Because of the moonlight reflecting on the river, it seemed as if the soft glow was spreading beneath their feet.
Jackal gazed at Asha calmly, his eyes as blue as a lake.
Asha, who had a smile on her lips, also looked seriously at Jackal.
Finally, Jackal slightly lowered his eyelids as he spoke.
“……Thank you for giving me a second life. And thank you for choosing me as your partner. I will dedicate my life to make you happy.”
Hearing those words, Asha also smiled slightly.
“I love you, Jackal.”
Her sudden declaration of love caused Jackal’s eyes to widen.
Asha felt more embarrassed after confessing her feelings and avoided his gaze.
But at that moment…
“…… I love you too, Asha.”
Jackal leaned closer, lowering his head.
Asha’s eyes widened.
Closing his eyes, Jackal kissed her lips gently, touching her face with his large hands. Asha reciprocated, closing her eyes as well.
The waves began to ripple around the two of them.
It was as if the wind and the water had finally become one.
Under the moonlit sky, the romantic and beautiful scene caused the villagers to cheer and applaud with enthusiasm.
“It’s love, it’s true love!”
Suddenly, Nek, who had been pushed aside, reappeared and started dancing.
The surrounding area came to life as the water joyfully swayed and danced.
Sonya watched the two of them, tears streaming down her face.
Although they couldn’t execute the planned event, this was a more memorable and splendid wedding than anything else.
Sonya wiped her tears with her sleeves, and at that moment, a handkerchief quietly appeared beside her.
“Thank you.”
Sonya casually took the handkerchief, blowing her nose and wiping away her tears. As she looked to her side, her eyes widened.
There, Sosa looked at her with an intense gaze.
A faint blush appeared on both of their faces.
Thanks to Asha and Jackal, a new love was born.
* * * * *
After the wedding, Jackal and Asha were enjoying a festive party in the village.
Nagy, along with the orphaned children, had an “eating contest” and won against everyone, quickly becoming the leader among the children.
Although they couldn’t understand why being a big eater made someone a leader, there seemed to be a connection among them.
“Eat in moderation, or you’ll get sick again.”
Gabe chuckled, tousling Nagy’s hair as he passed by.
It was the first time that the whole village had a large-scale party, so Asha also drank more than usual and mixed with the people while being joyfully intoxicated.
As the former empress without hesitation treated them comfortably, laughed with them, and had fun, people were completely captivated by her charm.
Those who had known Asha in the past approached her, striking up conversations and sharing nostalgic stories.
Just hearing the stories of their lives brought immense joy to Asha, filling her with a warm feeling of truly being back home.
Meanwhile, Jackal was also surrounded by the chiefs of each clan, politely accepting drinks.
Asha discreetly observed his dignified appearance for a moment.
As she watched him, she once again realized what an impressive man he was.
‘If he is the successor of the Kelpie clan, isn’t he more like a prince…? Jackal, you were a prince.’
While engaged in a conversation, Jackal suddenly felt her gaze and glanced briefly in her direction.
Asha stared at him intently, supporting her intoxicated face with both hands.
He clicked his tongue and murmured.
“You’re drunk again…..”
Jackal excused himself to each clan’s chiefs and walked over to Asha.
He wrapped her tightly in a large blanket.
“Be careful not to catch a cold. You tend to get cold easily.”
Asha leaned her face against his shoulder as if she had been waiting.
“Why did you drink so much? You’re not a strong drinker.”
“I’m not that weak with alcohol. I can still have another drink with you.”
Taken aback by Asha’s sudden seriousness, Jackal asked earnestly.
“Then… Shall we have a drink together?”
“Alright.”
The two of them stood up in silence, holding hands, and making their way back home.
Jackal carefully scanned the surroundings, checking to see if anyone was watching, but several Lycaons pretended to be drunk and ignored them, secretly laughing among themselves.
Arriving home, Jackal first lit a lamp, illuminating the dark corners of the house.
“I’ll get the drinks, go rest in the room.”
He carefully selected the drinks from the cellar with a slightly nervous expression.
‘Come to think of it, Asha likes warm drinks.’
He remembered the time Asha had enjoyed the special drink Gabe had given her.
‘I’ll take this one.’
When he got back to the room, Asha was already lying on the bed dressed in different clothes, sound asleep.
He stood at the door for a moment, holding the bottle and glasses in his hands.
However, he soon nodded to himself, placed the drinks on the table, and approached Asha cautiously.
“You must have been very tired…..”
He gently brushed her hair away and pulled the blanket up to cover her body.
The large bed appeared spacious enough for the two of them to lie down comfortably.
As he stared at the bed, he realized that from tonight on, he would share it with Asha.
An inexplicable excitement bubbled within him as he eagerly sipped his drink, quenching his thirst.
Suddenly, a worry crept into his mind, he worried that his body might give off an animal odor.
It had become a habit for him to remove his shirt before sleeping.
When Asha had slept in the same bed the other day, he had been fortunate to have bandages wrapped around his body. However, now he found himself worrying about things he wouldn’t normally fret over.
Contemplating with a serious expression, he pondered whether he should wear clothes, fearing that Asha might be taken aback to find him lying undressed next to her.
