My Husband Lives Inside a Painting Chapter 41

My legs trembled as though they might give way at any moment, and my heart swelled with overwhelming emotion. I clenched the fist I had pressed against my chest, trying to calm myself.

Meanwhile, Camille continued the conversation in his gentle voice.

“I took too long this time, didn’t I? Did you have to wait long?”

“……No.”

“But I made sure to finish what I had to do. Unfortunately, Pagoda wasn’t the culprit, but I think I’ve figured out who the real culprit is.”

“……”

“Oh, and I also found out the truth about that day. I’m not sure whether I should tell you this, though—”

“Camille.”

I quietly called out to him as he swayed his long tail, still basking in the afterglow of his revenge.

He blinked his round eyes and waited for me to continue.

“Would you like to go somewhere with me today?”

“……Huh?”

When Camille saw my hand reaching toward him, he naturally lowered his gaze.

Only then did I realize that my hand was stained with paint.

Ah, I should’ve washed it off first.

A little embarrassed, I felt my face grow hot.

“Y-you can say no, of course. This has absolutely nothing to do with our contract.”

I hurried to lay the groundwork before he could even answer, hoping to lessen the sting of the painful rejection I feared would come from my husband’s lips.

“……But I’d be really grateful if you could spare just one day for me.”

What a pathetic plea. But I couldn’t help it.

They say the one who loves more is always at a disadvantage. Every time I stood before this man, I willingly chose to lose.

“……”

I lowered my head, waiting for his cold refusal.

But what entered my field of vision was the end of a red ribbon.

Puzzled, I raised my head and saw Camille, who had tied the pretty ribbon around his own neck.

“Orb, why are you making that face?”

He approached me, gently gathered my hair in his hand, and pressed a kiss to it.

“This won’t do. My adorable wife has far too many worries, so I’d better make something perfectly clear while I have the chance.”

Then his voice, sweet enough to melt me, whispered in my ear.

“You can take up as much of my time as you want, whenever you want.”

 

***

 

I entered the cottage with Camille and stepped through the newly appeared door.

The moment we crossed the threshold, a lively square filled my field of vision.

“This is……”

“The capital’s square, where the Spring Flower Festival is being held.”

“Wow!”

Camille’s eyes sparkled like a child’s as he took in the scenery. I followed behind him.

I’m glad it looks so much like I remember, considering how hastily I painted it.

However, the place looked somewhat less saturated and more translucent than the real thing.

I’d chosen watercolors because I hadn’t had enough time to paint in oils.

As it turned out, that choice had produced an unexpectedly wonderful result.

The clear, delicate colors unique to watercolor made the place resemble a scene from a distant memory, evoking a strange sense of nostalgia.

“There’s a fountain, too. Is there one in the real world?”

“Of course. It’s very popular with young children.”

Camille approached the fountain and slipped his hand beneath the transparent surface.

With his horns and tail concealed, he looked like an ordinary human who had always belonged here.

……Ah, if not for the red ribbon tied around his neck.

“It’s cool, Orb. You should put your hand in, too.”

“……Should I?”

Drawn in by his bright smile, I found myself dipping my hand into the water beside him.

Beneath the clear, rippling surface, our hands brushed past each other, almost touching.

Camille’s fingertips seemed to approach mine, only to drift away again. Then he scooped up a handful of water and splashed me with it.

“Ah! It’s cold!”

“Haha! Look at your face!”

“……Camille, are you trying to start something?”

“Oops, I’d better run.”

I glared at him while gathering water in both hands, and Camille laughed mischievously as he darted away from me.

The droplets I splashed after him shattered in the air, leaving behind tiny rainbows.

We spent quite some time playing together like children when Camille suddenly looked around and tilted his head.

“But there’s no one here. Didn’t you say this was a famous festival?”

“Ah…… I ran out of time, so I couldn’t get around to painting the people.”

“Hmm. But a festival without a bustling crowd is missing something. Leave it to me.”

“Pardon?”

Camille curled his lips into a grin and snapped his fingers.

In an instant, people began appearing in every corner of the empty square, filling the vacant spaces.

Before long, the square was brimming with life, filled with food vendors, families out enjoying the day, and couples holding hands affectionately.

“Now it really feels like we came to the festival together, just the two of us. Don’t you think so?”

“……Ah.”

There was quite a distance between Camille and me, and several people passed casually between us.

But I’ll probably never get to go to a festival with him in the real world.

Close, yet impossibly far apart. For a moment, I sank into a strange melancholy, feeling as though that peculiar distance perfectly captured the nature of our relationship.

But I soon gave him a small smile and reached out my hand.

“Yeah. It’s definitely better this way.”

“……”

“Shall we go, then?”

Perhaps it was just my imagination, but his gaze seemed to linger on my face longer than usual.

Still, Camille soon whispered, “All right,” as though nothing had happened, and held out the end of his ribbon.

I curled the red ribbon tightly into my palm, as though it were the only lifeline connecting us.

And so, weaving through the crowds, our peculiar little stroll began.

“……By the way, Camille, doesn’t it bother you to walk around like this?”

I cautiously glanced at him as I slipped him the question.

“Not particularly. Why?”

“If it doesn’t bother you, then……”

I let my words trail off, and Camille gave me another soft, radiant smile.

Just as I was about to resume walking beside him, a middle-aged woman passing by suddenly spoke to us.

“Out for a stroll with your husband? What a lovely couple you make!”

“……?”

“Are you two newlyweds?”

The cheerful middle-aged woman, who wore a flower crown, turned her gaze toward the red ribbon tied around Camille’s neck.

“What a pretty necklace your husband has. Did you pick it out yourself, young lady?”

“Ah, well, you see—”

Before I could finish my flustered explanation, Camille naturally leaned forward and took over the conversation.

“Yes, isn’t it lovely?”

He smiled brightly.

“My wife told me she likes men who resemble puppies, so I specially prepared this for her.”

“Oh my! He really does look like a puppy! Should I tell my husband to try wearing one, too?”

“Yes. I highly recommend it.”

The woman burst into cheerful laughter before continuing on her way.

Only after she had completely disappeared from sight did I unleash the scolding I’d been holding back.

“……Camille, are you going to keep adding unnecessary lines to the dialogue?”

“Oh, sorry. I thought it would make things feel a little more lifelike.”

“You don’t need to do that, so stop!”

Even after adding lines to the woman’s dialogue without my permission, Camille merely shrugged nonchalantly, as if he hadn’t done anything wrong.

I pressed a hand to my forehead and let out a small sigh. Just then, I heard the discreet whispers of a group of young noblewomen not far away.

“Oh my, I’m so jealous. A man wearing a collar……”

“Ah, it’s my dream to have a man like that, too!”

“……Huh?”

I let out an incredulous laugh and turned straight toward Camille.

“Hm? Why are you looking at me like that?”

The moment I saw his beaming face, the last thread of my self-control finally snapped.

“Shut up and follow me.”

“Urgh!”

I took the lead, roughly tugging at the ribbon around his neck until the red strip stretched taut.

Camille’s eyes widened in surprise as he stumbled along behind me. But that lasted only a moment before a low chuckle escaped his lips.

“Ah…… I knew you liked this sort of thing, too.”

Even as I dragged him along, his face was flushed red with what looked like sheer ecstasy.