Hiding My Identity From My Husband — Chapter 20

WH-.

I JUST WENT OUT FOR A BIT OF A NIGHT WALK~

Hhm.

I THOUGHT IF I WENT IN THROUGH THE MAIN ENTRANCE,

THE SERVANTS MIGHT WAKE UP, SO I WAS TRYING TO GO THROUGH THE BACK WAY...

...CHARLES, I.

I TRUST THAT THERE'S A REASON FOR EVERYTHING CHARLES DOES.

BUT...

I SINCERELY HOPE THAT REASON ISN'T A BAD ONE.

...A-A BAD REASON...?

ANYONE HEARING THAT WOULD MISUNDERSTAND.

I'M TELLING YOU, I JUST WENT OUT TO GET SOME FRESH AIR.

I had too much on my mind to sleep.

EVEN NOW, I'M DECEIVING LOUVANDES, SO CALLING IT A "BAD REASON" ISN'T ENTIRELY WRONG...

EVEN SO, THE NIGHT DEW IS STILL COLD OUT,

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING GOING OUT IN CLOTHES THAT THIN?

IF YOU CATCH A COLD LIKE THAT, MARDI WILL BE SAD.

AND OF COURSE, SO WOULD I.

WHAT'S THIS? HOW STRANGE.

WHEN WE MET LAST TIME, THEY DEFINITELY SAID THEY HATED ME...

WHY DOES IT SEEM LIKE THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT ME NOW?

...I KNOW. YOU MUST THINK I'M FICKLE.

I'M SORRY, CHARLES. I SAID SOME HARSH THINGS THE OTHER DAY.

IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT CALLED FOR ALL THAT, BUT MY EMOTIONS GOT THE BETTER OF ME...

AH, NO. YOU DON'T HAVE TO APOLOGIZE LIKE THAT.

I ALREADY KNEW THAT YOU DIDN'T LIKE ME.

I WASN'T SURPRISED OR ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THAT.

IF ANYTHING, I WAS JUST WORRIED THAT BECAUSE YOU BECAME PARTNERS WITH SOMEONE LIKE ME, I MIGHT BE HOLD- ING YOU BACK...

..."SOMEONE LIKE YOU"?

CHARLES, YOU SEEM TO BE MISUNDERSTANDING SOMETHING, BUT I RESPECT YOU.

AFTER ALL, YOU'RE STRONG AND KIND AT THE SAME TIME.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THAT'S WHY I WAS ANGRY.

CHARLES, YOU'RE A MUCH MORE WONDERFUL AND AMAZING PERSON THAN I AM,

YET YOU KEEP TREATING YOURSELF LIKE YOU'RE NOTHING!

STOP BELITTLING YOURSELF.

...OF COURSE, EVEN IF I SAY THIS, CHARLES WON'T BELIEVE ME.

FROM NOW ON, I'LL CHANGE MY APPROACH.

INSTEAD OF HOPING YOU'LL UNDERSTAND MY FEELINGS,

I'LL TELL YOU EVERY DAY THAT YOU'RE AMAZING,

AND THAT YOU'RE SOMEONE WHO WILL BECOME EVEN MORE AMAZING IN THE FUTURE...

WHY IS LOUVANDES CARING ABOUT ME TO THIS EXTENT?

EVERY TIME HE SAYS SUCH WARM THINGS TO ME...

STRANGELY, MY HEART FLUTTERS.

EVER SINCE THAT DAY, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOUVANDES AND ME RETURNED TO THE STATE IT WAS IN BEFORE OUR FIGHT.

CHARLES, CHARLES.

WHAT SHALL WE DO TODAY?

NO, PERHAPS IT EVEN FEELS CLOSER THAN BEFORE...

OF COURSE, I'D BE HAPPY JUST LYING DOWN WITH CHARLES ALL DAY LONG.

THERE'S NO ONE WATCHING RIGHT NOW, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACT.

I'M NOT DOING IT FOR PEOPLE TO SEE~

THE TRUTH IS, LOUVANDES CLINGING TO ME ISN'T A ONE OR TWO-DAY OCCURRENCE, BUT

THE REASON IT FEELS ESPECIALLY TROUBLESOME LATELY IS...

CHARLES, YOU'RE AN AMAZING PERSON, AND SOMEONE WHO WILL BECOME EVEN MORE AMAZING.

I'LL TELL YOU EVERY DAY SO YOU CAN BE SURE OF IT...

EVER SINCE I HEARD THOSE WORDS,

WHENEVER LOU COMES CLOSE, MY HEART KEEPS POUNDING...!!

IT'S FINE. FIGURING CHARLES WOULD TRY TO PUSH ME AWAY,

I CAME PREPARED WITH WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TOGETHER TODAY.

W-WHAT...?

I THOUGHT WE COULD PICK OUR WEDDING VENUE.

W-WEDDING VENUE?!

I FIGURED A GRAND MANSION WOULD PROBABLY BE BEST FOR THE VENUE, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

SINCE CATHEDRALS DON'T HAVE THE BEST REPUTATION IN THE EMPIRE.

URGH... THAT'S TRUE.

HE SEEMS TO HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS SERIOUSLY, SO I CAN'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING AGAINST IT.

IT'S DEFINITELY JUST AN EVENT WE'RE DOING FOR THE MISSION, BUT STILL, IT'S A "WEDDING."

TO THINK LOU AND I ARE GOING TO OPERATE AS A FAMOUS COUPLE IN THE EMPIRE, THIS FEELS SO WEIRD...

EVEN WITHOUT THIS, I'VE BEEN HAVING STRANGE FEELINGS TOWARD LOUVANDES LATELY, SO IT'S AWKWARD...

LOUVANDES DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THINKING DEEPLY ABOUT IT, BUT...

BOTH OF US ARE FREE ANYWAY, SO LET'S GO TAKE A LOOK RIGHT NOW.

I'VE ALREADY CHECKED OUT A FEW MANSIONS.

WHAT? YOU REALLY CAME PREPARED, DIDN'T YOU?

IT'S A BIT SUDDEN, BUT...

IF I PROCRASTINATE ANY LONGER, PEOPLE AROUND US MIGHT START FINDING IT STRANGE, TOO...

ALRIGHT. LET'S GO.

IS HE REALLY THAT HAPPY ABOUT THIS?

WELL... MAYBE IT'S NOT SO BAD FOR ME EITHER.

WOAAH! IT'S HUGE.

DO YOU WANT TO LIVE IN A PLACE LIKE THIS?

I DON'T PARTICULARLY HAVE ANY GREED FOR A HOUSE.

WE'RE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN WEALTH ANYWAY, AREN'T WE?

BUT DOESN'T THE THOUGHT OF SETTLING DOWN CROSS YOUR MIND SOMETIMES?

IT DOES FOR ME.

SETTLING DOWN...

IT WOULD BE A LIE TO SAY I'VE NEVER HAD THAT KIND OF THOUGHT.

IMAGINING SPENDING THE REST OF MY DAYS IN A SMALL, COZY HOME OF MY OWN...

COULD I EVER LIVE A LIFE LIKE THAT...?

BUT THAT'S NOTHING MORE THAN AN IDLE DREAM.

BECAUSE THE END FOR A CATACLE AGENT IS NOTHING BUT DEATH.

Hm?

WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU, CHARLES...?

OH! YOU WERE HERE!

GREETINGS! MY NAME IS ALBERT, THE CARETAKER AND BROKER OF THIS PLACE.

YOU TWO MUST BE LORD LOU VANZEN AND LADY CHARLES COURTNEY,

THE ONES MAKING THE EMPIRE BUZZ LATELY, RIGHT?