“The child you bear will inherit your royal blood. A monarchy that would target the life of the princess that they had to marry off to save face… Few would wish for it to continue. Don’t you want to triumph over them?”

“No. I don’t want to triumph over anyone or to be cursed… Dear husband, do you want to be king?”

Edward recognized my intent to hold a serious conversation, so I asked him too just to be sure.

In the novel, Edward plotted to usurp the throne using Alfredo, but there was little self-interest there. But…

“I don’t think I want to become king myself. But, if a child is born, and if it is a boy as you hope, then I will have all the pieces in place to take the throne. It’s not a bad time at all. The opponent is supposed to be the most impregnable thing there is. I kind of want to test my ability…”

That’s… Quite belligerent. Both militarily and politically.

Because of the country’s long standing inclination to not counter attack even when being invaded, it is usually only allowed to fight defensively, which may be a source of frustration.

Therefore, they want to fight some stronger people. I don’t really get it, and, as someone from the moderate faction, neither did Alfred.

At any rate, I protested with my mouth agape.

“Please don’t treat my child as a pawn.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to figure out what’s in my hand and what move would bring what kinds of results. And if I can grant it to my own child, then it’s not strange to think it would be good, right? If they had a choice, many people would say that the throne is better than a frontier county.”

Hmm, that may be so indeed.

“…And in case the child himself doesn’t wish for it?”

I can’t accept that he listens to what I want as his wife, but ignores what his son would want.

Would this Edward in front of my eyes force Alfred to do what he wants, like in the novel?

“I’m sure he would wish for it.”

“Why?”

“If he ascends to the throne, there will be no more attempts on his mother’s life. There’s no way my child wouldn’t wish for such a thing.”

Ugh..! That one hit me right in the heart.

I take deep breaths while holding my chest.

Good luck, my heart. It’s not time to stop yet!

“Looks like you get it. Well, Justina?”

“Wha-What is it?”

“Take off your clothes.”

My heart stopped for a moment, and in my brain a person dashed past holding a “guilty” paper.

“Didn’t you say that you wanted my children?”

My husband looked down upon me, and spoke.

Rather, he was completely sarcastic. How unpleasant. He’s looking at me with the boomerang he threw stuck in me, as if saying “I told you so”.

But I have a point.

“I can’t keep up with your flip flopping!”

What’s happening? Just a while ago, he hated me like a snake. Yes, that’s right. As someone who stands above others, how can he change his mind in such a short time?

“Flip flopping? I never said that I wouldn’t make love to you. What’s wrong with making love to my wife in the first place?”

Ugh… I screamed in my head.

I don’t want you to talk about making love to me or not at such a close distance with that handsome voice of yours.

I rolled over in agony on Edward’s bed. I wanted to, at least, but I was prevented from doing so by the arms that were pressed against the bed with my head in between, so I just anguished.

Yes, this… This is my husband’s bedroom. My husband’s bed. And, we’re all alone.

Look at this, past me~! I finally got into Edward’s bed! I did it! This is where our fight starts! I’m happy, embarrassed, and pressed against the bed! Kya~!

Pressed against the bed, huh? I’m just pushed down onto the bed, right?

Gya~! Stop, don’t calmly point out what’s happening! I’ll die of shame!

“Well then, my dear wife.”

By Edward! I got called “wife” by Edward!!!

I look up to Edward. I must see the look he had on his face when he called me his wife. Today is our wife anniversary!!

“Are you ready now?”

He feels so manly… Thank you.

The day after I carelessly told my husband how I felt, was carelessly kissed, and carelessly made a pledge and ran away, the butler told me that my husband had asked me to come by the bedroom at night.

I can’t forget the expression on Daniella’s face back then. She did a double take. After the butler left, she asked: “What are you making the master drink!?” Then she grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. I am the countess, you know!

I explained in detail that I wasn’t making him drink anything or using suspicious drugs, as the lady attendant polished me up to look shiny, plastered me up and made me wear frilly underwear, then bid me farewell as she bowed her head in front of the master’s bedroom door.

Amazing. Nowhere to run.

Stepping into my husband’s bedroom for the first time, I must have looked like a newborn fawn from the outside.

Looking at how I was, my husband tilted his head and asked the same question he did today.

Weren’t you aggressively pressing me to have children? And such.

I can’t help it! I am a maiden! Of course I’ll be nervous! After such desperate replies, he would say “You..?” At least, I think that’s what he said.

I know that if I picked that up this night would have been even more difficult, so I ignored it. I want him to be grateful.

I did ignore it, but when I sulked, my husband nodded and said: “Fine.”

“Then let’s get used to each other first. I have no interest in doing this by force.”

“…Okay?”

My husband was more of a gentleman than I thought.

As a new wife, I don’t know whether to be happy or sad.

However, the first night, he held my hands, hugged and kissed me, and that was it.

The next night he stroked my body over my clothes to find out the good parts, the next night he put his hand under my clothes and touched me directly, and the next night…

He’s a gentleman. I don’t want to think that it’s because I’m not attractive enough to grab at. My husband is a special gentleman. I’m sure of it.

