HGOS – Chapter 45

“What ever do you think you’re doing?”

At Cassia’s icy rebuke, Estella and Allen flinched. Allen was so startled he accidentally kicked the table with his trembling leg, sending a glass of fruit juice tumbling and soaking the carpet.

Zester picked it up in surprise.

“Uh, are you okay?”

Seeing the fright on Allen’s face, Zester was worried and turned to Cassia with a puzzled look on his face.

“Is something wrong, wife?”

Seeing his genuine confusion, Estella and Allen turned even paler. They’d been mocking someone right to his face, someone who hadn’t even realized he was the target. It would have been better if he’d stayed quiet.

The reason the two siblings adored Cassia as much as their parents wasn’t simply because she was kind and gentle with them. Instead of the Count and Countess who had been somewhat oblivious to their young children, it had been Cassia who would maturely scold and then soothe them whenever they acted childishly.

To put it another way, they were more afraid of Cassia than of their own parents.

And through those years of teachings, there was one lesson from Cassia they knew very well:

[As one born a noble, conduct yourself with dignity, but never believe yourself above others.]

Allen recalled the memory of his seventh birthday, when Cassia had slapped him hard across the cheek for disregarding and insulting a servant.

“I asked you a question. What exactly do you think you’re doing? Who’s going to answer first?”

“E-Elder Sister. T-This is…I thought it would help to spend time with the Baron, since we were still awkward around each other. So, I suggested having tea with Estella…”

“Is that so? And what did you talk about over tea?”

Unlike her initial intimidating tone, Cassia now wore a smile that seemed to say she was genuinely curious. This gave Estella a glimmer of hope that maybe Cassia hadn’t really overheard their conversation.

“Nothing much. We just asked the Baron a bit about the village where he used to live… Right, Baron?”

Estella looked to Zester with a friendly tone and Zester, who had been looking puzzled between them, nodded his head firmly.

“That’s right.”

“I see,” came Cassia’s reply.

Estella let out a quiet sigh of relief.

At the same time, Allen rose from his seat, his lips trembling.

Allen was more perceptive than Estella and he had been scolded by Cassia more times than he could count. He could already tell his eldest sister had heard their entire conversation with Zester from outside the reception room and that, even though she was smiling, she was absolutely furious.

“I’m sorry, sister. I…I was worried about you and I might have spoken to the Baron without respect.”

Allen knew: when Cassia was angry, it was best to admit fault immediately. Knowing his sister well, he made a swift judgement.

“W-what, Allen? What are you saying?”

Thinking that Allen was escalating a situation that could have passed quietly, Estella bit her nails and glanced nervously at Cassia.

“Huh? What’s wrong? H-hey. What is it?”

Zester was bewildered to see Allen standing stiffly, his eyes welling up with tears.

He quickly went to the boy, knelt to meet his eyes, and fumbled for a moment before clumsily patting the boy’s small body in a comforting hug.

At that, Allen choked back his tears with a sob. Cassia, watching this, showed no trace of sympathy.

“So you’re admitting you did something wrong?”

Cassia asked calmly, loosely crossing her arms. Allen nodded vigorously. Only then did Estella understand what was happening and shrank into herself.

“My wife, what is this all about? Hm?”

“I know what you two were trying to do. And I’m neither pleased nor grateful at all. Right now, I’m extremely disappointed in the both of you.”

Ignoring Zester’s confusion, Cassia scolded her siblings with a cold voice.

“Disrespecting my husband is the same as disrespecting me. If you truly respect me, then you should respect my husband as well. And just so there’s no misunderstanding, I’m not asking you to respect him just because he’s my husband. If he weren’t someone worthy of respect, I wouldn’t be this angry.”

“My wife, there wasn’t any…”

A sharp glance from Cassia silenced Zester mid-sentence. He swallowed dryly and shut his mouth.

“This man is kind and he’s a good person.”

Her next words made Zester’s eyes widen with surprise. A sudden, embarrassing compliment, especially in front of her siblings?

“On our way here, he mentioned dozens of times how much he wanted to meet you both. He even spent days and nights agonizing over what gifts to prepare. And is this how you treat someone like that?”

“S-sister, I…”

“Allen, how many times have I told you this? You can uphold your dignity as a noble, but you should never become arrogant. Do not degrade yourself by acting as if you stand above others.”

“…Yes.”

“The behavior that you two have shown today is not just unbecoming of a noble but as you sister, I am disappointed and hurt. I never though you would belittle my husband under the guide of supporting me.”

“Sister, th-that wasn’t our intent. Please, let me explain.”

“No. I don’t want to hear it right now. If you really want to support me, you better reflect on your actions today.”

Having said her piece, Cassia turned to Zester, who was sitting in a daze between them.

“Let’s go, Honey.”

“No, Cassia. Wife. Wait a moment…”

“Honey.”

That single word, ‘honey’, somehow sounded terrifying. Zester wanted to comfort the sniffling Allen, but he couldn’t linger. He hesitantly got up and carefully followed Cassia, who had swept out of the drawing room. He kept glancing back over and over as he left the siblings behind.

