Chapter 26
“Another woman… you mean?”
“Yes! I absolutely cannot tolerate a mistress!”
What is important right now?
Momentum.
Before Lionel could think of something else, I had to push my opinion strongly.
“For my whole life! Until the day I die!
Even if my husband and I fight and argue, I don’t want us to sleep in separate rooms.
A man who leaves his perfectly fine wife and brings home an illegitimate child?
That’s complete trash!”
“……”
“What do you think, Your Highness? Do you agree with me?
You’re not secretly thinking that it’s fine for a man to have at least one mistress, right?”
“I am not.”
“Of course you would answer like that.
But you might say in front of me that I’m the only woman,
and then secretly meet someone behind my back.”
At that, Lionel looked like he realized something.
“So you inspected the bedroom?
Because you thought I might have brought another woman inside?”
“Yes!”
After nodding strongly,
I watched his silent expression and felt a little regret.
…Did I go too far?
I thought it might be better to apologize now.
Just as I was about to speak, Lionel spoke first.
“Then checking for only a day or two will not clear your suspicion.”
“…What?”
“Isn’t that right?
Even if I did not bring another woman into my bedroom yesterday,
who knows about today?”
My mouth fell open.
“S-so… are you saying you might bring another woman into your bedroom instead of me?”
“I will not.
…but even if I say that,
you said you cannot trust what I might do behind your back.”
“But you should still say you would never do that in front of me!”
“I will not.”
He tilted his head slightly and asked again.
“Can you trust me?”
“I can’t!”
Why does he always speak in such meaningful ways?!
“Then you will have to watch me again tonight.”
“Th-that’s… true?”
Lionel then held out the blue bird in his hand toward me.
“Then I will be waiting.”
“….”
What… what is this?
It felt like things went smoothly,
but also strange,
and like I had fallen into a trap…
Anyway, retrieve the blue bird first.
Just as I was about to take it—
Zap!
“Ah! That stings!”
The moment the cold magic stone and the soft lace touched my hand,
a sharp electric sensation ran from my fingertips to my head and feet.
Startled by the unfamiliar pain,
I accidentally hit Lionel’s hand,
and the blue bird fell to the floor.
“Ah! I’m sorry!”
“It’s fine.
More importantly, it seems magic power scattered.
Are you hurt?”
“I-I guess that was magic power?
It stung, but I’m okay now.”
Other than my racing heart,
I was really fine.
After checking me with his eyes,
Lionel bent down and picked up the blue bird.
He examined it carefully,
then handed it to me with slight relief.
“There seems to be no damage or cracks.”
“Yes… but just in case,
I should open it and check the circuit.”
“…Pardon?”
Before my fingers could touch it,
Lionel suddenly pulled his hand back.
Huh?
I reached again—
But my hand cut through empty air again and again.
Each time, Lionel quickly moved to keep it away from me.
What is this? Why is he acting like a Turkish ice cream seller?
I rolled up my sleeves, getting annoyed,
but Lionel completely covered the blue bird with both hands.
“You said you would open it and check the circuit.”
“Yes.
The connection broke once,
so I want to check if it’s damaged and recharge the magic.”
“What exactly do you mean by opening it?”
“It’s complicated to explain…
Do you know about magic circuits?”
“I do not. But…”
Did my words sound like I was going to dissect a living bird?
Holding the blue bird tightly, he said:
“I will keep it.
I will also supply the magic power.”
“…What?”
“Is that not allowed?”
“Well… I still want to check if it’s broken.”
“If the connection fails again, I will send it to you then.”
“…But—”
“If I have it,
it will be easier for you to watch me anytime.”
That’s not something the person being watched should say…
Before I could respond,
he pulled it closer and said seriously:
“This is mine.
Please give it to me.”
“Whaaat?!”
Why does that sound so familiar?!
“This… give it to me.”
“…Well…”
“Please.
Is that not allowed?”
I didn’t teach him to use that line on me…
Why is he using the words meant for the First Prince and the Empress on me?
“Cecil…”
“….”
He really knew how to look pitiful only when needed.
You guilty man!
“…Fine. I lost. I’ll give it to you.”
“Really?”
Why is his smile so bright…?
For the second time,
his face shone so clearly
that I forgot myself for a moment.
He wasn’t an emotionless doll.
He was truly alive.
“But this is our secret.
The real-time video and voice magic on this tool must stay hidden.
Understood?”
“I understand.”
“…But really,
is it okay if I activate it anytime and watch you?”
“It’s fine.”
He always says it’s fine.
Will the day ever come when he says something isn’t fine?
“Why?
Why is it fine?”
“Well…”
After a brief pause,
the corner of Lionel’s lips curved slightly.
“Because we are the kind of people
who will fight and struggle together for life,
yet still share the same bedroom until death.”
“W-wow…”
There was nothing explicit in his words,
yet they sounded deeply meaningful.
What a dangerous man.
The most guilty man I have ever seen.
Soon his faint smile disappeared,
and he returned to his usual calm face,
gently touching the blue bird.
For the first time,
I felt I understood a little of the person hidden behind that emotionless mask.
And he was completely different
from the obsessive male lead I knew.
At this point… maybe I misunderstood something.
No matter how I looked at him,
he didn’t seem like someone hiding violent instincts.
Which meant
being sent away to the temple like he was abandoned
must have been an enormous shock to him.
Alright. I’ll stop that future.
Back home,
I would think of a way
to prevent the future where Lionel loses everything.
Since the magic tool problem was solved,
I stood up to leave.
“You don’t have to walk me out…
Actually, let’s go together.”
“Understood.”
I was too afraid of what people outside might be saying,
so I held tightly onto his arm.
If we walked out smiling together,
surely everything would look fine… right?
Watching the magic tool disappear back into his pocket,
I asked:
“By the way,
you called this blue bird ‘Lili,’ right?”
“Yes.
It was the name of the bird I raised when I was young.”
Ah, I knew it.
“Who gave it that name?”
“Why do you ask?”
For the first time,
Lionel asked me a question in return.
I felt a little puzzled,
but answered honestly.
“When I was little,
my family’s nickname for me…
was Lili.”
“…What?”
Lionel suddenly stopped walking
“A childhood nickname…?”