Chapter 70

The night when the existence of the curtains hanging on the window becomes meaningless, as the sun sets and the sparkling stars rise.

At this peaceful moment, when it feels like the sound of crickets could be heard any second.

“……Why did you suddenly say you were going to sleep?”

“……”

Just like the past when I was bound by the Duchess’s magic and forced to share a bed (?), the Princess and I were alone in the same room, facing each other.

The difference from last time was that this time, I entered the room willingly, not because I was forced to.

“It’s because you brought up such unnecessary talk that we ended up like this.”

Even that didn’t seem to sit well with my finicky fiancée.

Seeing her in a rabbit pajama that looks more cute than scary, pouting with a sulky expression.

“So, do you dislike it?”

“……That’s.”

“You didn’t say anything when the Duchess spoke or when I entered the room, but now, dressed in the world’s cutest animal pajamas.”

“……”

“Are you going to protest now, saying you dislike it?”

Rebecca, unable to open her mouth as if she had nothing to say in response.

Her usually cute sulky expression, combined with the current situation and the pajamas she was wearing, made her look several times cuter.

“……Don’t look at me like that.”

Perhaps sensing that my gaze was unusual, Rebecca asked me to stop looking at her.

“Is it wrong for a fiancé to look at his fiancée?”

“It’s not that, but your expression right now…”

“What about my expression? I’m very curious about what you’re thinking of my expression right now.”

“……”

Of course, there was no way I would easily comply with her request.

I knew very well why Rebecca didn’t want me to look at her.

Even though I didn’t have a mirror to check my expression, it was easy to predict what my expression must be like.

An expression that says I find her unbearably cute and lovable.

It was clear that my face was making such an expression, and that must be why Rebecca couldn’t mention my expression.

My fiancée was still very reluctant to speak of affection or love.

There was no way the current Rebecca could say, “You’re looking at me as if you find me very lovable.”

That’s why she couldn’t say anything and kept her mouth shut.

“Why can’t you open your mouth all of a sudden? I’m also very curious about my expression.”

“……”

“Tell me quickly. What’s my expression like right now?”

There was no way I would let such a golden opportunity pass.

Even if I could endure the day’s meals or training, I could never resist teasing my fiancée.

After that, I spent time teasing my fiancée, who showed cute reactions.

“……So why did you suddenly say you were going to sleep today?”

Only after Rebecca’s tightly shut mouth opened could I stop my incessant chatter.

***

After Albert visited, Rebecca’s heart, which had been racing rapidly.

“Is it hard to tell me what my expression is like? Really, it’s hard to understand.”

“……”

Being teased by her clueless fiancé for over 10 minutes, she had returned to her usual state.

Now, she was starting to get a little annoyed.

While thinking that this annoyance was typical of her fiancé, she didn’t like the fiancé who had cooled her pounding heart.

She didn’t like the fiancé who had an important reason to stay over but spent all his time teasing her instead of mentioning that important reason.

Moreover, her quick-witted fiancé must have already known.

That she knew what her fiancé’s expression meant, and why she couldn’t say it even though she knew.

The reason she couldn’t say it was simple.

Her fiancé was looking at her with an expression that clearly showed he liked and loved her.

It was just hard for her to say it out loud.

If she had struggled to say, “……You’re looking at me as if you love me so much.”

And if her fiancé had responded with, “Am I? I don’t know,” she would have been the only one embarrassed.

In that case, her mischievous fiancé would have gleefully teased her again.

She couldn’t bear to go through that situation with her eyes wide open.

“……So why did you suddenly say you were going to sleep today?”

So, in a colder voice than usual, she cut off her fiancé’s teasing.

If she was teased any more, her heart, which had been trembling since her fiancé declared he would stay over, would be endlessly disappointed.

Though outwardly she was grumbling at her fiancé, inwardly she was looking forward to the upcoming situation more than anyone.

“I had something I wanted to say to you, Princess.”

Fortunately (?), contrary to her expectation that he would remain the same even if she spoke in a cold voice, her fiancé immediately changed his attitude seriously, as if nothing had happened.

His serious voice, devoid of all playfulness, which she hadn’t heard in a while.

While thinking that it would be better to hear such a serious voice more often, she couldn’t contain her curiosity.

“……What do you want to say?”

What could her fiancé possibly want to say that he had to spend the night with her to say it?

What could it be that he was preparing to say, creating an atmosphere so unlike him?

She was extremely curious.

“Since you’ve heard it too, I expect it won’t be hard to explain.”

“……”

“There’s not much time left. The day we get married.”

Marriage.

A word that came from her usually unserious fiancé.

Though the word was short, the weight it carried was distinctly different from other words.

“Are you okay with it, Princess?”

“……With what?”

“Didn’t you dislike it very much at first? The fact that you had to be engaged to me.”

“……”

It was true.

From the moment she first met her fiancé, she had expressed her reluctance to be engaged with her whole body.

She disliked the fact that she had to spend her life with someone she hadn’t even met, due to her parents’ wishes, and had been rude to her fiancé from their first meeting.

“That’s what I wanted to ask.”

“……”

“Even though we’ve gotten closer after spending so much time together, I wondered if you still disliked the idea of marrying me, just like when we first met.”

And, it seemed her fiancé was worried about that.

That she still disliked the heavy word “marriage.”

As always, her fiancé was slow to catch on in the most unnecessary places.

……If only he were that slow-witted all the time.

“……I don’t dislike it.”

“Huh?”

“Do I have to say it twice? I don’t dislike marrying you.”

Only after making her say it again did he, who was usually overly quick-witted, catch on.

“……”

Her fiancé, who had briefly shown a surprised expression at her words.

“……Is that so.”

With those words, he walked over and sat on the bed where she was lying.

“Why are you suddenly on my bed…”

“……Do you remember the condition I mentioned earlier?”

Ignoring her words, her face red from what she had just said, he started saying something incomprehensible.

Condition? What condition is he talking about all of a sudden.

“The condition…”

“The condition we agreed on earlier this evening, that I wouldn’t tell the Duchess and Dorothy about the fact that you kissed me.”

“……”

She had completely forgotten.

Because of her fiancé suddenly deciding to sleep in her room, she had completely forgotten.

What kind of unbearable words she had blurted out to avoid an embarrassing situation.

She wished she could go back in time and stop her past self.

“Don’t blame yourself too much. There’s no way your kind and considerate fiancé would make a harsh request to his beloved fiancée.”

“……”

It was a completely untrustworthy statement.

She wasn’t a fool, and there was no way she could believe that her fiancé was the kindest and most considerate.

Because her fiancé had always acted nonchalant and then stabbed her in the back.

……Of course, most of those backstabs didn’t actually make her feel bad or upset her.

But it was clear that it was a statement she couldn’t easily believe.

Whether she showed disbelief or not, her fiancé continued.

“It’s simple. Since your birthday is coming up soon, all you have to do is accept the gift I give you then.”

“……What kind of strange gift are you planning to give that you need to make such a request?”

“Strange gift? It’s not like a fiancée who loves her fiancé to dismiss his sincerity like that.”

“……”

“So, my dear fiancée, just gratefully accept the gift I give you.”

What kind of strange gift could it be that he’s using what’s essentially a wish for it.

Though her upcoming birthday, just a few days away, was quite daunting.

At the same time, it was also true that she was looking forward to the gift from her fiancé, which he said was sincere.

“If it turns out to be nothing, I won’t let it slide.”

“Don’t worry.”

“……Really, if you can’t say it.”

All she could do was feel the warmth of her fiancé sitting right next to her and grumble, as always.

And so, her birthday was truly just around the corner.

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