The sun is already dipping low, so the streets of the castle town are bustling with people coming and going.
There’s an unspoken rule about how horses, carriages, and pedestrians share the road: vehicles stay in the center, while people walk along the edges.
At first, I thought about just walking home together, but the distance from the castle gate to our new mansion is honestly pretty far.
If I’m going to have Noie carry me the whole way anyway, we might as well ride the horse from the start.
So that’s how we end up riding back together.
And… wow, this is actually amazing!
Noie is sitting sideways in front of me.
Every time the horse sways, she naturally leans back and presses herself against my chest, arms wrapping lightly around me to steady herself.
This is pure bliss～
I’m officially deciding we’re commuting by horse starting tomorrow.
「Noie? You okay?」
「Yes.」
Even as she answers, her eyes stay fixed on the people passing by.
Most of them notice her right away and press their hands together in quiet respect.
But some don’t, a few clearly have no idea who she is.
Probably merchants visiting from other countries.
Thanks to the dragon, business might be tough for them lately… but without people like them coming and going, our daily lives wouldn’t be the same either.
「Arg-sama?」
「Hm?」
「……Am I… a human?」
「Of course you are. Noie is a human.」
「Yes.」
She’s spent so much time not being treated like one…
Maybe that little doubt is always hiding somewhere inside her heart.
That’s why she asks sometimes, isn’t it?
「Noie is definitely a human. And she’s my adorable wife.」
「……Yes.」
She glances up at me for just a second, then leans in closer, and presses the softest, shyest kiss right against my lips.
Since when did Noie get this bold?!
The people around us instantly erupt into cheers and excited shouts.
The whole street is losing it!!
I frantically urge the horse forward and we bolt out of there like we’re escaping a crime scene.
-0-
「So yeah, like… the mansion is finally finished! From now on we can just relax and live here like it’s our own home, wait, it IS our home!! …Y-Yeah. Cheers!」
「「Cheers～!!」」
Why am I so terrible at improvising speeches?!
Trying to hide how badly I just bombed, I sneak away from the center of attention and slink over to the table.
I land right next to Noie, who already started eating without waiting.
Her cheek is still faintly pink, and she’s pretending nothing happened… but the tiny happy curl of her lips gives her away completely.
To avoid having a separate dinner party right after us, we just turned the whole thing into a big combined housewarming celebration for everyone.
The tables are piled high with dishes the cooks have been preparing since noon.
Maids, handymen, and all the staff, regardless of rank, are gathered together, happily digging into whatever they like.
I don’t hate this kind of atmosphere at all.
Little groups form here and there, conversations spreading out.
Someone who’s had a bit too much wine starts boldly propositioning a maid for a one-night stand… only to get promptly kicked right in the crotch.
Watching that scene, I can’t help but remember my old high school days.
Our class was always this chaotic too～.
「Arg-sama?」
「Hm?」
「Everyone… is laughing.」
「Yeah, they are.」
Noie pauses with her fork halfway to her mouth, quietly gazing around at the cheerful buzz filling the dining hall.
「They’re laughing. Does that mean this is fun?」
「That’s right. People laugh when something feels good and happy.」
「Yes.」
She gives a small, firm nod and goes back to eating.
She might be slow to pick things up sometimes, but Noie definitely has a normal amount of curiosity and willingness to learn.
That’s why she keeps trying so hard, in her own way, to understand “emotions”.
「Noie」
「……Yes?」
「Is it delicious?」
「Yes.」
A tiny, soft smile blooms across her face as she continues her meal.
-0-
…Ah, I’m in trouble now, aren’t I?
Tonight, because we made it a big party, bath time got pushed back.
I went in first, and now it’s Noie’s turn.
She did ask 「Together?」 earlier, and I feel bad turning her down…
But I really needed this little bit of time to steel myself.
By the way, the bath here is quite a bit smaller than the one at the castle.
It’s unavoidable, boiling water takes effort and fuel.
The handymen heat the water with firewood, so we can’t just hop in whenever we feel like it anymore.
Back at the detached annex in the castle, there always seemed to be hot water on standby, constantly circulating.
I wonder if that was sanitary… bacteria and stuff?
Maybe boiling it fresh every time kills everything?
Well, here we refill the tub completely each use, so there shouldn’t be any worry about that.
knock knock
「Danna-sama. I’ve brought Madam.」
Under the maid’s guidance, Noie steps into the room, and her nightwear has totally changed!!
What’s with that camisole thing?!
I’ve never seen anything like it before!!
「It was mixed in among the wedding gifts that danna-sama carried over.」
The maid shoots me this look that says “Don’t worry, I won’t say more,” and I’m seriously grateful for it.
…Wait, does that mean everyone thinks I’m the kind of guy with that sort of hobby?!
Eh, whatever. Call me a pervert or a total perv if you want! I don’t mind!
The pale yellow shade suits her perfectly. It’s super cute against her skin.
I have zero memory of ever seeing a piece of clothing like this in the gifts… but hey, whatever.
「If you need anything, please call for me.」
「Yes. Good night.」
With a soft ‘click’, the maid shuts the door and heads back to the waiting room.
Just to be safe, I crack the door open and peek both ways down the hall…
No maid in sight. Perfect.
When I turn back into the room, my eyes meet Noie’s. She’s giving a little shake to test how the fabric feels against her.
「How is it?」
「It suits you so well. What do you think, Noie?」
「……It’s comfortable to wear.」
Yeah, that’s pretty much her go-to criteria for picking clothes.
Well, fine by me. For now, I gently take her hand in mine, her fingers warm and soft against my palm, and lead her over to the bed together.
Our familiar bed hasn’t changed at all. The pillows are the same too, so there’s no weird awkwardness hanging in the air.
We lie down side by side, and as I let out a soft, relaxing sigh…
without a single sound, Noie’s body suddenly shifts. She swings one leg over and straddles my hips.
「Arg-sama」
「Hm?」
She’s got me in a full mount position now.
In a wrestling match, this would be the setup for getting pummeled into oblivion.
「Our promise.」
「I know.」
「Good.」
She leans down, her face drawing closer, her breath warm and sweet against my skin, and I meet her lips with a gentle kiss.
Her cheeks flush that adorable pink, and my heart skips just from how close she is, her hair brushing softly against my forehead.
But… there’s one thing I have to say first.
「Noie」
「Yes」
「I… um… this is my first time, so I might mess up. If I do something wrong, I’m sorry in advance.」
Making excuses before we even start feels embarrassing… but trying to cover for mistakes afterward would feel even worse.
Noie just says 「It’s fine」 and gazes at me steadily with those deep, reddish-black eyes of hers, full of quiet trust that makes my chest tighten in the best way.
「I don’t know anything about this. Even if Arg-sama makes a mistake, I wouldn’t notice. So it’s fine.」
「Yeah… thank you, Noie.」
「Yes.」
I wrap my arms around her softly, pulling her close enough to feel her heartbeat fluttering against mine…and then I gently roll us over, switching our positions.
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