Side Story #1: The Feeling Is Mutual

1. Cercis’s Viola-less Days

“There’s so much to do! Aren’t we supposed to be the Royal Guard? Why are we so busy?”

“What kind of question is that? Working for the Royal Guard isn’t meant to be the kind of job where you can slack off.”

“I’ve been had.”

“You have not.”

At the moment, I happened to be walking down the halls of the royal palace and grumbling under my breath. I was on my way to the council room, where the king and his advisors were to hold a meeting. Corydalis accompanied me, as was customary.

“Have they drawn up the guest list for the first princess’s engagement party yet? You know, the one set for the beginning of next month?”

“Yeah—we got the list from the consul. Next we have to discuss security logistics and how to allocate the guest rooms, then after that we have to meet with the other nations’ knight-guards to figure out safety measures and lodgings...and then there’s sniffing out whoever might be planning to take advantage of the nationwide festivities to get up to no good... And I think that just about covers it. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.” Corydalis looked over the documents, giving a dry laugh.

For crying out loud, why did we have to make an engagement announcement an international event? I screwed my face into a pout that was very the picture of displeasure.

“You know why we’re doing this,” retorted Corydalis, almost as if he had read my mind.

“I know, I know. But it would be so much easier if this whole thing were only for the citizens of Flür. When we add other countries into the mix, all the procedures and formalities we have to follow make preparations a hundred times more tedious. And to make matters worse, we have to waste our time rooting out any subversive elements too.” I heaved a tortured sigh.

“There, there. Now that Aurantia’s out of the way, we’ve got a lot less foreign trouble to worry about. All the countries invited to this party are long-standing allies.”

“There’s the Kingdom of Amber, the Empire of Japonia... Yes, I suppose you have a point.”

Several other countries that shared a border with Flür had made it to the guest list as well.

The lady of the hour—Flür’s first princess—was to be married to the margrave who occupied the border with the Amber Kingdom.

If you asked me, it would have been fine to send out invitations just to the Amber Kingdom and be done with it, but unfortunately, that would have led to some diplomatic problems. (Why did they get an invitation, but we didn’t?—and so on and so forth.)

And of course, considering everything that had gone down with Aurantia, there was a vested interest in reaffirming our ties to our friendlier neighbors. Thus, next month’s engagement party was being held with the implication of We thank you for your continued support!

What’s more, it would serve as a debutante party for the other two princesses—something to the tune of By the way, we’ve got a couple more daughters—check them out! That said, it was still up in the air whether or not the second and third princesses would marry abroad. It was entirely possible that, much like their elder sister, they would end up marrying one of our own lords in the name of “securing the border.”

* * *

With all the moving parts to hash out, the meetings piled up one after the other—the royal councils, the discussions among the chivalric order—and there wasn’t a day I didn’t come home late.

“Welcome home, Master.”

“Thanks, Rohtas.”

Rohtas was the only one there to greet me in the deathly quiet entryway. Since I knew I would be getting home close to midnight, I had instructed the rest of the servants to retire without me.

I’d likewise informed Viola that I would be working late for the foreseeable future.

“Rohtas will still be awake, won’t he? Then I’ll stay up and wait for you too!” she had insisted, but seeing as this was bound to be a rough hour for an early riser like Viola, I’d countered, “Fine, but don’t push yourself too hard.” And lo, I had come home to find her fast asleep each and every night.

That’s right—I hadn’t seen my wife awake for days now!

Considering she was nowhere to be seen tonight, I assumed she was once again off in dreamland. Nevertheless, desperately holding onto a bit of hope, I asked Rohtas, “Is Viola out cold again?”

“Indeed, sir. I can hardly blame her—she was on her feet all day long.”

Going by that comment, I could just picture her cheerfully messing around with her flowerbed, picking flowers and putting them on display around the manor.

I was glad that Viola was enjoying herself so much, but at the same time, it made me a little sad. I wanted the chance to see her while she was awake and talk to her—did she not feel the same way?

“I’ve heated up the water for your bath, sir. Would you care for something to eat?”

“I’m good; I had a light snack back at the headquarters. I’d rather just take my bath and hit the sack. I’m exhausted.”

“Understood.”

The dim entryway echoed with the sound of our voices. How truly desolate.

I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like if this were a conversation with Viola instead.

What would you like? Dinner? A bath? Or perhaps...? asked my imaginary wife, flashing me a coy smile.

There we go—time to escape to my fantasy world. Viola’s cuteness is a universal constant, I see.

Here I was attempting to single-handedly charge my Viola batteries to distract myself from my sadness, yet Rohtas had to go and interject, “With all due respect, sir, Madam Fisalis would never say something like what you’re picturing.”

“Hush, you! I never said you were allowed to read my mind!”

And I can see that look of pity you’re shooting my way! Cut it out!

Of course, no matter how rough things were at the moment, I just had to ride it out until next month’s party was over. Patience is key, as they say.

* * *

In the mornings, I always had to leave before Viola woke up; I had to make sure to meet with my subordinates ahead of the royal council, after all.

Together we would reevaluate the security logistics based on the changes suggested during the previous day’s council and the latest reports on domestic affairs. If necessary, we would arrange to have certain troublemakers thrown into a jail cell. If we hoped to avoid a repeat of the break-in at the Fisalis manor a while back or that incident with the crown prince of Aurantia, we had to proceed with the utmost caution here.

Thus we would come up with a new plan, which I would then present at the royal council. Rinse and repeat.

As usual, it was one meeting after another at the royal palace. I was basically only going home to the mansion to sleep; I didn’t have any time to truly unwind. Quite frankly, I was fairly sure I was hovering on the verge of sleep deprivation. Perhaps the most sensible strategy would have been to set up a cot in my office instead of trudging all the way back home, but staying at the headquarters all day long would have just been depressing. It would’ve made my sleep time feel like work time—and more importantly, I wouldn’t get to see Viola! I wanted to at least see her face, even if she wasn’t awake for it!

Hence, I insisted on coming back home to the manor.

I just have to hold on for a little bit longer, I told myself over and over as I gazed down at Viola’s sleeping face.

* * *

On the following day, I was seated inside my office at the chivalric order’s headquarters. I was waiting for the delegation from the Japonian Empire to arrive so we could dive straight into our meeting.

The room was quiet. Sitting around doing nothing was just giving my exhaustion the chance to catch up to me.

With the way I was leaning heavily against the back of my chair and letting my eyes drift shut, I’d fallen into a doze before I knew it.

“Vice Captain! Get up!”

All of a sudden, I found Corydalis standing before my desk, his arms folded and a scowl on his face.

“If only Viola were here to give me a more gentle awakening...”

“That’s enough sleep-talking out of you. Wake up! Trust me, you’re not the only one here who wishes he could take a nap.”

“Getting woken up by Corydalis is just sad...”

“Oh, get it together. I take it you must really be tired.”

“I am... Not that it matters. Is the delegation here yet?” I asked, standing from my chair and stretching my whole body.

If they were, I’d have to head straight into a round of talks. I combed a hand through my hair to straighten it out, then reached out to grab the jacket I’d draped over my chair—only to pause when I heard what Corydalis said next.

“Oh, about that! From the sound of it, they’re going to be late.”

Judging by the furrow in his brow, he looked pretty tired himself. Though that was no surprise, really—he’d been holed up in the royal palace waiting for information to come in for a long time now.

“Japonia’s running behind schedule?”

“Yeah. The seas have been rough for the past few days, so it seems they’re going to arrive two or three days later than they had originally planned.”

