Trash Prince and Ice Queen 10th Re - Life-Chapter 129: Princess of Dwarven Kingdom

As they walked into the city, Ard, Eva, and the others kept looking around at their surroundings. Every time they passed by, many members of the dwarven community watched them and stepped aside to clear the way. No one dared to challenge them because Hardim, a fellow dwarf, was walking with them; however, the eyes of the dwarves watching Ard, Eva, and the rest were filled with questions, as if asking, "who are these humans, and why are they here? What do they want, and why is that dwarf with them?"

Meanwhile, Beatrice, Adeline, and Patricia were staring at the dwarven women walking along the roadside. They wore dresses just like ordinary women, but they appeared very stout and thick, with messy hair that looked like it had never been combed—and most importantly, beards and mustaches were visible on their faces. The three of them struggled to hold back their laughter, covering their mouths with their hands until their bodies shook, because they simply couldn’t ignore what they were seeing. They didn’t dare do or say anything, however, as Rosalind, Mirea, and Claudia were watching them from behind to make sure they didn’t pull any stunts.

Aside from that, the attention of the dwarven men they passed—or those watching from buildings across the street—was fixed on Geoffrey. He was a massive man, wearing only sleeveless leather armor that left his thick, muscular arms clearly visible, topped off by the strange greatsword on his back. They looked like they were itching to "test" Geoffrey’s strength, occasionally comparing his build to their own stout, powerful, albeit short, frames. Meanwhile, the women they passed also glanced at Geoffrey because he currently had a thin beard and mustache; in their eyes, he looked like a uniquely handsome giant dwarf, the only one of his kind in Grimgrath. Naturally, Geoffrey felt their intense stares. He leaned toward Ainsley next to him.

"Hey bro, why is everyone looking at me like I’m some kind of rare animal? This is really uncomfortable," Geoffrey whispered.

"Hmm... just ignore it, don’t react. I think they’re just curious," Ainsley whispered back, adjusting her glasses and trying to ignore her surroundings.

Suddenly, "thud," someone bumped into Geoffrey. He turned around and was shocked to see a dwarven girl or woman who had a thin beard and mustache on her face. She wasn’t overly fat and looked fairly normal like most women, but her body was incredibly toned, with muscles clearly visible beneath her dress. She stared at Geoffrey with sparkling eyes.

"Hello... are you... a human?" the girl asked.

"Um... yeah," Geoffrey answered, immediately stopping in his tracks.

Seeing Geoffrey stop, everyone else stopped too, including Ard, Eva, and Hardim at the very front. When Hardim saw the girl’s face, his expression shifted to pure shock, and he rushed over to her.

"Princess Thorena? Why are you here?" Hardim asked.

"Pri... Princess?" Geoffrey asked in surprise while looking at the girl in front of him.

"Hello, Hardim. It seems you’ve brought guests here," Thorena said.

"She’s a princess?" Ard asked Hardim.

"Yes, she is the third daughter of King Murmic II... Princess Thorena Goldshield," Hardim answered.

"Oh... nice to meet you, Princess," Ard greeted.

"Hmph... move aside, kid. I want to talk to this manly man in front of me," Thorena said, pointing at Geoffrey’s chest. Geoffrey felt increasingly awkward and uncomfortable, especially as her index finger pressed right against his chest.

Naturally, hearing Ard being called a "kid" by Thorena, Eva and the other girls immediately turned away, trying to hold back their laughter so as not to offend the princess. Ard’s face turned bright red from embarrassment, while Geoffrey also turned red, both from embarrassment and from being completely confused about what to do.

"What is your name?" Thorena asked Geoffrey.

"Um... Geoffrey... nice to meet you?" Geoffrey answered hesitantly.

Then Thorena walked in circles around Geoffrey. She lifted his arm, inspected the greatsword on his back, and finally stood back in front of him to stare at his face. If the thin beard and mustache on Thorena’s face were removed, she wouldn’t look any different from an ordinary human, just shorter and more muscular than a normal one. "Gulp," Geoffrey swallowed hard, his face clearly wondering, "what does this princess want with me."

"I like humans. I’ve read about them often and you... a human with the body of a dwarf and handsome... make me your wife," Thorena said.

Geoffrey’s head immediately felt like it had been struck by lightning. His mind went blank, as if his soul had left his body. Meanwhile, the atmosphere fell dead silent; the only things audible were the sounds of activity around them and the hum of steam engines in the distance.

