A newly written extra story: A loving couple from Shanoa’s perspective

“L-Lady Letitia, do you happen to know the secret to a happy marriage…?”

I, Shanoa Grain, asked her.

I’d been wondering for a long time. Lady Letitia and Baron Odrant really are an ideal couple. I thought there must be some secret to how they manage to be so close.

Baron Odrant had business today, so she came alone. I decided to be bold and ask her while I had the chance.

Lady Letitia, who was drinking tea at our tearoom’s counter seat, looked surprised by my question.

“A secret… you say?”

“A s-special way to charm a man, to make Baron Odrant absolutely smitten…!”

“There’s no such thing. Oh, Shanoa, are you surprisingly interested in that kind of thing?”

“H-Huh?! N-No, um…”

“Fufu, I’m only joking.” Lady Letitia smiled mischievously and took another sip of her tea.

She is always so elegant… Her graceful air makes me think there must be some secret to that, too…

“Even without a secret, once a couple settles into the form of a marriage, it simply becomes this way naturally. You’ll understand one day.”

“O-Oh…”

—In the end, I couldn’t get any real secret out of her that day.

B-But I’m still curious! I’m allowed to admire a perfect couple, too, you know!

M-Maybe Lady Letitia doesn’t realize it, but perhaps there’s a certain technique she uses to keep Baron Odrant interested…!

A-Alright… This might be a bit rude… but I’m going to try to secretly investigate!

▲ ▲ ▲

—And so, I started tailing them in a disguise.

Today was an Academy holiday. Lady Letitia and Baron Odrant were happily on a date in the castle town. Even from a distance, it was clear that the two of them were completely smitten…

Ugh… I-I feel like I’m doing something wrong… Well, stalking itself is wrong… but some things are just too important to ignore!

So, Lady Letitia… I apologize, but I’m going to investigate the key to your ideal marriage!

I hid behind a building, watching them walk down the street.

“Letitia, where do you want to go today?” Alban asked.

“Anywhere you want to go, Alban,” she replied.

“I don’t care where we go, as long as I’m with you.”

“Ohoho, that defeats the purpose of a date, doesn’t it?”

Ngh…! So sweet…! Such a high-sugar exchange…! They were being so blatantly affectionate right from the start; I felt like giving up already!

B-But hang in there, Shanoa Grain! Think of this as studying for the future!

While I was having this inner struggle, the two of them bought gelato at a stall.

“Here, Letitia, aahn.”

“Mmm… Oh, that flavor is delicious, too. Well, my turn for payback… Here you go.”

“Mmm… Yup, it’s good.”

“Do you like it? Should we swap?”

“No, it tastes good because you fed it to me. Well, my turn to return the favor—”

The two of them fed each other gelato with terrifying ease. This feeling… t-this definitely isn’t the first time…! They’ve clearly done this kind of thing repeatedly…!

“Ah, look out, Letitia.”

“Huh? Woah!”

Suddenly, Baron Odrant scooped Lady Letitia up. An instant later, a speeding carriage ran right past the spot she’d just been standing.

A-A narrow escape…! If they had been unlucky, they would have been hit…!

“Are you hurt?” Alban asked.

“N-No, I’m fine. Thank you, Alban…”

“You’re welcome. By the way, should I go smash that carriage? For the grave crime of trying to hurt Letitia.”

“Hmph, don’t be ridiculous. I’m not bothered by it. Or is that more important than continuing our date?”

“Of course not. …Fine. As annoying as it is, I’ll let it go since you asked, Letitia.”

He’s been tamed…! Lady Letitia has completely tamed Baron Odrant…! Ugh, truly the presence of a Queen…!

“Hm? Letitia, there’s something in your hair.”

“Oh? Would you mind getting it?”

“Hold still—It’s a fried sweet potato snack. It was stuck in your hair.”

“Oh dear, I wonder where I picked up a fried sweet potato snack.”

“Ah-ha-ha, a fried sweet potato snack stuck in your hair? You’re so clumsy and cute, Letitia.”

“Fufu, I have to admit, a fried sweet potato snack is a little embarrassing…”

—No, why aren’t you wondering more about this!? It’s a fried sweet potato snack! A fried sweet potato snack was tangled in her hair! Where did it even come from?!

They’re completely unfazed by this absurd situation… Baron Odrant just casually ate it…

T-This is the real ideal couple…!

I was bewildered time and time again from the start, but I continued to follow the two of them.

I kept observing them for a while, but—all I really learned was that Lady Letitia and Baron Odrant are incredibly close. I never figured out the secret of why they were so close.

Reluctantly, I gave up my surveillance and sat down alone on a bench in the fountain square.

“Haaah… W-Well, I didn’t learn anything in the end…”

Maybe there really is no secret? Or perhaps the two nobles simply have a different sensibility than a commoner like me?

In any case—

“…I’m so envious of Lady Letitia. So loved, and so beautiful…”

“Yup, yup, I agree. Letitia is beautiful, alright.”

“Yes, her grace is something I could never imita—EEEEEEHHHHH?! B-Baron Odrant!?“

I screamed in surprise. H-He had suddenly appeared and was standing right next to me! A-A-And Lady Letitia was right behind him!

“W-W-W-Why are you two here…!?”

“Why? Because you were tailing us. I thought I’d come over and question you,” Alban replied.

“Huh? Y-You noticed…?”

“Of course. With tailing that sloppy, and your presence being completely obvious, it’d be impossible not to notice.”

“So, Shanoa? Why exactly were you following us?” Letitia asked.

“Ugh… W-Well…”

I gave in and told them everything—that I had been trying to discover the secret to their happy marriage.

“I-I’m so sorry, I just couldn’t help but wonder…”

“—Oh, so you were mistaken again,” Lady Letitia said, shrugging her shoulders. She stepped closer to me.

“Listen, Shanoa? There is no secret or trick between Alban and me. We simply respect each other and love each other deeply.”

“Respect…?”

“Do you have a man who respects you? Do you have a man you respect?”

“N-No…”

“Then you must start by finding that person.”

“B-But a man who would respect me…”

“He will appear. Because you are a wonderful woman, Shanoa Grain.” She gently lifted my chin with her slender index finger. “Have confidence in yourself, Shanoa Grain. You don’t need to try and learn anything from me. Shanoa just needs to be Shanoa.”

“Y-Yes, m-ma’am…!”

“That’s all I wanted to say. Well, see you later. We have a date to continue.”

“Don’t try to tail us again, got it?”

With that, the two of them walked away hand-in-hand.

Left alone, I slowly felt my cheeks heat up.

“L-Lady Letitia is so cool…! W-W-What is this feeling…!?”

—That day, I, Shanoa Grain, felt like I had discovered a new kind of “love.”