“I see. That makes sense, I suppose—they do have to make the journey by boat.”

“Exactly.”

“Should I take that to mean...that my schedule is cleared up for the rest of the day?”

“Sure does.”

Since the plan for today was to discuss security measures with the Japonian Empire, I couldn’t be expected to get anything done without the very people I was supposed to meet with.

“Well then, I might as well head home on time for once.”

“Good thinking. All this non-stop work has been wearing me down too. And the same goes for everyone else here.”

My subordinates formerly belonging to the Special Ops Division were running themselves ragged doing all this public security work, which fell outside the scope of their regular duties. An excess of fatigue might lead to a lapse in judgment or concentration. In our line of work, that could be downright devastating.

“Tell our subordinates to head home early and get some rest themselves.”

“Will do.”

And so, I managed to head home early for the first time in ages.

* * *

“Welcome home, Cercis!”

Today, the entryway was well-lit, and there were plenty of servants lined up to greet me—along with Viola, of course.

It’s been so long since I’ve seen her awake!

It was something I would usually take for granted, but now I found the mere thought of it deeply moving.

“Thanks—I’m glad I managed to get home at a reasonable hour for once. We can actually have dinner together tonight.”

I gave Viola a big hug. Ooh... Now this is what I call medicine for the soul!

“Yeah! I heard you were going to get off work early today, so we’ve prepared a smorgasbord of your favorite foods!”

“You came up with the menu yourself?”

“Yep! Me and Cartham!”

“I... see.”

Viola nodded back at me with a million-watt smile, but all I could think was, Oh. Her and Cartham, huh? I don’t know what else I expected.

I had the oddest feeling of something eating away at me from inside.

* * *

The feast made up of all my favorite foods was just as delicious as you would expect, and I enjoyed chatting with Viola over dinner. I could practically feel my fatigue melting away, at long last.

“What have you been up to while I’ve been away?”

“Hmm, let’s see... I do the same things almost every day. I tinker with the garden, decorate the mansion with pretty flowers... Gosh, that sounds monotonous.”

It was pretty cute to watch her blow her own mind like that.

“What does that matter, as long as you’re enjoying yourself?” If I laughed at her, I was sure she would just start pouting, so I opted to contain my mirth and say something supportive.

“True!” came her cheerful reply.

But there it was again. Something was eating at me.

“Do you feel lonely at all?” I knew it was a mean question to ask, but I couldn’t help myself.

“I mean, I do miss you and all, but I’ve got the servants with me, so I’ve been doing all right!” She gave me the same sort of answer she always did, with the same sort of smile she always wore.

She really was just being her usual self. Yet for some reason, it made my heart ache to see it.

“Oh, I see. So as long as you have the servants around, you’ll never be lonely, hm?”

“Well, yes... Um, Cercis?”

I must have sounded pretty cold, because Viola gave me a blank look and tilted her head to one side.

I knew Viola hadn’t done anything wrong. And yet, I couldn’t stop the words spilling from my mouth. “So you’re fine without me, then.”

“Hm? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

She peered into my face, clearly concerned. Those sapphire eyes of hers quickly snapped me back to my senses.

Ahhhhh! What am I saying?! I’m tired, sure, but that’s no excuse to take it out on Viola! And to think she faithfully waited for me to come home!

“Just ignore me! It’s nothing.”

“Cercis?”

“Sorry. I’m going to head to bed.”

I headed up to the bedroom and left Viola behind in the dining room, still looking anxious.

2. The Same Old Viola

Mr. Fisalis had been so busy with work as of late that we would go days at a time without ever seeing each other. From the sound of it, the chivalric order had their hands full with the preparations for the first princess’s engagement party, which was to be held at the start of next month. Oh, make no mistake—he wasn’t in charge of putting together the banquet or anything like that! He was handling the security and all the other behind-the-scenes stuff.

He was already at work by the time I got up each morning, and he’d get home so late that I’d already have fallen asleep.

Is he getting enough rest? I sure hope he’s not overworking himself.

He hadn’t been getting much sleep for days on end now, so I was starting to worry about him.

When he’d first told me, “I’m going to be busy with work for a while, so I don’t expect I’ll have much time to sit down and talk with you,” I’d been so hell-bent on getting to see him that I’d assured him, “I’ll do my best to stay awake!” Unfortunately, keeping late hours was a difficult task for someone who lives by the motto “early to bed, early to rise,” so I would always end up conking out before he made it back to the manor.

I’d hear about how he was doing from Rohtas, who always stayed up to greet him at the door, but I couldn’t truly relax until I’d laid eyes on the man himself.

Then, one day, Mr. Fisalis actually came home on time, claiming that his work had finished up ahead of schedule. He seemed to be in an even better mood than usual—because he was so happy to get home early, I had to assume.

Though he was all smiles, there were dark circles under his ordinarily striking eyes. I could have sworn he’d lost a bit of weight too.

Well, I’m sure he’ll be back to normal once his work does the same.

This was going to be my first dinner with Mr. Fisalis in a long time. He’d sent word ahead that he was going to be home soon, so Cartham and I had planned out a meal that had all his favorite dishes.

“The entrée should be that meat dish Mr. Fisalis loves so much. And then...a salad with a light dressing would be easier on his tired body, don’t you think? For dessert, let’s go with that bittersweet chocolate cake I know he adores.”

“Yes, yes, Madame. That’s the second time today you’ve said ‘that something-or-other Mr. Fisalis loves,’ you realize?” Cartham had interjected, poking fun at me as I rambled off ideas.

We made it through most of dinner peacefully chatting away, but by the time the dessert came around, Mr. Fisalis was acting strange.

* * *

“What’s the matter with Mr. Fisalis?”

“Hmm...” Stellaria responded with a strained smile. Everyone else around reacted more or less the same way. Wait, am I the only one who doesn’t already know?

He’d been in such a good mood when he’d come home. That hadn’t changed much while we were eating dinner either. But then out of nowhere, he’d gone and said, “So you’re fine without me”...

“Did I say something wrong?” I murmured, gazing at the door through which he had just left.

“Er, well...if I had to venture a guess, he wanted you to say you missed him while he was away,” Rohtas suggested, struggling not to laugh.

“Huh? But I did say that!”

“Yes, and you immediately followed up with: ‘But I have the servants with me, so I’m all right.’”

“Uh-huh... Wait, what?! Oh, so that’s it...”

So that set him off...

But you know what, I’m used to having the servants around, and right after we first got married—back when he never came home to the main house—they were the ones who always kept me company so I never got too lonely!

Not that I’m ever lonely these days, since I’ve got Mr. Fisalis by my side.

“Men are so complicated...”

“Not at all. They’re quite simple, in fact.”

“You really think so?”

“That I do, Madam.”

Considering I had zero experience in the romance department, expecting me to read my husband’s mind was way too big a demand.

Well, since he already escaped to the bedroom, maybe I ought to leave him be. Given how busy he’s been as of late, he must be exhausted.

“Should I just leave him alone?”

“No, Madam. Go bring this up to him.” Rohtas pointed to a nightcap set prepared by one of the maids. “I’m sure he’s wallowing in guilt as we speak.”

“Huh?!”

Guilt? Oh, Mr. Fisalis...

* * *

When I went up to the bedroom, I found Mr. Fisalis lying facedown on the bed.

Oh dear, he didn’t even bother to change into pajamas. You’re not even going to take a bath before you start sulking?

“Cercis?”

No response.

He’s not answering. Is he asleep already?

