Chapter 51 – Episode 51. Night Market (3)
Even in this country, Einhafen, silver hair is not common.
I can’t be sure because I haven’t seen all of the people, but at least among the nobles who are well-established enough to be candidates for the Crown Princess… In fact, Astrid didn’t even know.
Since she hadn’t been to a social church, she hadn’t seen what other noble ladies were like, and even if she did, the academy was everything.
And silver hair at the academy…
‘Was there… Wasn’t it?’
I definitely couldn’t remember. Every day has passed so busy that it is difficult to remember other squads.
‘Astrid, are there any other silver-haired ladies among the nobles besides us?’
【Yes… You can also.】
Then, as for what this fortune teller is saying… Apparently, it was a story that he would take another wife besides Astrid, but no matter how much I thought about it, the possibility was a bit low.
I’ve never seen silver hair, and I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen silver hair at the academy… Then…
[Do you keep thinking about useless things?]
‘Uh… Huh?’
Sometimes the truth is too harsh.
And the truth sometimes has different destructive power depending on who tells it.
For example-
【According to the circumstances, she is the wife of me and you. Can’t you hear it?]
When someone who does not consider the listener’s feelings speaks, the destructive power is multiplied.
‘…’
【That’s what I said. Finding a way to return to the original world after becoming the Crown Princess is more… 】
No matter what they were talking about, the words didn’t reach my ears.
Unbelievable.
Is there a future, such a future?
I couldn’t believe it.
But this fortuneteller was brave. Two wives. He must have seen through the real Astrid and the fake Astrid coexisting in this body.
In addition, this situation predicts a terrible future in which both become Leopold’s wives.
「
“Me, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Huh? Why, Astrid.”
“I, this, this… “
In Astrid’s hand is a pregnancy test kit.
Of course, it’s an item that doesn’t even exist in this era, but for some reason Astrid had a pregnancy test in her hand.
“That is… Oh my God, that’s two lines.”
“Yes, fourth… Go, I think I entered… !”
A bright smile appeared on Leopold’s face.
A joy that could not be hidden spread across Leopold’s face, and Astrid looked at Leopold with loving eyes and blushed with shyness.
“Oh, my beloved rain… ! Fourth, good news!”
Leopold hugging Astrid.
And in that bosom, there was Astrid smiling happily, not resisting at all.
」
‘No no no!’
【What were you thinking?】
To the words of the real Astrid, he had no reaction.
Even in her opinion, what the fortune teller is talking about right now is Astrid and Astrid.
Even so, how the hell am I supposed to explain the thoughts that came to my mind now?
【It’s not yet, it’s not yet a confirmed future. They say the future can be changed, right?]
‘Tuesday, the confirmed future… That, yes! Yes! It’s not a fixed future!’
“Why, Astrid. Where are you sick Your face is red.”
“Wow?!”
Leopold suddenly thrust his face right in front of Astrid’s eyes, causing Astrid to scream heartily. In the midst of his surprise, he almost punched Leopold in the face, but managed to stop.
“Oh, no… It’s nothing… ! It’s just hotter and hotter… !”
“Is it because it’s early summer? Anyway, thank you for the fortune. Leave the bokchae here.”
Leopold didn’t seem particularly concerned.
Taking some coins out of his pocket and putting them on the table, Leopold stood up, followed by Astrid.
As the two of them left the tent like that, Veracien, who had the appearance of a fortuneteller, was staring at them.
“It’s cool.”
It is an early summer night.
The coolness of spring was still hanging in its tail, so it was before the full-fledged heat began, and the subtle warmth of early summer mixed with it, making the weather quite pleasant.
“Astrid.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Astrid’s face, which had been flushed red as if hot steam would rise from the heat, was now back to normal.
【You’re not secretly expecting it, are you?】
‘No… Absolutely not.’
Because there can’t be such a future.
“Wait, would you like to go for a walk?”
Must be specified.
Taking a walk, what kind of walk did you take in this night market?
“I’m asking this belatedly… Do you like that doll?”
“Ah… This one?”
It was a leopard doll that I held in my arms the whole time I was looking at fortune-telling. A large leopard doll with round black spots on its pure white fur.
Astrid also liked the doll very much. The size is large, and when you hold it, it gives you a warm feeling.
“Yes yes… Come to think of it, I don’t think I said thank you. Thank you, Your Highness. I will cherish it.”
“… You’ve become a lot more honest, Astrid.”
“Yes?”
