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Volume 6 Chapter 2 Part 16

Translation: Kurehashi Aiko
Editing: Team Foxsunes

Normally I would get severely scolded for wandering all on my own in the middle of the night like that, but fortunately for me this time around the Princess was the one that everyone was concerning themselves with. I was nothing more but an extra this time around, so no one should really bother with me if I take a midnight walk like that. True to that, even if I was to stumble upon some knight or a maid that came in here together with us, they acted as if I was not even there in the first place and just carried on with their routine.

Now, even though I was warned about it in the past that the temperature tends to drop significantly in the desert during the night, I would have never expected it to drop by so much. The difference was so great that with every single breath that I exhaled, there was a small puff of visible white air coming out of my mouth. Initially, I wanted to change from my embarrassing local outfit, but it would actually be pointless to do so –– mainly because I was not expecting such a cold temperature and I did not prepare some warm clothes in advance. But still, I was not even thinking about regretting going out in the night like that.

Out there, reflected in the still surface of the spring, was the same giant and bluish moon that was shining over the world in the night sky. Azure moon. Azure spring. Azure sand. It was all combining into one huge image. And the sight that was currently spreading in front of me could only be described with one word, exceeded by the sigh of pure admiration.

「So beautiful……」

The bluish light of the moon is reflected from the spring surface, illuminating the surroundings with a beautiful light. The name of this place naturally surfaces up inside of my mind, and then slips from my tongue. Azure Desert. So it was not referring to the sky, but also about the water and sand and moonlight as well. Even though it was the middle of the night, the moonlight was glowing so bright that you could almost mistake the time for the day.

It was a sight that I would never be able to witness back at the royal capital. It was so beautiful and so heartwarming that I let out another sigh of admiration, putting my hands together and feeling that tears start to well up in my eyes. Just then I heard a quiet rustle of the sand behind me.

「Filmina.」

 The familiar voice rings in my ears, and almost instantly manages to put a faint smile on my lips. There was only one person in the entire world that would be able to whisper my name in such a sweet tone. But sweetness was not the only thing I sensed in this voice. I turn myself around and see the owner of this voice, smiling faintly and apparently in a good mood.

「Oh my, if it isn’t Edi? What brings you here at this late hour? Did something happen?」

Of course, the one I saw upon turning around was none other than my dear husband. However, right about now the black hair that he was keeping hidden under the hood throughout the banquet was let loose, shining beautifully in the blue moonlight.  They were also swaying gently in the night’s breeze.

Despite knowing that the people would not take kindly to seeing the color of his hair, he was not trying to hide them away at all right now, which was somewhat of an unusual sight. If we were still in the royal capital, such behavior on his sight would be downright unthinkable. What in the world could have happened to cause him to change his usual behavior so much? But I feel that if I try and ask him about it, it would only result in that man putting on his hood and hiding his hair from me again. I feel that it would surely be much of a waste, so I intended to keep that thought to myself. However, apparently that man could read me like an open book, or maybe my thoughts were all too well visible on my face, because that man smiled bitterly before speaking up in an ironic tone:

「It seems that the black hair does not scare the local people as much as it does in the royal capital. Or at the very least people around here are smart enough not to bring that up in front of that medium guy and cause unnecessary commotion.」

「And here you are, talking like that once again……」

「I am merely stating the obvious facts. Nothing more.」

Even though that man was saying that with a trace of pity in his voice, there was also a trace of amusement that could be seen in his eyes. And just then that man’s eyebrows raised tremendously while he was looking at me with astonishment.

「What is it?」

「‘What is it?’ do not give me that. What were you even thinking?」

「And whatever do you mean by that?」

「Filmina.」

Personally I do not think that I am dense or anything, but I do agree that sometimes I was having trouble with understanding that man’s words and intentions, and getting the meaning of his words. Just like right now. The man called my name with his low voice while approaching me, mysterious light glowing brightly in his dark eyes.

 「When I went to your room to see how you were doing you were not there. The guards have told me that you have left it all on your own some time ago. I was worried that you might just get yourself into some sort of trouble again.」

「Oh my, oh my, I am most terribly sorry about that. I just wanted to breathe in some of the night’s breeze, that is all. Nothing else to it.」

The bitter smile that bloomed on the lips of that man was telling me that he did not believe in that story of mine in the slightest. I wonder just to what extent that man really trusted me, but for now that matter is something of no importance. We can always talk about it some more later. Because if someone was to ask me, more often than not it was always me who was ending up getting involved with that man’s problems and messes he himself has created or at the very least was a part of. It is not that I really wanted to get involved in all those messes, but saying that here would certainly accomplish nothing. So I decided to keep quiet for not, at least.

Since this time around it was not our private journey but rather the official trip of the Princess and Public Affairs Bureau, the rooms that we are currently staying at were assigned to us separately. Even though we are an official married couple, I was treated like the Princess entourage and that man was treated as part of the accompanying escort, hence the separate bedrooms. I have left my room and gone for a short walk, and because our rooms were not close or right next to one another I felt no need to inform that man about my little excursion. But apparently that caused the man to grow dissatisfied with me and hence why he was right here next to me right now. And of course, the expression on his face was difficult for me to understand, as always. But right about now it was all the more strange, since it was not taking away any of his usual beauty.

「That I do understand all too well.」

But even though I came here all on my own without telling that man anything, he was still able to find me quite easily. And since it was probably after midnight already, all of the night watchers were probably asleep or back at their quarters about now. Also, I am perfectly aware that staying up late like that is going to have the effect on my skin. As they say ‘Staying up late is the enemy of beauty’. Not to mention that I wanted to go on a walk all on my own to have a momentary break and to think about some matters, but unfortunately I have ended up bumping into the most troublesome person of the whole bunch that I have come with here. And while I was amazed that this man managed to find me even in a place like this, he let out a deep sigh.

「Have you already forgotten about the effect of the bracelet that you are wearing constantly?」

「Oh my.」

The moment that man’s white and slender finger points towards the bracelet on my wrist, I become aware of its existence once again. Now that you are mentioning it, it is indeed just like that. I just happened to have completely forgotten all about it.

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