âI was waiting for you.â
Sylvester said.
âWhere have you been, until this late?â
Late?
I looked outside where the sun was still there.
âIt wasnât too late.â
âItâs late. Very.â
He looked at me and grinded his teeth.
âWhere have you been?â
After asking this question, I opened my mouth before I could answer.
âDid you meet the Crown Prince?â
Look at this.
I narrowed my eyes.
âYou added another person.â
Sylvester stepped back, looking at me as if he were guilty.
Ah, I canât believe it.
I took a step closer to him.
âAre you really going to be like this? Why do you put people on me every time I go out?â
Sylvester said, raising his chin as if to look at it.
âIsnât it natural?â
âWhat?â
âIâm asking if itâs natural why you put people together with your wife when she goes outside.â
âWhatâs so natural about that?â
Isnât he crazy?
I was so dumbfounded that I want to run away from home. I touched my forehead.
âIf you add a person when I go out one more time,â
âWhat if I put it on?â
âIâm going to bring divorce documents.â
Sylvester opened his mouth wide.
He looked at me with an incredible expression.
âDidnât the divorce talk end already?â
âItâs not though?â
âOphelia.â
âIf youâre obsessed like this, I canât stand it either. Iâm a person who hates obsession.â
Sylvester gently bit his lower lip and glanced at me.
Then he sighed and tilted his head back.
âI was afraid it would be dangerous.â
âWhat?â
âThe 2nd Prince is after you. Thatâs why I put more people because I thought it would be dangerous.â
ââ¦.â
No I mean, then I would say yesâ.
I got embarrassed and scratched the back of my neck.
âDo you know what makes me who was angry when you said this?â
âWhat will happen?â
âTrash.â
Pft.
Sylvester seemed to hold back his laughter.
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue and swept over the flowing hair.
âThen, you know where I went today, right?
âYeah.â
Sylvester nodded his head.
âWhy did you go to a place that sells monster meat? What if you wander around such an illegal place?â
Fortunately, he didnât seem to know what the store was like.
Phew.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
I didnât want Sylvester to find out about my information guild.
Because I didnât want to let him know every move I made.
In this context, it was fortunate that Sylvester didnât notice the Mercenary Guild. I breathed a sigh of relief again.
âBe careful from now on. It might be dangerous. How tough are the people there.â
Sylvester said as if he was really worried about me. I raised my eyebrows up.
âYour wife is tougher.â
âOh.â
âYou know that.â
âThatâs true.â
Sylvester said, wondering if it must have reminded him of the past.
It was a reaction I was hoping for, but when it comes out like this, it feels a little different.
I narrowed my eyes.
âSoâ¦â
Sylvester continued.
âDid you get any results from going out?â
I shook my head.
âI just went out and came back. Thereâs nothing to achieve.â
âYou just went out and met the Crown Prince.â
âI happened to run into him. I have no intention to meet him.â
Sylvester didnât seem to believe it.
Oh, this guyâs really suspicious.
âYou donât trust your wife that much?â
âYeah.â
âIâm flustered because itâs so spontaneous.â
Sylvester finally burst into laughter.
âIâm joking. I trust you.â
Then he puts his hand on the top of my head and strokes my hair.
A soft smile and soft hands seemed to embrace me.
Ah, why am I so shy again?
I closed my mouth with my eyes down.
âWho would I trust if I didnât trust you?â
âNeil?â
âI donât trust himâ.
âNeil is standing there, he can hear you.â
âI can hear you.â
Neil, who was standing still, answered. Sylvester snorted.
âI said it to make you hear it. Youâve been falling these days. Tsk.â
Anyway, the relationship between the two is very strange.
I burst into laughter and grabbed Sylvester by the wrist.
âAnd regarding the magic circleââ
Before the information came in from the mercenary guild.
There was only one thing I could do.
âUsing the contents of the original story.â
Ah, but I really didnât want to do it.
And there is nothing I can do, well.
I lifted my chin with all my heart.
âLetâs move first.â
âWhere?â
I smiled and then frowned.
âYouâre going to visit the Grand Duke, right?â
******
In the original story, Fleur accidentally discovers the magic circle.
