Chapter 10.
A Love Like a Furnace
Seeing how Millie spoke so kindly about the rough and rugged William, I wondered if perhaps she liked him. But she quickly denied it.
“That’s what you thought? Oh no… Then what is your type?”
“Oh my, Miss…”
Millie suddenly turned shy, her cheeks flushing red.
“I like gentle, kind men. Ideally, he’d be just tall enough that the top of my head reaches his shoulder. He’d have soft blond hair, definitely no beer belly, and eyes the color of golden honey…”
“…That’s very specific.”
At my reaction, Millie twisted bashfully and smiled so much her lips couldn’t contain it.
Wait a second. Soft blond hair, golden honey-colored eyes, just tall enough that Millie’s head reaches his shoulder… Kind and gentle personality… That sounds very familiar?
“Millie, don’t tell me—?”
As I stared at her in shock, her cheeks flared even redder and she avoided my gaze.
“Your ideal type is… Robbie?”
“Shhh! It’s a secret!!”
Millie frantically pressed her finger to her lips. The sight made me both laugh and feel a bit sad.
“So you’ve been harboring feelings for Count Stone Robbie all this time. That must’ve been hard.”
“It’s not that bad. I know my place.”
Her smile turned melancholic. But my Millie—her pure heart and upright character—was in no way inferior to Robbie. I could say that confidently, having known them both for so long.
The only issue was the difference in social status. And sadly, that was the most difficult thing to overcome.
“When we get to Fritan, let’s change our fates together. I’ll go from the unwanted daughter of a marquis to the beloved queen of a king, and you’ll meet someone a hundred times better than Robbie, fall in love, and get married.”
“Wow~ Nothing about that sounds easy.”
Millie laughed but then suddenly looked serious.
“Are you really okay with this, Miss?”
“With what?”
“Marrying the King of Fritan. You hated the idea, didn’t you?”
“That was before I saw his face. If I’d known he was that handsome, I wouldn’t have even thought of running away!”
At my words, Millie stared at me wide-eyed.
“Miss! I thought the whole ‘face-obsessed’ thing was just an act to fool the marquis and his wife?”
I scratched my cheek, feeling awkward.
“I thought so too. But I guess not. I’m face-obsessed to my bones!”
Millie gave me a look like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. I couldn’t blame her. Even I couldn’t believe myself.
I’d only spent about three days with King Miklok, but I didn’t want to go back to the time before I knew him.
His quiet but thoughtful gestures, the playful sparkle in his eyes whenever he teased me—I missed all of it already.
I must’ve fallen so completely for King Miklok because of that ridiculously handsome face, right?
‘Did Mom leave that absurd will because she knew this about me all along?’
To be honest, I had originally thought I’d run away even after marrying him, if it came to that. But now… I’ve changed my mind.
Thankfully, he didn’t seem to dislike me either. I was determined to live happily with my gorgeous husband.
After all, Mom’s greatest wish must’ve been for me to be happy. So I’d do my best to live happily—for both of us.
As I made this vow silently to myself, the carriage suddenly stopped and there was a knock. It was Ralph.
“We’ll pause to let the horses rest and rehydrate. We have about 30 minutes. Would you like to take a short walk?”
“Yes, that sounds good.”
To prepare for the cold, Millie pulled out a thick shawl that had been in the carriage. As we traveled north, the weather had grown chillier.
“Wow, this is so warm. It’s not wool… What kind of fur is this?”
“I’ve never felt fur this soft and light before.”
As we admired the fabric and stepped out of the carriage, Ralph approached us.
“It’s called a Fols shawl. Very light and soft. Though… isn’t it a little warm for it right now?”
“Warm? It’s perfect. But what’s a Fols?”
“It’s a magical beast with incredibly soft fur. Their pelts are in high demand.”
“Ugh—magical beast fur?!”
Millie recoiled and tried to remove the shawl, but I just wrapped it tighter around her. Fritan was known for its extreme winters. If we were going to live there, we’d have to adapt to their ways.
“Sister Hailey said I’d freeze to death the moment I arrived… I guess she wasn’t kidding.”
“What do we do?”
“What else? We adapt.”
Meanwhile…
Miklóck stood in the Queen’s palace drawing room, inspecting every corner with a face full of dissatisfaction.
“We cleaned out Storage Room 3 of the royal palace, and this is all the heat magic stones we have?”
Next to him, William was sweating profusely, eventually taking off his coat in frustration.
“This is a lot! Your Majesty, it’s unbearably hot in here.”
“Nonsense!”
Miklóck scoffed at William’s complaint.
“Even the bedroom is hotter than this. If there were a furnace in hell, this is what it would feel like!”
“We’re used to it—we grew up in Fritan. But someone who’s only ever lived in the temperate Haren Empire might find it cold.”
Though sweat beaded on his forehead, Miklóck stubbornly insisted.
“I swear—” William gritted his teeth, “—unless she’s a magical beast that lives in fire, no one is going to find this room cold.”
Overheating in every sense, William yanked off his vest and even unbuttoned his shirt.
