39 – After the Marriage.
Irene Melvus, who suppressed the rebellion of Melvus Gai and brought peace to the country, became a couple through marriage with Lepeti Gai.
According to the rumors, their relationship was so good that they couldn’t be separated from each other.
However, strangely enough, while many people have seen Irene Melbus, there are not many who have seen Repti Gail in person.
Like a mythical creature, there were stories circulating about him wandering among the stars with his wife late at night,
Sometimes boasting a pale and delicate skin, there were also stories of him buying street food and strolling the streets with his wife.
There were even rumors of laughter from a man and a woman coming from the gardens beyond the walls of Melbus Castle,
There were even instances where the indescribable sound of passionate affection could be heard coming from the garden.
Whether the two were really a married couple or if Repti Gail’s existence was true, opinions were still divided.
For one thing – they had no children.
When she appeared in public, she was never seen with a full stomach. Was there ever a time when she didn’t make an appearance in front of the public for a whole year?
She did, at least, personally participate in official inspections every six months.
But does that mean Repti Gail’s existence was fake?
There was no way it could be fake.
The source of the rumors was none other than the maids and servants of the mansion.
The voice of the man coming from the separate space of the mansion was clearly distinct from hers,
And whenever she returned from a public event, she disappeared into the heavily guarded separate space of the mansion.
Above all, whenever she went in and came out, her clothes were always stained with the strong smell of bodily fluids, and it was clear that men’s clothing was also included in the regular laundry.
And the wedding was officiated by none other than the king himself, so there was no question about the legitimacy of his existence.
However, people were curious about who her companion, known as the king’s confidant, was that she was so fiercely protective of…
That stimulated people’s curiosity.
She was well aware of the rumors and did not deny them.
However, there were stories that she reacted very sensitively to the request to show her companion and that she fainted on the spot when asked by a woman.
There was a story that said her distinctive red eyes “seemed to emit light.”
However, the public continued to fuel their curiosity about her companion, and rumors began to exaggerate.
In reality, she was said to be a non-existent ghost, or have a rare disease that only allowed her to wander at night, or perhaps she was actually a woman disguised as a man.
Upon hearing such rumors, she became furious after receiving a report in her office.
However, on that day, when she entered and left the separate space of the mansion once again to find a solution,
With a greatly brightened appearance and shining hair,
It is said that she found the best painter in the country, promising a large reward.
Only then did people finally see the dazzling blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin of the beautiful man,
And the scandalous rumors lost their power and faded away.
However, according to another unpopular rumor, it is said that the painter drew two paintings.
One was clearly his own face, but the other was the face of a person that could not be seen anywhere.
The color and form were not of this place, but rather the face of an extraordinary man with an ordinary face.
That was the reason why she paid more than the promised reward to the painter,
And why the painter disappeared without a trace.
Occasionally, people who claimed to have met him appeared, but they all unanimously denied the existence of the second painting.
So, whether the second painting was true or not, it was never revealed.
*
In the year when the two of them turned forty, she finally appeared with him at an official ceremony.
Before attending the ball hosted by the royal family, it was her intention to first show her existence and face to the public.
Surprisingly, the appearance of the two seemed to have a noticeable difference from being forty. Although, their faces were strangely young to be called forty…
The man had a handsome face without a single beard, but he had rather thin arms and legs. It couldn’t be said that he was healthy; his face was quite gaunt.
Unlike the paintings, he was somewhat lacking in beauty.
And in front of the public, he simply raised his hand to greet them and couldn’t utter a word.
But she was different.
Her hair shimmered with light, her black hair sparkling silver, and her face was full of color.
There was a clear strength in every gesture she made, and her voice always carried confidence and a sense of accomplishment.
Unmarried men and women who didn’t understand the situation looked at the scene strangely, but
The couples who were there, especially the husbands who were known for their good looks, all felt sorry for him, sweating cold sweat.
Of course, his wife felt the same way.
It was strange that they still didn’t have a child.
Voices of concern came out about it, but she said she wouldn’t make any special efforts about it.
She just hinted that maybe their efforts were ‘insufficient’.
…Only the husband became more pitiful, the story spread a little more.
*
At the age of fifty, they appeared once again.
This time, he appeared with a slightly older look, but strangely, she remained unchanged, without aging.
Oh, fortunately, this time his body wasn’t as thin anymore.
There were clearly some muscles attached, and he grew a beard, highlighting a more masculine aspect.
This time, he clearly spoke and greeted the public, actively smiling and communicating with people.
Beside him, a woman who also raised her voice, blessing the year of abundance, surprised the many people who were there.
She hadn’t changed in the past ten years.
If anything had changed, it was that she showed a slightly softer attitude.
She never mentioned her husband in public, and the person who used to fiercely defend him when someone asked was now gone.
However, she proudly showed off her husband, crossing her arms as if he were her trophy.
Many people positively evaluated her unchanged appearance and changed personality, but they worried that they didn’t have any children.
Nevertheless, the two seemed happy.
Now they started going out more often.
They enjoyed the daytime, admiring the flowers and grass bathed in sunlight.
Occasionally, they would join the farmers, helping with their work and listening to their stories.
Sometimes in fancy restaurants, sometimes on the streets, and sometimes at village festivals.
Their presence became more and more frequent, and the rumors disappeared.
Even without children, that couple was happy.
The pair were beautifully embracing the sunset.
*
Approaching the age of sixty, Yeongji welcomed tranquility.
The streets were filled with black cloth, and amidst the solemnity, only people’s tears made their way onto the pavement.
In the midst of it all, there was a single grand procession.
According to rumors, one day, at a certain hour, the two of them left.
More precisely, it wasn’t one person leaving first,
But rather, as the husband’s strength faded due to illness, the wife who had been taking care of him deteriorated alongside him when his breath ceased.
The attendants, taking the deceased’s final wishes to heart, decided to bury them under a tree in the backyard, holding hands in one coffin.
That place was their secretive, yet on the other hand, a place where everyone knew the secret.
People longed for their rumors and stories, even writing them down in books.
The story of the childless couple spread not only in the backyard but throughout the corners of the country.
The tale of the forever young wife and the secretly ordinary husband was forever remembered by people.
But at the end of the story, there was something that people once again found curious.
None other than the existence of the second painting, which was on the verge of being forgotten.
The painter disappeared, and only the story remained, circulating from people’s mouths.
But despite being clearly rumored, the second painting was never found anywhere.
The reason people were so obsessed with the second painting was simple.
Because it depicted a pair of lovers walking between non-existent tall towers and a black road.