I’ve Become a S*ave Bride - Chapter 16
“…No. I disagree. They already know very well the difference between their position and mine.”
“But indiscriminate inclusion will lead to—”
“No. In a situation like this, if I treat them with respect and consideration, their loyalty to me will only grow stronger.”
The knight, who had been about to say something, quickly swallowed his words and bowed his head.
“…Understood for now.”
Just as the vice-captain finished speaking, someone knocked on the door.
“Um… Your Highness the Crown Prince—no, Princess Consort. I have something to report.”
“Yes, come in.”
Ophelia rose quickly from her seat to greet the technician. He entered the room hesitantly, awkward under such a warm welcome, avoiding her gaze.
Ophelia tried to ease his nerves with a gentle smile.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know all your names yet. Could you please introduce yourself?”
“Ah… yes. I’m Garamat, son of Garat. In this workshop, I make fog—”
He stopped mid-introduction and looked closely at Ophelia’s face.
“…That is, you can just think of it as making carts.”
It sounded like he was about to go into a longer explanation, but he trailed off instead. Ophelia’s face involuntarily stiffened.
Flustered, Garamat quickly added an excuse.
“I just thought… even if I explained, you might not understand—”
“Maybe not now, but I will in the future. So please explain. I’m the one in charge here, aren’t I?”
Her voice had turned unexpectedly cold, a sharp contrast to her earlier kindness.
After a moment’s hesitation, Garamat forced out an explanation in halting words.
“Siege cannons… No, not the kind used to bring down castles. These are mobile field cannons for close combat… So, we make carts for small cannons that are easy to move around. You load the cannon onto the cart and fire it from there.”
After finishing his explanation, Garamat watched Ophelia’s expression carefully—clearly trying to gauge her reaction.
‘What do I do…?’
Honestly, she had no idea what he was talking about.
It seemed like he had tried to explain in the simplest way possible, but unlike Lenette, who had seen the battlefield firsthand, Ophelia had never even held a sword.
She had no real understanding of what close combat entailed or why they needed small, mobile cannons for it.
‘Anyway, something about cannons… that’s his job, right?’
Ophelia furrowed her brows slightly, then gave him a warm smile.
“I see. That sounds like a tough job.”
“Ah… yes… well…”
A hint of disappointment flickered across Garamat’s face, but Ophelia didn’t notice.
“So, what brings you here today?”
“Ah… well…”
He trailed off, fidgeting with his hands. Ophelia suddenly reached out and grabbed them.
“Don’t hesitate. You can tell me.”
“O-Oh! My hands are covered in grease…”
“It’s fine. If there’s anything I can help with, I will. So please, go ahead.”
“……”
Now that he was actually here, was he having second thoughts?
He opened and closed his mouth several times before finally squeezing his eyes shut and blurting it out.
“Could I, um, maybe just slightly shorten my work hours?!”
Startled by his sudden outburst, Ophelia let go of his hands. Garamat quickly tried to explain.
“The truth is… I injured my shoulder half a year ago… and ever since then, if I overwork it, it starts hurting again. So… not by much, but if I could just finish one hour earlier each day… then I’d be able to see the physician more often and get better treatment…”
His words were practically rambling.
Ophelia listened silently, nodding as he spoke.
“I see.”
“Yes… so I know it’s probably not allowed, but I just thought, maybe…”
As Garamat lowered his head, visibly disheartened, Ophelia let out a sigh.
“Not allowed? But you’re injured.”
At the unexpected response, Garamat’s eyes widened.
“D-Does that mean…?”
“Would one hour really be enough?”
“…Pardon?”
“I’m saying—wouldn’t it be better to finish work two or three hours earlier instead?”
“Well, yes, but… would that even be allowed…?”
Ophelia beamed at the stunned technician.
“Why wouldn’t it be? Everyone has their circumstances. It’s fine. Go ahead and finish two or three hours early.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes, really. Ah, and one more thing.”
Ophelia blinked slowly, as if in thought.
