Chapter 34
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Chapter 34
"Yes. Today I thought I'd make tea for Dale."
I stepped into the kitchen and put water on to boil.
"...You would do that for me, Enya?"
He patted his towel against his wet black hair, his damp locks contrasting sharply with his pale, flawless skin—today they seemed even darker somehow.
'Even if Marquis Schultz is handsome, Dale is the most beautiful in my eyes.'
I silently took Dale's side in my heart. My arms crossed defensively—after all, Dale was my contractual husband.
"Sit down. I'll have it ready in a moment. You do drink green tea, don't you, Dale?"
But where were the green tea leaves?
This wasn't Grunvalt's house, so I wasn't familiar with the layout. I opened the kitchen drawers one by one.
"Those are in the ceiling cabinet."
"Oh, they are?"
The moment I stood and spun around—
"!"
Dale's broad chest filled my vision.
He opened the high cabinet for me and retrieved the tea leaves.
'I mustn't even breathe!'
I held my breath, afraid my exhale might touch him, and remained perfectly still.
Pure thoughts... Clear thoughts...
But he was far too close. His chest—no, his entire body was far too near.
So why wasn't I turning my face away? I could simply turn my head. Why wasn't I doing it?
Without thinking, I opened my eyes wide and gazed at Dale's form.
"Since it's stored higher than your reach, it would be difficult for you to retrieve."
"Ah... yes, that's true. Thank you. I really needed that."
My heart raced wildly at the magnificent sight before me.
But seeing his innocent expression, it seemed only I harbored such improper thoughts.
"Wait. Enya, your face is quite flushed. Do you have a fever?"
"Me? No, no. It's cool and pleasant."
I turned away from Dale's concerned gaze and steeped the tea.
"H-here you go."
"...It seems a shame to drink this."
"I can make more. Just drink it."
But Dale only stared at the cup, gripping it with both hands as he hesitated for a long moment.
'He really does look reluctant.'
What Dale was doing now was merely fulfilling our contract, just part of the newlywed concept—
Yet sometimes when I looked at him, it felt as though this marriage were born of genuine affection.
Dale is genuinely excellent at acting.
"Oh right, Dale. Who was that person from earlier?"
*clink*
In that instant, Dale's hand, which had been fiddling with the teacup, went rigid.
"Someone I don't know well."
"I see...?"
Our contract did include a clause about not keeping secrets from each other whenever possible, but this didn't seem like the right moment to press the issue.
He looked like someone who wanted to hide something.
'Then it's right not to ask.'
When I thought about it more carefully, it was a matter of privacy after all.
We had promised not to intrude on each other's personal affairs.
I watched Dale while sipping my tea.
"Actually, I wasn't that curious."
"..."
Dale seemed to deliberate for a moment before speaking heavily.
"That man is Marquis Cassion Schultz. He became a marquis not long ago."
"Is that so?"
I played ignorant.
"How did you come to meet Marquis Schultz? You two seemed quite close, so I'm curious."
"..."
.
"It's my first time seeing one of your friends."
"He's not a friend."
Dale firmly distanced himself from Marquis Cassion Schultz.
This was the first time I'd seen him express his intentions so clearly.
"We knew each other briefly due to work. I only know him by sight, so there shouldn't be anything to trouble you, Enya."
Dale spoke with an apologetic expression.
Suddenly, why would I...?
"It was because he's from House of Schultz that I didn't want to mention it to you."
"Ah. You were worried it might reach my father's ears?"
There was a certain connection between our house and House of Schultz.
If House Lockhart supports The Emperor, then House of Schultz walks alongside him.
From the days when the current Emperor—the male protagonist—existed as a prince unknown to the world, House of Schultz had secretly supported him.
'So they had better foresight than my father.'
Marquis Schultz was The Emperor's friend.
Because they were the same age, the two became closest companions.
'Yes. The two of them are the same age.'
For a moment, my head felt heavy.
If I knew Marquis Schultz's age, I could determine The Emperor's age.
"Dale, how old is Marquis Schultz?"
"I believe he is twenty-two years old."
Marquis Schultz is twenty-two, which means The Emperor is also "twenty-two" right now.
"The Emperor's personal details are shrouded in mystery, but the Marquis is known to be the same age as The Emperor."
"...."
For a moment, Dale's grip tightened around his teacup.
"That means The Emperor is also twenty-two, doesn't it?"
I regarded Dale carefully.
"And you're twenty-two as well?"
"...!"
I studied him intently.
Something like embarrassment flickered across Dale's face. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at me.
"Miss Enya, that's..."
"My older brother is also twenty-two."
"...?"
I paused to think, realizing with some surprise just how many twenty-two-year-olds surrounded me.
Even Rosanna, with whom I'd conducted business, was twenty-two.
Neighbor Maji's brother's son was also said to be twenty-two.
"It seems many babies were born that year...!"
"...."
"Ah, there was a festival around that time, wasn't there?"
"...."
"I believe the Temple discovered an ancient sacred relic around then. There were widespread rumors that children born that year would receive divine blessing.... Yes, that was it."
Even in this world within the book, superstitions—or perhaps not quite superstitions—existed.
"Your parents must have heard that story too. I'm right, aren't I?"
"...."
Dale regarded me with an ambiguous expression.
"...Sometimes people seek out such romanticism."
"Exactly, as I thought~."
I stretched languidly and glanced at the clock.
The hour had grown quite late.
"Dale. Which room should I use?"
Dale tilted his head.
"We haven't decided which room would suit you best, have we?"
"Ah.... That's right."
Dale gently pressed his eyes shut as if he'd forgotten entirely.
"Allow me to show you."
Dale led me to the Third Floor.
The Third Floor was neat and well-organized, structured similarly to the Second Floor—quite different from what I'd imagined.
"There are quite a few rooms. Can I use any of them?"
"As you wish."
I chose the closest room available.
Rooms deeper inside would be inconvenient to access with the stairs.
"I'll take this one!"
But the room was extraordinarily clean.
So clean, in fact, that it contained nothing at all.
Not a single piece of furniture.
When I first arrived and looked around, the room seemed to be furnished—or so I thought?
"...?"
Dale appeared equally bewildered.
His expression suggested he had no idea why the room was completely empty.
"Ah! I suppose it's because it hasn't been used. I'll take the next room instead."
Click.
But the adjacent room looked identical.
Barren and devoid of furniture, as though someone were about to move out.
"...This is strange?"
The next room was the same. Since there were only three rooms on the Third Floor, there was nothing more to check.
"I apologize. It seems there's been some mistake."
Dale ran a hand through his hair, looking troubled.
"If you don't mind sharing a floor with me, you're welcome to use the Second Floor."
"Then I'll stay in a Second Floor room."
I went downstairs and opened another door.
Empty...!
But all the rooms on the Second Floor were vacant too. Not a single piece of furniture—as if someone had stripped them bare.
"Could there have been a robbery?"
"Those items would be too heavy to move in such a short time, so that's unlikely."
Yet even Dale seemed unable to make sense of the situation.
"This is peculiar. I wonder if Dale's room is still intact? May I see it?"
"I'll open it for you."
Dale's Room contained all its furniture.
The desk, nightstand, storage cabinet, and bed—everything remained exactly as it was.
As I surveyed Dale's Room, I pondered the mystery.
"Why are only the other rooms cleared out?"
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org