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"…It's fine. I want to. This is my choice—it has nothing to do with anyone else. If we don't, I think I'll regret it for the rest of my life." Fia suddenly looked up. Her face was still bright red, and she was obviously shy, but her expression was firm.
"So you don't have to hold back for my sake. Riku… sometimes being gentle isn't always the best choice," she whispered as she leaned against his shoulder.
"So that's how it is… I guess I was overthinking things," Riku paused for a second after hearing that, then gave a wry smile.
Yeah... these two w"Uh…" Riku froze a little at that. His expression turned strange. When he first met this old chief, the guy seemed so serious… now he was completely off the rails. Was it really okay to just hand Fia over like this?
Although… the chief's words did nudge Riku's thoughts in a certain direction.
"—!" Being the strongest of the beastfolk, Fia naturally heard the chief loud and clear. In a split second, her already-rosy face turned completely red under the veil. Her body trembled slightly as she shot a furious glare at the cheeky old man.
"Ahem, don't worry. Beastfolk bodies are super tough. Especially Fia—she's the strongest of us all. No need to hold back. Just go for it." The old chief clearly felt Fia's killer glare like needles in his back, but he still forced himself to finish his sentence.
And then he bolted—afraid he'd pushed it too far and Fia might punch him in the face right then and there.
"That guy…" Riku let out a helpless chuckle as he watched the chief retreat. He could guess what the old man was thinking—he just wanted them to have a kid as soon as possible to lock in the alliance.
But honestly, that completely ignored how Fia might feel about it. Besides, did he look like that kind of guy? In Riku's original world, something like this could get you a minimum of three years in prison—maximum, the death penalty!
"Hmph."
Fia let out a cold snort as she stared daggers at the old chief's back. Once this whole wedding was over, she'd make sure that pervy old man learned a painful lesson about boundaries.
"Ahem… shall we go?" Riku gently held Fia's hand and looked at her. Under everyone's gaze, he leaned in and spoke softly.
"…Mm." Hearing Riku's voice, Fia dropped the angry act. Her cheeks blushed again and she nodded slightly, keeping her head down and quiet. But the way her tail was wagging said plenty about how she really felt.
Everything else went smoothly, and eventually, amid teasing and laughter from the other beastfolk, Riku and Fia walked into the bridal room and shut the door behind them.
Meanwhile, the rest of the beastfolk partied into the night, drinking and celebrating. It had been a long time since they'd had a reason to be this joyful. Or this well-fed.
"Fia, give it your best! The future of the beastfolk depends on you," the chief muttered, watching the tightly shut door alongside a dozen other elders.
They did feel a little guilty toward Fia. But in the end, it was all for the good of their people—they had no other choice.
Inside the bridal room, Riku led Fia over to the bed and sat down, still holding her hand. After a short pause, he reached out and gently removed her white veil.
Instantly, Fia's adorable, gorgeous face appeared before him. Her beast ears twitched, and Riku couldn't resist reaching out to pet her.
"Don't touch them, it tickles!" Fia said in a small voice, blushing as Riku delivered another classic head-pat. But even so, she looked like she was enjoying it.
"Sorry, sorry. You're just too cute today—I couldn't help myself," Riku said with a grin. But even as he apologized, his hand kept ruffling her hair.
"Mm…" Fia blushed even harder from the compliment. Her tail wagged even faster, and her red eyes darted around nervously, full of shy delight.
"Hey, Fia… do you guys really have that kind of tribal rule?" Riku asked, scratching his nose a little awkwardly after enjoying the sight of her being all bashful.
"…Yeah." Fia's body stiffened slightly, then she gave a small nod, not daring to meet his eyes.
"I see… Well, if you're not comfortable with it, we can just pretend. We've got a whole future ahead of us anyway," Riku said, a little helplessly. He wasn't exactly a saint, but going after Fia like this felt way too much like taking advantage.
eren't normal people to begin with. Why bother with all those formalities?
Since everything was settled, Riku didn't drag things out any longer. In the blink of an eye, he pulled Shuse Feiya into his arms. Their clothes quickly disappeared.
Not long after, a soft cry of pain echoed out, followed by wave after wave of motion, growing more intense, reaching a euphoric high.
That night was silent. It wasn't until nearly dawn that Riku finally let out a breath, hugging the now sound-asleep Shuse Feiya tightly in his arms, a small smile playing on his lips as he stared at the ceiling.
Life's full of surprises. He came here just to grab a platinum treasure chest, and ended up winning over the Beastmen... and even got a cute wife.
"....."