“Is Schlus here right now?”
“······.”
*Creek.*
Emilia, who discovered Iris smiling beyond the suddenly opened door, swallowed hard.
“Um······ Hainkel is currently unavailable.”
“Then I’ll wait inside.”
“I think it might take a bit longer. It’d be better to come back later—”
“If he’s not going to come back tonight, then I’ll wait inside.”
“Yes······. Then, please do so, Saintess.”
Emilia clicked her tongue internally and let Iris in.
Saying it might take a while was a lie.
Schlus had gone out to check his grades and meet with Erwin the assistant for a moment.
“Is there something urgent? I could contact Hainkel if it’s urgent.”
“There’s nothing special. I just came here to chat.”
“······.”
Emilia forced a smile, trying to keep her composure.
This person used to visit only for necessary matters, but now was coming and going as if it was her own home.
Where did the dignity of the saintess go?
Feeling slightly irritated, Emilia headed towards the kitchen.
“I’ll serve tea right away.”
“No. You can provide tea when Schlus comes. I’d rather just chat with Emilia.”
“With me······?”
Was the person who wanted to chat not Schlus but me?
Puzzled, Emilia turned around and went to the living room.
Sitting on the sofa facing Iris, she felt something strange.
She had never faced the saintess in this kind of position before.
“How’s progress lately?”
“What do you mean by progress?”
“I was asking if your relationship with Schlus is progressing well.”
“Ah, no! That’s impossible! Hainkel and I are not that kind of relationship at all······.”
Startled, Emilia waved her hands in denial.
Could it be Iris figured it all out? Feeling tense, she soon realized Iris was just poking fun and calmed her agitation.
The engagement with Schlus shouldn’t be disclosed to the outside yet.
It must be revealed later when the cooperation between the kingdom and the empire becomes more visible, to secure that alliance.
‘So there really hasn’t been any progress so far.’
Meanwhile, Iris felt relieved.
Once, she had cheered for Emilia and Schlus.
But as time passed, their relationship showed no signs of developing, leading to frustration.
‘Both of them are too shy. They probably haven’t even kissed, let alone progressed to engagement.’
Then she felt no guilt whatsoever.
She had given them enough time, and it was Emilia who couldn’t seize the opportunity.
Maybe it was time for her to take a chance······ thought Iris cautiously.
*Clack······*
“I’m back.”
“You came, Hainkel?”
At that moment, the door burst open and Emilia stood up, her face brightening.
She was showing how much she liked him, but still, there was no progress.
Since she could always see Schlus at home, she must have felt at ease.
That thought made her somewhat resentful.
“The tea is ready.”
“Thank you, Emilia.”
“No need.”
Soon, Schlus sat down opposite, and the tea was served.
He smiled gently, and Emilia replied with a slightly uncomfortable smile.
She was dying of discomfort seeing her man chatting with another woman.
Iris’s playfulness kicked in.
“If it weren’t for you, I might have missed the top position.”
“Uh-huh… If you’re really thankful, would it be okay to ask for compensation?”
“Compensation? I’d want to give you anything I could offer.”
Iris held her skirt, stood up, and approached Schlus.
She lifted her long skirt slightly to show off her legs.
But dense Schlus was clueless about her intent and just looked puzzled.
“Well then, just one request, please.”
“Go ahead.”
Iris, sitting nearby, leaned close to Schlus’s ear and whispered while covering with her hand.
“Just for one day, can you be my husband?”
“······?”
Her voice was so loud it made her close proximity meaningless.
Of course, she did this to ensure Emilia could hear.
Sure enough, Emilia couldn’t suppress her agitation and gaped in shock.
Just this was enough for Iris to feel a considerable sense of catharsis.
‘She’s calm······.’
Iris sneakily glanced at Schlus, curious about his reaction, but felt a bit disappointed.
He seemed somewhat taken aback, but there was no blush on his face, and he didn’t seem particularly embarrassed.
Iris frowned slightly and straightened her posture.
“I don’t get the context here. You ask me to be your husband for a day.”
“I’m a saintess, you know? I don’t know if you realize, but being a saintess is a lifetime job. So, I can’t date or marry a man until I die.”
“Then isn’t even a one-day marriage forbidden…?”
“It’s like playing house. I think this much indulgence is okay. Just for a day. Since you’re someone I devote my faith to, I believe Aigis would forgive this.”
“······.”
Schlus wore a slightly displeased expression.
Iris soon sighed lightly and felt regret.
Trying to tease an arrogant commoner ended up injuring her own feelings.
“Fine. One day as a couple. When shall it start?”
“Ah? Huh? Is that okay? R-really?”
“Who in this world would dare to have a married life with a saintess? Ignoring this opportunity would be foolish.”
“Y-yeah······.”
After all, just the fact that a living saintess exists is unique.
In a marriage with such a saintess, it’s only natural to be curious······.
Iris bitterly smiled at her own realizations.
She felt like she was nothing more than an object of curiosity.
