On the contrary, Moni exclaimed with a look of contemplation, “Bendy, do you really intend to marry a lion shapeshifter?!” I turned my head slightly and looked into the distance without saying a word. From our hillside hideout, I could see Petryan, where I had lived until now. The lush jungle surrounded the city, and the fertile land produced delicious crops. My parents were the rulers of this beautiful land, the leaders of the Reppy family. Thanks to the lineage of wizards that had been passed down through generations, they had become nobles.
“Bendy, come here,” my parents called. Whenever they went around the city using magic to water the fields or repair broken farms, they always took me along. “When you grow up, you’ll become a great wizard like us,” they would say. “But mom and dad aren’t really great,” I would reply. “Look who’s already a little wizard, our Bendy,” they would laugh. My childhood days spent with them were filled with happiness.
When I was around nine years old, until shortly before they left this world in an unfortunate accident, at least. Ever since my parents were absent and the Sookbu family took over the Reppy mansion… I don’t have any happy memories, at least that’s what I can proudly say. In the blink of an eye, the previous employees were fired and replaced by people loyal to the Sookbu side. “Live as if you were dead, here.” In the unfamiliar Reppy mansion, I lived a life that was burdensome to carry and too valuable to push away, just like an ugly duckling.
Time passed, and just a few days ago, on my nineteenth birthday. “Your marriage has been decided, Bendy”, my uncle suddenly handed me a marriage contract. “Since it’s with a family connected to the Reppy family, it’s not a bad condition for you.” It’s a lion shapeshifter, and you will find out more details later. He casually explained without providing any further explanation. “It might be a bit early, but now that you’re an adult, it wouldn’t be strange for you to marry.” He didn’t explain the reasons.
There were rumors that my uncle’s son had been caught up in gambling debts, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he used me as a means to sell to a wealthy family. He used me until the end as a means of profit. “Bendy!” The children’s cry, which sounded almost like a scream, woke me up from my contemplation. “Bendy, aren’t you bothered at all?” “There’s nothing I can do, it’s already decided. I’ll be fine,” I paused for a moment and bit my lip. “I’ll be fine…” Suddenly, all the emotions I had held back for so long surged forward. I never expected to inherit the Reppy family to begin with. I anticipated that someday my marriage would be used as a tool for my greedy uncle.
But still… “A lion shapeshifter.” I thought my uncle’s decision would at least make some sense. “It doesn’t make any sense.” Naturally, an image of a bewildered deer and a lion with drooling mouth at a wedding came to mind. “…No.” “Bendy, what did you say?” “I’m not okay.” Nothing is okay. The children, who heard my sincere confession, opened their eyes wide. “I don’t want to do things like marriage.” I tried to hold back, but tears that had already filled my eyes blurred my vision. With tears running down my cheeks, I said to the empty air, “Why do I have to… Why? Why me…”
“Bendy…” “I want to run away…” A choked voice came out as if I were submerged in water. “…”
The children, who had been silent for a long time, began to cry along with me, despite their young age. The long silence that didn’t suit the children came to an end. “I don’t really know… but that’s what the adults said.” Moni, who finally had a serious expression, broke the silence. “They said your uncle is a bad guy, and if you marry a lion shapeshifter, it’s like a death sentence for you. So, Bendy…” Moni held my hand with both hands, as if embracing it. “Run away.” “What?” Run away. The short phrase created a small ripple in my heart. That small ripple soon turned into a wave and started to engulf my whole body.
Romance, fantasy.
✧˚·̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥·̩̩̥͙✧·̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥˚·̩̩̥͙✧ 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝓋𝒾𝓉𝓎𝓃𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁𝓈 ✧˚·̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥·̩̩̥͙✧·̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥˚·̩̩̥͙✧
