TWFLLYM Ch 124

Side Story: Other People's Love Stories (2)

[Arad] "The advice was to hone the specific strengths that you love about me."

His deep gaze seemed to caress her cheek. Elona raised her hand without thinking and touched her face.

[Elona] "That sounds perfectly correct."

He nodded firmly, thinking that Clobellina was indeed much smarter than any human.

[Arad] "I remember you mentioning before that you love how well I kiss."

[Elona] "That…… is true."

She swallowed hard for the second time as her lover's face drew incredibly close. Her mouth kept going dry.

Why do I suddenly feel so thirsty? Or is it something else I want to taste?

His next words took her completely by surprise.

[Arad] "I've heard from others that I am quite skilled at things besides kissing. If you experience it yourself and find it to your liking, please forgive me."

Her expression froze instantly.

Has this man entirely lost his mind? What on earth did he just say?

[Elona] "You are skilled at other things? What exactly do you mean by that?"

[Arad] "Well…… literally anything that involves using my body……."

[Elona] "What exactly are these things involving your body? And why do you group them with kissing? Is it because they are also acts shared between lovers, just like kissing?"

[Arad] "That…… what you said is corr—"

[Elona] "What are you even saying! Are you seriously boasting to me right now about what you did with your past lovers?"

He panicked, completely flustered.

[Arad] "Pardon? No, that's not……. I didn't know how else to put it…… Was I not supposed to mention that?"

[Elona] "Of course you shouldn't! How can you speak so proudly about sleeping with other people……!"

She felt a sudden surge of irritation, but looking at his face—which showed nothing but pure confusion—she bit her tongue to hold back her anger.

Fine, this is exactly what makes him charming. He is simple and completely dense.

What could she do? The one who falls in love first always loses.

[Elona] "Sir Arad."

[Arad] "Yes, Lady Elona."

[Elona] "Lower your face. More. So it's easier for my hands to reach."

Realizing his mistake too late, Arad brought his gloomy face down toward her. He finally began to understand why people always called him dense.

Boasting to my current lover about what past lovers said in bed. A man like me deserves a hard slap across the face.

[Arad] "……?"

However, Elona had no intention of slapping him. She quickly stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a deep, passionate kiss.

[Elona] "Take tomorrow off. I will do the same."

[Arad] "To—tomorrow…… Tomorrow…… Yes, alright."

Dazed, he parted his flushed lips slightly.

Goodness. This man looks so much more attractive when he has that completely blank look on his face.

[Elona] "I will spend the entire day checking whether those past women were fair in their judgment. After that, I will decide whether to accept your apology or not. Goodbye."

She turned on her heel and vanished. She knew that if she stayed glued to Arad in such a narrow, secret space while he was completely flushed, something might happen that would catch the ears of the other servants.

The next day, Arad and Elona both took leave of absence and left the castle.

---

[Roserikta] "Look at this. Isn't it absolutely cute?"

Another day passed. Lately, Kalart has found this specific time of day to be the most enjoyable. It felt as if he had waited for this moment from the very second he opened his eyes in the morning.

[Kalart] "It is a fine gift."

After finishing his daily duties smoothly and washing up, he loved lying under the cozy blankets with Roserikta. They would hold each other tightly and share whispers before falling asleep.

Today, Roserikta showed him Elona's latest present.

[Kalart] "Though we will have to store it away for a long time."

She giggled like a child.

[Roserikta] "I told her the same thing. But Lady Elona won't care. She has already bought a massive amount of things for the baby to use before then anyway."

While Kalart loved that Roserikta and the baby received so much affection, he didn't entirely like having his own role taken away.

He took the silver spoon from her hand, placed it on the nightstand beside the bed, and spoke.

[Kalart] "Then should I order a full set of silver tableware with the same pattern?"

Surprisingly, her face lit up with joy.

[Roserikta] "Oh, would you really do that? I would love that so much. I am glad I asked her where she ordered it."

Loving her delighted expression, he pulled her close and kissed the tip of her nose.

[Kalart] "This is a bit unusual."

[Roserikta] "What is?"

[Kalart] "Usually, you refuse my offers first. Yet you look so happy about something we must keep locked away for years. Do you love that gift so much?"