“More than anything, I think living with you will be quite enjoyable.”
“······?!”
However, Schlus’s following remark made Iris tremble.
“Why is that?”
“Well, it’s hard to explain precisely, but somehow I think it will be so.”
“······.”
I see.
Schlus thinks living with me would be enjoyable.
He doesn’t suspect I’m a creepy, suspicious woman who knows the future······.
“Can we start right now? Until this time tomorrow. I want to live as Schlus’s daily wife for exactly 24 hours.”
“Today and tomorrow······. Hmm. My schedule is clear, so I can make time all day.”
Iris’s expression brightened even more.
She never expected it would be this easy.
Since Schlus obtained a significant position, she thought he would be busy for a while.
“Um… I’ll go buy some groceries then. We might be short on ingredients.”
Emilia, unable to bear the sight of the two, turned away.
She wanted to completely vacate the mansion for the next 24 hours.
She didn’t want to make a meal for these two, happily enjoying their time together.
But thinking about the unexpected mishaps that could occur when they were alone, she couldn’t really leave the mansion either.
‘So annoying······.’
It was definitely me who said it was okay the second or third time.
Yet, Emilia felt an inexplicable annoyance.
She hated that she had become a contradictory person.
*
“That······ Iris.”
“What?”
“What’s this right now?”
In the afternoon’s relaxed tea time.
I forced the tea down while questioning.
“What do you mean? This is a usual position for couples to do on their day off.”
“······?”
This?
Stuck together to the point I could barely move, Iris was seated on my lap, and this was normal?
Is this how couples in this world spend their days off?
Or maybe I just didn’t know because I have never been married?
Sure enough, after getting an answer, my questions only kept piling.
“Why? You don’t like it?”
“It’s not that I dislike it······.”
Is it that it’s too stimulating this early in the day?
For me, this position was a bit hard to tolerate.
Even now, I was stretching my back, barely avoiding contact.
“It’s a little inconvenient to move.”
“Don’t think about moving. Just stay like this.”
“······.”
Right.
It would probably be wiser to enjoy the moment instead of doing anything.
As Iris said, a saintess must maintain her chastity for a lifetime.
Since the religious paradigm wouldn’t change until the end, I wouldn’t get another chance to play house with Iris again.
I had already set down the now cold teacup and wrapped my arms around Iris’s waist.
“Whoa?!”
“What’s wrong?”
“I just suddenly got goosebumps······.”
“Do you dislike my touch that much?”
“No, it’s not that! I was just surprised······. This is my first time having this experience······.”
Iris showed a cute reaction, digging deeper into my embrace.
Seemingly shy to show her face, she buried it into my shirt and rubbed it.
‘Seriously, this is nuts······.’
Being this close, I truly realized how remarkable Iris was.
Covered by clothing, the size was hardly apparent, but it exceeded my imagination.
If I were to touch, it would barely fit in one hand······.
Damn it. What on earth am I thinking about the saintess right now?
After all, I said not to even look at fruits that were beyond my reach.
“Hey, Schlus······.”
“What?”
After a while of hugging me, Iris raised her head.
“Can you stop that tone? It’s too stiff to be a conversation between a couple on such a day.”
“Then do you want to drop the formalities?”
“Ah······. This is······ a habit now······.”
“What a sneaky move.”
“Sorry······.”
Is she drawing a line?
Even if we’re daily couples, it doesn’t mean we can act like actual couples.
I already knew this, but it still stung a bit.
“But you know, is it really fun for couples to just hug all day like this?”
“Well, I suppose it could be different for each person.”
Though we weren’t really a couple, hugging her brought me happiness.
It meant that she had no therapy or rehabilitation scheduled that day.
About 300 days a year, I would be taking medicine, asleep, or in surgery, enduring pain.
So days I could spend peacefully were rare.
“I’m glad. I was worried I might be too careless with my happiness. Just being like this feels so warm and comfortable······. Even in the daytime, it makes me want to take a nap.”
“Then sleep. I’ll wake you up whenever you want.”
“I can’t do that. With only 24 hours, spending time napping would be too much of a waste.”
Turns out I was capable of providing Iris with comfort.
I felt a bit proud of that.
To be a refuge for a saintess who was stressed from everywhere.
Iris snuggled back into me, but then suddenly had a thought, lifting her head.
As she did, her hips edged closer, forcing me to stretch backwards again.
Damn. My waist was bent like a bow, making it unbearably uncomfortable.
“Speaking of couples······ we should definitely kiss, right?”
“You’re not talking about just kissing the back of the hand.”
“Of course not. Don’t make me feel embarrassed.”
“Can a saintess do this?”
“They say as long as you don’t get caught, it’s not a crime.”
“Who said that······.”
What a ridiculous thing to say.
Is this really a line coming from a saintess?
“Just once. Let’s do it just once so there are no regrets left.”
A sweet voice flowed into my ear.
My mind was slowly, but surely becoming numb.
