As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover Chapter 227

[Side Story 2: Vacation – Part 4]

 

The next day, as the couple headed to the village, they encountered an unexpected situation.

 

“Why are you two here?”

 

“Huh? Indeed.”

 

A woman with short blue hair up to her shoulders and glasses, and a man with flaming red hair and bronze skin, looked at Luize and Edward with puzzled expressions. The couple quickly greeted them with proper manners.

 

“There’s no need to be so formal. We’re just out for a casual outing. It would look strange to the people around us. But more importantly, what brings Vivian and Carlo here? And the boy in your arms…”

 

Luize’s gaze stopped at the red-haired boy cradled in Carlo’s arms. “Are you two in that kind of relationship?” Her pupils trembled slightly.

 

* * *

Luize and Edward left the cabin just after noon. Edward had cast a spell to make them unrecognizable to others. However, the spell excluded people they both knew, as Luize had expressed a desire to greet Quirrel or Matthias if she ran into them during the festival.

 

“My goodness. This village used to be so quiet and peaceful. I never expected it to be this crowded. What could have happened in the meantime?”

 

Luize looked around the bustling streets of the village with surprised eyes. A village that used to be so deserted that not even an ant could be seen on the streets was now teeming with people. Her gaze turned to a poster on the village wall.

 

“It looks like there’s a festival. The content is… huh?”

 

A look of curiosity and then understanding appeared in Luize’s eyes as she checked the poster. The only person capable of organizing such an event without her knowing, and who was standing behind her with a rather shameless expression, was Edward.

 

“What is going on here?” Luize pointed to the poster and questioned him, as if asking for an explanation.

 

Edward smiled and cleared his throat. “As you can see, it’s a festival celebrating the empress’s birthday. It’s been going on for ten days leading up to your birthday.”

 

“So why am I only finding out about this now? I thought I knew all the events happening in the empire…”

 

“I arranged it in secret.” Edward intentionally softened his smile, knowing Luize had a weakness for that expression.

 

Luize, her cheeks slightly flushed, avoided his gaze.

 

The streets were filled with merchants, onlookers, and small performances, and the faces of the people were full of smiles. She had once told him that she found it difficult to cope with how quiet this place was. In a village where it was hard to find a single person, the loneliness of being alone had deeply resonated with her.

 

Edward likely remembered her words and secretly planned this festival in her honor. He probably scheduled this vacation to show her this scene. Thinking this far, Luize felt grateful for his thoughtfulness, and her heart swelled with emotion.

 

She wondered what her past self, who had been alone, would think if she saw herself now. The past Luize could never have imagined that someone who remembered even her fleeting words and cared for her would be by her side now. And when they returned to the capital, there would be many people welcoming her—Maxion, Ren, her aunt, her cousin, and even the Red Dawn Knights.

 

Blushing slightly, Luize traced her hand over her own portrait on the poster. “It’s a bit embarrassing that so many people are celebrating my birthday like this. I stopped them from holding a festival in the capital, but I didn’t expect one to be held here.”

 

“I’m still disappointed that we only had a banquet in the capital.”

 

“If I had bad intentions, the empire’s treasury would be in trouble.”

 

“Then, this emperor will go down in history as a tyrant who outdid his predecessor.”

 

The two laughed. Luize thought for a moment and then continued speaking. “This festival should help the villages around Perils regain their former vitality, right?”

 

“It should.”

 

“In winter, it would be nice to have a festival celebrating the dragon’s birth in all the villages surrounding Perils. It should be on a larger scale than this festival. That way, even the smaller villages that were left out of this festival can have a chance to regain their energy.”

 

“That’s a good idea. We should review it when we get back.”

 

“Since it’s winter, food might be an issue, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“We can solve that too. Although it’s not publicly known, Perils has various edible plants that grow even in winter, and the lake rarely freezes, allowing fishing to be possible year-round. Since Ren has taken the region under its wing, the current state will be maintained, so the surrounding villages can look forward to plentiful days ahead. I’ll compile a list of edible plants and fish and send it to you soon.”

 

“Then it will be a great opportunity to introduce new food resources.”

 

“Yes.”

 

As they exchanged excited looks, a hint of embarrassment appeared on their faces. Luize spoke first, with a slightly sheepish expression. “…I was trying not to think about work even during vacation. There’s a rumor in the imperial palace that we’re workaholics.”

 

“…I can’t deny it. It seems my bad habit has rubbed off on you.”

 

“People say couples grow alike.”

 

“That’s a nice reason to hear.”

 

Edward smiled, took Luize’s hand, and headed into the village. For today, the two of them planned to spend the day as an ordinary couple, not as emperor and empress.

 

* * *

A booming voice rang through the street.

 

“Sister, this festival is huge for a local event. I’ve never seen this area so crowded. They said it’s a festival celebrating the Empress’s birthday, right? Hold on. This skewer looks tasty. And there’s even fruit skewers as dessert right next to it!” Carlo excitedly bought a meat skewer.

 

Meanwhile, Vivian’s gaze, which had been scanning the street, stopped at a poster. Luize’s portrait, prominently displayed at the center of the poster, was a magical reproduction of a painting by Ardi. Among the many portraits, the one showing the empress holding a sword exuded a dignified yet beautiful aura, enough to make one believe she was the emperor leading the battlefield.

 

The choice to use a painting where she was holding a sword, rather than simply wearing it sheathed, was likely because the organizer was charmed by the sight of the empress admiring the sword.

 

“It’s obvious who planned this festival. There aren’t many people who would go to such lengths to organize a festival in such a remote area. And who would hang a poster of someone holding a sword for a birthday celebration?” Vivian smirked.

 

The festival reflected the emperor’s tastes everywhere. Of course, that doesn’t mean his choice was wrong. The emperor must have put a lot of thought into revitalizing the business district around Perils by letting people know the forest had stabilized, and also intended to make the empress’s image as a swordswoman more relatable to the citizens of the empire.

 

The image of the empress confidently holding a sword was likely intended to subtly convey that she was not a weak shadow, but one of the two heads of the empire, standing beside the emperor. However, separate from the festival’s scale, the subtle affection that permeated every part of it was unmistakable. Everywhere you looked, it was clear that the festival was not organized by the empress herself, but by someone who deeply loved her.

 

The festival was large, but the promotion was so impressive that Vivian and Carlo, who had been on a mission in a nearby village, couldn’t help but learn about it. The promotional materials featured various depictions of the empress, making it impossible to go anywhere without seeing different images of Luize for a while.

 

Even though Luize was the main character, Edward went so far as to remove himself from portraits where they were depicted together, leaving only Luize. Such promotional materials could only have been created by the person who organized the event—no one else could have done it.

 

“What a great love.”

 

Vivian muttered this as she turned her head, and her gaze met Carlo’s, who was holding the red-haired boy and sharing the skewer. The child’s eyes were red and swollen with tears.

 

“…Who is that boy? Did you make him cry?”