Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 39

#39. Shirenia City (3)

2024.04.08.

“Hey, where can I find envelopes?”

Escalion, back in the bustling city, stopped a passing man and asked abruptly.

The man, who had been walking and chatting excitedly with his friends, looked up at Escalion, who was much taller, and flinched, shrinking back.

“Ah, there’s a stationery store over there…”

The man pointed vaguely behind him and quickly rejoined his friends, quickening his pace.

‘That man was scared…’

Belladona glanced at him with a touch of pity, then looked up at Escalion beside her.

‘Indeed…’

…He did have a tremendously intimidating presence.

Especially when he wasn’t wearing his usual playful, mischievous expression, but was instead completely expressionless.

Tap. Belladona reached out and gently touched his hand.

‘But why is his face so stiff? He was fine just a moment ago. Did he suddenly get angry?’

“Why the long face?”

As soon as Belladona’s hand touched his, his face softened.

He returned to his usual playful, cheeky expression and took her hand in his.

“They said there’s a stationery store over there.”

‘What, you weren’t angry?’

Belladona nodded, feeling a little awkward.

As his fingers intertwined with hers and their palms met, she suddenly felt all her nerves focusing on her hand.

His thumb, moving slowly over her fingers, was incredibly distracting.

‘Ugh, it feels ticklish…!’

Belladona shifted her feet, feigning disinterest.

“Careful.”

Perhaps because it was the weekend, the city was packed.

Escalion naturally put his arm around Belladona’s shoulders, pulling her closer to his side.

Belladona was briefly pressed against his hard chest, then quickly pulled away.

“There are definitely more people here than in Griblatta, no matter where you go.”

His hand on her shoulder, the firm chest muscles so close to her eyes, the scent that kept brushing the tip of her nose…

She was acutely aware of everything, but Escalion seemed unfazed.

He pulled Belladona even closer to navigate the constant stream of people.

‘Is it because I’ve realized I like him…?’

Belladona looked up at him, blinking slowly.

Just walking down the street with him felt uncomfortable and awkward.

And at the same time, the name ‘Scarlett Layton’ kept popping back into her head, refusing to leave.

‘…I feel awful.’

She had thought she had moved on, but being near him made her think of Scarlett again, despite her earlier moment of contemplation, which bothered her.

Annoyed, Belladona bumped her forehead lightly against his chest.

‘Ouch, that hurts! It’s my loss…!’

She frowned at the slight pain, as if she had hit a hard rock, and then heard a chuckle from above.

Escalion raised a hand and gently rubbed her forehead.

“You do these inexplicable things sometimes.”

“…”

“I wonder what you’re thinking about in that little head of yours.”

“Excuse me…!”

Just then, a small hand reached out and grabbed Belladona’s hand.

Belladona looked down at the warmth she felt and saw a little girl holding her hand.

“Can… can you buy this for me?”

A little girl, who didn’t look even seven years old, was standing there holding a flower basket that was almost as big as she was.

Inside the flower basket, colorful and fresh flowers were neatly arranged.

A flower basket…?

Instead of Belladona, who was peering into the flower basket with interest, Escalion looked down and asked,

“What’s this?”

“Hic…!”

The little girl, meeting Escalion’s intense golden eyes, flinched and darted behind Belladona.

Hiding behind Belladona’s skirt, the child peeked out, looking at Escalion with a terrified expression.

“How can you sell anything if you’re so scared?”

Escalion asked with a nonchalant expression.

It seemed that children getting scared of him was a fairly common occurrence.

The little girl shook her head, clutching Belladona’s skirt tightly.

“I’m… I came to sell flowers to this, this beautiful lady…”

“A beautiful lady, huh? Then you’ve come to the right person. Let’s go sit over there first.”

Escalion grinned and led Belladona and the little girl out of the crowd.

He took a seat on a nearby bench, pointed to the flower basket with his chin, and asked.

“Explain it again calmly. What is this all about?”

“This is…! Flowers that my mom and I picked together!”

“Where did you pick them?”

“Over there!”

The little girl pointed somewhere and explained enthusiastically.

‘How cute…’

Belladona looked at the child with a pleased expression.

Escalion also seemed to find the child endearing, as he kept smiling and talking to her.

“Oh, really? Then I can just go there and pick flowers myself. I wouldn’t need to buy them.”

“…Huh!”

The little girl gasped in surprise. A sense of despair, her first in life, crept into the child’s face.

‘Stop teasing her, you!’

