By Zephyria 
Ruben matched my clothes in color.
He wore six layers of clothing, with an apricot-colored lining and a golden-white outer layer, over which another white cloth was draped from the crown of his head down to his chest. To prevent the veil from slipping, he wore a round metal band adorned with ornaments, like a floral crown.
It looked like a reversed morning glory, from the crown of his head to the hem of his skirt. With this, even if the inside was vaguely visible from within, it was difficult to see inside from the outside.
Felix’s male attire, tied with straps at the wrists and ankles, clearly revealed the wearer’s physique, but women’s clothing was so voluminous and varied that it was impossible to guess their appearance, let alone whether a person was inside at all.
Though the fabric was of a subdued color, the cuffs and hems were lavishly embroidered with precious threads, shimmering with every movement of the child.
The more I looked, the more I felt it was an excellent choice. While it was a shame to hide such a pretty face, no one would ever guess that this demure bride was the Second Prince of the Sierran Empire.
“Hmm.”
“…Ah, it’s annoying that it suits me.”
“It’s all covered up, what can you even see?”
“Still. You can vaguely see the jawline or neck.”
“It’s an illusion, an illusion. The light passes through from here to there, making it look thin due to the shadow.”
“I know. That’s what makes it annoying.”
Ruben, as if shy, lightly covered his lower face with his wide sleeves and coughed a few times. Ugh, Marianne let out another pained sound.
Hugh Benson, with the gaze of a stern observer, scanned me a few times and called me over.
“Try hugging me. I want to see if you still look like a woman when I lift you.”
“Yes.”
Ruben readily wrapped his arms around my neck and embraced me.
With his hands hidden in his sleeves, he felt as cozy as being covered by a large white blanket. Ruben’s hair, which had been tied up throughout the camping trip, was now unbound and neatly brushed. Because of this, a sweet scent of holy oil wafted thickly through the fabric.
I let him rest his head on my shoulder and carefully adjusted his attire to ensure the fabric wouldn’t shift. The companions watching me nodded in approval.
“Done. Let’s go with this.”
“It’s really funny. If I ever write my autobiography, I’ll definitely include this story.”
“…I will censor parts of it with the authority of the royal family.”
“What?”
Ruben, who had been quiet until then, replied in a small voice, sounding embarrassed. Everyone burst into laughter.
Teddy, Marianne, and Hugh Benson also added one of Felix’s accessories each. They wore bands with specific patterns on their foreheads or waists, or hung decorative tassels, making them look like people from the same region.
I was part of the same merchant guild, with the setting that I was a doting husband who couldn’t leave his new bride alone in an empty house and brought her along on a trade journey.
I watched as they added decorations to the carriage and forged Duke Widrow’s signature on the guild’s documents. Feeling bored and restless, I peeked under Ruben’s veil.
Immediately, my eyes met Ruben’s, who was sitting there with his hands neatly clasped. He smiled broadly as if he had been waiting. Was he hot, or shy? The child’s cheeks were flushed.
“Wow, what kind of groom lifts a bride’s veil anywhere?”
“Ugh, you’re not worthy! Get away, get away!”
Teddy, having witnessed the scene, quickly scolded me in a teasing voice. Marianne chimed in, raising her fists high and waving them.
I lowered the veil in exasperation, but even though I knew it was a joke, I felt inexplicably embarrassed and had no reply.
I just coughed awkwardly and adjusted Ruben’s clothes again.
“Anyway… If you feel stuffy, it’s okay to walk inside the carriage.”
“Yes, I will. Thank you, Mika.”
“…Mm.”
The closest Owen gate to the Widrow Duchy was Gate 2. The prepared party set off towards the gate. Having walked on foot for so long, it felt comfortable to ride a horse again, my body slumping with ease. My vision was higher, and my chest felt open.
We rode at a leisurely pace, not rushing like ordinary merchants.
After a while, I saw other merchants’ carriages scattered at intervals. Tedros whispered that it was customary to maintain a certain distance and not get too close.
Whether it was because there seemed to be many people even from a distance, or because it was already a well-maintained trade route, we didn’t encounter a single Kobold. We spent a few quiet days like this.
❖ ❖ ❖
Tuesday of the fourth week of August.
As if the previous day’s rejection was a lie, we easily entered the Owen gate.
Tedros presented permit documents for some of the goods we were selling and identification papers. The guards counted our party and recorded it on wooden tokens. As we had anticipated, the guards did not lift Ruben’s veil. They merely glanced at me and clicked their tongues.
“If your wife is so precious, you shouldn’t have brought her out.”
“…”
“Don’t act like Felix in Owen. You look decent enough, but…”
The guard stamped the designated seals on the documents and waved us through, saying “Next.” I was even surprised at how simple the procedure was.
