The six dwarves grumbled, ready to drag Qiao Ci back to the Dark Forest.
They wouldn't allow their sister to be bullied here; she was too amazing and deserved much better!
In the grand hall, the noble gentlemen they had previously approved of now looked at Qiao Ci with disdain. This angered and shamed the dwarves, and they began to resent Ono.
He had promised to help their sister find a suitable gentleman, yet he allowed these far-from-gentlemanly nobles to mock her.
Ono, lost in his own thoughts, darkened his expression upon hearing the noble gentlemen's words.
Seeing Qiao Ci and the six dwarves about to leave, he instinctively stood up and called out, "Don't go!"
The six dwarves, seeing that he still wouldn't let them leave, wondered if he wanted their sister to endure more humiliation.
"Ono, we originally thought the noble gentlemen of your kingdom were gentle and considerate towards ladies. We never expected their words to be so harsh. We don't need your offer anymore, so please don't try to stop us!"
"Exactly! We'll go back to the Dark Forest and find another man for our sister ourselves; we don't need your introductions."
"Right! We don't want the big house or the gold and jewels either; we don't care about them!"
Seeing the dwarves address the king by name, a beautiful noble girl with aspirations for Ono couldn't help but sneer, "Doesn't your sister ever look in the mirror? She's so ugly, who would want to marry her? That's hilarious~"
The six dwarves wanted to step forward and beat the girl who insulted their sister, but although they weren't gentlemen, they wouldn't lay a hand on a woman.
They could only clench their fists in anger, nudging Qiao Ci to hurry them out of this unfriendly place!
"I, I'll marry her! Can I take back my previous words? I want to marry Ah Ci!"
At this moment, a clear voice resonated through the hall.
Everyone looked towards the source of the voice, and when they saw their new king's gaze fixed upon the frog-like girl, a wave of uproar ensued.
What was this… Their new king was so loyal and righteous, was he preparing to sacrifice himself to fulfill his promise?
The noble girl who had spoken earlier turned pale. How could the handsome king marry that ugly girl?
She stared intently at Qiao Ci, hoping she would refuse quickly, as she was unworthy of His Highness the King.
The six dwarves stopped urging Qiao Ci to leave and turned to look at Ono.
They had already thought highly of Ono. It was because Ono had disagreed that they reluctantly asked for his help with introductions. If it were him, that would be wonderful.
After all, their sister had helped him so much; at least he wouldn't dare to bully their sister.
However, they didn't know what Qiao Ci thought.
All eyes turned to Qiao Ci: some were watching the show, some hoped she would refuse, and some, like the six dwarves, hoped she would agree.
And Ono, too.
Ono's hands were tightly clenched, his palms slightly sweaty.
He knew he was nervous.
He also suddenly understood why he didn't want to introduce Qiao Ci to other men and why he felt enraged hearing them mock her.
Because, through their long time together, he had fallen deeply in love with this brave and kind girl.
Unconcerned with her height or appearance.
He loved her, and a terrifying possessiveness he hadn't even realized had developed towards her.
At this moment, Ono had walked to Qiao Ci's side, extended a hand in an inviting gesture, and gazed at her with deep eyes, trembling slightly, as if afraid of her refusal.
"Brave and kind Ah Ci. Jobs, Ono, King of the Kingdom of Osland, sincerely wishes to propose marriage to you. I am willing to treat you well for a lifetime and never betray you. Will you marry me?"
Everyone held their breath upon hearing this.
Qiao Ci looked at the handsome young man before her, placed her hand in his, and slowly smiled, "I will."
Ono's eyes shone with the brilliance of fireworks. He lowered his head, kissed the back of Qiao Ci's hand, and smiled, "Very well, my future Queen. I shall be eternally loyal to you."
He didn't know why he uttered such knightly vows, but just seeing her made him want to surrender to her.
He thought this must be destiny, and he embraced it willingly.
The six dwarves, hearing their sister's answer, joyfully surrounded the two, singing and dancing.
"Ah, sister is getting married, and to a handsome young man. Our sister is lovely and kind; young man, you must treat her well."
Ono, holding Qiao Ci's hand, walked onto the throne and declared霸气ly, "Ah Ci. Jobs will become my Queen. The wedding will be held soon."
At this, the onlookers no longer dared to stare. One by one, they stepped forward to advise him.
"My respected King, a Queen is the image of a nation. The young lady beside you is so plain; I fear she is not fit for the role of Queen. Please reconsider."
"Exactly, she is not a noble lady, nor even a commoner. She is not worthy of you."
"Yes, my great King, you don't need to sacrifice your happiness to fulfill a promise. She helped you, so just give her some gold and jewels."
"She is unworthy; she is ugly and short. Your Highness the King, your future wife should be a graceful and beautiful noble lady like myself."
Ono's face darkened. Now that Ah Ci had accepted his proposal, their relationship was legitimate.
In the Dark Forest, she had fought a hundred against one to protect him. Now that she had come to his territory, he would absolutely not let her suffer any grievances.
He squeezed Qiao Ci's small hand and, facing the displeased faces in the hall, his eyes turned cold. He directly declared, "From now on, if I hear any unfriendly words directed at her, it will be equivalent to insulting me, and I will have their heads!"
The six dwarves immediately cheered.
The others, looking at the handsome King's serious expression, pursed their lips but dared not voice any further objections.
Little Spoon was also bewildered by Sister's move.
"Host, Sister, do you really not mind your big frog mouth and short stature?"
Qiao Ci looked at the boy's handsome profile and asked Little Spoon, "Should he mind?"
To Little Spoon's ears, this sounded like 'How dare he mind?'. It was likely that if Sister minded the Host's appearance, the Host would beat him to death.
The wedding of the two was quickly arranged. Ono had promised Qiao Ci and the dwarves a beautiful big house, and they lived in this house before the wedding.
Since proposing to Qiao Ci, Ono's lips were often curved in a smile.
Everyone had expected him to be impulsive and to regret it after the initial excitement wore off.
Unexpectedly, their new King attached immense importance to this marriage, personally overseeing many details, which made many noble girls envious.
They also wished to marry the gentle, considerate, and handsome King.
Alas, the King had questionable taste and liked the ugly ones.
Therefore, the noble girls deliberately disguised themselves as ugly, applying makeup to look like frogs, toads, and clowns, just to gain the favor of the new King. However, he didn't even glance at them.