Over Dessert
By the time we were eating dessert, the conversation around us inevitably drifted toward politics.
"Did you hear? The Grand Duchy is in utter shambles. They say Wynn is on the verge of falling."
"I know, right? I hope that wretched Grand Duke loses this time so Her Majesty the Empress can finally be freed."
"Exactly. The Grand Duke's dogs occupying Roman need to snap out of it and beat their master to death."
Flinch. Hearing the slander against me, Theodora's shoulders shuddered violently. And then...
Slam!
"You bastards! What did you just say?!"
Theodora suddenly bolted upright and shrieked at the men badmouthing me. I hurriedly intervened.
"Whoa, whoa! D-Darling, what are you doing? Are you drunk on that beer?!"
Muffling the mouth of the suddenly explosive Theodora, I bowed apologetically to the men at the adjacent table.
"Haha... My wife has had a bit too much to drink today. I do apologize. Please, carry on with your conversation."
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
Though her words were muffled, Theodora thrashed wildly. As I tried to drag her away from the table—
"Hey there, young man. Don't you know that a crowing hen brings ruin to the house? A woman ought to be kept in her place with a firm hand."
"Bwahaha! You're laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?"
"If you don't have the strength for it, we can step in and show your wife a real—"
Thud!
I couldn't stomach their garbage any longer. My fist slammed directly into the face of the man spewing filth.
In a chillingly quiet voice, I said, "Who gave you permission to insult my wife?"
Drunkard One collapsed, clutching his shattered nose. "Y-You crazy bastard!"
Seeing the other two lunge at me, I grabbed a wooden tankard from the table and smashed it over one of their heads.
"Kyaaa!"
Screams erupted as the sudden brawl broke out... but despite my appearance, I was a graduate of the Grand Duchy's prestigious military academy.
While I lacked the superhuman strength of Valorang or Mary, there was no way I would lose to a bunch of sloppy, drunken brawlers who had never learned how to fight.
Smack!
A light jab connected squarely with the second drunkard's philtrum, sending him to the floor with blood gushing from his nose.
I caught the wrist of the third drunkard as he swung at me, and—slam!—slammed him face-first onto the floor.
I pulled a few gold coins from my pocket and tossed them onto the counter. Theodora stared at me, utterly dazed.
I held out my hand to her. "Let's go, Theodora."
Knowing we had to flee before the city guard arrived, I grabbed her hand and hurried out of the tavern.
Click, clack. Step, step.
Perhaps because we had fled in such a rush...
"Haa..."
Hearing Theodora's slightly labored breathing, I paused.
"Are you alright?"
I asked. She caught her breath and nodded in response.
Looking at her, I let out a sigh. I guess we can't go back to that tavern. The pork was actually really good. It was a shame, but if the guard caught us, the rumors would spread like wildfire by tomorrow morning.
The Grand Duke and Empress, out incognito, beat up patrons who insulted them! What was the point of going undercover?! A sensational headline like that was bound to dominate the papers.
Yet, completely oblivious to my worries, Theodora burst into a bright laugh.
"Pfft... Hahaha! You were really cool today."
She smiled radiantly. This girl... she's dangerous. How could she look so innocent and cheerful when several men had just had their noses broken, even if they were just drunkards?
Just as I was savoring the delicious chocolate ice cream melting in my mouth, an offensive conversation drifted into my ears.
"Did you hear? The Grand Duchy is in utter shambles. They say Wynn is on the verge of falling."
"I know, right? I hope that wretched Grand Duke loses this time so Her Majesty the Empress can finally be freed."
"Exactly. The Grand Duke's dogs occupying Roman need to snap out of it and beat their master to death."
How dare they... speak of my husband... in such a manner?
Flinch. My body trembled with pure rage. These fools were slandering Deviang, the man who worked day and night, sleeplessly, for the sake of the Empire and its people.
What do you even know? Do you have any idea what he is doing for this Empire? How dare a bunch of ignorant commoners gather and insult my husband?
Slam!
I shouted at them. "You bastards! What did you just say?!"
Deviang, looking utterly flustered, wrapped his arm around my shoulder and—"Mmph!"—covered my mouth, shouting:
"Whoa, whoa! D-Darling, what are you doing? Are you drunk on that beer?!"
No! I'm not drunk! Let go of me!
Completely oblivious to my feelings, my so-called husband bowed his head to them.
