Chapter 48 - Volume 2 (1/2)

Plaited long hair with white and grey mixed in it, and azure eyes as if reflecting the ocean. Those arranged features really do look like a noble youth’s, and right now they look suspicious. With his robe fluttering in the wind, Celves Sin Ronein approaches me.

I hold the talisman in my hand properly, hiding it from his eyes so he doesn’t notice. Thankfully, it seems like he hasn’t noticed my action. Relieved at that, I look at him to see him sit down beside me, opening the book he held on the table.

「Just what have you come to do here today?」

「Huh? No, um, how should I put it……」

There’s no way I can open up about everything here, so I hesitate. Celves doesn’t ask me anything else, silently reading his magical book.

I stand up as quietly as possible so as not to disturb his reading. I’m about to leave just like that when he calls me to stop, 「Wait.」

「Where are you going?」

「I just thought I shouldn’t bother you, so…」

「Not really, I didn’t say you were bothering me, did I?」

‘Sit down, it’s fine,’ that’s what those azure eyes say. Urged by his gaze, I sit down once again to my original spot. But after that, there is nothing to talk about, and time just passes. A quiet, peaceful time where the only sounds are the breeze, the rustling of leaves, the chirps of songbirds, and the sound of Celves turning the pages.

I glance at him from the side. His skin color hasn’t changed since the last time we met…… No, it’s actually worsened even further. Is he sleeping probably? Is he eating properly? Aggravating my worries, I casually look at where Celves’s hands are.

Celves too, is reading a bulky magical book just like like that man does. Watching that, I can’t help but tilt my head to the side.

「……?」

Both of Celves’s arms, peeking out from his robe, are wrapped in a white bandage. It crosses over his wrists and seems to be wrapped until his arm. Did he get injured? To get injured from his hands to his arms, and both limbs on top of that – it’s a rather skillful way to get injured.

「Um……」

「What is it?」

He answers just with his voice, not taking his eyes off of the magical book. I suddenly realize it. Everyone can tell that the bandages on both his arms are clearly not something normal. It feels a bit inexcusable for people like me to ask about it just out of curiosity.

Celves raises his head from his magical book, looking dubiously at me since I called out to him but didn’t say anything else. For just a second, I think, ‘What do I do?’ By the time I realize it, my mouth moves by itself.

「……Do men really just prefer young, sweet girls more?」

——Was there really no better question I could ask?

I realize too late the expression on Celves’s face. He looks at me, dumbfounded, and his gaze hurts so much I can’t stand it. I can feel my face getting hot.

「What are you saying all of a sudden?」

His voice is completely baffled to the bottom of his heart. Really.

「I-I’m very sorry. Please forget it.」

My voice shaking, I lower my head. All of this instantly makes the sight of Lunamerie come to mind, so it’s no good. But even so, there must be some other topic besides that. Ah, really, I just want to disappear.

「Things like that are just personal preference.」

Whether he knows I’m secretly writhing in agony on the inside or not, Celves says that bluntly as if spitting it out for some reason, glaring at me.

「Or is it not like that? Do you prefer young men with excellent looks?」

「Huh? Ah, no……. Not really.」

That’s not a very persuasive line, coming from me who has a husband famed to have beauty not even night fairies can match up to. I’m adding one thing to another, but even though he has that white beautiful face, considering his very problematic personality or sharp tongue, there’s no way I could choose him solely based on his looks.

It’s worrying. Because it’s none other than me that will always want to be beside that man because he’s him, no matter how difficult to understand and annoying his personality is, no matter how sharp-tongued he is.

At my answer, Celves’s narrowed eyes slightly relax.

「——Right. It’s just like that.」

「That’s… right, isn’t it. Thank you.」

Watching me as I bow my head, Celves once again looks like he wants to understand further, slightly tilting his head.

「Why did you ask that in the first place?」

This too, is a reasonable question. ‘Um,’ I try to search for the right words, trying to change the subject, but Celves’s gaze won’t allow me to do that. Casting my eyes downwards to escape that gaze of his, I open my mouth just a little.

「……My husband doesn’t talk about these things much. So I wanted to hear your opinion, as a man.」

That’s right. Now that I think about it, that man got engaged to me at a very young age before he was interested in things like that. I never paid much attention to his tastes and preferences for the opposite gender. But now, I realize after so long that I probably should have thought more deeply about it.

I’ve been trying very hard not to feel even slightly embarrassed when I stand beside him. But all that effort may have been misdirected when I don’t even know his likings in the first place. Well, no matter how hard I work now, my current state is extremely horrible with my lack of sleep lately.

I swallow down a sigh about to escape my lips, raise my head to look at Celves once again. His azure eyes are open wide, looking at me.

「Sir Celves?」

What happened? The surprise in his eyes is actually surprising me more. I see myself reflected in his azure eyes, tilting my head to the side. Celves’s thin lips tremble.

「Suzette, you’re…」

「Yes?」

「You’re married?」

I can’t help but blink in surprise at that question. It’s too late by the time I realize, ‘Ah. I messed up.’ I carelessly said 『husband』.

「——Yes. More or less.」

「More or less?」