I approached the bed and put the nightcap set down on the bedside table. Part of me had wondered if he was so tired he’d fallen right asleep, but when I came up beside him, he stirred slightly. He was definitely awake.

“Oh, Ceeerciiis! Lookie here, I’ve brought you some liquor! Why don’t you take a bath, have a nice drink, and get to bed?” I said, shaking him back and forth.

“Don’t want it.”

Well, there you have it.

Mr. Fisalis mumbled his answer, refusing to lift his face from the bed. What a child.

“Okay, then—bath and bed it is! I’m sure you’re tired, aren’t you?”

“...Fine.”

He was willing to take a bath, at least.

Upon hearing his response, the maids scurried off to go prepare his bath.

I sat down beside my husband, gently stroking his beautiful, dark-brown hair. “You’re always so busy these days. Be sure to look after yourself, okay?”

Silence.

“If you ever feel like you can’t go on, make sure to take a nap.”

“...I wouldn’t get any rest on a bed in my office. It’d just feel like I was still at work.”

Oh, I see. That’s fair, I guess—it certainly wouldn’t compare to this bed right here. But what did he do on the front lines, then? Surely he must have managed somehow.

Maybe being in Rohze just makes him more picky? Hee hee... Whatever am I going to do with him?

“There’s only a couple weeks left until the party, right?”

“...Yeah.”

“And it’s going to be a pretty lavish occasion, isn’t it? I can already imagine the first princess dressed to the nines.”

Just thinking about the giant party looming on the horizon was enough to make me miserable.

Whoops! This is no time for me to be getting down in the dumps! Remember, Viola—you came here to cheer up your husband!

“...I’m going to be busy until then. Sorry.”

“It’s fine! I can be patient.”

Mr. Fisalis squirmed atop the bed until he’d wrapped himself around my waist. He almost reminded me of a pet or something. How adorable.

“...Do you miss me?” He asked nearly the same question he had back in the dining room.

There! There’s the trigger! I have to stress how sad his absence is making me!

“Of course I do! You keep asking the silliest things today, Cercis.”

“You mean it?”

“Yes!”

“...Sorry about how I acted. The fatigue must be getting to me.”

What’s this? Is he embarrassed?

Keeping his arms coiled around my waist, he apologized for his earlier behavior.

Wow, Rohtas, I never should have doubted you! He really is sim— Uh, ahem. But that’s a good point—he must be tired from work. He’s feeling stretched to his limits as it is.

And so...

“That must be it. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep tonight. You have to rest up while you’ve got the chance, if you want to recuperate.”

“Okay.”

It looked like Mr. Fisalis was feeling a little bit better now.

* * *

I went to bed earlier than usual that night, and when I woke the next morning...

“Oh, he’s already gone.”

“Yes, Madam. He left at the same early hour he always does.”

“Whoopsie.”

By the time I got up, Mr. Fisalis had already left for work.

Does that mean it’s going to be a while before we see each other again?

When he went on a business trip, it was easier to accept his absence. Now, even I was starting to get sad about us always missing each other when he was so close by.

Did what I said yesterday get through to him? I have the sinking feeling it didn’t...

3. Cercis’s Frustrations

I was happy to see Viola awake for the first time in a while, but I couldn’t help getting frustrated that everything was just business as usual for her.

Viola is having a great time without me. After letting myself get caught up in a spiral of negative thoughts like that, I ended up taking it out on my wife.

Aghhhhh! I’m such a jerk! Viola didn’t do anything wrong, and the servants have been working hard to keep her from feeling lonely! The exhaustion must be getting to me. My patience is at an all-time low.

I headed back to the bedroom first, only to dive straight into bed.

Ugh... How am I ever supposed to face her again? I need to figure out a way to apologize. It’s always hard to find the right timing for this sort of thing.

No doubt I would once again have my hands full with work starting tomorrow, so I had to take care of it before it could fester.

“Ughhhh...”

I had to say I was sorry right now.

Okay, tonight it is... I just need a little more time to work myself up to it, that’s all.

While I was lazing around all on my own, sunken face-first into the bed, Viola came in with a nightcap set in hand.

Darn it. I missed my window to get up.

My first instinct was to pretend to be asleep, but I stirred when I sensed Viola getting close. I had almost certainly blown my cover already.

Nevertheless, I stubbornly insisted on playing possum, only for Viola to say, “Oh, Ceeerciiis! Lookie here, I’ve brought you some liquor! Why don’t you take a bath, have a nice drink, and get to bed?”

This was the perfect chance to apologize, but my mortification over getting caught doing something so childish kept me from saying what was on my mind.

“Don’t want it.”

“Okay, then—bath and bed it is! I’m sure you’re tired, aren’t you?”

“...Fine.”

Viola responded cheerfully in the face of my gruff mumblings. As she gently stroked my hair, I could practically feel all those useless feelings of embarrassment and vexation melting away.

I didn’t want her to see my face, so I kept it hidden from view as I wrapped my arms around her slender waist. We carried on with our conversation in that position.

Incorrigible fellow that I was, I couldn’t help asking her one more time, “Do you miss me?” She smiled and answered, “Of course I do!”

She does miss me, doesn’t she?

I went on to apologize for my behavior during dinner, and it wasn’t long before the burden on my heart had vanished.

Now this is a problem. When I get too tired, I start wallowing in negativity.

Starting tomorrow, it was back to that chaotic work regimen. Since I had been lucky enough to get the chance to charge up my reserves of Viola energy, I’d just have to do my very best to push through the next two weeks.

* * *

Once again, I woke up and headed to work while Viola was still fast asleep.

“Did you get a good night’s sleep?” asked Corydalis, who showed up in my office first thing in the morning with the color back in his cheeks. He must have gotten a good rest himself.

“That I did. It made me realize just how tired I’d been lately.”

“I feel that. Anyway, here you go—the materials for today’s meeting.”

“Thanks.”

I flipped through the pages he’d handed me and gleaned the main points of today’s meeting.

“Oh, and also, the Japonian delegation is set to finally arrive tomorrow evening, so we’ll jump straight into a conference as soon as they arrive,” Corydalis reported, glancing over another memo in his hand.

Japonia, hm? They made up the lost time faster than I expected. Word has it they’ll be here tomorrow evening, but it’s not uncommon for such ETAs to end up being way off.

“We’re going to be stuck at work incredibly late that day, aren’t we?”

“Wow, you catch on quick.”

“Am I even going to make it home?”

“Might as well just resign yourself to sleeping in your office.”

“Anything but that!”

Even if it has to wait until the middle of the night, I want to sleep at home—next to Viola!

Soon after that, the delegates sent by our international invitees started arriving one after another, and my meeting-filled days dragged on.

We had to attend plenty of conferences with these guests. Often their arrival would be delayed, and my own schedule would get thrown off to accommodate theirs. I was frequently forced to do what I’d been trying my hardest to avoid: spending the night in my office. Oh, how I longed for the days I’d actually been able to go home, no matter how late it was.

“I’ll never feel at ease sleeping on that bed in my office.”

“True, true, it’s not really built for comfort,” Corydalis chimed in. Everyone who lived in the dormitory of the chivalric order sure had it easy. There was nothing keeping them from going back to their own room; it was right next to the headquarters, after all.

“Maybe I ought to spend the night in your room, Corydalis.”

“Don’t even think about it. It’d be one thing if it were Ria, but why should I let you into my room? Are you trying to get under my skin?! Listen, buddy, I’ll have you know I haven’t seen my girl in ages either!”

I’d suggested it because I thought it would be preferable to staying in my office, but it seemed that comment had really set him off.

