MB 069

I had prepared my mind, but reality was more amazing than I had imagined. It was big, ornate, and dazzling.

Upon seeing the grand appearance of the train, Goyo even felt a bit embarrassed. But only briefly, as Madam Bethelgius, as always, quickly adapted.

Goyo had never gone on a trip before. When she was in Rubiette, her family had traveled a few times, but Goyo did not want to become some foreign substance in their harmonious family, so she did not go.

It was the same when she was in Alte since she did not get along well with Terio.

If she had to pick a travel experience, it would only be when she married Annecy and took a ship around the Orion River.

Nevertheless, because Goyo was not greatly interested in traveling, she did not regret her lack of experience.

But today, Goyo felt rather refreshed about boarding the train. It was thanks more to the person going with her than to the fact that she was traveling.

The two got on the train.

Then, after a moment, with a loud horn, the train set off.

It had not run long before reaching its first destination. Since it traveled three times faster than a normal train, it arrived early.

“Does the railroad hold up even at this speed?”

“I put shock-proof magic on the train itself, so there shouldn’t be much damage to the tracks.”

“Did you cast magic on this entire huge train?”

“As I always say, Madam, your husband is a perfect man.”

‘The word changed from “capable” to “perfect.”’

Just as when they boarded the train, Annecy, who got off first, extended his hand to escort Goyo.

As Goyo was about to take it, the man’s gaze briefly slid downward. Instead of taking Goyo’s hand, he reached his arm out farther.

Before Goyo could ask why, the arm came in deeply, wrapping around Goyo’s waist and lifting her up.

Letting out a short scream, Goyo clung tightly to her husband’s neck. The man’s remaining arm supported the back of Goyo’s knees securely.

Annecy looked down at Goyo, who had barely calmed her surprise, and spoke slyly.

“Sorry for startling you. The ground looked uneven, so I dared to be discourteous, thinking it might be dangerous for your shoes.”

“That… don’t lie. You just wanted to tease me.”

“Earning your trust is such a difficult task. I wonder when it will be possible.”

“It’s one of those impossible things in life, so give up early. Now, please put me down.”

“The ground is still uneven.”

“Anywhere outside the city is like that. I’m not a child.”

“That’s a slightly odd statement. If you were some unknown child, I wouldn’t be serving you so preciously like this.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I’ll correct myself. Even if it were someone who isn’t you, I wouldn’t serve them so preciously like this.”

“…Please.”

Her voice sank, and a flush spread across the tips of her ears.

Finding that sight adorable, Annecy let out a low laugh and placed a kiss on the tip of Goyo’s nose. Only then did Goyo step onto the uneven ground from Annecy’s arms.

Annoyed by her husband’s mouth curling into a smile, Goyo glared at him.

“You really do seem like a flirt.”

“You keep saying that, but the more I hear it, the more unfair it feels. If I really were a flirt, I might have won your heart by now.”

It was surely a joke, but in those eyes of low saturation, there was some emotion that oddly seemed genuine.

That was a misunderstanding. Goyo turned her head forward.

“I’m not foolish enough to love a flirt.”

“Ah, so that’s what it comes to. My apologies.”

At that brief apology, Goyo gave a nod and looked up.

A vast and wide forest spread out before their eyes. It looked so enormous that even if they placed the capital, Lunaburn, inside it, it seemed as though it would all fit.

“This is Almeroph Forest. As you know, it’s the largest forest in Solaris. It’s a safe and popular tourist spot because the scenery is beautiful and there are relatively few monsters.”

“I heard rumors that elves lived here. I’m from Solaris, so I wasn’t unaware of that. I just never thought I’d have a reason to come all this way, it was so far.”

“It’s my first time hearing there were rumors about elves. Perhaps we might run into them.”

“If we didn’t go in deep enough for monsters to appear, it would be fine. And…”

‘I really didn’t want to see it.’

When she recalled the mermaid legend of Ramona Forest, Goyo’s face naturally turned pale.

A human-shaped upper body with muscles and blue veins popping up, and a lower body like a fish’s tail that smelled fishy. Even the dull and clammy colors that sharply diverged from any perfect imagination briefly flickered by.

Goyo wanted to at least leave the forest fairies as they were in the fantasy.

“…Considering it as a mere tourist resource might be rude.”

“That was true as well.”

Annecy nodded as though he had accepted the evasive statement.

After leaving the small train station, the two entered the forest. As soon as they set foot in the green world, the scent of the bright blue forest rushed in.

Had it been the city, the breath of air that passed by Coenjeri would have reached deep into her lungs without fail. From somewhat afar came the soft, blending sounds of water and birdsong.

Between the dense leaves, bits of sunlight filtered through, resting slightly on their heads whenever they passed under a tree’s shade.

Between the cool and damp air, the gentle warmth against their skin made the faint sunlight feel distinct.

Feeling as though her spirit had become clearly refreshed, walking without any words felt delightful. Without realizing it, a smile appeared on Goyo’s lips.

Annecy quietly looked down at that smile, not the forest, matching his pace to Goyo’s.

After they had walked for a while with soft footsteps, Goyo suddenly felt a sense of incongruity.

“But it’s strange there’s no one around. It must be a famous tourist destination.”

