I’ve Become a S*ave Bride - Chapter 5
“To do that, we need to communicate… Do you have any plans to turn into a human?”
In response to Lenette’s words, the black panther yawned widely, revealing its menacing fangs.
Even though Lenette was not easily frightened, she was not foolish enough to remain calm when a predator bared its teeth.
As she cautiously moved toward the wooden spear she had dropped on the floor, the black panther finished its yawn and stared at her intently.
The yellow eyes with their long, vertical black pupils were both eerie and strangely mysterious.
“…If you’re tired, we can continue our conversation tomorrow?”
She spoke as softly as possible, trying not to create any friction in the air that might irritate the beast.
For a moment, silence filled the space between the black panther—her would-be husband—and Lenette.
Then, after a short while, the black panther seemed to lose interest and climbed onto the railing. With a leap, it landed on the protruding wall and quickly disappeared to the upper balcony.
Finally, with the beast gone, Lenette slumped to the ground. She had been standing so tensely that her limbs felt weak.
Lenette looked down at her palms, which were damp with sweat.
“……”
To think she would end up as the bride of a beast. A cynical laugh escaped her, though she wasn’t sure who it was directed at.
“Is being betrayed not enough?”
She didn’t believe in gods, but if there were any, they must be cruel tricksters. Otherwise, how could they twist her fate so thoroughly?
Once again, she felt herself sinking into the depths of self-blame and helplessness. Lenette raised her trembling arms to smooth her disheveled hair.
“It’s okay.”
Yes, it’s really okay.
At least she wasn’t dead. Her limbs hadn’t been torn off by the beast.
“So it’s okay.”
Opportunities can be created.
Honestly, Lenette didn’t know how.
She wasn’t sure what kind of opportunity she could create here, or if any such opportunity would even be helpful for her revenge in this distant land.
However, one thing was certain: if she didn’t comfort herself, if she didn’t whip herself forward, she wouldn’t be able to endure.
‘It’s okay. Just escape and return to Father and Brother. Focus on that for now.’
The paper doll named “Lenette Clérmont,” which should have crumbled long ago, was now moving only by the sheer force of her desire for revenge.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
After the black panther disappeared, Lenette returned to the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
She awoke long after dawn had broken.
Knock, knock.
Was the sight of the black panther so shocking? Or was the idea that it was her husband-to-be too unsettling?
Even in her sleep, Lenette had remained tense, and she didn’t miss the sound of the knock on the door.
“Ugh…”
She groaned as she sat up. The bed, with just a thick blanket on a wooden frame, was far less comfortable than those in the Ecaron Kingdom.
“Come in.”
Unconsciously using Ecaron language, Lenette closed her eyes and took a deep breath to regain her composure. Then, she repeated it in Tazetrian.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and an elderly woman with white streaks in her hair entered.
“Who are you?”
The woman smiled kindly and lifted the tray she was carrying. On it were a bowl of water and a cloth.
“Is this water for washing my face?”
The woman nodded.
As Lenette watched her, the woman seemed to realize her explanation was lacking and mimed washing her face with the water.
‘She can’t speak?’
The idea of a mute servant in a palace-like residence seemed a bit out of place, but it was more realistic than accepting a black panther as a husband.
“Thank you. Just leave it and go.”
The elderly woman then made a gesture of putting something in her mouth.
“Are you asking when I should eat?”
Nod.
“I’ve already eaten. If you could bring me some water or milk, that would be great.”
Lenette’s response elicited a worried look from the woman, but that was all.
As the elderly woman bowed and was about to leave, Lenette had a sudden thought.
‘What if the Black Panther… comes back?’
And what if it isn’t as well-fed as it was yesterday?
‘If I encounter it while it’s hungry…’
She wouldn’t be able to handle the situation as smoothly as she did yesterday.
“Wait a moment.”
Lenette stood up, and the elderly woman paused at the door.
Barefoot and a bit awkward, Lenette approached her.
“Do you have any raw meat? Chicken, pork, or even lamb would be fine.”
It seemed this was indeed the lair of a black panther.
Despite the unusual request, the elderly woman nodded with a kind expression, which seemed oddly out of place given the situation—trapped in a beast’s den, unsure if she would be eaten.
‘Maybe it doesn’t eat people…’
The thought provided a small glimmer of hope, but Lenette remained cautious.
Otherwise, how could she remain so calm? Especially an elderly woman who couldn’t even lift an axe properly.
‘Or does it only eat young women?’
It was a somewhat reasonable assumption. Didn’t the bandits who sold Lenette into slavery say it was difficult to find a “young, fresh, and pretty woman”?
As she analyzed the situation, the elderly woman tried to leave the room. Lenette quickly stopped her.
