Chapter 563
Rin cried for quite a while. She wept even more when I clumsily confessed that I had accepted her feelings by accident, rather than when she finally released the anxieties she had been keeping hidden.
But I could smile and comfort her through those tears. I knew those tears were made of relief and joy, not sorrow.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“…Just a little longer like this.”
“I’m good with that.”
After managing to stop her tears, Rin seemed to snap back to reality and buried her face in my chest, unwilling to pull away.
Once the tension eases, the aftermath can be no joke. Big Brother gets it.
“I’m glad we could air everything out before the wedding.”
As I stroked her hair, Rin gently nodded in agreement.
Yes, it’s truly a blessing. If we had gone into the wedding without untangling this messy knot or the misbuttoned first button, it would leave deep scars on both of us. What if Rin had carried such worries while being married to me and raising our kids?
‘Terrifying.’
The thought alone was enough to make my expression sour. May the three gods bless us and our future child.
“Somehow, I’ve made Rin cry twice in the same spot.”
Maybe that’s why I found myself muttering a mischievous remark. It was meant to lift the slightly heavy atmosphere, but—
“……”
“Sorry.”
I quickly apologized at Rin’s silent display of strength against me with her arms.
Sadly, when Rin first cried here, it wasn’t only tears of sorrow. Even some fell downward. It was a mistake to bring up a topic that could evoke such bittersweet memories.
But I feel a bit wronged. That incident was a monumental moment for us to resolve our awkward relationship as perpetrator and victim, and detailing it only adds to the below-the-belt tears.
‘No helping it.’
With a forced smile, I pressed my lips again against Rin’s forehead as she relaxed.
Now, Rin would not just be a fresh-faced academy student but rather the wife of a man and the mother of children. It’s best for her husband not to dredge up memories difficult to share with the world.
So, I suppressed my regrets. Let’s bury my wife’s embarrassing history here in this sea today.
‘Damn Kraken.’
Suddenly, I thought of the Kraken who must’ve met my parents in the afterlife. While it did provide Rin the chance to forgive me, it also became the source of an unforgettable embarrassing history.
What a shame I killed that bastard so gently.
While my purpose for coming to the sea was finished, since I was already at the southern end of the Empire, I decided to relax a bit.
I had already sought permission from my other wives, and with the teleporting mage available, I could return quickly. I figured I could head back around sunset.
“If I’d known, I would’ve brought my swimsuit.”
Fully recovering her spirit, Rin beamed as she wandered around the sandy beach.
It was such a delightful sight that brought out a smile. Just a few dozen minutes before, she had asked me in a worried tone why I accepted her, whether it was true love, and now she was filled with joy.
‘That’s a sign it all worked out well.’
I felt proud of myself. Being the husband of three official wives now allowed me to perfectly understand the hearts of women.
Bravo, me! I should keep it up like this.
“Since it’s just us here, should we just jump in with our clothes on?”
With my exploding pride behind me, I wrapped my arms around Rin’s waist.
Wearing swimsuits has various reasons, one of which is to not dirty the sea that everyone uses with regular clothes.
But right now, it was just the two of us. Wearing normal clothes and getting into the water shouldn’t be a problem.
“Wait, it seems really is just us here? Even though it’s not peak season, Bojar shouldn’t be this empty!”
I let out a chuckle at Rin’s sudden realization. How scattered was her head for her to only notice it now?
“I booked today exclusively for us. No one else is allowed in.”
“What?”
“Why would we need outsiders while a couple enjoys a cozy date?”
At my words, Rin blinked, still puzzled.
“…You booked it?”
“Yep.”
“Here?”
“I put in a little effort.”
Rin’s bewildered expression intensified as her eyes darted around with confusion.
“B-but this is one of the most famous beaches in Bojar… Even if it’s not peak season, private bookings aren’t…”
Her murmurs of disbelief made me chuckle again. It seemed that, as a noble of the Gold Duke faction, she was sharpest when it came to monetary aspects.
As Rin said, renting out this beach isn’t easy. There’s the monetary issue for booking a famous tourist spot for even a day, the time issue of needing the owner’s confirmation on the same day, and the validity of giving a tourist hotspot solely to one person beyond money and time. To be honest, there were plenty of reasons for the Gold Duke to refuse such a request.
Yet, the Gold Duke agreed to my request.
– A beach? With the new contracts I’ve made thanks to you, that’s an easy task. Enjoy yourselves!
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
There were more reasons to accept than to refuse.
Lately, the high-ranking folks of the empire had been gathering every six months. It was, of course, due to my wedding.