* * *

There were only a few days left until the engagement party. Maintaining public order, drafting a security plan to protect the guests from arrival to departure—almost all of the preparations were complete.

At present, we were going crazy working to receive the international invitees—playing the role of their escorts, mainly. It wasn’t just the guests themselves we had to account for, but their attendants and bodyguards too, so the numbers really added up. Considering how many of these groups kept showing up, the royal palace was busier than ever.

“Oh, man,” I grumbled. “I think I’m hitting max levels of sleep deprivation.”

“Same here.”

“We will have time to head home the day before the party, right? I can’t very well escort Vi if I’m a worn out mess.”

“Just cover it up through sheer willpower,” said Corydalis, giving me a tired, rueful smile.

Things would stop being so damn hectic once the flow of guests tapered off. We just had to follow the set procedure after that, so I expected everything to become significantly more chill.

The final guest was arriving this evening, so once that was taken care of, I could go home.

I wasn’t about to stand beside my sweet, beautiful Viola looking like a shabby, exhausted disaster!

“Next up is a royal council, hm? I’m pretty confident I’ll end up nodding off during that. Will anyone mind if I fall asleep? I’d like to go visit Viola in my dreams.”

“What? Leave the sleep-talking for after you fall asleep. Well, I can’t blame you—those meetings are pretty boring. How about this? I’ll make you a cup of tea so you can head in all refreshed.”

“Aww, man... I really have to go, don’t I?”

“Stop whining! Drink your tea and get to it!”

I downed the tea Corydalis had brewed for me in one gulp, then headed to the royal palace for the council meeting.

* * *

Since the most urgent matters—or rather, the most important details—-had already been sorted out, the main topic of today’s meetings was who would escort the second and third princesses to the party.

Why am I here for this? You and the prime minister can figure this one out, Your Majesty. Did you really need to call all these high-ranking officials and knights just to discuss this?!

With all the pent-up irritation I’d built up between my recent fatigue and sleep deprivation, I was close to snapping. If this was what the meeting was going to be about, I might as well have taken a nap in my office instead. At the very least, I could have come to work a little bit later. That way, I would’ve been able to enjoy a full night of sleep back at the mansion.

Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Viola since that day.

I had lost my concentration as soon as I found out this wasn’t an important meeting, and soon my head was filled with thoughts of my personal affairs.

I’d hardly been back to the mansion whatsoever since our last encounter, so I hadn’t even seen Viola asleep for a while now, let alone awake. My Viola deficiency was getting serious.

Does she miss me, I wonder...? Nah, she has the servants with her. I doubt she’s even noticed I’ve been gone.

I ought to have learned from my past mistakes, yet here I was stupidly getting myself worked up all over again.

If she really missed me, wouldn’t she ask someone to pass along a message for her? (“No, she wouldn’t.” —Corydalis) I bet she only said she did to make me feel better! That’s got to be it!

Right about now, I’m sure she’s blithely messing around in the garden with the servants, or planning out a menu with Cartham—doing whatever her heart desires. She can always eat with the servants, so it’s not like she even has to take her meals alone. If that weren’t the case, I just know she would have sent me some sort of message by now. (“Again, she wouldn’t have.” —Corydalis)

Hold on just a second here. Does she actually need me for anything? Won’t she be perfectly happy so long as she has the servants around?

The dull meeting, my stockpiled exhaustion, the lack of sleep—it all came together to thrust me deeper and deeper into a negative spiral. My own thoughts were starting to wear on my patience.

The sensible part of my head was saying, You know that’s not true. You’re just tired. And yet another part of me refused to listen, taking my pessimistic assumptions to be the truth.

Ugh... I wanna go home. I want to see Viola and hear her tell me none of this is true!

As I was sitting there in a fog of drowsiness, I suddenly heard His Majesty’s voice calling out to me. “...Fisalis? Duke Fisalis? Hello? Is there a problem?”

I felt like someone had slapped me awake. Oh, that’s right, I’m in the middle of a royal council meeting.

“Er, no, Your Majesty. Not at all.”

I assumed he had meant, You seem awfully tired—is there a problem? Thus, I thought my answer was communicating that I was just fine.

And yet, the wretch went on to say, “Good. Then it’s decided—the second princess’s escort will be Duke Fisalis.”

“Huh? What? Hold on just a second!” I shouted.

How, pray tell, did I end up the second princess’s escort?! Perhaps you’re not aware, but I’ve already been assigned the vital role of “Viola’s escort”!

Despite my protests, everyone just moved on to the topic of the third princess’s escort, almost like I hadn’t said anything at all.

What...? How did this happen? Can someone please explain what’s going on?

* * *

After the meeting, I flagged down Consul Argenteia—Celosia—and dragged him into my office.

“Tell me, how exactly did I end up the second princess’s escort?” I asked Celosia without the slightest effort to hide my displeasure, throwing my feet up onto the desk.

“This is your own fault. You should have been listening.”

“I was busy running simulations of this evening in my head—you know, what to do when the guests arrive and all that.”

“Liar.”

I wasn’t about to tell him I was thinking about Viola, but Celosia shot my story down without missing a beat. Well, yeah, of course it’s a bald-faced lie!

“Never mind that. Why was I picked to escort her? I happen to have the most crucial, noble duty to escort Viola already.”

“Yeah, yeah, go off. To put it simply, the second and third princesses are right in the middle of their fiancé hunt, so we can’t hand the role over to some ignorant bachelor. So there you have it—it falls to you.”

“There are other married men you could have asked!”

“There were a lot of factors to take into account—age, looks, status, you name it. Besides, if you’re her escort, everyone will just think, ‘Oh, but the duke already has Viola.’ No chance anyone will get the wrong idea, right?”

“You have a point, yes! But what is Vi supposed to do, then? I’m not about to let anyone else escort her!”

“Uh-huh. Your parents are coming, aren’t they? Just leave it to them.”

“Dammit!”

There was no point in yelling at Celosia over something that had already been set in stone during the meeting, but I didn’t know how to quit while I was ahead.

If only I’d stayed awake... I regretted all the choices that had led me to this point.

“If you’re going to get mad at anyone, get mad at yourself. You’re the one who said no when he asked you if there was a problem.” He was quick to add, “And it’s your own fault for daydreaming too!”

Buzz off! I feel bad enough about this already!

There was nothing more miserable than only having myself to blame. How could I possibly vent all this frustration?

“...I’ll go do some sword practice.”

I decided I’d go exercise to blow off some steam. I left my office to head to the training grounds.

* * *

“Mother and Father Fisalis? They said they should be here by tomorrow morning.”

It was three days before the party. The last guest of honor had arrived, and I’d finally reached a stopping point in my work. Security had gotten on board with the original plan and everything too, so I was able to come home to the mansion.

It was a relief to be treated to Viola’s usual, cheerful smile. But at the same time...there was a dark part of myself that thought, I knew it.

Not good. I’m being far too pessimistic.

I couldn’t bring myself to mention the whole escort business, so I’d instead asked when my parents would be arriving, something completely irrelevant to the issue at hand.

“Tomorrow morning? I see. I won’t be here, so you’ll have to receive them for me.”

“Got it!”

“About the party...”

“Yes?”

“Did you pick out a dress yet?”

“Yep! I decided to match your uniform again, so I settled on a dress with crimson as the primary color. Mimosa got so excited that it was a little overwhelming.”

“I see.”

Her dress is going to match my outfit...and yet I won’t be able to escort her! I feel even worse now! I bet I won’t get the chance to see it until she shows up at the royal palace the day of either. Man, this sucks.

