By Zephyria 
Ruben’s face was quite sour when he heard I had met with Melatia.
It was, frankly, an astonishing turn of events. Who could have imagined that Beneto’s twisted affection would all be attributed to Kate’s doing? To make matters worse, the fact that Melatia dressed up and waited for day and night was for Ruben’s mother was something anyone would find surprising.
However, the first words Ruben spoke were of a different kind of worry.
“…Perhaps, I should have held back a little more that day.”
“Excuse me? Held back?”
“At that banquet, I wish I could have spoken more calmly. Giving you more opportunities to speak… I could have helped you grow closer to Mother.”
“No, no. It’s much better than you being upset without me knowing.”
“But…”
“I only acted out of concern for my mother-in-law’s tears, so please don’t worry unnecessarily.”
“…Mm.”
After a moment of thought, I gently placed my hand on Ruben’s cheek. Ruben, accustomed to it, leaned his cheek into my palm and then nibbled playfully at my palm. I let him do so until he seemed to have relaxed, and then, as a hint of mischief entered his eyes, I carefully added,
“…Speaking of which, I’m thinking of visiting Mother-in-law separately.”
“…Mika alone?”
“Yes. You and Mother-in-law are both quite concerned about the Melatia situation. I think it would put your mind at ease if you knew what intentions she has for wanting to see Mother-in-law so desperately.”
“…Mmm.”
“If it seems like I can’t speak about it, I’ll keep quiet. If the opportunity arises, I’ll just give her a subtle hint.”
“…Alright. Still, it would be best to send a letter two days before your visit. Mother dislikes same-day appointments.”
“Yes. I will.”
I had expected it to take no more than a short while, perhaps the length of a stroll, but I was afraid it might turn into quite a significant occasion. Still, pretending not to know what I knew was not my style.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to become a beloved son-in-law through these matters and take my mother-in-law on a picnic with Ruben?
But Ruben seemed very worried about me. To soothe him, as he quickly became dejected again, I scooped him up and began to walk around the room.
This game started because whenever we sat close together on the bed or sofa, I couldn’t stop myself from having mischievous thoughts. It was also more convenient than having Ruben sit, as his hands were not as free.
Indeed, Ruben, with his hands on my shoulders, looked down at me for a long moment before pressing himself against me in a hug.
He whispered in a much softer voice,
“I thought about you all day today.”
“What were you thinking?”
“Look over there.”
He gestured towards the bedside table. Without needing to get close, I used Telekinesis to open the drawer. A jewelry box flew out from the opened drawer, and I opened it with one hand to examine its contents.
Two pink diamond roughs and a gold ingot, gifts from Lucilla, lay on a soft cushion.
And on top of them… was it a letter?
Ruben held his breath and leaned against my shoulder, behaving himself.
It seemed he wanted me to read it. My free hand was still busy supporting Ruben, so I used energy to open the envelope and unfurl the paper in the air to examine it.
There were two documents: a Gemstone Appraisal and Cutting Request and a Ring Production Order.
Was this a drawing by Ruben himself? It detailed, with great precision, how he wanted the framework made of gold, the symbols representing Ruben and me to be incorporated, the desired font for the names, and the extent to which the ring’s thickness and width could be adjusted based on the gemstone’s size… I carefully read the detailed letter.
“…Did you write this in just two days?”
“Yes. Since we looked at rings together, it wasn’t too difficult.”
“How did you find the time to do this when you said you were too busy to even catch your breath…”
“It’s a ring Mika and I will wear for the rest of our lives. So…”
Ruben pressed his lips against my cheek and then chirped,
“A normal craftsman would just be summoned to the palace, but since we’ve obtained such fine gemstones, I want to entrust them to the best artisan. Do you remember the third jewelry workshop we visited?”
“Yes.”
“Go there and say, ‘I’ve come to meet a craftsman who carries on the spirit of Grimsvein.’ At first, an elderly, short man will appear, but after he sees your face, he’ll call for the green-haired man and Lady Grimsbane.”
“Mm.”
“Tell them you wish to commission gemstone cutting and ring making, and hand over the box. Bill it to my name, and the deadline can be early June. It’s not that I want to burden you with errands…”
“You want as few hands as possible to touch it. I understand.”
“…Yes.”
He really is so endearing, even over trivial matters.
My heart, which had been worn to shreds dealing with someone crying their eyes out since morning, healed in an instant. I carefully put the gemstones and order forms back into the jewelry box and continued to walk around the room with Ruben until he started whining that he was sleepy.
❖ ❖ ❖
The very next day, Friday, I left the palace on foot early in the morning.
