“Huh?”

Even though Lucian must have heard her whisper, he pretended not to, merely crinkling his eyes. Yet, to Rachel, who was already smitten, even his fox-like demeanor was endearing.

“Playing hooky, huh…”

“If we head out now, we might manage a quick tour and dinner before returning. You might be familiar with Leon territory since you lived here as a child, but it’s all new to me.”

“Ah… Right.”

“So, will you guide me, Wife?”

The word ‘wife’ made her feel oddly twisted inside—not in a bad way, but embarrassingly pleasant, hard to openly respond to.

“…Alright, let’s go then.”

Rachel stepped forward briskly, pulling him along from the basement. Resting a hand on her hip, she declared with pride.

“Leave the tour to me. I roamed quite a bit when I was young.”

Lucian, who had eagerly awaited her return in those days, smiled deeply when he heard she had fared well.

“Then, we must visit all the places the wife frequented. Sharing those memories would make me happy.”

Only then did Rachel notice the wildness in Lucian’s smile.

His mouth was smiling differently than before, and he quickly turned his head. After getting married, Lucian seemed more openly affectionate now. Before, he only showed his subtle jealousy, but now he revealed it openly.

“…It won’t be possible in just one day. Let’s share it bit by bit moving forward.”

“Of course. I trust the wife.”

“Uh… Let’s go.”

“All right.”

Lucian followed, led by Rachel, who looked like he was dragging her. She was busy planning their itinerary while tightly holding his firm hand.

Suddenly, Oscar came running up to them from far away, followed by Damian flying overhead.

“Master!”

Oscar arrived, his hair and clothes full of grass. Rachel brushed off his hair roughly as he approached her.

“Did you climb the mountain again?”

“Yes! Since it’s not far from where we used to live, the mountains feel familiar and nice!”

“Master.”

Damian came down and called her. Unlike Oscar, Damian was calm and pulled something out to present to her.

“These are the raspberries Master enjoyed when you were young. They’re ripe and red, perfect for jam, so I picked some for you.”

Damian presented raspberries wrapped in a clean handkerchief, abundant and freshly picked.

“Oh, they’re perfectly ripe. Thank you, Damian.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’ll bring something tomorrow! There are lots of other berries in the mountains, too! You can look forward to it, Master!”

Oscar looked embarrassed and hastily wiped his mouth with his sleeve before exclaiming loudly.

“Oscar.”

“Yes?”

“You’ve got strawberry juice on your cheek. Right here.”

Rachel pointed with her finger, causing Oscar to jump in surprise.

“I didn’t eat any!”

“Then what did I see?”

“You seaweed punk!”

“He sat down and ate as if there’s no tomorrow.”

Flustered by Damian’s comment, Oscar turned red and shivered. Rachel forgot all about leaving as she burst into laughter at the sight. Then, Lucian, who was standing right behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist slowly.

Resting his chin on her shoulder, he suggested to Damian and Oscar.

“My wife and I will be going out, so how about you two go in and wash up?”

The suggestion caught Oscar and Damian by surprise, leaving them with a downcast face.

“Hey, seaweed punk. ‘Wife’.”

“…Isn’t that to be expected?”

Indeed, it was a natural title, but it seemed just as awkward for them as it was for Rachel. Feeling suddenly shy, she cleared her throat before speaking.

“Ahem, ask Amber to prepare some warm water for you. Go on then.”

“Yes, Master. Have a good time.”

“…Tsk. Bring back some melon candies.”

No sooner had their conversation ended than Amber came shouting from the mansion, with impeccable timing.

“Oscar! What’s with those clothes?”

“Miss, Miss Amber! Well…”

“How can you stand before the Duke and Madam looking like that! Hurry this way!”

“Ah, why is it always me?! You’re all too much!”

Oscar darted off somewhere quickly, but Amber called for Damian, undeterred.

“Damian, take Oscar to your private bath.”

“…Yes.”

Watching the three, Rachel thought Amber was like a mother, Damian was the eldest son, and Oscar was the youngest.

