~Chapter 33~
Time Spent Together
I noticed that he was staring blankly at me without even chewing his food.
“You have to chew while you eat. The maids and guards are all watching us, you know?”
Startled for a moment, Eyzar quickly began chewing the lamb. When I glanced toward the maids and guards, I saw them smiling as they watched us.
‘Phew… this should look natural enough, right?’
I set my fork down and looked at the still-warm dishes. He really had put in so much effort. He had even used a warming spell to keep the food from getting cold.
“Wasn’t it too hot? I just thought it would be right for the one who made it to taste it first.”
After swallowing his food, he replied,
“I wanted to hear your thoughts after you tried it first, my lady.”
“Oh! I didn’t know! I’m sorry—then I’ll try it now!”
Even without tasting it, I could already tell it would be delicious. The lamb was glistening with juices, the vegetables looked fresh, and the sandwiches were perfectly arranged.
“Just a moment.”
“Yes?”
I wondered if there was some kind of order to eating, so I waited. He picked up a piece of lamb with his fork and held it out to me.
“My lady, you should say ‘ah’ as well.”
“Huh? No, it’s fine. The maids and guards already saw me feeding you.”
I waved my hands, trying to refuse, but he didn’t budge.
“Please, say ‘ah.’”
I hesitated before asking,
“Do I really have to?”
“Yes. You must.”
His gaze was unusually serious. Carefully, I opened my mouth and accepted the bite of lamb. He watched me with clear satisfaction.
The moment I chewed, the juices burst across my tongue, followed by a rich sweetness.
“This is so good…”
How had he cooked it to taste this amazing? Did he use magic?
“Is that so?”
After swallowing, I nodded eagerly.
“Yes! It’s perfectly to my taste. It’s so delicious.”
“Please try the sandwich as well. I paid attention to your preferences.”
I quickly picked up a sandwich and took a bite. The bread was soft and chewy, while the salty seafood and tangy sauce blended perfectly, refreshing my palate.
The shrimp, especially, was firm and slightly sweet the more I chewed, pairing beautifully with the bread.
‘This is incredible. The Ferhaem kitchen is already excellent, but this… feels tailored specifically to my taste—slightly sweeter, slightly tangier…’
Hungry and delighted by the food, I ate quietly, too absorbed to even talk. Worried I might choke, Eyzar handed me water and reminded me to eat slowly.
After a while, I spoke happily,
“I think I overate—it’s just too delicious.”
I shouldn’t have… I was wearing a dress, after all. It wouldn’t look good if my stomach showed even a little. But it was just too good.
“Thank you for enjoying it. I was worried it might not suit your taste.”
“That’s impossible! I loved it. What can’t you do, Eyzar? The gods are truly unfair.”
I meant it. How could someone be this perfect—and even cook so well? People usually have at least one flaw, but Eyzar didn’t seem to have any.
Just then, his hand brushed against my lips.
“Just a moment, my lady. You have something on your lips.”
He wiped it gently with a handkerchief. Startled, I raised my voice without thinking,
“I—I’m not a child!”
“I know. You’re my wife.”
“Then why are you wiping my lips? I could have done it myself.”
“Taking care of my wife is also a husband’s duty. What’s strange about that?”
I had no response. There was nothing strange about it… and yet, somehow, it felt like I had been caught off guard.
“Shall we ask the maids to clean up here and go buy the gift you promised me?”
Though something still felt oddly unsettled, I nodded.
Before getting into the carriage, we took a short walk by the lake. Suddenly, Eyzar let out a quiet laugh.
“…Heh.”
“Why are you laughing all of a sudden?”
“My apologies. I just remembered how happy you looked while eating the food I made.”
“…Was I that funny while eating?”
Maybe I had eaten too enthusiastically after dressing up so nicely. But I had been hungry, and the food was so good.
“No. I’m laughing because I’m happy. I don’t usually laugh this often… but every moment with you makes me smile.”
So it wasn’t that I looked funny. Thank goodness.
“I laugh a lot when I’m with you too, Eyzar. Spending time with you is really enjoyable.”
“You’re naturally cheerful, my lady, so I wondered if you might find me boring. I’m relieved to hear you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Haha, what are you saying? There’s no way I’d be bored.”
At the Ferhaem estate, there was always someone by my side. It was never dull.
Back at the Orbetian County, I had people I cared about too—but I had always wished for someone who would treat me not as someone to serve, but as an equal.
“You treat me as an equal, Eyzar. Even if I was close to the servants at my family home, they still saw me as someone they had to serve. There was always a distance.”
In a world divided by status, no matter how much I tried to get closer, they would draw the line first, saying it wasn’t proper to treat their lady casually.
I understood—but it still felt lonely.
“Even at social gatherings after becoming the Duchess of Ferhaem, I felt comfortable. I never knew talking with other ladies could be so enjoyable… I realized that thanks to you.”
Our relationship may have started unexpectedly, but it was still something I cherished. Even if it had an end, these memories wouldn’t disappear. I wanted to fill them with as many good moments as possible.
“I really like spending time like this—just chatting together with you. You didn’t know that, did you?”
He was a good person. It was only natural that I would grow fond of him.
As long as these fluttering feelings didn’t grow beyond this point… it would be fine.
At that moment, he looked straight into my eyes and asked,
“…I didn’t know. You like it that much?”
His eyes sparkled like a puppy waiting for a treat. I should have just answered right away—but suddenly, I felt shy.
“Well… that is…”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
His insistence only made it harder to speak.
“When you stare at me like that… honestly, just hearing it once should be enough!”
I quickly walked ahead, but with his long legs, he caught up in no time and blocked my path.
“Please say it one more time. Yes?”
He was smiling brightly now, almost like sunlight.
‘Seriously… that face is a weapon.’
He was dangerous to my heart.
“…Fine.”
“Yes?”
Even though he had clearly heard me already, he asked again. My face burning red, I shouted,
“I really like spending time talking with you, Eyzar!”
Only after shouting did I realize how loud my voice had been. I quickly covered my mouth, but I heard startled reactions behind me. The maids and guards had all turned to look at us.
I hurriedly added,
“This is—that is—it’s a misunderstanding…!”
But they didn’t seem to hear the rest.
“It’s okay, my lady! We didn’t hear anything!”
“That’s right! We won’t intrude—please, continue your conversation comfortably!”
‘Ah… what do I do? What do I do…!’
The maids cheerfully went back to their work. I glanced at the guards, who all turned away and cleared their throats.
“We also… ahem… didn’t hear anything.”
“Of course. No one would notice how passionate you are even outside.”
‘Aaaah!’
I screamed silently, my face burning like a tomato. Unable to endure it any longer, I hurried into the carriage.
“My lady… are you angry?”
“No. I’m not.”
“Truly?”
After sitting quietly for a while, Eyzar asked cautiously. I answered honestly,
“…You’re really annoying.”
Of course, I had been the one to shout it out—but it was also his fault for insisting I say it again.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to shout it.”
“That’s because you kept asking! I was embarrassed, so I ended up shouting…”
Even if it looked like a normal newlywed moment to others, it was still embarrassing to say something like that in front of everyone.
“What can I do to make it up to you?”
“It’s fine. You’ve already apologized.”
I didn’t want to ruin the mood. We still had to buy his gift.
“Then… how about this?”
“What?”
Curious, I asked—and he said something similar to what I had said earlier.
“I feel the same. I really enjoy talking with you, my lady.”
“Eyzar?”
“If I say it like this, will it make you feel better? Or… would it be better if I said it in front of the maids and guards?”