Wife.
The word sounded foreign and awkward coming from someone else’s mouth, so I coughed a couple of times.
Owen’s capital had a fixed land size and name, but other cities did not.
Dozens of lords constantly fought, changing their borders. The number of cities could not be accurately counted because Territory Wars occurred more than a dozen times a year. Petty lords would constantly pick fights, gaining and losing land multiple times.
Wars without justification were destined to fail.
Therefore, each lord kept a priest by their side, claiming to have received a Divine Revelation. Amidst a mix of fake and real Divine Revelations, numerous mercenaries switched sides, taking money.
The priests who received wealth from the lords offered gold and jewels to the central shrine, and the shrine, growing in power with that wealth, allowed the priests, who had grown in influence, to push each lord forward.
The Owen royal family could only watch the lords’ misconduct with a heavy heart. Owen was a region with a high Mana Concentration, thus having many awakened Mana users. The royal knights were of comparable skill to the knights of each territory, lacking the ability to prevent wars.
Amidst this, the common people, as usual, found their own ways. If one lord gained power, they paid taxes to that lord; if another lord gained power, they received tax reductions based on previously paid taxes. Collecting from the lord of the land whose territory had been taken was the new lord’s duty.
I saw groups of itinerant mercenaries noisily gathering on the streets.
Tedros expertly drove the carriage. Ruben sat inside the carriage, and the cart was filled with goods that could be sold. Since they couldn’t show off their martial prowess, the party rode their horses, surrounding the carriage and cart, like ordinary merchants. This was because mercenaries could turn into bandits at any moment.
I had heard that Black magicians were usually found in the capital, Bardiol.
Thinking to myself, I spoke to Teddy, who was sitting on the driver’s seat.
“…How long until the capital?”
“Well, about three or four days? I have a regular inn, so we’ll stay there. I’m not sure whose land it’s on now… It’ll be either Milang or Muano.”
“Milang?”
“The landowner. The transit procedures change slightly with each change of lord, so you have to pay attention.”
It seemed like a longer journey than I expected. I just accepted it.
We arrived at the first inn.
As promised, I picked Ruben up in my arms. The moment I opened the carriage door, Ruben, as if waiting, spread his arms and nestled into my embrace. He hunched his shoulders and moved cautiously to hide his physique, looking very cute. He seemed like he could fit in one of my hands.
When we were alone with the companions, it was amusing and enjoyable because everyone knew the truth, but being under the gaze of many passersby made me extremely embarrassed. The whispers among them, like “How beautiful she must be to be carried like that,” sounded like thunder.
Unable to hold my head high, I buried my face in Ruben’s shoulder, only to be hit on the back.
“What are you doing in the street?”
“…It’s not like that.”
“Not like what?”
Marianne chattered in a small voice.
“People from Felix don’t engage in public displays of affection!”
“…”
I felt greatly wronged but had no energy to argue. I just stood there blankly and followed the party into the inn.
As is common with such inns, there was a restaurant downstairs and rooms upstairs.
“Shall we eat first, Mother? What’s good here?”
“If you’re in Owen, you should have Owen-style cuisine. Let’s order a simple set meal for everyone.”
“Can we have the meal brought to the room?”
“It’s a small inn, so it’ll be difficult. Well, the wife should be taken care of by her husband.”
Teddy looked at me, as if asking, “Right?” Should I answer? I replied in a suppressed voice.
“…Yes.”
“Kuhuk.”
“…What are you laughing at?”
“No, you just look happy. Wow, I’m envious.”
I felt Ruben exhale a hot breath through his veil.
I glared at Marianne, and she quickly scurried away, making a fuss about taking a corner seat. I sat Ruben down in the least conspicuous spot and sat beside him.
Ruben couldn’t even eat by himself. Owen-style meals had many side dishes and required a lot of attention. I served food onto a small side plate, but he was too busy trying to lift his veil and hold his clothes in place to eat properly.
After observing him for a moment, I put various side dishes onto his spoon and fed him. Ruben, unable to speak, waved his hands a couple of times to refuse, but then readily accepted what was given. I was very curious about what expression he had while eating, but I suppressed it.
After finishing dessert, we could finally go to the room we would be staying in.
Since it was a small inn, there wasn’t a room large enough for all seven of us. So, we booked three rooms.
Teddy, Marianne, and Hugh, who were posing as a family, shared one room. Benjamin and Elvin, who were mercenaries, shared another room, and Ruben and I, posing as newlyweds, shared a room. With one Sword Master in each room, it was a suitable distribution.
There were no secret conversations to be had with the companions until we reached the capital.
Worried that Ruben might feel stifled, I quickly picked him up and carried him to our assigned room.