Chapter 66 - Volume 3 (1/2)

I squint at the bright sunlight. The comfortable warm feeling naturally makes me sleepy. It’s like the night fairy that governs stars, dreams, and sleepiness, is half-awake and showed up in the daytime.

I hold back the yawn that’s about to escape my mouth, walking along the corridor of the royal palace. ‘It was a mistake to wear my dress coat,’ I can’t help but think, even though it’s too late. In the blink of an eye, there’s now only one month left for the grand festival. It’s only natural that it’s getting hotter but my hand still pulled out the dress coat like usual out of habit.

「Looks like I should take this off on the way home……」

Since my baggage has increased this time, there’s nothing I can do now. Murmuring that in a half-sigh, I hold the basket in my arms properly.

The reason I’m especially walking in the royal palace like this is very simple. Namely, I’m here to deliver lunch to that man and his disciple, Widnichol.

If someone else asks, ‘again?’ no doubt I’d get deeply questioned. Even I, the perpetrator of this, think that. I may be the wife of the savior of the world, of the royal palace’s head wizard, but it’s ridiculous to just attend the palace so carefreely like this. Even if I get criticized, ‘know your place!’ I can’t argue with that. And on top of that, shamefully, the one who made the reason to attend the palace is none other than me.

This and that, all of it is because I overslept this morning. He, my husband, should have woken me up but he left me in bed as I indulged myself in sleep, made breakfast by himself, and left a note beside it before immediately leaving.

I’m certainly grateful that he made breakfast – it tasted so good it frustrated me – but even so, isn’t this supposed to be my place as his wife?

As I ate that soft buttery omelette, delicious even while cold, I read that note. 「I’d like you to bring me lunch.」 In flowing letters, just that one sentence was written.

I couldn’t help but think ‘then you should’ve just woken me up in the first place’, was that unreasonable of me? I wish he’d put himself in my shoes as I woke up, terribly shocked to see my husband wasn’t beside me and the sun, visible from the balcony, was too high up in the sky. Maybe he was just being considerate towards me, but more importantly, I wanted to tell him 「have a good day」.

Anyway, he used to always jump into work or research without having lunch, so it certainly makes me happy that now he’s started eating the lunch I make. Nonetheless, it’s a bit mortifying just accepting that obediently. Though it’s clear that the outcome has been a victory for me as I’m very willingly making and bringing him lunch as he asked.

‘What will I do about this complicated mental state I’m in?’ Internally muttering that, I walk through the long corridor. Until now, I’d cut through the courtyard, making my way to his laboratory. But since our marriage has been grandly announced, there’s no need to avoid the public eye so I’m not going to especially go through the courtyard. But it’s still true that the courtyard is a shortcut. ‘So should I really go down to the courtyard around here?’ I’m thinking about that, not stopping my walking, when in the blink of an eye I see the door to the Black Lotus Court.

「……Oh?」

In front of that large door with a lotus crest engraved into it, a palace guard and an unfamiliar person are arguing over something. No, arguing might be somewhat of a wrong way to put it. The guard is aggressive while the stranger is really being as slippery as an eel, avoiding the topic, which provokes the guard’s anger even more…… That’s probably the right way to put it. With no signs of noticing me who’s relatively close to them, they seem to be having a conversation that’s very unlikely to do any good.

I know the guard. I’ve met him countless times as I visited the Black Lotus Court until now. He’s rather serious about his job, even though we’re acquaintances he never lets me in unless I show him the magic jewel bracelet. I can’t forget him even if I wanted to. And the person arguing with him is.

「Who could it be?」

I unconsciously murmur that. The tall person with their back to me is wearing a cloak that I can tell at a glance is of high quality, with delicate embroidered hemming. Their hood is pulled down deeply. I’m sure the guard standing in front of this person can’t see their face either. To be honest, they’re a very suspicious person.

I can’t hear what exactly they’re arguing about, but judging by the guard’s irritated voice, it stinks of trouble.

Yep, I’m not getting involved in this, no thanks. They do say slow and steady wins the race, so I’ll turn back for now. Thinking that, I’m about to return to the road I used to take, when:

「——Yo, I was waiting for you!」

「Pardon?」

I reflexively stop at the voice I hear from behind me. It’s a calm male voice, pleasing to the ear.

Did he just call out to me? I turn to look behind and see the owner of that voice, the tall person clad in a cloak, is waving and randomly approaching me in a friendly way. The upper half of his face is covered with the hood, the only part I can see is his light lips in a gentle smile just like his voice.

「U-um…」

「Sorry for making you carry my stuff, I’ll carry it from now.」

「Ah—」

With a flowing gesture, the person – who’s probably just old enough to be called a young man – grabs the basket from my hand. It happens in the blink of an eye. I can’t even protest or resist.

My thoughts are at a standstill and my mouth is open, flabbergasted. In front of me, he opens the basket, sticking his hand inside. My sense of reason finally catches up at that extremely selfish gesture.」

「P-please return that!」

I take back the basket from his hands, which are considerably fair-skinned for a man’s. It was unexpectedly easy to take it back; relieved at that, I check the contents of the basket.

On today’s menu is a cheese and tomato cake salé. I didn’t make this with my current knowledge but from the 『past』 『me』’s knowledge. In this world, pastries or cakes that aren’t sweet are extremely rare. I’ve been making this since I lived with my family but it was popular with them, even that man who rarely openly praises anything enjoys it very much. That cake salé seems to be safe, but.

「Is this what you’re looking for?」

Making sure the guard behind us won’t see, the mystery man whispers that; he lightly thrusts before me the bookmark I’d put in my book along with lunch in the basket. Of course, that’s not just a bookmark. It’s my favorite, beloved bookmark that that man gave me, made of pressed daisies.

Before I can reach out and take it back, he pulls his hand away and puts the bookmark under his cloak. Then he bends his tall body, softly whispering in my ear.

「If you want it back, you’ll have to play along.」

「Wha—?!」

What the heck is this person saying? I couldn’t help but be speechless. Holding my shoulder, I’m forced to get dragged halfway to the guard in front of the door.

「She can prove my identity, then there’s no problem, right?」

Holding my shoulder in a friendly way, the person who seems to be a young man shamelessly says that, taking my right hand and showing the guard the magic bracelet.

「……Is that true?」

As usual, the guard is very serious about his job. Even though he knows me by face, he still looks suspiciously at me and the man, and then at the bracelet, making a hesitant face.

「No, this is the first time—」

I’m about to say ‘this is the first time I met him’ but right at that moment, the man holding my shoulder tightens his grip. I look at him from the side of my gaze to see his lips, the only part of his face I can see, silently move. 「Bo – ok – ma – rk」 he mouths.

「……Bas……—!」

「Bas?」

「Bas?」

「……Excuse me. There’s no problems here.」