Rogero looked like he couldn't believe Franz's words. No, rather than disbelieving, it was closer to momentarily confused as to what this meant.
"Wife?"
Rogero pronounced the word awkwardly as if it was his first time hearing it. When Franz nodded his head, Rogero spoke again.
“Your wife, I mean Ma’am? Spouse?"
“...Whatever you call it, yeah. I said she married me. So, if you do something in vain, I won’t leave you alone.”
Franz's reply was calm, but Judith felt her face, which had barely cooled, begin to heat up again. Whether it was his wife, his spouse, or a married person, there was nothing wrong with what he said, but for some reason, she was embarrassed and had a hard time raising her gaze.
Rogero looked alternately at Franz's eyes, which were looking down at him somewhat pitifully, and at Judith's flushed cheeks, which were both ignoring them. Then he thought that the fair bridge of Judith's nose, which was slightly frowning as if in trouble, was unusually lovely, and then Rogero suddenly came to his senses.
“Wait a minute, Franz, since you are the Prince of Rotair, your wife would be this Lady, no, this one...”
It was no longer difficult to listen to his stuttering words and endure the silence. Judith pursed her lips and bowed lightly toward Rogero.
"Nice to see you. My name is Judith Loerbinev, wife of His Highness Prince Franz.”
Even after hearing the rather plain, court-style accent with no noticeable accent, Rogero just blinked in confusion. As Judith stared at him, he straightened his shoulders slightly and greeted her politely, kicking the ground with one of his toes.
“I am rude to you because I don’t know about the loss of Rotair’s Princess. Let me introduce myself again. I am a member of the Delacca Imperial Family, and my real name is Rosef Ingrow Amiens Matilis.”
Judith opened her mouth without realizing it but soon realized it was rude and hurriedly covered her lips with her hand. The fact that he was a member of the imperial family and the surname Matilis was enough to figure out who he was.
Matilis was a surname inherited only by the imperial family of the empire, especially by direct descendants of the imperial family. Judging by the way he and Franz spoke informally to each other, she guessed that he was not an ordinary person, but she never expected that he was a Prince.
“Your Highness the Prince.”
Judith hastily bowed. Seeing her like that, Rogero playfully clicked his tongue and made a noise, naturally extending his hand and lifting her up.
“It’s okay if you don’t greet me so stiffly. This is really embarrassing. I almost flirted with you without even knowing you were married.”
“Did you have any sense of flirting?”
Franz sneered mischievously. Rogero pretended to glare at him and gently rubbed the back of his neck. He wonders how much Franz will worry about this. He felt like his insides were shrinking.
“That’s because I didn’t expect to meet the Princess in a place like this! Could you have imagined it?”
Judith's face became even redder at Rogero's words. Until she met the two, she was excited about where she would go next, but now, for some reason, she felt like she was behaving unbecoming a Princess, and she couldn't bear to look at Franz because she was so embarrassed.
Franz quickly realized that Judith was thinking that way. After taking a look around, he grabbed the back of Rogero, who was still rolling his eyes in embarrassment. Then he looked at Judith and said:
“The delegation will arrive within a few days. I will go with you then.”
“Your Highness, what is that... Where will you stay in the meantime?”
“It’s so big, isn’t there a place to stay?”
A gentle smile appeared on his lips as he answered lightly. Strangely enough, it was only then that Judith realized that Franz had grown significantly. He had previously been a head or so taller than her, but that was when Judith was much younger than her age.
There was no comparison between Judith back then when she looked like she was only thirteen or four years old, and now. Nevertheless, Franz's eye level was still about one head higher than Judith's. When she realized that he was tall, things she hadn't noticed in him suddenly caught her eye.
The color of his cheeks had improved and his facial features seemed to have become clearer, but there was still a faint, fragile look in his delicately moving gaze. The loneliness that seemed like it would collapse if struck like a precariously built sand castle was the same.
However, with his straight, angled shoulders and a silhouette that stretched smoothly from his ribcage to his waist, it was difficult to recall him as he was before. The slim, strong waist and veiny wrists seemed to make the girls secretly fantasize about it.