“It’s probably because the forest is so big that we haven’t run into anyone.”

“Even though we’ve been walking for quite some time?”

“By some coincidence, perhaps everyone was busy today.”

“You didn’t buy it, did you?”

Annecy tried to pretend not to hear and averted his gaze, but he couldn’t endure Goyo’s wordless stare and let his eyes droop sadly.

Had he really bought Almeroph Forest, he would have said so proudly, but today, he couldn’t.

After becoming the lord of Valverde, it was his first time failing to buy what he wanted on the day he wanted it.

“…Yes, because of an investment matter, I was short on liquid assets, so I only rented it for a day.”

“There’s something you can’t buy after all.”

“I could’ve if I had one month. No, three weeks, two weeks, ten days…!”

“You did well. You wouldn’t have said you’d buy it recklessly, so even if you did buy it, you wouldn’t take a loss. But if you didn’t need it, there’s no reason to go that far.”

“What you needed was what I needed, Madam.”

“You said that well. I never said I needed a forest.”

Annecy closed his mouth. Even so, he didn’t stop walking, and Goyo continued to speak.

“I’m happy about how kind you are to me, Annecy. I’m grateful. But if you kept trying to buy everything like this, even your bottomless fortune would run out. You don’t need to purchase everything just to give it to me.”

“There’s something I must correct. I’m not buying these things to give them to you, Madam. Goyo, I knew you didn’t really want much.

I just wanted to do things for you, and I wanted to buy things for you, so I did. In other words, it was for my own satisfaction.

It was a personal indulgence, so there was no reason for you to feel burdened.”

At those matter-of-fact words of rebuttal, Goyo stopped walking. When Annecy stopped too, the sound of their steps on the grass disappeared.

“…Why did you want to do things for me, and why did you want to buy them?”

It did not seem like he had said anything grand, yet somehow his wife’s face had darkened.

It was because her insides had become sensitive due to her shifting emotions, but Annecy had no way of knowing this change of heart.

“Because I’m your wife? Were you doing it for external reputation.”

“That’s not it…”

“Or because I was a Rubiette?”

It was a self-mocking and straightforward question. Discomfiture appeared in Annecy’s eyes.

“I’m happy and grateful that you treat me well, but it wasn’t just that. Annecy. Sometimes, excessive kindness can turn into poison.

Now and then, I become confused by your words and actions. Even though you’re Bethelgius and I was Rubiette, and that alone made us husband and wife, sometimes it felt like that wasn’t all—like there was something more.”

“Goyo, that wasn’t…”

“I remembered what you said on our wedding day. You said you had goodwill toward me, and even if you couldn’t love me, you would respect me. But right now, it didn’t seem like it was just goodwill anymore.

Sometimes I misunderstood that, and it became difficult to handle. You told me not to feel burdened, but how could I not? Even if it was light goodwill for you, it was too heavy for me. Annecy, I…”

Goyo swallowed her last words with a sigh.

‘I didn’t want to trust you.’

Goyo recalled just a few months ago how she had decided to marry Annecy with a certain mindset.

With only Terio Alte and Annecy Bethelgius as options, Goyo had avoided the pain called hope and chose complete despair.

She had become too tired of the continuous misfortune of hoping and expecting, only to have hope turn its back on her.

By the time she made her choice, there was not a speck of feeling left for Terio, but what always rekindled Goyo’s heart was the ember of hope she believed was extinguished.

Goyo was afraid to hold on to hope. The human longing for happiness was stubborn; it survived even in the ragged cracks of a worn-out mind.

That was why she chose Annecy. For that reason alone, she became Goyo Bethelgius.

But looking back, was it really the right choice? Goyo felt uncertain.

Annecy was overly tender and overly kind. Goyo had believed that knowing it was a disguise and a mask would keep her from harboring false hope, and she had even welcomed the kindness that she had rarely experienced,

She thought she would not be swayed, knowing it was all a lie. But that was all Goyo’s arrogance.

Goyo was weak to goodwill. The goodwill of those who approached because of her background was so blatant that she could easily fend it off.

But the goodwill with no apparent purpose, or seemingly none, she could not push away.

She thought she had become sufficiently wary of people after what happened with Terio, but that was not so.

A dried-up plant needed water. However, if too much water was poured on it, its roots would rot, and it would die.

Without her fully realizing it, the emotions gradually deepened, and once she did realize, they had already entered the depths of her heart.

Fear emerged. Even if it was not yet love, even if it was not yet an urgent emotion, if time passed like this, anything could happen.

She could clearly see a future self being crushed by shallow goodwill.

Her heart would die before her body. The heart she had believed was already dead seemed like it would revive only to die again.

She was not afraid of physical death, but she feared the death of her heart, feared that more than anything.

So she wanted to draw a line. If Annecy came any closer than that, she would not be able to control her heart. She wanted him to come just close enough to enjoy herself without burdens. She wanted to say so.

But the moment Goyo poured out her feelings, she realized she had been too emotional.

From Annecy’s viewpoint, whether his goodwill was genuine or not, he had offered it only to hear harsh words. He was surely bound to be taken aback and upset.

Goyo opened her mouth and finally offered words of apology.

“I’m sorry.”