A Handsome Kinky Gangster Reporter

It was a joking lament that Haley expressed offhandedly. Claude was too angry and sensitive at the topic.

‘This is so funny. Why does he look so angry about this?’

“Why are you angry? I’m just …. I was just wondering if I could replace Gloria in this marriage. After all, I’m at the proper age to get married.”

Despite being only twenty years old, people in Morris Empire seemed to be getting married at the early age. Haley had a strange hope that she might meet the man destined for her in this world.

Claude was angry again.

“No! You should be aware of your beauty! According to your standards, everyone around here is beyond your level!”

Was it because Claude’s voice was too loud? The guests probably heard him because they around them giggled and burst into laughter.

‘Yes, thank you very much, Claude. You express other people’s preferences in such a loud voice.’

Haley covered her face with both hands in embarrassment. The laughter around her sounded even louder.

“At least I can make you happy.”

Claude muttered softly, but Haley, who was embarrassed, couldn’t hear him properly.

*  *  *

It was the summer of 1024 during the reign of Morris.

It was a sunny day without any presence of clouds. Everything was perfect and peaceful, as if heaven was blessing this wrongful marriage.

The bells rang three times in the temple’s wedding hall, which was decorated with white marble gleaming with gold dust. The bells signaled the start of a sacred wedding.

The majestic organ playing signaled the start of the wedding. Baron Stephen proudly entered the ceremony and waited for his bride. Gloria entered with the escorts which was hired by the baron himself and walked in with a bouquet of yellow flowers that she despised. Luckily, there was a veil covering her face. She walked on the bride’s path, which was covered with a white cloth and a calm expression on her face. Realizing that the bride’s dress had changed, Baron Stephen frowned for a moment, but on this good day he couldn’t show the guests his displeased expression, so he controlled his expression again.

A long and boring congratulatory speech from the priest went on. The guests looked so done with it that they started to show bored expressions following the wedding rites.

Baron Stephen took Gloria’s hand and put on the wedding rings. At the end of the ring exchange ceremony, the priest solemnly asked the groom.

“Does the groom, Douglas Stephen, accept the bride, Gloria, as his wife and vow to always love and honor each other in all ways?”

“Yes. I swear to do so.”

Baron Stephen said the wedding vows in a low voice. Lifting his chin and looking at his guests as if telling them to look at him. It was as if he was showing off, ‘I have the ability to have such a young and beautiful bride by my side.’

The pastor then asked Gloria.

“Will the bride, Gloria, accept the groom, Douglas Stephen, as her husband and vow to be faithful to him for the rest of her life?”

Why impose love vows only on the bride? Gloria nearly choked up and bit her lip to refrain from doing so.

“…Yes.”

The guests murmured at the bride’s weak voice. Some people even mocked her.

“Hear the bride’s weak voice? Of course she doesn’t like him because she was sold for money.”

“Tsk. That baron is ridiculous too.”

“Why? If it were me, I would have married a rich old man and would have died immediately, at least ten times.”

Baron Stephen’s hand that were holding the bride’s, was tightened upon the guests’ unfriendly stares and thoughtless words and actions from them. Gloria frowned in pain because of the excessive force on her hand, and the baron didn’t even approve it.

The decrepit priest, with a head held high in the air, continued the rites.

“Now, I wish the bride and groom to share a kiss in front of the guests.”

Gloria gasped because the priest were so blunt in his words. 

‘Lord, I have prepared myself for the past month, but when it’s really about to happen, everything feels horrible before me.’

When she was in a daze, Baron Stephen lifted the bride’s veil. His moist and slippery lips touched Gloria’s like a fondle. Such feeling was so horrible to her. It was as if an earthworm was walking on her nape.

“…Therefore, I declare that they are legally husband and wife now.”

They finally reached the end of the rites and the guests applauded enthusiastically, they probably felt happy that this boring wedding was finally about to end.

It was Gloria’s first kiss. Gloria had always imagined that it would be exciting and thrilling back then. Gloria walked platonically among the guests with the baron by her side, and she couldn’t even express her sorrow at this moment.

Then, the shadow of Claude sitting on the guest chair caught her attention.

Gloria finally saw his face clearly with her eyes. The masculine face and that sharp nose. The blue eyes that made her heart flutter. Now, Gloria knew there was no chance of ever being with him. If that feeling of unrequited love still lingered in her mind, she had to kill it and throw it into the grave.

Gloria looked at Claude with eyes dripping with the remnants of her lingering feelings, and Baron Stephen enjoyed the gazes of the countless male guests who looked at him in utter jealousy. Even at this wedding, he had no interest in his bride. Gloria was the last person he thought in this wedding. The bride was just a decoration that made him shine.

His lack of attention continued even during the long reception. Didn’t the Baron feel sorry for the bride who remained still and stiff in her place for such a long time? The baron mingled with his business associates and spoke from time to time while boasting about Gloria.

“Oh, if you’re jealous, you should marry a beautiful bride too!”

“Huft, if we had abilities like you, we would already have done the same thing.”

“I envy you. For real.”

The stare was embarrassing. The baron’s men shot Gloria dangerous glances, but none of them were by her side at the reception. Gloria unconsciously let out a sigh.

“Where is Haley?”

If her only friend was with her now. That would have been a great comfort to her.