"Haha... My wife has had a bit too much to drink today. I do apologize. Please, carry on with your conversation."
Hey! Are you really my husband?!
Seeing Deviang act so submissively only fueled my anger. I tried to raise my voice further, but his merciless hand kept me muffled.
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
As he tried to drag me back to our seats—
"Hey there, young man. Don't you know that a crowing hen brings ruin to the house? A woman ought to be kept in her place with a firm hand."
"Bwahaha! You're laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?"
"If you don't have the strength for it, we can step in and show your wife a real—"
Deviang released his grip on me. And then—whoosh!—his fist flew straight at Trash Number One. Thud! Then came his icy voice.
"Who gave you permission to insult my wife?"
Thump... thump...
He called me his wife. It was the first time I had ever heard him use that word. My wife... Why is my heart pounding so hard over a simple word?
Of course, he and I... we're married, so it's only natural. Yet, my heart raced so fast at his words that my face felt like it was on fire.
"Y-You crazy bastard!"
And so, the brawl began. "Kyaaa!" someone screamed.
Watching Deviang effortlessly subdue the trash, I thought: He's actually... quite reliable. I tried my best to calm my racing heart as I watched his surprisingly formidable combat skills, fearing it might burst otherwise.
Smack!
Deviang threw a punch, and the man collapsed onto the floor, blood spraying pathetically from his nose.
Finally, he caught the last man's fist and slammed him into the ground. Thud!
Afterward, he pulled a few gold coins from his pocket, tossed them onto the counter, and held out his hand to me. "Let's go, Theodora."
He pulled me along, leading me out onto the main street, and we walked for quite some time.
Click, clack. Step, step.
Perhaps because we had walked so far, my breath began to grow short.
"Haa..."
At that moment, Deviang turned his head. "Are you alright?"
When I nodded to reassure him, he let out a weary sigh, looking as if he had a massive headache.
It was fun. For some reason, it reminded me of playing hide-and-seek with my older brothers when I was a child. Back then... I was truly happy. A precious memory from my childhood.
My brothers' despairing faces when I found them in their hiding spots... In this moment, Deviang's expression overlapped with theirs, and a smile slipped onto my lips.
"Pfft... Hahaha! You were really cool today."
Deviang, who had fought for my sake, looked exceptionally handsome today.
"You shouldn't just jump into things like that," I grumbled slightly, but she only beamed, looking utterly delighted about something.
As we strolled through the streets of Roman, a striking building caught my eye.
"What is this place...?"
It was a grand building with an impressive dome.
"It's the Opera House."
"Ah, the Opera House."
I haven't heard any rumors about a good opera playing recently, though. I thought, observing the long queue of people waiting outside.
"Oh, now that I think about it, I believe I heard there was a performance by Biz."
Biz. He was a famous composer in the Empire. I had heard he possessed a talent so immense he could easily be called the genius of the century.
Yet, despite his genius, his life was rather miserable. I had heard many rumors about his financial struggles... though it was hard to pity him, considering how much money he actually made.
He was said to be one of the highest-earning composers in the land. The only reason a man like him could be poor was his excessively profligate lifestyle.
"Shall we watch it?"
Theodora asked, her face lighting up with interest. I nodded and headed toward the ticket booth.
I paid a whopping eight gold coins to secure the best seats in the house before we headed inside.
"It's been so long since I last saw an opera."
Seeing her so excited from the moment we entered the corridor, a faint smile crept onto my face.
"Really? It's been a while for me too."
It had probably been about ten years. I used to go often when my mother was still alive.
But after her passing, I was locked away in the watchtower, and then I was sent to the brutal military academy, leaving me with no time for such luxuries.
Lost in thought, I opened the door to the private box, revealing the brightly lit stage below.
"I wish we had some popcorn."
"What's popcorn?"
"Just something."
It was too bothersome to explain a snack I used to enjoy while watching movies back on Earth, so I brushed it off.
"By the way, did you know this performance is supposed to be highly unconventional?" Theodora asked, scanning the pamphlet in her hand.
"Oh? In what way?"
I asked, and Theodora replied.
"Do you know what a femme fatale is?"
I shook my head at her question. "No, I don't."
She looked at me with genuine surprise. "Heh... It's surprising to find there's actually something you don't know."
I shrugged. "I'm only human. I can't know everything."
At that moment, the lights dimmed. Accompanied by the melancholy strain of a violin, the crimson curtain slowly began to rise.