I’m In Trouble Because My Husband Is So Cute - Chapter 55

Chapter 55

The emperor’s voice sounded strangely sticky. Iellie stiffened her shoulders.

“Doesn’t it look like the embodiment of the Asha flower?”

At that moment, Zachary gently grabbed Iellie’s hand. Zachary opened his mouth, showing an overtly displeased face.

“Anyway, we’ll be on our way.”

“Already?”

“Yes. It seems that there are many other people besides us who need to say hello to His Majesty.”

Zachary narrowed his eyes and pulled Iellie toward him. She pretended not to win and moved to her husband’s side. The emperor didn’t seem very happy with that attitude, but he didn’t take any offense.

“Then, Your Majesty, congratulations once again.”

Reluctantly, after giving another word of greeting, Iellie withdrew with Zachary. The emperor looked sadly at Iellie’s back as she moved away from him and turned his head.

Zachary and Iellie moved to leave the temple.

“Young Duke Hessenweitz. I did not expect to see the Young Duke here.”

However, a voice full of welcome called out to Zachary. Zachary stopped and stiffened his body and turned his head.

“…… Marquis Rondo?”

“Yes. I saw the Young Duke when he was little, and you remembered it!”

A middle-aged man was standing there. Unlike the man’s bright face, unfortunately, Zachary showed a sign of trouble. The man squinted at Iellie and opened his mouth suspiciously.

“The person next to you…….”

“As you may have heard, this is my wife.”

“Ah, yes. Of course, I already knew that the Young Duke is married.”

Marquis Rondo’s expression softened as he looked at Iellie. The Marquis spoke in a soft voice.

“I didn’t know she would be this beautiful.”

“I am Iellie Hessenweitz.”

“I am Jason Rondo. Nice to meet you, Lady Hessenweitz.”

It seemed that Marquis Rondo wanted to build some friendship with Zachary. Iellie quickly caught the look and tapped her husband on the back. Zachary turned toward her. She spoke.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been in the capital, shouldn’t you have a conversation with the Marquis?”

“But…….”

Zachary glanced at the marquis, and looked apologetic. Iellie shrugged her shoulders.

“It’s okay, go ahead.”

Iellie smiled brightly. Zachary was staying in the Northern Duchy, so it’s hard to see the faces of other nobles on the island. When the other nobles approached first, it would be good to exchange a few words of conversation.

‘How come it seems that the plan to return early continues to go awry…….’

What to do? Iellie generously let Zachary go. He sighed and whispered in her ear.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Yes, I got it.”

She nodded her head. Zachary glanced behind and was buried among the male nobles.

When did our Zachary grow so big? Just then, when she was looking at him with delight.

“Are you alone, Lady Hessenweitz?”

Without missing the opportunity, the emperor came again. Iellie had to spend her time managing her facial expressions.

“Can I talk to you until the young duke comes?”

“It’s okay. Zachary said he would be back soon.”

“Oh my, you don’t have to say no so often.”

The emperor answered with a smirk and took his place by Iellie’s side. So, it became like this. She swallowed her annoyance.

“By the way, I also plan to send out a knight to represent the emperor in the jousting contest.”

“Ah, I see…….”

Iellie answered without a soul. After all, it had long been established as a tradition of the imperial family for the emperor to send a substitute knight to a jousting match at the coronation ceremony. But why did he come to her and say things like that?

“Because the winner of the jousting contest gets the right to offer an Asha flower to a Lady.”

Having said that, the emperor looked at Iellie with a meaningful gaze. She felt strangely offended.

“All the ladies in this banquet hall must be full of anticipation that they might receive the flower from Your Majesty.”

“Oh, of course it could be, but…….”

The emperor furrowed his eyebrows. Apparently, the emperor didn’t get the answer he wanted.

However, Iellie pretended not to see the emperor’s expression and did her best to raise the corners of her mouth.

“Yes, I don’t know who that lucky lady is…… If she receives a flower from Your Majesty, she will surely be delighted.”

“Oh, Lady, you are misunderstanding what I mean.”

The emperor tilted his head and looked back at her. His gray eyes stared her up and down.

“I will order my knights to work hard to get the Asha flower.”

She stiffened her shoulders with a foreboding that something unpleasant was about to be heard. The emperor calmly continued his words.

“The reason for that order is not Annerose.”

“Then…… ?”

“That’s Lady Hessenweitz.”

No, why was she mentioned here? Iellie was bewildered. The emperor stared at Iellie.

“In jousting matches, the Lady will hand the knight a handkerchief to pray for victory.”

“Oh, right. There is such a tradition.”

It was a tradition passed down for a long time among the ladies and knights. She gave a rough nod.

“I would like to receive Lady Hessenweitz’s handkerchief. instead…….”

What? Whose handkerchief does he want? Iellie barely gulped back the rebuttal words that were about to spring out of her moment.

“…… When my knight gets the right to offer the Asha flower, I will offer it to the Lady.”

Iellie was stunned for a moment. What the hell is this brazenness to ask for her handkerchief when he is not even participating in the jousting contest himself? The emperor was only smiling brightly. She swallowed her sigh.

