“Your Majesty. Nowadays, just looking at the reservoir makes me feel full. This year, we won’t have to worry about droughts. Haha.”
Clear water rippled below the high embankment. The drought warning markers were well below the water’s surface, indicating that there was plenty of water.
“It used to be that everyone was in a panic about water shortages around this time. But this winter is different. I don’t remember ever having such a peaceful winter.”
The lord continued with a very enthusiastic expression.
“The neighboring territories are the same. It seems that the goddess’s power is protecting the principality.”
“It seems so.”
“There are also reports that the dragon’s power is returning. Lord Sigmund has even assisted Lord Julios.”
It’s all thanks to the new crown prince. Lately, the people of the territories dream of going to the capital, seeing the prince’s face at least once, and I am no different.
While listening to the praise of the lord’s wife, Dietrian looked towards the north.
The direction of the principality’s royal castle.
Leaving his pregnant wife behind.
It was something he didn’t even want to imagine, but this time there was no choice.
The principality’s winters were relatively warm.
The situation was much better than the particularly harsh winters of the empire.
Nevertheless, there was a problem.
It was the drought.
In the principality, it rarely snowed during the winter. Many people suffered from drought as winter gave way to spring.
To minimize the damage, the royal family of the principality had built reservoirs and dams.
It was the king’s duty to personally check the condition of the reservoirs and ensure there was enough water.
It was something he did every winter.
Yet, this winter, it was particularly hard for him to leave.
Leticia nudged his back, trying to get him out of the bedroom.
“Hurry up. There are people who are waiting for you.”
It was true.
It was undoubtedly true, but Dietrian felt hurt.
He didn’t want to be apart from his wife for even a single day. Yet she was pushing him away so insistently.
Eventually, Dietrian, feeling frustrated, asked.
“Leticia. Do you really love me?”
“…What? What do you mean by that?”
“Don’t you feel sad about being apart from me? Aren’t you pushing me away too easily?”
Leticia looked at him as if she had just discovered that her husband was so naive.
Though she felt a pang of guilt, Dietrian remained firm.
He loved Leticia. Despite his love, having to be apart was incomprehensible to him!
“Of course I love you.”
“Then show me proof.”
“How can one prove their feelings?”
While hugging Leticia, who seemed exasperated, Dietrian continued to plead. Eventually, he received the answer he wanted, learning about the dream Leticia had harbored for a long time.
‘She had thought about removing the bedroom doorknob in Heden.’
She had wanted to be holed up in the bedroom with him for a whole month.
Dietrian clenched his fist tightly as he imagined Leticia, embarrassed by her confession. Surprisingly, he still felt that he was deeply infatuated with Leticia. Sometimes, he felt a strong desire to tease her because she was so endearing. He wanted to poke and nibble her while she slept. He wished he could hold her all night when she complained about being sleepy.
‘Is it a human instinct?’
Just as one might want to nibble on a cute puppy, seeing something excessively lovable seemed to trigger destructive feelings.
Fortunately for Leticia, these feelings remained just in his imagination.
He was glad his wife was pregnant.
It helped him stay alert and treat his wife with care.
“By the way, Your Majesty, when are you planning to hold the national wedding?”
The lord’s enthusiastic voice brought Dietrian out of his thoughts.
“A national wedding?”
“Yes, I heard you are planning to hold the national wedding again.”
“Well, I am planning it.”
In truth, as soon as Dietrian returned to the principality, he intended to hold the wedding again.
He had planned to propose again if Leticia agreed.
However, Leticia disagreed with his plan.
“Dietrian, I’d like to have the wedding after Madam Mano recovers. Our wedding is also very important to Madam Mano. Please propose again when that happens.”
Although Dietrian accepted Leticia’s suggestion, he still felt regretful. Mano’s recovery was slower than expected.
Dietrian briefly recalled the old Mano. Seven years ago, when Mano’s heart was unbroken. Those days when she had been a kind mother.
Once, just recalling those days was painful. It felt as if the world had ended.
But now, it was different.
He could accept both Mano’s past and present. There was hope.
It was thanks to Leticia.
Thanks to the hope Leticia had shown him.
‘So, I should listen to my wife.’
A gentle smile appeared on Dietrian’s lips.
“The national wedding will be held when the rain is most desired.”
“Oh! I see!”
The lord, excited, began to talk about the wedding.
What the wedding should be like, what his wife liked, and details about the upcoming wedding of his daughter.
At that moment.
Bubble, bubble.
Gurgle, gurgle.
