How to Get My Husband on My Side

Chapter 8

—

This was unexpected, so even I was a little surprised.

There was a commotion. Whether others were seeing or not, Izek grabbed me and turned me around to see for himself. Caught in his giant grasp, I felt like a chick trapped inside an eagle’s claw.

Was he going to hit me?

I didn’t care as long as I didn’t die.

“Say it again. Hiding...What are you going to do while hiding?”

“I-I’ll just hide and watch. Even if I follow you, you won’t know...”

“Do you want to die?”

His tone sounded pretty odd for a threat.

Of course, I was doing this so I wouldn’t die, so I shook my head.

“Then, why would you do that?”

“I, I...would like to see you, but I don’t want to be a nuisance...”

Like a cute fan.

Surely, he wouldn’t think his weak wife would try to assassinate him. There’s a saying that the only person brave enough to assassinate a paladin is a suicide lovers.

As I tried to make the eyes as teary as possible, my husband, who was staring at me with an unknown look, suddenly let out a sound similar to a sigh and touched his temple. At the same time, Sir Ivan, who was watching us with a somewhat absent-minded look, coughed, “Lady Rudbeckia, that’s a very dangerous act.”

“What?”

“I don’t mean that he’ll mistake his wife for an assassin. As you know, the North is a dangerous place, so we’re a little different from the knights who grew up in the South. It’s not as safe as the last time, but if you’re near us when we’re tracking down the monsters, we may kill you without knowing what’s going on.

I see. Who knows what they would do if they were at their peak? Maybe they’ll be as hyperactive as humans would be on drugs. Naturally, I didn’t want to pretend to chase except where safety was guaranteed. But, I guess, I do look like a fangirl from their reactions. Thank you for misunderstanding, you delusional patients.

(T/N: 도끼병 is the term used here, apparently it’s a disease where the patient believes everybody has a crush on him/her xDDD)

“Oh, I’m in such trouble. I’m sorry, it’s just that I’m from the South...”

“Don’t say that. No wonder you don’t know. It’s fine, right? Hey, say something.”

Izek, who didn’t budge, was silent. He just stared at me with a strange look, chewing on his bottom lip.

He seemed to be thinking about how he’d get annoyed to death.

I stuttered with a glum expression, as much as possible.

“D-Don’t worry. I’ll never get you in trouble...”

“If the schedule had changed, you should have told me in advance.”

The chilling voice belonged to Ellenia.

Ellenia came close to us and looked at her brother with that impassive look on her face.

“Ellen’s right. You could have stopped by. You don’t even know how to be grateful for the beauty at home.”

Freya changed the atmosphere by hitting Izek’s arm, who was still busy staring at me, with a slightly playful blow using the tip of her fan.

It seemed to be a very natural move.

An atmosphere where you would usually hear a reply like ‘Where is the beauty?’ was made, but by maintaining an unmoving figure, Izek was making this barely cheerful atmosphere awkward again. By the way, his tight grip still had my poor shoulder trapped.

Such a narrow-minded b*stard.

This response was interesting, though. I thought he’d just walk away like last time.

“You...”

“Your Majesty The King has arrived!”

Just when he had finally opened his mouth, a magnificent horn sounded.

It was indeed the most appropriate time.

King Feanol spoke.

The King of the North, with a gentle and gracious impression, said in a moderate yet business-like tone, “You must have taken trouble coming a long way, but I’m happy to have your presence, Lady Rudbeckia.”

“I also appreciate your hospitality, Your Majesty.”

“It’s rare for my nephew to appear on time for a banquet, but it seems like after getting married, little boys really do grow up. Isn’t that right, Lord Izek?”

Apparently, King Feanol had a considerable amount of money made by his nephew.

Likewise, Izek, who would have gotten enough money due to his marriage with me, responded with a polite attitude to the jab, “The son will only follow his father’s steps, after all.”

The king’s expression became distorted.

It was not an angry look, but one of strange bitterness.

“Is this why you never listen to me, even after I kept requesting for so long?”

“What can I even say, and whom can I even blame? Since I was the one who brought this on myself.” His cynical tone was so cold that everyone who listened to it felt chills run down their spine.

Izek glanced at me, looking at me carefully once, before leaving like a storm, clicking his tongue in displeasure.

His child-like behaviour overlapped with Cesare’s.

Laughter rang out from all over the place.

