A Newlywed Date in the Castle Town

We walked through the castle town, maintaining an exquisite distance between us.

Suddenly, “A-ha-ha, where should we go for our honeymoon, Solene?”

“Ooh-hoo-hoo, I think the sea would be lovely, Felman! Oh, but a mountain rich with nature is hard to pass up, too.”

—A young couple passed nearby, having just such a conversation.

They must be newlyweds. Just like us.

“…A honeymoon, huh?” I mused.

“Come to think of it, we never did get to go on a honeymoon, did we?” Letitia said suddenly.

It seemed she had overheard the other couple’s conversation, too.

“Things have been hectic since the wedding… We got into the Academy without ever having time for a trip.”

“Did you have any place you wanted to go, Alban?”

“No, not particularly. As long as we’re together, the place doesn’t really matter. How about you, Letitia?”

“I don’t have a specific place—”

She paused mid-sentence, a look of sudden inspiration on her face.

“I have an idea! Why don’t we have our honeymoon right here and now?”

“Huh?”

“We can make this castle town our travel destination! You’re not familiar with the Royal Capital, Alban, so it’s perfect!”

“Well, I don’t know…”

Won’t Letitia just be bored? It’s practically her hometown— I started to say, but she didn’t wait.

“It’s settled then! Come on, let’s go! I know of a wonderful spot over there!”

Letitia grabbed my arm and started running. She seemed more like a girl her age than her usual reserved self.

I never expected to see Letitia this cheerful. This might be the best honeymoon ever.

This situation also reminds me of when I first brought her out of the room and showed her the beautiful scenery of the Odrant Territory. The roles are completely reversed now. This time, I’m the one being guided.

—From then on, Letitia showed me around all the famous sights and tourist spots in the Royal Capital.

There was the Caral Bridge, which crosses the largest river in the capital and is called the “King’s Bridge” because the successive generations of Kings held their coronation parades there.

The Tinem Great Church, with its three spires soaring high into the sky, built with the wish that “prayers may reach God.”

And Retonesque Park, a local haven planted with hundreds of chestnut trees that line the walking paths and bloom with beautiful red and white flowers.

They were all places entirely new to me.

I, the country bumpkin, was completely overwhelmed, but Letitia, my guide, looked incredibly, wonderfully happy. Honestly, just seeing her face like that was enough for me to enjoy myself completely.

And finally—

“The last place is here. The Verhask Open-Air Market. It’s the biggest market in the Royal Capital.”

“Wow, it certainly is lively. But, well, I have to say…”

“Is it surprising to find a former Duke’s daughter like me in a place like this?”

“Well… Yeah, a little.”

“I’ve always loved it. I like places where you can feel the energy and vitality of the people. Besides, if you’re lucky, you can interact with children here.”

“With children?”

“Yes. My father told me not to associate with commoner children, but children are the treasure and hope of the kingdom, are they not? I want to engage with them actively.”

Letitia’s expression as she spoke was filled with pure tenderness.

Thinking back, one of the reasons Mauro broke off their engagement was because she protected commoner children. And she did it by misappropriating Bertoli family funds. That’s not something you do unless you truly love children.

So, when I think about it that way, coming to the market just to interact with children isn’t strange at all. One could even call it very much her.

“I see. That’s very much like you, and it’s wonderful.”

“Fufu, thank you. Now, let’s go into the market. There’s a gelato shop I highly recommend.”

Following Letitia’s lead again, we entered the market.

Inside, there were food stalls—greengrocers, dairy shops, butchers—as well as clothing, sundries, and even an intriguing shop specializing in dolls.

The vibrancy and the sheer density of people were immense, incomparable to the market in the Odrant Territory.

Yet, Letitia moved through the crowd effortlessly.

Ugh, as expected of a city girl… I, the country bumpkin, feel like I might get dizzy from the crowd…

Just as I was thinking that,

“H-Here you go, Alban, aahn.”

Letitia scooped up the gelato we had just bought and offered it to me.

“Huh?”

“T-This is… something couples are supposed to do on dates, is it not…? I’ve often seen it in the town before…” My wife said, slightly looking away, her cheeks flushed.

Wait, is that true? Was there a quota for couples to feed each other gelato on a date? I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been a couple with anyone other than Letitia.