Gloria was becoming more lonely by each second. The new bride didn’t know that the baron had kicked Haley out after hearing the story about the wedding dress being changed without his approval.

However, the place where Gloria struggled the most during that day was not the banquet hall.

That night, when it was already dark, the newlyweds’ problem arouse when all the guests left the banquet hall, and Baron Stephen and Gloria also returned to their mansion.

The servants in the mansion forced Gloria to wash up. From head to toe, she was dripping with perfume and wearing the sleepwear which had been prepared for her. The sleepwear made by the P&P boutique, which was specifically ordered by Baron Stephen.

“What? How can I wear this? Hey, can you give me another pair of sleepwear?”

Leaving a tear-dripping Gloria behind, the servants quickly exited the bride’s room. Gloria tightly held onto the thin, see-through dress she was wearing. Although she was wearing sleepwear, she could feel all her major parts were seen clearly. It felt embarrassing to cover them just with her hands. The Baron’s taste is fixated on the old style. His preference for women’s sleepwear must be just as good as the lingerie which was popular among the youngsters these days.

Gloria felt chilly because the clothes she was wearing were too thin. Gloria tried to soothe the goosebumps with her hand.

Then, the door to the new room creaked open.

Sure enough, it was the groom, Douglas Stephen, who came through the opened door. He slowly brought his gaze down Gloria’s neckline. Then, he smiled in satisfaction. The bride’s pale skin was clearly visible by the fluttering lantern and the clear moonlight coming through the window.

“Did you wait for a long time?”

“…Oh, no. I didn’t.”

Just when Baron Stephen walked toward Gloria, she also took one step back each second. Then, the baron licked his lips. He looked like a snake chasing its prey. Gloria shivered like a fearful mouse.

The baron extended his hand and grabbed Gloria before pushing her onto the bed. Gloria felt dizy as if she had fallen and hit her head somewhere. Stars seemed to be visible in her eyes on the ceiling of the canopy bed. The Baron frowned in dissatisfaction when he looked at the frightened bride.

“Tsk. That’s because you’re not acting cute. If you want to look like Julie, you have to be a little flexible and adapt to this.”

The Baron peered at Gloria’s unresponsive lower body. He frowned and blamed Gloria for not being able to seduce men well. Then, Baron took out the blue medicine bottle that Rudrick had given him as a gift.

Pop.

There was a weird noise when Baron opened the small bottle in his hand. The baron took one of the medicine inside and swallowed it. After that, he waited for a moment, but there was no reaction from the medicine. Surprisingly, he swallowed about three-quarters of the medicine bottle. In his memory, there was advice from Rudrick that one pill should be enough.

“Ukhh. I can’t endure this.”

The baron’s body began to heat up increasingly, probably the effect of the medicine. He approached the bed and looked at Gloria as if he was appreciating a work of art.

“This suits you. It’s worth to buy this piece.”

No one knew whether the baron’s words referred to her lingerie or to Gloria. The baron approached the bride, who was sweating profusely. Gloria tried to avoid him while lying down on the bed, but it was useless. The bed was wide but too narrow to move around, and Baron Stephen’s wrinkled body made it impossible for her to move.

“Come on, stay still!”

The baron tried to take off his pants in a haste. Then, he knelt down and straightened up. There was a sound of zipper and tearing clothes. The baron’s body turned quite red. He was sweating profusely. The strange odor of the baron’s body became very strong after a while.

Feeling terrified, Gloria crept to the side and took the pillow. However, the baron’s condition began to get weird. His seemingly red face soon faded. He clutched his chest and fell down.

“Ughh! Oh, God.”

A short and deathly scream left the baron’s mouth. He fell on the bed with whitened eyes and trembled for a while. His mouth began to let out foam. Gloria opened her eyes wide in shock at the sight. Gloria felt beyond bewildered that she was unable to take immediate action.

Gloria was startled by the hand that touched her mouth, and belatedly realized that something huge has happened. She shook her husband’s body that fell on the mattress.

“Are you okay, Baron? Baron!”

Baron did not respond. His body was cold.

Gloria quickly opened the door to the new room and shouted towards the long and dark hallway.

“Someone! The Baron has collapsed!”

Gloria’s voice reveberated along the empty hallway. She didn’t even feel embarrassed by the how revealing her dress was at the moment. Gloria rushed barefoot towards the hallway and ran to the inn where the servants were sleeping. She could see the shadow of people passing by because of the lights in the distance.

“Oh! My Lady! Why are you here around this time…”

The maid’s eyes widened when she discovered Gloria. The hostess was running around the mansion in such revealing sleepwear. Although she was a commoner, she didn’t have any shame towards herself.

‘Did she run away after refusing to spend the first night with the master?’

The maid grabbed Gloria’s body hastily. If it spread to the public that the hostess ran away on her first night after marriage, the people who worked for the Baron would also be embarrassed and unable to keep their heads high for a while.

However, Gloria said something strange.

“Hey, hey, it’s important. He’s…, oh my god.”

“My Lady, you should back to the newlyweds’ room right now! Regardless of how much you don’t like being together with the Baron. What do we have to say if you run away now?”

The maid grabbed Gloria, who was crying, and tried to drag her back to the newlyweds’ room.

“The Baron… The Baron has collapsed. Please help.”