Marriage With A Suspiciously Demure Husband - Chapter 18

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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 18

“Thank you so much. I never would have thought of this.”
“Shall we step inside? I do hope my wife will approve of everything.”
I nodded, and Noah drew me forward by the shoulders, guiding me through the entrance.
The moment we crossed the threshold, a corridor opened before us—easily twice as wide as the one in our current Guild building.
There was even a common room where mercenaries and staff could rest.
We had one now, but with only a single space, I’d always planned to expand it once we found a larger location. That dream had just come true in an instant.
Even with only the staff remaining, welfare wouldn’t be an issue.
I gazed around the spacious, pleasant room, turning the thought over in my mind.
With a building this large, I wouldn’t have to worry about the Guild closing down.
I’d been afraid that if I left the Guild behind, he might resent it enough to dismantle it altogether.
The money the Guild earns is enormous to me, but it might mean nothing to him.
Yet that worry had begun to fade.
There were two representative offices—one on the first floor and one on the fifth.
The very top floor held only two rooms in that vast space.
A representative office and a private lounge.
And connecting the first and fifth floors was a transit device—a Magic Tool typically installed only in mansions, now set up here.
Money is wonderful, truly wonderful. The thought escaped me unbidden.
At least once we moved, there’d be no risk of the Guild being swept away.
And if I push to relocate quickly, he won’t suspect anything, will he?
“Does it please you?”
At Noah’s question, I spun around sharply.
Then I clasped both his hands and let my eyes shine.
“Tremendously! Absolutely! I want to move right this instant!”
Noah’s smile deepened.
“I’m relieved. I’m so glad my wife approves.”
“It’s perfect—like you looked straight into my heart and built exactly what I dreamed of. What would I ever do without you, Noah? I’m going to nurture this Guild with everything I have.”
I spoke with even more exaggeration than usual.

* * *

That evening.
We finished examining all the gifts and returned home for dinner.
I stabbed my fork into the steak Noah had cooked and cut for me, then broached the subject carefully.
“Noah, there’s something I wanted to ask you about.”
“Yes, Hazel.”
I waved the Guild Representative Meeting invitation I’d brought along in advance.
“I’ve been invited to a Guild Representative Meeting in the Capital, and I’d like to attend.”
Noah’s smile remained in place, but his eyebrows rose slightly, asymmetrical with skepticism.
“A meeting?”
“That’s right—you remember, don’t you? It’s held every year!”
“You usually find such things bothersome.”
“Well, I did, but after seeing the new Guild building today, I’ve had a change of heart. And I think this would be a good opportunity to promote our Guild’s expansion. They tend to offer quite a bit of support once we announce growth.”
“I see.”
A hairline fracture flickered across Noah’s face—as though he regretted gifting the building. Surely not.
“I imagine I’ll be away for about a week. That’s all right, isn’t it?”
Noah’s knife, which had been moving with practiced ease, went still.
“…A week?”
“Yes, roughly a week. It’s been almost a year since I’ve been to the Capital, and I’d like to do some sightseeing while I’m there. Or perhaps two weeks…?”
“That won’t do.”
Noah refused flatly.
“I beg your pardon?”
“A week without you is already unbearable. Two weeks is out of the question.”
“Well… I…”
“How about you come with me instead?”
Oh no. That was impossible. Traveling together was the one thing I couldn’t risk.
I can’t afford to extend this carelessly and then fail spectacularly!
And could he really even go to the Capital? Surely there are people there who know his face.
I was curious, but I didn’t have the nerve to ask.
“Ah, I think a week sounds good! Now that I think about it, I don’t think I can manage more than a week without Noah.”
Noah’s expression softened noticeably at that.
“How wonderful that we feel the same way. Well, since we’re on the subject, should I come along too? Now that I think about it, a week really does seem too difficult…….”
I stifled a silent scream at those words.
I hadn’t expected him to cling like this.
I quickly cut Noah off.
“Oh, no. You’re busy, so I’ll go and come back alone.”
“That’s not so. I think it would be better if we went together.”
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
“The Guild Representative Meeting only allows representatives to attend. And it just so happens my friend has extended her vacation schedule too. So she said she’d come with me to pack more things and bring them back.”
“Ah, that friend.”
“Yes, Ani. Besides, I don’t want Noah to miss work because of me when he’s already so busy. He’s leaving at dawn and coming back late as it is, isn’t he? Since Noah supports my work, I want to support his too. I’ll be as quick as I can and get back fast! I’ll bring you a gift too!”
…….
I smiled as brightly as I could manage.
My mouth felt stiff with tension. One stammer, one wrong expression, and he’d see right through it.
If I hadn’t known of his existence, this conversation wouldn’t have been tense at all.
If only I hadn’t felt held down, the act would have been perfect.
Noah said nothing.
He was smiling, but his gaze seemed not quite focused—floating somewhere in empty space.
“Won’t it be dangerous? I’m worried about letting Hazel go alone.”
I laughed at that.
“I’m not going to hunt Demon Beasts. What could be dangerous? The Capital is probably the safest place in all of Elkium.”
“That’s… true. When will you be departing, then?”
“If I leave on Friday, I can rest over the weekend and attend on Monday.”
“I understand. If you need anything, I’ll prepare it. I’ll arrange accommodation in the Capital. My wife can’t stay in just any hotel.”
Of course—what sort of marquis displays his wealth so casually like that…….
But I had no intention of missing this golden opportunity.
“Oh, no, that’s fine. Don’t you think home feels more precious when you occasionally stay elsewhere? And you end up missing it more.”
Did his red eyes flash for just a moment, or was that my imagination?
“That’s not a bad point. Then you must choose the safest place. You need to be careful out there.”
“Of course. I’ll bring you lots of gifts!”
I smiled widely in response, even as I noticed something off in Noah’s expression.

