As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover Chapter 199

“It seems like you’re the ones who will end up dead.”

 

“From the way you speak, you must be from a high-ranking family, aren’t you? Too bad for you, we don’t care about that. We’ll make a fine courtesan out of you.”

 

It was at that moment, as a man with a rough expression arrogantly spoke up, that Edward sensed a presence behind them.

 

“W-what is that!”

 

Edward halted his attempt to use magic. The men, panicking, turned around to see a small girl with silver hair standing there.

 

“Old Men, let him go. Don’t bully that friend.”

 

“Friend? Are you friends with this boy? Now that I look, you’re quite pretty too.”

 

“A troublemaker and even carries a sword. A girl like that is no use. We’ll make a docile child out of you. Hahaha!”

 

“I’d rather not.”

 

At the girl’s response, Edward’s lips curled up slightly. Her bold tone wasn’t unpleasant to hear. He wondered what she planned to do with that small body of hers.

 

Then, as one of the men reached out to snatch the hood of the cloak covering her head, the girl moved. She swiftly took down the men. Her silver hair scattered with her movements, flowing like waves breaking in the moonlight. She was like a beam of moonlight piercing through the clouds in the pitch-dark night. In the midst of the darkness, she appeared before him like an answer.

 

The girl, having quickly dealt with the men, picked up her fallen cloak, dusted it off, and casually draped it over herself. It was then that Edward, realizing he had a task to complete, quickly snapped his fingers. Snap.

 

The man, who had just been starting to wake up and was moving his fingers, suddenly collapsed again, his strength leaving his body. The girl approached him.

 

“Are you alright? You don’t seem hurt.”

 

“…I’m fine. Thank you for saving me.”

 

Her purple eyes scanned Edward. Her gaze was like lavender in full bloom on a warm day, filled with a gentle fragrance.

 

“By the way, what’s your name?”

 

Edward hesitated for a moment, choosing his words carefully, as it didn’t seem appropriate to give his real name in such an informal setting.

 

“Elliot.”

 

“I’m Lu…”

 

“Lu?”

 

After a brief pause, the girl answered clearly.

 

“Yes. Just call me Lu.”

 

“Okay.”

 

The girl’s face showed a look of admiration for a moment, then she smiled. For some reason, her smile made his heart flutter.

 

She’s adorable. For the first time in his life, Edward felt such an emotion.

 

From that day on, Edward decided that the definition of ‘adorable’ would include silver hair, purple eyes, and strength.

 

“Where are your parents?”

 

“My parents are far away, and my companions should be in the central square.”

 

“Oh, I need to go to the central square too.”

 

“We should move from here. Would you like to come with me?”

 

The girl agreed. The two of them walked together through the dark alley. Despite her being a few years younger than him, the girl named ‘Lu’ felt more reliable than anyone else.

 

“Once we cross here, we’ll be right at the square. The map didn’t mark stairs, so I didn’t know the path would be this rugged. I guess we’ll have to legislate to mandatorily include the height and stairs from now on.”

 

Edward’s expression suddenly hardened. Perhaps it was because of his upbringing, but even in this situation where he had run away, his mind wandered back to the tiresome affairs of the state. Yet, strangely, he found that doing so for this girl wouldn’t be so bad.

 

“How can you regulate that by law? Well, can’t help it. Just have to go…” At that moment, the girl’s foot caught on a groove in the ground as she took a step. She stumbled and fell to the ground. “Ouch.”

 

“Are you okay?” Edward extended his hand towards her.

 

The girl, staring blankly at his hand, then lifted her head to meet his gaze. At that moment, Edward realized something. He was going to fall in love with this girl. It was a feeling as certain as encountering an inevitable fate.

 

“This road seems old and not in good condition. May I escort you?”

 

“Escort? I don’t know how that’s done.” The girl blinked.

 

Edward pondered for a moment before responding. “Well, how about holding hands?”

 

“Yes, I’d like that.”

 

“I will definitely repay this kindness. I’ll give you a token so you can find me.”

 

“A token?”

 

Edward removed one of the cufflinks from his cloak sleeve with his free hand and handed it to the girl. “If you keep this, I’ll come back prepared to repay you, Miss Lu.”

 

“Okay. Wow, I’ve never seen such a pretty button before.”

 

“I’m glad you like it.”

 

As they climbed the stairs, they exchanged small talk. The girl chatted like a lark, sharing stories about her life. It seemed this was also her first time seeing the world outside the area where she lived.

 

“I had no idea the world could be so wonderful and fun. I only knew about festivals from books.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Yeah. My mom always gossiped about the crown prince, but I think the crown prince is probably much nicer than she thinks.”

 

“…Why do you think that?”

