When You Don’t Get Along With Your Husband

‘He wants me to… pack a lunchbox? Every day…?’

Needless to say, there were no instances of a countess preparing her husband’s lunchbox while leaving the perfectly capable maids in the house idle.

Tatiana’s mother, who had been raised as an important resource for the Magic Tower since childhood, was someone who rarely got her hands wet except when bathing.

Sir Bloom just wanted to comfort his daughter that day. He wanted to let the child who was disappointed every morning about not having magic know.

That she had one more thing she liked.

It seems he wanted to open another path for his daughter, who used to secretly watch the knights visiting their mansion, in that way.

But now it seems enough time has passed.

It was once an event significant enough to cause a stir throughout the country, but seeing even the head maid, who was well-versed in the affairs of the castle, struggling to remember, it must have been quite some time.

Tatiana’s impression of visiting the barracks after several years was similar. Because unfamiliar faces caught her eye here and there.

Could there be any new talents that had appeared like comets? Is there anyone using a swordsmanship I don’t know?

Tatiana squinted her eyes as if trying to uncover a secret, then soon moved her steps somewhere.

“It’s been a while, Uncle Samson.”

Tatiana greeted a middle-aged man with an enormous build in a whisper. Just like when she was young.

However, she had already grown into a lady, and more than that, she was now someone with the status of a princess consort.

Perhaps feeling burdened by such a Tatiana, the man shouted loudly with a posture full of tension.

“Royal Guard, Samuel Samson! I greet Your Highness!”

“……When you speak like that, I suddenly feel a distance.”

Samuel Samson had directly succeeded the position of the late Sir Bloom.

He was the current deputy captain of the royal guard and the swordsmanship instructor for the knights, and was once the knight who visited the Bloom household most frequently.

Although it’s an old story, it means that their friendship had been deep since Tatiana was a little kid with a runny nose.

Tatiana whispered to Samson.

“Uncle, when it’s just the two of us, just act like you used to. It’s a private setting, what’s the big deal.”

“……”

“I’ll make sure no sparks fly.”

“……Can you take responsibility for those words?”

Tatiana nodded.

If she explained that she felt like she was going crazy from loneliness after suddenly getting married, wouldn’t everyone understand? There are quite a few people who say they feel even lonelier after getting married. Although it was still difficult for Tatiana to understand why.

Even though the princess consort herself had indicated it was okay, Sir Samson still looked at the maids nervously. Then, lowering his voice, he tried to pass this awkward situation onto someone else.

“Should I call the captain? Why did you suddenly come here?”

Tatiana shook her head.

She couldn’t leisurely engage in idle chat with her adoptive father who would be doing paperwork in the official residence. Sir Muller wasn’t a very affectionate person, so there wasn’t much to talk about in detail anyway.

“Father is fine. ……Just give me a sword. You know, the ones the apprentice knights use. As long as it’s not ridiculously big, it’s fine.”

“A sword? You didn’t bring such things when you came to the castle?”

Sir Samson was someone who knew that Tatiana had played with wooden swords since she could barely toddle.

It was adorably cute when the little girl would strut around after he pretended to fall when hit by that wooden sword…

Now, even a light bare-handed hit actually brings tears to his eyes from the pain. How time flies.

“It just ended up that way. Only useless dresses and jewels……”

Ah, I shouldn’t say useless. This was Mrs. Muller’s show of sincerity.

Worried that Tatiana, who had no birth parents, might be looked down upon after marriage, she had packed many things, except weapons.

Of course, she also had the intention of maintaining the dignity of the ducal family, but still, gratitude should be given where it’s due.

“Anyway, that’s how it turned out. I got married in a bit of a hurry.”

“I know. What was the rush anyway?”

Even the royal guards were no exception in being shocked by the First Prince’s sudden proposal. Moreover, many of them viewed Tatiana with the same sentiment as an uncle would a niece.

Naturally, their concern about this marriage was also great.

“How’s married life? Is it bearable?”

“Hmm.”

If Tatiana had known in advance that she would have to answer this question for at least half a year. If she had known she would have to hear it almost as frequently as the greeting ‘Have you eaten?’!

She would have listened with a much less sincere attitude than now.

Tatiana fell into thought, pondering unnecessarily, then shrugged her shoulders.

“It’s not like I can’t manage. It’s only been a few days, so I don’t really know yet.”

“Well, I guess that’s true.”

Tatiana smiled, and while Sir Samson was instructing an apprentice knight to bring a sword, she slowly appreciated his appearance.

The same place where Dad always stood. The same uniform. The badge indicating rank and the epaulette that only swordsmanship instructors could wear.

Dad’s chest was also adorned with such medals.

All of this scenery was so familiar to Tatiana.

But did she look him up and down too much? Sir Samson rubbed his belly with an uncomfortable look, like someone who felt guilty about something.

Lately, he was quite concerned about his waistline that kept expanding, wondering if it was age-related weight gain.

“It’s a blessing¹, Tatiana.”

“……Who said anything?”

“Don’t look at me with those eyes.”

But to Tatiana’s eyes, there didn’t seem to be much change compared to a few years ago.

Sir Samson was just a muscular pig with good endurance, now as before. And such a physique was a point of pride among knights.

Tatiana, who couldn’t have such a body even if she wanted to, felt a bit annoyed, then suddenly frowned.

“A blessing? There must be a family tree in the Valter Knights that I don’t know about. Why don’t you uncles’ lines ever change even when generations change? Do you pass them down between seniors and juniors?”

There was absolutely no sign of progress to be found no matter how hard one looked.

The maids agreed with Tatiana’s words and shook their heads regretfully.

But in that peaceful moment, suddenly one of the maids screamed “Kyaaa!” with a piercing shriek as if her throat was being torn.

If this had been an ordinary place, people would have scrambled about in confusion or been flustered. Temporary chaos might have ensued. But this was the training ground where Valter’s finest knights gathered.

The knights’ eyes instantly turned fierce.

The person closest to the maid who screamed was Tatiana.

With eyes similar to the knights’, she drew the sword from Sir Samson’s waist without a moment’s hesitation.

It was a drawing speed that the maids beside her couldn’t even perceive.

But the moment she turned to face the maid with the sword in hand and a grave expression, Tatiana felt utterly deflated.

Following the gaze of the cowering maid, she saw a moth about the size of a palm flying around.

‘What, this? It’s big, but……’

Tatiana felt irritation rising from the absurdity of it all, but she held it in.

Then, thinking ‘Oh well, whatever,’ she even let out a battle cry.

A lion gives its all even when catching a single rabbit, after all.

“Hiiyah……!”

What’s with that strange battle cry…?

The maids looked at Tatiana with suspicious expressions, putting aside their initial shock.

But in the meantime, the lioness who gives her all even when catching a moth had swung the sword twice. It was a very clean trajectory.

Tatiana scolded the maids while finishing her motion by neatly sheathing the sword back into Sir Samson’s waist.

“Don’t scream at any time. I understand how you feel, but this way we can’t distinguish between real crisis situations.”

Sir Samson also added, rubbing his belly instead of his heart.

“Oh my, what a scare. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”

“……Wasn’t it a blessing?”

Sir Samson had nothing to say, so he didn’t respond. Instead, with his large frame, he crouched down on the grass to observe the results of the lioness’s hunt.

The brown moth that had been as big as an adult’s palm was cut precisely into three pieces, and Samson stroked his chin, saying ‘Ooh.’

“Head, thorax, abdomen….. It’s like it was measured with a ruler.”

Tatiana nodded.

“Right. Insects have head, thorax, and abdomen. From an anatomical perspective, this is the correct way to cut them.”