Married into the enemy family - chapter 8

After what felt like an eternity had passed, the Archbishop spoke.

“The two have shared a kiss of covenant before the gods. Now, the two shall become one flesh in an eternal promise, and they shall swear to love and serve one another. May the gods bless them, and may their love prosper in accordance with the gods’ will.”

At last, the ceremony ended. The two walked down the virgin road side by side in the proper order.
If it were a marriage between Betas or a reasonably decent political marriage, a reception would be waiting for them afterward, but that was not the case for this marriage.
In that case, the only thing left for the two of them was duty. They were each led away by their attendants to prepare. As for what preparations…

“On the first night, the most important thing is to satisfy the Alpha. Even if Lord Ronin is a Beta…”

It was the preparation for the first night. Not the first night between an Alpha and an Omega according to the laws of nature, but between an Alpha and a Beta.
The bridal chamber for the two had been personally prepared by the Empress. Perhaps because of that, her luxurious taste was evident in every corner of the room.

‘…It’s hard to breathe.’

It was a bit excessive, to say the least. Overwhelmed by the room’s imposing presence and the tension of what was to come, Ronin fell into a mild panic. His slow exhalations only felt anxious.

‘At least it’s a relief I’m not wearing a corset.’

If he had been wearing a corset this time too, he would have collapsed just like any other Omega from a noble house.
Feeling a slight sense of relief, Ronin slowly climbed onto the bed. His clothes, thin as fairy wings, hardly functioned as clothing at all.
It was a blessing that the room was dark. Otherwise, Ronin’s bare skin would have been entirely visible.

‘The first night…’

He slowly chewed over the word. Rolled over his tongue, the word tasted both sweet and bitter.
To someone, this word might only be sweet, but for most nobles, that wasn’t the case. Because it was a political marriage anyway. Just like Ronin’s.
His thoughts naturally shifted to his partner for the first night, Callion.

‘Compared to me, his physique is almost twice as large…’

The current Emperor, Charles Ermengard, originally disliked the Leofric family. Among them, he particularly hated Callion, and it was precisely because of an inferiority complex.
When the two stood side by side, it was glaringly obvious who the true ‘Alpha’ was.
Ronin slowly closed and opened his eyes.

‘Whatever feelings His Majesty the Emperor harbors toward Duke Leofric has nothing to do with me. What matters to me is that today, I must endure that Leofric.’

With a body that large, what lay beneath surely wouldn’t be small either. To be honest, he wasn’t confident in how much of him he could take in with a body that wouldn’t wet itself.
With a face that showed no worry, Ronin guessed.

‘How much will it hurt? Will it hurt more than when Madame flogged me? Than when Father pulled out my fingernails? Surely it won’t hurt more than that? …Then I won’t be confident in holding back my screams.’

The words his adoptive mother had said came to mind for no reason.

“The rumor that the Leofric family is mad about war is famous. And Callion is rumored to be the maddest of them all. He’s so crazy about war that he spends more days on the battlefield than on his own estate. They say he even went off to subjugate monsters during the funeral of his father, the previous Duke Leofric. So isn’t he truly an Alpha who cannot live without seeing blood?”

If he truly wanted to see blood, then it would have to be so. If he suppressed me with that massive body and took me, I would have no choice but to give him everything.
Ronin lowered his eyes calmly. He could clearly see the flickering shadows of the candlelight. Ronin slowly closed his eyes.
The scented candle that had been burning since before Ronin entered the room wasn’t just prepared for atmosphere. Having properties of muscle relaxation and mild paralysis, the scented candle was meant for a Beta spending their first night.
The problem was that Ronin had inhaled too much of that scent.
Of course, it wasn’t solely Ronin’s fault. In a normal first night, the Alpha would have entered at an appropriate time, extinguished the candle, and the first night would have begun in earnest.
However, Callion did not visit the room until a very long time had passed, and Ronin had no choice but to helplessly remain exposed to the scent. Until he eventually couldn’t endure it and collapsed.
What woke the half-unconscious Ronin was a sharp voice.

“Lord Ronin! Please wake up! Damn it, Ronin Alistair! Can’t you wake up right this instant?”

It wasn’t loud, but the piercing voice forced Ronin to open his eyes. Barely opening his eyes, Ronin recognized Pam standing before him.
As if frustrated by Ronin, who was still intoxicated by sleep—and the scent—she simply thumped her own chest. Because she dared not lay a hand on Ronin, a noble.
With the effects of the drug still lingering, Ronin asked slowly.

“Pam? How are you here…”
“How else would I have come! I walked in through the open door! Because we have to take the proof that the two of you spent your first night together!”

At those words, Ronin moaned, “Ah…”
The proof of the first night. The Temple judged the validity of a marriage based on whether the two pure individuals had offered their bodies to each other.
Thus, those who held the ceremony had to spend their first night and submit the proof to the Temple.
Ronin staggered toward the window. Pulling back the heavy curtains, he saw the faint light of dawn breaking.

‘The proof must be submitted by the end of the day the first night concluded. If the proof is not submitted by then, the Temple will re-evaluate whether this marriage was legitimate.’

The side claiming the marriage was legitimate and the side claiming it was not.
Here, Alistair and Leofric would take on their respective roles and fight.
It would become a tedious battle. It was unknown how many years it might take to resolve.
Ronin turned around. Thinking this was her moment, Pam hastily approached him.

“I’m asking just in case, but… did Duke Leofric perhaps not visit here last night?”

Ronin forcefully ignored her gaze, which seemed to scream, ‘Please say no!’ and spoke.

“…It seems so.”
“Gods above!”

Pam, who subsequently shouted various words invoking the gods, asked,

“So, you’re saying he didn’t even come to the bridal chamber at all, let alone touch a single hair on your head?”

Ronin’s face flushed with shame. But to answer Pam’s words, he nodded. Pam cried out “Gods above!” once more.
In a panic, Pam muttered to herself. At a glance, all that could be heard was, “What are we going to do!” or “The Marquis won’t let me get away with this!”
As if that wasn’t enough, Pam paced in circles around the room. She even tore at her hair.
After being anxious for a long time, Pam soon found the culprit of this situation. Giving Ronin a sharp glare, Pam shouted.

“Damn it, everything is ruined! To be spurned on your very first night! And as an Alistair, the family that has produced empresses, no less! Do you have any idea what will happen if people find out about this? The honor of the Alistair family will plummet to rock bottom!”

Every word she said was true.

‘Clever Pam.’

In the Alistair family, or rather, among any of the central nobles, being spurned on the first night was unheard of. Because everyone had agreed to proceed with the marriage in the first place.