And just like that, three years passed.

The contract period was long over, but the two of them went on living as husband and wife without anything changing.

In that time, Lionette and Dante had not simply been living as bodies pressed together. They had built something between them, a kind of solidarity that belonged to a married couple. Sharing a bed had made casual affection feel natural, and while the words “I love you” were never spoken, tender words of concern and encouragement passed between them.

Even so, there was still no child between them. That was because of Dante, who used contraception without fail except on rare occasions. He had been pulling out the whole time, and a year into the marriage he had started receiving contraceptive magic on a regular basis.

Lionette said nothing about it, but his almost compulsive insistence on it made her wonder sometimes. Did Dante truly have no intention of having a child with her?

Today was one of Dante’s rare days off. With no trip to the imperial palace and no work to finish, he asked Lionette what she wanted to do.

She could have gone shopping in the city as usual, or visited a well-known coffeehouse, or had a tea time in the garden, but Lionette chose something different.

“I want to go on a picnic.”

“A picnic?”

Dante looked surprised. Probably partly because it wasn’t something she normally asked for, but not only that. Lionette wasn’t particularly fond of outdoor activities.

Knowing that this woman’s hobbies amounted to reading and a short stroll through the garden, Dante couldn’t help finding it unexpected when she was the one suggesting they go somewhere farther out for an outdoor outing.

“The weather is so nice today.”

“Not something you read in a book?”

Dante asked with a smile. It was as good as teasing her. Lionette gave him a look that wasn’t quite a glare, but she couldn’t deny it either. He was right.

The protagonists in the novel she had been reading recently fell in love during a picnic. Their meeting had started when the heroine spilled wine on the hero’s clothes. The setup was as clichéd as they come, but what had caught Lionette’s attention was something else entirely.

The scene describing the picnic had been simply beautiful. She could almost see the park materializing right in front of her. She had been thinking that she would like to try a picnic like that herself.

“So, you won’t do it? You don’t want to?”

Rather than deny it, she pressed him, and Dante shook his head with an easy smile.

“How could I not want to, when my wife says she does?”

He immediately began thinking of suitable spots for a picnic. He named several, but added that the lakeside on the outskirts of the capital and the park by the small hill were probably the cleanest of the options.

Lionette spoke up. On a day with sunlight this good, she wanted to watch the light break apart across the water.

“I want to see the lake.”

“Then let’s go there. I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

Lionette nodded. Dante turned and started for the door of the master bedroom, then came back, as though something had just occurred to him. Lionette looked up at him with a question in her eyes, and he smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

Then he left again without a word. He really had come back just to kiss her? He was a man she understood and then didn’t.

……But it made her happy. Every time Dante showed her this kind of affection, there was nothing she could do about the way her heart beat faster.

They had done far more than that, and yet one little kiss turned her face red. Lionette let the warmth in her cheeks settle for a moment, then headed to the dressing room. Whether it was the excitement of the picnic or Dante’s kiss just now, she wanted to pick out her own clothes and let her racing heart calm down in the process.

“Oh my, my lady! You should have called for me.”

“Oh, I just…… wanted to choose for myself.”

Ephine came rushing in, gently took over, and pulled out a dress.

The dresses had all turned light and flowy to match the sharpening summer heat. A pale green dress and a sky blue dress with thin layers of fabric caught her eye. After a moment’s deliberation, Lionette chose the pale green one. The short sleeves were puffed, which made it look all the more charming.

Ephine skillfully gathered Lionette’s long hair into a half-updo and let the rest fall. The well-conditioned hair shone even more after brushing. Lionette fiddled with the butterfly-shaped pin holding her hair in place and asked:

“Is the food all ready?”

“Yes, I’ve packed it in the basket.”

“Thank you.”

“The weather is so lovely today, I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time.”

Lionette glanced toward the window. The sunlight pouring through the ivory curtains confirmed it was a beautiful day.

She had tried to settle her excitement, but it wasn’t easy. Lionette smiled to herself and stood up. She was all ready.

“Have a safe trip, my lady.”

Lionette stepped into the carriage with Ephine’s send-off behind her.

The lakeside was only thirty minutes away by carriage.

“It’s closer than I expected.”

“The roads have been paved recently.”

Dante kindly added that the roads throughout the capital had all been getting paved lately. Come to think of it, she seemed to recall hearing that Dante had been the one to propose something along those lines. Lionette smiled and reached up to pat the man’s head. Dante went still for a moment.

“What was that for, all of a sudden.”

“I’m proud of you.”

Lionette ran her fingers through his soft hair and ruffled it. Then she lowered her hand and patted his shoulder, and Dante folded his large frame and leaned against her shoulder.

Knowing he had been staying up late with overtime work frequently these days, she wanted to let him sleep even for a little while in the carriage. Lionette checked that his eyes were closed, then closed her own. A brief peace drifted over them.

When she woke from a light doze, they had already arrived at the lakeside. Dante, who had woken first, gently roused her.

“I thought about letting you sleep longer, but the light is too good right now.”

“No, thank you for waking me.”

With Dante’s help she stepped out of the carriage, and brilliant sunlight greeted them. The lake in the distance sparkled in the light, and a small group of ducks waddled along the water’s edge.

“……It’s beautiful. I’m glad we came today.”

Dante smiled and spread out the cloth they had brought, making a place for Lionette to sit on the grass. They settled in the shade of a tree, and a pleasant coolness tickled her forehead in just the right way.

Lionette was about to gesture for Dante to sit down too.

A child’s crying reached her from somewhere. She turned around without thinking. A small child, who looked to be about five years old, was sobbing loudly.

Lionette left Dante behind and walked toward the child. She was worried the child might stumble into the lake while crying.

“Hey, are you alright?”

The child only cried harder. Of course you’re not alright…… Lionette felt a small pang of self-reproach. Having no younger siblings and no friends who had children, she wasn’t good with kids. The fact that no one came running to stop a stranger from approaching suggested the child had gotten separated from whoever had brought them.