CH 24

“Of course, Marquis. What did I say? I said that my dream is to be a good wife, right? I am living that dream well.”

“……can’t you just stop that lame joke? I can’t believe you’re a good wife. If some really smart young ladies hear it, they will be shocked.”

No, this guy? Are you saying I’m not mature?

I thought so, but I don’t think it’s right to say no considering my recent conflict with Hisch. I’m angry.

The man was joking and laughing, but I glanced at his intermittently trembling legs and opened my mouth.

“Well, only my husband needs to know my wisdom.”

“Hoh, my gosh.”

“By the way, the night air is a little chilly, so why not go back?”

I said to him, with my arm outstretched.

“My legs hurt a little because I wandered all the way here looking for the Marquis. Would you please help me? You can do that for me, right?”

At my words, Callen’s eyes widened a little, and soon frowned and lowered his head as if holding back something.

I was trying to be considerate, but maybe I hurt his pride? However, contrary to my worries, the man opened his mouth after a while.

“……I really can’t beat you.”

He squeezed my arm. I gave him strength as if supporting his arm to make it easier for him to walk.

We walked in the garden silently for a while. Indeed, the mansion was quite large and well-managed, making it understandable that the prince interfered at the party.

A flower I saw for the first time caught my eye in the dark, and while I was pondering meaningless thoughts about what its name was, the man next to me suddenly opened his mouth.

“……Right, Liddell. How’s your marriage going?”

His question was a little unexpected.  I never thought he’d ask someone’s private life so directly.

I opened my mouth with a vulgar way of speaking.

“Of course, what bad things would even happen?”

“Why, after marriage, your spouse was different from what you thought…… Isn’t that common?”

Hearing his words, I suddenly thought of Hisch’s power, which is filling most of my head these days. I’m glad the person next to me isn’t Callen’s nephew.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“You have to be prepared for something like that and get married. How in the world can you only meet people who are right for you?”

“…Even so, wouldn’t it be much better if you’re together with someone who thinks ‘whatever may happen, I will get along with you’?”

Callen said so in a low voice. But if I think about it, I wondered if there was anyone who could fit me as much as Hisch.

My sweet and kind husband.

The day I left Ensis and contacted him that I had safely arrived in the capital.

‘I want to finish my work quickly and go back, so I think I’ll lose contact with you for a while.’

As I said so, Hisch, who was trying to hide his sullen face and nodded over the crystal ball, came to mind.

Eh? I feel like I’ve become an indifferent breadwinner who puts off the family because of work?

…… When I recall those pasts, it seemed to me that it was Hisch who would be concerned about the marriage, not me.

“That’s right, it would have been better if I was that kind of person.”

When I said it, Callen lowered his voice and asked.

“……if there’s any problem…….”

“No, not Hisch, but me. He’s sacrificing so much for me, but I am a bit selfish.”

I sighed heavily and glanced at Callen.

Since I was neither a light-mouthed noble nor a person who gossips, I decided to talk about my situation a little bit.

For example, the last time Miller visited the territory, I made a slip of the tongue.

Even though I knew it was true and it would be unpleasant to meet my ex-fiancé, I wasn’t even considerate of Hisch.

But as we talked, anger against Miller came rushing in, and I ended up releasing a bunch of complaints about him.

“Aren’t I already married woman who has made an oath in front of a priest? I don’t really know what I’m going to do now. Or what in the world is the psychology of behaving pathetically like that to a person who has an owner.”

“……”

“You never know if my husband and I have a bad relationship. Even if there’s a problem, we have to go through it together. No matter what you think, shouldn’t you be considerate of those who have built a family now? Really……”

“Ah, I see, Baron. I understand.”

Callen ran his hand that wasn’t holding me through his face. At that moment, I said this to cover up my embarrassment that I was talking too much.

“……But why does the Marquis look like you were pricked?”

“When did I?!  I was also cursing the damn Miller Firenze to my heart’s content in my mind, I never thought of anything else……”

I didn’t ask about that. Callen turned his head, muttering like that.

You’re overreacting. I smiled at the uncharacteristically silly response and looked straight ahead again.

“Right, come to think of it…… Aren’t you busy these days because of the recent incident? To investigate.”

As he is the head of the family that the current king trusts the most among the five families representing the country, he seemed to be in charge of the investigations and reports on various mysterious phenomena alone.

The man nodded immediately, as if my guess wasn’t wrong.

“Even if it wasn’t for the cathedral incident in the first place, the prince was very anxious to not let the damage increase beyond that. In the midst of that, a big incident like this happened…….”

“Perhaps His Majesty……”

“……don’t you think so? His Majesty is lying in bed…… He must think that he should take charge even if he is alone.”

It was a tearful filial piety, but when I thought that he was only a 16-year-old boy who is carrying such a heavy duty, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

However, seeing that no one around him may feel sorry for him, in the end, it is taken for granted that the prince should be in charge of all these things, which I think is a sad aspect of the social class system.

“So we have to be strong.”

Callen, who muttered that as if he was making a promise, glanced at me.

“Protecting the Kingdom’s people is the duty of those who stand on top of them.”

Why are you looking at me? Do you want me to say something? I nodded my head.

“Well, that’s right.”

“Because those people…… include you and your family, too?”

The man soon smiled mischievously, as if he had never told such a serious topic.

“I should do my best to protect the peace of your family, right?” (Callen)

“Oh my, thank you.”

When I said that with a big smile, Callen laughed out loud. But the laughter soon died down, and the man bowed his head again and became silent.

While we were having that conversation, we came back to the party hall again. Callen released the hand that held my arm first. The man said with a big smile, as if it was time to leave.

“Then, princess. It was nice to meet you today after a long time.”

“Me, too, Marquis.”

Callen, who I thought would go back quickly after saying that, still looked at me with a smile. There was no sign of him wanting to say anything, nor was there any hesitation.

Is it because he was glad to see me after a long time. I opened my mouth at his eyes looking at me as if he were observing me.

“……I know you can’t help it because of the situation, but don’t overdo it.”

Callen, who looked at me with a smile on his lips at my words and sunken eyes, laughed out loud, and tapped me on my shoulder.

“Yes, thank you.”

The man who happily accepted the encouragement of his resigned subordinate nodded his head as if he were saying goodbye again and turned his back.

The tremor in his legs, which seemed like a seizure, seemed to have subsided before I knew it.

The homework-like party passed, and I was sitting on the bed of my room in the Duke’s house.

I was waiting for a while before using my ability to find the source of the mysterious phenomenon, which was my original purpose of coming to the capital.

It felt strange no matter how many times I tried to use my abilities to the limit.

How do I say this…… It feels like a sacrifice before being offered to the altar.

Still, I had time, so I was checking the letters the butler brought, but when I saw that the letter I had been waiting for arrived earlier than expected, I decided to open it first.

The sender is Charlotte Avenue. It was a letter from a scarlet-haired lady who likes gossip. Inside the thick envelope were the materials I had requested of her.

I decided to open the letter first.

[Dear Baron Ensis.

Since you and I have a relationship, I’ll skip on the unnecessary greetings.

Of course, it’s not because I thought we had a great relationship. But we know that we both don’t like empty formalities.]

Oh…… It’s an unhesitating development that is to my preference from the start.

[Enclosed is a copy of the journal of Evertail Piaget you were looking for.

To be honest, it was the first time I learned that the Baron was interested in literature.

The one who even wrote a story that elicited a person’s primal fears? It was surprising to know that you are very well versed in literature.]

Hey, do you read horror novels?  Do you read horror novels? ……was written in a rather noble tone.