To the Gold Duke, those gatherings served to rain down new money, just like a gold mine. Having already experienced such three times, the fourth one was about to open soon. If it were my request, they’d easily grant me a prime tourist site as well.
– You can even stay overnight, so let’s arrange a resort too.
Though it’s a shame they offered more than I asked.
“Rin.”
“Uh, oh, yes!”
I opened my mouth while teasing Rin’s waist, who looked like she would remain in shock if left alone.
That wouldn’t do. I had roped in the prized tourist destination, and it’d be a letdown if we didn’t enjoy ourselves to the fullest.
“I’m such a competent husband.”
Brimming with confidence, I said it aloud. Asking for something from a duke was really easy for me.
Compared to the decades of experiences ahead, this was nothing.
*
It’s fun. I feel so blissful right now.
Only a short while ago, it felt like the worst day ever, as if the world were collapsing. But in an instant, it turned into one of those unforgettable happy days.
“Oppa! You should come in too!”
“Hold on, I’m just chilling here. My clothes are too heavy since they got wet.”
I chuckled at that. Here stands someone who can slice the sky with a sword, whining about heavy clothes. It’s a sight you won’t see unless you’re family.
Still, I didn’t rush my brother and headed back to the sandy beach. After watching him play with Pedi and Titi recently, it wouldn’t be strange if he was tired. Anyone running around the mansion on all fours would be exhausted.
…
‘Why on all fours…’
I’d always been curious about this. If he’s just playing or caring for safety, standing next to him is enough. To make Pedi smile, just matching height for a moment would suffice.
But continuously crawling on all fours—wasn’t that beyond just playing…?
‘Is he enjoying it too?’
I found myself thinking unusually. Just an excuse to play with Pedi, or perhaps he actually wanted to crawl around?
Of course, such thoughts lacked evidence or likelihood. My brother wouldn’t do that.
“I haven’t played at the sea like this in ages.”
I casually sat beside my brother, smiling. It feels like it’s been ages since we went to the sea on the school trip to Cheness Principality two years ago.
“Right? That makes it more fun.”
Seeing my smile, my brother grinned back and pulled me close.
“…Maybe it’s just heavy from the water.”
“What? It’s heavy?”
It’s not something you really need to say; I know it wasn’t aimed at me. The clothes getting heavy from the water doesn’t mean I’m heavier.
But for women, saying something’s heavy can be the scariest and most critical thing to hear. Even if your outfit got heavy, there would’ve been better ways to put it.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s heavy. It just means it’s harder to leave my side.”
Unexpectedly, my brother’s sudden tease caught me off guard.
“Was that strange?”
“It was interesting.”
My immediate response made my brother scratch his cheek awkwardly.
Not a usual side of him, but I think I understand. He must have been trying to say more suave words to soothe me after seeing me cry earlier.
Though he ended up saying the wrong thing and causing both of us to be embarrassed, it’s still a form of affection.
‘Only I heard that, right?’
Instead of feeling embarrassed, pride filled my heart. I doubt anyone else gets to hear such romantic novel-like words from my brother.
‘Nice.’
My brother’s sincere affection gave me a surge of courage. Things I’d never dreamed of doing, I might muster the boldness to try it now.
Like,
“…Rin?”
That kind of knee pillow.
“Why? Is it heavy? Do you want me to get up?”
With my best poker face, I laid on his lap. So I could watch my brother’s face instead of the sky, feeling his breath instead of the wind.
“I didn’t even notice I was lying down because you’re so light.”
“You said it was heavy earlier, though.”
“I meant love is heavy.”
As soon as he finished that sentence, both of us burst into laughter.
What an unforgettable day this really is.
*
A day… Ah, really, it became a day I simply won’t forget.
“This is the resort arranged by the Gold Duke. I figured it would be rude to disregard that kindness.”
I nodded repeatedly at my brother, who was shirtless.
“And they didn’t send a mage from home. The mage who’d already come all the way to the southern end of the Empire asked for a day off.”
In my heart, I silently thanked the sisters back home and Rizie.
“With such support, I have no reason to decline. I’m not Erich.”
As my brother approached, my head started clouding with white. I had no idea what to say in this scenario.
“Should we name it Lemon?”
“I-I’d rather have it named after the sea…”
“Cool. We should go with what mom wants.”
Before I knew it, his hand was resting on my shoulder.
“I’ll name the first one after the sea, so think about a second one casually.”
“Yes, yes…”
At least it seems I won’t have the luxury to think through it tonight.
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