Volume 8 Chapter 3 Part 3
Fiancée of the Wizard
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Translation by Goma
Editing by Team Foxsunes
「Is the unborn child that important? 」
「What do you mean? 」
「I mean literally. You could make a child again. If you handed this unborn child over to them, you might be able to return to your original lifestyle」
Yet, why? I could not help but laugh at how Noct continued talking with such a somewhat serious and scary voice. I noticed that Noct further crunched his eyebrows behind the curtains of his long fringes. But I did not intend to take my smile back.
I have considered before what Noct is saying. I could make another child again. Others may say, in order to protect your precious ones that you embrace right now, you have no choice but to sacrifice your stomach’s baby. All the more if there is a suspicion that the baby will be the second demon lord. The demon lord’s threat to humans was no joke.
—–Be that as it may, yet. That was merely what the rest of society argued.
「This child is unique. Even if I had another child, it would not be this child」
Placing my hand on my stomach, I rubbed it gently. This stomach contains a child that is unique; no other person is the same as it. Once lost, the child could not be gained back again. Even if it was the demon lord, this did not change. I think I was finally able to understand this now.
「It is no other than that person’s…….Edi’s child. It is the best gift he has given me. At the same time, it is the best gift I could give him. It is a child who made a person who is crooked and not at all honest like Edi cry happily. Why would I have Edi kill the baby with his own hands? Isn’t what you are saying much harder to accept? 」
Even now, I could vividly recall the tears the man had spilt when I told him that I had become pregnant. Those teardrops were far more beautiful than any kind of jewel. Yet, dirty the man’s hands with a red liquid that was far from that transparent teardrop, even though he had cried for us? No, I could not bear to have such a ridiculous situation.
Albeit it was the main church’s priest that had started this idea, I wanted to grab him by his collar and listen to his wonderful reasoning. Of course, I did not intend to agree to whatever he says. If he dared to denigrate me as a betrayer of the religion, go ahead. No matter what he would say, it did not affect me at all at this stage. More than religion, more than the world, the child in this stomach was more important.
「That does not mean you have to escape alone……」
I smiled at Noct who tried to add on, apparently unconvinced. It was a genuine smile.
「I am not alone. This child is with me」
That alone strengthened me to boundless extents. When I said this with confidence, Noct glared at me as if attempting to challenge me.
「Even if you may not meet Agedilus forever? 」
「Wow, you say such mean things」
I giggled out loud, while Noct cast his eyes downwards as if he felt guilty. While observing him, I repeated his words in the back of my mind. Indeed. 『Even if I might not meet that man forever』. It was tearing to hear such words. It was very, very painful, sad, and desolating. Just thinking about it tore my heart into two. That being said, that did not mean I could obediently give this child up. That’s what I thought as I deepened my smile.
「Loving someone does not mean one has to be beside the other」
Noct gulped and widened his eyes. I looked back at him with a smile.
If the church was acting as Noct said, I would not be able to go back to the Schtorenvihein estate so easily. That is, if I could safely escape from the demon’s hands and flee from this estate. I did make up my mind to fetch the man, and if possible, I wanted to go to his place immediately. But from Noct’s reaction, I realized again that it was very hard in reality.
Until the princess and all would clear the allegations about the man, undoubtedly, I must hide. I did not know when I had to hide until. The princess and all had told me they would hurry, but surely it would not be『soon』 as she had said.
Ah, I did not like it. Even though I had made up my mind to fetch him. Yet, in the end, I could only wait. Sadly, since the last time, this part of my life did not change at all. I might as well say 「my speciality is waiting」.
Because, think for a second. Seven years. It was seven years starting from me being attacked by the high-ranking fire spirit and wounded by it to the man entering the magic school, and then finally coming home after graduating. For seven years, I had waited. Even though it was my story, I could not help but wonder how I waited so earnestly. After which, I did not just wait for seven years. Even after the man came back, I waited tons before we married.
「…….Ah, yes. That is right」
「What? 」
「Hehe. Nothing」
I giggled as I murmured something without any context. Noct looked at me strangely. Without giving him a clear answer, I shook my head in denial.
In my life, the period spent waiting for the man was very long. Through this period, I realized. How joyful it was to be able to wait. I realized that I was only able to wait because there was hope beyond waiting. The moment I had heard of the man’s death during the battle to destroy the demon lord, my hope was replaced with despair. I was not able to wait for him anymore. Compared to then, this was nothing.
All the more, I knew what I had to do now.
「Hey, Noct. I have a favor to ask, but would you hear me out? 」
「Depends on what the favor is」
It was an immediate answer. Well, of course. Nonetheless, it was splendid that he did not just deny me, 「Impossible」. I took off the bracelet I had been wearing on my right wrist, and placed it on the table.
「It’s not too difficult. I want you to throw this bracelet away somewhere far away」
If the church knows of this bracelet, they might find out this place through the man’s wand. This was still the better scenario. The problem was the potential scenario where the man comes here alone.
I did not have any intentions to invite the man here, since it would be a lie to say that the man was fully prepared. As long as the bracelet was gone, even the man would surely be unable to find my location easily. ……. Wait a minute, remembering how persistent he was, even if the bracelet was gone, I felt he would find my location using whatever method.
Yet, if this would at least delay him, it was better than nothing. If possible, I hoped it would delay him enough for the allegations about him be cleared and for him to recover. Yet, it would be beyond wishful thinking. I did not intend to stay obedient and compliant for so long, and the demon would not wait for me that long.
Noct gazed at the bracelet on the table with bewilderment in his eyes. Then after seemingly contemplating for a while, he finally lifted his gaze and looked at my face.
「Are you alright with that? Isn’t this, something precious? 」
「Mhm. It is very precious. But I still have this ring. On top of that, I have something even more precious than this bracelet」
At the start when I received this from the man, I did not think I would part with this bracelet at my own will. The word reluctant was insufficient in describing my feelings in parting with it. I did not know what kind of expression I should make. In the end, I forced a smile. Subconsciously, I rubbed the ring on my left ring finger; unlike the bracelet, the ring was a mere accessory. Noct’s eyes looked through me.
「Aren’t you going to regret? 」
……. Indeed, this child was a good child. I thought as such once again. Surely, Noct had already noticed that this bracelet was not a normal bracelet. Yet, he was confirming this with me. I reaffirmed that as I had thought, I could neither resent or hate Noct. Noct seemed to not be able to take the bracelet. Hence, I took his hand, and forcibly made him take the bracelet.
Hm, aren’t you going to regret….. I already knew the answer to such question.
「Indeed, undoubtedly I would regret. But this is something I should not be holding onto now」
I shall repeat, I had something more precious than this bracelet. That is why, please.
When I was about to continue saying so, a mellow voice suddenly barged in.
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