Walter was well aware that asking for a handkerchief embroidered with two lilies, which is only given to men about to be married when they compete, would cause a stir in Edith’s thoughts.
However, he was a man with the guts and shamelessness to state even the most bombshell declarations as if they were no big deal.
After quietly bringing up the topic of conversation about marriage, Walter calmly poured water with a slice of lemon into a glass.
“Drink it. You may get an upset stomach from the shock.”
He held out the glass affectionately and observed Edith’s reaction.
She placed her lips on the glass handed to her and drank the water very slowly. It seemed like she was pretending to drink water to cover her mouth, which had suddenly become stiff due to the sudden rush of thoughts in her head.
『 At least her reaction is not a disgusted one, of wanting to raise their child alone.』
Perhaps because he had lost all of his childhood memories and suffered a lot while being imprisoned for seven years, Walter’s thinking had always developed to assume the worst and to be prepared for it.
In this current situation, Edith’s unwillingness to get married or shaking her head in refusal would be the worst-case scenario Walter had envisioned.
Now that the worst has been avoided, can he interpret her glancing at him with her blue eyes and checking his reaction as a fairly positive response?
Walter felt nervous for no reason. It’s the first time he brings up the topic to Edith, but these days, he is thinking about when to bring up marriage, from right after waking up to just before going to bed.
『 Even if my magic situation doesn’t go well, even if I am at fault, as long as Edith becomes the Duchess of Lexion, there won’t be a big problem for her and our child to make a living.』
Initially, he thought of it as a precaution in case his magical powers ran out of control, but as time passed, he began to feel more drawn to her and the very act of getting married to her.
『 Once the documents are in order and the wedding ceremony is complete, she won’t be called by the annoying title of Lady Fortrion.』
Edith, who did not receive any inheritance, would be happy to give up the last name, Fortrion, as she did not want to be closely associated with the Viscount.
In recent days, Walter couldn’t take his eyes off the white tablecloth fluttering or the white blankets hung by the maids. He secretly imagined dozens of times what it would be like when Edith wore such a white dress with a lace veil and a smile on her face.
When he saw the fluttering white cloth, Walter really couldn’t take his eyes off it, like a person possessed, so Cassius, quick to catch on, chuckled slyly and chimed in.
⋙“I’m not saying this because I’m your teacher or expecting a bonus, but objectively speaking, you probably have the best conditions for a fiancé in the empire, both in appearance and economically.”⋘
⋙“Why do you always say such nonsense?”⋘
Walter let it slide, but he didn’t deny it. It was a statement that conveyed that he didn’t think Cassius was lying.
『 But why isn’t this woman responding?』
Surely, if her first love came back and brought up the topic of marriage, she wouldn’t outright reject it. He wasn’t asking to get married immediately, he was just asking for her opinion about marriage.
Swoosh―
Even though it wasn’t hot, he rolled up his sleeves and unbuttoned his shirt to show off his stronger arm muscles. It wasn’t an attempt to score extra points. Absolutely not.
“If it’s not lilies, I think the lily of the valley would be fine.”
Although she seemed unwilling to do it, Walter made it easier for her as she froze with her mouth covered with the glass.
In the Agnas Empire, if the lily symbolized marriage, the lily of the valley symbolized engagement. The question was whether it would be alright to get engaged if she didn’t want to get married right away.
In what felt like an eternity, Edith placed the glass of lemon water on the table.
Then, instead of remaining frozen, he noticed that her cheeks were stained red as if they were soaked in pink-colored paint.
Only then was Walter able to relax his stiff body.
“I guess M’lady doesn’t dislike the idea.”
Walter slyly continued and sat down on the armrest of the sofa where Edith was sitting. As he gently held her hand, he felt her heartbeat beating surprisingly fast, accompanied by a warmth.
“As expected, embroidering lilies would be better than lilies of the valley, right?”
Walter shamelessly acted as if he had never felt discouraged, expecting a compliant response as if she would smoothly follow him all the way to the wedding venue without resistance.
“… Then I’ll embroider two lilies.”
When Edith answered as if she didn’t mind getting married, Walter thought he should drive the wedge in.
He brushed her blonde hair to one side and buried his face in her exposed shoulder. When he lightly kissed her fragrant skin, Edith flinched and let out a faint sound.
“I had a rough childhood… so I want to raise our little one in a nice home so that nothing like that happens.”
Every time his hair brushed against her skin, Edith held her breath. When she heard him lowering his voice and gently rubbing his head, she saw that, unlike his sturdy body, he had a fox-like side to him.
With each embrace, his body seemed to become firmer. As she lightly brushed his abs, Walter chuckled and nibbled on her ear.
