Chapter 158: The Lich (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 158: The Lich (8)
“What do you think about polygamy?”
“Huh?”
Frillite couldn’t help but be momentarily shaken by Cloud’s out-of-the-blue question.
Polygamy.
Doesn’t that mean one man having multiple wives?
What was his intention in asking about that?
Was he trying to indirectly say he wanted another wife besides her?
‘…No, that can’t be right.’
He was a simple man, the kind who would give up his own achievements for the sake of the citizens and take back a companion who had left.
Any other man, maybe, but not him. It was impossible.
Then why would he ask such a question?
As she pondered, a thought struck her like a bolt of lightning.
‘I don’t need to limit my thinking to just polygamy.’
The essence of polygamy is one person having multiple spouses.
If you just switch the genders, it becomes polyandry.
Polyandry.
It means one woman having multiple husbands.
In other words, Cloud was worried that she might take another spouse besides him, and that’s why he asked.
Realizing this, Frillite felt a little displeased.
‘Does he trust me so little?’
It wasn’t strange for Cloud to have such anxieties. In fact, in families where a woman is the head, it wasn't unheard of for her to take multiple husbands who marry into the family.
Since Cloud was in a position to do just that, she supposed he could have such worries.
But she had never even considered a spouse other than Cloud.
If it weren’t for what he’d said, she wouldn’t have had any interest in marriage at all.
So she couldn’t help but feel a little hurt by his attitude.
‘Still, I should reassure him.’
Trust was important, after all.
Frillite cleared her throat and began to speak.
“Polygamy. It’s not a custom one can call inherently bad. There are few alliances as effective as a marital one.”
She didn’t outright condemn polygamy, as depending on one’s perspective, it could sound like an insult to other nobles.
“However, that aside, I do not care for such things.”
She quickly added, before Cloud could misunderstand her true intentions.
“A healthy marital relationship requires mutual trust above all else. And that trust can only be built when each person pours their time and emotions completely into the other. Having multiple spouses makes that impossible. That is why I dislike things like polygamy or polyandry, and I have no intention of ever practicing them.”
Frillite nodded, her arms crossed.
She glanced over, studying his expression.
“I see…”
His reaction was somewhat lukewarm.
Was I too long-winded?
How should I handle this atmosphere?
‘A joke. I’ll make a joke.’
Just as Cloud had done, she tossed out a lighthearted joke.
“Why the long face? Don’t tell me you wanted a polygamous marriage?”
The moment she made the joke, a scene played out in her mind.
While Frillite was busy with her duties, Cloud was fooling around with another woman.
Just imagining it made something surge up inside her.
She placed a hand on the awkwardly smiling Cloud’s shoulder.
She spoke with a forced smile.
“Don’t even dream of it. Got it?”
“Huh? Uh… okay…”
Having won their battle against the lich, Cloud and Frillite carried the body of the Platinum Knight to the nearby city of Aiken Hard.
“Aiken Hard wholeheartedly welcomes the Hero, Lady Frillite, and Lord Cloud.”
The butler of House Robert, the lords of Aiken Hard, bowed deeply. He was a middle-aged man with graying white hair.
Frillite nodded.
“Thank you for the welcome. If it’s not too much trouble, we would like a bath and a place to rest.”
“You two are the benefactors who saved Aiken Hard from the undead legion. It is only right to offer such hospitality to our saviors. The Count has also commanded me to ensure that your stay is comfortable in every way. So please, rest easy.”
“Thank you.”
“Ah, and if I may be so bold, would you be willing to accept the Count’s invitation to dinner? His Lordship wishes to hear the tale of your heroism in stopping the undead legion directly from you.”
“It’s hardly a tale of heroism… but we will accept the dinner invitation. Cloud, you’re fine with that, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you. The maids behind me will attend to you with the utmost care. We shall see you again shortly.”
The butler withdrew, and separate maids were assigned to Cloud and Frillite.
“See you in a bit.”
