I Want To Be Your First – R19 - Chapter 90

Berthwald lowered his head and after meeting Ariel’s eyes, he nodded with a smile.

“Yes, if I may venture to say that it’s the largest market of the Empire…no, of the continent. There are various products from all over the world being bought and sold there. There should be many things worth looking at, so shall we go there tomorrow? There’s even a shop selling baby products a little off the Main Street, so why don’t we go there and look at their baby products? What do you think?”

As soon as his words finished, Ariel’s eyes glistened as she clenched her fist.

“A market! I want to go! I really want to go!”

“Um, but there would be a huge crowd of people there. I’m worried if you’ll faint after seeing so many people like when you were in the capital…”

“I’m all better! The main physician said that I was alright. That’s why I had the thought of running away after getting divorced!”

“…Is that so?”

The way she spoke about running away from home in such a confident manner rendered Berthwald speechless, as he looked at Ariel with narrowed eyes. However, Ariel, who didn’t take note of his gaze, continued speaking and giggling tactlessly, “The mansion that I hid in had mango trees. It was very delicious.”

Usually, people would understand and lower their tail when they are given such a gaze, but such conduct wouldn’t work with this woman. Berthwald let out a sigh in his heart and pulled Ariel into his embrace.

“Understood. In that case, we’ll leave immediately after breakfast tomorrow.”

As Berthwald held the upper body that he pulled over, he surveyed his surroundings with a languid gaze. A cozy room, surrounded with small furniture. Through the curtains embroidered with butterflies and clouds, the sound of rain beating down against the window could be heard faintly. A calm atmosphere settled over the bed.

It was a day when winter rain was pouring. As he held a chattering Ariel in his arms, Berthwald indulged in the current atmosphere leisurely. He suddenly realised that this very instance completely matched any of the ideal situations that he had hoped for.

Ariel had finally entered his daily life.

The moment he came to a realisation, the lukewarm passion surpassed a limitation and burned fiercely. The tacit feeling gradually reached its limit, making him choke up.

While he didn’t know its name, it was the first time he had ever felt such overflowing emotion that both his heart and his eyes tingled.

‘Oh goodness, how unsightly this is, to be touched.’

‘I should be smiling if I’m happy, so why are tears welling up?’

He comforted himself and quickly calmed the rising emotions. He wasn’t ashamed of crying out of joy, but having one crybaby in the mansion was enough. To not be heard, Berthwald exhaled softly and controlling his remaining emotions, a soft smile appeared on the corners of his lips.

“It’s raining.”

He closed his eyes lightly and tightened his grip on Ariel’s hand. He felt his crybaby reach out and burrow deeper into his arms.

“The rain should stop tomorrow.”

After muttering to himself, he closed his mouth again. Ariel, who had been chattering by herself for quite a while also closed her mouth upon feeling the silence.

There was only the soft sound of rain and the sound of each other’s breaths resounding in their ears.

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Just like the word, ‘south’, Pahar has a hot and humid climate all year round. However, their dry season, winter, was much drier than the other seasons. It was a great season for going out, it wasn’t that pleasant for gardeners.

“Even though it rained so much yesterday, the floor has already dried. Watering is also quite an important job.”

The gardener, Grandfather Meshu, tapped his waist and passed a sack to Eva. After checking inside the sack, Eva thanked him with a visibly delighted face. The bag contained the beautiful buttercups, which she was worried that it would rot, giving off a fresh feel.

“I originally intended to harvest them today. Thank you, Meshu. I’ll have to get someone to squeeze its juices out immediately.”

“What’s there to thank me for? Rather than that, the Madam…she’s over there, near the patio. Please let her know to not pull out the grass around the swing. She seemed to be trying to help as she was afraid that it’s tiring, but it’s troubling when she keeps pulling out the lawn.”

“Oh dear, goodness. Understood.”

When Eva burst into laughter in response, Meshu angrily rebutted with, “It isn’t funny, so what are you laughing for?” At the sight of the tips of his trembling ears turning red, Eva laughed even harder. After a long commotion, Meshu brought out something and changed the subject.

“I almost forgot about this. I just met the mailman near the main gate. Pass this along to the Lord.”

Eva accepted the letter with widened eyes. On the envelope wrapped in blue silk, Richter Janssel was written with an insincere cursive. It was a letter from Richter, Berthwald’s father and the previous Count. As Eva brushed against the name on the letter, she murmured in a startled voice.

“Oh, my. What caused the previous Lord to send a letter?”

“Hooh… I thought that the handwriting looked familiar, so it was a letter from Richter. How has he been lately?”

“Was it around this time last year? I heard that he settled on the coast of Nedic. He should be living there now.”

“That impatient man is convalescing by the seashore… Tsk tsk. He must have been very bored ever since he lost his position to the Young Master.”

WhenMeshu muttered in a teasing tone, Eva’s shoulders shook as she laughed.

“I don’t think that’s the case. He seemed to be busy pushing the boat out to go fishing everyday.”

“Hooh, is that so?”

“Yes. Just as I was about to forget it, he’d send such a huge tuna or marlin. Why, in spring this year, he sent a tuna larger than my size as a wedding present for the Young Master, no, the Lord?”

“Ahh, so it was because of that that I was sick of eating fish stew for a couple of days in a row.”

Meshu scattered his white beard, before waving his hand with an aghast expression. Eva also seemed to recall the fish stew, and frowned as she murmured to herself solemnly, “Having fish stew for three days is a little too much…”

“There wasn’t any contact with him ever since then, but he sent a letter all of a sudden. Hmm.”