When I let a sigh slip past my lips despite myself, Viola peered into my face with concern. “Cercis? Is it the exhaustion again? I know you’ve been spending the night at the royal palace a lot lately.”

“Yeah, you got it. I’m feeling pretty tired. I still have one last job left to do, you see.” I gave another sigh.

“One last job? What is it?”

I can’t keep quiet about this. If I have to tell her, I might as well do it right away.

I made up my mind and gave her the news. “About that... I’ve been appointed to escort the second princess the day of the party.”

How is she going to react? I watched her face carefully.

Her eyes went wide, but it wasn’t long before that gave way to an adorable smile. “Wow! That’s a pretty big task! Gosh, the second princess? You two are both so beautiful that I know where all the eyes in the venue are going to be!”

And there you have it. She responded without batting an eye.

Yeah. No surprise there. It wouldn’t be like Vi to get jealous over this. I already knew that.

“Sorry about this. Can I ask you to stick with my parents instead?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll explain everything to them tomorrow.”

“Roger that!”

She okayed the whole thing without a second thought.

* * *

As soon as Viola left her seat, I heard an exaggerated sigh from behind me. “As I’ve told you before, Master, Madam Fisalis isn’t that kind of person.”

“I know that! You don’t have to rub it in, Rohtas!”

4. Even Viola Gets Jealous Sometimes

Before long, it was back to the days of never crossing paths with my husband. From the sound of it, some days he wouldn’t even come back to the manor—instead, he slept on a bed in his office at the knights’ headquarters.

“Wow, he must be awfully busy.”

I remembered him complaining about how he’d never get any rest on a workplace bed, so he must really have been caught between a rock and a hard place. Just goes to show how hard he’s slaving away, I guess.

“He said that things should calm down after the last guest of honor arrives, so I assume his schedule will be back to normal within a few days,” Rohtas explained. I was pretty sure that he was the only one of us who’d seen Mr. Fisalis in person as of late.

“Got it. On another note, when are Father and Mother Fisalis going to get here?”

Seeing as they were on the guest list for the upcoming party, my in-laws were going to be paying us a visit from their manor on Fisalis territory. Showing up at the last minute would have made getting ready for the event a nightmare, so they were planning to arrive in Rohze with plenty of time to spare.

“They said they’re due to arrive two days before the party. We’re not yet sure of the exact time.”

“Oh, I see. We’d better start getting their room ready, then. Are they planning to stay in the cottage again?”

“It would seem so.”

“They must have taken quite a liking to the new and improved retreat!”

“Indeed—particularly Lady Fisalis.”

No surprise there—the renovations were lovely. Of course Mother Fisalis would love it.

* * *

Three days out from the party, Mr. Fisalis finally got enough of a break from the constant stream of work to come home. It had been quite a while since I’d last seen him awake.

I’d made him take it easy the last time we’d seen each other, but that had clearly amounted to basically nothing in the long run. Exhaustion was evident on his gorgeous face—though I must say, I had to hand it to his good looks. He managed to make even that look sexy in a languid sort of way.

We enjoyed a relaxed dinner together, chatting about this and that over our meal. I figured he really must have been tired, because his gaze would dart restlessly around the room every now and then—or was that just my imagination?

He was getting some heavy sighs in there too.

Oh no, he must be even more drained than I thought!

“Cercis? Is it the exhaustion again? I know you’ve been spending the night at the royal palace a lot lately.”

He was looking a little green about the gills, so I couldn’t help feeling concerned. Should we wrap up dinner early so he can go get some rest?

But as I was fretting over what to do, he heaved another ennui-filled sigh and said, “Yeah, you got it. I’m feeling pretty tired. I still have one last job left to do, you see.”

One last job? Oh, he must mean his Royal Guard work. Guarding the venue on the day of the party can’t be an easy task.

“One last job? What is it?”

I’d been convinced he was referring to security detail or something along those lines, but his answer surprised me. “About that... I’ve been appointed to escort the second princess the day of the party.”

Wow, he’s going to be her escort?! Leave it to my super prestigious, super elite, and super handsome husband to get assigned such an important duty! Now that’s the kind of guy you can parade in front of all our international friends☆ I mean... ahem.

Oh... So Mr. Fisalis is going to escort the second princess. I guess that means I’m stuck flying solo. The thought of it makes me a little bit sad, I’ve got to admit.

Still, a job is a job! Mr. Fisalis is already exhausted as it is. I can’t make things worse for him by whining about how lonely I am!

“Wow! That’s a pretty big task! Gosh, the second princess? You two are both so beautiful that I know where all eyes in the venue are going to be!”

I highly doubted that he had volunteered himself for the job. I mean, this was my husband we were talking about. Therefore, it was up to me to put on my bravest face and give him the extra push he needed.

Was that a convincing enough smile, I hope?

The second princess is a knockout beauty, so I bet she’ll make a perfect match for a looker like Mr. Fisalis—way more than a plain Jane like me.

Huh, weird. What’s that little pang I feel in my chest?

“Sorry about this. Can I ask you to stick with my parents instead?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll explain everything to them tomorrow.”

“Roger that!”

Mr. Fisalis’s eyebrows had a dejected slant to them.

Don’t worry about me! I know this is your job!

...I’ll just, you know, do my best to keep my eyes off you two during the party.

* * *

Mother and Father Fisalis arrived right on schedule the following day, and our preparations for the party were now well underway.

In particular, the dress I was going to wear was all ready to go.

“Now’s our chance to make you two a perfectly matched set! C’mon, isn’t it fun to do this sort of thing every now and then?”

Mimosa had been staring me down with stars in her eyes, so it was hard to tell her no.

“If it’s really just ‘every now and then,’ then sure.”

“Great! All right, we’d better get this done before you change your mind!”

She’d summoned Madame Fleur practically the moment she got my consent, and they had taken my measurements in the blink of an eye. After that, it was time to make some calls on the design. By this point, I was getting left in the dust—not that I really cared that much.

“Crimson should be the primary color.”

“Let’s embroider it in gold so it matches the master’s uniform!”

“Now, to make her sapphire accessories really shine...”

Madame, Mimosa, and Stellaria were having the time of their life hashing out all the details. As for me, I was just looking forward to seeing the final product!

The resulting dress was just barely finished in time for the party. Apparently, Madame Fleur’s shop had gotten a flood of rush orders in advance of the ball. From the sound of it, the place had been a total madhouse, and she’d had to put every last one of her apprentices to work to get everything done. Her boutique was so popular, it really was in a league of its own!

As a result, contrary to our tradition, I never got the chance to show it off to Mr. Fisalis before the event.

* * *

And then, the day of the party rolled around.

Mr. Fisalis left for work, just like any other day.

“I’m off. See you at the party.”

“Good luck with your big job.”

“Don’t remind me of that—it’s just depressing. Once my assignment is over with, I’ll come find you. Wait for me, okay?”

“Sure thing.”

“I mean it!”

“I just said I would!”

“And do whatever you can to avoid dancing with any young, single guys!”

“How am I supposed to know if they’re single or not?”

Mr. Fisalis made sure to drive his point home. He really didn’t like seeing me dance with eligible young noblemen these days.

“And make extra, extra sure you’re wearing your ring!”

Next he got on my case about what accessories I would be wearing. His matching ring was already on his finger. Usually he wore it on a chain around his neck to keep it from getting in the way during his training, but not today.

“I will—promise.”

“I’m already wearing mine!”

“Yes, I can see that. I’ll put mine on later, I swear.”

