Marriage With A Suspiciously Demure Husband - Chapter 103

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 103

“…Really?”
“Only if you promise never to leave my side.”
“O-of course. I mean, I don’t want to be out front swinging a sword anyway. That’s not really my style. So tomorrow, then?”
“Tomorrow a blizzard might come. We can’t go then.”
“Ah…….”
I made no effort to hide my disappointment.
I’d finally made the decision—I wanted to move immediately.
“When it snows like that here, half your body gets buried. I’m not about to yank you out like a turnip.”
“That’s… that’s quite an image.”
The moment I pictured him hauling me up by both armpits and lifting me free, I felt deeply uneasy. My reputation with the Knights would be absolutely ruined.
“So we go once the snow stops. You can compromise on that much, can’t you, Hazel?”
“…Fine. But don’t you dare change your mind.”
Even so, I needed to drive home the point before I could feel any peace about it.

* * *

The next day, a blizzard of truly terrible proportions began to fall.
Looking out the window, the whole world had turned a pristine white, snow pouring down in sheets.
I used the excuse of spending time in the library to attempt contact with Annie.
Fortunately, the connection came through at once.
-How’s the Northern Region?
Annie asked before even greeting me properly.
“It’s snowing heavily today. I’ve never seen a blizzard like this before.”
-About five years ago I was stuck in Serrgal on a job, and the snow trapped me for two weeks straight. The inn door wouldn’t open—I thought I was going to die in there.
Listening to Annie’s cheerful voice, I let out a short laugh.
“Oh, and I spoke with Hizan. I meant to tell you right away, but I haven’t had the chance.”
-A bit of a bore, isn’t she?
“She seems like a good person.”
-You won’t be disappointed. She’s even worse than I am. Anyway, I meant to tell you through Hizan—the Purification Stone supply is about to dry up. This purchase we’re making might be our last one.
“I was actually going to ask about that. How much have you accumulated so far? Around five hundred…?”
I’d given Annie only the Gold Ingots and Jewels for buying Purification Stones, so I didn’t know the exact amount she’d gathered.
-What are you talking about? That’s pocket change. We’re already approaching four thousand five hundred units.
“…What?”
-We were aiming for exactly five thousand, but now we’re already at the limit with what we’ve got. To be honest, I didn’t expect the Temple to actually cut off distribution like this. Where did you hear that, anyway? I hadn’t gotten wind of it myself.
“Wait—how many…how many did you say?”
-Around four thousand five hundred, give or take. You told me to spend all the money you gave me, so I just went ahead and bought them all.
“I had no idea we had enough money to accumulate that quantity.”
I’d known that ordinary Purification Stones were inexpensive compared to Sacred Purification Stones, but I hadn’t known the exact price.
The prices shifted constantly depending on supply, so I couldn’t check every time.
-Even for me, it takes serious graft to set aside that much. Anyway, the Temple’s movements are looking suspicious. Prices are going to spike soon.
Over four thousand stones.
We’d practically drained the entire supply.
For a moment, I imagined the price of Purification Stones skyrocketing into the sky, Gold Ingots pouring down in torrents.
…I’d be buried alive.
I steadied myself and spoke to Annie.
“Keep an eye on the Imperial Court. They won’t have accumulated as much as you might think.”
-Really?
“The Knights always carry Purification Stones on hand, and with Monster Subjugations increasing, their reserves will run out quickly. They have to mind public opinion, so they can’t just hoard everything like a private buyer.”
-Hmm. So you want me to sell some to them?
“Once they realize the severity of the situation and change their stockpiling plans, they’ll buy at any price. Probably starting today, give it about two weeks…they’ll make their move after testing the waters.”
-Two weeks? Got it.
“Watch them closely, but don’t go past two months. That’s the sweet spot.
-Understood.
“Don’t sell it all—just about half. I’m not confident in my reading of this market…….”
-So what exactly did I just hear you say?
A small laugh escaped at Annie’s words.
“I’ll leave the quantity ratios to you. Well, in any case, after this, something you’d enjoy might come along.”
-Really? I’m looking forward to it.
“Once the Temple starts supplying Purification Stones only to the Imperial Court, we can simply raise prices when selling to individuals.”
-Okay. I’m already asking around now, so with luck we should be able to gather five thousand. Then I’ll brag about it.
“Good. If I hear any other useful information, I’ll pass it along through Hizan. Or use a Communication Tool.”
-Right. So you won’t tell anyone where you heard this news?
Annie’s question made me flinch.
“Just… something I overheard back during my Knight Order days.”
-Come on, I’m not buying that.
“Right, speaking of Purification Stones—could you set aside about five hundred for me? I think I’ll need them later.”
I’d already been stockpiling them diligently at the Duke Dayworth Residence, and if I gathered this much on top of that, I’d have the means to survive even if things took a turn for the worse.
At that, Annie burst out laughing.
-What are you talking about? These are all yours anyway, of course! Just to be safe, I’ll set aside plenty. Oh, and you probably don’t know anyone in the Northern Region—aren’t you lonely?
Lonely? Out of nowhere?
The subject had shifted abruptly.
“Well, I never had many friends to begin with…”
-Still, you had some connections, didn’t you?
“I suppose… honestly, I’m not terribly lonely.”
-I see. I’m afraid to go visit you myself, so I’m just hoping something nice will happen for you. Don’t expect too much, though.
Something nice seems unlikely to happen…
But what could I do? Such pleasantries were all empty words anyway.
I acknowledged her and cut the communication.
“Four thousand five hundred…”
Even knowing the danger, even knowing I shouldn’t get my hopes up like this, I couldn’t keep the corners of my mouth from lifting.
I’d need to find space to store five hundred. Each stone was no larger than half my palm, but five hundred would need more than one box.
It seemed best to keep them safely stored within the Duke Dayworth Residence if possible.
There was no reason to hide them, so I could even ask someone to manage the storage.
I had Hizan ask Tene whether we could secure a storage space and a suitable box.
After that, I decided to reach out to the representatives I’d met at the Guild Master gathering to get a clearer picture of the surrounding situation.