Itâs right in the Grand Duke.
I knew this right away, but there was one reason I didnât want to do it.
âItâs not very well-formed.â
Tsk.
But it canât be helped.
Now that this has come, I have no choice but to go to the Grand Duke.
In fact, it is not easy to visit the Grand Duke.
Because they have to invite you. This is because, as I said, people who come are overshadowed by the Dukeâs terrible health anxiety.
However, Sylvester could go without an invitation.
Why?
Because Sylvester was the head of the aristocratic faction and the most powerful. In addition, it is possible because he is âveryâ close with the Grand Duke.
So we were on our way to the Grand Duke in a carriage.
âBy the way.â
Said Sylvester, who was sitting opposite me.
âWhy is the Grand Duke suddenly?â
I knew he would ask like this.
I saw it in the original, and there is a magic circle in itâ but I couldnât say that, so I had no choice but to answer indirectly.
âI thought itâd be good to see the Grand Duchess after a long time.â
I said it casually.
âWe havenât seen each other since the last time, right?â
That day.
The thing when Fleur tried to kill me with perfume.
âOh, I have to get revenge for that.â
What should I do?
I was in agony for a while.
âIs there anything you want to ask for the Grand Duke?â
At that time, Sylvester asked.
âThatâs a lot of things to do.â
I nodded my head.
âFor example, when we build our school, he will come and give a congratulatory speech.â
Sylvesterâs eyes widened.
âThat sounds good!â
He clapped his hands and said.
âThen we can highlight the relationship between us and the Grand Duke, so the emperorâs stone statue will be buried soon.â
Uhm, I didnât think that far before I said it.
But I think that would be nice.
âYes, I think so.â
So I smiled while answering. Sylvester smiled similarly to me.
âAs expected, youâre smart.â
He took my hand. Holding hands with him, I stared blankly at Sylvester.
Then Sylvester smiled low and kissed the back of my hand.
âWhat are you doing!â
I was surprised and tried to pull out, but Sylvester wouldnât let go.
âBecause youâre so pretty.â
He kissed the back of my hand once more and slowly raised his eyes.
âThatâs why I kissed you. Is there a problem?â
Thereâs a lot of problems!
I tried to calm down my pounding heart and breathed heavily.
âNo I mean, you shouldâve given me a signal. But suddenly!â
âWhen will you stop being embarrassed?â
He smiled and put his fingers in my hand.
âIf I do more than this, my wifeâs face will explode.â
More than this?
What?
I leaned back without realizing it.
Sylvesterâs smile deepened.
âStop it because itâs cute. It makes me want to do more.â
I donât know what else he wants to do, but for the first time I was shy, so I quietly shut my mouth. Sylvester smiled again and tapped my cheek.
âNow we can see the sea.â
And pointed to the outside.
I turned my head slowly, too.
Then I could see the vast open sea.
Whoa.
I approached the window in awe. I looked out with my nose on the window.
I asked him to pass by the sea before going to the Grand Duke, but it was a good thing he did.
âDo you like it that much?â
Sylvester said.
âYes. I like it.â
I answered as if it were natural.
No wonder, Iâve never seen the sea in my life.
I was sick in my previous life and had never been to the sea.
But I canât believe Iâm seeing the sea from here!
There was a desire to run and dip my feet right away.
But I shouldnât do that.
The Duchess has dignity, and I also have to meet the Grand Duchessâ.
âShall we go?â
âYes?â
I was surprised and asked Sylvesterâs words.
âNo, Iâm happy to see you like it so much.â
Sylvester held my hand tightly.
âGo soak your feet and get some fresh air.â
âI like it. But will it be okay?â
âAbout what?â
âThe dignityââ
âSince when did you care about your dignity?â
Oh. This is right.
Since when did I keep my dignity?
Thinking like that made me feel lighter. Sylvester smiled and said.
âYouâd better go.â
âYes. I will.â
âAnd.â
Sylvester pulled my hand. And he kissed the back of my hand again.
No, he kissed slowly from the back of my hand to my fingers.
The hot breath spread throughout the hand.
âLetâs do it again next time.â