“You say that now, but there’s always a chance you’ll forget in the last-minute rush. I want to see you put it on. Fetch it for us, Stellaria.”

“Certainly, Master.”

Only after Stellaria had brought us the ring and put it on my finger did Mr. Fisalis finally seem satisfied.

The significance of this ring—it was a foreign custom, in which married couples would wear matching rings on the fourth finger of their left hand as proof of their union—had osmosed into Flür high society soon after we had started wearing them. As a result, more and more people would see it and know it meant that I was already married.

But come to think of it, everyone in Flür high society already knows we’re a married couple, whether I wear it or not!

“Ugh... I truly despise myself for dozing off that day...!”

“What? You fell asleep during a meeting?!”

No wonder you got stuck in this situation, then. You had this one coming, mister!

And I’ll have you know that I’m not too happy about spending the night apart either. I mean, this is the first event we’re attending since we finally got our feelings across to one another!

A job is a job, though. I’ve had to tell myself this who-knows-how-many times now, but this is his work we’re talking about here! It’s not my place to be selfish!

I saw Mr. Fisalis off with a smile.

* * *

The party was to start in the evening. Until then—as was customary before any social event—I was jostled around by the lovely Spa Squad, had my hair and makeup done by Stellaria, and was helped into my dress by Mimosa. Through their combined efforts, it wasn’t long before Social Mode Viola was ready to go.

“You look gorgeous as always!”

“A crimson dress would be a chic look on anyone, but you manage to make it look absolutely resplendent!”

“Go shove your beauty in the faces of all those other nobles!”

Mimosa and the maids took turns praising me.

Still, it felt hollow without Mr. Fisalis chiming in to complain, “Oh, I’d rather keep the sight of you all to myself! Why don’t we just skip tonight’s party?”

Man, he’s really corrupted me.

Jostled about inside our carriage, I headed to the royal palace with my parents-in-law. Seeing the space beside me—the one usually reserved for my husband, I mean—empty made me feel kind of lonely. The feeling was only exacerbated when I was forced to watch Mother and Father Fisalis cooing over each other right in front of me.

“Neither the second nor third princesses have fiancés yet, so they couldn’t have any old bachelor serve as their escort,” Father Fisalis explained to me.

That makes sense, I guess. At a special party like today’s, anyone seen escorting an unmarried princess is going to get pegged as a potential fiancé.

“And that’s why they picked Cercis?”

“Precisely. Everyone knows for a fact that he’s a taken man—and one who’s madly in love with his wife at that. There’s not a single citizen of Flür who could possibly get the wrong idea.” He flashed me a reassuring smile, but now I just felt embarrassed.

“But how are our foreign guests supposed to know that?”

Take a certain Aurantian princess, for example... Tee hee, I let that one slip☆

“Well, that’s what the ring is for,” said Mother Fisalis, taking my hand and showing it off to me.

Oh, right... I almost forgot this started out as a foreign custom!

No wonder he had been so adamant about having me wear it. Everything suddenly made a lot more sense now.

* * *

The grand hall of the royal palace was teeming with guests. More of the room had been opened up than ever before due to the enormous number of invitees, so it was quite the struggle to find anyone I knew. Thankfully, I saw that the usual faces of the Soirée Quartet and Miss Verbena were present and accounted for!

But they’re too far away to go talk to, as hard as that is to believe. Man, just how many partygoers are there tonight?! If I wander away from Mother and Father Fisalis, I might never find my way back. Even if they end up sitting front and center, I have to stick with them no matter what! Heck, maybe I ought to grab hold of Mother Fisalis’s hand while I’m at it. As much as it pains me to wedge myself between a lovey-dovey couple, tonight I must wield the full power of my insensitivity!

I followed after my in-laws like a baby duckling, and it was as we were in the midst of going around saying our hellos that the royal family entered the room.

At long last, the curtain was rising on the first princess’s engagement party.

The princess was nestled close to her fiancé, looking more beautiful than ever before. I’d heard rumors that it was a political marriage, but things seemed to be working out well for the two of them. Come to think of it, she had once asked me something along the lines of: “How do you get your husband to fall head over heels for you when it’s just a political match?” You know, during that one tea party we had. I had no idea whether my answer had been of any use to her, but regardless, I was glad to see her looking so happy.

The second princess made her entrance next, taking care not to upstage the two stars of the evening. She was hanging off Mr. Fisalis’s arm.

Wow, what a handsome couple! They look great together! I privately showered them in praise that half came from a place of desperation. Don’t get me wrong—they really are a good-looking pair. I’m just being a brat about it☆ It’s so easy to think, “That’s where I should be standing.”

But, uh, Mr. Fisalis...?! You look way too serious! Lighten up! If you don’t crack a smile, it’ll look like you’re not enjoying yourself one bit!

Hm, what’s that? It’s just a job, so he doesn’t really have to enjoy it? Well, I guess if he looked like he was having too much fun, it’d just bum me out anyway.

Next came the formal announcement of the princess’s engagement and the introduction of various guests of honor, after which the party carried on in a relaxed fashion.

Despite my initial determination to stick with Mother and Father Fisalis no matter what, being smack dab in the center of attention was wearing me out fast! I couldn’t drop my smiling mask for so much as a second, and I had to stay hyperaware of my every move and gesture.

On top of that, it meant I had to see Mr. Fisalis and the second princess together, whether I liked it or not.

“I’m going to step outside for some air.”

“Oh, no, you mustn’t! Don’t leave the hall, dear.”

I figured leaving my seat and getting a breath of fresh air would help me to get my bearings, but Mother Fisalis put a stop to that plan right away. Oh, that’s right! Last time I tried to do that, it was a big mistake that landed me in hot water. N-Not that I’d totally forgotten about that whole fiasco or anything!

“How about if I stick to the walls?”

“As long as you stay where we can see you, that should be fine.”

“Okie-dokie!”

Wallflowering was Mother-approved, it seemed—but with the condition that I stay in her sight. Jeez, why is everyone I know so darn overprotective of me?

With that, I slipped away towards the edge of the venue.

Up next to the wall is really where I belong! Talk about a load off my mind. If standing in the spotlight is an away game for me, then the wall is my home turf—my sanctuary!

“This is so much more relaxing.”

Here, I was free to people-watch, and I didn’t have to keep my social persona up all the time.

It feels easier to smile when I’m over here, and I’m not sure what to make of that.

I leaned back against the wall with a drink in one hand, taking in the view of the room as a jaunty waltz started up.

Ooh, Miss Iris is dancing with an unfamiliar face. Is he a guest of honor, perhaps? Looks like Miss Verbena might be doing the same. I hope she manages to find herself a nice fellow—for her father’s and brother’s sake as well as her own.

While I was looking out over the venue, one man was generous enough to approach me.

“What are you doing all the way over here, Duchess Fisalis?! If you’re all by your lonesome, would you care to share a dance with me?”

The speaker looked to be a young nobleman. Since he knew who I was, he must have been the son of some aristocrat from Flür.

But of course, my husband had urged me to reject any invitations to dance just this morning.

“I was a little tired, so I’m just taking a break. Sorry—maybe another time.” I turned him down, putting on my best facade of weariness.

“Oh, I see—apologies for bothering you. I’ll try again later, then.”

You’re going to come back and ask me again?! I valiantly refrained from shouting back.

With one last charming smile, the young nobleman took his leave.

Thank god he gave up without a fight, I thought, relieved.

I then turned my gaze back to the dance floor—only to spot Mr. Fisalis and the second princess getting ready to share a waltz.

