I Married Because I Wanted To Live A Normal Life Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Well… I do wonder what the point of talking about this now is.

If anything, it’s just me dragging on a conversation in front of a man who told me not to worry about it.

As that thought crossed my mind, I was about to add that I had simply thought that way once, but the straight-laced knight earnestly replied.

“…You once told me something, my lord. That one might be a supporting character in someone else’s life, but somewhere else, there might be a story where I am the main character.”

I blinked.

Hearing it again made me feel a bit awkward, but it was certainly something I had said to Sir Ted.

Hoping he would escape the swamp of negative emotions he was trapped in. It was something I had said, half-joking and half-encouraging, back when I still believed this place was the world of a book.

“I was quite surprised when I heard you say that. To be honest, there were times when I thought that if my brother were the main character, I would be something like a supporting character in a play.”

…Hearing this from someone who actually was a supporting character in <I Picked Up My Husband> feels strange. First Edwin, and now his younger brother possesses an uncanny intuition.

“But after hearing your words, I thought that it might really be true. When you think about it, it’s an obvious thing to say. ‘The main character of my life is myself’…”

“…..”

“But it was only then that I realized I had been waiting for someone to tell me that obvious thing.”

As he said that, the man, whose smile no longer seemed awkward, smiled sincerely. And in that moment, I thought, ‘Ah, perhaps my worries were for nothing.’

If he could smile with an expression like that, then the man was truly fine.

“So please, do not worry too much. I have found the master I desired, and I am faithfully living out my own story.”

In a way, his words had meaning for me as well.

After all, I had existed in this world even as <I Picked Up My Husband> rushed towards its conclusion.

During that time, the center of the world may have been those main characters, but that didn’t mean my life belonged to them.

And it’s the same now.

Just as the main character of some story might only take up a few pages of my life…

The knight before me, too, must have a life of his own unfolding that I knew nothing about.

“Yes… if that’s the case, then I’m glad.”

I asked him, “Then, in your story, will I at least be a supporting character?”

To my playful question, the man replied with a bit of mischief of his own.

“You are a main-character-level supporting character.”

Hearing that, I was finally able to burst out laughing, as if letting out the words, “That’s quite an honor.”

***

Sometimes, people gain quiet realizations through everyday chatter.

In that sense, my conversation with Sir Ted had given me a certain vitality, so my steps toward Callen’s office felt a little lighter.

So much so that for the first time in a long while, I even considered having dinner with Callen.

Normally, I would think, ‘Eating alone with my boss? Am I crazy?’

In any case, as I hurried to finish my report, I happened to run into my boss’s nephew coming from the opposite direction.

Esdelle Ophius. The red-haired young man was a little taller than when I had seen him at the party before. He, too, smiled slightly when he saw me.

“Baron. A pleasant evening. You’re on your way to see my uncle… the Marquis, aren’t you?”

“Yes, well. And you, Young Master?”

At my question, Esdelle gave a sly smile.

“He hasn’t returned to the mansion in a week…”

…No way.

I had a good idea of who he was talking about, so I looked at him with eyes full of shock, and Esdelle nodded.

“…I came to persuade the workaholic head of the family, but he doesn’t seem to have any intention of going back.”

I made a weary face.

Good grief, how many times do I have to say it? Just like in any company, as long as the lights on the top floor are on, the subordinates below feel pressured about leaving work!

I thought I had preached to Callen countless times about how selfish this behavior was. I let out a deep sigh.

“I’ll have to have a word with him, too. Telling him it’ll be a greater loss if he collapses from overwork.”

“Please, I’m begging you.”

Esdelle pleaded, as if joking.

“I think my uncle will at least listen to you, Baron.”

“…Really? If he does, then that’s a relief.”

‘I wonder?’ was my first thought.

Of course, Callen was the type of person who would accept things if they were explained rationally.

But perhaps because he had lived his whole life as a knight upholding his beliefs, he also had a stubborn side. Just like Sir Ted.

There may be no scripture in this place, but nagging him would be like ‘reading scripture to a cow’s ear.’ I said indifferently, but the young man spoke with an exaggerated gesture.

