Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 17

Don’t Get Caught by Your Husband! Episode 17. Year-End Festival (2)

#Episode 17. Year-End Festival (2)

2024.03.17.

Escalion looked down at the finger Belladona pointed at him before speaking.

“If you’re asking about my wish… I really don’t have much. Maybe one or two more good horses next year, and that delicious foreign meat comes in through the newly renovated harbor? Something like that?”

Escalion shrugged as he replied.

Wow, how simple.

Belladona shook her head as if she had expected too much.

Then I should also keep it as simple as possible…

“Ah. One more thing. I hope no unnecessary wars break out. I wouldn’t want His Majesty to need me again.”

Escalion looked at her with a rather serious gaze.

“Now that I have a wife, I need to value my life. I can’t just go off to the battlefield and make my wife a widow overnight, can I? Don’t you think?”

Escalion’s soft, golden gaze reached her.

Belladona forgot to nod and just stared blankly up at him.

A dense gaze intertwined.

Every time this happens… I don’t really know what this feeling is.

“Then hurry up and write it down.”

Escalion gestured with his chin towards the sky lantern she was holding.

Ah…

I was writing a wish.

Belatedly regaining her senses, Belladona also lowered her gaze to the sky lantern she was holding.

‘So, my wish is…’

Belladona, with the tip of her pen against the side of the sky lantern, began to ponder again.

“Write down whatever is in your head right now. The more you think about it, the harder it will be to decide. Let’s write it down and fly it away.”

What came to her mind first at that moment… ridiculously, was that she didn’t want to go back to where the Pope was.

‘Ha…’

Always uttering like a hypnosis, ‘three months later’.

Once those three months passed, she would have to return to Astagna and live as the Pope’s only daughter, the eternal Saintess.

Then I would lose my freedom again and be stuck inside a confessional, listening to the heavy stories of various people…

‘I don’t want to…’

Belladona quietly sighed.

She hoped that the three months would pass quickly, ending her uncomfortable and apologetic relationship with Escalion, yet she also wished that those three months would never end.

‘Even I think it’s a really contradictory feeling…’

She glanced up at Escalion standing beside her.

He was looking up at the sky lanterns that other people were sending into the sky, filled with wishes.

Only after seeing his indifferent profile did Belladona make up her mind and diligently move her hand.

‘Tap, tap.’

Finally finishing writing her wish, she tapped Escalion to call him.

“Did you write it all?”

Escalion raised his hand to call the young merchant again, taking the sky lantern from her.

The young merchant, noticing his call, came running with matches to light it.

Meanwhile, he frowned as he read the writing on the side of the sky lantern he had received.

“What is this?”

That’s my wish!

Belladona felt inexplicably embarrassed and averted her gaze.

“Shall I light it and send it into the sky now?”

Asked the approaching young merchant.

Escalion nodded reluctantly and handed the sky lantern to the child.

The young merchant skillfully lit the wick under the sky lantern, held both ends with his small hands to adjust to the wind direction, and then released it into the sky at the right moment.

The light blue sky lantern floated up and began to fly towards the sky.

“It seems the Saintess doesn’t take other people’s wishes lightly.”

Escalion, standing beside her and looking up at the sky lantern rising, muttered gruffly.

“To steal my wish and write it down so brazenly.”

Oh, it just happened to overlap, well…

Belladona subtly ignored his words and watched the sky lantern drift further away.

The words she had written were also fading away with the sky lantern.

[May peace prevail throughout the world. And may there be no sad and regrettable farewells.]

* * *

After releasing the sky lantern, Belladona continued to enjoy the year-end festival with Escalion.

They stopped briefly on the street to listen to the music played by the musicians, and bought various snacks besides the warm fish-shaped bread.

They also took their seats at the open-air theater in time to watch a play about the goddess Elieza, and picked out cute gifts for Cindy and Volf.

‘It’s fun…!’

Belladona followed Escalion around, a happy smile constantly on her face.

Hehe…

“Wait a minute! You beautiful lady there! I’ll draw your portrait for just 20 Blanc [a type of currency]!”

At that moment, a young painter with a large easel in front of him waved at Belladona and Escalion.

A portrait?

Belladona, intrigued, slowed her pace, and Escalion followed her gaze.

“I’m very fast! It won’t take long at all!”

“Do you want to?”

Escalion asked, pointing at the painter.

Belladona shook her head firmly.

She had never had a portrait in her life.

In her previous life, she had never even imagined having an expensive portrait that cost as much as her weekly living expenses, and during the past year as a Saintess, she hadn’t had the opportunity to have one drawn.