Leopold’s gaze was staring at Astrid.
The emotion contained in that gaze now felt like it could be caught in his hand.
【… I’ll be quiet.]
‘Uh?! Why why?!’
【If I go out now, it will only get in the way… 】
Judging from the current atmosphere, even if the real Astrid made a fuss asking for a change right away, it wouldn’t be enough. Even so, the words of the real Astrid that she would stay quiet instead of asking for a change were even more amazing.
[I feel like I’m getting in the way instead… 】
‘Muh, what?! No, no! It’s not!’
【I can’t even change it because I ran out of time today.】
“Astrid, what are you thinking?”
Leopold was still staring down at Astrid. The two of them had a considerable height difference, so when they faced each other, Leopold looked down.
“Shall we go for a walk?”
“Swing… That, you see.”
The night market was still full of people. Due to its nature, the more people go at night, the more people there are.
“Usually they break up around midnight. Now is the time when there are a lot of people in the middle of the day.”
“Okay.”
There was no conversation whatsoever.
Even walking through the crowd, Astrid was a bit dissatisfied.
‘If I’m going to take a walk, I’ll go somewhere quiet and secluded. ‘
【Ugh, look at what she’s saying. There is no such thing as a fox, really.]
‘My, what am I?!’
【That’s Okay. Joy.】
I don’t know where he got it from, but Astrid, embarrassed by the real Astrid who had kept his mouth shut, silently followed Leopold’s lead.
“Aren’t you curious?”
“Yes? Are you saying you’re not curious?”
“About that point.”
“Ah.”
Well, that’s what I did when I heard it. Astrid could be excused for being flustered because she had been hit so hard, but Leopold was like that before and still is absurdly calm.
As if he had known that it would happen in the first place, Leopold was calm. It was as if he wasn’t excited or surprised at all.
“In the first place, I don’t even believe in fate. The future, I don’t know what the future I know has anything to do with it.”
Leopold looked straight ahead and said calmly. It was as if he only looked at things for interest, and didn’t believe in them or care about them at all.
“Now that I have observed fate, I don’t know what that fate means. Astrid, how are you? Do you believe?”
“I-I… “
【I don’t believe it.】
“I don’t believe you.”
【For me, life has always been a battlefield.】
“Life has always been a battlefield for me.”
【I fought a hundred times on that battlefield and won a hundred times and stood here.】
“I fought a hundred times on that battlefield and won a hundred times and stood here.”
【And I’m getting my second wife… It’s improbable, but it doesn’t happen that I become the second wife. Your highness should be only mine.]
I couldn’t bear to follow that.
The moment he said those words, it seemed that something irreversible would happen.
【Why don’t you follow this?!】
‘Poem, noisy! How do you say that?!’
“Astrid?”
The conversation was interrupted.
Leopold was looking at Astrid, who hadn’t spoken for a while, with a puzzled look.
“… Do you think I will be swayed by the words of such a fortuneteller?”
I somehow managed to get it right.
“Is it. Indeed it is. After all, Astrid, it’s like you. It is truly mad.”
【Whoops… His Highness also praised me… 】
Was it a compliment or not?
“Astrid.”
The moon was bright and high.
The moon, which rose high in the middle of the night sky, cast its cold blue light on the ground, and the mild weather presented pleasant coolness to those who went out to play at night.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“You.”
Leopold paused for a moment.
What are you trying to say?
Leopold stared down at Astrid, who was looking up at him.
Mint light eyes.
Those beautiful mint eyes.
In fact, his heart was racing.
In fact, it was throbbing.
In fact, from the time he heard the fortune-telling earlier, Leopold’s hands were sweating.
It didn’t matter if he had two wives or not.
Future to marry Astrid.
Now that both of them are heading towards the goal of breaking up their engagement, Leopold, ironically, is feeling the heartbeat of Astrid alone.
So I desperately put on a camouflage pretending nothing was wrong.
Pretending to be nothing, pretending not to care about fortune telling.
“Your Highness, what are you doing-“
“Astrid.”
The surroundings were quiet.
It felt like the loud noise around me had gradually faded, and a thick silence fell, as if the world had become quiet.
“… Still, do I not have a heartbeat?”
“Yes… ?”
“You mean, I don’t have a heartbeat yet.”
Leopold’s nonchalant gaze turned to Astrid.
Leopold was quietly waiting for an answer.
And-
“Oh, sister. What are you doing here?”
Ashley’s voice came.