“Judith?”
Judith's shoulders, who had even forgotten that she was staring at him, were shaking. Turning around in a panic, she opened the lid of the glass bottle that Franz had given her took out what was inside in a random manner, and placed it in the basket.
“Hmph.”
Rogero, who was watching the scene, made a humming sound. Franz looked at Rogero with an incomprehensible expression, then turned his worried gaze towards Judith, who was at a loss as she held her basket.
“Are you okay?”
"...It’s okay, my dear.”
“Will you keep the fact that you met me a secret from Father? Because he will be worried. Neither to my maternal uncle nor to Bartholomew.”
“...”
“You can do that, right?”
Judith barely nodded. Franz gently held one of her hands holding the basket and kissed the back of her hand. Judith wanted to cry as his lips, which looked particularly red as if on fire, touched the back of her hand and fell.
“Don’t worry too much and just wait.”
“I know you’re familiar with it, but... Please be careful.”
This isn't it. Judith's eyebrows furrowed. She wanted to say hello in a clearer voice, but for some reason, the words didn't come out as if her throat was locked.
Franz looked at Judith, who had her gaze downcast, for a moment, then took Rogero with him and left the store. As I entered, I used the small door at the back rather than the crowded front door, so people didn't notice me.
“Wait, wait a minute.”
After being led by him to the main street where the fountain was, Rogero waved both his hands. Franz looked back at him grimly, with a face that seemed like he expected that to happen.
“Are we going to continue like this?”
"Then?"
“No, she’s your wife? You’re leaving the Princess alone like that?”
“You don’t have to worry because you are with me.”
Rogero's mouth opened as if he were going to make a huh sound. It's not even a barrel stopper. Have you ever seen a guy this tightly clogged?
“No, it’s okay to go. It’s good to go, but what if I leave like this?”
What on earth are you going to do?
Franz looked back at Rogero with an incomprehensible expression. He knew he was always good at saying nonsense and making jokes, but now he couldn't figure out what he wanted to say.
“What do you want to say, Rogero.”
Rogero's eyes widened with an expression as if he was serious. Then, he pounded his chest as if he was going to explode and shouted for the street to get away.
“You’ve seen each other for four years and you’re going to leave without even kissing her!”
Franz's eyes lit up. Immediately, his handsome face became comically red.
Passers-by who stopped in surprise at Rogero's shout took turns looking at the two faces, muttering something and then disappearing. When Franz became like a hot coal, Roger clicked his tongue in frustration.
“If I were the Princess, I would go back to the palace right now and start thinking about getting a divorce.”
“...You are the only person in the world who is thinking about divorce over something like this.”
“You’re laughing. Wow, how did this kid get married? I don't know anything else, but I know for sure that your wife is a really kind and generous woman. If it were me, I would have exploded on you before my insides exploded.”
“I’m glad I didn’t marry you.”
Franz chuckled, but Rogero paid him no mind and continued to say what he wanted to say.
“You must bow down and bow to your wife. No, can you just have me? Thank you for marrying such a piece of wood, I should at least do a squeak dance and show off all sorts of jokes. That way you won't get divorced. You don't come close to me anymore. I think it’s going to be covered in sawdust.”
While Rogero was making a fuss in the middle of the street, Franz calmed down his heated face and expression. Even as he calmed his mind, Rogero continued to mutter something that could be either a complaint or a spell.
“People, you can’t do that. Yes, it's a public place so you shouldn't do anything that would raise eyebrows for the sake of the Princess's honor. Still, huh? I wonder if you can at least give her a kiss, at least a kiss. Did you paint your lips with gold? This is because you are the Academy's top student. But what on earth does it have to do with not kissing the wife?”
The more he listened, and there was no end to it. Franz kicked Rogero, who was walking ahead of him, in the knee with his toe.
“What do you want to say, Rogero.”
Rogero's eyes widened with an expression as if he was serious. Then, he pounded his chest as if he was going to explode and shouted for the street to get away.
“You’ve seen each other for four years and you’re going to leave without even kissing her!”
Franz's eyes lit up. Immediately, his handsome face became comically red.
