As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover Chapter 229

[Side Story 2: Vacation – Part 6]

 

“This is the address of the inn where we’re staying. We’ll be here for about three days, so feel free to call us if you need anything.”

 

“Thank you.” Luize quickly regained her energy and smiled.

 

* * *

The two of them visited the shops where they suspected the boy’s uncle might be. They went to the general store, the fabric shop, the fruit store, and most of the shops with dragon decorations. Each time they entered a shop, Luize’s face lit up. Although the shopkeepers didn’t recognize her due to the magic, Luize recognized them.

 

“The lady at the general store is still as kind as ever. Last time I saw her, she wasn’t in good health, so I’m glad to see she’s recovered.”

 

Luize gazed down the alley lined with old shops. There was a time when she lived day by day, just wanting to escape this place. The villagers were wary of Luize, who seemed to live nearby but never revealed where, only visiting the village when necessary and then disappearing quickly. Besides her family, no one lived as long in the perilous Perils without belonging anywhere.

 

“Edward, are you bored?”

 

Luize was happy to see these people again, even if they weren’t close. After all, they were people she had seen for a long time.

 

“Why do you think I would be bored?”

 

“These places hold many memories for me, so I enjoy them, but for you, they’re probably just small, old shops.”

 

“I enjoy watching my wife reminisce. I’d love it if you shared those memories with me.” Edward answered while gently patting the sleeping boy on his shoulder.

 

Luize laughed and spoke. “When I was little, Maxion felt his life was in danger because of my sleep habits. So, he would save his allowance to buy things like ropes or stakes with sealing magic circles on them from the general store, hoping to restrain me.”

 

“And did he succeed in sealing you?”

 

“The rope snapped, and the stakes he used on my pajamas worked, but only that part of the pajamas got torn off.”

 

“…How much was torn?”

 

“Just a little. The stake was about the size of a palm, so this much… Wait, is that what’s important?”

 

Edward answered with a serious face. “It is important.”

 

“…I never showed more of my body than necessary to Maxion. Even though we were childhood friends, we only met after we’d grown up, so my parents were quite careful about those things.”

 

His expression softened again. “That’s a relief. Do you have any other stories?”

 

“Are you curious?”

 

“I’m interested in knowing everything about Miss Luize, even what you said in your sleep as a child.”

 

“…Why is that?”

 

“I don’t like the idea that my subordinate knows things about you that I don’t.”

 

She chuckled softly. Even after they got married, Edward still sometimes got jealous of Maxion.

 

“The idea that someone could think I was having an affair with your subordinate because he knows what I say in my sleep—it’s funny. It’s not like I took him as a secret lover or anything. And it’s all from when I was a child.”

 

“Unfortunately, your husband isn’t broad-minded enough to let his wife take a lover.”

 

At that moment, Luize widened her eyes and looked at Edward.

 

“…Take a lover?”

 

When she asked with a curious expression, a hint of surprise flashed across Edward’s face.

 

“Surely, you’re not thinking of taking one?”

 

“I’m just curious about how you would react if I did.”

 

“Isn’t your lover right here?” Edward pointed to himself with the hand that was patting the boy’s back.

 

“But now you’re my husband. Strictly speaking, that doesn’t make you a lover. I’m just wondering what you’d do if I ever said I wanted to take a lover.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Edward turned his gaze away and thought for a moment before looking back at Luize as if he had made a decision. Her shoulders twitched in surprise. Edward was clearly smiling, but his eyes were darker than usual.

 

“No harm would come to you. But… I wouldn’t be able to leave him alone.” He frowned and sighed with dissatisfaction. Then, he brushed his hair back with his hand and met Luize’s gaze. “Am I not enough for you?”

 

“No, that’s not it.”

 

“Then, are you tired of me? Am I no longer enough for you?”

 

“I was just asking out of curiosity. Really, just a ‘what if.’ I was curious about how you’d react.”

