She and the Ritual 6
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“Uuu… I’ve done it…”
Still naked, I flopped onto the linens. I’m shocked by my lack of integrity.
I was thinking of taking a break for a while, and yet before I noticed I responded in high spirits. Moreover, not once or twice. He came inside plenty. Really, why do few hours pass in no time when I and Freed embrace each other. While I was seriously perplexed, Freed looked up at the clock and said.
“I guess it’s about time.”
“?”
What is he talking about? When I fixed my eyes at Freed, he shifted his gaze to me and sweetly smiled.
“Lidi. Can we go outside for a moment now?”
“Go outside? Eh? Now?”
“Yup.”
Freed nodded with a smile, but is it really allowed? After all, we have to stay here until tomorrow morning. While I was confused, Freed raised me from the bed and told me to prepare to go out.
“There’s something important I want to talk about. We’ll move outside with a magical art, so if you have something to wear, put it on.”
“Something important? Can’t we talk here?”
“If possible, not.”
Freed’s face was serious as he said that. Sensing his seriousness, I gave up and prepared. Since my body was just cleaned, I only put on clothes. I quickly finished getting ready and picked up the shawl I had been wearing when I came here. Its fabric is thin, but it’s surprisingly warm. When I put it on, Freed took my hand. On top of his usual garments, he unusually wore a mantle.
“Are you ready? We’re going.”
“Yup. Err, where are we going?”
“Secret.”
Freed narrowed his eyes. A magic formation appeared around us. While I was wondering where he was taking me, the scenery changed in an instant.
“Wah…”
A strong wind blew. When I was about to fall down from the sudden strong wind, Freed supported me.
“Be careful. We are quite high up.”
“It’s cold. Where is this?”
I unconsciously gripped my shawl.
When I looked around from Freed’s arms, I understood I was on top of a tall tower.
“Tower?”
“Indeed. It’s the highest spire of the Fafnir Castle. There’s a handrail so you shouldn’t fall, but it’s windy, so be careful.”
“Yup.”
I nodded and again observed the surroundings. We were in a lookout at the top of a tower. Right above I could see the roof. When I turned my gaze down, I saw the bottom floors shining brightly. It was night, so it must’ve been the light of lamps.
“Lidi. Don’t look below but watch the scenery around. Look, the southern town is there.”
I turned my eyes in the direction Freed pointed out.
“Wow…”
The town was shining golden. It was a different shine from the Royal Castle. The dark place was probably the main street. The pitch black locations… I wondered if they were rivers. The location near the Royal Castle – in other words the noble district was well lit. Was it the difference in wealth? Somehow I could tell what was where despite the darkness of the night.
“It’s especially bright tonight. Because our wedding is tomorrow, the town is lively.”
“Lively? Can you tell?”
“The air is different, like it’s the eve of a festival. It’s very joyous.”
“The eve of a festival, huh…”
It felt strange that people who don’t know me or Freed were already celebrating our marriage. However, it wasn’t unpleasant.
“Since they’re getting drunk, I wonder if they’ll participate.”
“For sure. At least tomorrow they will.”
“Ooh…”
The sparkling night view looked somehow gentle and warm. It really felt like each person lived among that brightness. It’s surely because Freed protects the country that everyone could be lively like this.
“That is the eastern town, over there is the northern town, and there, the western town. They are similar in the night skyline, but if you look closely, you can tell they’re different. And beyond the Royal Capital is the ocean and mountains, forests and grasslands. They’re dark now, but everything in sight is the territory of Wilhelm.”
“… Everything in sight.”
“At noon you can see further away. It’s all Wilhelm. The territory of Wilhelm is vast. Even from the highest spot it’s impossible to see everywhere.”
“… Yup.”
I left Freed’s arms and, holding down my hair fluttering in the strong wind, looked around as far as I could see. Unfortunately, it was dark, so I couldn’t see well. Even though there were dim lights, they weren’t as bright as the Royal Capital.
“Honestly, I wanted to bring you here during the day, but of course we might have been found by somebody.”
“Then it didn’t really have to be today.”
If he wanted to bring me here during the day, he could’ve found an appropriate day. I thought so, but Freed denied.
“… Lidi, I wanted to show it to you today. Show it to today’s Lidi who will become my consort tomorrow.”
“Freed?”
When I turned back to him, curious about his quiet voice, Freed looked me in the eyes. The blue like the sea captivated my gaze.
With a remarkably serious face and his eyes fixed on me, Freed slowly spoke.
“Lidi. I have to protect this country as the Crown Prince, and someday as the King. It won’t be all fun. I’m sure painful and sad things will happen too. But Lidi, no matter what happens, I want you by my side. As the Crown Princess and the Queen, I want you to be by my side and smile. With that alone I think I’ll be able to face everything.”
“Freed…”
“I love you, Lidi. From the bottom of my heart. For eternity. I swear.”
Saying that with a serious expression, Freed knelt before me.
“Before we marry, please let me redo my marriage proposal. I don’t want it to be such a sneak attack. I want to propose to the Lidi who loves me now.”
Hearing the words he said, my body shivered. For some reason, tears trickled from the corners of my eyes.
While passionately looking into my eyes, Freed said.