“It’s true! That’s why I once even thought that maybe you might take my uncle in, Baron. When I heard you had broken off your engagement with the Young Marquis of Firenze.”

What is this nonsense now?

I stared at him with incredulous eyes. Whether it was because of my gaze, or because he had read the curses I had unknowingly spat out in my mind, Esdelle said with a slightly deflated air.

“I just thought about it, that’s all.”

“Yes… well, thoughts are free.”

It was common for meddlesome gazes to be directed at two unmarried people of marriageable age working together, but I hadn’t realized that even Esdelle had been thinking such things.

By the way, marrying Callen? I’d never even thought about it.

Well… for one, he, like Miller, seemed absolutely unable to leave the capital, so he couldn’t have been the kind of groom I wanted in the first place.

And before that, Callen had a way of firmly drawing a line with me.

The young man before me might treat me like Callen’s one and only trusted colleague, but if I tried to step even a little bit deeper into his personal affairs, that man would know like a ghost and push me away.

Marriage to a person like that. I don’t know… even if it had happened, I think it would have been a very lonely married life.

Thinking that, I looked at Esdelle, and he frowned deeply and said, “That’s not it… Haa, no. Is this my uncle’s karma…?”

“Sorry, but could you please not read my mind?”

“It’s not like I’m reading it because I want to…”

Esdelle said, as if making an excuse, and sighed deeply.

“Anyway, it’s all in the past, so I just thought I’d mention it. …I’ve heard all about how much you love your husband, Baron.”

“You can read that thought all you want, Young Master Ophius.”

I said proudly, puffing out my chest, and he gave a bitter smile.

“Anyway, please have a word with him, Baron. I’m begging you.”

“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try to talk to him.”

For the welfare of the employees below, if nothing else.

As I made that firm resolve internally, Esdelle looked at me with a strange expression. Did he read my thoughts again? He’s still young, so he probably doesn’t understand my meddling.

While I was thinking that, what came back was, surprisingly, a somewhat serious voice.

“…My uncle is a lonely person, so it’s truly a relief that he has at least one friend like you, Baron.”

Friends over work? What kind of friends? Of course, I knew that my relationship with Callen couldn’t be dismissed so simply, but we hadn’t built the incredible relationship of trust that Esdelle was talking about.

At his words, I looked at Esdelle, who was speaking in a way that was unusually naive for him, but the man just gave a slight smile and said nothing more.

“So please don’t hate the Marquis because of me. Well then, I’ll be going! I’m counting on you, Baron!”

“Uh… yes.”

Goodbye…

The young man who said that disappeared with quick steps before I could even finish my farewell.

I’ve felt this before, but… Esdelle really cares about Callen a lot.

Of course, it’s possible to have special feelings for an uncle who has taken on the role of a guardian in place of one’s parents.

But still, Callen is an adult who can take care of himself, while Esdelle himself is still at an age where he should be depending on adults.

If anything, I was worried that the young man himself had no one to rely on.

Well… there’s no need to get too deeply involved in another family’s affairs. They wouldn’t want that either.

By the way, did I show too much that I was uncomfortable with Young Master Ophius? For him to leave behind such a cute remark as ‘don’t hate Callen because of me.’

After lightly reflecting on how I had acted as an adult, I started walking again, stood in front of Callen’s office, and knocked lightly.

“Marquis, I’m coming in.”

A light permission was granted, and I pulled on the doorknob.

***

The surroundings, where I could still see the red sunset glow when I ran into Sir Ted, had by now become quite dark.

Was it because of the bookshelves crammed with books and the documents piled high on the desk? A faintly shining magic lamp seemed to be barely driving away the darkness, and in the middle of it all, Callen looked up.

His vivid golden eyes shone clearly even in the low-lying darkness.

“Well, welcome back. You took quite a while to return.”

I gave a half-hearted reply to Callen’s cheerful greeting and glanced to one side.

A meal, which looked like it had been served a long time ago, was growing cold on a tray.