"Beramund, really!"
Sigrid unconsciously turned her head to look at him. His smiling face ca into view. Beramund lifted her chin and lightly kissed her lips, saying,
"There's no need to force yourself, dear."
"It's, it's not forcing, I just—"
Sigrid fumbled for words before whispering very softly,
"I could try with my, my hands......"
"Hands?"
As Beramund tilted his head quizzically, Sigrid spoke desperately. Despite her desperation, her voice was barely audible.
"You, you always say—"
Seeing Sigrid sweating profusely while saying fingers feel good, Beramund suppressed a laugh and said,
"As long as you don't break it?"
"I won't!"
Beramund laughed cheerfully again.
"If you insist, go ahead then, dear."
At Beramund's words, Sigrid swallowed hard and slowly unbuckled his belt. Beramund chided her,
"How are you going to manage just fumbling without looking?"
"But it's embarrassing."
"It's not like you haven't seen it before."
"It's my first ti seeing it in such bright light."
At those words, Beramund tilted his head and said, "Is that so?" Sigrid mustered her courage and lowered her gaze to his pants with an "Eep." After undoing the buckle and lowering his undergarnts—
'It's big.'
To think this had been inside her all this ti.
"Aren't you staring a bit too intently?"
Beramund whispered lowly in her ear, making Sigrid's face turn red. She glared at him once before reaching out to lightly touch it. Beramund let out a small sound and then said,
"Just touching it like that won't do much, you know? Wrap your hand around it well, but NO! Don't squeeze too hard though."
A mont later, Beramund felt anxious, thinking 'At this rate, will I be able to produce future generations?' but sohow Sigrid managed to accomplish her mission(?).
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For once, Sigrid wore a dress and had her hair elaborately styled. When Beramund, who ca to escort her to the dining room, showered her with all sorts of complints, she finally couldn't stand it and smacked his arm, telling him to stop. Still, she couldn't help but smile.
The dining room was decorated more lavishly than usual, and ornate silver tableware that didn't usually appear glead in the chandelier light.
Of course, the dinner that Seria had ambitiously prepared was excellent as well. Even Marie-Chez had to give it 90 points. After polishing off the warm pudding served for dessert, Marie-Chez thought, 'I haven't eaten well due to traveling, so it should be okay to eat this much.'
She glanced at Karsus Rian sitting across from her.
'I thought he'd be dirty since he's a wanderer, but he's not.'
He was the complete opposite of what she had expected. When their eyes t and he flashed a smile, Marie-Chez felt her face flush.
"So does Karsus travel all over the continent?"
Her voice flowed out as sweet as candy.
"Not quite the entire continent, I mostly stay in the southern and western parts. It's been a while since I've co up to the north."
"Oh my, I see. It's an honor to et soone so difficult to encounter."
"The honor is mine, to have seen such a beautiful young lady."
"Hehe, for soone who must have seen all sorts of beauties while traveling the continent to say such things."
"No, beauties like Marie-Chez are rare."
"Oh my~"
Marie-Chez blinked and smiled charmingly. Sigrid rolled her eyes, wondering where this was going, while Lowengrin simply kept smiling brightly.
'The one who looks displeased is—'
Sigrid's gaze landed on Alkerto before quickly returning to the napkin on her lap.
'Just Alkerto, I suppose.'
"What are you saying, there's no beauty like Siri."
Beramund cut in abruptly. Karsus and Marie-Chez simultaneously turned to stare at him, as if snapping out of their own little world.
"Well, Siri is quite beautiful too."
Alkerto nodded in agreent. Sigrid flustered, said,
"Wha-What's this about—"
"No, we've talked about this before, haven't we?"
Alkerto said with a grin, and Sigrid tilted her head, saying "Did we?" Beramund's eyes narrowed for a mont before returning to his usual smiling face.
"Hmm~ So you've said such things before."
Alkerto inwardly went "Eek" and quickly replied,
"We had so love counseling sessions."
"Ah, if it was that."
