The Werewolf King's Bride

Ruby had a portrait in her hands that she had brought right now. We were going to leave for the banquet four days later. Since we were going to teleport, it would take only a moment to reach there.

In the case of Royal banquets, other Royals and important noble families usually arrive there two or three weeks before the banquet. But Dem said that he liked to arrive just in time. And moreover, since I was sick, we could not leave before as well. Even so, we were going there one week ago so Dem could make sure that my health was alright to join the banquet.

It was all Dem\'s plan and he would not listen to me no matter what I said.

"What are you doing? Isn\'t... it heavy?" I asked.

"It\'s not. Though I might look weak, I actually have good stamina," Ruby said with a grin. "But we need to be quiet."

"Why? You aren\'t supposed to s-show me... this or something?"

"It\'s not like that. But if His Highness knows, he might get angry," she replied. "But I wanted to show this to Your Highness very bad. Since Your Highness is going to the banquet, I think it\'s important for Your Highness to know a few things."

"Alright, now will you turn it around? I can\'t see anything if you hold it like that," I said.

"Ah, yes..."

As she turned the photo frame around, I saw a woman with light brown skin and black silky hair. Her left eye was dark brown and the other one was golden. She looked like a goddess wearing a golden silk dress and a lot of gold accessories.

"She is... beautiful...," I mumbled.

"Your Highness is more beautiful," Ruby said without missing the beat. "When Your Highness became our queen, there was a bet that if Your Highness is more beautiful or Princess Laetitia. And Your Highness is said to be more beautiful."

\'Really? She clearly looks like a goddess...\'

"Anyway, as I said, she is Princess Laetitia. She is the only princess of Lacuna. Does Your Highness remember when I said that there was a princess who came here to seduce His Highness?"

"It\'s her?" I asked.

"Yes," she nodded.

Princess Laetitia did not look like someone who would stoop that low to make someone like her. I thought she was more the type to keep her head high. If that was the case, then perhaps I would have respected her.

"Princess Laetitia came here and barged into His Highness\'s room without permission. No one could stop her since she was the princess and she even got permission from His Highness\'s mother."

"Mother? But why would she do so?"

"Her Highness could not say no since Princess Laetitia was a Royal Princess of Lacuna," she said. "But if Her Highness really tried, she could have, no offense. That\'s why His Highness was really angry at Her Highness and yelled at her."

"Then what happened?"

"When His Highness returned to his room, the princess threw herself at him and she was also wearing very indecent clothes," she said.

"T-Then...?"

"His Highness pushed the princess away and when she tried to touch him again, he made the guards throw her right outside the palace. That was very shameful for the princess. I think that\'s why Lacuna holds a grudge against His Highness. It\'s clearly the princess\'s fault, yet they behave as if they are the victims," she muttered.

"I am telling this to Your Highness since the princess will be at the banquet. In case she tries to do something strange, I thought I should warn Your Highness. It\'s said that she was crazily in love with His Highness."

"I see... She is not even her ex... I don\'t think she will do something... I mean, will she?"

"Perhaps I don\'t need to worry. I mean, His Highness would be with Your Highness all the time and no one needs to tell him that."

"That\'s t-true..."

I did not know what I was supposed to feel hearing that an unbelievably beautiful woman was in love with my husband. I did not know if she liked him now. Strangely enough, I did not feel anything. Perhaps it was because even if her love was true, it was always one-sided. Everyone said that Dem had never shown any interest in anyone before me.

Even though he pretended to sleep with other mistresses, most of the people in the palace knew it was not true. But no one ever questioned it. I even heard some maids saying that only Dem\'s uncle and his family did not know the truth and he mainly did so to fool them. They were the ones who wanted to take his power the most after all. And any excuse could be deadly for him.

Dem told me that he ordered five dresses for me in total and he was also the one to choose the one I would wear in the banquet. For some reason, he liked choosing my dresses. I did not care since anything was fine with me.

"Your Highness, I better put this portrait away. What if His Highness gets angry?"

"Alright, put it away," I said. "By the way, I will take a look at the dress I will wear at the banquet."

"That one? It\'s really gorgeous!" she exclaimed. "His Highness chose the best dress. Well, let\'s not spoil the fun here. I will show Your Highness right after I put it away."

By the way Ruby was saying, I was sure that Demetrius surely got something made really extravagant. Well, it did not matter to him since he was the king. He had the habit to spend a lot of money since he had a lot. But as I grew up in an environment where I never had enough money, I still could not get used to it.

It was still daytime, so Dem was busy. Or he would surely spend his time in the bedroom. These days, he even had lunch with me.

And besides, he got the idea that I might try to run away. That was why he did not want to keep me alone. He even assigned a knight to stand in front of the bedroom when he was not here. It was too much. But I had no say in this.

"Your Highness!"

Hearing the playful and cheerful voice, I looked beside me towards the door. It was the female knight that I had met that day on my way to the magic tower.

"Perita?"

"Your Highness remembers my name! Can I come in?" she asked.

"Yes, of course," I said.

Perita had short golden hair just like her brother, Azriel. Only their heights were different. Another knight said that their personalities were different as well. I did not know about this one. I only knew that she was very cheerful and bubbly.

"Is Your Highness sick? I thought you have gotten better," she said with a worried expression.

"Ah, I\'m alright... Just a bit weak," I said.

She flopped on the bed in front of me and looked around the room with curious eyes. "Does Your Highness know why I am here?" she asked.

"N-No..."

"Well, His Highness assigned me Your Highness\'s personal knight. Isn\'t it cool? I get to spend time with Your Highness!" she exclaimed happily.

"Is that so? I didn\'t... know," I said. Demetrius had not told me anything about it. Perhaps he had decided in a hurry as well. I had a hunch that he would assign a female knight for me.

Seemed like my suspicion was correct. But I was glad that it was Perita. I always knew that we would get along.

"His Highness called for me today and ordered me to be with Your Highness all the time. And guess what?"

"What?"

"I am going to the banquet as well!"

"Oh, that\'s good..."

"I haven\'t been in one before, so I am kinda curious," she said.

"Well, it will b-be my first... banquet as well," I said.

"Really? Then it will be both of our first banquet. But doesn\'t Your Highness\'s world have these types of banquets?"

"These types of? No," I shook my head. "I didn\'t know these... types of things existed now. In my world, there are... a lot of different things than here..."

"Does Your Highness miss your world?"

"Not really," I chuckled. After all, I did not have any good memory there. Perhaps I had laughed freely for the first time after coming here.

Perita did not ask me about it anymore. She probably understood that I did not want to talk about it. I was glad that she was considerate. That was one more reason that I would get along with her.