Tamed or Captured

Jackal turned his head and said.

“……. No, it’s alright. I was rude. Don’t worry about it and rest. You couldn’t even sleep last night.”

After finishing his words, he stepped outside alone to get some fresh air.

As he left abruptly, Asha didn’t realize the impact of her words and sat on the bed in a daze.

‘Was it because I said that without thinking?’

Lost in deep thought, Asha pondered the situation while Jackal took deep breaths outside, trying to calm his racing heart.

However, the chiefs of each clan approached him.

“Chief, we need to discuss matters regarding the village’s management. Can we have a brief meeting?”

“Sure.”

Jackal followed them but looked toward his house with a slightly uneasy expression.

He wanted to be with Asha, but as soon as he got back to the village, there were a lot of tasks waiting for him.

He requested Sonya to ensure Asha could rest in peace, then proceeded to handle the village affairs.

Both Jackal and Asha were overwhelmed with their respective work.

Sonya took it upon herself to make all the necessary arrangements for the wedding on behalf of the couple.

However, she expressed her disagreement, finding the traditional and outdated wedding customs difficult to tolerate.

According to her, if it were a wedding held at the palace, they wouldn’t celebrate it in the same manner.

In reality, apart from the tradition of the entire village gathering for the wedding ceremony to offer their blessings, there were no other special events for the minorities.

Sonya, sensing the opportunity, began giving instructions one by one, following the same preparations she had been making at the palace for various events.

While scratching their heads, the villagers followed her instructions considering her as a trustworthy and sophisticated person, who had come from the palace.

Sosa was no exception to this.

Observing Sonya moving from one place to another, kindly providing instructions to the people, he found himself involuntarily blushing.

Their eyes unexpectedly met, prompting Sosa to quickly change his expression, clear his throat, and approach her with a beaming smile.

“I’ve spent a long time familiarizing myself with the traditions and culture of the Kelpie Clan to ensure a successful welcome for the leader’s companion. How about the two of us work together to prepare for this wedding ceremony?”

Sonya let out an “Ah!” of realization.

“The boss… I mean, the chief is the last heir of the Kelpie Clan, so it’s important to uphold the traditions! I didn’t consider that earlier.”

“Yes, that’s right! It could be because you were an excellent assistant to Lady Asha that we communicate so well.”

“Oh, my goodness.”

As Sonya blushed, Sosa also felt a hint of embarrassment, but he was also pleased.

As the only other member of the Kelpie Clan aside from Jackal, he took it upon himself to diligently prepare for the wedding.

Sonya followed Sosa’s lead in organizing a grand wedding, but as they spent more time together, a peculiar atmosphere began to develop between the two.

Sosa was deeply moved to see Sonya’s lack of aversion or prejudice towards his clan.

It was evident that Sonya had seen and experienced many things during her time with Asha.

In Sosa’s heart, emotions like ‘Maybe I…?’ began to surface.

Emotions blossomed within him.

Since then, Sosa found it difficult to look directly at Sonya’s face.

As a member of the Kelpie Clan, he feared losing control over his feelings if he gazed into her eyes.

However, Sonya felt the same way.

When she first saw Sosa, with his hair as white as snow, she was very curious about how he looked when he transformed into a horse.

She imagined his fur would be incredibly beautiful.

The moment she thought she wanted to touch her silky-smooth hair, Sonya turned red and ran off at high speed.

Both of them pretend not to know, but Gabe, who happened to witness the scene while passing by, shook his head

‘This is quite interesting…’

Sonya was thinking about what Asha would wear on her wedding day and contacted Ella urgently.

She was totally focused on making dresses in the capital.

However, as soon as she received Sonya’s letter, she put all orders aside and wholeheartedly devoted herself to Asha’s wedding dress.

“As expected, creating Lady Vanessa’s dresses is the most exhilarating…”

Motivated by Sonya’s urgent request, Ella worked tirelessly day and night, neglecting meals and sleep, completely immersed in making Asha’s wedding dress. She seemed truly consumed by madness.

No one could stop her.

She had perfectly memorized Asha’s body measurements and was so skilled that she could imagine how the fabric would wrap her without even touching her body.

However, it was her first time designing a men’s wedding suit and lacking any information about Jackal’s preferences, she meticulously worked based on the measurements she had received.

As Ella cut the fabric to fit his body size, her eyes widened slightly.

“……Indeed, Lady Vanessa has excellent taste. The man must be incredibly strong.”

She covered her mouth with a fan as she chuckled.

Just looking at the size of the clothes that were twice the size of Asha’s body, Ella could imagine how strong and handsome Jackal’s body must be.

Thus, everyone spent busy days preparing for the wedding, and the long-awaited wedding day finally arrived.

* * * * *

As the sun began to set, a grand feast unfolded in the village, commemorating the birth of the new leadership couple.

Concerned about the shortage of food, the Lycaons brought forth all the provisions they had stockpiled in their hideout. Additionally, they gathered the meat they had hunted during that time.

Thanks to their efforts, the village was overflowing with all kinds of food.

At home, Asha freshened up before changing into her wedding dress with Sonya’s help.

The dress she wore was a stunning blend of white and sky blue.

