Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 16

#16. Year-End Festival (1)

March 16, 2024

Huh…

Belladonna’s jaw dropped. “Huh…”

“Why? If you don’t want a kiss, should I sing you a song?”

That was even more ridiculous.

A song? What song!

Belladonna glared at his smooth cheek, lost in thought.

‘Should I just close my eyes, give him a quick peck, and then go enjoy the festival? Or should I ignore him and stay cooped up in this room all day, staring at that boring ledger?’

For her, it wasn’t even a question.

The reason was…

‘That ledger Volf wrote is incredibly dull!’

After a moment’s hesitation, Belladonna grabbed both his cheeks and leaned in for a kiss.

She knew things like this only became more awkward the longer you delayed.

‘Yeah, let’s just get it over with quickly!’

“Oh… my wife is more forward than I thought?”

Escalion’s lips curved into an amused smile.

Belladonna quickly turned his face, presenting his cheek to her.

‘Oh well, whatever!’

*Kiss!*

A soft sound echoed in the room.

‘Don’t be embarrassed. If you’re embarrassed, you lose. Stay calm, stay calm…’ Belladonna repeated, trying to hypnotize herself.

‘Face, don’t turn red, don’t turn red. Calm down, calm down…’

“Heh heh heh…”

Escalion, having received the light kiss, chuckled, his broad shoulders shaking. He then raised his head.

“Good. Since you’ve gone this far, I suppose I should accompany you to the festival.”

“…”

“But instead of the Saintess’s beautiful attire, you’ll participate in ordinary clothes. I don’t particularly like being the center of attention.”

Nod, nod.

She already knew that from Cindy, so it wasn’t a surprise.

“Ask the maid to dress you as warmly and thickly as possible. If you get sick again, you’re grounded until the end of winter.”

Nod, nod.

Escalion, still smiling, poked her cheek.

“Stop blushing so adorably.”

* * *

The day of Griblata’s year-end festival arrived.

Belladonna looked at herself in the mirror as Cindy helped her into a thick, plain brown dress.

‘Come to think of it, I used to wear things like this all the time in my previous life…’

More practical than pretty.

A functional dress with pockets of various sizes instead of fancy lace or frills, perfect for carrying things around.

Belladonna, dressed in the most common plain clothes of the Elinus Empire, stared blankly at her reflection.

“Madam! Oh my… even when you dress like this, your beauty can’t be hidden!”

Cindy, tying the waistband behind her, peeked around and exclaimed.

“Would you like to wear a hat?”

Belladonna shook her head.

A hat would make her feel too much like her past life, so she wanted to avoid it.

“How much longer do I have to wait?”

Escalion’s voice echoed from outside the door.

Startled, Cindy quickly finished her task and hurried to open the door.

“Lord, almost done!”

Escalion, dressed in ordinary clothes, stood in the doorway.

But even in simple attire, he couldn’t conceal his striking appearance.

‘Does he really not realize that this look is even more noticeable?’

Meanwhile, Escalion spotted Belladonna in front of the mirror, raising an eyebrow.

“…”

‘Why is he looking at me like that? Hmm, did I dress too plainly?’

After a moment of scrutiny, he strode towards her and held out his hand to Cindy.

“Scarf.”

“Ah, just a moment!”

Cindy handed over a soft, fluffy scarf made of a gentle material.

Escalion took it and began to wrap it roughly around Belladonna’s neck and face.

‘What, what! If you do this…!’

“Lord! If you do that, Madam won’t be able to see…!”

“If I don’t do this, her face won’t be covered.”

“But…!”

Belladonna, her vision suddenly obscured, stood there dumbfounded.

“Even so, Madam won’t be able to breathe if you do this!”

Cindy came to the rescue.

She carefully unwound the scarf and re-wrapped it around Belladonna’s neck, ensuring it was warm and comfortable.

Escalion looked displeased.

“This will attract more attention. What am I supposed to do if you have this kind of face while wearing such plain clothes?”

“I agree. Then how about wearing this?”

Cindy, looking serious, turned and retrieved something.

‘Surely, you’re not going to put that on me…?’

She held up a pair of large, cute rabbit-shaped earmuffs that looked like they were for children.

“If you put this on, your face will be a little more covered!”

“Yeah. This is better.”

‘Really? Is this the best you can do?’

Belladonna looked at her reflection, now bordering on ridiculous.