Hardim’s mouth hung wide open, his jaw seemingly hitting the floor, and his eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. Geoffrey turned to look at his friends, especially Ard and Eva, his face pleading, "help me. What am I supposed to do."

Finally, Hardim stepped forward and stood between Geoffrey and Thorena. He looked at Thorena and spoke.

"Princess, before you continue with what you just said, I should introduce them to you properly. Come, join us at the tavern owned by my younger brother, Grumir," Hardim said.

"Hmm... very well. Lead the way, Hardim," Thorena replied. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Hardim felt a wave of relief, but their original goal of heading to the palace had to be detoured toward a fairly large tavern. It sat beneath a stalactite, lit by flickering yellow neon-like lights that seemed to be struggling just to stay on. When they stepped inside, they saw dozens of dwarves dressed like craftsmen and miners, drinking and shouting in booming voices. The atmosphere was festive, and the smell of mixed alcohol created a distinct tavern aroma that felt like it hadn’t faded in years.

Several waitresses, wearing aprons that looked like they were meant for welding along with heavy gloves, bustled back and forth carrying massive beer mugs, pitchers, and trays of meat-heavy dishes. Naturally, Ard, Eva, and the others felt incredibly uncomfortable being there. Suddenly, a dwarf with black hair and a braided beard approached Hardim.

"Hardim? Brother, what brings you here?" he asked.

"Grumir, please get us a private room so we can talk. I am with Princess Thorena," Hardim answered, signaling to Grumir by glancing toward Thorena.

Grumir glanced over and was shocked to see Thorena inside his tavern. Then he noticed the crowd of humans with Hardim. He immediately pulled Hardim aside, dragging him a little distance away.

"What on earth is this, brother? You come into my tavern bringing humans and Princess Thorena? Are you serious? You know what the customers in my place are like—what if something happens?" Grumir whispered.

"It’s a long story. Two of those humans—the one with black hair and the one with silver hair, both with blue eyes—they are Ashton and Esmeralda. The heroes who destroyed the Demon God on the surface," Hardim said.

Naturally, Grumir immediately turned to look at Ard and Eva, staring at them so intently that it made Ard and Eva look back at him. Grumir quickly turned back to Hardim and grabbed him by both shoulders.

"Is that true? But why do they still look like children?" Grumir asked, observing Ard and Eva.

"Hey, don’t apply dwarven standards to humans; they are plenty mature. Please, provide a place for us. I need to explain everything to Princess Thorena," Hardim answered.

"Fine, follow me. We can use my office," Grumir said.

Grumir immediately led Hardim toward the back. Hardim signaled Ard to follow him. Thorena, Ard, Eva, Geoffrey, and the others promptly followed Grumir and Hardim. Naturally, because the dwarves inside the tavern had never seen humans before, almost all of them turned to stare with drunken, bloodshot eyes.

The atmosphere in the tavern suddenly went silent; even the waitresses stopped working, though their hands were still full. Grumir quickly ushered them all inside and shut the door behind them, yet outside, the silence remained unbroken.

Once inside, without a second thought, they sat at a long dining table with twenty miniature yet sturdy dwarven chairs. Grumir ordered several servers to bring their signature drinks and food. Then, he sat behind his desk.

"You can speak safely here," Grumir told Hardim.

"Thank you, Grumir," Hardim replied.

Ard and Eva sat flanking Hardim in the middle, while Thorena sat next to Geoffrey across from them. Geoffrey looked stiff, staring down at the table as if it were the only interesting object in the world. When the drinks arrived and the food was served, Hardim immediately told everything to Thorena, who listened with enthusiasm.

Naturally, Ard and Eva also explained their purpose for coming to the Kingdom of Grimgrath. Thorena listened while crossing her arms over her chest and nodding along, but once the story was finished, she suddenly linked her arm through Geoffrey’s, making him flinched and jerk his head toward her in shock.

"I understand. After this, I will take you all to the palace to meet my papa. But as for him, I still want him to be my husband. Because like I said, I like humans and I want to marry a human... especially a human with a body like a dwarf, like him... so let me be the bridge for the dwarven folk to connect with humankind. I’ll tell papa later," Thorena said cheerfully.

The atmosphere fell silent once again. Geoffrey’s face turned deathly pale, leaving him speechless. The same went for Hardim, Ard, and Eva because even though they had explained everything, the princess’s decision remained exactly the same as before. Grumir, who had been eavesdropping on the whole conversation, also looked so shocked that his face became like a stiff, unmoving statue.