“Ah…”
Heat spread through her body before the stinging pain. When she responded sensitively, Walter kissed her lazily on the back of her neck and whispered.
“If I were to tell you that I got caught looking at you during your stay at Lexion Manor, no one would understand. Anyone would know that you look more beautiful when you blush.”
“Walter…”
Edith couldn’t push him away. When she felt his comforting weight resting on top of her, her chest tightened. Then she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
There was no way Walter could refuse her response to his provocation. He lowered his head and devoured her lemon-scented lips.
As their soft skin pressed tightly together, a strange sensation awakened with their intimate contact. Walter, following his animal instinct, savored the flesh in his mouth as Edith’s hands firmly gripped his solid shoulder.
Walter raised his body and placed his knee between her spread legs. Balancing on the sofa that seemed on the verge of tipping over, their impatient kisses continued.
As their bodies pressed together, Edith could tell that he had been suppressing his desire for a long time.
Walter withdrew his lips just as the heat was beginning to dominate his reasoning, threatening to turn him into an animal. It was surprising how much his body could go out of control to this extent just by mingling their breaths.
Edith muttered softly, wiping her glittering lips with the back of her hand.
“…I told you not to ask for an indecent favor.”
Edith leaned against his body and hid her red face. She also felt the need to cool off a bit. It was a shame that his shirt was wrapping around his body.
The reason she stiffened when she heard him ask her to embroider two lilies was not that she hated the idea of being married to Walter. Edith desperately wanted to live with him, but she felt embarrassed because she remembered the somewhat immature things she had done in the past.
『 If only if Mrs. Leah hadn’t said that…』
⋙“Edith, if you like Isaac, ask him to marry you so you could live together.”⋘
⋙“Mrs. Leah, can I really do that?”⋘
⋙“Of course. I would be happy if you became my daughter-in-law. So, hurry up and make him promise you. You know better than anyone else that Isaac keeps his promises, right?”⋘
As Mrs. Leah said, Isaac was a boy who, despite being mean, always kept his promises. On the day he offered to give her a horse ride, he secretly brought his horse inside the house and let it run down the hallway, even though he knew he would be scolded if it rained.
So now that Edith thinks about how she used a rather cruel and coercive method to get him to ask her to marry him, she feels like she’s going crazy with shame.
⋙“Edith! Why are there only carrots in my stew?”⋘
⋙“If you don’t like carrots, promise to marry me. Then I’ll give you plenty of meat.”⋘
⋙“What, what?”⋘
『 Back then, I didn’t know that Isaac was of Lexion’s blood.』
Even if she tried to justify to herself that she didn’t do it for the sake of a title or property, her shameful past didn’t go away.
Edith even secretly kissed him on the cheek while he was napping and then ran away. It was an act of mischief driven by the inability to resist her affection for him.
While it might have been acceptable for the somewhat innocent Isaac, it was a past that Edith never wanted to be revealed to the sly Walter. Just the thought of him teasing her with, ‘Did you used to do this when you were young?‘ would make her feel like her face would explode.
In any case, since Walter couldn’t even remember the pranks she committed in the past, she thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to slightly manipulate the embarrassing past.
“When it comes to embroidery, I’m confident, so don’t worry. One must be very skilled with a needle to sew up a torn wound.”
Edith shook her head as if questioning when she had become so fixated on marrying Isaac. The slightly swollen lips he had bitten and sucked were still hot.
──────────✿◦•
As the Swordsmanship Tournament approached, the marketplace began to import and sell items suitable for gifts for men, including handkerchiefs and craft materials.
Elizabeth and Gilbert, like any other couple, were walking side by side through the beautifully decorated street, not wanting to miss the bustling New Year’s market.
“Elizabeth, shall we stop by the café for a moment? Aren’t your shoes uncomfortable?”
Gilbert asked in an affectionate tone. Elizabeth, wearing a winter hat, smiled superficially.
“I’m fine. If the people who saw the newspaper article recognize me, they will ask me if I really killed the Viscount to inherit his fortune.”
Elizabeth’s voice carried a sharpness. In reality, she was very nervous because of the article that leaked from Lexion’s side.
With her portrait appearing in the newspaper and, thanks to Lexion’s influence, a special feature continuing for days, the small tea party invitations she used to receive regularly also abruptly stopped after the article.
『 Was it Walter who leaked it? Or…』
Elizabeth gritted her teeth as she remembered Edith, who had been clever enough to thwart Sophia’s plan.
She didn’t believe Edith would lead the exposure campaign, but those briefly glimpsed sharp blue eyes were enough to make Elizabeth uneasy.
Besides, there was one more thing that made her feel uncomfortable.
❀.°• ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ •°.❀