‘I look like I’m missing something…! What is this!’

Belladonna wanted to protest, but no one seemed to notice her expression.

Or were they deliberately ignoring it?

“Now, if you put on this thick coat last… then we’re ready!”

Cindy, finally placing a dark-colored coat on her, looked at Belladonna with satisfaction.

Escalion, nodding beside Cindy, held out his hand.

“Let’s go out when you’re ready.”

“Have a good time, Madam! Make lots of fun memories with the Lord and come back!”

Leaving Cindy, who was practically bursting with excitement, Belladonna trudged after Escalion.

‘What is this, dressed like a fool…? I’m glad there aren’t many people in Griblata who know me…’

* * *

“Bella, aren’t you cold?”

Escalion looked down at Belladonna, walking beside him, and asked.

‘How could I be cold when I’m bundled up like this?’

Belladonna shook her head and snuggled closer to him.

Not so much because of the cold, but because the streets were more crowded than she’d anticipated.

“Come here, take a look!”

“Ahahaha!”

“How much is this statue?”

“Everyone! Let’s offer a prayer of thanks to Elieza [likely a deity]!”

The sounds of people celebrating the long-awaited festival echoed from every direction.

Belladonna felt a strange excitement and turned her head from side to side, taking in the sights.

“Is there anything you want to buy?”

Escalion gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she leaned closer, asking the question.

Belladonna shook her head, her gaze fixed on one particular spot.

“They’re selling snacks…! They’re selling warm fish-shaped bread!”

Warm fish-shaped bread…!

Her eyes sparkled.

Escalion followed her gaze.

“Do you want to eat that?”

Instead of answering, Belladonna swallowed hard.

The warm bread wasn’t a luxurious or particularly delicious treat.

But it was her favorite snack from her previous life.

‘Wow, when the weather got a little chilly, I missed that warm fish-shaped bread so much…’

It was also a snack she hadn’t seen since becoming Saintess Belladonna.

To find it here, like fate, in this remote Griblata?

Belladonna’s mouth watered.

“If you open it any wider, saliva will drip out.”

Escalion, amused by her earnest expression, approached the warm bread stand.

“Ten.”

“Yes! That’ll be 4 Blanc [currency], please!”

The friendly merchant grabbed a paper bag and began filling it with pre-baked fish-shaped bread.

“Keep the change.”

“Ah, thank you very much…!”

Escalion, tossing a silver coin to the merchant, quickly turned and returned to her.

“Tell me if you want more.”

Wow…! Warm fish-shaped bread…!

She took the paper bag with an excited face and quickly reached inside, pulling out a piece of bread with warm steam rising from it.

‘Well, you bought me ten, so you should eat one!’

Belladonna held out the first piece to Escalion.

He turned his head, uninterested.

“I don’t eat it.”

‘Why! Eat it!’

Belladonna tapped Escalion, shaking the fish-shaped bread up and down.

“I said I don’t eat it.”

“…”

“I don’t… Ha. Okay, give me one.”

He met Belladonna’s stubborn gaze and sighed, relenting. He then said with an absurd look.

“I told you it’s okay to be stubborn, but you’re being stubborn about this weird-shaped snack. You’re really something.”

Belladonna ignored his words, took out the second piece of bread, and took a big bite.

Ugh…! Delicious!

Eating the hot bread on a chilly day made the flavor even more intense.

Thrilling! It’s always delicious!

“Let’s go over there, where people are gathered.”

Escalion, watching Belladonna chew with her mouth full, grabbed her wrist and led her forward.

They approached a place where people were sitting in a crowd, writing diligently.

‘What are they making?’

“Sky lanterns.”

Sky lanterns…?

Looking closer, people were holding small sky lanterns, about the size of their faces, and writing on them.

“They’re writing wishes.”

Escalion explained.

“There’s a superstition that if you write a heartfelt wish on a sky lantern on the day of the year-end festival and send it off, that wish will come true.”

Ah…

“Do you want to write one?”

Without waiting for her answer, Escalion flagged down a young merchant and bought a sky lantern.

He handed it to her along with a pen.

“Make a wish.”

Wishes…

Belladonna, taking the lantern, looked down at the light blue paper.

‘What wish should I make?’

When she actually tried to write, she drew a blank.

Escalion, noticing her hesitation, spoke.

“You must have heard so many wishes from the people of the world. And you’re telling me you don’t have a single wish of your own?”

“…”