“Look at this. My shirt and vest are soaked. Unless you want to steam Her Majesty like a dumpling, please stop.”
“…Fine. If you insist.”
Still looking suspicious, Miklóck examined each heating stone laid out in the parlor before finally giving up.
“Isn’t it hot for you, Your Majesty?”
“Of course it is. I could use an ice-water shower.”
As Miklóck exited quickly, William clicked his tongue behind him, not bothering to hide his exasperation.
At last, our carriage arrived at Fritan Castle. With Ralph’s help, I descended from the coach.
Even wrapped tightly in magical beast fur, the bitter wind made me shiver. This really was the Land of Permafrost.
At the gates stood William, grinning from ear to ear. Somehow, I had grown used to that thuggish face of his, and seeing him after a while was oddly comforting.
“Welcome to Fritan Castle.”
“Thank you, Sir William. It seems winter has already arrived in Fritan.”
“Oh, not at all. This is actually the warmest time of year.”
Wait, what?! I froze for a moment, but kept my composure and looked past him.
Two maids were standing nearby, but Miklóck was nowhere to be seen. I felt an unexpected pang of disappointment.
“Have you had lunch?”
“Yes, Sir Ralph made sure I was thoroughly fed.”
“Perfect. The ceremony starts in two hours. Sophie and Adele will assist you with preparations.”
“Ceremony? What ceremony?”
I looked up at him in confusion. Was he throwing me a welcome party or something?
“Why, the wedding ceremony, of course!”
William looked more shocked by my confusion.
What?! I’d only just arrived at Fritan, and now you’re telling me the wedding is in two hours?! Absolutely not!
“Wait! I’ve been traveling by carriage for over a week. I’m in no condition to get married today!”
But unlike my rising panic, William remained perfectly calm.
“Don’t worry. Sophie and Adele will take care of everything. Right, girls?”
He turned to the two maids, and serious-faced Sophie stepped forward.
“Chelsea is preparing a hot spring bath right now. It’ll ease your fatigue and soften your skin.”
Next, enthusiastic Adele added:
“After your bath, we’ll assist you with your hair and makeup. We’ll be ready in time—no problem!”
Everything about this felt insane. I was speechless.
“What about a dress? A wedding dress?!”
“We’ve prepared the one worn by the late queen.”
“Will it even fit?”
“Of course. Sophie and Adele will make it fit.”
What are they, fairy godmothers?! Every other sentence had their names in it. Sophie and Adele, Sophie and Adele…
“A wedding the moment I arrive? You could’ve at least told me in advance…”
I gave William a reproachful look, but he just blinked at me, puzzled.
“I did mention it, didn’t I?”
“When?!”
“The night we camped in the forest. I handed you tea and said His Majesty was pleased you’d arrive in time for the scheduled date.”
“Excuse me!!”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“Saying I arrived on schedule and saying I’m getting married today are two completely different things!”
Finally, William let out an awkward chuckle.
“Ah… I see now. That was a little unclear.”
While I stood there dumbfounded, William wisely started to back away.
“Well, I’ll go report to His Majesty. Sophie, Adele, Millie—take good care of her.”
And just like that, he vanished like the wind.
The two Fritan maids stood politely in front of me, and Millie looked at me with concern.
Well… what could I do at this point?
I straightened my back.
“Sophie and Adele, right? Okay. What do I need to do first?”
William dashed straight to Miklóck’s office after leaving me.
Miklóck was deep in discussion with Duke Mark Zenon, the Chancellor, regarding winter preparations in the slums.
“We’ll distribute the tribute grain from the Rill Kingdom to the northern district first, right?”
“Yes, that area is in the worst condition.”
Miklóck tapped the report he’d just received.
“Looks like the western district is struggling too. There’s talk of an unusual cold wave. Prioritize that area. Oh, and suspend golden pine trade with Haren for now. Find an alternate wheat import route.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Their conversation seemed endless, so William clapped twice. Both Miklóck and the duke turned to him.
“Gentlemen, you may have forgotten, but today is also the day of His Majesty’s wedding. Her Majesty has already arrived at the castle.”
“Your Majesty, shouldn’t you go now?”
“No need. I’ll see her at the ceremony anyway.”
Miklóck replied gruffly, though William knew that wasn’t what he really meant. He hid a smile.
Miklóck picked up a document again, then hesitated.
“Did… she say she was cold?”
“Uh… she wrapped herself from head to toe in fur.”
Miklóck nodded slowly. Truthfully, he wanted to run to her.
He wanted to ask if the journey had been rough, if she liked the magic heating stones he’d scattered everywhere just for her…
But if he saw her now, he feared he’d drop everything to be by her side.
Back when he first brought her here—essentially kidnapping her—he never imagined he’d lose all motivation for the monster subjugation campaign.
He’d only been excited that she would arrive in time and they could get married before he left.
But out of sight didn’t mean out of mind. Since they’d parted, his thoughts had been filled with nothing but her.
As Miklóck’s expression darkened, William cautiously asked:
“You’re not… thinking of postponing the campaign, are you?”
