As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover

It was a season as cold as the winter weather when night fell. Because she thought about moving her body, Luize dressed lightly, so when the warm rain stopped, a chill swept over her body.

Luize unconsciously shrank from the cold, and a large chest and two arms wrapped around her body. Their body temperatures met through the clothes clinging to their wet skin.

“You looked cold.”

“The necklace Edward gave me has a warmth-retaining spell on it, so I won’t freeze to death.”

“I feel like I might be the one who froze to death.”

“Then we should hurry back. Look, we can’t go back if we stay like this.”

“We can go back.”

. With the sound of a finger snap, the location changed. Luize was startled by the suddenly changed background as she blinked. In the blink of an eye, the two had returned to the inn.

“…This is unbelievable. How powerful wizard are you? It reminds me of how you dealt with those assassins earlier and even made it rain. I’ve never seen such a powerful wizard before.”

Edward chuckled low. His body temperature, movements, and the vibration from his laughter were directly transmitted to her as they were hugging with their clothes all wet.

The layout was similar to her room but slightly larger, and minimal luggage was placed around. It seemed to be Edward’s room. Being in his room at this late hour, still in wet clothes, made her face strangely hot.

Luize pushed his shoulders lightly with both hands. “My clothes are all wet. I should go change.”

“Shall I offer you my clothes?”

“No, it’s the room next door, so I’ll go change into my clothes.”

“…I don’t want to let you go.” His forearm wrapped around her back tightened.

“…”

“Then, I’ll dry your clothes.”

With a snap of his fingers, Edward and Luize’s clothes dried instantly. As Luize checked her body with an astonished look, Edward, who had released the hug, came out with a towel from the bathroom.

“Unfortunately, it seems I have to dry your hair by hand.”

Luize narrowed her eyes and looked at him. His hair was dry and fluffy, just like their clothes.

“Are you sure you really can’t do it?”

“Of course not.”

“How honest.”

“Your hair is so beautiful, I wanted to touch it myself. So I made an excuse, but if you dislike my touch, there’s nothing I can do. I thought drying Miss Luize’s hair would ease my mind a bit… Well, I must be terrible. I’m sorry.” He trailed off and cast his gaze down sadly. Following his gaze, his black hair sagged down. His red eyes seemed to moisten again.

“No! I hate drying my hair more than anything in the world. I always wished someone would do it for me. Please come and dry it.” Luize hurriedly leaned back in the chair. She was infinitely gentle towards the weak.

As expected of Edward, he knew how to exploit such aspects of her. Though half might be an act, his desire for her not to leave the room seemed genuine.

Edward’s hand gently dried her hair with the towel in between. Luize’s lips curved up slightly at his cautious movements as if worried he might hurt her.

The room was comfortably warm and cozy as if enchanted, despite no special device.

It had been a long time since someone had taken care of her hair with such devotion. It was when Allen was alive, so it must have been over ten years ago.

The wind that gently blew in through the open window made Luize’s eyes start to close. As she became more relaxed, the day’s events felt like a distant dream, and she was overwhelmed with sleepiness. As her head drooped sleepily, Edward, who had been drying her hair with the towel, stopped moving.

“Get some sleep.”

When he stopped moving, she was about to fully fall asleep, her head bowed deeply. Edward gently picked her up and laid her on his bed.

“

…

, sorry. I should go back to my room.” Luize looked at Edward with a drowsy gaze.

“Just stay here.”

“…”

“I don’t want to be left alone.” His red eyes looked at her as if begging. His plea seemed less skillful than seven years later, seemingly exposing his raw emotions.

Why did it overlap with the words he had said to her not long ago?

“We were attacked just now.”

“Yes.”

“We don’t know what might happen tonight.”

“Another attack could happen.”

“Then I guess you need a guard.”

“You have a point.”

“Your bed is so wide, and since we usually share the same barracks, it wouldn’t look strange for us to sleep together, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Then I’ll stay in your room tonight.”

Edward blinked slowly. His long, dense black eyelashes partially lifted, revealing the red eyes hidden behind them. Then, his face broke into a smile so enchanting it was beautiful. “That’s a good idea.”

After a while, he climbed onto the bed.

* * *

“Lord Edward.”

“Lord Edward.”

.

.

The sound from inside made Maxion’s hand freeze in surprise for a moment before knocking on the door again.

The door swung open abruptly. In front of the door, Edward stood leaning against the wall with his legs crossed, pretending to be nonchalant as he brushed through his hair.

“Why are you standing in such a suspicious posture?”

“

, it’s nothing. Nothing happened.”

“Your answer is awkward. It’s as if you’re hiding something…” Maxion trailed off and put strength into his arm to push the door.

At that moment, Edward quickly grasped the doorknob. The struggle between Maxion trying to open the door and Edward trying to keep it closed began.

“This is my private space.”

“I remember entering last night.”

“That was then, this is now.”

“What are you hiding? Don’t tell me an assassin broke in last night.”

“…You and Hendrik both, those who have been with the order for a long time, have a strangely sharp side.”

“If it’s that, I’ll take care of the corpse.”

“

. I’ve already taken care of it, so it’s fine. But what brings you here?”

“

, it’s time for breakfast.”

“I see. I’ll be down soon. It’s a mess inside.”

“…Understood.” Maxion released the force he was applying to the door.

Edward closed the door and sighed. As he turned around, Luize, who had been preparing to jump out of the bedroom window, caught his eye.

“Don’t jump, it’s dangerous. I can teleport you to the next room.”

“

, thank you.”

As soon as Luize’s words ended, the door opened again.

.

“By the way, I forgot to report something. Today, Luize didn’t show up for morning training, and when I knocked on her door, I couldn’t sense any sign of her…”

“…”

“…”

The three of them exchanged glances in the air.

Edward spoke up. “Maxion, wait a moment…”

Maxion stopped his meaningless report and closed the door.

* * *

After an awkward breakfast, with nothing special to do, Luize decided to visit the weapon shop for the first time in a while.

“Really, he should listen to people for once.” Luize sighed deeply.

Maxion refused to ask what had happened the previous night until the end.

Maxion’s face was more ferocious than ever.

.

Maxion continued with a stern face.

He then left the inn, leaving Luize behind, who decided to visit the weapon shop after pondering. Everyone seemed busy, and she was the only one idle.

“It seems like a misunderstanding.”

Luize pondered.

The previous night, she had fallen asleep in Edward’s room, swayed by his suggestion. Honestly, she felt his presence on the bed due to the worn-out mattress at some point, but for some reason, she didn’t feel endangered and fell asleep again. She had a peaceful sleep until Maxion knocked on Edward’s door in the morning, missing morning training entirely.

No, considering she woke up in Edward’s arms, it wasn’t entirely innocent. Edward himself was surprised, and when Luize looked up at him as soon as she woke up to the knocking sound, his face turned red, and he backed away. Then he rolled off the bed and greeted Maxion.

“

… What am I doing, leaving a patient behind.”

The patient was none other than Edward, who had lost seven years of memories and had a mental age of twenty. Luize felt tormented, thinking she had done something terrible to him. The problem was that she didn’t dislike it.

“

, now that I think about it, Elliot had a strong scent of roses yesterday…”

.

Luize arrived at the weapon shop and entered it with a serious face. The merchant’s booming voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Welcome! Are you a traveler? What brings a lady to a weapon shop? You look troubled. Are you here to buy a weapon to stab your husband with? If it’s that kind of weapon, we have plenty over there.”

The weapons dealer pointed to the weapons prepared on one side of the shop.