Yes, yes, laugh as much as you can. I will be the fool smiling even when my husband throws me away.

“If only he hadn’t been Isis’ child...”

“Calm down, Your Majesty. The new bride will be surprised.” The queen gently calmed down the king, who was about to burst into a fit. She smiled kindly toward me.

Rich reddish-brown hair. Lemon-colored eyes with a mole underneath her eye. Light coffee-colored skin, which was rare for royalty. She stood out. I remember someone said that she was a slave from the East, and my memory seemed to be correct.

“Now, princess, it’s daring of you to look at me like that. Let’s say hello with an example.”

She looked six or seven years old.

With brilliant turquoise eyes, the princess, who was staring at me, looked up at the queen, who slightly pushed her back. Her long braided reddish-brown hair swayed as she moved.

“...welcome to Angvan Palace, Lady Rudbeckia.”

“Thank you. Princess Ari.”

As I greeted her with a big smile, the princess, who hid herself behind the queen’s skirt, quickly averted her eyes.

It was like a kitten hiding.

Now, it was clear why the existence of the princess was so insignificant in the original work.

King Feanol was a good enough lover to give the crown to a former Pagan slave, that too, a dancer. But he could not give his daughter, who resembled her mother and had those familiar pagan characteristics, the same position as any other princess.

It was inevitable no matter how hard the king tried. Furthermore, with cousins like Izek and Ellenia, Ari would be an eternal stranger in Brittania’s aristocratic society.

I was never in a position to sympathise with anyone, but I held a bit of pity for her.

Damn it, this world and that world are not much different after all.

Anyway, after the greeting, the banquet was carried forward in earnest.

The music the bands played, the sound of people talking, the laughter and the glasses clinking was all that could be heard.

It filled the huge banquet hall.

“These sleeves are unique. Is it a Southern fad?”

“Ahaha, I’m still waiting for a new dress.”

“Did you get your new clothes tailored?”

“Do you like the food here? I visited Romagna before, but I had a hard time because the southern food didn’t fit my palate.”

Sitting at the dinner table with Ellenia, many questions poured in.

It was expected that they would glance at me with a mixed look of compassion and ridicule.

Yeah, look at me more like that! I’m a fool who can’t even think about hurting anyone.

“Ah, Ellen.”

“Frey? Where have you been?” Freya, whose whereabouts had been unknown, finally reappeared and joined our table. It was refreshing to see her flushed complexion, it seemed as if she had been riding a horse in that short time.

Freya sat on the right side of Ellenia and immediately said to me, “I’m sorry, my Lady. I was going to bring him back in, but now he’s ignoring my words. Just where did his chivalry go?..”

“You’ve done something useless. Did he ever even pretend to listen to us?”

“I know...Haaa. My Lady, do you like horseback riding? Ellen and I host horseback riding meetings every summer.”

“I don’t ride very well, but I like it.”

“Don’t worry, all you have to do is like it.”

As a matter of fact, it was the other way around. In my previous life I was pretty good at it, but I didn’t like horseback riding itself. Now that I think about it, I just didn’t like horseback riding clubs. That was the only way to get around there, so I couldn’t help it.

“Horseback riding skills are hard to keep up with. Lord Izek helped you, of course. How about asking your husband for help, my Lady?”

One of the women sitting across from me smiled widely. Her round gray eyes sparkled provocatively.

Before I could open my mouth, Freya cut in quickly, “That was when I was a kid. Besides, I wasn’t that good at it.”

“Of course. Don’t get me wrong, Lady Furiana.”

Lady Conolace apologized coolly and exchanged glances with people around her. She looked like she was dying of joy. Why was there always one such person like that everywhere?

“Thank you for your concern. But I can’t take his time for such a trivial matter.”

There was a moment of silence when I spoke with a smile.

She gaped at my smiling face as if it were absurd, and soon cleared her throat and responded with an awkward smile, as if she lost all her excitement, “By the way, summer is coming to an end. This year’s sword fight will be held earlier than last time, right?”

“Will Sir Izek attend this year’s game?”

“Well, I’m looking forward to it, but if Lord Izek is present, the winner will be too obvious.”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen this year. I wonder who the flower of glory will be.”

The conversation quickly shifted, and I felt sick when this topic came up.

Only

This was because Cesare would visit this season.

The sword match, held every three years in Elendale, was the largest event with the longest history on the continent, attracting participants and visitors from all over the world.