Yet, he soon shook his head and made a firm decision.
‘As a married couple, I shouldn’t be ashamed of this.’
Although he had already taken a bath before the wedding, Jackal wiped his body once again with the utmost care, paying attention to every nook and cranny. Then, he returned to bed and lay down beside Asha.
Asha remained deeply asleep, oblivious to the world around her.
Jackal couldn’t help but smile.
This beautiful woman is my bride…..
The more he thought about it, the more skeptical he seemed, making his heart tremble.
He lay down next to Asha, as if he were dead, and closed his eyes with an excited expression on his face.
And in that way, time passed.
Asha, restless and tossing and turning in bed due to thirst, woke up when she abruptly felt the presence of someone lying next to her.
“Jackal……?”
Her gaze fell upon the well-defined muscles of his back, divided into two strong lines.
Asha finally remembered that she had agreed to share a drink with him and had fallen asleep before they could.
A pleasant scent of soap wafted from Jackal’s body.
She must have disappointed him after he had looked forward to it, and she felt guilty.
Leaning her face against his broad back and gently placing her hand on his stomach, she softly whispered.
“I’m sorry for falling asleep first. We were supposed to drink together…..”
But at that moment, she felt Jackal’s body stiffen.
Asha realized that he was awake.
Perhaps he couldn’t sleep, likely due to it being their first night together.
Asha’s mischievous side kicked in, and playfully, she cautiously poked his back muscles with her finger and murmured.
“You truly have an amazing body, no matter how much I look at it….”
But then, it happened.
Suddenly, a surge of blue energy began to circulate within Jackal’s body, as if by magic, and before she knew it, a large bluish-gray horse stood before her eyes.
Asha blinked in surprise and inquired.
“Sheppy…?”
Sheppy was lying on his side on the bed, just like Jackal.
When she sat up to get a better look at Sheppy’s face, she was taken aback.
Sheepy had his eyes closed with a blush on his cheeks as if he was embarrassed.
Asha was confused by this situation.
“Jackal, I’m asking because I genuinely don’t know… Do you have the ability to transform freely while you sleep? Is that why you always sleep alone, even back at the hideout?”
As she posed the question, Asha nodded with almost total confidence.
It seemed that he liked being alone, and the reason he was careful not to get drunk was also because of this.
After a while, Jackal returned to his original form.
But instead of answering her question, he covered himself with the blanket, trying to hide, while his ears turned red. Asha got even more confused.
“What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly avoiding me…?”
“…..”
At that moment, a realization dawned upon Asha, causing her eyes to widen.
With a face like struck by lightning, she muttered.
“Are you disappointed because I fell asleep first? To the point of not wanting to answer me and not even looking at me…?”
“….No!”
Startled by her words, Jackal jumped up and kicked off the blanket, and got up.
However, at that moment, Asha’s gaze shifted somewhere.
Her eyes widened even more.
Jackal quickly grabbed the blanket and covered the lower part of his body.
“……”
“……”
Silence reigned in the room.
They said that kelpies were magnificent in some parts, and it seemed to be true….
Not knowing what to say, Asha looked around as Jackal, red to the neck, lowered his head and spoke.
“Kelpies are actually… obligated to briefly reveal their true form to their lover on the first night.”
“What? But we were just lying in bed together… We fell asleep together last time as well..”
“…… ”
As Jackal grew even more embarrassed and found himself at a loss for words, Asha suddenly realized something, her expression dumbfounded. “Ah!” she exclaimed before her face flushed bright red.
She had just seen ‘there’, so she knew for sure.
Merely lying in bed together wasn’t the sole condition for the transformation on the first night…..
Jackal was wide awake because his heart was pounding at the thought of Asha sleeping next to him.
However, when Asha leaned against his bare back and touched his body, he involuntarily and sensitively reacted.
Asha turned her flushed face and spoke up.
“Since we’re both awake now, should we have a drink together…?”
“…..Yes.”
He lit the lamp and calmly poured drinks into their glasses.
As the soft glow illuminated the room, the atmosphere became incredibly romantic and warm.
The two of them clinked their glasses without uttering a word, then brought them to their lips.
Their actions were solemn, resembling the gestures of worshippers offering prayers.
Yet, they couldn’t bring themselves to meet each other’s eyes, continuously evading each other’s gaze.
After a while, Asha spoke in a soft voice.
“Jackal… I have something to tell you.”
Seeing Asha suddenly turn serious, Jackal asked nervously.
“What is it?”
Asha hesitated for a long moment, her cheeks turning rosy as she spoke, avoiding his gaze.
“In this life… You’re my first.”
At those words, Jackal’s eyes widened.
The realization that he was Asha’s first man struck him like a lightning bolt, causing him to momentarily forget to breathe.
A surge of intoxication from the alcohol coursed through his veins, and heat spread throughout his entire body.
Unconsciously, Jackal leaned over, gently laying Asha on the bed, and positioned himself on top of her.
Asha was taken aback and looked at him.
It was a situation reminiscent of when Asha had first been in Jackal’s hut. Unlike then, however, Jackal’s eyes burned with a passionate intensity.
