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The Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom

Honestly. My Wife Has Guts

Translated by: S3

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

「...Something about that meeting, especially the end, felt really off. Like when he asked for my name. What was that all about? Do you think he knew I’m the dragon when he asked?」

「No. Likely he just wanted to grasp the identity of everyone present. Don't overthink it.」

「I'm going to overthink it! Of course I am! That whole... 'I can tell by looking into your eyes' thing. It was just creepy...」

「No, that was... well. Hah-hah-hah-hah!」

Cross sat with his legs apart and arms crossed, laughing heartily at Elna, who was staring down at her own trembling hands.

「What's so funny...?」

「I couldn't say. Truly, my bride is adorable just to look at.」

「Not your bride, your fiancée... and actually, you finally called me your wife back there, didn't you!?」

「It's more or less the same thing.」

「It might be 'more or less' the same, but it's technically not at all!」

「Um, excuse me...」

Beside Elna, Noma was sitting hunched over, looking profoundly uncomfortable. Her face screamed that she was trying her best not to listen to their conversation, but given the close quarters, that was impossible; her hands, resting on her knees, were shaking.

「Is it really okay for me to be here...? Maybe I should move to another carriage...」

「We've reduced the number of guards for the return trip. Considering the possibility of an incident, it's easier to respond if we stay grouped together. Especially right now.」

When Cross finished his blunt explanation with a slight narrowing of his eyes, Noma looked even more out of place. 「H-hyaiii...」 she squeaked, nearly tripping over her own tongue. It was piteous. Being trapped in such a small space with her own King was likely nothing short of pure stress.

At present, Elna and the others had departed from the town of Crushment and were in the middle of a carriage journey toward the territory of Wizrain. Whether the meeting with the Empire had ended "successfully" was up for debate, but it was over. There was no reason to linger.

『Come back and visit Marls again if you ever have the chance! You absolutely have to!』 Kyle had seen them off, waving his sleeve with a lonely expression. Boarding the carriage with a mixture of sadness and relief, they had made it this far.

「...Noma, you can sleep if you want.」

「That makes it even more impossible!」

Elna’s attempt at consideration was proving difficult to land. Noma quickly curled herself into a ball, closed her eyes, lowered her face, and pressed her hands over her ears. It was a clear declaration that she wouldn't eavesdrop on any further conversation. Elna and Cross exchanged a glance and shared a wry smile.

Well, there was still a long way to go. She would get used to it eventually.

「In the end, what was the Empire really after? Dragging us all the way out here just for that? What a bunch of troublemakers...」

「In any case, the fact that we settled the matter of reparations is a great success. We made concessions, but there was no need to provoke them further. It’s better to have them in our debt.」

「In your debt, huh...」

「Though, the fact that he was preoccupied with the rumors about the dragon is a bit concerning...」

Cross trailed off into thought. Elna felt restless in the sudden silence, but looking over, Noma was still sitting there with her hands over her ears. Suddenly, Elna spoke up as she remembered something.

「...Come to think of it, that younger brother. Lancielo, was it? He seemed terrified because his brother is called the 'Blood Emperor.' Is he always like that?」

She left the implication—*he's nothing like Wizrain's royalty*—unsaid.

「...Well. To me, it looked more like he was being provocative.」

「Provocative? In what way?」

「If he were truly terrified, he wouldn't have even opened his mouth. To my eyes, it looked as though he was acting that way on purpose.」

「I wonder. Is that how it works...?」

Elna toyed with the ends of her hair, feeling a bit sulky that Cross seemed to have more insight despite her technically having lived longer. Then, remembering she was currently just a seventeen-year-old girl, she puffed out her cheeks again.

(I just... wanted to be useful to this guy—to Cross...)

In the end, she hadn't had a part to play today. While it was certainly better not to have a conflict, it left her feeling a bit empty.

「...Hm? Oh, by the way, neither Rigoberto nor Lancielo had red eyes.」

「What do you mean?」

「You know, when we passed that royal carriage with the Empire’s crest back in town? At that moment, I saw a flash of red eyes. So I assumed the Imperial family had red eyes, but...」

Though their hair was crimson, their eyes had been a deep black. She wouldn't even let the thought—*just like Vaid’s*—cross her mind.

