１８
The next morning…… Maru woke up on Aiden’s bed.
-Her beloved elf is well-behavedly sleeping right next to her.
Maru, who was wearing nothing, remembered yesterday’s events and her face turned red with a puff. (TN: Oh my~)
She slowly tries to get off the bed as is and was caught by Aiden who woke up unbeknownst to her.
“Good morning, Maru?”
“Goo, good morning, Aiden…… Um”
Feeling like running because of embarrassment, Maru turned into her hamster form on the spot.
“……Are you awake?”
The smiling silver-haired elf lifts Maru up and gently squishes her, softly rubbing their cheeks together.
“Maru is in a relationship with me, so why are you being shy?”
“……Kyuu”
“After all, last night…”
“CHIIIII!”
Maru screamed loudly, blocking the embarrassing remarks of the elf.
Aiden gently stroked the back of Maru in that state.
Riley arrives as the two were frolicking about. They hurriedly got dressed and invited him inside.
“……In that state, it seems there’s no need for you to worry about last night, Maru.”
“Thank you, Riley. For talking to His Majesty.”
“No problem. But, the negotiation hasn’t been finalized yet. I think he wants Maru and Aiden to attend today.”
“Of course. What do you want me to do?”
“There’s really nothing in particular, but I want you to speak on behalf of the women who went to the elf country as their representative.”
“I understand!”
A meeting was held in the morning, with Riley as the general representative and the other elf representatives, as well as Maru gathered in front of the throne.
There, a one-sided conference between the elves is in progress.
Maru was observing the situation without moving an inch.
“……And so, the elf country demands that the environment of the cabins be improved and lies about the elves will be banned, and the brides cannot be returned or exchanged. We can overlook this time’s incident if you accept these terms.”
“………..!”
“If you still want to push your own assertions, we also have our own considerations.”
Riley sneered and the beastmen were shaken.
They probably recalled how they were beaten so badly during the previous war.
The reason why the beastman and human countries still exist in the present is all because of the elf country’s benevolence.
The beastman king reluctantly agreed to his conditions and the Livestock Cabins would be renamed into “Brides’ Space”.
It’s also decided that the elves and their brides will improve the environment inside.
Surely, the previous Livestock Cabins will be reborn to become a gentle place.
“Hamster beastman princess, are you really fine with that!?”
Maru quietly nodded at the words of the cabinet minister that seemed to be imploring her.
“We have to accept the elves’ conditions for the sake of the beastman country as well……”
Thus, the final meeting was successfully completed, and Maru and her companions returned safely to the elf country.
At that time, the swan maid also accompanied the elf group.
※
A few days later, the final day of the festival came.
Maru and Aiden, Salami and Riley are also standing in the city square, which is the venue.
Other female beastmen were also standing there with their elf husbands.
There were couples whose partners changed occasionally, but if there was mutual agreement, the pair could be changed freely.
“It’s finally the last day. Now you can be a formal couple with your beloved Maru.”
Riley sighed towards Aiden who was hugging Maru with a smile.
“Someone took a false start and laid his hands on his wife like an idiot, though.” (TN: Because they did the deed before they got officially married.)
“What are you talking about, I wonder?”
In contrast to the laid-back Aiden, Maru turns bright red and hides behind him.
Riley wanted to touch Salami but it seems that he held himself back desperately.
He holds a complicated feeling towards Aiden who was able to touch Maru so easily…… is what he(A) believes.
The swan beastman maid that they saved from the beastman country was also standing in the corner.
Single elves crowd around her.
After a while, the confirmation of the bride’s intention began, and many couples were born.
Occasionally, there were also couples who broke up, though……
Then, it was finally Maru’s turn. The elf who confirms her intention asks her.
“Are you willing to marry Aiden?”
Maru replied to him without hesitation.
“Yes, I, with Aiden……”
When she spoke up to there, a scream suddenly arose from the corner of the square.
“That woman is no good! She’s a hamster who is the weakest amongst the beastmen!”
When she looked towards the origin of the shrill voice with shock, it was the swan maid who was standing there. (TN: Did this ungrateful bisch really just…?)
“I won’t allow it, she’s a hamster who’s even lower-ranked than a swan despite being similarly weak…..! I won’t accept her becoming happier than me!” (TN: B*tch… are you for real?)
Everyone in the square looks at her with a start.
“I was able to endure no matter how painful it was in the beastman country because I know that there’s a more unfortunate princess than me. And a lot of beastmen are like that…… An existence like you can’t disappear!”
The swan beastman was able to preserve herself thanks to Maru’s existence. Apparently, she has been living with a mindset that, “No matter how hard I have it, I’m still better off than that princess.”
But looking at the hamster getting married to Aiden happily, it seems that she wasn’t able to control herself.
If so, it is highly likely that she called Maru in the middle of the night of her own free will.
An elf who was nearby takes out the swan beast who screams from the square.
Maru wasn’t that shocked.
It’s because she knew for a long time that there are beastmen who have that kind of mindset from the start.
The existence of the hamster princess has become the comfort of weak beastmen.
She’s so small and weak, a miserable princess who became a sacrifice to the elves in the end…… What the swan beastman desired was probably that kind of story.
Urged by the elf who wants to confirm her intentions, Maru opened her mouth again.
“I will marry Aiden……! As that beastman said, I am a small and weak hamster but, he told me that he accepts it. He always treated me kindly, and also helped me study. I’m in love with Aiden!”
Cheers suddenly arose in the whole square.
Aiden, who had escaped from the circle of elves, picked up Maru and kissed her.
“Maru, thank you. I love you, too.”
“Aiden……”
While being carried by Aiden who has become a bridegroom, they move to the place where he was previously.
After that, Riley and Salami also successfully tied the knot.