Before settling into Noah’s arms for the night, I was looking over documents when a deep sigh escaped me.
“Noah?”
I looked up to see Noah’s worried face.
Why does he look like that?
He’s not reconsidering, is he? And I gave him such a large building!
“Yes, Hazel.”
“…Do you have something on your mind?”
“No, I don’t.”
“But you just sighed.”
As I tilted my head, Noah let out another deliberate sigh.
“When I think about enduring a week without Hazel, everything ahead looks dark.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“Just a week, though?”
“It’s the first time we’ve been apart since we met. We haven’t spent even a day apart since we married.”
Was that really true?
I mostly just went back and forth between work and home, and after meeting this man, I’d been on the work-dating-home loop until we married…….
He was right.
Now that I think about it, why has my world been so small?
In my past life too, I only knew work and home, and here I was doing the same thing!
I was too busy to notice anything amiss.
Even the trips I’d taken during married life had always been with Noah.
Well, that was only natural.
Being with Noah was the happiest thing in the world.
Noah, too, had been surprised by that.
It was something I could never have doubted.
He must have countless subordinates, yet he’d managed all this work without staying away from me for long—how had he done it?
“Ah, I see.”
“That time will feel like a year to me.”
With a forlorn expression, he leaned closer against me.
His chin touched my shoulder, and the arm around my waist tightened.
I let out a dry laugh.
“Noah, you’re exaggerating. If you come before the weekend, it won’t even be a week.”
The truth was, a week was just an excuse; I’d planned to stay longer than the time I’d promised him.
I wanted to see how he’d react if I didn’t return on the promised day.
If he revealed himself to find me and eliminate me… I might have to leave Noah sooner than expected.
A sigh settled over me again.
“You must come back soon.”
“Yes, I will.”
At moments like these, my heart felt a certain way.
Because he was the gentle Noah I knew.
Though I’d steeled myself, each time my heart felt as though it were being torn apart.

* * *

The next day.
Kaylerus, who had accompanied Hazel on her way to work, was in low spirits again.
“Sid.”
“Yes?”
“Bring me a portrait.”
Sid blinked.
What sort of riddle was this?
“A portrait, sir?”
“Yes. I need to have a portrait painted of my wife. As many as possible.”
What was he talking about now?
Sid racked his mind, trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind those words.
There were few occasions where a painter would be needed.
“A… a portrait of that lady? We should still have the likeness from when the wanted notice was issued. Shall I fetch it right away?”
At those words, Kaylerus fixed him with a sharp look.
Sid flinched.
“…I’ll bring a painter, sir.”
“Within a week. Since Hazel is busy, find someone who can stay at the estate for the entire time it takes to complete the work.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Oh, and preferably a woman painter.”
“Pardon? Why would the painter’s gender—”
“It just matters to me, so do as I say.”
“Yes. So should I have her paint you, I mean, the Baroness, I mean, my lady, or… Hazel Love, and then store the portrait in the warehouse?”
“No, hang it in my study. The corridors and other rooms would be nice too. Anywhere my eyes can reach, really.”
Sid tilted his head.
“Pardon? Isn’t the point of having a portrait painted to recognize her in case she runs away later?”
Though that wasn’t quite it, Kaylerus found the excuse reasonable enough and nodded.
“Right.”
“But why the study?”
“If I see it every day, I’ll recognize her at a glance even if she does flee.”
Sid thought it unnecessary to see her portrait daily when he saw her in person every day, but he didn’t have the courage to voice that.
“Ah, I see! Truly wise, sir.”
“Find me a painter who’s fast and skilled. If they don’t capture her likeness perfectly, I’ll bury you myself.”
Why was he directing this at me…?
Feeling suddenly unjustly singled out, Sid was helpless against it.
“I’ll bring the most renowned portrait painter.”
There was nothing for it but to obey.
That day, Sid deployed dozens of subordinates to search for the finest portrait painter in the empire, and even that proved insufficient—he spent the entire night running through the streets himself, his feet burning and sweat streaming down his face.

* * *

“So you’re saying you’ll be able to go up to the Capital this time?”
Ani, visiting after a long while, asked while sipping her tea.
“Yes. An invitation happened to arrive.”
“That’s fortunate. If you’d said you were taking a trip, I could’ve used that as an excuse to tag along.”
“You’re right about that.”
“Oh, and about ten percent of the funds you transferred—the laundering’s almost complete. The ownership documentation should be finished by today or tomorrow. Finding a name that suits Hazel took quite a bit of effort, I’ll have you know. Shall we put that in the new safe together?”
“Yes, please do that. And use half of the laundered funds to purchase Purification Stones as they become available.”
“Purification Stones? You mean the ones the temple sells?”
“That’s right.”
“Huh? Why those useless things?”

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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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