The Mansion Where Shitoen Grew Up

After that, we went to Lord Balimore’s mansion, where Shitoen had apparently grown up, and received a warm welcome.

I had heard that, if traced back, they were connected to the royal family of Tania, but it was so spacious that I could not think of it as the mansion of a single noble.

It could house all the members of my order, and apparently it even had a riding ground in the back mountain.

When I was unpacking together with the order members, Raul chased me out. He said Shitoen was looking for me.

I hurriedly joined Shitoen, and she took me to a place like a reception room.

It was a spacious room with wooden flooring covered in rugs.

Cushions were lined up, and a silver teapot and tea utensils were spread out on a low table.

Paintings were hung on the walls, and for some reason I thought they looked like paintings my second older brother would like.

Women who seemed to be maids were standing by in the corner of the room, and a woman who looked every bit like the lady of the house approached us.

“My husband still seems unable to return from the royal palace, so in his place, welcome to our country.”

She seemed to be my mother-in-law.

Her plump figure suited the Tania-style outfit very well. Her silver hair was neatly tied up behind her neck, and the laugh lines around her eyes gave her a gentle impression.

When she bowed deeply, I panicked.

“No, the pleasure is mine. Things have been hectic, and even though I received your precious daughter, I did not even come to greet you…”

I bowed my head, but I felt someone’s gaze and timidly raised my face.

My mother-in-law was staring up at me intently.

…Was it that?

Did she dislike the fact that a man like me was her only daughter’s husband?

Come to think of it, my father-in-law had also challenged me to a fight, asking whether I was worthy of his daughter.

Would my mother-in-law also have some kind of… aggressive welcome for me?

“Shitoen, you…”

But she covered her mouth with both hands and suddenly started laughing, “Pff, pff, pff, pff, pff, pff,” leaving me dumbfounded.

“You really went and married a gentleman exactly according to your ideals!”

“Mother!!!!!”

Shitoen raised her voice unusually loudly. I was startled, but my mother-in-law did not mind at all. The way she fluttered her hand was like a mother from the downtown area.

“Son-in-law, did you know? Ever since she was little, this girl never gave slender, beautiful young men a second glance. A rugged, rough-hewn, stern-looking gentleman was…”

“Mother, please!!!!!”

“You know, nobles are all nothing but tall, thin, handsome men, aren’t they? Everyone in the mansion was worried whether there would ever be a gentleman who matched this girl’s taste. Hey, everyone, take a look at our son-in-law!”

“Yes. He suits Lady Shitoen very well.”

“He truly is Lady Shitoen’s ideal gentleman.”

“Sto-o-o-op!!!!!”

Only Shitoen looked like she was about to explode, steam rising from her face as she got angry, while everyone else was smiling. Shitoen stamped her feet, got angry at her mother, and complained to the maids who had known her for years, but everyone had a “my, how nostalgic” sort of feeling, and just watching it made me feel warm inside.

“Once my husband returns, he will surely monopolize our son-in-law again, so why don’t we talk about Shitoen over tea?”

My mother-in-law smiled mischievously.

“Yes, by all means.”

I nodded vigorously, but Shitoen grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the room.

“Honestly, Mother! Why would she say such things?”

She pulled my hand and strode down the corridor.

She herself might have been angry or annoyed, but I had rarely ever seen that kind of expression from her before. For me, it felt very fresh and made me happy.

On the other hand, it hurt to think that she had spent all this time separated from her family home… from the place she had been used to since long ago.

“Shitoen.”

“I am sorry. My father and mother are both just…”

“That’s not what I meant.”

I stopped walking.

Shitoen, who had been holding my arm, also stopped and looked up at me curiously.

“I’m sorry. I should have let you come home like this much sooner.”

“That is not true!”

Shitoen widened her eyes.

“In Tidros, everyone has truly treated me very well. I think of Her Majesty the Queen as my mother, and I adore Her Highness the Crown Princess as an older sister. I consider Tidros to be my own hometown…”

“Shitoen’s hometown is here, and your father and mother are the people who gave birth to you and raised you.”

When I told her that, she made a terribly sad face, so I shook my head.

“I’m not saying Shitoen is a stranger. Of course, our family thinks of Shitoen as family. But before that, Shitoen was cherished by someone, raised with care by everyone…. This time, I realized, or rather was made to realize, that everyone watched over you as they sent you off to me.”

With the arm Shitoen was not holding, I scratched my head.

“I had never dated any woman before meeting Shitoen, and our marriage was decided all of a sudden…. I was the only one getting carried away and making a fuss. But thinking about it calmly, Shitoen, there must have been times when you felt lonely. Not only that, I think the people around Shitoen must have felt lonely too. I was so carried away that I didn’t even notice something like that, and I monopolized you.”

“That is not true! Um, I was also… carried away.”

Shitoen turned bright red and looked down.

“My father and mother… were concerned about me…. His Majesty was also so angry for my sake…. I am an unfilial daughter.”

“No, if you say that, then I am the biggest fool of all.”

“No, I am the disloyal one.”

We were each declaring ourselves to be the greatest fool in the world.

Then we suddenly came back to ourselves and our eyes met.

From there, we held our stomachs and burst into laughter.

“Then let’s say we are both unfilial and huge fools.”

When I said that, Shitoen nodded while still carrying the afterglow of laughter.

“Would you like to come to my room? As Mother said, once Father returns, another banquet will begin, and there will be no time for that.”

At Shitoen’s mischievous smile, I smiled too and nodded.

“This time, he might challenge me to a joust. There is a riding ground here too, right?”

“…That is true. I must have Father’s horse moved somewhere else…”

I laughed again at Shitoen, who was muttering as she worked out a plan.

Holding hands with Shitoen, I walked through her family home.

Occasionally, we passed servants, and they bowed with warm smiles. Each time, Shitoen blushed in embarrassment.

“This is it. Mother told me that they had not changed the arrangement, but…. Please wait a moment.”

After emphasizing that, she opened the door and stuck only her head inside.

The way she looked around like this… the sight of her from behind was adorable!!!!

It was like a small animal sticking its head between rocks and peeking inside, and it was supernaturally adorable!!!

Ah…. What was this? Why did she tempt me with little things like this?

My official duties were over, but there was no way I could do anything at my wife’s family home….

My abstinent life would continue! So why was my wife this cute!!!

“It seems all right. Everyone seems to have kept it clean for me…”

Shitoen turned around with a relieved look.

“…What is the matter? Prince Saryu?”

“It is nothing.”

I covered my face with both hands and groaned. I could not say that I had closed my eyes partway through because I thought looking would be poison.