“Since your injury got worse while working… I’ll have the treatment costs covered by the workshop’s budget.”
At that moment, the vice-captain, who had quietly been listening the whole time, stepped in.
“Your Highness, may I speak with you for a moment?”
Ophelia frowned slightly. But the expression didn’t linger long enough for the vice-captain to comment on it.
‘What now?’
A brief internal debate flickered in her mind. Should she pause the conversation and hear him out?
‘Daws would probably say I should…’
But her heart didn’t agree.
She glanced at the technician in front of her. His expression seemed to ask, “Did I do something wrong?”
“……”
Ophelia’s lips moved before she could stop them.
“…Tell me later. I’m in the middle of a conversation.”
Thankfully, the vice-captain didn’t insist or try to block her.
“…Understood.”
Once he stepped back, Ophelia smiled again as if nothing had happened and continued.
“Where were we? Oh, right—the treatment cost. I really would like to support you with that.”
“Is… is that really okay?”
The technician asked carefully, sneaking a glance behind Ophelia—toward where the vice-captain stood.
Sensing it, Ophelia spoke firmly, as if to block out that gaze.
“Of course it’s okay. I’m the one in charge here. If I say it’s allowed, then it is.”
“Th-Thank you so much…”
As the man bowed deeply, Ophelia gave him a gentle smile.
“If anything else is ever difficult, please feel free to speak up.”
“Th-Thank you!”
As she listened to his grateful reply, Ophelia stole a glance at the vice-captain who had tried to advise her earlier.
Her look was one of hopeful pride, as if expecting praise.
The vice-captain gave her a faint smile—then quietly swallowed the bitter taste rising in his mouth.
‘This… isn’t going to end well…’
But he said nothing more to her.
He could only watch with unease as things continued.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Tazetra Empire, Pond Garden.
‘Ugh, I’m going to lose it.’
Lenette had always been a good sleeper. Despite her sensitive nature, she usually had no trouble falling asleep.
Since early childhood, she had trained herself to live with strict self-discipline, making a regular lifestyle second nature.
So for someone like her, the concept of “losing sleep” didn’t really exist…
‘Seriously, am I going to live like this?’
Lenette quietly looked down at the person sprawled out on her bed.
The man occupying one side of the bed as if it were his own was Kazen—her husband in name.
Biting her lip and trying to read his intentions, Lenette finally broke the silence.
“Are you… planning to sleep here tonight?”
He opened one eye lazily and replied.
“Would I be lying here if I weren’t?”
“……”
He always had a way of leaving her speechless.
“I’m supposed to sleep next to you?”
“What else? You want to sleep on the floor?”
“……No.”
A sigh escaped her lips before she realized.
She had been engaged to Daws for over ten years, and the most physical contact they’d shared was holding hands. And now—sharing a bed?
‘He’s barely shown his face this whole time…’
And now he just shows up out of nowhere and acts like this? It was honestly baffling.
As her hesitation dragged on, Kazen finally opened both eyes.
“What are you doing?”
Patting the space beside him, he gave her a quick nod—without even a hint of affection on his face.
“Aren’t you coming to bed?”
“…Guess I have to.”
In the end, Lenette trudged toward the bed at a pace slower than a crawl. Kazen’s lips curved slightly, as if amused by the sight.
“You’re going to sleep like that?”
Lenette slowly scooted over and sat near him—just barely within reach.
“I’m… having trouble digesting. I’ll sit for a bit before lying down.”
“You said you’re not a stranger to men, right?”
“I didn’t realize ‘man’ in this country meant sharing a bed.”
He let out a soft laugh and turned his face back to the ceiling.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to eat you.”
“……”
How very reassuring.
Lenette pulled the blanket at her feet up to cover her slightly exposed legs.
‘I’ll wait a little… and once he’s asleep, I’ll get up.’
She couldn’t leave the room right away, so she planned to sneak over to a chair and get some rest there.
‘Just hold on for a bit.’
Yes. That was what she had promised herself.
But the problem was—things rarely went according to plan.
