"What do you have to do?"
"Ugh, you!"
I imdiately took my fingers off of Perez’s lips as I felt him talking under my fingers and even want to take them into his mouth.
He smiled mischievously and asked again. "What is it that you have to do?"
Perez was likely to take off at any mont and get the job done once I said the word.
"It’s not sothing you can do. I have to do it myself."
After I said that, Perez wore a long face. But he’s still very handso.
"Because your fiancee is usually not of a special lineage. I have a lot to prepare." I said with a slight pat on Perez’s cheek.
"Tia, if it’s because of the nobles, you don’t have to worry about it too much. Because they cannot refute the Emperor’s Imperial edict." Perez said anxiously.
"I know, but my pride won’t allow to use it as a shield and hide behind it."
"Hmm." Perez groaned and bit his lip.
I know that it’s this guy’s habit whenever he can’t refute sothing while worrying so much.
"But you know, Perez. I was honestly surprised." I said in a low tone.
"Surprise?"
"I would have had to fight tooth and nail for quite so ti to get the Emperor’s edict. I didn’t know you were that interested in the throne."
"Ah." After thinking for a mont, Perez replied. "There’s nothing more important to than being with you, Tia. So I thought I’d leave the Palace if the Emperor didn’t let have it."
Right, it was more of a Perez personality I know.
"However..."
A subtle smile spread around Perez’s mouth.
"Maybe Tia changed ."
"Did I?"
Perez explained to as I seed confused.
"Because you saved . The bottle of dicine you gave that day changed everything."
Perez’s fingertips slowly swept my forehead.
"I thought that maybe I could rise to the throne and help people just as you did for ."
Perez pulled my hand and kissed it.
"The glass bottle with the dicine you gave was a more precious thing than I could’ve asked for."
The sound of words brushing against my hand was warm.
Perez looked right at and said. "I want to ask you sothing."
"Wha, what is it?" I stuttered a little without realizing it.
When Perez looked straight at with such deep eyes, my heart was inevitably beating hard.
"Why did you accept my proposal?"
"Oh, the truth is..."
The resentnt that I had forgotten ca rushing in.
"I ca to the palace to propose to you. You beat to the punch, so I quickly accepted it."
It’s unfair. I can propose to you in a cool way too!
But then, it wouldn’t be nice since I hadn’t got him a ring to propose with. What a sha.
I thought while looking at the beautifully sparkling ring on my fourth finger.
"Oh, of course. The proposal you made was the best. I can’t believe you get the Imperial edict," I said as I looked up at Perez’s face.
Then all of a sudden, it hit .
Oh, I will grow old looking at this face from now on.
I felt no fear anymore. Rather, I was only happy.
When I get older and live to the end of my life, I will be filled with mories of being with Perez.
"I just realized." Smiling, I looked at Perez and said. "I can only live once."
"Tia." Perez said affectionately as he hugged once again and gently stroked my head.
I didn’t push him away.
I don’t have to.
Now that I promised to marry him, I didn’t have to deny his advances anymore. So I gave Perez a big hug as well.
"I was afraid." Perez confessed, whispering in my ear. "You said you love too, but I’m afraid you’d refuse to marry at the end."
"I can’t do that." I said firmly. "I have no intention of making my child an illegitimate one."
I grew up with my father’s infinite love. And today I learned the truth about my mother.
She loved and my father enough to trade for her life. So I didn’t have much of a complex about being an illegitimate child.
But making my child illegitimate is completely a different story.
"I don’t want my child to be short of anything."
Although I don’t have the ability to see my future child like my mother did, if possible, I want to give him or her only good things in life.
But sothing was different.
"Perez?"
If it were the usual, he would answer, ’Yes?’
Like a person with loose legs, he seems unable to get up.
"What’s wrong? Are you sick?"
Did I get so excited to the point that I failed to notice that Perez was sick?
Surprised, I also squatted down and looked at Perez’s face.
"Ah...child..." Perez murmured with a blank face.
Oh, I was careless.
I asked Perez carefully. "By any chance, having a child... you don’t like it?"
Seeing that Perez only stared at instead of answering, my voice was full of tension as I rambled, "I have so many cousins, but I don’t have siblings. So I thought about having two or three children—Perez?!"