But… Despite my husband’s gentlemanly behaviour, I can’t get used to it.

When I am pushed down on the bed, I get nervous. I escape from reality and shut myself down.

Because my partner is quite good looking, probably one of the most handsome men in the world.

I’m not just saying this as a woman. I mean, he is the father of the main hero of the novel who always gets praised for being handsome, so he looks like him.

I hope he can understand that it’s only natural I get nervous.

The only ones who wouldn’t are this world’s heroines. I’m jealous.

My husband, the gentleman, finally said “undress” today. Is it that the timing is right, or has he lost his patience with me, someone who makes strange, not so attractive noises every night?

If I had been an experienced prostitute, I would have replied to the handsome voice’s erotic command with “yes, gladly!”. Then I would get completely naked, but I am unfortunately not an experienced prostitute, only a maiden.

Ta-taking off my clothes, in front of the person I love… That’s…

As I was silently fidgeting and squirming, he undressed me.

Wait, where did the gentleman go?

“Mmm!”

Edward played with the tops of my breasts with the tips of his hard fingers. I couldn’t help but moan. This voice is embarrassing. He pressed the back of his hands firmly against my lips.

So embarrassing. I want to run away. I want to cry.

But Edward is looking at me. If he thinks that it’s really no good from my reaction, I’m sure he’d stop. Like always.

However. But…

I grabbed Edward’s arm. Rather, I clung onto it.

Edward looked me straight in the eyes, and tears trickled down from them.

“Husband…”

Embarrassing, embarrassing; I wanna run away. But…

“…Today… Please… Keep going until the end.”

It feels good, and my body is thirsty and throbbing. Truly.

“Mm, ah, ah!!”

His finger is moving. Edward’s finger, inside me.

While stirring inside me, he pushed against my clitoris with his thumb.

I’ve experienced this much many times already.

The problem is what’s ahead. I gulped in between my messy breaths.

“…I can stop if you want.”

Edward said so while fixing my messy hair.

He really is a gentleman. Both a good and a bad thing, depending on the occasion.

“…Edward.”

I quietly called his name. It rolled off my tongue as my throat trembled. That name, that presence, it is very important to me. I think it’s lovely.

I smiled. I’m sure that’ll make him understand.

“Justina…”

Edward called out to me.

I’m happy. I love him. I love him so much.

Do you feel the same way? Even if you don’t, I just hope that you will, one day.

What a childish wish.

I laughed.

Edward opened his eyes a little, and I saw his Adam’s apple move up and down.

It’s not painful, just difficult. No, of course it’s painful too.

I know that he’s taking it slow and being careful, but I feel like I might scream for him to stop or to take it out.

I don’t want him to stop. I want to be closer to him. Even though we’re closer than ever right now, I want more.

What is this? When did I become a bitch?

I can’t help but laugh. Even though it hurts. Even though it’s difficult.

“Justina, are you alright..?”

Edward asked so with an exhale.

Ah… So erotic. He is indecent, after all. I was right.

“Yes, I’m alright…”

I didn’t sound alright at all.

I’m sure Edward thought so as well. My eyebrows twitched. But…

“Don’t stop. Keep going…”

When I asked him to do so, a groan escaped Edward’s throat.

“You’re…”

Wait, is he going to scold me now?

Edward’s breath fell on me as I reflexively braced myself.

“I can’t stop, so don’t worry.”

From then on, I felt like a ship being tossed about by violent waves.

“Ah, ah, Edward! Aah, ah, ahh~!!”

“Justina… Guhh..!”

I’m sorry, ships. Even though there’s nothing you could do when being messed about like that, when I got onto you in my previous life, I said..: “Stop swinging like that~! I’m gonna puke~”! I said such complaints.

Now, I’m the one getting tossed around, and it’s my loving husband doing the tossing.

Actually, maybe the ship itself does not feel that bad about it.

As I listen to the rough breathing of my husband and I…

“Husband!”

It’s always the same thing when I storm into the office without permission after just knocking.

My husband looks up from his documents, recognizes me, and relaxes his expression a little. Cute.

I walked up to my husband’s office desk and looked down at him sitting on the chair.

It feels pretty good to look down at my fit husband.

Perhaps noticing my disturbing thoughts, my husband gave me a curious look.

Then, I smiled back at him.

“He’s a boy born in the summer. His name is Alfred.”

After a moment, he realized what I meant, and I laughed at my stiffening husband.

“If this kid wants it, we’ll give him the king’s chair, right? Darling.”

As if remembering the conversation on top of the bed, my husband laughed.

“We don’t know the gender yet, right? Isn’t it too early to give him a name?”

“No! It’s a boy. He’ll look like you, and have my eye colours.”

As I spoke so with conviction, my husband looked up at me with amusement.

“How do you know?”

“…It’s hope.”

With that answer, I’m sure my husband thought that I was simply saying my wish out loud without a proof.

However, I know.

That what I have in my belly is my glimmering hope. A hope for me, you, and the world.

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<Chapter 9