As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover

“…No, the beef soup here is delicious.”

“I thought so too,” Luize replied with a bright face.

Edward looked down at the soup with a somewhat subdued expression and poked at it without eating much. The rest of the group was engrossed in a conversation about whetstones.

“There are whetstones enchanted to automatically oil the blade when you sharpen it!”

“But the oiling isn’t that great.”

“The ones sold by the Felice Merchant Guild are quite decent.”

“The whetstone I bought for Maxion is also from the Felice Merchant Guild’s local branch.”

“They do have good products.”

Edward put down his spoon. The group, deep in conversation, turned to look at him. It was a very small sound, but it was unusual for him, who was perfectly mannered, to make such a noise.

“Then, I’ll finish my meal and head upstairs. Miss Luize, get some good rest.”

“So soon? It doesn’t look like you’ve eaten much…” Luize looked at Edward’s bowl, which still had a lot of soup in it.

“Everyone, please take care tonight. I need to rest now.”

He got up with his usual graceful movements and headed upstairs, but for some reason, there was a gloomy aura around him. Luize looked at his back with a worried expression.

As soon as Edward was out of sight, one of the knights spoke up. “His Excellency seems down, doesn’t he?”

“Of course, he’s surely anxious because we’re nearing our destination.”

“More importantly, isn’t His Excellency mentally twenty years old now? We have to protect him well!”

“That’s right. His Excellency also trusts us. We must do our best to live up to that trust.”

“Instead of just saying it, how about we increase our training starting today? Is anyone up for a spar after dinner?”

“Me, me!”

“I’ll do it too! Let’s show our prowess in this village!”

The knights, excited, raised their hands and started eating their meals with gusto, eager to finish quickly and start training. Amidst the enthusiasm, Maxion cherished the whetstone in his arms and looked up at Luize. The whetstone made his chest bulge out on one side.

“Luize, I heard you took back the dagger you gave Edward.”

“

Ah

, yes. It became unusable, so I took it back and decided to buy a new gift.”

“Did you buy it?”

“Yes, I did… But with all the ominous rumors about Kavan, everyone is on edge. I haven’t had a chance to give it yet. Elliot is busy with meetings for several hours a day. It doesn’t seem right to give a gift in such a situation, does it?”

“…You can give it. Give it now.”

Maxion resumed eating after leaving those short, firm words. Luize blinked in surprise, and Maxion added a word as he looked up. “Finish your meal first.”

“

, okay.” She picked up her spoon and continued eating quickly like the other knights. She wanted to give him the gift as soon as possible.

* * *

Edward was startled by his own childishness. Since childhood, he had been surrounded by flatterers and foreign envoys vying for his favor. Every day brought exotic delicacies and gifts. That was his daily life. People were eager to offer him anything by any excuse. So, he had never waited for or been disappointed by not receiving a gift, nor had he been jealous of someone else receiving one first.

But now, Maxion had received a gift from Luize before he did. Even though it was just a simple whetstone, a necessary item for the knights, to Edward, it seemed like the most significant stone in the world. Even if someone offered him a chest of gold or diamonds a hundred times the size of that whetstone, he would prefer the whetstone from Luize over rare jewels from others.

“…Was I expecting it?”

He mumbled to himself with a sullen face, sitting on the bed without even changing his clothes.

“Maybe she forgot.”

That could be possible. Most of the empire’s people had forgotten about him. For the past three years, the late emperor had paraded his half-brother around to prove his choice wasn’t premature.

Edward, who had taken on the emperor’s duties diligently since childhood, had handled almost all the emperor’s work himself from the age of fifteen. He had even replaced some meetings with gifts when he was too busy to attend, while the new crown prince attended every event, marking his presence. Newspapers and bulletins were filled with stories about the new crown prince, who eventually killed the late emperor and became the new emperor.

“She might have forgotten the gift.”

At least she hadn’t forgotten him. After all, he had lost his memory of the past seven years, and even when he first met Luize in the capital, he had forgotten part of his memories with her, both from the past and their time as adults after losing his memory.

Someone knocked on the door. Edward was about to tell them to leave without even checking who it was, but he closed his mouth. Just from the sound of the knock, he knew who it was.

“…”

The sound, intensity, and rhythm of the knuckles hitting the door were all Luize’s.

Despite being someone who could hide his feelings from anyone, Edward became strangely honest and childish in front of Luize. He wanted to see her quickly, but he also felt he shouldn’t meet her because he wouldn’t be able to hide his disappointment.

“…”

“Elliot, are you asleep? I brought something for you.”

“You’re here.”

Edward stood at the door with a bright smile. Luize blinked in surprise. His room was filled with the scent of roses, which hadn’t been there for days.

“I didn’t hear any footsteps approaching. Did you teleport…?”

“I did. Come in.”

As Edward stepped back, she entered his room.

“That’s strange. You seemed down just a while ago.”

Fortunately, his voice was now filled with joy.

“My stomach was upset.” Though it was his heart, not his stomach.

“

, I see. So, that’s why you came up without finishing your meal? Should I call Robin?”

“It’s not that bad. I’m fine now.”

“That’s good.” Luize’s lips curved into a smooth smile.

Edward spoke nonchalantly. “So, you said you have something for me.”

“Yes. Actually, I picked it right after returning the dagger that broke the black magic, but I haven’t had the chance to give it until now.”

“You didn’t forget?”

“Of course not. I just thought it wasn’t the right time to give such a gift in this serious atmosphere… But Maxion said it would be okay to give it now, so don’t think I’m insensitive.”

Edward’s lips twitched with joy. Maxion was undoubtedly his best man.  “I absolutely don’t think so.”

“Then, hold out your left hand and close your eyes.”

Edward extended his left hand and closed his eyes. Luize carefully took out the gift from her pocket and moved it toward his wrist.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Edward immediately looked at his wrist. There was a bracelet with a purple amethyst pendant in the center of a thin leather strap.

“A bracelet?”

“Yes. Well, I thought… it’s not the right kind of gift for such a serious atmosphere.” Luize spoke with a flushed face, looking embarrassed.

“It’s an amethyst that resembles Miss Luize’s eye color.”

“Right? They say bracelets are for giving to someone special. So… I wanted to give it to Elliot.”

“Someone special…” Edward smiled softly. He lowered his head to meet Luize’s gaze. “Then I should also give Miss Luize a bracelet. Because Miss Luize is special to me too.”

“I-I’m okay. I already received a necklace.”

Luize’s face turned even redder as she avoided his gaze, feeling embarrassed. She unconsciously fiddled with the red magic stone pendant hanging from the necklace around her neck. Although it was natural for them to be special to each other, she felt oddly embarrassed to meet his eyes.

That’s why she had said it wasn’t the right kind of gift for such an atmosphere. It wasn’t the right scene to create just before they headed to their final destination, where ominous rumors were swirling.

“Do you also know the other meaning of the bracelet that was once popular?”