“Let’s go together. I’ll choose it myself.”
This wasn’t out of consideration for the elderly woman. Lenette simply wanted to leave the room and scout the surroundings.
As the woman was about to shake her head, Lenette put on a pair of leather sandals in the corner of the room.
“There’s a lot to carry, and I need to check the freshness with my own eyes. So, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t refuse.”
The elderly woman grunted, then nodded and turned around.
Lenette followed the woman carefully as they stepped out of the room. However, as soon as they exited, Lenette stopped in her tracks.
“……”
The reason was the altar right next to the door.
On the shallow altar, flower petals were arranged to form a large, intricate pattern, and candles were placed around it. The only light in the dark corridor came from the altar.
“Hmm…”
The altar placed so prominently in front of the bride’s room was a stark and unmistakable arrangement, prompting a hollow laugh from Lenette.
“Is this an altar?”
The elderly woman approached the flower petals with a bitter smile.
She offered a brief prayer in front of them and then turned to Lenette, shaking her head. It seemed to mean that she shouldn’t worry about it.
‘How can I not worry?’
With an altar so blatantly placed right in front of the room, it was clear that the person inside was about to meet a grim fate.
However, it wasn’t a position where she could demand that it be removed. So, she forced herself to ignore the altar and turned her body. Immediately, a staircase came into view.
The first staircase she encountered led upward, not downward.
Lenette, who had been following the elderly woman, stopped in her tracks. She stared at the reddish-brown floor for a moment before quietly stepping onto the staircase leading to the upper floor.
“Ugh, ah!”
The elderly woman quickly tried to stop her.
‘Sure enough.’
It seemed that climbing those stairs would lead to the black panther’s territory.
After a long pause with no response from Lenette, the elderly woman finally pulled her hand.
“I can’t go up there?”
Nod, nod.
“Why not?”
Lenette, who had instinctively asked for a reason, soon realized she was being cruel by asking for an explanation from someone who couldn’t speak.
She changed her approach to a yes-or-no question.
“Can I not go up there?”
Nod.
“Then, can I go outside?”
The elderly woman hesitated for a moment, then led Lenette to the arched balcony entrance right in front of them.
“Ugh, uh.”
The elderly woman’s weathered, thick fingers pointed to the wall outside the window.
The layout of the mansion, which had been hidden in the darkness last night, was now fully revealed.
“Wow…”
Lenette’s eyes widened at the sight.
Lenette had once moved about the royal palace as if it were her own home. She was rarely surprised by most sights, but this time, she couldn’t help but be amazed.
“An artificial waterway in the middle of the desert like this.”
While the Tazetra Empire, unlike what Lenette had learned from books, was not short of water due to a long river that cut across its vast territory,
“Still, even so…”
The desert was still a desert. The difference between having enough water and creating such an artificial waterway was significant.
“Of course, this is the underwater temple, isn’t it?”
The elderly woman shook her head, negating her assumption.
“Not the underwater temple?”
“Ugh.”
The woman nodded.
“Right.”
This place was undoubtedly grand and luxurious, but it seemed too modest to be the underwater temple where the great ‘Kal’ resided.
‘Now that I think about it…’
“Damn, so we’re heading to the abandoned palace?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn it, you should have told me this earlier!”
She had heard those words before.
‘The term ‘abandoned palace’ means this is a neglected ancient palace, doesn’t it?’
Of course, the term ‘abandoned palace’ didn’t quite fit this place either.
“It feels more like the luxurious mansion of a wealthy prince.”
As she muttered this to herself, the elderly woman was startled and shook her head.
“Is it because of the term ‘abandoned palace’?”
The elderly woman seemed to be emphasizing that this place was not an abandoned palace but rather a well-maintained, luxurious residence.
Nod, nod.
The elderly woman placed her hand over her mouth and drew a diagonal line, which seemed to indicate that she shouldn’t use the term “abandoned palace.”
“Then, what do you call this place?”
The elderly woman pointed outside.
Her finger traced the artificial waterway flowing beneath the sand-colored wall, then pointed to the artificial pond where the waterway ended, and finally to the garden surrounding the pond.
Putting it together, it seemed the place was called the “Pond Garden.”
“Can I call it the Pond Garden?”
Nod.
It was a very intuitive name. It directly described the place with its artificial waterway, pond, and the palm trees and desert flowers that adorned the garden.
After a moment of admiring the exotic—well, exotic to her—scenery, Lenette returned to the main topic.
“Anyway, as long as I don’t climb over that wall, it’s fine, right?”
Nod.
The elderly woman confirmed with a nod, indicating that as long as Lenette stayed within the confines of the Pond Garden, she would be safe.
