As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover Chapter 26

His steps were serious and neat, without any unnecessary elements. He made no attempt to hide his presence as if intentionally making his presence known to her.

 

Knock, knock. As the sound of knocking on the door echoed, Luize didn’t invite the person in but instead called out to the visitor while standing in the middle of the room.

 

“Edward.”

 

“Miss Luize, may I come in?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Edward entered the room with the tray in his hand. Luize glanced at what he was holding and roughly understood the purpose of his visit. She had mentioned being uncomfortable with the servants but hadn’t expected him to bring her necessities personally.

 

“I didn’t leave any water for you.”

 

“What’s that beside it?”

 

“Candy. I thought something sweet might help.”

 

“…Thank you.” Luize gave a faint smile.

 

Edward set the tray down on the bedside table and approached Luize, who stood motionless in the center of the room. Their shadows cast on the wall elongated, drawing closer until they merged.

 

“Is the bed uncomfortable?”

 

“No, it seems much better than the beds at our mansion.”

 

“That’s good to hear, but you don’t look well.”

 

“I’m just a little distraught.”

 

“If you need time alone, I’ll leave.”

 

“That’s…” Luize hesitated, trailing off.

 

Edward looked at her calmly.

 

Luize clasped her hands together, looking awkward. “Are you busy?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then, could you keep me company for a while?”

 

Edward looked at her, surprised. Avoiding his gaze, Luize continued, “It’s just too silent when I’m alone…”

 

“I will stay then,” Edward responded somewhat hastily.

 

Luize slowly lifted her head to look at him. Edward smiled mischievously, looking at her like that.

 

“I’ll stay until Miss Luize falls asleep.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Let’s go to bed then.”

 

“…”

 

“Just a precautionary word, but Miss Luize will be sleeping alone.”

 

“Of course, I expected that,” Luize spoke firmly before heading to the bed.

 

Edward watched her and chuckled softly.

 

She glanced at him as she lay down. After making sure she was covered, Edward began extinguishing the candles in the room, starting with the ones closest to him. Luize waited silently as the room gradually darkened, and his steady footsteps soothed her.

 

The room had a large window on one side, leading to a long terrace outside. Edward sat on the floor, leaning against the bed, facing the window.

 

“Isn’t it uncomfortable sitting on the floor?”

 

“I can see outside well from here.”

 

“Have you stayed in this annex before? I thought it was unused.”

 

“When I first came to this mansion, I stayed here for a while.”

 

“Instead of the main building?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I needed a place to hide.”

 

Edward said no more. In the silence, Luize could guess how he must have felt, wanting to stay here in silence. She was glad she didn’t return to Cloette’s mansion tonight.

 

This place was indeed a good hiding spot. Far enough, yet not too far from where she ought to return, a cozy space.

 

“Edward.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Why did you invite me to the mansion today?”

 

“Hmm. That’s a tough question.”

 

“…Is it?”

 

“To be honest, I’m not quite sure myself.”

 

“Really?”

 

“When I suggested the bet, all I wanted was to offer Miss Luize here. The mansion feels more splendid when you are here.”

 

“…I think there’s no change.”

 

“At least to me, right now, this place seems quite nice.”

 

“…”

 

“Even in the same space, it can feel like a completely different place depending on who you are with.”

 

“I see.”

 

Luize had experienced this during her time in Perils as well. When Maxion was with them, when her father passed away, and then her mother left the world, Luize spent every moment in the same space but with a different daily life. She wondered if Reiad, alone in the mansion without her today, might have similar thoughts. Ironically, it was even uncertain whether he had returned to the mansion alone.

 

“So, I thought I might try to impress Miss Luize a bit more. I would like you to visit often after the swordsmanship lessons are over.”

 

“The preliminaries start in three days, don’t they?”

 

“Did you know about the preliminaries schedule?”

 

“… You’re participating in the main round, aren’t you, Edward?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I’ll come to cheer for you when I have time.”

 

“I’ll try not to show an embarrassing performance.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I didn’t expect such a firm response.” Edward laughed.

 

Luize, in the darkness, thought his soft laughter was pleasant to hear. Her lips also curled up, following the sound of his laughter.

 

“So, do you have anything you particularly like? I should know that first if I want to impress you.”

 

“Likes, huh. That’s hard.”

 

“Even something small will do.”

 

“Swords and flowers?”

 

“I was hoping for something I didn’t know about.”

 

“I like animals too. I can’t think of anything else right now…”

 

“What about dislikes?”

 

“The smell of cigars and alcohol. And I don’t like it when it’s too quiet.” Luize answered in her usual tone.

 

Edward had no difficulty guessing where that answer came from.

 

After a moment of hesitation, she continued. “…Right now, I don’t want to wake up from this dream.”

 

Reiad’s words echoed in her head.

 

“So, Luize, enjoy the moment. The dream will end when the sun rises.”

 

They were not lovers. Publicly, he was her lover; privately, they’re a teacher and student, but in a relationship bound to end.

 

“Luckily, it’s a concern I don’t have to worry about right away.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because this isn’t a dream. You have to sleep to dream and wake up, right?”

 

“That’s true.”

 

“And waking up from a dream might be quite nice.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because a handsome man will wake Miss Luize up tomorrow morning, all prepared to offer a perfect morning.”

 

“…”

 

“With a rare handsome man like that to see in the morning, you can sleep comfortably.”

 

“You don’t have to emphasize it twice. I get it. Maxion is coming to pick me up, right?”

 

“I’m disappointed, Miss Luize. Now, I worry about your aesthetic sense.”

 

“I agree. You shouldn’t make such a joke, even if it’s just a joke. Even if Maxion dressed up, he wouldn’t look that handsome. It’s surprising enough that crybaby grew up into such an adult.”

 

“Crybaby?”

 

“Ah.” Luize gasped, then clamped her mouth shut.

 

Edward teased her. “Maxion was a crybaby?”

 

“…I misspoke. Please keep it a secret.”

 

“It’s intriguing news.”

 

“You will keep it a secret, right?”

 

“I’ll think about it. I never thought the day would come when I would be pushed aside by Maxion in appearance.”

 

“…”

 

“Well, since Miss Luize sees it that way, there’s nothing I can do.”

 

“… It’s really generous of Edward to wake me up in the morning.”

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

Smiles lingered on their faces. Though not looking at each other, they could tell each other’s expressions.

 

They continued their casual chat for a while. As the night deepened, the silences between their exchanges grew longer. Questions and answers seemed to end, but someone unwilling to fall asleep would reluctantly continue. Sometimes it was Edward, sometimes Luize.

 

After a long silence following Edward’s last answer, Luize hesitantly spoke up. “One last question.”

 

“…”

 

“Edward?”

 

“…”

 

Luize quietly got up and moved on her knees towards the end of the bed where Edward was leaning.