Nearby Wife's Territory - 6
The villa nestled inside the forest park was larger and more splendid than most noble mansions. With a little exaggeration, it could give my own residence in the Imperial Capital a genuine run for its money. That was only natural—the previous Duke had built it for his wife, and the current Duke cherished the place with real affection.
On top of that, the moment the vassals of the Catoban Ducal House vowed to lock Trixie and me away, they had rushed to inspect the villa’s condition and stockpile supplies. Even if we had walked in empty-handed, we could have lived there for five months without trouble.
Which only made it more disappointing. Had this been the vacation period instead of the school-trip window, we could have stayed three or four weeks.
Five days just isn’t enough.
I sipped the water left on the table and tried to sort my thoughts. After ten days of earnest effort with pure-blooded human Mar, Cheonnuni had been conceived. Simple arithmetic therefore said that with mixed-blood Trixie it would take twenty days.
But not even twenty—half of ten is five? Honestly, I held no great expectation of success. It was simply better to try than to do nothing at all.
Someday it will bear fruit.
Still, a treasure would one day be born between Trixie and me. So long as we never gave up, so long as we kept trying forever, results would come. Possibility mattered less than an unyielding heart.
And we’re both still young.
Had we already crossed into middle age the situation would have been risky, but thankfully Trixie and I were still in our vigorous years—the season when the crude strategy of “keep going until it works” actually worked.
So I would take it easy. My second father-in-law had loved a pure-blooded elf and produced Trixie within a few years; there was no reason I could not do the same.
…
Ease, huh.
I glanced at the bed behind me.
Seeing Trixie still sprawled face-down as though she had fainted made me a little sheepish. No—watching her tremble now and then yet refuse to rise, it looked like genuine unconsciousness.
I overdid it.
I approached carefully and stroked her ruined hair. At some point she must have found it hard to maintain the magic; the pure white hair she had always taken such pride in was mussed and dirty in places.
Even I had to admit I had gone too far. From the moment I locked the villa door five days ago until now, aside from the bare minimum needed for living, we had not separated for a single instant. No wonder Trixie—who had once delighted in our lovemaking—eventually showed tears and hiccupped as the hours dragged on.
Of course she had not disliked it. Had she hated it she would have pushed me away or fled with teleportation.
The problem was simply that I had poured out happiness far beyond anything she had imagined.
“Trixie, are you all right?”
I let the hand that had been stroking her hair drift down to caress her cheek.
“…….”
Regrettably, there was no answer.
Better to wait for her to wake on her own than force her.
Only after several more hours did Trixie finally come to her senses. The moment our eyes met she flushed scarlet and pushed herself upright.
She groaned and clutched her waist from the sudden movement, yet her faintly moist eyes never left me.
“Th-there’s such a thing as moderation! What do you think you’re doing for five whole days?!”
And I was scolded. Thoroughly.
I admitted it. Even though Trixie had enjoyed herself and never refused, physically driving a mage who had nothing left once magic was stripped away had been my fault. I had no intention of denying it.
“Even if I told you not to stop… I never thought it would be this much…”
“I’m sorry…”
Even though Trixie herself had said, “Don’t hesitate—love me as much as you loved Mar.”
“I’ll be careful so this never happens again.”
I bowed my head with sincere remorse, yet no reply came.
Trouble. If she would not even speak, her anger had to be serious—
“…Y-you don’t have to go that far…”
A voice so soft it was nearly inaudible without complete concentration.
Any number of replies sprang to mind, but for the sake of Trixie’s mental health I kept them all locked away.
Good is good enough.
If a husband and wife were this compatible, the day a treasure arrived at our side would only come sooner.
I decided to think of it that way.
Only after five full days did the villa door finally open. When we first stepped inside I had planned to look around for a few hours and leave; I never imagined we would stay five days.
We’ve already made memories.
I glanced around the villa and smiled.
A place filled with memories of Father and Mother. A place more precious to me than anything else, so I had wanted to add new memories—yet I had not expected to add them so quickly.
Of course I did not mind. This sort of miscalculation was a pleasant one I would welcome anytime. The villa was no longer a place I alone recalled; it was now a place Karl remembered as well.
“Fill this place with love. The place I spent a hundred years alone—fill it completely with you.”
“Ka-Karl? Wait, wait, let’s rest a little first—”
“Hnnngh—! Hyaaaah!”