Perez suddenly stumbled once more.
"If you’re sick, we should go back quickly and let the doc—."
"Not that."
Perez’s hand gripped my arm.
"Because I’ve never thought of having my own family."
"Your face is....red."
Finally, I could see Perez, who is prone to be so bright, turned red.
"Perez." I said, putting my hand on Perez’s which he caught at the sa ti. "You should know that as long as I promised to marry you, you and I will beco a family. Do you understand?"
"...Family."
"Over ti, the number of our family mbers will increase."
Then, I added quickly because I felt sorry for him. I think he’s going to faint this ti.
"Of course, only if you want to. If you don’t like children, we can sohow find a suitable successor from the Imperial family or Lombardy—"
"I want—" Perez said urgently.
"—to have our child. Yours and mine."
How urgently he answered. Every ti he breathed, his shoulders were shaking lightly. But his red eyes were still trembling.
It’s understandable.
In Perez’s whole life until now, the place of a family in his heart was vacant.
"You don’t have to worry since..." I said, holding Perez’s hand tighter. "I’m soone who protects my family with all I have."
My father does, my grandfather does, Shannanet does, the twins do, and also Laranne.
The sa was true with all Lombardy people.
"That’s what I did when we first t in this forest. Back then, I promised that I helped you. Now, I promised again that I’ll protect you, Perez."
I could feel Perez’s fingertips shaking under my palm. At the sa ti, his eyes slightly frowned.
"That’s what I want to say to you. You beat to it." Perez said as he held my cheek. Like holding the most precious thing in the world.
"I will protect you, Tia. No matter what happens, I will always protect you."
It was sothing anyone could say between lovers. But Perez’s promises aren’t just empty words.
He will protect as he swore.
No matter what happens.
I looked at him and smiled quietly. Our eyes naturally locked.
Perez approached slowly.
Two people squatted in a large forest.
At this mont, nothing in this world mattered more.
Only we exist.
Stopping just an inch away from my lips, Perez asked with half-open eyes, "Not going to block this ti?"
I didn’t know that it really got to him that I blocked his advances a little while ago.
I smiled a little as I ca closer and said.
"Not gonna happen."
The cold, dry forest made a sound like a fresh spring breeze. Just like the day we first t.
* * *
"Good morning, Madam." John the Butler greeted in front of the main office.
Originally, I would have helped everyone from the ti I got up once I prepared to go to work.
Since today is the first day of my official duty as the Family Head, I asked in advance that I would like to prepare quietly by myself.
"Good morning, John."
I likewise greeted him and carefully put my hands on the doorknob of the closed office.
Click. Creek.
As I applied strength in both hands, the two doors gently pushed forward with a slight noise. There was only the sound of my footsteps inside.
I looked around the office with an indescribable heart.
After my Head inauguration party was busy for three days and three nights, the office was ready to welco the new owner.
Although the chairs and sofas that my grandfather had used for a long ti were changed into new things. That alone changed the atmosphere in the office quite a bit from just a few days ago.
"Haa..."
With a short sigh, I turned and asked John with a heart filled with motivation. "What’s my first schedule for today?"
"I’ve arranged a eting with the vassals."
It was appropriate.
I’ve known them well since I was young, but now that I’ve beco the new Head, I’ll have to see their faces frequently from today onwards.
"What ti does the eting begin?"
"In a mont, the vassals will be arriving shortly."
"Okay, let’s go now."
"But the eting hasn’t started—."
"It’s my first eting, so it’s okay. I have to wait for them for this one."
In the future, once Lombardy’s operations will beco hectic, they will always be the ones waiting for .
As I entered the eting room next to the office with John, I went to the head of the empty table and sat down. And soon after, the vassals began to arrive.
Two or three lord vassals who were close to each other entered the eting room together.
"Oh, my, Madam!"
"Did you arrive first?!"
"We apologize!"
Startled, they quickly apologized and bowed their heads.
"There’s no need to apologize. I just waited because I wanted to. Everyone, please take a seat." I smiled comfortably and beckoned for them to sit, but the vassals seed to be embarrassed that I was here first.
At that ti, the door of the closed eting room opened once again and a very familiar figure appeared.
I smiled and greeted him.
"Welco, Lord Pellet."
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