For crying out loud, those two are gorgeous enough to stand out from the crowd no matter where in the room they are! I mean, it goes without saying that my husband is as handsome as they come. And meanwhile, the second princess inherited all the queen’s good looks. Compared to the two of them...a plain Jane like me doesn’t stand a chance. A beauty like her looks way better with Mr. Fisalis.

Man... I said I was just being a brat, but I think I might actually be a little jealous.

No, Viola! You’ve told yourself this a million times now, but this is his job! He said he didn’t want to escort her, and one look at his face and his attitude is enough to tell you it’s true!

But! But, but, but...!

Ugh... I never used to feel like this. When did I end up falling for him this hard? Can’t believe I’m getting reminded of how much I love him now, of all times. But, I mean, c’mon! This isn’t fair! He gets to go dance with a top-of-the-line beauty, but I’m not allowed to dance with any young guys? Not that I have any real interest in that, mind you.

While I was watching their dance in a bit of a sulk, another young nobleman approached me. “Not planning to join the action today? If you’d be so inclined, I’d be honored to share a dance with you.”

While he couldn’t hold a candle to Mr. Fisalis, he was quite a hunk in his own right. I didn’t recognize his face, so I assumed he had to be the son of a nobleman who wasn’t listed in the almanac. Or perhaps he was one of the international visitors?

What should I do? If he’d asked me just moments ago, I would have turned him down on the spot, but now I’m torn... If Mr. Fisalis gets to dance, why shouldn’t I? Besides, if he is a guest of honor, it’d be rude to say no.

“I’d love to,” I replied, taking the offered hand.

5. Cercis Runs Out of Patience

The day of that accursed party had finally come. As always, there was plenty of work to be done, so I left for the royal palace early in the morning.

In the end, I never got a sneak peek of what dress Viola would be wearing to the ball. Oh, how I hated to think that I wouldn’t be the first one to lay eyes on her all dolled up and more beautiful than ever! (What’s that? Her maids always see her before I do? That doesn’t count, obviously.)

Swallowing my regrets, I gazed straight into Viola’s sapphire eyes. “I’m off. See you at the party.”

Ugh, I really don’t want to go...

Viola, meanwhile, just sent me off with a smile. “Good luck with your big job.”

Ngh... Now that she’s said that, I don’t have much of a choice.

“Don’t remind me of that—it’s just depressing. Once my assignment is over with, I’ll come find you. Wait for me, okay?”

“Sure thing.”

“I mean it!”

“I just said I would!”

The second I was done with my duty, I was going to run right to her side. I made sure there was absolutely no room for confusion on that point.

There was one other thing I had to stress.

“And do whatever you can to avoid dancing with any young, single guys!”

“How am I supposed to know if they’re single or not?”

I don’t want any of them to see you up close and personal! I need you to put yourself in a man’s shoes here... Ah, though I suppose that’s a bit of a tall order.

Viola is high society’s golden child. Everyone and their mother is dying to have a dance with her, and she’s so oblivious that she doesn’t catch on to their ulterior motives whatsoever. She hasn’t the slightest clue that the mere opportunity to share a waltz with a cute, pretty, and kind girl like her is enough to make some guys jump for joy! I’ve heard my own men bragging about “scoring a dance with Duchess Fisalis,” you know!

Harumph... The very least I can do is try to rein her in.

“And make extra, extra sure you’re wearing your ring!”

I was referring to my and Viola’s matching rings, which I’d had made for us a little while back. I wanted to see hers on her finger today.

“I will—promise.”

“I’m already wearing mine!”

“Yes, I can see that. I’ll put mine on later, I swear.”

“You say that now, but there’s always a chance you’ll forget in the last-minute rush. I want to see you put it on. Fetch it for us, Stellaria.”

“Certainly, Master.”

I wanted to see her slip it on her finger with my own two eyes, so I asked Stellaria to go get it. Wise girl that she was, she must have understood both the ring’s meaning and my own feelings on the matter; with a knowing smile and a quick bow, she hurried off.

It hadn’t taken long for the significance of our rings to be passed along by the chatty noblewomen of high society. Since it was Viola wearing it, it had only been a matter of time before word got around. As a matter of fact, a few other married couples had even taken to wearing sets of rings just like ours as of late.

What’s more, although the tradition originated from the Empire of Japonia, the custom had spread to several other nations invited to the party. Thus, anyone could take one look at Viola’s hand and know she was taken!

Ha ha ha... Haaah.

“Ugh... I truly despise myself for dozing off that day...!”

But I still don’t want to go. Oh, how I wish Viola would beg me to stay...but there’s no point in dwelling on that. My wife isn’t that kind of girl.

While I’m wrapped up in all these gloomy thoughts, Viola is doing her best to see me off with a smile! I’d better get going...

* * *

“Be it within the bounds of the royal palace or anywhere else in or around Rohze, we haven’t encountered any problems thus far.”

“Got it. Keep security running as planned.”

“Yes, sir!”

I was in the knights’ headquarters, where I had just received a report from my subordinate. We had yet to run into any problems. Everything was proceeding according to plan.

“So the party’s this evening, hm?”

“Better start getting ready,” Corydalis proposed with a grin when he saw how glum I looked. Damn you! You think this is funny, huh?!

“I’m planning to come down with nausea, a migraine, and a terrible stomachache momentarily. Corydalis, I’ll need you take my place as—”

“Nope. I don’t remember putting anything like that in the protocol,” he shot back, cutting me off before I could even finish.

“Ugh, what a pain.”

“You’ve only got yourself to blame for zoning out.”

“I know! I’ve already lambasted myself for it plenty!”

“Suuure you have. I’m serious, though, you’d better go get yourself ready! Leave all the work stuff to me and go have a wild time at the party!”

“Blast it! Oh, but I suppose I’ll be going home with Vi, so I’d better make sure I look my best!”

“You really have a one-track mind!”

While the two of us bickered back and forth, the moment of truth was drawing near. I changed into my spare uniform, then left for the royal palace.

* * *

“Think of me as your Viola for the day and handle me with care, okay?”

When I met up with the second princess, that was the very first thing out of her mouth.

Viola would never say that, you featherbrain! Whoops, I nearly said that one out loud.

Hmph. What a shrew she is—not a single thing in common with my dear Viola!

“We’re supposed to be the stars of the evening, but with Duke Fisalis and Elettaria paired up, I bet you anything we’re going to get upstaged,” said the first princess, her lips twisting into a pout. “Why didn’t you pick someone else to be Ellie’s escort, Father?”

There was one fundamental flaw in her logic, however.

“You have nothing to fear. Since it won’t be Viola on my arm, I doubt I’ll draw too much attention,” I corrected her with a smile.

Now it was the second princess’s turn to puff out her cheeks. “Excuse me?! What is that supposed to mean?!”

* * *

Once the king, queen, the first princess, and her fiancé had all made their entrance, the second princess and I walked into the grand hall.

Viola should be here already. What sort of dress is she wearing, I wonder? I recall her saying it would match my uniform...

“I know exactly what you’re thinking, Duke Fisalis—I bet Viola looks gorgeous tonight. I bet she’ll get tooons of invitations to dance,” the second princess said, looking up at me with a grin. That’s quite enough out of you!

“That won’t be an issue. I’ve already taken preventative measures.”

By which I mean I just told her to wear her ring, but...you know.

“My, how prudent of you. Oh, look, there she is.”

As the pair of us strode into the hall, talking to each other under our breath with superficial smiles on our faces, we caught sight of Viola with my parents. She was by far the most stunning person in the room, easy to spot no matter where she was standing.