“You too. Get some good rest.”
The two parted ways for a while, washed up, and rested in their respective rooms.
After some time had passed, the butler knocked on the door of the room Cloud had been given.
“What is it?”
“Some people have appeared outside, claiming to be part of Lord Cloud’s party.”
“Ah, they must be here already. That’s probably them.”
Cloud had sent the unicorn so his companions could reach the city easily. It seemed they had just arrived.
“Where are they?”
Following the butler’s lead, Cloud headed to the stables. There, he found the unicorn, Eri, Ophelia, Neria, and Frillite, who wore a peculiar expression.
He wondered why Frillite was there, but he wasn’t given a chance to ask.
“Cloud, are you okay?!”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
The three women rushed over and began to inspect him.
Cloud chuckled and gently pushed them away.
“I’m fine. I’m not hurt, so you don’t have to worry.”
“We saw the undead scattered all over the ground on our way here. If I’d known it was that dangerous, I never would have let you go alone…!” Neria fretted, blaming herself.
Her presence wouldn’t have changed anything, but Cloud didn’t mind being worried over, so he just chuckled. Just as he was about to console the distraught Neria, Frillite spoke.
“Easy now. That’s right. Come here.”
Frillite led the unicorn over. Before Cloud could even ask what she was doing, she pulled the unicorn toward Eri, Ophelia, and Neria.
“Neeeigh!!!”
The unicorn shrieked and pulled its head back.
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence fell between Cloud and Frillite. Meanwhile, Eri, who didn’t know why the unicorn was acting that way, frowned.
“Right, now that I think about it, this horse is super picky about people. It’s a little better with me, but it openly dislikes Neria and Ophelia. Being able to fly is amazing, but it was such a pain riding it all the way here… Where on earth did you get something like this?”
While Eri was talking, Frillite stroked the unicorn’s mane, calming it down.
Then, she pushed the unicorn’s head toward Eri.
The unicorn seemed slightly displeased but didn’t pull away.
She pushed its head toward Neria.
The unicorn openly showed its displeasure and turned its face away.
In Ophelia’s case, it stiffened its neck and refused to even get close.
“Wh-what was that?”
The three women were bewildered by Frillite’s sudden actions. Regardless of their reaction, Frillite’s expression hardened.
“Cloud. When you first summoned the unicorn, it avoided you, didn’t it?”
“…It did.”
“And now I see it’s avoiding your companions as well?”
She turned her head and stared at Cloud with an icy expression.
“A most unpleasant thought has come to mind, and I can’t seem to shake it. What do you think? Am I just overreacting?”
Cloud swallowed hard.
Frillite’s icy gaze, which he was receiving for the first time, was incredibly sharp.
He tried his best to remain calm and opened his mouth.
“It’s a misunderstanding.”
“The remnants of the heretical cult I captured all started with those same words. Then they made pathetic excuses to justify their actions. I wonder how you’ll be.”
“Okay. I’ll explain. I’ll explain, so can you please put that sword down first?”
“Hm? Ah… my apologies. It’s a habit.”
“I think that’s a habit you should break.”
“Understood. I’ll fix it. Next time.”
“Can’t you fix it starting now?”
“Cloud. Since when were you so long-winded?”
“…”
Cold sweat began to trickle down Cloud’s back. From his perspective, all he had to do was tell the truth. That would clear up Frillite’s misunderstanding. But what about the others? Wouldn’t they be hurt if he dredged up their pasts without their permission?
That thought vanished the instant he saw the light slowly fading from Frillite’s eyes.
“Lorian. Gis. Gis.”
Cloud said, pointing to Eri, Neria, and Ophelia in turn.
“I think that should be explanation enough.”
“What does that… Ah.”
Tilting her head in confusion, she soon let out a gasp of realization.
“I see, so that’s what it was. I understand.”
“You do? That’s a relief. Then…”
“Now, only one remains. To whom did you offer your chastity?”
“Fuck.”
Cloud bolted and ran.