Being a clan symbolizing water, the wedding dress seemed to embody ice and water in its very design.

Once again, Ella poured her heart and soul into creating the dress.

She spared no aquamarine jewels, delicately embedding them into the white fabric. The sleeves were adorned with shimmering sky-blue chiffon, resembling wings.

The dress perfectly complemented Asha’s platinum blond hair, enveloping her in an aura of mystery and innocence.

As Asha turned before the full-length mirror, wearing the wedding dress, Sonya couldn’t help but cover her mouth in awe.

“You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen…….”

Sonya continued, her expression dazed.

“I always believed Lady Ella’s talent was exceptional. However, now I realize it’s not the clothes that made Lady Vanessa look beautiful; it was you wearing them…The dresses were merely a vessel. You look beautiful no matter what you wear…..”

Asha blushed at the excessive praise.

“Thank you, Sonya. The only person who sees me as the most beautiful in the world is you.”

“What? What are you talking about!? The person who sees you as the most beautiful is the chief!”

Asha blushed even more, and Sonya continued.

“Do you know the kind of look the chief has when he looks at you? It’s a look of pure ecstasy and sweetness as if he were looking at an angel descended from heaven!”

“Really…?”

“Yes! Today, he’ll probably look at you even more intensely, and Lady Vanessa will definitely feel it. Keep an eye out.”

Sonya nodded confidently, playfully winking.

Asha was touched and eagerly anticipated the moment when Jackal would look at her in her wedding dress.

When the time for the ceremony came, Asha came out of the house.

According to custom, the bride and groom had to cover their faces with a white cloth until they met at the wedding hall.

With Sonya’s assistance, Asha arrived at the ceremony, while Jackal arrived at the same time with Sosa’s help.

With the river in front of them, the two faced each other and took off the white cloth at the same time.

As the fabrics were unveiled, their eyes widened.

Jackal’s sideburns were styled loosely, while his long hair at the back was neatly gathered and tied up.

He wore a wedding attire with a black base, adorned with sky-blue cloth that matched Asha’s outfit.

Ella spared no expense in embellishing his attire with jewels, yet she ensured it remained simple yet elegant, allowing the bride to shine even more.

Jackal, with the blue cloth tied around his waist resembling crashing waves in a nighttime sea, exuded an air of an untouchable groom, akin to a solitary bodyguard.

Asha looked at his face with a mesmerized expression, she had never seen him like this before.

The same could be said for Jackal.

As Asha, with her hair beautifully braided and styled like an elf, looked up and met his gaze, his heart pounded uncontrollably.

Asha looked absolutely stunning in her wedding dress. It seemed that not even a water nymph could surpass her beauty.

Jackal’s gaze wandered over her figure and, oddly enough, wherever his eyes lingered, she felt as if heat emanated from those spots.

Asha felt shy and lowered her gaze.

Remembering what Sonya had said earlier, her face flushed slightly.

Indeed, Jackal’s gaze upon her was so intense that it felt like sweet honey would trickle down.

Perhaps he had taken a bath before the wedding, as a refreshing and pleasant fragrance emanated from his body.

Asha’s shy demeanor exuded innocence and naivety, making it difficult for Jackal to contain his strong desire to hold her tight.

Nek, who had transformed into a human, whistled and exclaimed as if he could read Jackal’s thoughts and feelings.

“You’re beautiful, so beautiful…!”

As Nek began to move his hips and waist, attempting a mysterious and frivolous dance, Sosa quickly jumped up, ran towards him, and urgently grabbed his clothes, pulling him away.

This sacred wedding ceremony couldn’t be disrupted by the antics of a grotesque water spirit.

Now, the couple gazed deeply into each other’s eyes.

Sosa, having returned after dealing with Nek, proceeded with the officiating duties.

“Do the groom and bride swear to love each other until the day this river runs dry?”

The Kelpies always made their vows by the river, and they had chosen a vast river that would never cease flowing for their wedding ceremony.

The land provided by Karaf served as the perfect space for this momentous occasion.

Jackal and Asha looked into each other’s eyes and responded at the same time.

“Yes.”

“With this, both of you are now bound in the sacred union of marriage. Now, let us proceed to receive the blessings of the river.”

Sonya brought a beautifully decorated bottle filled with river water, but Jackal said suddenly.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“What?”

Jackal smiled, taking Asha’s hand, and suddenly they started running towards the river.

The guests were taken aback by this unexpected action.

Asha’s eyes widened as she ran after him, stealing glances in his direction.

Jackal said with a smile.

“Let’s run together on the water.”

“What?”

Before Asha could even respond, they were already leaping over the water’s surface.

Jackal, who had made a contract with the water spirit, effortlessly ran on the water, while Asha, bound by a contract with the wind spirit, gracefully floated above the water’s surface with the aid of the wind.

It was a magnificent wedding spectacle that only the two of them could perform in this world.

Asha, both startled and elated, burst into laughter and gathered her dress, splashing and running alongside Jackal on the water.

Each step they took created small waves that merged, forming a larger circle.

Finally, Asha and Jackal reached the middle of the river, standing facing each other, bathed in the soft glow of the moon.