 

Edward, who had stopped walking and was now standing still, stared at Luize before speaking again. “Considering that ‘what if,’ I think the best happy ending for him would be death.”

 

“…”

 

“How dare he touch my wife?” Grit. Edward’s jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth.

 

Luize, suddenly feeling a chill, quickly shook her head. “I won’t cheat. It’s only ever going to be you, Edward. I swore it in front of the priest on our wedding day. I promised we’d love each other in all our future lives. It might just be a regular ceremony for others, but I meant it with all my heart that day.”

 

His expression returned to normal in an instant. “I feel the same way.” Edward began walking again. “Miss Luize.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“There was something I wanted to talk to you about during this vacation. I’ve been putting it off because it’s hard to find time alone in the palace…”

 

Just then, the boy woke up and tapped Edward on the shoulder. “Um, I need to go to the bathroom.”

 

“It’s better if we talk later. We’ve just reached the fruit store. The owner here is well-connected and kind, so we can ask to use their bathroom. Plus, it’s one of the places we were considering.”

 

Luize entered the fruit store and began chatting with the shopkeeper. After sending the boy to the bathroom at the back of the shop, the shopkeeper spoke.

 

“The butcher next door, George, mentioned earlier that he lost his nephew at the festival. I think this boy might be his.”

 

“‘A place with lots of red things.’ A butcher shop. That makes sense since it’s full of meat.”

 

“Indeed.”

 

“Have you two been helping this boy find his guardian instead of enjoying the festival?”

 

“Oh, we did enjoy the festival earlier.”

 

The fruit seller sighed and then, as if making a decision, widened his eyes. “Wait here for a moment.” He returned with a basket full of seasonal fruit and handed it to Luize.

 

“Even so, you’ve been wandering around finding this boy’s guardian instead of enjoying yourselves. It’s not every day we get visitors from faraway villages like yours, so please take this as a gift.”

 

“Oh, no, really, it’s fine…”

 

“It’s not fine with me.”

 

In fact, most of the shops they had visited so far had tried to give them something. The general store lady told them to take anything they needed, and the fabric shop owner insisted on giving them fabric for a mat.

 

“We’re grateful you’ve come all the way to our village, and now you’re helping a child find his family. You’re like an angel, just like the empress.”

 

“The empress?”

 

“Yes. She was truly like an angel. In the past, she would often rescue people who wandered into Perils by mistake. Those who were saved would all say they saw a forest spirit, but we villagers knew. We knew it was a young and beautiful lady.”

 

Luize looked at the shopkeeper, somewhat bewildered.

 

“She was so mysterious that we never spoke to her much, thinking it might make her uncomfortable. However, we would add extra items to her basket whenever she visited our shops as a sign of our gratitude. We hadn’t seen her in years and were worried something had happened, but knowing she’s doing well now is a relief. And now that she’s the empress and still looking after our village, how could we not be grateful?”

 

“…”

 

“So we’re thankful for this opportunity and will do our best to welcome visitors. Please accept our gift and take home some happy memories from this festival.”

 

“…Thank you. We’ll enjoy it.” Luize responded in a slightly choked voice, gripping the basket handle tightly. Behind the hard times, she realized there had been a warm concern she hadn’t known about.

 

The bathroom door opened, and the boy naturally reached out to Edward, asking to be carried.

 

“Well then, we’ll be on our way.”

 

“Have a good journey.” The shopkeeper waved them off with a smile.

 

Just as the fruit seller had said, the boy’s uncle ran a butcher shop. As soon as they entered the shop, a woman, presumably the boy’s aunt, rushed out and embraced him.

 

“Cain! Your uncle searched the whole village for you. Thank you, travelers, thank you so much.”

 

Shortly after, the butcher himself rushed into the shop and, as a token of gratitude, presented the two of them with an enormous amount of meat. It was too much for just the two of them to eat.

 

“This is way too much for just us, right?”

 

“It certainly seems so.”

 

Luize suddenly looked at Edward as if an idea had struck her. “I have a great idea.”