Belladona poked him lightly in the side, not hard enough to hurt, as he continued to tease the little girl with a beaming face.

“Why? It’s fun.”

Escalion replied, raising the corner of his mouth.

Belladona glared at him, not really meaning it, and then raised both hands to take the little girl’s flower basket.

‘I’ll buy it!’

“My wife wants them.”

“Wow…!”

Belladona gave the child, who let out a small cheer, a kind smile.

The little girl’s eyes sparkled as soon as she saw her beautiful smile.

The little girl opened her mouth wide and said.

“You know what! You’re like an angel…! An angel from a fairy tale!”

“You’ve come to the right person again. Looks like the little one has good taste.”

“Hehe.”

‘Stop teasing her!’

Belladona glared at him once more.

Escalion shrugged with a nonchalant expression and took out a coin from his pocket.

He held out a gold coin to the child, who still couldn’t take her eyes off Belladona.

“Thank you for your hard work picking the flowers.”

“You’re welcome! These flowers that my mom and I picked look great on you!”

“Anything looks good on my wife if it’s beautiful.”

“I think so too! Goodbye!”

The little girl tucked the coin into her pocket without even knowing how much it was worth.

The child, who was about to turn around and leave, hesitated for a moment and then opened her mouth.

“But…”

“Yeah.”

“Can’t you… talk? Why are you just smiling?”

It was a child’s innocent question, without any malice.

Belladona, caught off guard by the sudden question, blinked her eyes.

She had never been asked this question before, as she was already known as a mute saint in Astanya and Griblatta.

Moreover, she felt even more guilty after Escalion had caught her voice so easily a little while ago.

‘Wait a minute. What, what should I say?’ She couldn’t say anything and was caught off guard, unable to even smile, just blinking her eyes, when she heard a voice answering instead from the side.

“Because she’s beautiful.”

“Yes?”

The child, with wide eyes, turned her head and looked up at Escalion.

He replied in a seemingly serious voice.

“My wife’s voice is so beautiful that an angel in heaven borrowed it for a while.”

“Wow…”

“Thanks to that, even I, her husband, can’t hear her voice, which is a shame, but it can’t be helped. She said she’d give it back someday, so don’t worry too much.”

“I see!”

It was a perfect answer that protected the child’s innocence and made everyone feel good.

Escalion, watching the child nod as if she understood, smiled slyly.

Belladona stared blankly at his profile.

He, who had roamed the harsh battlefields, had such an uncharacteristically tender side hidden within him.

And that side kept stirring Belladona’s heart.

‘I feel strange…’

“Thank you for telling me! Goodbye!”

The child bowed deeply.

“Yeah, go on.”

Escalion saw the little girl off with a gesture that was hard to tell whether he was saying goodbye or playfully shooing her away.

As the child, with her now lighter hands, ran off happily and disappeared from sight, he turned his head and looked at Belladona.

“The angel in heaven will return my wife’s voice soon, right?”

Ugh… Belladona turned her gaze to the distance.

Now that he had heard her voice, he would probably tease her like this more often in the future. She was already tired of it!

Escalion, staring at her with a playful smile, then looked down and rummaged through the flower basket she was holding.

“You’ve picked quite a variety. And you’ve trimmed them neatly. Your mom must have a meticulous personality?”

“…”

“If we take it to the villa, can we put it in a vase and enjoy them for a while? I like that there are more varieties of pretty flowers than in Griblatta, probably because it’s warmer here.”

‘Since when have you liked flowers so much?’

When she looked at him with a puzzled expression, he replied with a slightly embarrassed look.

“I’m not the one who wants to enjoy them, it’s you. Women usually like flowers…”

‘There it is again, that playboy charm.’

But it wasn’t an unpleasant thing to hear.

Belladona, who was soon in a good mood, took out the biggest and most beautiful flower from the flower basket.

And she lifted it up and tucked it into Escalion’s ear.

She thought it would look ridiculous, but the dark-skinned, virile knight and the delicate flower suited each other surprisingly well.

‘Is it because he’s handsome? Haha, pretty.’

“Is it fun?”

Escalion asked, smiling just like her. Perhaps because he had a flower in his ear, his expression was softer than usual.

Nod, nod! Belladona nodded vigorously.

‘Keep wearing it, flower boy!’

She thought he would take it out and throw it away, wondering what it was, but he unexpectedly stood up with the flower still in his ear.

“Let’s go then. We need to buy an envelope or something.”

Escalion turned and held out his hand.

Belladona smiled and took his hand.