[Roserikta] "Ah, that's part of it, but……."

She kept giggling as she shared the story of how Elona and Arad had argued over buying that very item.

[Roserikta] "Lady Elona mentioned she wanted to match the entire tableware set because the pattern was just too cute. If you handle it first, Your Highness, it will save the two of them from having another fight over money."

[Kalart] "Ah…… so that's what this is about."

Now it was Kalart's turn. Following his nightly routine, he placed his palm over her round, swollen belly, slowly moving it to share his warmth as he spoke.

[Kalart] "No wonder Eaton suddenly brought up the topic of a special bonus today. He beat around the bush, but his point was that Arad lacked funds."

[Roserikta] "Oh dear. Do the knights of the Royal Guard receive a small wage?"

[Kalart] "Absolutely not."

If the surrounding nations heard such a thing, they would call it completely ridiculous. Giving low pay to the knights of the Royal Guard, the very heart of the Empire, was out of the question. For security reasons alone, the imperial guard deserved the highest treatment.

[Kalart] "They receive a more than generous amount, so you have no need to worry. The wealth of the Legion family is simply massive in comparison."

[Roserikta] "Ah, I see."

He let out a quiet laugh.

[Kalart] "Then if I grant a special bonus, will Arad end up using the money to buy silver tableware for our child?"

[Roserikta] "That sounds incredibly calculated, Your Highness. Cunning, even."

[Kalart] "Then I suppose it is better not to give it to him."

He showered her face with light kisses, a routine he practiced every night.

[Kalart] "I want to be the one who buys things for our child."

It seemed everyone was making a fuss because they wanted to present gifts.

Roserikta smiled brightly and pressed a kiss against the tip of his chin.

[Roserikta] "Our child receives so much love even before entering the world."

[Kalart] "It is a wonderful thing."

[Roserikta] "It is more than that."

---

Today was another day filled with happiness that went far beyond words.

[Rayden] "This will be the last time, Your Imperial Highness."

She hid her expression behind her teacup as she faced the young lord of Iveton, who had requested an audience once more despite her constant rejections.

This man still hasn't left.

There was nothing left to change between them, but she had to admire his persistence. At the same time, realizing that he had absolutely no place to anchor his heart made her feel a quiet pity for him.

[Roserikta] "It seems you are finally returning home."

[Rayden] "Yes. It has become difficult for me to remain any longer."

The Crown Prince of the Empire had openly signaled for him to leave, and his own home country urged his quick return since the Prince treated him so coldly. Rayden couldn't hold out any longer. It was time to say goodbye to the beautiful song he had encountered just once by chance.

[Rayden] "Even if I plead with tears, Your Highness will never sing that song for me again, will you……?"

He spoke miserably.

Oh, please. Don't do that. You are making me feel bad for you.

Yet, if she gave in to his expression and sang even a single verse for him, Lord Rayden would end up facing a far more miserable fate. Kalart would absolutely not stand by and watch.

[Roserikta] "So, when do you depart?"

[Rayden] "I will leave as soon as the preparations finish. It seems I won't even have a few days of leisure."

Tsk. You came all this way only to leave with a heavy heart.

[Roserikta] "Then I hope your journey back is completely safe and comfortable……."

However, she couldn't give a lighthearted farewell as she intended. Rayden wasn't the only one who desperately craved the song of the forest. Another person had once offered her land and wealth just to hear her sing. He was a man with an empty void in his heart that he himself couldn't understand.

For a split second, the image of Kalart back when he suffered under the curse overlapped slightly with Lord Rayden, even though they looked entirely different.

[Roserikta] "Sigh……."

Ignoring a suffering person was completely against the nature of a Versaryl pharmacist.

[Roserikta] "Lord Rayden."

[Rayden] "Yes, Your Imperial Highness."

[Roserikta] "Do you perhaps struggle to sleep at night?"

The light in his eyes changed, showing his confusion.

[Rayden] "Why do you ask me that?"

Why else? I want to help you.

[Roserikta] "I don't know if you heard, but I am a pharmacist. Looking at your complexion and the dark circles under your eyes, it is clear you lack sleep."

[Rayden] "That…… is nothing new."

He bit his lip tightly for a moment before speaking casually.