“―― I’m Friedrich van de la Wilhelm. Lidi, I love you. Please, be my only consort and walk with me through life.”
He presented his hand. Looking at it, I softly placed my hand on top of his.
“… I am Lidiana von Vivoir. I love you too. Please stay with me forever. If you do so, I won’t need anything else.”
“Lidi…”
“I love you, Freed.”
I forced a smile through tears. Freed stood up and tightly hugged me.
“Lidi, I love you. I’ve always wanted to redo my marriage proposal.”
“I’m happy…”
I wrapped my arms around Freed’s back.
It’s completely different from that chaotic marriage proposal from half a year ago. Now I’m happy to hear Freed loves me and I have no doubt in my heart. Only happiness fills my chest.
I don’t feel uneasy about walking with him through life in the slightest. It’s already extremely natural to me, so even if I was told I had to lose something important for that, I love him so much I’d just think that it couldn’t be helped.
“Lidi, protect the country with me.”
“Yup… Yup…”
My tears wouldn’t stop. While crying, I nodded my head again and again.
To somehow stop my tears, I tightly shut my eyes. While I was desperately enduring welling-up tears, Freed scooped up my chin with his fingers.
“Freed?”
“I love you.”
And he dropped a light, gentle kiss. With just that, the tears I’d been desperately enduring began to overflow again. Freed stroked my back to soothe me.
“Jeez… I thought you stopped, so why are you crying again?”
“After all…. Uuu… Freed, it’s your fault…”
When I complained while sniffling, Freed smiled troubledly.
“Yes, yes. I’m at fault.”
“Yes. You absolutely are.”
I embraced Freed tightly, and Freed wrapped me in his mantle. As he gently hugged me under the mantle, my eyes teared up again.
“Uuu…”
“Your eyes will swell if you cry too much. Lidi, tomorrow is the wedding ceremony, so you must be more beautiful than anyone. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime big moment.”
“Yup, I know… I know that.”
However, I can’t stop.
“Shall we go back to the room?”
“…”
Whenever I spoke my tears spilled, so I answered by just nodding my head. The next instant, the wind blowing against my skin disappeared.
“Look, we’re back.”
Urged by Freed, I raised my face. Before I realized, I came back to the room I’d spent three days in.
Freed then encouraged me.
“For now, how about taking a bath? You can wash your face and warm your body.”
“… Yup. Freed, you aren’t coming?”
The bathroom here is big enough for two people. When I looked at Freed with eyes that turned red, he scratched his cheek.
“I want to do that, but if we enter together, I’ll unmistakably want to fool around with you, Lidi. I’ll wait here. Enter alone and relax.”
“Nh… I understand.”
I think that would be good too, but I’d been crying all that time, so I certainly want to wash my face.
I decided to obediently presume upon his kindness and went to the bathroom alone.
I warmed my chilled body and thoroughly washed my face. When I pressed a moistened towel to my eyes, I felt the swelling subside.
I checked myself in the mirror and changed into the night clothes from the closet. When I returned to bed, Freed, who was waiting sitting on the edge of the bed, smiled at me.
“Lidi, are you okay now?”
“Yup, I’m fine. Sorry for crying.”
Because I cried my eyes out, I felt a little awkward and unconsciously averted my eyes.
“Lidi, you weren’t crying from sadness, right? Those were tears of happiness, weren’t they?”
“T-They were, but…”
“Then you don’t need to apologize. Lidi, I’m happy if I can make you delighted.”
“Freed.”
“Now, don’t be shy and come here in my embrace.”
“Ah!”
Freed spread his arms. As though invited, I settled inside his arms.
He then lovingly stroked my hair. It was most pleasant.
“Fufu… This is happiness.”
“Yup.”
It was a thoroughly gentle, sweet time. Wrapped in my beloved’s gentle heat, I felt like I was going to melt away.
Hugging me, Freed spun words little by little.
“Really Lidi, before I met you, I didn’t imagine that I would spend the last night before marrying in such happiness. Marriage had no meaning to me. It was only a ritual to obtain the Royal Flower, and yet I’m so happy now. I think I’ll do anything to protect this happiness.”
I deeply nodded to those words.
“Me too. I also thought it would be the same no matter who I married.”
I didn’t care about who I’d marry. The only thing I disliked was ‘polygyny’, otherwise I would obediently accept whoever was recommended.
Even in my previous life where free love was allowed, I wasn’t able to marry a person I loved.
Even now I can’t fully believe it’s possible in this world with the stifling noble society.
“It will be tomorrow soon. Let’s go to sleep.”
Hearing the soft voice, I raised my face.
“Is it okay?”
Knowing Freed, I thought we’d be doing it until the last moment. Freed laughed at my surprised words.
“Yup. It’s okay. Lidi, the next time I intend to embrace you is when you become my wife.”
“… I see. Yup, you’re right.”
Tomorrow night our two-week honeymoon starts nevertheless, but I didn’t care to point that out.
“Good night, Lidi.”
“Good night, Freed.”
We kissed lightly and dove into the linens, Freed hugging me.
Wrapped in the reassuring body warmth, my body naturally lost strength, and I was immediately assailed by sleepiness. By the time my eyelids closed, I was already off in my dreams.
The night before the wedding advanced leisurely like this.
Jingle Translations 