“But where is the Duke and Madam heading?”

Lucian responded to Amber.

“I’m thinking of going to the places of my wife’s childhood.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Now that I think of it, you would have been with her back then.”

“Just thinking about those days still brings me out in a cold sweat.”

“Why’s that?”

“Madam was quite the handful.”

“Amber?”

Rachel hurried to silence her. Those days were indeed a time when she hardly paused to think.

“She’d leap into the sea to collect strange sea creatures or cook them herself. Oh, and there was this one time…”

“What happened?”

Lucian showed immense curiosity at Amber’s words. His golden eyes sparkled metallically. No, it seemed almost dazzling.

“One day, during heavy rain, she, along with Oscar and Damian, went up the mountain and couldn’t come down. They spent the night in a cave, right, Madam?”

“Uh, that was…”

Before Rachel could respond, he questioned.

“…Wasn’t that serious? Why wasn’t the mansion in the Capital informed?”

“We tried, but the rain was really heavy. The rain poured as if the sky had opened up. It quickly became dark, and it was difficult for the knights to move quickly.”

As Amber continued, Rachel felt a sense of foreboding. She had to prevent Lucian from hearing any more.

So, she gripped his hand tightly and exclaimed.

“We, we’re going out!”

“Oh my, look at me holding you up. You said you were leaving.”

“Uung, then. Please look after everything here.”

“Of course, Madam. Have a great time together. You’ve been busy ever since the wedding.”

“Thanks, Amber…”

Amber was right; they hadn’t really taken a break. The words gave Rachel a new feeling.

…Going on a date.

They had rarely done so, even when they were in the Capital.

“It’s a sudden decision, but it feels good.”

Lucian didn’t answer.

Rachel didn’t notice the subtle change in his attitude. Her mind was set on heading out before it got any later, so she didn’t know with what eyes he was looking at her.

* * *

“This café is known for its delicious pies.”

The pair strolled through the bustling streets of the city, having arrived by carriage.

“Ah, and this place here has tasty cakes.”

Her childhood memories came flooding back as they passed familiar shops and spots she used to frequent when bored.

Rachel was eager to share these memories with Lucian, pulling him along to explore new shops.

“Wow, what’s this place? Looks new, Luci.”

“Yes.”

“Shall we go in and take a break?”

“I’d prefer the places you used to visit.”

Only then did she look back at him. His expression dimmed in contrast to her excitement.

“What’s wrong?”

“….?”

“If you don’t tell me, how will I know?”

Lucian remained silent, so Rachel opened her mouth again.

“How about we go somewhere Luci likes to go?”

She patiently waited for his reply. Despite sometimes needing to scold him for his childlike behavior, she couldn’t hide her happiness around him. These moments could only be seen by someone close to him.

He looked around and slowly opened his mouth.

“Ray, I’m most curious about the beach you used to play at.”

“Then, let’s head to the sea?”

She responded eagerly, and then Lucian added.

“I also want to visit the mountain you played on, eat the seafood you caught, and even see the cave where you spent the night. If we could spend a night there too, it would be perfect.”

“…We can’t possibly do all that today.”

“Why not?”

“It’s already afternoon; we don’t have much time.”

“We can just make it quick.”

“…Do you really want to do all that?”

Lucian looked at her silently. He just wanted to possess her past entirely. Would she dislike it if he had said that?

Rachel quietly looked up at Lucian’s emotionless face before giving a bright smile.

“Then, let’s start with the beach.”

“….”

“And from there, we’ll go to the mountain.”

“All right.”

“But Luci.”

“…Yes?”

Rachel knew even what he wanted without him saying.

“The time I spent alone is nothing compared to the much more time we’ll spend together in the future. Don’t you think that makes it less regrettable?”

“Ray.”

“Just don’t complain later about it being bothersome, okay?”

When she finished speaking, Lucian hugged her tightly. He held her completely in his arms and buried his face in her emerald hair. Those words were beyond adorable, but he couldn’t agree more.

Ray, I will have everything from your past.

__