Beramund nodded and backed off willingly. After all, Sigrid's love interest was only him. Just then, Marie-Chez spoke up.
"Then I'll excuse myself first. I'm tired."
It was a cold tone that was hard to believe ca from soone who had been enthusiastically conversing just monts ago.
"Huh? Oh, alright. Do you want to go rest first?"
Sigrid said, standing up. Amidst the awkward atmosphere, Lowengrin winked at Sigrid and said,
"Then shall we ladies have a chat? Gentlen, why don't you have a drink and talk among yourselves?"
"Thank you for your generous words, Miss Lowengrin."
Lowengrin chuckled at Beramund's exaggerated greeting and stood up. Marie-Chez slowly rose after her. Sigrid, as the hostess, led the way, followed by Lowengrin and Marie-Chez. As soon as they entered the room after passing through the hall beyond the dining room, Lowengrin whirled around.
"Marie!"
Her voice was full of reproach. Marie-Chez stopped abruptly and bowed deeply to Sigrid.
"I'm sorry. I did wrong."
Her voice, unlike her usual self, was so lifeless that Sigrid was taken aback.
"Marie? Are you okay? Did wrong? What?"
Lowengrin swallowed a sigh and said,
"You ruined the mood back there. Lady Marie-Chez Inglet, what on earth were you— Marie?"
"Marie?!"
Sigrid, also shocked, grabbed Marie-Chez's shoulders. Tears were falling from Marie-Chez's eyes.
"I, no, I'm a bit strange—"
Marie-Chez spoke as if making excuses while wiping her tears, but her navy blue eyes imdiately filled with tears again. Lowengrin called her na with a sigh, "Ah, Marie-Chez—" Sigrid wrapped an arm around Marie-Chez's shoulders and quickly pulled out a handkerchief.
"Marie? What's wrong? Are you okay? Let's go inside quickly, okay?"
When treated kindly while feeling upset, one tends to feel even more miserable. Tears began to stream down Marie-Chez's face.
"Siri—"
Her voice ca out as if clinging, and Marie-Chez rested her head on Sigrid's shoulder. As Sigrid led the sniffling Marie-Chez into the room, she mouthed to Lowengrin,
'What happened?'
But Lowengrin just frowned without answering. Quickly entering the room and closing the door, Sigrid handed Marie-Chez another handkerchief. Marie-Chez carefully wiped her eyes, being mindful not to smudge her eye makeup.
Lowengrin said,
"Siri, could you get us sothing to drink?"
"Sure."
Sigrid quickly pulled the servant's bell. When a servant entered through the service door, Sigrid requested both cold and hot drinks. Soon after, the servant returned with the beverages.
The large fireplace was blazing, and thanks to magic, the room was filled with warmth. It was warm enough to reach their toes. So there was no reluctance to drink cold beverages. Rather, having just cried, Marie-Chez gratefully accepted the thoughtfulness.
After gulping down the sweet and sour red iced tea, Marie-Chez let out a long breath.
"Are you okay?"
Sigrid asked worriedly again, and Marie-Chez nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."
"What happened? Can you talk about it?"
Marie-Chez nodded again. On the three-seater sofa in front of the table sat Marie-Chez and Sigrid, while Lowengrin sat in the single armchair. Lowengrin sank into the chair, lightly tapping the armrest as she spoke,
"So what's going on?"
"......Lowi, you're so cold."
Marie-Chez said, looking at Lowengrin with a sullen face. Lowengrin sighed slightly and said,
"Well, it's probably another man problem, so."
"What do you an, 'another'?"
When Marie-Chez sharply retorted, Lowengrin asked back,
"Half of your problems are about n, aren't they? So, is it true this ti? Or not?"
Marie-Chez looked indignant but had to admit, "It's true." Sigrid tilted her head, then hardened her expression and said,
"A man problem, what happened? Did soone sully Marie's honor?"
In an instant, her voice changed from ordinary to that of a knight, becoming rigid. Marie-Chez raised her voice in a scream-like manner.
"No! I'm not that foolish!"