It was inconvenient to measure time by riding in a carriage. Having to always arrange for a driver to wait for me, or having to wait a long time if there was no place to park the carriage, was bothersome and tedious. I had no desire to ride a carriage alone, though I might with Ruben.
When there were no people around, I used Light Footwork to dash away, and when there were many, I walked as if on a stroll, enjoying the sights of the street, people, and shops. With the precious box tucked safely in my embrace, I felt as if I possessed the whole world, no matter what I saw.
Just as I was observing people, they were observing me. However, this time, instead of shouting or approaching me, they watched from a distance, muttering prayers, so I paid them no mind.
It was then.
I spotted a familiar face in the distance and, as if folding space, dashed forward and landed before them.
“E, e, e…”
“Yes. It is indeed me, Baroness Vikoff.”
“Duke Ernhardt…?”
Her face turned pale again, her heart so easily flustered.
It was Sienna Bicov, Ivan Bikoff’s wife.
“Where is Ivan? Why are you out on the street alone?”
“Ah, no, well. He’s gone to the Marquisate of Antines on an errand. I… well, I thought I might be in the way, so I said I’d run another errand and came out, came out…”
She still trembled disproportionately to her large frame. A quick glance revealed that the flesh on her sturdy body was still soft. With such a fine physique, how could she be considered a man with such low muscle mass? Tsk, I clicked my tongue.
“It seems you haven’t done any training since I left.”
“…I’ve done a little.”
“A little?”
“Yes, uh, sometimes…”
It didn’t seem like it.
However, one can lead a horse to water, but one cannot make it drink. Instead of pressing further, I asked about her errand.
“What errand are you going on?”
“I’m going to pick up a gemstone appraisal and a certificate of authenticity. Even for gemstones that already have appraisals, a certificate confirming they’ve been re-examined multiple times significantly increases their value.”
“Ah, an appraisal. Then you’re heading to the jewelry district.”
“Yes. Uh, Duke…?”
“I’m going that way too. Let’s go together.”
If she was going to have gemstones appraised, the bag in her hand must be full of them. I couldn’t let the frail Baroness Bicov, who knew no martial arts, wander alone with such valuables without escort. Since our paths were the same, I’d help her and later boast about it to Ivan.
However, Sienna seemed to find me unfamiliar and awkward, and she flinched and refused.
“No, no! I can’t impose such a burden! I can manage on my own…”
“You still have about 30 minutes of walking through crowded streets from here. I don’t have anything particularly pressing today, so let’s take our time.”
“Actually, the place I’m going isn’t the jewelry district…”
“Not? Where should I escort you to?”
“…No. It is.”
We walked side-by-side, maintaining a distance of about two fists between us.
Despite the considerable number of people on the street, those who recognized me parted to the sides, clearing a path, allowing me to walk comfortably. Thanks to this, there were no ruffians bumping into Sienna Bicov or pickpockets attempting anything.
Then, at one point, Sienna Bicov spoke with a voice trembling like a bleating goat,
“Uh, Duke… why are you going to the jewelry district?”
“I’m planning to commission a wedding ring. The workshop with the green sign, a little ahead of the middle of the street.”
“…Are you referring to the Grim Brothers Workshop?”
“That’s right. Do you know it?”
“Well… I know the basics. I understand it was founded by brothers from a collateral branch of the Grimsvein family who came to the capital. The first floor is used as a shop selling their creations, but they’ve dug deep underground to handle not only various precious metals but also stone…”
“Stone? Why stone?”
“They sell carvings made on stones of unusual colors or Mana Stones with low Mana content. It’s rumored that they do artistic and delicate work even on very small stones, so most of the items handled by that workshop command exorbitant prices.”
“Hmm.”
“Among them, the current workshop owner, Sam Marcus, is said to be a bit eccentric…”
“In what way?”
“There’s a rumor that he talks to gemstones. It’s a wild rumor that he constantly mutters, ‘Let me take you out, let me take you out,’ while carving raw stones or rocks.”
“Is Sam Marcus perhaps green-haired?”
“Yes. Green and curly… a man with hair that slightly covers his neck.”
Still, living in the capital for a long time, this fellow is well-informed.
It was a chance encounter, but it was nice not to be bored on the way. What else could I ask?
“Ah, speaking of which… Baroness Bicov, you are still newlywed, aren’t you?”
“Huh?”
“Ahem. Then… no, never mind. I’ll ask Ivan later.”
“No, no, what kind of question is it… Can’t you just ask me?”
“It’s nothing much. It just came to mind.”
“Yes…”
“…Never mind. It’s just…”
“…Please, ask me the question. Please.”
What was he thinking to make his face turn so red?
Puzzled and bewildered, I opened my mouth.