Ugh.
Suddenly the memories of those five days flashed through my mind.
How embarrassing. Even though I had boldly provoked him the moment he laid me on the bed, even though I had asked him to do everything he had done with Mar because I was jealous, in the end I had been completely consumed by Karl and could do nothing but writhe.
I-I’m a mage, after all.
I tried to calm my trembling ears and began rationalizing.
No—not rationalizing. It was pure truth. Karl was the greatest swordsman on the continent; I was a mage who had never gone near physical training. Of course I would lose to him. Just as the sun rose in the east and water flowed downhill.
But Mar lasted ten whole days.
An unavoidable truth surfaced and my ears drooped. How had that girl endured ten days? I was reduced to this after a mere five.
Embarrassing in a completely different way. Unlike me, who could at least use magic, Mar had faced Karl with nothing but her own body. And still she had lasted twice as long as I had.
If I too had fully accepted Karl’s love the way Mar had… perhaps a young Duke of the Catoban Ducal House would already have been conceived.
“Trixie.”
“Ah—yes. I’m listening.”
I hastily turned my head after realizing I had been stroking my belly without thinking.
Had he somehow read my thoughts? Was he about to declare five days insufficient and march us straight back into the villa?
Fear and anticipation arrived together. Still, with experience I ought to last longer than the first time—
“I could really feel how carefully Father-in-law poured his heart into this villa and the park.”
Ordinary praise, nothing like what I had feared, yet it filled me with pride. Father’s efforts had reached Karl.
“So I was thinking—if you’re all right with it, how about we hold the wedding here?”
“The wedding?”
“Yes. Right here.”
At those words I blinked and stared at him. Originally my wedding was to be held at the grand cathedral in the Cervez Grand Duchy. St. Paronas Cathedral in the capital carried Mar’s memories; marrying there would have been a grave discourtesy to her.
Thus I had never felt any strong attachment to the original venue. It had simply been chosen because I was the Duke of Cervez and no other place in the territory was as suitable as the cathedral. In the end, what mattered was that Karl and I would become husband and wife in the eyes of the world.
A wedding here…
But if it were here, everything changed. If I officially became Karl’s wife in this place, nothing could make me happier.
The reason I had never suggested a villa wedding was simple: there was no precedent for nobles holding a wedding at a mere villa instead of a castle or cathedral.
Of course this villa meant more to me than anything else, yet the guests would not feel the same. Face-conscious nobles would find a wedding at a villa strange; better to proceed ordinarily than stir unnecessary talk.
“But… would it really be all right?”
Yet somehow my mouth was already asking him for confirmation again.
Was it truly acceptable? Could we really hold so solemn an event as a wedding at a simple villa? Would he mind sharing the cold stares that would fall on me?
“Of course. Changing the location so suddenly means we’ll have to hurry the preparations, but we won’t be late.”
Karl smiled brightly and nodded.
I beamed right back at him.
Trixie’s ears flapped without rest. That was how happy the suggestion of holding the wedding at the villa made her.
And the moment their lord appeared after a full five days—ears fluttering, face radiant with happiness—the vassals erupted in enthusiastic cheers welcoming us back.
“Welcome home! I trust nothing caused you discomfort during your stay at the villa?”
“Nothing at all. Thanks to your care we spent five thoroughly cozy days.”
At that blunt affirmation the vassals reacted in every possible way—some covering their mouths with both hands, others dabbing at their eyes.
“Truly fortunate. The previous Duke must be smiling down from heaven.”
Only the steward managed to keep his wits about him amid the chaos. As expected, the second-in-command of a grand duchy was no ordinary man.
“Ah, come to think of it, I have something to tell you, Steward.”
“Please speak freely. Whatever you require, I shall prepare it at once.”
“I intend to hold the wedding with Trixie at the villa.”
Even the steward lost his composure at those words and shed tears.
A sight that warmed the heart all by itself. Vassals who loved their lord this deeply were a rare sight in any other territory.
“Two weeks! Give me only two weeks and every preparation will be complete!”
“No need. There’s no reason to rush that much.”
Their affection might have been a little excessive, yet love was preferable to ambition any day.
It’ll be quite a spectacle once a child is born.
I smiled, picturing the children of the Catoban Ducal House who would one day arrive. Fierce competition would surely break out among the vassals for the position of nanny.
At the very least, our child would never grow up lacking love.