A crimson dress with gold embroidery, is it? It looks beautiful on her! Oh, I want nothing more than to run up and embrace her this instant!

“Eyes forward, Duke! You’re staring too hard at Viola!”

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t be so careless as to get caught in the act.”

“Wait, you were doing it on purpose?!” The second princess sounded unimpressed, but all I could say was that she was underestimating a nobleman’s skill set.

Although I would be playing the role of the princess’s escort for the evening, I was keeping a keen eye on Viola. There wasn’t going to be a repeat of that “Aurantian Prince Incident” on my watch.

At some point or another, Viola had left my parents’ side to camp against the wall by herself. She really likes that spot, doesn’t she?

No matter how much others extolled her as “The Flower of High Society,” Viola herself would rather be a wallflower any day of the week. I almost had to laugh. “Pft...”

“Gross.”

“Hush, you.”

The second princess kept casting dubious glances my way, but I couldn’t have cared less.

It was just then that a strange man struck up a conversation with Viola. She looks exceptionally pretty today, so I can’t blame you for approaching her, but—knock it off! If looks could kill, I bet you anything I’d shoot this rascal down in two seconds flat!

I watched the interaction between Viola and the man play out. She told him something with a conflicted look on her face; he smiled and left. Oh, good. He backed off rather easily.

While I was basking in my relief that he hadn’t been more persistent in his approach, the second princess poked me in the side. “We have to share a dance sooner or later, you know.”

“Will you let me go after two or three songs?”

“Hmph—I can tell your heart’s not really in this! Fine, have it your way.”

“Thank you.”

I only have to hold out a little bit longer! Once I’ve gotten this over with, I can rush to Viola’s side!

The moment the princess gave me the okay, I could feel the muscles in my face relaxing.

* * *

I took the second princess by the hand and led her out to the dance floor. While we were waiting for the music to start playing, however, I witnessed a shocking (well, relatively) scene.

Viola was heading this way, getting ready to share a waltz with some nobody of an aristocrat!

I could practically hear the impact on my psyche.

“My, it looks like Viola’s planning to have herself a dance too.”

“I distinctly remember telling her not to...”

“Oh, what’s the harm? It’s just a little waltz.”

“I’m not about to let some stranger get up in my beautiful, cute, kind, and charming Viola’s personal space! Even I haven’t gotten that close to her tonight!”

“God, you’re so embarrassing. Why did this guy have to be my escort for the evening...?”

Now she’s grumbling about how she wishes she could’ve gone with anyone else, but let me tell you—the feeling is mutual! If someone else had gotten the job, I would be the one dancing with Viola right now!

Preoccupied though I was, I went on to share a dance with the second princess, keeping one eye on Viola all the while.

My wife seemed to be enjoying herself, wearing her usual smile. I knew it was just a mask, but I felt something snap inside me regardless.

“Could I ask you to settle for only one dance, Your Highness?”

“Sure, why not? I’m getting sick of you myself, so I’ll let you go once this song is over.”

“Thank you very much!”

My freedom is finally at hand! Just you wait, Viola—I’m coming for you! Oh, but of course, you did disobey my instructions. I’d say a bit of discipline is in order.

* * *

Once the song was over, I left the second princess behind and marched over to Viola. She and her partner were waiting for the music to start up again, apparently intent on sharing a second dance.

Even I haven’t so much as touched Viola today. You think I’d let you dance with her twice?!

Jealousy gripped me the instant I glanced at his hand on her waist. I wanted nothing more than to tear him away at once.

“Vi.” My voice came out in a growl so low that even I was surprised.

Before Viola even had a chance to turn around, I wrapped an arm around her slender body and pulled her close, peeling her away from the other man.

Then, I shot him a sweet smile over her shoulder and said, “I’ll be taking my wife back, thank you.”

He seemed taken aback for a brief moment, but as soon as he got a look at my face, his shock gave way to an awkward smile. “Of course. My apologies,” he replied, surrendering Viola without a fight.

Well, I’m glad he was such a reasonable fellow.

* * *

“Hey, Cercis! That was really rude!” Viola complained, shooting me a sour look.

The moment I’d snatched her back from that aristocrat, I’d started dragging her all the way out of the grand hall by the hand. With the brisk pace I had set, she was forced to scurry to keep up.

The first thing out of her mouth was the aforementioned objection.

“It’s fine. He knows who we both are.”

Indeed—I was “the world’s most devoted husband,” and Viola was “my beloved wife”!

As soon as we’d made it out of the hall, I pulled us behind a pillar in an abandoned corridor. Hmm, this was an oversight. I’ll have to make sure this area is covered on our next security plan... ahem, but that’s a problem for later. At the moment, I should be glad for the blind spot.

I reeled Viola in and pushed her up against the wall. There came the thud of her back hitting the surface.

That was a little too rough, sorry. I’m a bit high-strung at the moment.

Placing my hands on either side of Viola’s head, I boxed her in between me and the wall.

The way she was gazing up at me with tears in her eyes just wasn’t fair, if you asked me. It made me inclined to let her get away with anything—but no, I had to stay firm.

“C-Cercis...?”

Viola stared up at me, her face bright red. Ugh, she’s so gosh darn cute!

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t set out to make me jealous. I know that smile of yours is fake, but it makes my rationality go up in smoke nonetheless.”

I hooked my fingers under her chin, forcing her to look up even further before capturing those sweet lips of hers in a kiss.

She let me have my way for a bit—but then all of a sudden, she shoved me back by the chest in protest. The action left me momentarily stunned, under the assumption that she had rejected me. However...

“And what about you, Cercis?! You and the princess were smiling so nicely at each other! You looked like such a perfect match that I couldn’t help getting jealous!” Viola glared at me, puffing out her cheeks—which was far too cute to look even the least bit intimidating.

And with that, she cupped my face in her own hands and pulled me in—this time, pressing her lips to mine.

Whoa... I think...this might be a first.

The fact that she had been the one to initiate this kiss moved me beyond words. It told me that she felt the exact same way I did.

I could feel all the emotional strain I’d been under melt away in an instant.

* * *

“Vi. About what you said before... I was faking it, and so was she. The reality is that neither of us can stand the other.”

To put a finer point on it, I wasn’t paying attention to anything but Viola, and the second princess kept getting on my case about it.

“I know, I know!”

“Moreover, she came out and told me that she doesn’t go for slim men like me. Apparently she prefers the beefy, manly type.”

“Wow, really? Well...still! Jealousy doesn’t have to be rational!”

“Then shall we call it even for today?”

“That seems fair.”

The two of us gazed into one another’s eyes...and simultaneously burst out laughing.

“Let’s head home, shall we?” I suggested.

“Oh? What about your assignment?”

“All done. I’m off the clock now.”

“Well, we should pop back in to say goodbye to your parents fir—”

“I’m not a child anymore. They wouldn’t kick up a fuss over me leaving without... Oh, but they might kick up a fuss over you leaving without a word, so I’ll ask one of my subordinates to relay a message for me.”

“Hee hee. Off we go, then!”

I held out my hand, which Viola then took in her own. A familiar pose.

“I still haven’t had the chance to escort you tonight.”

“Tell me about it!”

“Man... I really wanted to share a dance with you.”

“So did I.”

We each broke out into another fit of laughter.

“Say, Vi. I don’t want to waste a second getting home, so what do you say we sprint to the entrance?”

“You’re on! I’m used to dashing down hallways dressed to the nines!”

“Impressive!”

Hand in hand, the two of us ran the whole way out of the palace.