“What’s wrong with that? Isn’t it good to hear from him often?”

“While it’s good, it’s better if he just sent fish or something. He’d only write a letter when something happens, so it’s not that great.”

Glancing at the letter with suspicious eyes, Eva then tucked it away. Meshu, who was watching her with a bitter expression, turned towards the garden and changed the subject.

“By the way, I saw the Lord and the Madam leaving together. Do you know where they are heading towards?”

“Apparently they’re going to walk around the free market. They were also going to buy some items as well. I wonder what they are planning to purchase?”

The Madam, who had been cheery since yesterday evening, hadn’t lost her smile even when she was seated in the carriage. It was apparent that something was going on between the two of them, but it’s a little regrettable that she couldn’t figure out what it was.

Well, she’ll get to see what it was when they return.

Eva looked out of the garden with a warm smile on her face.

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Berthwald’s description of ‘the largest market in the Empire’ wasn’t an exaggeration. The large scale of the free market in Rach was overwhelming to Ariel. With a throng of people wandering about, and shops with items displayed from the floor to the ceiling, money and goods were exchanged back and forth at a rapid pace.

The scene of varied goods and people of even more diverse races in a frame was indeed something unique to this place and couldn’t be found anywhere else.

“There’s so, so many people.”

Ariel grasped the parasol a little tighter and closer in order to shield her face. It has been a while since she came to such an open place, so she began to feel daunted for some reason. Berthwald, who was holding her hand, frowned and smiled awkwardly.

“You’re probably nervous because it’s an unfamiliar place. If It’s too hard for you, shall we return now?”

“That…that’s not it. I was just a little surprised as it’s been a while since I last went out. I’ll just look around.”

I guess I was a little surprised to be outside for the first time in a while. I’ll just look around.”

“In that case, I’ll walk slowly, so please hold my hand and follow me.”

The hand holding hers tightened his grip, and Berthwald took the lead. Ariel looked around without pause, taking in the bustling atmosphere of the market. Although the hectic atmosphere was roughly similar, strangely enough, whenever Berthwald moved, the people around them would be silenced. Ariel guessed that that was due to Vion and two other bodyguards that came along to escort them., but it wasn’t necessarily because of that either.

Amongst the merchants present, there was none that didn’t know the Lord of Pahar and owner of Rach. In previous generations, they would recognise his identity as the Lord of the County by looking at the Janssel’s emblem, however, in Berthwald’s generation, most of the merchants could recognise him by looking at his face.

A tall stature and delicate features that was like a quality piece of art. Underneath elegantly drooping lashes, blue eyes along with a cold expression gave others an impression of a detached beauty.

A face that was hard to be described simply with ‘handsome’, with a splendid face that made onlookers feel the difference. His overly handsome face was emblazoned in their minds, making it impossible for them to forget.

Due to his appearance, people that had met Berthwald, even if it was from a distance, would be able to recognise him instantly. As such, whenever he had to go outside for inspections, Berthwald would always walk around with his hood up, under the pretext that it was annoying.

For such a rarely seen Lord to come to the market with his wife, there has never been such a spectacle before.

“Was the Lord such a young person? Gosh…He’s very handsome.”

As she passed by, the merchants’ murmurs reached Ariel’s ears. Ariel couldn’t help but prick up her ears.

“This Lord is especially handsome, Oh, isn’t there the most famous tenor in the East? He was so handsome that he was invited to the Imperial Palace.”

“Was it Matheus or Madeus? I’ve heard about it too. According to my intelligence, Her Majesty the Empress received quite the cold treatment.”

“That’s right, that’s right. He’s much more handsome than him. Are nobles always so handsome?”

“I suppose so. The lady next to him is also pale…”

“Hey, watch your language. The lady next to him isn’t just any lady, but the Madam of the County.”

Ariel couldn’t fully understand their words due to their mixed dialects, but it felt somewhat embarrassing to hear their conversation about herself and Berthwald with her own ears.

She had heard of his praises before their marriage countless times from the rumours in high society, but she had merely thought of it as overinflated rumours by aristocrats, who were specialised in being pretentious. However, after seeing his face in her precognitive dream, and hearing such vivid praise for his appearance, it was very…she was both itching and jealous.

“Count.”

Ariel pulled Berthwald’s hand in her direction. Unsure of why she did that, Berthwald tilted his head expressionlessly. As Ariel’s gaze darted around, she curled her hands into fists and murmured in a very small voice.

“…I—it’s nothing.”

When she tried to bring it up, she didn’t know what she should say. The vague atmosphere caused Ariel to wave her hand and say, “I’m sorry, it’s really nothing.”

“Don’t pay too much attention to what others are saying.”

Berthwald looked around with bleary eyes and spoke with a plain smile on his face.

“It seems like it’s strange for them to see the Lord wandering about. Everyone seems to like my appearance a lot. It’s inconvenient when I attract attention wherever I go.”

Tapping his cheek with a clenched fist, Berthwald mumbled tiredly. It was a remark spoken half-jokingly and half truthfully. Ariel stared at him blankly, and burst into laughter when she noticed the cheekiness in his words.

Amidst her cheerful laughter, Berthwald’s eyes curved into crescents. Looking downwards at her, he asked affectionately, “Would you feel jealousy at your husband’s good looks, or would you be proud of it?”

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