Suddenly, bubbles began rising from the surface of the reservoir. The lord, who had been excitedly talking about the wedding, was startled.
“Gheek!”
As the lord stumbled and almost fell backward, Dietrian quickly supported him. He blocked the trembling lord’s view and squinted his eyes.
“Your Majesty, it’s, it’s a ghost.”
“It’s not a ghost.”
The transparent surface of the water began to bubble and then something shot up from it. The fluid water took shape and formed a girl with hair made of water.
“A water spirit?”
Dietrian’s guess seemed correct, as the spirit giggled and nodded. The innocent laughter was similar to what he knew of spirits.
“Your Majesty! Be careful! Don’t go near it!”
“It seems to be a spirit sent by my wife. You needn’t worry.”
Dietrian approached the reservoir cautiously.
“Did Leticia send you?”
「Ahahaha!」
The spirit laughed and darted over. Ripples spread across the surface of the water.
The frivolous laughter convinced Dietrian that the entity was indeed a spirit.
“You are a water spirit. What does my wife want me to know?”
Seeing the spirit laugh like that, it didn’t seem to be anything bad.
「Right now-!」
“Hmm?”
「She wants you to come back immediately!」
Kya-ha-ha! The spirit burst into laughter. Columns of water shot up from various places on the surface. They took on the spirit’s form and then burst into laughter.
「So happy!」
「The saint is laughing!」
「I’m going to dance! Rise up wildly!」
The spirit waved its hands. The surface of the water rippled and began to rise gradually. The reservoir seemed about to overflow but stopped just before it did, as if by magic.
With that, the spirit disappeared.
“……”
The frivolous laughter and the soul-stealing dance vanished. Dietrian remained frozen in the pose of reaching out towards the spirit.
The first to regain composure was the lord.
“Your Majesty! Was that truly a water spirit? I’ve never seen a spirit in my life! The water spirit has replenished the reservoir!”
The lord, excited, rambled on.
“Did you hear the laughter? It was pure frivolity! I heard that the air spirits are also frivolous! It seems all spirits are like that! I thought my ears were going to split! To hear a spirit’s laughter with my own ears! Hahaha! This is the glory of our family for generations!”
Dietrian slowly withdrew his hand and then stood up. His gaze remained fixed on the surface of the water. His lips were set in a rigid line.
‘Come back immediately?’
Only that one phrase echoed in his mind. Leticia had used a spirit to call him. Even though he knew there was something he needed to do, she told him to come back immediately.
‘What on earth is going on?’
His heart sank.
He had not once worried about Leticia’s safety since defeating Josephina.
It was only natural.
No one on the continent could threaten Leticia. So why was she calling him urgently?
「The saint is laughing!」
Fortunately, that was what the spirit had said.
But he couldn’t quite believe it.
Spirits were far too instinctive.
Even Leticia had trouble handling them. To Dietrian, they seemed like puppies excited by a bone.
Could it be that the spirit made the right judgment? Was Leticia really laughing?
Once the anxiety started, it grew like a snowball. The unease etched into his soul began to swell.
“Your Majesty, are you inviting spirits to the wedding as well? It would be truly magnificent! Spirits from the heavens and earth would be dancing around!”
The lord was excitedly talking.
“A wedding blessed by the whole world! I heard that flowers bloom in the middle of winter in the Empire? Just thinking about seeing that makes me thrilled! It’s a good thing to be alive…… Your Majesty?”
Dietrian ignored the excited lord and kept moving. His mind was focused on one thing only.
He had to return.
He needed to return and see with his own eyes that Leticia was safe.
* * *
He rode without rest. By the time he arrived in the capital, the moon was high in the sky. As Dietrian approached the gate, he took a deep breath.
The gate was open.
‘Why?’
It was deep into the night. The gate should have been firmly closed. He had to protect his people, his wife, his family.
‘What on earth is happening?’
“Giddy up!”
He kicked the horse hard. The horse increased its speed.
The knights following him shared the same thought. The open gate was not a good sign. Though they didn’t show it, worry filled their hearts.
“Your Majesty!”
As soon as he passed through the gate, someone blocked his path as if waiting for him.
Dietrian barely managed to pull on the reins. Seeing the familiar face of the captain of the guard, he clenched his fist tightly.
“What’s going on?”
The captain’s demeanor was also unusual. There was a sense of helplessness. Dietrian kept his composure.
There was no time to waste. He needed to see Leticia with his own eyes. That would solve everything.
“Where is Leticia?”
“She is in the palace.”
Without asking further, Dietrian spurred his horse forward. Why was the gate open, and why had Leticia urgently called him?
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