After the impactful completion of our negotiations one year of being engaged passed and we married. Of course the matter about the contract is a secret to our families! A family that is too savage can cause anyone to faint. This is something only I can endure in the end. Originally the plan was to hold the ceremony after half a year, but apparently some kind of fishy movements occurred around the southern border region, and the military deployed. Of course the Lord Duke was dispatched too. Thus, a quiet year passed. I almost sent my memories of the engagement and the Lord Duke[1] flying into oblivion.
With that we return to the very start of the wedding ceremony.
We are having our wedding ceremony specially inside the royal palace. In the end I’m an idol[2]...... err, ahm, it seems it's because this is the Lord Duke’s wedding. If you become *whew* the treatment sure changes!
Being prepared at the duke's home, I’m wearing a gorgeous wedding dress, generously made out of first rate silk. And also prince like handsome men are lining up across the Lord Duke. Nice nice, garments and accessories are fine, except the mediocre me. To be lined up with these sparkling and beautiful people, something must be wrong with the world. I sincerely acknowledge it, so can you not glare at me at every glance please? You noble ladies there.
I feel their singing stares throughout my entire body. Can’t stop la jalousie[3] beams.
Somehow the death glares settled, to the esteemed priests oath I pledged with a lie in every word and at last I have to sign the marriage credentials. By signing this, the marriage comes into existence. Despite being so thin, with these letters it becomes such an oppressive scrap of paper. In general, once you pledge and sign the contract as it is, the esteemed priest brings the credentials inside the royal palace.
Incidentally when divorcing, that credential has to be excavated out of the storage, since that is exceedingly troublesome it is extremely disliked. 『Aaー, it is good that our credential is kept in a well known place you know!』and afterwards, quietly wonder if that is really good.
After the never faltering Lord Duke signed, he passed the feather pen into my hands. The sickly sweet smile that came as an extra shows he has great acting skills. You have to pardon my cramped smile. Receiving the pen I too signed.
With this we became『legally』a married couple.
But well, personally I would say this is something more like a『Super fancy business conclusion a.k.a. signing ceremony』rather than a『wedding ceremony』
The following wedding reception afterwards too, was as far as i am concerned, agony.
Bluntly speaking, what kind of punishment game[4] is this? ….. a punishment game for the sake of paying off a debt of course. Yes. I’m sorry. That is right, I have to resign to my fate.
As usual my skin is being frizzled and grilled by the laser beam bombardment[5] from the noble ladies. Oh my, colleagues from work, superiors, subordinates. Oh my, and among them friends from high society, I greeted them with a forced smile. Finally I greeted the royal family the same way. Aaah, feels like a lifetime worth of socializing. I’m not proud of it, but so far I have mostly been shutting myself in![6]
Did that outcry of my heart leak out?
「Are you alright? Are you tired?」
The Lord Duke inquired while showing a sickly sweet smile and embracing my shoulders. YES, beyond all imagination, you know!!
Oops, I see, it has already begun, right? Almost made another blunder.
「No, I am quite fine.」
Returning a fragile smile to that beaming one. Yup, perfect score.
「Then Im relieved.」
Again, going up the Lord Duke returned the sparkling smiles with his own. The sugar content is increasing huh.
Geh-, too sweet.
Since that little skit repeated itself, I couldn’t get down even a single bite of the delicious food or dessert.*hangs head*
The endless skit like wedding reception ended at night.
This is actually the first time I set foot into the house of the Physalis.
The Lord Duke, no, now it's actually dear husband, escorted me to the entrance hallway, where the servants greeted us standing in long rows. As expected from the rich, there are a lot of servants. And yet we had to somehow make do while being short on hands.
「「「Welcome home master, madam!」」」
Rustling with a zaza they vigorously lowered their heads. To be startled by that, I’m poor☆
Moreover『Madam』they said! This is embarrassing and stiff.
But my dear husband[7] splendidly ignored the servants.
「From today on you will live here. I will guide you to your room.」
Saying that, he took my hand and guided me up the stairs to the second floor.
I was brought to a lovely and spacious room. There were properly things like a sofa, table and writing desk. And I wonder how many people can fit on that imposing bed. At least it could fit my entire family on it, right !!? There is also a canopy attached.
While the on white based room itself was conservative, it was furnished with all sort of luxurious things. Until now I have never seen a house like the one of these people, I almost reflexively pinched my cheeks, but I came to my senses in the nick of time and stopped. Aah, in the first place, this the home of these people!
While restlessly looking around suspiciously with a wry smile.
「This is the bedroom for married couples. Feel free to use it at your own convenience.」
Said my dear husband.
Ohh, a bedroom for married couples is it? That said, since we are a fake couple and declaring that I can use it at my own convenience, in other words it is fine to think of this as my own
『private room』. Understanding that, I turned to my dear husband and nodded.
「Understood. Uh~m, where will you be staying dear husband.」
I don’t want to go too deeply into details, but not knowing the basic information will be troubling.
「I will stay in a separate building that is near the garden.」
「Miss girlfriend will be there too?」
「That is right.」
「Understood. I will take care not to draw near it as much as possible.」
「……」
For some reason he made a serious face. Did I perhaps say something strange?
「Is something the matter?」
「No. You just seem very unconcerned... 」
「Because we have agreed to it in the contract, no?」
「That is so, isn’t it. Well then, I will leave now.」
「Yes, thank you very much for the hard work.」
Once my dear husband left, I stretched myself with a long u~~~n.
Today was a very tiring day, you know. There was the wedding ceremony and the wedding reception. As expected, till the end I couldn’t get used to treat him closely. The last guest even drew back. I would say we haven’t been found out though.
With the help of the two maids who came in in the place of the dear husband, I finally got ready for sleep, and like that I dived into the bed☆.
Starting tomorrow my life as a decorational wife begins. Well, let’s think about tiring things tomorrow…..guu.
[1] She literally says the memories of his face and engagement.
[2] ok, I’m like 80% sure that is a reference to a song called 「なんてったってアイドル」 (nantettatte aidoru), but the song is older than the internet and interpreting lyrics of a song is a bit outside of my abilities. 20% that I’m reading too much into this.
[3] The english -jealousy- is used here for comedic value, so I used the french one to preserve it, I hope. Also french because it’s the Fleur kingdom and all. In the future should I keep the english instead?
[4] On the off chance you don’t know. Batsu games involve the loser of a bet/wager doing something embarrassing.
[5] ビシバシ(bishi bashi): It is actually a sfx used to describe rapidly following events. Like a stream of negative critics or here a bombardment of jealousy beams.
[6] ヒキコモリーヌ(hikikomoriinu): hikikikomori + ing form. Impossible to preserve the joke here. At least for me. But the tone is a comical one, very in line with her silly/light hearted personality.
[7] I’m grateful for any suggestion regarding on how I should deal with dannasama. The translation I went for sounds kinda too endearing?
