Deirdre
The only daughter of the bard Fedlimid, a girl born with a prophecy of tragedy.
Due to the ominous prophecy left by Cathbad, she was forced to live her entire life secluded deep in the mountains. Giving the nominal reason that she was to become his wife, Fergus protected his close friend's daughter, Deirdre, from those who believed in the ill-fated prophecy.
However, Fedlimid and his wife were actually delighted, saying that nothing could be better than for Deirdre to marry an excellent king and devoted husband like Fergus. Though they were a couple without greed for power, there was no better man in Ulster than Fergus. The doting parents always spoke of Fergus, advising Deirdre that she must absolutely become his wife...
But to the young Deirdre, it felt less like advice and more like coercion. To marry an older man she had never even seen before in her life. Although her parents praised his appearance as well, Deirdre, having never seen him herself, was convinced it was a lie and feared the marriage.
As a girl in adolescence, she naturally set her eyes on a young man named Naoise who lived on the same mountain. He was from a clan of the same lineage as Conchobar, a country youth with crow-black hair, pale skin, and cheeks flushed red like blood—features that she came to admire.
Naoise, the son of the retired Ulster warrior Uisneach, granted Deirdre's wish. Along with his brothers, Ardan and Ainnle, he took Deirdre and escaped the mountain. However... for those who had only lived in the mountains, the outside world was practically a demon realm. Though they were sons of an Ulster warrior, they were naive children who knew nothing of the world and had never experienced real combat.
Fergus, knowing this better than anyone, immediately sent veteran warriors... One became a eunuch at the hands of a Connacht warrior, one cheated with a goddess, and only one did his job properly but ultimately lost Deirdre.
Fergus, who personally beat up his nephew for enjoying adultery instead of working, moved out with his wives...
His wives decided to capture Deirdre personally. From the moment she ran away saying she hated Fergus calling him an "old man," she had offended them. Treating Fergus, who was visibly a beautiful young boy (bishounen), as an old man touched a reverse scale.
Rumble, rumble, rumble...!
"So, who exactly is the ugly old man~?"
Medb chased Deirdre down in her chariot, Scáthach threw her spears into the ground to block the path, and Aoife's runes raised a massive wall. Deirdre and her party were captured all too easily.
"First time seeing a fool who kicks away such luck."
"I guess she has a taste for weak men like that."
Scáthach and Aoife looked pathetically at Deirdre, who had chosen Naoise, as they apprehended her. While Naoise was indeed a handsome young man, objectively, he couldn't compare to Fergus. In strength, power, intelligence, appearance, voice, and every other aspect, they were leagues apart.
They couldn't understand Deirdre, who rejected the most handsome man in Celtic history, practically handed to her on a silver platter, and ran away. In fact, if the people of Ulster knew she ran away, they would have been dumbfounded as to why. Fergus was a benevolent king who detested evil men and worked for his people, even giving fitting jobs to the incompetent. A King of Erin without a single flaw.
Even amidst this, Deirdre was anxious. It was because she had the prejudice that since he was a king, he must be an ugly old man...
"You must be Deirdre. It is the first time we meet in person. You ran away because you didn't want to marry me... I understand. It is natural to not want to marry someone whose face you don't even know. But, the marriage was only a justification. It was to protect you from the ruffians who targeted you because of your ominous prophecy. From now on, don't worry about such agreements and live comfortably in Ulster. I will provide enough support so you lack nothing in life. If you wish, I can also accept you into the royal palace."
And upon meeting Fergus in person, Deirdre regretted it bitterly.
He was truly an incredibly beautiful boy who defied the passage of time. A smiling bishounen who made the handsome youth Naoise look like a squid in comparison.
On the way to Ulster, Deirdre cursed her past self. As her parents had said, he was incredibly handsome. Furthermore, her affection for Naoise had waned.
Naoise had come out into the world for the first time with Deirdre, but the problem was that he showed a dopey, infatuated side whenever he met other women... which was a huge turn-off. Naoise, who had been a good-natured and upright youth, turned out to be a typical Ulster man after all...
Deirdre realized that her choice had been wrong, drastically wrong; her eyes had been clouded, and her thinking had been short-sighted. If she had chosen Fergus, whom her parents worshipped so passionately, she would have truly become the most blessed woman in Erin...
Deirdre couldn't lift her head at Medb's cutting remark. If she had just stayed put, she could have been a Queen of Erin, married to the finest warrior and the man who didn't bow even to gods, the ultimate bishounen...!
While being transported to Ulster, Deirdre face-palmed as she watched Naoise and his brothers staring blankly at Fergus's wives, the greatest beauties of Ulster. To think she ran away for love with a guy like this... She swore to listen to her parents next time and wanted to kill her past self.
"That's an old man with several kids...? That makes no sense."
An youthful appearance that looked much younger than Cú Chulainn and Conall, Fergus's nephews who came to get her. It was unbelievable. And on top of that...
"Why do you keep following us?"
"...Twisting fate seems amusing now. Am I not allowed to come?"
"Please go away before I kill you and take the title of God-slayer."
"Why are you so eager to kill me?"
"The fact that you don't know makes me want to smack you."
Even bickering with Morrigan, one of the supreme gods. It truly felt like they lived in different worlds. She finally understood why her father praised him so much.
Seeing him destroy Phantasmal Beasts that appeared on the way with a single blow—he was truly the brave Master of Ulster.
Upon arriving in Ulster, Deirdre first went to apologize to Celtchar, who had become impotent because of her.
"What, what are you saying... It cannot be cured...!"
"Too much time has passed since the tissue died. Please understand clearly. You can no longer have children."
"A eunuch... Me, I'm a eunuch!!!"
Even with Primal Runes, the damage was too old to heal. Celtchar was castrated without ever seeing his own child.
Deirdre sincerely apologized to Celtchar, but his seed would not return.
"A tragedy is a tragedy. Though not quite to the level of the Tragedy of Ulster..."
Fergus lamented that the prophecy of tragedy had come true in a way.
Afterward, Deirdre wished to belong to the royal druids herself. Fergus accepted, and Deirdre was allowed to work as a druid in the royal palace.
"You're back?"
"Yes, Ness. Where is Buinne?"
"He is still sleeping."
Fergus met with Ness and went to see Buinne, Medb's second child.
Ness, another queen, was also a beautiful woman, and Deirdre watched from afar. Regretting her past days, she resolved to seize the opportunity next time and decided to work hard slowly within the royal palace.
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The author uploaded 3 pictures in this chapter... but... I couldn't bring myself to show them to you. Understand, you yourselves will want to hit the author and say he's an idiot.
