Chapter 29 - Volume 2 (1/2)

He’s deep in sleep. I don’t put shoes on, to hide my footsteps and not wake him. I pick up my gown that was lying on a nearby chair, put it on over my night-clothes, and go to the balcony. A chilly sensation travels from my bare feet all over my body, but I just don’t feel like going back in the room again.

「……The moon looks so beautiful.」

The moon lightly floats in the night sky, which looks like it has spread out the highest quality of velvet. The 『past』 world’s moon was ivory-white, but this world’s moon is a whitish-blue, and bigger. With my hands on the balcony railing, I do nothing but gaze at that moon. I often looked at the moon like this from the balcony of my room in my parents’ house too.

In the first place, this estate was the birth home of the late wife of this man’s foster father, Uncle Lancent. Or, rather, not uncle – my father-in-law. The late wife’s parents had died early, so after she died, it was just left in a corner of the capital. My father-in-law Lancent very generously gave it to us in good condition, saying it was a wedding present. He had smiled and said, 「She’d be happier too if you lived here instead of me just owning it and leaving it alone like this.」

The moonlight brightly shines on our estate grounds, really making the silence of the night stand out.

The nights of the world I live in now are far too quiet. Sometimes, I miss the noise and clamour of the nights of the 『past』 world. Though in those days I would complain, 「Let me sleep, I gotta go to work again tomorrow!」

In this world where silence spread out, that screaming voice stuck in my ear in my dream. It feels like I can hear it again, but I don’t feel like going back to bed. Just why is that so, really? I’m worried. I really am worried. Why do I feel like this, even though they say a lack of sleep is beauty’s greatest enemy?

It was then, as I watched the moon like that, when suddenly a pair of arms enveloped my body from behind.

……I would like you to please praise me for not screaming.

Since the warmth I felt through my gown was familiar, I narrowly manage to settle down after just stiffening for a second. I can’t move since he’s holding me, so I move my neck, timidly looking over my shoulder. As I expected, close to me is that beautiful androgynous face that would charm even a night fairy.

「E-Edi? Did I wake you? Please don’t frighten me like that.」

My husband, who had woken up and crept behind me without me noticing, now tightly hugging me from behind, furrows his brows at my words.

「You’re the one that frightened me first.」

He whispers those words by my ear, his voice somewhat lower than usual. That tells me he’s in more of a bad mood than usual. But I don’t remember doing anything to displease him.

「Did I do something to you?」

All I did was caress his head and cheek. Since I restrained myself from pinching his nose, I don’t recall doing anything else that would anger him. As if responding to my question, he slowly tightens his arms around me. Hey, wait, if he holds me any harder I really might not be able to breathe.

But it’s no use. I think it’s completely unfair. He’s just showing me that expression full of displease and a hint of worry, but I can’t just shake his arms off like that.

「——Edi, would you please let go of me?」

「……What if I say no?」

「Oh, that’s worrying. I can’t hug you like this, can I?」

I tilt my head and look up at him to see his sunrise-colored eyes blink in surprise. I suppress a laugh at that expression, I don’t get to see that usually. His arms loosen in surprise, and I manage to turn around, pressing my cheek to his chest and wrapping my arms around him, clad in his night-clothes. It seems like that action relieved him from the chill his body was engulfed in.

The crying voice stuck to my ear is replaced by the sound of this man’s heartbeat. It’s the sound of being alive. I instinctively close my eyes at how comfortable it feels.

「Kya?!」

As I close my eyes, I’m suddenly up in mid-air. For a second I have no idea what happened, but my mind slowly catches up with the situation.

He’s carrying me, in the so-called bridal style. I look up at him as if asking why. His beautiful face, standing out against the blue moonlight, is as indifferent as usual.

No doubt all women have that problem of wondering ‘I’m not heavy, am I?’ I did think, ‘he does have awfully wonderful muscles, even though he’s skinny.’ But at any rate, just why is this man carrying me so lightly?

「W-what’s this all of a sudden?」

My voice naturally comes out as a squeak. Looking down at me, he snorts.

「This may be a balcony, but you’re the only idiot who’d go outside barefoot.」

Why call me an idiot? I can’t help feeling angry, but I also can’t deny him calling me an idiot since the nights are still chilly this season, as he said.

I’m at a loss for words. He carries me back in, takes me to the room beside the bedroom, and puts me on the couch. He snaps his fingers; the magic jewel in the room shines, a light orange light fills the room. Silent magic is his strength. That warm light feels like the opposite of the moonlight, and I instinctively narrow my eyes at its radiance. Leaving me there, he heads towards the door connected to the corridor.