Of course, she didn’t particularly want one now either.

‘Come to think of it, there isn’t a single portrait of Escalion in that vast castle…’

It was perhaps a very faint sense of responsibility.

A very faint sense of responsibility that came from the mindset that she had to play the role of the mistress of the house, even if it was only for three months.

Belladona raised her hand and pointed at Escalion.

You draw a portrait!

“You want me to draw a portrait?”

Nod, nod.

Belladona raised both hands to draw a large square, meaning a portrait frame, and then pretended to hang it on the wall.

He looked down at her actions for a moment before speaking.

“To hang in my castle?”

Nod, nod! You’re getting quick on the uptake!

After a moment of consideration, Escalion led Belladona towards the painter.

‘You must also think that it’s bothering you that there isn’t a single portrait of the lord in that vast castle, right?’

Belladona followed him, feeling a sense of triumph.

Escalion stood across from the painter’s easel and spoke to him.

“A portrait of me and my wife. How long will it take?”

Huh? Me?

Belladona, who was about to sneak behind the painter to watch Escalion’s portrait being drawn in real-time, stopped in her tracks.

“An hour is enough! But since there are two of you, it will cost 40 Blanc.”

“The price doesn’t matter, just draw it as quickly as possible.”

After speaking, he grabbed Belladona’s wrist and pulled her across from the easel.

Why, why me? I don’t want to!

“But what should we do? I only have one chair prepared… I’ll draw your husband first, and then your wife can wait a little. I’ll draw you separately and then naturally combine the two of you on one canvas…”

“There’s no need for that.”

He sat down on the only chair and plopped Belladona right onto his lap.

What! Let me down!

Belladona, flustered, stamped her feet and resisted, but she couldn’t overcome Escalion’s strength.

“A, are you okay with this?”

“If you squirm like this, it will be very difficult for the painter to draw, wouldn’t it?”

Ugh… How mean…

Belladona stopped resisting, glancing at the painter.

As she willingly relaxed, Escalion gave a satisfied smile and tightened his grip on her waist.

“Then let’s begin!”

“If you get bored sitting, lean on me.”

That’s not going to happen.

Belladona shook her head with a sullen expression.

The painter across the easel carefully examined Escalion and Belladona’s faces, then began to move his brush as if possessed.

“…”

Belladona felt inexplicably nervous and stiffened, unable to even blink.

Can I move a little? I wouldn’t know unless I’ve had a portrait drawn before…

But as she quietly held her breath, she suddenly became aware of his body pressed closely against her.

The firm and thick thighs she was sitting on. The back of his hand gently wrapped around her waist, and the veins that stood out darkly on it. And the sharp jawline visible in front of her, and…

‘…The unique masculine scent felt in the warm breath.’

As everything was perceived, her heart began to beat rapidly, shamelessly.

Why, why is it so uncomfortable and awkward?

“Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”

At the sudden low voice, Belladona startled and trembled as if having a seizure.

“Why are you like this.”

Ah, how embarrassing…

She quickly shook her head and fixed her gaze on the painter who was focused on the canvas.

Ahem…

An hour later, which felt like half a day, the painter’s passionate brushstrokes finally stopped completely.

He proudly smiled as he turned the easel around, now filled with dense colors, to show them.

“Well, what do you think!”

Wow…

Belladona unknowingly opened her mouth and stared at the painting.

‘At this level, it’s really good enough to hang in the castle hallway!’

On the painter’s canvas, Escalion and Belladona’s appearances were depicted quite impressively.

Escalion’s unique confident gaze and Belladona’s calm demeanor were well represented in the painting.

Moreover, the sensible painter even replaced the old plain clothes they were wearing with luxurious garments.

Thank you for not drawing the rabbit-shaped earmuffs I wore…

“My wife likes it. Keep the change.”

Escalion, after observing Belladona’s reaction, raised the corners of his lips and replied.

He took out a gold coin from his pocket and flicked it towards the painter.

The painter, who deftly caught the gold coin with both hands, widened his eyes and bowed deeply to them.

“T, thank you!”

Escalion, who had risen from his seat, gestured, and someone walked out from the crowd behind them and approached the painting that the painter had completed.

Wh, what? How long have they been following us?

Belladona, startled, turned to look at the servant who had suddenly appeared from nowhere.

He silently took the painting and held it firmly under his arm, then turned away indifferently.

At that moment, before the man disappeared back into the crowd, he approached Escalion and whispered something in a low voice.

Escalion’s brow furrowed instantly upon hearing the servant’s words.

“Haa…”

He let out a sigh mixed with annoyance and turned to look at Belladona with a troubled expression.