Passers-by who stopped in surprise at Rogero's shout took turns looking at the two faces, muttering something and then disappearing. When Franz became like a hot coal, Roger clicked his tongue in frustration.
“If I were the Princess, I would go back to the palace right now and start thinking about getting a divorce.”
“...You are the only person in the world who is thinking about divorce over something like this.”
“You’re laughing. Wow, how did this kid get married? I don't know anything else, but I know for sure that your wife is a really kind and generous woman. If it were me, I would have exploded on you before my insides exploded.”
“I’m glad I didn’t marry you.”
Franz chuckled, but Rogero paid him no mind and continued to say what he wanted to say.
“You must bow down and bow to your wife. No, can you just have me? Thank you for marrying such a piece of wood, I should at least do a squeak dance and show off all sorts of jokes. That way you won't get divorced. You don't come close to me anymore. I think it’s going to be covered in sawdust.”
While Rogero was making a fuss in the middle of the street, Franz calmed down his heated face and expression. Even as he calmed his mind, Rogero continued to mutter something that could be either a complaint or a spell.
“People, you can’t do that. Yes, it's a public place so you shouldn't do anything that would raise eyebrows for the sake of the Princess's honor. Still, huh? I wonder if you can at least give her a kiss, at least a kiss. Did you paint your lips with gold? This is because you are the Academy's top student. But what on earth does it have to do with not kissing the wife?”
The more he listened, and there was no end to it. Franz kicked Rogero, who was walking ahead of him, in the knee with his toe.
When his knee suddenly buckled, Rogero was defeated!
He shouted. Then he stumbled around, waving his arms like a windmill to keep from falling. When the kids passing by laughed at him, he looked back at Franz, biting his lower lip.
“You just kicked the Prince. Don’t you know that this is a diplomatic issue?”
“If you’re going to argue the issue, your side comes first.”
“No, what did I do?”
“You harassed me. Not only me but also my wife.”
Rogero still did not become calm. On the contrary, he even shamelessly pointed a finger at him.
“Is this harassment? It’s advice that becomes your blood and flesh, right?”
“If you want to give advice to a married man, get married first.”
"Huh? Wow, look at what you say. Wow, this is really absurd. Hey, do you still think I can’t get married? I say it again, I'm getting married! I didn't do it of my own free will! It’s not something you could never have done, right?”
Rogero complained impassionedly, raising the veins in his neck as if it was truly unfair, but Franz did not even listen. He was deliberately pranking him, knowing that such a pretense would only make him go on a rampage even further. It was a change in personality that Judith, as well as those who remembered him at the Royal Palace of Rotair, could not even think of.
Rogero, who was running around with the intention of catching Franz, soon got tired of the fight and became calm. The two people who were walking aimlessly as if they were going for a walk reached a large fountain and agreed to stop and rest.
“You just kicked the Prince. Don’t you know that this is a diplomatic issue?”
“If you’re going to argue the issue, your side comes first.”
“No, what did I do?”
“You harassed me. Not only me but also my wife.”
Rogero still did not become calm. On the contrary, he even shamelessly pointed a finger at him.
“Is this harassment? It’s advice that becomes your blood and flesh, right?”
“If you want to give advice to a married man, get married first.”
"Huh? Wow, look at what you say. Wow, this is really absurd. Hey, do you still think I can’t get married? I say it again, I'm getting married! I didn't do it of my own free will! It’s not something you could never have done, right?”
Rogero complained impassionedly, raising the veins in his neck as if it was truly unfair, but Franz did not even listen. He was deliberately pranking him, knowing that such a pretense would only make him go on a rampage even further. It was a change in personality that Judith, as well as those who remembered him at the Royal Palace of Rotair, could not even think of.
Rogero, who was running around with the intention of catching Franz, soon got tired of the fight and became calm. The two people who were walking aimlessly as if they were going for a walk reached a large fountain and agreed to stop and rest.
Rogero, who cleverly positioned himself to avoid the random splashing of cold water droplets, narrowed his eyes as he made a sunshade with his palm.
“You mean, you really don’t say that.”
“You mean, you really don’t say that.”
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