[Rayden] "Ever since my mother passed away, I've frequently struggled to sleep for long periods. It has been going on for a long time, so I've adapted to it by now."

He mentioned before that Lady Aika is his half-sibling. There must be a complicated history within that family.

She had heard that the first Grand Duchess of the Iveton gave birth to Lady Aika, while the second Grand Duchess gave birth to Rayden. However, Rayden was older than Aika. Furthermore, the Grand Duke had recently taken a third wife.

This wound must have started in his childhood. Wounded by growing up without a mother, along with various other hardships.

A way to help Rayden crossed her mind.

[Roserikta] "Since you say you have adapted, I won't press further. However, as a pharmacist, I must recommend a sleeping potion. I've heard many praises regarding the effectiveness of the potions made at my pharmacy. If you can wait just one day, I will brew it and send it to you."

[Rayden] "I've no need for med—no, did you say you would brew it for me yourself?"

[Rayden] "Yes."

As a young lord of a duchy, the strict rule dictated that he should never consume medicine from a foreign nation. However, hearing that she would brew it herself made him crave it. It felt as if she was finally offering him a small connection.

[Rayden] "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I will treasure it for the rest of my life."

[Roserikta] "Save your gratitude for when you have finished it, and your condition improves."

She pushed herself up with effort.

[Rayden] "Let me help……."

He stepped forward to support her, but Roserikta flatly refused.

[Roserikta] "I am fine. I shall say my goodbyes now. I must start preparing the medicine immediately."

[Rayden] "Ah…… I feel completely overwhelmed with guilt, worrying that I've caused you unnecessary trouble, Your Imperial Highness."

[Roserikta] "Not at all. I do it because I want to. There are rarely any patients here in the imperial palace."

Having said her piece, she sent Rayden away, essentially dismissing him. Her eyes shone brightly at the thought of brewing a new potion after such a long time.

Rayden needed something entirely different from a standard sleeping potion. He needed a special medicine, one infused with a touch of a witch's magic.

---

[Kalart] "What did you say?"

Naturally, this news reached his ears immediately. Kalart, who was busy discussing matters with Klein in the administrative office, bolted upright from his chair without thinking.

[Kalart] "Where is my wife right now?"

[Klein] "She entered the laboratory with Clobell. She gave strict orders not to disturb her unless it is necessary."

[Kalart] "……Dammit."

Since Roserikta wasn't around, he saw no reason to act like a pleasant person. He frowned fiercely without hiding his annoyance, while Klein quickly closed his mouth and focused entirely on the official documents.

[Kalart] "That man remains an irritation until the very end. He should have returned to his own home long ago."

Miserably, Rayden wasn't even called by his name by Kalart.

[Kalart] "Is there no way to force him out?"

Klein raised his head in shock and accidentally bit his tongue.

[Klein] "Ouch—surely you aren't serious, Your Highness?"

[Kalart] "Why wouldn't I be?"

[Klein] "Naturally, considering the long-standing friendship between our nations and our close political ties…… Ah, surely you are already aware of this."

I should just keep my mouth shut…….

[Kalart] "Think of a way for me to stop my wife without making myself look incredibly pathetic."

Klein deliberately bit his tongue this time. So you do realize that stopping her from brewing a potion for Lord Rayden is a pathetic thing to do, Your Highness…….

[Klein] "The Crown Princess is heavily pregnant right now. We can't risk her overextending herself and putting the baby's safety in danger."

[Kalart] "That works."

He walked over and patted Klein's shoulder.

[Kalart] "You handle the special bonus requested by the Royal Guard. I will step out for a moment."

In an instant, the sharp pain in Klein's tongue vanished.

[Klein] "It is an honor, Your Highness!"

Klein smiled brightly and resumed his work with immense enthusiasm. He didn't care if his master possessed a massive amount of jealousy or an overwhelming desire for monopoly compared to others. The Crown Prince was, after all, a man who knew how to give generously.

Just in case, Klein began brainstorming a perfectly polite, entirely legal method to send Lord Rayden packing. If things went well, his special bonus might even double.

---

As expected, love possessed a way of making everyone happy. Except, of course, for one miserable human making empty efforts to come between two lovers.