Episode 3
It was a mistake to scare myself before anything had even happened. I think I lost my head for a moment because of the pressure about having children from Marquis Fernandi and the former Archduke.
The adults thought that since we had been dating for a long time, we had already seen everything there was to see. Moreover, this was a world where the mindset of ‘We got married, so we’ll have a child soon!’ was taken for granted.
But Kaiden and I had never even properly kissed. Maybe the vow kiss we shared yesterday? Even that was only at the level of a peck.
So while it was true that I was a little frightened about our first night, it wasn’t that I disliked physical contact with Kaiden. Until the pressure about having children came up, I had actually been looking forward to it in my own way!
‘This won’t do. I need to be honest.’
I needed to talk with Kaiden.
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“Have you seen the Archduke?”
“I think he was at the training grounds earlier.”
No, I had just gone there, but he wasn’t there.
After coming up empty-handed again, I placed both hands on my waist and looked up at the blue sky. My patience was reaching its limit. The attendant who had answered me tilted his head and went on his way with small steps.
Kaiden Baltstein, this man had been nowhere to be seen all day. Whenever I thought I caught sight of someone who looked like Kaiden, he would disappear as if by magic. I was beginning to get annoyed.
“So you’re going to avoid me.”
[What on earth happened last night for you to be like this?]
Bled asked with a curious expression. I narrowed my eyes as I looked at him.
“It is time for you to prove your usefulness, dragon.”
[What nonsense are you talking about? I’m always useful!]
“I wonder if you want to become a True Dragon, Bled?”
I asked while ignoring Bled, who was getting angry. Bled, who had yet to receive power from the Demon King, was still in his hatchling form. Perhaps tempted by my words, he narrowed his eyes and asked,
[What are you going to make me do?]
“Go up into the sky and find the Archduke.”
[…Then you’ll put in a good word for me with the Demon King?]
“If you find him.”
Bled frowned deeply.
[Ugh! Phew…. You must be the only human who uses a dragon to look for people.]
“Are you not going, Lord Dragon?”
[I’m going!]
He flew up with a burst of energy. Kaiden Baltstein, just you wait.
―A little later.
“…….”
“…….”
An awkward silence flowed between Kaiden and me.
Bled quickly found him and snitched on him to me, and I approached him after suppressing my presence so completely that even a Sword Master couldn’t detect me, then launched a surprise attack.
He was startled and drew his sword, but as soon as he realized it was me, he immediately threw the sword away. The clang it made rang out remarkably loudly. I looked at the sword that had been thrown aside and muttered,
“You once said that when a knight throws away his sword, it’s the same as throwing away his own arm, and that one should never do such a thing…. Yet the Archduke throws his away without any hesitation.”
It was something he often said when he taught me swordsmanship as a child. Perhaps feeling a little awkward, Kaiden cleared his throat for no reason and picked up the sword.
“Ahem. I was startled because I couldn’t sense your presence, but when I saw you, it was you, Marion. My body reacted first because I was afraid I might hurt you.”
“…Tsk.”
My heart softened at those words. I looked at him with pursed lips.
“…I have something to say.”
He looked at me for a moment and nodded.
“All right. Shall we take a walk?”
We walked near the chapel where we had held our wedding yesterday. As I gazed at the enormous lake, all kinds of thoughts passed through my mind.
Why hadn’t he come back last night in the end? Had he perhaps lost interest in me because I had looked so frightened? Or had he lost the desire because he didn’t find me attractive? Why had he avoided me all day today?
…Was he regretting marrying me?
As time passed, my anxiety only grew.
“Yes. You were already nervous because it was our first night, and then you heard about children too. How burdensome must that have been?”
“Th, that is true.”
“Those two really are something.”
There was somehow a look of relief on Kaiden’s face.
“The matter of children is something for the two of us to decide. You don’t need to worry about what the adults said.”
“But….”
“Marion. When it comes to children, I will unconditionally follow your wishes. If you don’t want a child, then I don’t want one either.”
“What?!”
I looked at him with a surprised expression. For a noble living in this world, and not just any noble but the Grand Duke of Baltstein, saying something like that about the matter of an heir was an astonishingly progressive answer.
Kaiden slowly opened his mouth.
“I only need you.”
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