Stranger’s Handbook - Page 131/147

Chapter 130: Bea’s Feelings

I forgot about my wedding anniversary.

When I was still in Japan……I heard something about this.

That when the husband forgets about the wedding anniversary, the wife resents him, and the conjugal relations get colder.

“I must avoid this no matter what……….I must get to Bea even one second faster!!”

I clad myself in the entirety of my magic power and ran at top speed through the imperial capital at night.

I heard all sorts of screams but I didn’t care.

Since my top priority was Bea, I ignored all that and hurried to get to her room.

“Welcome back, master. Oh? Those flowers?”

“Suu, is Bea still awake?”

I arrived at my room and Suu was waiting there with a surprised expression.

Hm? There’s no way Suu doesn’t know about my wedding anniversary.

What’s going on?

“The madam is drinking some tea on the terrace. She put young lady Wis to sleep after a long cry, so I believe she’s taking a break.”

“I see……About the wedding anniversary……”

“Wedding anniversary? Ah, in a few moments and it will be today.”

In a few moments?……..Damn you, mother-in-law, you tricked me!?

…….No, she actually showed consideration.

“Understood. I want to be alone with her for a while.”

“As you wish.”

Grinning, Suu left the room.

‘You’re anxious to please madam with those flowers, right? I get it’, her facial expression was saying this and I wanted her to stop.

“It’s been a hard day, isn’t it, Bea? Today is our wedding anniversary, right? Please accept these.”

“……Eh?”

Bea was sitting in a chair on the terrace and I approached her from behind and called out to her.

She turned around and I saw that she was crying.

“Wh-wh-wh-wh-what’s wrong, Bea!? Did someone make you cry? I’ll go destroy that person so tell who it is!?”

“Zest-sama……Zest-samaaaaaaaaaa!!”

Bea jumped at me and continued to cry even louder.

I brushed her hair lightly and waited for her to stop crying.

“Did you calm down?”

“Yes…….But, I didn’t want you to see me like this. It’s too embarrassing.”

The flowers were now scattered about the terrace and we sat down on them.

Actually, to be more precise, Bea was sitting on my lap.

I was sitting cross-legged on the floor, but I was all right since it wasn’t a particularly cold season.

“What made you feel this sad? Will you tell me?”

“It’s not like I was sad. Urm, ever since before getting birth, I have many moments when I feel this way…….”

Bea started to speak, hesitantly and feeling embarrassed.

If I were to make a summary of what she’s told me, it would be something like this.

About the time her belly started to grow, all these things started.

During the day she felt irritated and during the night she felt like crying.

Apparently, she was repeating this cycle every day.

“That’s why, I didn’t want to burden Zest-sama with something as trivial as this…….”

She was aware of it, but she couldn’t stop.

After the birth, everything was supposed to go back to how things were before…….But she couldn’t put this into words, so Bea continued, while crying.

“But, this time is the baby……Wis’ cry woke me up and I couldn’t calm down these feelings anymore…….”

Am I being strange? If I continue to act like this, Zest-sama will start to hate and he’ll cast me aside.

It seems that she kept thinking of these things.

“Sigh……..”

Without realizing, I let out a long sigh.

Bea was shocked by my reaction.

“I am sorry. Zest-sama, I will be careful from now on!”

“You’re wrong, Bea. This sigh was directed to myself…….Sorry. I’m really sorry for not realizing what you were going through.”

Bea, who wanted to apologize herself, looked at me blankly and I continued to brush her hair lightly.

“Since I am older, I should’ve paid more attention. We will soon choose a nursing mother so until then I will help you change diapers and everything. Besides, for you to feel this way is not strange at all. It’s normal, so don’t worry about it. I will never hate you.”

“Is it……normal? But my mother didn’t…….”

“There are individual differences after all. There are women who don’t go through this, but many women actually do. That’s why, there’s no need for you to feel unease, Bea. You only have to depend on me and let me spoil you.”

“But, aren’t you angry? Don’t you hate the me I am right now?”

With her face red and full of tears, Bea looked at me.

I allowed such a young woman to worry about these things all by herself, I am such a shameful man.

“Ah, my only wife is Beatrice. I do love you, and I will from now on too……No matter what happens, this will never change. On the contrary, if I ever go bald and you will start to hate me, I will still chase after you.”

“Yes……Yes! Ufufu, it’s all right, though. If Zest-sama ever becomes like that, I will still love you.”

Bea finally smiled and I embraced her, then I kissed her after a long time.

On the terrace illuminated only by moonlight, we started to…….

“Master, excuse me. His Majesty……”

“Suu. As you can see, I’m right in the middle of something.”

“Suu. Read the situation.”

The both of us were in the middle of relieving the tension that has built between us.

We couldn’t stop midway.

“Yes. I do understand, but his Majesty…….”

“If it’s a messenger, let them wait. If it’s a letter, leave it here.”

“Geez, that Emperor…….I’ll ask Toto-chan to send his wig flying again.”

We told Suu as we kept kissing, but it seems like this wasn’t the case.

“Urm, his Majesty is here.”

“You two, I’m sorry to intrude……But will you please stop extinguishing my wig?”

“Well, well, being young is amazing. They do it in such a place even.”

Their Majesties sneaked on the terrace.

We both hurried to stand and salute them.

This is bad, very bad!!

“Please excuse us! Your Majesties!”

“We-we were being impolite!”

“It’s all right. We suddenly intruded anyway. Right?”

“Yes, it’s not an official visit after all……Please stop the wig thing.”

The Emperor was holding down his head and the Empress was smiling, her face red.

Just when did they even arrive here?

“I feel like I just watched a lovely scene.”

“Yes, if they do it on the terrace…….everyone outside hears it.”

“Please stop the wig thing.”

The Empress and Suu were making a fuss over this.

In this case, I must do something in order not to hurt the Empress’ mood.

“You’ve caught us in an embarrassing situation…….”

“Ah, I never imagined that her Majesty the Empress would hear us…….”

We never had faces as red as now, but the Empress kindly informed us.

“There’s no need at all to feel embarrassed, you know? It was a wonderful talk after all! If he goes bald, you’ll continue to love him, right?”

“Yes, your Majesty the Empress. I’ll love him even bald.”

“If I ever go bald, please take care of me, Bea.”

“…….Again, you’re talking about hair…….again…….”

“Your Majesty the Emperor, you’re slightly off.”

Suu, fix him back.

And so, the curtain raised over the midnight clandestine meeting with their Majesties.