‘But it’s a bit difficult to say no.’

The emperor asked her directly for her handkerchief. Since she was a Hesseinweitz who did not send knights to jousting, she had no one to receive her handkerchief. Besides, this was more of a trivial entertainment of the court.

‘If I refuse such small entertainment… … I’m sure they’ll blame me for being sensitive.’

That didn’t mean she couldn’t even send a knight to a jousting contest so as not to give her handkerchief to the emperor.

‘Because there is no need to compete with the emperor in this wasteful thing…….’

The emperor still looked relaxed. Let’s just skip the conversation in moderation. Iellie hardened her heart.

“But there is Her Highness, Princess Annerose. She would be sad if she did not receive Your Majesty’s flower.”

Iellie tried to change the topic by roughly bringing up the story of Annerose. Rather than herself as she already had a husband, she’d rather have the still unmarried emperor give the flower to his one and only sister.

“Would it be possible for my sister to be pleased with the flower her brother had obtained?”

“Um, still…….”

“Perhaps Annerose thinks so, too.”

It was a statement that he did not consider the princess at all. Seeing his attitude of completely ignoring the princess, Iellie suddenly felt sorry for her. He looks like this from the outside, but what about from behind?

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

Then a shrill voice was heard. At the same time, she felt a hand gently hugging her shoulder.

“That would probably be a little difficult.”

It was Zachary. The Emperor looked at Zachary with a displeased face.

“What do you mean, Young Duke Hessenweitz?”

“That’s because Len’s handkerchief is already mine.”

What else is this? Zachary had never said that he was attending the jousting contest.

“After all, the Young Duke doesn’t participate in the jousting contest…….”

“It’s strange. I don’t think I ever said anything like that.”

Unable to adapt to the flow of the conversation, Iellie squinted at Zachary. Zachary had a shameless face.

“I also plan to participate in this jousting contest.”

What!? Iellie was terrified. Does he really need to participate in the jousting contest and face the emperor? However, unlike her embarrassment, Zachary was just calm. The emperor’s face turned bright red.

“I am very embarrassed that you said this so suddenly, Young Duke.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to embarrass Your Majesty.”

Zachary gave a sensible answer and gently lowered his eyes.

“And I’ll take Len. I feel like she’s been left alone for too long.”

The emperor looked at Zachary with a bewildered expression.

To her, the current situation was completely unexpected. It was not wise at all for him to commit to taking part in the jousting contest, to be honest. Nevertheless.

‘Honestly, what should I do that I feel good?’

Iellie swallowed the laughter that was about to burst out of nowhere.

“Well, shouldn’t the couple be together?”

Emphasizing ‘couple’, Zachary smiled. The two immediately left the temple, leaving the frozen emperor alone.

* * * 

And on the way back to the duke’s townhouse. With the good, there were still questions unanswered. As soon as she sat in the carriage, Iellie asked the question urgently.

“Zachary, are you really going to participate in that jousting contest?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Feeling upset, she raised her voice. There was no reason for him to participate in the jousting contest.

“Well…… Because you said it was romantic?”

“…… Yes?”

But Zachary only gave a vague answer. What are you talking about? Iellie frowned.

“Do you have to participate for that? That’s just my opinion, what if you get hurt?”

“Len.”

“Why?”

Zachary looked at her. He wanted to stroke her hair so then he smiled.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

“What are you talking about?”

Iellie asked with a sullen face. Zachary stared at Iellie affectionately.

“I mean, you don’t have to worry about such a trivial matter that I might get hurt.”

“No, what trivial matter is that? It’s very important!”

Iellie looked at Zachary with a sullen face. Zachary clicked his tongue at her.

“Every time you tell me I worry a lot, but you are like this, too.”

“I do?”

“Yes. I don’t want to say things like this myself, but I’m the best knight in the North.”

It was difficult to refute those words, so Iellie kept her mouth shut. Well, that’s true. A knight stronger than Zachary could not be found in the North. To be honest, she thought he would be the strongest in the Empire.

The strongest knights in the Empire were the Knights of the North, and Zachary was their trusted Master.

“Because I will never get hurt in an event like a jousting contest.”

“…….”

“Instead, prepare a handkerchief or token for me. Understand?”

Oh, the handkerchief! Iellie’s eyes widened. Fidgeting, she asked cautiously.

“Uh, what? I don’t have the dexterity to make a handkerchief.”

“Because anything you make is fine. It doesn’t matter at all.”

Zachary looked at her kindly. It was cute to see Iellie, who was worried about Zachary’s well-being, even in the face of the Empire’s best knight.

Quite frankly, even with the exception of winter magic, an opponent who could defeat Zachary with personal force will be rare even if they searched the entire empire.

“Well, the handkerchief I made…… It must be really weird…….”

“Weird?”

You’ll be fine, but I’m not! It must be weird! Holding down her desire to protest like that, Iellie looked at Zachary with resentment. Zachary only shrugged his shoulders.

And the next morning. Iellie felt dizzy as she was surrounded with embroidery threads and pieces of fabric.

‘So, I’m going to have to make a handkerchief before the jousting contest is held.’