Well, I guess it does feel like a couple-y thing to do…? Though it’s just a vague idea I have…

I also got the feeling Letitia was operating on a “This is what people do, apparently” kind of vibe.

I don’t know, but there’s only one thing for a husband to do here.

“—Mmm.”

I took the offered gelato into my mouth.

“H-How is it…?”

“It’s delicious. It’s even more delicious because Letitia fed it to me. I’m a truly fortunate man…” I said, tears welling up dramatically.

I didn’t know the gelato my beloved wife feeds me could taste this good… I’m so moved, I could cry…

“I-I see. I’m glad then.”

“Then my turn for payback. Here, Letitia, aahn.”

This time, I scooped up my gelato and offered it to her.

For a moment, Letitia looked shy.

“…Mmm.”

“How is it? Good?”

“…It’s d-delicious. But… this is incredibly embarrassing, isn’t it…”

“Y-Yeah, well… a little, maybe,” I agreed.

With flushed cheeks, we were in a subtly awkward atmosphere. Do all couples in the world do such embarrassing things as a matter of course?

I don’t know… I don’t know, but… it certainly makes me happy.

Right now, I feel a maximum surge of affection for Letitia. I’m so glad I married her… Thank God…

Just as I was savoring this feeling of bliss—

“Waaaah…!”

A child’s crying reached my ears.

I looked in the direction of the sound to see a young boy standing rooted in the middle of the street, bawling loudly. Strangely, the adults around him didn’t seem concerned.

“That is…”

“Ah, hey, Letitia—”

Ignoring my attempt to call her back, she ran toward the boy.

“Are you alright? What’s the matter?”

“Huh? Ah, um, my mom and I got separated…”

“Oh, a lost child. Do you know where your mother went?”

The boy shook his head. Letitia gently stroked his hair.

“Well, then why don’t we go look for her together, you and me?”

“Eh… you will?”

“Of course. I couldn’t possibly leave a child in distress. That’s fine with you, Alban?”

“Hm, ah… I don’t mind…”

…Well, whatever. If Letitia wants to help him. I decided not to be overly suspicious. I swallowed the words I was about to say.

“Where did you get separated from your mother? Let’s go there first.”

“U-Um, it was over there…”

Letitia started walking into the market, following the boy’s lead.

But she suddenly stopped as if she’d remembered something.

“Ah—Just a moment, please.”

She walked to a nearby stall, bought something, and offered it to the boy.

“Here you are. This is delicious.”

“Eh… you’re giving it to me?”

“Of course. When you’re sad, eating something sweet helps you feel better.”

What Letitia handed him was a rainbow-colored lollipop. The boy took a lick.

“It’s yummy…!”

“Fufu, good. Don’t worry, we’ll find your mother for sure.” She smiled kindly and patted the boy’s head.

I see. She gave him a treat to calm him down. As expected of my wonderful wife, she’s practically a saint, yeah, yeah.

Still… getting candy bought for him by Letitia, and getting his head patted on top of that… what an enviable—er, what a lucky child.

“Now, let’s go. I’ll hold your hand.”

Letitia held the boy’s hand and started walking again.

Guh…!? What an extravagant brat…! Getting a treat bought for him by Letitia, and now getting to hold her hand…! Holding Letitia’s hand is supposed to be my exclusive privilege, you know!?

I’m not jealous or anything, but he should seriously be grateful, right? I’m definitely not jealous!

“Alban, is something wrong?”

“N-No, nothing at all…”

I composed myself and followed the two of them.

Still… seeing Letitia walking with a child from behind like this really suits her. She’s clearly comfortable with children; you can tell she truly loves them.

—Will there be a time when she’s leading our own child by the hand like that? And I’ll be holding the child’s other hand—

…No, stop, stop.

We’re still students; it’s too early to think about that. Begone, worldly desires, begone…

The boy, sucking on his candy, slowly led the way through the market. After a while, he left the market and entered a subtly dim alleyway.

“…Is this where you got separated from your mother? The atmosphere here is a bit—”

Letitia asked, looking confused, but the boy suddenly released her hand.

“Eh…?”

“I-I’m sorry, miss…”

“—Heh-heh-heh.”

