I, the Female Lead, Ruined the Original Chapter 155

The place where the two found themselves was a tavern located in an alley of the bustling market district. The patrons inside silently observed the couple in half-goblin masks as they entered. When they saw the two receive their beers, the patrons enthusiastically chimed in, clinking glasses with them. As Selleana downed her beer in one go and flipped the glass over her head, the entire tavern erupted into cheers and applause.

 

“Wooow!”

 

“You know how to drink!”

 

“That’s bold!”

 

It seemed to be part of the tavern culture—dozens of patrons easily joined in and stirred up lively commotion as if they were all part of the same group.

 

Upon seeing Selleana’s empty glass, a server promptly replaced it with a new one. They appeared to walk with trays full of beer, handing out fresh mugs without even asking once they noticed someone’s glass was empty.

 

“Darling, cheers again!”

 

“Are you okay… ?”

 

“The glasses are smaller compared to what we drank during the festival, right?”

 

To avoid provoking the other patrons, Selleana quickly whispered into Rakrensius’s ear. “The alcohol content doesn’t seem that high. Honestly, this beer tastes better than what we had back then. I think they brew it in-house.”

 

“Yes… It’s a bit lukewarm, probably due to the temperature, but the taste is much cleaner.”

 

“Let’s work hard to make magical refrigerators for businesses and supply them all over the continent. That way, we can enjoy delicious beer whenever we travel.”

 

Selleana, resting her chin on her hands, smiled brightly at Rakrensius. He was still sipping on his beer, which was more than half full in his palm-sized glass. Though the two often enjoyed drinking together, it had been a long time since they had beer. They usually enjoyed wine or whiskey at the magic tower or duchy, so beer, which required a trip to a tavern, was less accessible.

 

“You said beer was more familiar to you originally.”

 

‘Originally.’ He was referring to Selleana’s past life.

 

Rakrensius occasionally shuddered when his friends from the Transmigrator Club would bring back entire kegs of beer from the market and mix it with whiskey.

 

“Back then, it was like that… but now it doesn’t matter. I just didn’t know how to enjoy wine or whiskey back then. Now I can enjoy the good stuff as much as I want. Thanks to Michi, I’ve learned a lot about wine, and since Darling likes whiskey, that’s grown on me too.”

 

“Even when we go to the capital, if you want to have a beer, let’s go anytime.”

 

“Really?”

 

“As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

 

“Hehe.”

 

[Though I suspect after two or three tavern visits, he’ll end up inventing a home beer fridge…]

 

[That may be true, but isn’t it adorable that he’s determined for my sake? Mr. Sword, did you know? When my darling is determined, his lips stick out a little.”

 

“…”

 

At the banter between Selleana and Di, Rakrensius bit his lip and downed the rest of his beer. The server immediately swapped out his empty glass for a new one, making it look like he hadn’t even drunk anything.

 

“If I’m not careful, I’ll end up drinking everything they give me and getting drunk.”

 

“Right… Ma’am, what do you do if you want to stop drinking?”

 

As soon as Rakrensius muttered worriedly, Selleana asked an old woman at the next table.

 

“Ooh, you just finish your drink and flip the glass over like this.”

 

“Aha, so that’s why you had yours upside down. Thank you for letting us know.”

 

“You’re not from around here, are you?”

 

“No, we’re on our honeymoon.”

 

“Oh my, congratulations.”

 

“They’re on their honeymoon!”

 

“They’re newlyweds!”

 

“Congratulations on your marriage!”

 

The moment Selleana answered the old woman’s question, it was like a stone thrown into the water, ripples spreading the news throughout the entire tavern, and the place buzzed with excitement once more.

 

“Congratulations, bro!”

 

“New groom, have another drink!”

 

“Hey! Play a wedding song for us here!”

 

Traditional musicians nearby were pulled in, and the atmosphere grew even more festive. In the midst of this sudden situation, Rakrensius had to drink a few more beers.

 

“Ahaha, Darling, I’ll drink for you!”

 

“Come on, trust your groom a little!”

 

“In Auzea, the groom drinks three shots of distilled liquor at the wedding!”

 

“Congratulations to the goblin couple!”

 

[…Yeah. You guys are right. If I hadn’t followed you here, I wouldn’t have seen this spectacle.]

 

* * *

They left the tavern at dusk. Though they’d only stayed for a little over two hours, the half-enclosed space with its deafening noise made it feel like they had returned from another world.

