Got Engaged to the Man They Call Ugly - Chapter 1
Perhaps this was her chance.
A perfect opportunity to escape while this man lay defenselessly asleep.
Yet, she was still human.
And as a human, her irresistible curiosity easily overpowered rational thought.
Even if she was going to escape, she absolutely had to see what was hiding beneath that damned bronze armor.
‘How ugly can he possibly be that they all call him hideous?’
Silently, she approached his side and called forth Arachne’s thread.
The silk from fluorescent spiders—said to lure prey at night with glowing threads—was bright enough to serve as candlelight.
Elinne unrolled the glowing thread and held it close to the place she assumed was his face.
And without even realizing it, a gasp slipped from her lips.
“…Oh.”
He wasn’t ugly at all.
In fact, he had a face that could easily be called handsome.
Clear, sharp features even in the darkness, long eyelashes, tightly pressed lips.
His hair was pitch-black, as if it would leave ash on her fingers if touched.
She knew of only one race with hair like this.
—Could it be?
She trembled, swallowing hard at the sudden thought that flashed through her mind.
“……”
Was it because she’d brought the light too close?
Varkan. His eyes had opened without her noticing.
“Uh… hi.”
Even at her silly greeting, he blinked slowly without replying. In the darkness, his eyes glowed crimson.
“So… Are you a Titan?”
“In part.”
Staring at her shocked expression, Varkan answered, his voice carrying a hint of resignation.
“Though Vishtar hates even that part of me.”
“So, you’re a half-blood.”
He silently nodded.
No wonder. Even armored in Thalos, she’d thought he was unusually large compared to other divine beings.
But recalling the frost giants she’d seen in Metis—towering at least two stories tall—she hadn’t even considered the possibility.
That he was actually a Titan.
“So you’re a Fire Giant, then?”
Elinne asked as she glanced at the bronze armor Thalos standing in the corner.
“I heard they’re also called Gods of Lava, and there’s a rumor that fire giants follow only Vishtar.”
He hesitated, looking slightly surprised that she knew so much.
“…Yes. Are you satisfied now that you’ve finally seen my true form?”
Varkan spoke gloomily, his lips barely moving.
“I was trying to let you go.”
His voice was dark, like wandering through an abyss.
“I asked Vishtar, trying to keep my promise, and secretly hoped you’d escape. But now…”
He inhaled deeply. Each word seemed painful, as if being stabbed by a blade.
“Now that you know who I really am, you cannot leave this palace.”
“Oh, that’s fine.”
Elinne swiftly interrupted, her voice bright and cheerful, completely contrasting his gloom.
“I just lost my desire to leave anyway.”
He stared at her in confusion.
“…What do you mean?”
“I mean this!”
Elinne, smiling broadly, quickly climbed onto his lap.
Startled, he instinctively tried to back away, but with his back already pressed against the wall, there was nowhere to go.
“Is this why you’ve been avoiding me? Refusing to eat together, hiding your face?”
If this face was considered ugly, she’d happily get engaged to him a hundred times over.
She gazed into his wandering eyes and smiled sweetly.
“I was scared for nothing, thinking you’d be some terrifying monster or something. If you’re just a Titan, that’s perfectly fine.”
“…In the Holy Empire, Titans are treated as something worse than monsters.”
She recalled the Frost Giants she’d seen in Metis.
The heroes there hadn’t looked at them merely as monsters. They were disgusted, as if they’d seen something repulsive that should never be seen. Apparently, that treatment was the same even in the beauty-obsessed nation of Venus.
“Is that why you’ve always hidden your entire body?”
Without realizing it, Elinne asked softly, sympathy coloring her voice.
“Not because you’re ugly as rumored, but because you couldn’t let anyone discover you’re a Titan?”
“Both, I suppose. The ugliness is also true.”
His blunt reply came as he reached out toward the armor standing in the corner. But Elinne quickly snatched his hand away.
“You’re not ugly at all.”
As she leaned even closer, his crimson eyes trembled helplessly.
“In fact, you’re lovely. Beautiful, even.”
Her radiant smile reflected brightly in his dimmed eyes.
“Anyway, this is great. Now we can finally do what engaged couples are supposed to do.”
At her suggestive tone, the corners of his mouth—unused to smiling—quivered slightly.
“…I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Really? You don’t?”
Elinne smiled teasingly.
This was her chance. Having confirmed he wasn’t ugly, there was nothing left to hold her back.
‘This time, I’ll definitely steal his divine power.’
Holding her hidden intentions close, she pressed her body even closer.
And suddenly she froze, startled. Something that brushed against her felt absurdly large and thick.
…That’s probably his arm, right?
But she soon realized his hands were helplessly hovering in mid-air.
For a moment, she was rendered speechless.
“…You……”
No way. Even if he’s a Titan…
“Are you regretting your decision now?”
Varkan stared at her shocked face with a grim expression.
“It’s already too late. Now that you’ve discovered my ugly identity, I cannot let you leave.”
Despite his calm tone, his tightly closed lips trembled slightly.
“You can resent me… It doesn’t matter.”
His sorrowful eyes wavered, looking fragile, as though desperately waiting to be embraced and comforted.
Gazing blankly up at his face, Elinne finally became certain.
…Clearly, the gods called any man with a big d**k ugly.