“Hee-hee-hee…”

As if they had been waiting, some very thuggish-looking men emerged from the shadows. There were six of them. We were trapped between them, our escape route blocked.

—Ah, knew it.

I’d hoped I was just overthinking things. What a pain in the ass.

“Well, looky here, students from the Royal Academy, ain’t ya? Lookin’ like you got plenty of cash. Alright, hand over all your money, quick-like.” One of the thugs said, a knife in his hand.

He was trying to be intimidating, at least.

“What! What is the meaning of this!?” Letitia demanded, shocked.

“Can’t ya tell? This kid’s our errand boy. He lured you two suckers out and brought you right to us.”

“No way…!” Letitia looked aghast.

I thought it was strange that a child was left alone in a bustling market. The market people probably knew the boy was one of the thugs’ accomplices. That’s why they didn’t get involved. We, on the other hand, fell for the trap, hook, line, and sinker. Well, you get lowlifes like this in every downtown.

“We’d let ya go if ya just hand over all your cash… but you, lady, you’re quite the looker. Why don’t ya entertain us for a bit—”

“Don’t look at Letitia with those filthy eyes. I’ll kill you.”

“Huh? —BWAGH!?”

I smashed my fist into the thug’s face and sent him flying. He bounced repeatedly off the ground, his face caved in, before diving into a trash heap and passing out.

“What the hell?! This guy’s strong!”

“I don’t care, take him out!”

“Anyone who harms Letitia gets no mercy.”

“Hogeeegh!?”

“Abaaah!”

Town thugs are no match for me, no matter how many of them gang up. I proceeded to thoroughly beat them one by one with my bare hands, clearing out the syndicate in no time.

Finally—only the little brat was left.

“Alright, you ready for this, you little punk?”

“Ah… A-Ah…!”

“Letitia was genuinely worried about you and showed you kindness… and you dared to trample all over her feelings.”

This punk used Letitia’s kindness and threw her good intentions away. I don’t care if he’s a kid. He deserves a proper punishment.

I, unlike Letitia, have no intention of showing mercy, no matter who the opponent is. Especially not someone who betrayed my beloved wife.

“A simple spanking ain’t gonna cut it. It’s too late even if you bawl—”

“Wait, Alban.”

—Letitia stopped me just as I was raising my fist.

She walked toward the boy, who was paralyzed with terror, and crouched down.

“Tell me. Why did you cooperate with men like that?”

“B-Because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t get any food…”

“And your real mother and father?”

“They’re gone… They both died from sickness…”

“…I see.”

Letitia seemed to understand, and she took a purse from her pocket. Then, she put it into the boy’s hand.

“Here. Take this. It should be enough so you won’t have to worry about food for a while.”

“Eh…? W-Why would you…”

“But you must promise me. Promise you won’t associate with those bad people anymore. Promise you will never again trample on someone’s kindness.”

“A-Are you going to forgive me, miss…?”

“No, I won’t forgive you. I just want you to learn. That bad things are bad.”

Saying that, Letitia smiled faintly. She looked into the boy’s eyes.

“Well? Can you promise me?”

When she asked, the boy silently nodded.

Upon receiving his reply, Letitia stroked the boy’s head once more. The same gentle gesture she used when she bought him the candy earlier.

“Very good. Now go. Don’t come back here again.”

When Letitia removed her hand, the boy scurried away. The faint tear streaks at the corners of his eyes were probably not my imagination.

“…Letitia, are you sure about that?” I asked.

“Yes. It’s fine this way. …Do you think I was too soft, Alban?”

“If Letitia thinks it’s fine, then it is. Though I doubt a bad person can change that easily.”

“They can, I’m sure. Children have infinite potential, after all,” Letitia murmured, her gaze distant as she watched the boy run off.

When his figure was out of sight, she turned her attention to me.

“Besides, as for reform, I have a fine example of a gentleman right in front of me.”

“O-Oh, me? I haven’t exactly ‘reformed’… well, in a sense, I guess I have.”

“Fufu, see? I knew it.” She chuckled, extending her hand. “Come, Alban, let’s continue our honeymoon. I still haven’t seen enough of the city.”

“Whoa! …Yeah, you’re right. Me neither.”

I grinned, taking Letitia’s hand.

Side-by-side, we left the alleyway behind.