The Unlucky Bride Is Loved by the Fortunate Desert King - Chapter 31 – Reunion under the Moon

“Ah! That guy just sped up!” Asaad shouted impatiently.

The wagon, now the size of a tiny speck in the distance, kicked up white sand like clouds of smoke as it tried to flee from them.

Asaad and Ishaq had questioned several people and finally learned where the Turkish lamp merchant was headed. But by the time they did, Yuzu and the others had already gone quite far ahead.

Now, Asaad and Ishaq were chasing the covered wagon they had just managed to track down.

“They must have noticed that we’re following them. There might be a lookout. Please, be careful, Lord Al,” Ishaq warned.

“Tch,” Asaad clicked his tongue.

“Who dares take Yuzu away from me? I’ll have them executed.” Of course, Asaad didn’t mean that literally.

Still, the fierce look on his face and the tension in his expression made him resemble a lion ready to roar.

“Lord Al, please calm down. I was told the coachman is a gentle old man. We’ve had guards discreetly watching over Lady Yuzu for her safety, but the merchant himself is known to be a kind and mild-mannered person. I doubt he knows anything about her circumstances.”

“Hmph.” Asaad let out a short, refined snort.

“I know. I just want to see what kind of man dares take Yuzu away without my permission. Either way, we’ll have to stop that runaway lamp peddler. Ishaq! I’m going ahead!”

“Ah, Lord Al! — Please, be careful!”
“I know!”

When it came to horseback riding, Asaad — a soldier — and Ishaq — a civil official — weren’t even on the same level. And right now, Asaad was riding Tama, the great lion. Their speed was beyond comparison.

Strangely enough, lions are naturally slower than horses. But through long years of training with Asaad, Tama had become unmatched — the fastest creature in the kingdom capable of carrying a rider.

“Honestly… try thinking about how hard it is for the one chasing after you,” Ishaq sighed, watching Asaad disappear ahead without a moment’s hesitation.
Then, he too followed after him.

Through the swirling sand, a lone rider was rapidly approaching. “Master Lantern! They’re catching up!”

The master had no choice but to whip the camel, but the poor beast was already exhausted and couldn’t go any faster.

Soon, the rider leapt out in front of our wagon. Riding alongside us, he reached out — and with just one hand gripping the edge of the cart, he began to slow it down.

(What incredible strength…!)

“Old man!! Give Yuzu back!! And stop the wagon, now!”

(That voice…!)

Under the moonlight, the rider’s face was hidden beneath the hood of a poncho. But then — the hood slipped back, fluttering in the wind.

“Al…!?”

The face revealed was one I knew all too well — so much that I thought I was seeing an illusion.

Al looked at my stunned face and broke into a smile.

“Just as I promised — I’ve come to take you away, Yuzu!”

He really came. Even in the middle of the busy festival, even though he must have been exhausted…

He came all this way — to find me, who had run off on my own.

Al came to bring me back. My eyes began to blur with tears.

But before that, there was something more important to do.

“Master Lantern! Please, stop the wagon! Lord Al came for me!” I had already told Master Lantern before that Al had helped me in the past.

The camel slowed as the reins were pulled.

Al, his anger returning, walked straight toward Master Lantern. “So you’re the one who dared kidnap Yuzu, huh? You’ve got some nerve, old man.”

“Lord Al, Master Lantern was kind to me! He only listened to my request — he didn’t do anything wrong!” Master Lantern hadn’t just granted my unreasonable wish; he even let me work as a vendor during the festival.

“But Yuzu—” Al looked at me, confused.

Then, amid the chaos, a calm yet dignified voice spoke — one that carried unexpected weight.

“My, my. To think the first thing I’d hear after so long would be someone calling me an old man. You’ve gotten quite the sharp tongue, haven’t you… Asy?”