「Red eyes...? I didn't notice that at all. Are you sure you weren't imagining things?」

「Yes. I'm confident in my eyesight.」

「Combined with Halburn, who has the hearing of a wild animal, you’d be unstoppable.」

「W-well, my ears are good too! Probably!」

「Why are you trying to compete with him on that?」

The carriage had been traveling for quite some time since leaving Crushment. Looking out the window to see if it was time for a break, Elna’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of a deep canyon running alongside the road. The thought of what would happen if the carriage slipped off the path made her instinctively scoot toward the opposite side of the seat.

「...Kyle said that because Marls is small, they don't get many blessings from the spirits... but the reality is a bit different, isn't it?」

Elna whispered while staring out the window, keeping her distance from the edge. The road was wide enough, but the coachman was driving the horses at a cautious, deliberate pace.

Spirits prefer nature and dwell near it. Then again, there are humans who are simply liked by spirits. Cross likely didn't realize it because he lacked the **Eyes to See**, but he was actually the latter type. That was why so many spirits gathered at Wizrain Castle. It was the same for Vaid in his previous life.

While the country of Marls couldn't be called lush, forests favored by spirits were scattered here and there. However, there were no spirits in those woods. That was because most of them lived in the forest surrounding the Vidrast Mountains.

The Forest of Confusion—a place where many spirits dwell, and where those who set foot inside are said to be led astray and sent back. Elna had never visited it as Elnalfia—as a dragon—but it was a legend she held in her past memories.

That said, as times changed, humans had gradually expanded their territory, and she had heard that people now set foot even in the Forest of Confusion. Still, one had to carefully cross paths created by skilled spirit users. To reach the Vidrast Mountains, one had to cross this deep canyon and mountain stream, descend further, and pass through the Forest of Confusion.

The Kingdom of Wizrain lay just across the mountains, but the return carriage had to follow the river down and detour around the range. It was a hassle, but it was because of these mountains that the border between Marls and Wizrain existed in the first place.

(It would be so much easier if I could just fly,) she thought, suddenly recalling the color of the sky and her past life.

The scent of the wind whistling past. The warm light. The sound of glass scales rubbing together like chiming bells...

Elna slowly closed her eyes, a soft smile touching her lips. A nostalgic feeling, tinged with a bit of loneliness. In a sky as deep as the ocean, a black-haired man was laughing. —Ah. (I close my eyes again.)

When she opened them next, a handsome blonde man was sitting with his legs crossed, looking out the window.

「...Hm? Is something wrong?」

Noticing Elna’s gaze, Cross smiled slightly.

The sunlight pouring through the window made his silhouette appear hazy.

It’s nothing, Elna shook her head. 「I see,」 Cross replied simply, but for some reason, her ears felt tingly every time she heard his voice. They were probably a little red.

「Your Majesty’s... voice... is too sweet...」

「N-Noma... weren't you covering your ears...?」

「There’s a limit, you know, a limit! They're just ordinary words... but your voice is just overflowing with affection... ughhh.」

『I really, really want to move to another carriage, please let me move...』 seeing Noma weeping into her hands, Elna couldn't help but feel awkward. It wasn't as if they were actually doing anything.

「Hey, Cross, when we get a bit further, maybe Noma and I can move to—」

Elna placed a hand on Noma’s back but cut her sentence short, her eyes narrowing sharply. She immediately pressed her hands against the window and checked behind them.

「...Cross.」

「I know. They’ve likely been following us from a distance. We slowed down for the canyon, and they must have misjudged the gap between us.」

「Wha-wha-what?」

Elna briefly explained the situation to the confused Noma and forced her head down.

「An Imperial carriage is right behind us. We don't know what might happen. Noma, stay hidden.」

「B-but...!」

「Should we keep driving? No... we can't do that in this canyon.」

If the horses misstepped because they increased their speed and plunged straight down to the bottom of the cliff, there was nothing even Elna could do. The Empire also had to detour around the Vidrast Mountains to head home, but if Wizrain lay to the west, the Empire lay to the east. They had already passed the road they should have turned off on, so it couldn't be explained away as a coincidence.

「...We don't know when they'll make their move. Cross, let's get out of the carriage. If there’s a chance we’re being attacked, we should be the ones to choose the timing.」

Elna turned a cold gaze toward the Imperial carriage.

「Honestly. My wife has quite the guts...」

She pretended she didn't hear his teasing remark.