Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 7
Fiancée of the Wizard
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Translation by burnt.marshmallows
Editing by Team Foxsunes
As I instinctively threw a glance at that man, I saw him furrow his eyebrows, as if he were lost in his thoughts about something. His gaze was still directed at Noct’s choker. I couldn’t help but feel that it was a bit too harsh a glare to aim towards Noct, who was still shrinking with fear.
「Edi?」
What was he planning to do? I knew very well that he was not the type of man to look at someone like that just because they dropped a book. Which means that there is a reason deeper than that. I generally stood on that man’s side, but based on what that man said next, I was prepared to stand on Noct’s side too.
There was no doubt that that man noticed my gaze, as he let out a sigh and took another glance at the choker that was wrapped about Noct’s neck.
「That collar」
「It’s not a collar!」
「……What’s up with that choker?」
For a moment, I could see a flick of annoyance in that man’s eyes as Noct denied the fact as if he were about to snap somebody’s neck off. But it seemed that it was too troublesome for him to argue about small things like that, so he just calmly corrected himself and questioned Noct again. In response to a simple question like that, Noct wasn’t able to play dumb. He took a big gulp of breath of air, and finally whispered softly, muttering.
「Ma gave it to me」
「Mother?」
「Your mother?」
「Yeah. My mother made it for me.」
He carefully caressed the black stone that was embedded in the center of the choker with his thin fingers. Ma. That, without a doubt, must have been referring to his mother.
「Noct, you, have a mother?」
Thinking about it, didn’t this boy blurt out「Ma」this afternoon too? As I suddenly questioned myself, having remembered that fact, Noct nodded slowly.
「I do. We’re apart from each other now, but she says that she plans to live with me once things settle down.」
I wasn’t able to follow up with any questions as Noct downcast his eyes as if to tell us that he didn’t plan to say anything more than that.
There wasn’t anything strange about the fact that even Noct had parents. I wasn’t that familiar with the ecology of demons, but if he himself calls the person his mother, then there was no doubt that to Noct, that person must be his one and only mother.
How envious it must be to have such a good kid as your son. As I thought in my head, and casually replied with a「That’s something to look forward to.」, Noct’s eyes shifted with hesitation before nodding with his eyes downcast.
「Yeah. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been looking forward to it. That’s why I can’t help but be really excited about it.」
Those black, beast-like ears of his twitched around restlessly. For some reason, I felt as though he said those words to persuade himself, rather than for us to hear. But maybe it was just my imagination. I couldn’t help that I desperately wanted to say something to him for some reason. But as I stood there stuttering, not knowing what to say, and as that man continued to stay there deep in thought, Noct started to turn around and leave.
「Well then, I’ll return to my room」
「Oh, wait a sec!」
Before I could realize it, I had already called out to him. I waved at Noct as he turned around, perplexed, and gave him a cheerful smile. Oh yes. I had that trick up my sleeve.
「Hey, Noct. Since you’re already here, do you want to try touching my stomach?」
It seemed that he’d been interested in it for quite a while, and I had nothing to lose just by letting him touch it. How about it? I tilted my neck while placing my hand on my belly. I thought that he would agree right away, but he shook his head vigorously, contrary to my expectations.
「I-I can’t do something like that!」
「There’s nothing wrong with it at all. Isn’t it a splendid thing for this child to gain another friend? I would be really happy if you would come and give your greetings.」
No matter how much he shook his head, I wasn’t going to stand down. Please? I gave him a smile while pushing him to do it. Those yellow eyes looked at me as if he had seen something unbelievable. Hey now, what’s with that look, as if you’d just seen a ghost.
「A friend, for me……?」
The look in his eyes reflected the disbelief in his voice. With his fists held tight, Noct looked at my belly.
「I can’t. I’d feel too bad for someone to be my friend.」
「Noct」
That’s not true. There was no way that was true. Before I could say that out loud, that man opened his mouth. Noct’s eyes shifted towards that man with fear. Staring straight back into his eyes, that man continued matter-of-factly.
「The one who you feel bad for isn’t our child, but yourself right?」
「ー!」
「You can pity yourself all you want, but that is by no way a virtue.」
「W-what do you……!」
This past week, Noct had expressed shock and hesitation, but never anger. But here he was, showing irritation for the first time. Undaunted by that at all, that man continued indifferently.
「Yeah, I don’t know anything. That’s why I can say whatever I like.」
ーThat’s a lie.
I couldn’t help but think that. There was no way that he didn’t know. There was no doubt that this man understood Noct’s feelings more than anyone else. Noct’s hesitation, his fear, his panic. Those must be feelings that this man had experienced in the past.
Actually, not just the past. They were feelings that he might still be experiencing even now. It was the first time I had ever seen him talk about it to someone. Even though I wanted to hear these complaints of his, he had always refused to express them to me.
That was why there was no way I could interrupt this conversation. I held my breath, listening intently to that man’s every word, so that I wouldn’t miss anything.
「In the end, the only person who can determine your value is you and you alone. Having lived together for an entire week, it’d be a pretty boring joke if you said that you feel bad for becoming friends. 」
Hmph. As that man ended his words with a grunt, Noct’s eyes immediately widened. He looked up at that man, as if still unable to believe what he had just heard, and stuttered out a「But」. In response, that man threw him a truly annoyed look, as if to say「Do you still have any arguments?」. My husband, how mean you are being. Noct bit his lip one in response to his glare, and glared back at him resolutely.
Wow, for someone as young as this to be able to glare back at this man was quite impressive indeedー is not what I should be saying in this situation. I never thought that words like that would leave this man’s mouth.
The only person who can determine your value is you and you alone. I wonder when this man came to be able to say something like that. I wonder who the one who taught that to him. It can just be a small fraction, but I hoped that he would think that I had a part to play in it too. Maybe me「staying the way I am」, as that man had said, helped in that too. I’d be really happy if that were the case.
As I smiled wryly at my own audacity for thinking something like that, I looked at Noct, praying that that man’s words would reach Noct’s heart. With that mouth on his good-looking face agape with shock, Noct looked up at that man’s beautiful face.
As I continued to compare the looks of the two, the one who first started to open his mouth was Noct.
「……Wouldn’t you hate it for another man to touch your wife’s belly?」
「Of course I’d hate it」
I couldn’t help but want to hit that head of his, hearing the answer he immediately hashed out, without a tinge of embarrassment. Noct froze with his eyes opened wide. That man stood there proudly, without showing a single sign of bashfulness at the line that he had just let out.
「But if Filmina says that it’s alright then I wouldn’t mind. If you’re going to touch then do it quickly. Before I change my mind.」
「B-but」
「Long-winded. Or are you trying to say that you don’t want to touch our child? That’s some nerve you have.」
This was a borderline threat. As I started to pity Noct, I called out to him in a bid to reprimand him.「Edi」. In turn, that man scrunched up his face, displeased. Even if he was aware that what he was saying was immature, it seemed that he had no intention of backing down. What an ill-natured person he was.
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