As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover

“That’s…”

“If the problem is the untidy surroundings, I’ll take care of it. I’ll also light a fire inside.”

With a snap of Edward’s fingers, the area around the house was instantly cleaned. Weeds were pulled and piled neatly to one side, while trash like stones and broken sign boards were arranged beside them. The exterior of the cabin gleamed as if freshly oiled, the windows were spotless, and the dirty chimney was cleaned, releasing accumulated dust. Logs automatically filled the fireplace and ignited, completing the cleanup in an instant.

“Oh my.”

“It really is a cozy and beautiful place. May I stay?”

Edward’s playful question made Luize smile brightly. “Alright.”

Maxion, who had been watching, spoke up. “Since it’s going to snow, I’ll take the horses to the nearby stable and get some food from the village.”

“I’ll go with you.” Luize started to move, but Maxion placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Luize, you can’t leave Lord Edward alone in the house. If the host leaves, the guest will be uncomfortable.”

“

, right. I forgot because I’ve never had guests before. Go ahead. Give my regards to the bakery lady.”

“Will do.” Maxion turned and headed towards the village.

* * *

As soon as Edward and Luize entered the old cabin, the snow began to fall. Large snowflakes slowly covered the forest.

Luize hung her coat on a hook protruding from the wall and spoke. “Hang your coat here.”

“Yes.” Edward took off his coat and hung it next to hers.

“It’s a small house. There’s the living room and kitchen you can see, a bathroom, a toilet, and two small rooms.”

“It doesn’t seem all that small.” Edward touched the wall of the cabin. A faint light shimmered around his hand. “It’s enchanted.”

“My mother insisted on basic enchantments for the house and bought various magic stones to place around. So, there’s hot water, the tea leaves stay fresh, and the entire cabin, including each room, is soundproof. It’s also reinforced, so it’s safe from most beasts.”

“It’s a good house.”

“Anyway, it will take some time for Maxion to return, so I’ll make some tea. Is it alright if I make it the way we do at home?”

“Yes.”

As Luize headed to the kitchen to make tea, Edward looked around the living room. Next to an armchair by the window was a large bookshelf. Edward approached and ran his fingers over the sun-faded spines of the books. “There are books on a variety of subjects, from pharmacology to curses.”

“Those are my father’s. He said it was boring here, and after studying pharmacology, he started reading about curses for fun. He found it quite interesting. They might not be books you’d enjoy. I wish I could show you a portrait or something.”

“You don’t have portraits?”

“My mother didn’t like to leave such things. So, naturally, we don’t have family portraits or my father’s portrait. I should ask my aunt if there are any left in the Servenia estate or in the capital.”

“That’s a shame. I wanted to see Miss Luize’s childhood.”

“Elliot must have countless portraits, right?”

“If the emperor didn’t burn them, there would be about a hundred personal portraits in the imperial palace. There are also a few in the Lindeman Duchy.”

“That many?”

“My mother said that such looks should be immortalized in various styles. Sometimes, she would call three painters at once.”

Luize laughed softly. “I understand. If it was me, I might have done the same.”

She poured tea into a small mug and set it on the table near Edward. “Here, chamomile tea. At home, we drink it in a large mug, even if it gets cold.”

“Thank you.”

He reached for the mug. In his hand, the mug that seemed quite large in Luize’s hand looked just right.

“I’ll show you the rooms. Let’s start with the one Maxion and I used.”

“…Did you share the same room?”

“There are only two rooms. One was my parents, and the other was used by Maxion and me.”

“I see.”

They entered the room on the right.

“Even after Maxion left, I didn’t clear the furniture, so there are still two beds. Originally, we planned to put in a bookshelf and a piano, so we made it spacious, but with two beds and two small desks, the room became quite full.”

“Which one is your bed?”

“The left one is mine, and the right one is Maxion’s.”

Luize ran her hand over her desk. She had felt so sad, lonely, and frustrated here, but now, a few years later, it felt so dear. Perhaps because Edward was there, it felt like a special place.

“Sometimes, Maxion and I would lie in bed and talk all night. I was more talkative back then, so I did most of the talking while Maxion listened.”

“…I see.” Edward’s voice was lower than before.

“Is it boring?”

“No, it’s interesting.” He smiled slightly, looking at her intently. His fiery red eyes and the hardened look in them made Luize tilt her head in confusion.

“Your face is smiling, but you seem a bit gloomy…”

“It’s a misunderstanding. I’m very interested. Please continue.”

“Well, because of the soundproofing magic, they couldn’t tell if we were asleep or not, so sometimes my mother would open the door suddenly and startle us. The magic is so strong we couldn’t even sense her presence.”

“I was surprised by the quality of the magic stones used here. They’re top-notch.”

“I heard they were quite expensive. My parents joked that the cost was enough to buy a small house on the outskirts of the capital. I still don’t understand why they insisted on living here.”

“I see.”

“Now that I think about it, we’re short one room for the three of us to stay. There are two beds here and one large bed in my parents’ room…”

Edward placed his mug on Luize’s desk and stepped towards her.

“Would it be alright if Maxion and I shared this room?”

“What? The bed in my parents’ room is bigger. It looks a bit small for you. It’s also quite old.”

“It’s fine.”

“It might be uncomfortable for Elliot to sleep in my parents’ room, but we should check the condition of the bed. Do you want to lie down for a moment?”

“Sure.”

Edward walked casually to Luize’s bed. When he lay down, the bed was completely filled, as expected. His feet stuck out of the bed, but he didn’t seem to mind. “It’s just right.”

“It looks too small for your height. It’s also narrow.”

“No, it’s fine. Two people could fit.”

“No way.”

“It’s possible. If you don’t believe me, try lying down.” Edward moved to make space on the bed.

Luize narrowed her eyes. “…Are you kidding?”

“Busted,” Edward replied with his usual charming smile.

Luize, her cheeks slightly flushed, cleared her throat. “

, I’m curious to see if two people can fit, so let’s try.”

She lay down on the bed, facing Edward. As she did that, she could feel his body tense up with nerves, so close that their breaths mingled. When she looked up, their gazes met directly.

“…It really works.”

“I told you it would.”

Edward gazed deeply into Luize’s purple eyes. Being this close, he realized something. Even if it started with the dragon’s bloodline and the domain’s instinctual attraction, his feelings couldn’t possibly be fake.

If his attraction to her was only due to being part of the domain, the dragon would have to fall in love with every part of the domain, and he would feel something similar for Maxion. The desire to wholly possess her and be possessed by her couldn’t be entirely explained by instinct alone.

He couldn’t yet know how much of his feelings were due to instinct, but they couldn’t be just that. Even if recalling her all this time and the joy of meeting her again were due to his bloodline, that wasn’t the entirety of his feelings for Luize.

“Miss Luize, what would you do if your feelings turned out to be false? Would you cruelly cast me aside?”

“

… I don’t know why you’re asking this suddenly, but let’s see.” Luize smiled brightly. “I think I’d fall for you quickly if you tried to seduce me.”

Edward smiled in satisfaction.

 He kissed Luize on the bridge of her nose.

“I didn’t say that was allowed.”

“What about this?”

This time, he kissed the corner of her eye.

“That’s too.”

“Your permissions are too strict.”

“…I’ll allow what you normally do.”

“…I take back what I just said.” Edward chuckled and lowered his head further, pressing his lips against Luize’s.