Sigrid was startled by the intense reaction.
"Huh?"
"That's right. For all her faults, she conducts herself well. Nothing like that happened."
Lowengrin nodded, and Marie-Chez glared at her before looking at Sigrid. Then she smiled softly, like cotton candy.
"But thank you for worrying about ."
"It's nothing."
Sigrid shook her head. Then she asked again.
"Then what's the matter?"
Is soone pursuing her?
Are other won bullying Marie?
Or has so strange rumor spread?
As she asked these questions with various worries, Marie-Chez let out a deep sigh and said,
"I'm being stupid."
"Recognizing one's own foolishness is admirable."
At Sigrid's words, Marie-Chez's mouth twisted slightly before she burst into laughter.
"Ah, really. Sigrid L. Ankertna, my dear friend. You're truly—"
After laughing heartily, Marie-Chez sighed again.
"Siri, I like dressing up prettily."
"I know."
"I like jeweled accessories too."
"I know."
"So I'm going to marry a diligent, kind, and rich man."
"Yes, yes. Right."
"But Alkerto isn't that, is he?"
"That's right."
Sigrid nodded. Living as a noble with a title like this made her realize how truly impoverished her previous life had been. And Alkerto's situation wasn't much different from her own back then.
Alkerto was diligent and kind, but not rich.
"Besides, his title is non-hereditary."
aning if Alkerto had a child, that child would be a commoner. At Sigrid's words, Marie-Chez's face contorted. Marie-Chez buried her face in her hands again.
"Marie? What's wrong?"
Suddenly talking about Alkerto, why.......
"—!!"
Suddenly, a light flashed in her mind. Sigrid's eyes widened as she spoke,
"Marie, do you like Alkerto?"
"Shh— Shh—!"
Marie-Chez waved her hands as she spoke. Sigrid pressed her lips together with a "Hut." Lowengrin said,
"Then why did you provoke him like that at the dinner table?"
"Well, that's......"
Marie-Chez mumbled. Lowengrin spoke coldly,
"It's not like Alkerto isn't interested in you, but if it's not going to work out anyway, don't give him any hope. Marie-Chez. That's your specialty, isn't it?"
"If I could control it at will, I wouldn't be like this."
Marie-Chez spat out irritably, and Lowengrin paused before answering,
"So what are you going to do?"
"I don't know. That's why I'm like this."
Lowengrin fell silent at those words before saying,
"You really do like Alkerto, don't you?"
Marie-Chez pressed her lips into a thin line. Sigrid crossed her arms, lost in thought for a mont before speaking,
"It's really a dilemma."
"What is?"
When Marie-Chez asked, Sigrid uncrossed her arms and said seriously,
"If the condition for dating Beramund was giving up my sword, you know."
What would she have done then?
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't co up with an answer. Finally, Sigrid gave up thinking and said,
"I don't think I'd know unless I was actually in that situation."
At those words, Lowengrin asked with interest,
"Then Siri, if you had to choose between your sword and Beramund?"
"My sword and Beramund?"
"Well, it's extre, but say, his life and—"
"I'd give up the sword."
Sigrid answered before Lowengrin could finish speaking. After answering, she blinked as if surprised at herself, then smiled.
"Hmm, there's no need to hesitate. If I had to trade Beramund's life for my sword, I'd do it."
What good would holding a sword be if Beramund wasn't there?
"Wow— Siri, you really do love him."
"You know—"
Sigrid hesitated before saying with flushed cheeks,
"I think I'm falling even more in love."
"Even more?"
"Yes, more than before we started dating, more than before we got married, more and more— I wonder if I can love him even more than this, but strangely, I keep liking him more."
"I see~"
"What about you, Lowi? Isn't it the sa?"
"No, I like him more too."
"Right?"
Sigrid grinned. Marie-Chez grumbled,
"Could you not spout sweet nothings in front of soone struggling with love? It's making my sides hurt."
"Ah, sorry."
"No, actually it's nice to hear. The rumors in high society are all about the opposite."
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