancing around as if she was looking for something. "What's wrong?"

"I want to know the time… I am looking for a clock. There was a clock in the dining hall, right?"

"There was. That one is not working anymore maybe," I said. "They will change it quickly. I have a watch though. It's almost twelve."

"Oh, you are wearing that watch?"

"I like it the most. My wife's gift is the best."

"You are flattering me," she mumbled. "Oh, there are only two minutes left… Come on, let's go to our bedroom."