***

Seeing Cassia looking so furious, Zester felt inexplicably intimidated. As soon as Zester, who had been trailing behind her, closed the bedroom door, Cassia spun around to face him with her arms crossed firmly.

“Why did you just sit there and listen like a fool? You were just smiling like it was nothing.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Are you seriously asking that? You couldn’t tell they were looking down on you? Are you a fool?”

He had an inkling. But to Zester, Estella and Allen were still just children. He could feel their affection for Cassia, and he didn’t think it was his place to be offended.

Besides, everything they had pointed out, painful as it was, wasn’t wrong. Cassia was indeed a woman far too good for him, and he was trying his hardest internally not to fall under the delusion that he was somebody special just because he had married her.

Cassia stared at the silent Zester and sighed. Even if he was dull, he must have surely felt some discomfort listening to her siblings. And now, here he was, getting scolded again after enduring all that. She felt she had gone too far.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Huh?”

“I was the one who said we should come to Ruberno because I missed my family. I didn’t think it would become such an uncomfortable situation for you. I’m sorry. For letting you get disrespected for no reason.”

“No, why are you apologizing?”

Zester’s chest tightened. Hearing an apology from Cassia made him feel even worse.

“I really didn’t mind. You don’t need to be angry either. I understand the Count’s feelings, and your siblings’ feelings, too.”

“…”

“Think about it. Their sweet, kind daughter and sister ends up with me and has to struggle. It’s only natural that they’d be upset. Rather, if they didn’t act like this, I might think you’re not loved by your family.”

Cassia stared intently at Zester’s face as he spoke calmly. There wasn’t a trace of falsehood in his expression as he spoke with a faint smile. He was being completely sincere.

Cassia was once again amazed. This man named Zester, whom she had never truly known in her past life, as slow and foolish as he could be, had a surprising talent for making her heart both flutter and ache.

“And don’t be too hard on your siblings. Please make up with them soon and give them a warm hug. I want to make a good impression on your family.”

“I told you not to do that. Not to act like a fool, to speak up clearly when you have something to say. You’re a proper noble too…”

“Yes, I know. You’ve told me many times. But I don’t want to act that way with your family. I want them to like me. I want to show them how grateful I am. I promise I won’t act foolish around others. But with you, and the family you love, I want to yield. What good would it do for me to puff up my chest around them?”

That was the frustrating thing about Zester. He seemed so easygoing, yet he had this quiet, stubborn streak, and once he made up his mind, he rarely backed down.

But his quiet declaration of, ‘I want to yield to you’, struck a deep chord in Cassia’s heart.

“I think… if I try a little harder, things will work out.”

As he gave a sheepish smile and scratched his head, Cassia silently walked forward and threw her arms around him

“W-wha…?”

“Still, I want you to be a bit more confident. If something like this happens again and you just sit there smiling, I really will get mad.”

“All right. With… with other people, I’ll definitely speak up like you said.”

She’d said it with her annoying siblings in mind, who would likely pick a fight again, but he absolutely refused to say he would speak harshly to them. Leaning her cheek against Zester’s chest, Cassia closed her eyes and sighed.

Zester’s arms, stiff at first, slowly wrapped around her. As their bodies pressed close, she breathed in his familiar scent which felt raw and untamed, yet somehow gentle.

She found herself wanting to breathe it in more deeply. She rose on her toes and wrapped her arms around Zester’s neck, which was much higher up, and he awkwardly bent down. As she buried her face in the nape of his sturdy neck, the scent she had been missing seeped more deeply into her senses, just as she’d hoped.

‘I feel bad. Just as I’m starting to like this man, to think I only have ten years left.’

It was funny. When she had first woken up after returning ten years into the past, she had silently begged God to let her die again.

Still, whatever the case, Cassia had to admit she was much more satisfied with this life than her last.

And she had to admit that the biggest reason for that… was her husband.

“C-Cassia… Th-this is a little…”

“What?”

She whispered quietly, her hot breath touching his sensitive skin as her face remained buried in his neck. Zester flinched and his arms tightened around her.

Cassia was only leaning against him, but Zester felt like he was about to go mad. The parts of his body touching hers and the spot where her breath landed growing intensely hot. It was just a simple hug in broad daylight, yet it was agony. He bit his lip in self-reproach again.

“Dummy.”

A true dummy. At this point, the way he tensed up at every single touch was starting to look cute. She felt a little bad saying this, but he was fun to tease.

Cassia’s lips moved gently against his neck.

A soft kissing sound rang out.

His body jolted in shock.

“W-wait…”

But that wasn’t the end. Her lips kissed him again, as if sucking on his neck, then her soft tongue traced over the flushed spot.

“Hk.”

Zester whimpered and hearing the muffled yet teasing giggle from Cassia who still had her face buried in his neck, he abruptly pulled her away. And before she could even react, he suddenly lifted her up by the waist.

Now it was Cassia’s turn to yelp in surprise, and her arms clung tightly around his neck.

“Oh my goodness.”

“…”

Zester’s face, looking up at her while still holding her high in his arms, was that of a man deeply troubled.

His narrowed eyes were full of pouty indignation, clearly sulking over her teasing.

Even so, he still looked adorable.

In the end, Cassia couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

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