 

“Someone who created such a beautiful world couldn’t be bad, right? Except for the weird guys we just met.” The girl laughed. “I hope it’s just as fun and beautiful next time I go out. I don’t know when that will be, but I hope those bad guys are gone by then.”

 

“…I will make it so.”

 

He wanted to make the world she loved a better place. He vowed to protect the empire so that her joy wouldn’t be shattered. For the first time, Edward was grateful to be in a position where he could make all of that possible.

 

 

“You were helplessly dragged away by those guys earlier. How could you possibly do anything?”

 

“My companions are strong, so it will be alright.”

 

“Then stick with them from now on. You almost got hurt.”

 

“Yes.” Edward paused before continuing. “…If someone else were in the same situation as me, would you save them too?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Taking risks for others isn’t easy. You might put yourself in danger, Lu, and not everyone appreciates being saved.”

 

“Do you need a reason to save someone? I just want everyone to be happy. And…”

 

The girl turned her head to look directly at his face. Their eyes met immediately.

 

“I’m not in danger. Because I’m strong.” Her face was serious as she answered.

 

Edward’s eyes widened and then naturally formed a gentle curve. “I suppose you are.”

 

Finally, they reached the top of the stairs. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and blue. A warm-colored lantern floated up into the sky above, carrying a wish.

 

“If you have a wish, just say it. Just saying it out loud might make it come true.”

 

“Well, then… First, I hope I can meet you again.” Luize grinned sheepishly. “It’s been a while since I made a new friend. And I’ve never seen a boy as pretty as you!”

 

“That will probably come true.”

 

“And I want to see more of the world. I’ll definitely go to the capital at least once before I die. I want to see for myself if it’s full of terrifying monsters, as my mother said. It’s a secret from my parents, but I believe they’ll allow it someday.”

 

“Monsters, huh? Not entirely wrong.”

 

“Have you been to the capital?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What’s it like?”

 

“It’s a boring place.”

 

“It must be more interesting than where I live. It’s surely a place that shines and is beautiful. The whole world is filled with light. A peaceful place without people like the bad guys we just met.”

 

Edward answered with a smile.

 

“Hey, what is your wish, Elliot?”

 

“Then, I’ll wish for the Empire to be a place that meets Lu’s expectations.”

 

He made this wish while vowing to protect the world she envisioned. He felt as if he had just stepped into a new world.

 

When Edward returned to Kavan Castle, he was met by Marquis Edvin, the captain of the first imperial knight order, who rushed over with a look of relief.

 

“Your Highness, where have you been?”

 

“I just wanted to see the festival, so I took a walk around.”

 

“The lord was so shocked that he collapsed and is now bedridden. Please give us a warning next time.”

 

“That depends on how well you do.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“But I did see something interesting outside. There’s something you need to take care of.”

 

Edward had the men who had been subdued by Luize captured, and through them, the human trafficking ring that had troubled the entire empire was dismantled.

 

“There’s a girl who has my button. Her name is ‘Lu.’ She must be found.”

 

Edward discreetly inquired about her whereabouts, hiding his identity to avoid any potential noise. However, he couldn’t find a silver-haired girl named ‘Lu.’

 

* * *

Time passed, and Edward turned seventeen. From the age of fifteen, the emperor had entrusted him with most of the state affairs. This time, it was all by Edward’s own will.

 

“Are you sure you can handle it?”

 

“I can do it.”

 

Although he never found ‘Lu,’ he still found himself drawn to any silver hair he saw on the streets. Edward often imagined reuniting with her when he went out in disguise.

 

As he followed those lingering memories, he began to see traces of Lu in the actions of the empire’s people. In those who helped others without expecting anything in return or those who became stronger to protect someone, he saw the child who had once saved him.

 

“Love the people of the empire.”

 

Although he couldn’t yet claim to love them, the memory of that lovely child who had saved him remained a warm trace in his heart.

 

The empire grew more peaceful by the day, and it seemed that his wandering had finally come to an end. The current emperor and empress were a perfect match, and tomorrow was their wedding anniversary.

 

“Edward, I’ve prepared a surprise gift for His Majesty’s wedding anniversary. I’m going to sneak out to get it. Keep it a secret, okay?”

 

“Yes. Please be careful.”

 

“Don’t worry. Thanks to you, the empire is so peaceful.”

 

That evening, as he passed his mother in the corridor, she said this to him. As always, a strong guard accompanied her. It was the most prosperous and peaceful time since the empire was founded.

 

The security had improved significantly over the years, and there was no longer any force that could threaten the empress. Despite this, Edward felt a bit uneasy, but he smiled and saw his mother off, happy to see her so delighted.

 

He shouldn’t have done that.