* * *

Four days had passed.
Fortunately, the weather had been fine all of yesterday, and a great deal of snow had melted.
“See? I was right.”
My mood was lifted high.
Kailas had tried to argue with me from morning, nearly starting a big fight, but we’d gone out on a Monster Subjugation instead.
Bundled up in clothes as thick as a snowman, my movements were sluggish, but using Illusion Magic freely from behind Kailas kept me safe, and Syde was happy that we’d subjugated more Monsters than usual.
By the time we finished and returned, the sun was still in the sky.
“That’s exactly why I said it shouldn’t be like this.”
“Why not?”
“…The Knights all depend on you.”
I understood what he meant.
The Knights, who had at first found it difficult dealing with me as the Duke’s wife, gradually fell into rhythm as they processed Monsters bound by my Illusion Magic, and now they’d begun waiting for me to use my power.
“That’s just an unavoidable consequence of my ability’s nature.”
Kailas’s eyebrows curved slightly downward in a helpless expression, a faint smile crossing his face.
“…You can do what you want, but I’d prefer you don’t overexert yourself.”
“I promised I wouldn’t, so I’ll keep that promise.”
At that, Kailas stared at me intently.
He seemed to have something to say, so I raised my eyebrows asking why.
“Never mind. Just… you worked really hard today. You did most of it, really.”
“That’s praise I can appreciate.”
Kailas gave me a brief kiss on my forehead, then insisted I warm up and practically escorted me right to the bathroom door.

After warming my body in hot water and returning to the bedroom, Hizan knocked and entered.
“Ma’am, I’ve prepared everything you asked the head maid to arrange. The Underground Storage Space is quite spacious, so if we clear it out a bit, it should serve nicely as a storage room.”
“Thank you. You’ve worked hard.”
“Not at all. Oh, but I noticed there’s another door in the storage room wall. It doesn’t seem to be in use now, so if you’d prefer more secure storage, we could keep things inside there.”
“Is that so? A hidden chamber? A double space? The Purification Stones will take a few days to arrive anyway, so I’ll go have a look tomorrow or so.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m planning to rest until evening. Don’t call for me until then—you’re free to take a break as well.”
“Understood, ma’am.”
“Ugh, I’m stiff all over.”
Satisfied with the careful work I’d arranged, I threw myself onto the bed like a diver the moment Hizan left.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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