When You Don’t Get Along With Your Husband - Chapter 17

It often rains around the Magic Tower, and the northern part of Valter, which is suffering from monsters these days, is particularly cold.

“When I was young. When practice wasn’t going well, I used to play with frogs. ……Actually, I played quite often.”

That’s because Tatiana had many days when her swordsmanship wasn’t going well.

There are still people who call her a genius, but whenever that happens, she often thinks to herself.

She doubts herself a lot. Maybe she’s just an ordinary person who was lucky to have good parents?

Tatiana looked down at her own feet and then moved her steps crookedly. As if blocking a frog’s path.

She was reenacting her childhood experience in front of Gideon.

“Even if I played like this for hours, the frog would never go in the direction I wanted it to.”

“Mm-hmm.”

How could it not listen even once? Don’t you think that’s mean?

Tatiana, who had been muttering, smiled and wrinkled her nose.

“But you know what? Did I really need to spend hours doing that just because of a frog?”

“……”

“There’s something else I’m really curious about.”

“……”

“Even if it had jumped according to my wishes, would I have truly been happy?”

Even a mere frog wouldn’t jump as she wanted, so Tatiana couldn’t stop people who had mouths from talking.

She couldn’t expect them to only say things that suited her taste, and she wasn’t sure what would change even if they did.

“Just let them talk as they please. If it’s something that harms Your Highness, that would be different, but if it’s just because of me… I don’t want to care about that.”

It’s extremely difficult to change other people’s words and thoughts. Tatiana didn’t want to waste her energy on such things either. After all, she wasn’t a social activist, just a common exercise addict.

So, resolving to do a few more pull-ups while others are talking, she brought her feet back together properly.

Throughout Tatiana’s speech, Gideon kept making small hissing sounds. Then at some point, a full smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

He understood everything she meant to say, and it sounded quite impressive to him as well.

But what to do about this.

‘My way is a bit different from yours.’

Gideon looked into her face while holding her wrist.

Unlike her calm words that made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal, her expression was quite complex. Like someone who couldn’t fully agree with their own words. Like a child who had once been upset because of a frog.

Gideon scratched down her protruding wrist bone with the nail on his thumb, then gently caressed it in circles.

“I understand what you mean, but.”

“……”

“As you live, won’t you also have one or two people you simply can’t stand? You might even dislike someone for no reason.”

“……I suppose so.”

When Tatiana agreed, Gideon nodded.

He whispered secretly into her ear, promising for a day that might never come.

“When that time comes, make sure to tell me. I’ll take care of that person on your behalf, regardless of the reason.”

“……”

“It might be difficult to do all of them, but up to three people at least.”

Tatiana burst into laughter again. What’s with that specific number? Is it a habit? she thought.

But belatedly, she glanced at him and pointed out a problem.

“The fault could be mine, you know. What then?”

“That’s why I added a condition. I said it’s without reason for up to three people.”

“……”

“If it’s clear that the fault lies with someone else, why would I need to set a number limit? I don’t need to do that.”

Tatiana momentarily lost her words and blinked repeatedly. She just now realized that there wasn’t even a grain of joke in his words.

What Gideon had just done was make a real promise to her. That he would take her side for most issues and settle them at his level.

It seems he even reviewed the detailed clauses on his own, considering practicality. My goodness. How meticulous.

But can a person who is supposed to be a wife encourage her husband to go around cutting anyone’s neck? Surely he’s not doing this to make me feel assured?

Honestly, she did feel a bit assured, but Tatiana resolved. That even if something unpleasant happens in the future, she shouldn’t show it in front of him.

And what should she say to him next?

She wasn’t sure whether to thank him for his consideration, or to tell him that he doesn’t need to protect her so earnestly.

Honestly, I’m not someone weak enough to need someone’s protection. Don’t people who know I’m a Bloom usually think the opposite?

After pondering for a while, Tatiana noticed Gideon’s hand holding her fingers at some point.

She looked at that hand and gently grasped it back, leading him. Instead of the complicated words swirling in her head, she said, “Shall we go eat now?”

* * *

Everyone needs their own space. Allowing others into that personal space is quite a big favor and a sign of affection.

The same was true for knights. Countless men came and went in the Bloom household, but only Tatiana and Gideon had constant access to the commander’s personal training ground.

It was a kind of privilege. People are curious when they see an outstanding knight like Sir Bloom.

What kind of exercise equipment is in a war hero’s training ground? What is he into these days? In extreme cases, they even want to know the type of grass laid on the floor.

But in reality, there wasn’t anything special there.

There was only someone’s talent and constant sweat, and frogs jumping around at all times.

The prince’s training ground wasn’t particularly special either, except that it was unusually spacious.

But Tatiana knew well what it meant for a knight, especially a royal, to share their personal space with others.

In fact, to some, this was almost like a royal favor.

She felt grateful, and sitting on the open grass field now felt strangely comfortable. And on top of that, another gift…

Tatiana picked up the sword at her feet and repeated her admiration, which couldn’t be excessive no matter how many times she did it.

“It’s really light.”

There was no way a new material she didn’t know about had suddenly appeared in Valter. This was purely an achievement of advanced smelting technology and the weapon maker’s hard work.

But even with this good sword in hand, Tatiana couldn’t readily display her swordsmanship.

“It’s light. It’s light, but… it’s heavy.”

She didn’t mean the sword was heavy. She meant her heart and shoulders were heavy.

She hadn’t been able to shake off this feeling for the past few years.

Neglecting the sword and engaging in a cold war, sometimes sighing as if going through a slump.

If she were to be compared to a woman who married a sword, this was no different from a marital fight or separation. It’s as if they’ve become a couple on the verge of divorce.

But at this point, there’s one person she thinks she should apologize to. It was Gideon.

‘Your Highness, I’m sorry. Actually, this wasn’t my first marriage. Come to think of it, I had been married to the sword before.’

Looking at the sword that had become burdensome to hold at some point, she honestly admitted that today’s exercise was a bust.

Gideon was watching all of this from the study.

He had wanted to see her dance with the sword after a long time, but Tatiana, sitting with her back to the building, was only sighing. It seemed as if troubled emotions were occasionally flowing from that back view.

“Does she really not like it?”

When Gideon muttered to himself, people glanced sideways at the window.

Gideon’s staff also wanted to see firsthand what kind of skills the war hero’s daughter had. But Gideon, who didn’t appreciate that kind of curiosity, narrowed his eyes and coldly warned.

“Don’t treat my wife as a spectacle.”

“We didn’t mean to…”

“She’s not a clown.”

“……We apologize.”

Gideon frowned and gave a sharp warning.

The knights’ mouths are loose, it’s irritating to think about what kind of nonsense some guys will spout, he attached various reasons, but the real reason he told Tatiana to use his training ground was a bit simpler.

He wanted to watch her alone from the best spot.

Come to think of it, he suddenly wonders. Which is more childish between wanting to show off his wife and wanting to monopolize her?

Gideon continued his contemplation, resting his chin on the window frame.

Tatiana Bloom Ainsler.

The woman he married a week ago.

He hadn’t exchanged many words with her when they were young, and hadn’t even seen her face for the past few years.

But Gideon knows more about his wife than he expected. He even knows that Tatiana dislikes raisins.

Sir Bloom would occasionally drop stories about his daughter, whether it was raining or snowing, really without any context.