 

“Haha, hahaha! That was so fun.”

 

“If it becomes too much, just say the word. We can head back right away.”

 

“I’m fine. Do you know your face is all red, Darling?”

 

“…If you’re okay, then I’m okay too.”

 

To sober up and take a break, they chose to stroll through a quiet area. They picked the riverbank just outside the city walls. Compared to the wide Mer River that crossed the Nepelsian capital, this river was much narrower, giving the surrounding scenery a somewhat modest appearance. But perhaps because they arrived at sunset, the scenery was lovely—lush palms lining the riverbank, the sun descending toward the horizon, and the crimson reflection across the rippling waters created a charming atmosphere uncommon in Nepelsian.

 

The festival spirit continued along the river as families and friends launched fireworks from the riverbank. Tiny bursts of light—made without magic—scattered like fireflies against the reddish dusk.

 

“…This reminds me of that time.”

 

“When we released the sky lanterns?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Selleana hugged Rakrensius’s arm tightly and smiled bashfully. That smile, which Rakrensius loved so much that he didn’t want to share with anyone else, now looked almost intoxicating, perhaps because of the beer. Her eyes creased beautifully, her cheeks puffed under her eyes, and the tip of her tongue peeked out between slightly parted lips.

 

Even though Selleana was still wearing that silly half-mask, Rakrensius found her face so charming that he felt he could sketch it with his eyes closed. He stared at her blankly before leaning down and giving her a soft kiss.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Your eyes are redder than usual.”

 

“You’re drunk. Look at you, Darling, kissing me in public first.”

 

“No one’s paying attention to us right now.”

 

“Aha.”

 

He must have used some magic again.

 

Smirking, Selleana cupped his cheeks and pulled him toward her. Their lips met again in a sweet, gentle kiss. Normally, Rakrensius was cautious about public displays of affection, but whether it was because he was drunk, felt reassured by magic, or emboldened by the mask, it was a good opportunity to enjoy the moment.

 

Gazing into his slightly heated eyes, Selleana reached up and removed his mask. “Then let’s take off our masks. I might forget my husband’s face.”

 

Underneath the now-removed mask, the skin beneath Rakrensius’s eyes had flushed slightly. Maybe it was the alcohol, or the kiss, or the sunset’s glow. Whatever the cause, he just looked handsome. Which is probably why he kissed her again.

 

Selleana laughed softly, took off her own mask, and laced her fingers through his. They resumed their walk.

 

“Darling.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“When we return to the capital after traveling for so long, our house will be complete… I can’t quite imagine it.”

 

“Didn’t you pour your soul into picking out every curtain and piece of furniture?”

 

“I chose the pieces, but I’ve never seen them all in place. So I’m a little worried.”

 

“Aren’t they artisans who’ve worked with Elard for a long time? Even if you miss something, they’ll surely decorate it well.”

 

“Right?”

 

Not long after they began dating, Rakrensius bought a townhouse in the capital for them to live in after marriage—meant to serve as their new home and Duke Ansi’s official residence. His top priorities when land-hunting had been the size of the lot and the view since buildings can be rebuilt, but land can’t be changed. His selection was excellent.

 

As a prince, the master of Magic Tower, Elard’s golden child husband, any property he claimed for his new household would become a chance to impress both the imperial family and Elard. Several noble families, not originally planning to sell, rushed to put their properties on the market.

 

First, they filtered the options by the size of the land, then by the grandeur of the buildings, and left the final choice to Selleana. She was to pick the place with the garden view she liked the most.

 

The townhouse they purchased underwent numerous renovations over the past two years. It was made as luxurious as possible to accommodate his angel, and various magical devices he developed for his angel’s convenience were installed.

 

While Rakrensius designed the functionality, the aesthetics were entirely up to Selleana. From the interior materials to the furniture in each space, nothing was untouched by her.

 

“I hope you like it… “

 

“Of course I will. I chose it myself, after all. And like you said, anything lacking would have been seamlessly filled in by the artisans.”

 

“Still, I worry I may have overlooked something and made you uncomfortable.”

 

“I already like it. You planned everything with me in mind, so even if it feels a bit odd at first, I’ll get used to it. And if not, you’ll fix it for me, right?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“But there’s one thing that is regrettable.”

 

At the word ‘regrettable,’ one of Rakrensius’s eyebrows raised slightly.