Marriage With A Suspiciously Demure Husband

Chapter 4 – Return to Elkard

“Huh?”

I realized it a moment too late as the words escaped my lips. The person turned around, and his eyes widened in surprise.

He had broad shoulders and a muscular build, giving him the appearance of a skilled swordsman or shield-bearer. His red hair was partly tied back, and despite the scar near his eye, his face had a cheerful aura.

As he spoke in his usual laid-back tone, I realized I hadn’t been mistaken. A mixture of delight and awkwardness crept over me, causing me to furrow my brows.

“…Dylan?”

“Hazel? Hazel Love?”

Simultaneously, we stretched our arms, pointing at each other with our fingers.

“Why are you here?”

“Why are you here?”

Dylan’s retort made the accompanying staff who followed them into the room look bewildered, glancing back and forth between us.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Well… Obviously, I’m the guild representative, so I came here for business. What about you?”

“I came to request cooperation from the guild association. Hey, you should’ve let me know in advance if you were coming to the Capital!”

As he exclaimed belatedly, I covered one ear and squinted my eyes.

“Why would I? You’re going to take me to the palace.”

“How did you know? Still, even so, if I hadn’t come here, what would’ve happened?”

When he voiced his frustration, in the end, I sighed and took a step back.

“I was going to take a break and contact you later.”

“You should’ve done that sooner. Geez, it’s been so long since we last saw each other.”

I playfully waved my hand at Dylan, who was approaching me. It was only then did I noticed the staff entering from behind and awkwardly waited for us.

“Please wait a moment as planned. You’re in the middle of a conversation, right? Let’s discuss it after you finish.”

“Oh, right. Sorry about that. You don’t have to bring us tea! We can talk right away. Also, please inform the guild association’s representative immediately.”

“Oh, okay. Please take your time. Thank you!”

The staff courteously left with a greeting. Dylan plopped down on the chair opposite me, leaning his arm on the table and tapping it lightly.

“So, let’s get to it. When did you come to the Capital, Hazel?”

He asked, his finger repeatedly pointing at the floor. Leaning back on the chair and crossing my legs, I fidgeted as I replied.

“Today.”

“Today? You came right away?”

His finger pointed at the floor several times. I responded with a half-hearted smile.

“That’s right. It hasn’t even been half a day since I arrived, but why are you here? What cooperation or business do you have?”

“Ah.”

“Although I heard briefly, it doesn’t seem like it’s a personal matter, considering you wanted to summon the guild association representative as well.”

At that, Dylan shrugged.

“It’s nothing special. It’s just that I have more work these days. If our conversation goes well today, I’ll receive the notice. You’ll be the first to know, Hazel.”

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“We’re planning to collect samples of monsters from each region every month. You know how everyone catches them and sells them as soon as they’re caught? We’re planning to buy them instead.”

“I see.”

“We can’t keep sending our members to hunt indefinitely. That’s why we’re looking to collect them through mercenaries. Can you cooperate, guild representative?”

It seemed serious enough to warrant an official notice. As if I didn’t have enough stress already, now it seemed like I would face a troublesome situation.

Still, I needed to make sure.

“It’s not something serious, right?”

“No, it’s not. It’s just cooperation, as I said. The monsters have become smarter, and there have been simultaneous outbreaks. It’s quite concerning.”

“…They’re moving in groups? That’s not unheard of.” I replied nonchalantly.

“That’s right. The problem is that even ordinary monsters are behaving that way.”

“Even ordinary monsters?”

“That’s what the reports say. The frequency of reports has been increasing, not just monthly, but even on a weekly basis.”

Unconsciously, my expression hardened.

“Does that mean there’s a leader?”

“Yes. It doesn’t seem like they’re acting intelligently, but there is someone issuing commands from their side. Not just the knights, but even His Majesty is concerned.”

“….”

In the world of monsters, moving in groups was a rare sight. Normally, monsters only gather in groups when they are rearing their offspring, but even then, it was more common among younger monsters.

Unlike intelligent species, monsters generally possess a destructive nature.

Thus, when monsters were seen moving in groups, it was often among specific species that have the ability to communicate. Notable characteristics of these groups include the ability to speak, which sets them apart from other less intelligent monsters that tend to engage in constant fights and even kill each other, except for some rare instances of symbiotic relationships.

“If the guild cooperates, the palace will provide direct support, so it will be an easy task for you.”

“Well… that’s true. And since it’s something His Majesty wants, can we even refuse?”

Dylan laughed lightly at that.

“That’s right. It’s not really dangerous yet. You regularly have conversations with mercenaries, so you should know. Maybe you’ll find out faster than me.”

His words were not wrong.

“That’s true.”

“Also, if it were an urgent situation, I would’ve reached out to you before requesting cooperation. We’re preparing for contingencies, so let’s help each other. Is there anything inconvenient or needed in running the guild? Let me know, and I’ll consider it in the support we provide this time.”

“Well… there’s nothing in particular, but I’ll think about it.”

At that, Dylan relaxed his somewhat stiff shoulders and smiled leisurely.

“By the way, it’s been a long time. Your face looks even better.”

I chuckled and lightly tapped my cheeks.

“It’s not that much better.”

How could I meet this rascal here? I could’ve spent three days and nights clinging to Dylan, talking about my problems endlessly though I couldn’t and swallowed the words. There was no need for many people to know.

“I was worried because of your letter.”

“Well, I really appreciate that you send Annie right away. I must have surprised you by contacting you out of the blue.”

“You’re a friend, so I should help. It’s not a difficult task. But wasn’t I pretty cool?”

I clasped my hands together as if praying, trying to express my gratitude, but then grimaced and released my hands when I heard his words.

“Ah, right. You’re cool, Sir Dylan Banker.”

At that, Dylan perked up and laughed heartily.

“So, how long are you planning to stay? You’re not going to come up and then immediately go back, right?”

“No, I’ll take the opportunity to look around and do some other things. There are also tasks to handle.”

He carefully scrutinized my face.

I immediately cough, feeling a bit awkward. The atmosphere grew somewhat subdued with just a moment of silence.

“Is your sudden visit to the capital related to calling Annie?”

“Um…”

When I couldn’t deny it and hesitated in my response, Dylan leaned back against the chair, crossing his arms like me.

“You didn’t call Annie for something trivial. What’s going on? Is it something serious?”

It was serious, indeed. The problem was that I couldn’t confide comfortably in someone else. When I struggled to find the words, he changed the topic.

“If it’s difficult to talk about, then it can’t be helped. But if you need my help, feel free to tell me anytime.”

“Thank you, Dylan. You always help me. You know how proud I am of you, right?”

At that, he snorted.

“Hey, when will you introduce your husband to me? You gave up on living a comfortable life and suddenly said you were getting married. I was surprised!”

“Haha… my husband. Right. I never introduced him to you.”

It was natural that no one saw him since I informed Dylan about the wedding after the ceremony.

It was both fortunate and unfortunate that none of the knights recognized him. On one hand, it spared us from immediate trouble, but on the other, it would have been beneficial if someone had recognized him during the wedding.

Perhaps that could have prevented the current crisis we were facing.

Nonetheless, I knew deep down that it was a futile thought. Revealing my husband’s identity to Dylan at this point was uncertain and risky. Maybe someday, close to the end of my life, I might find the courage to do so, but for now, it remained a distant possibility.

“But still, among your colleagues, didn’t you invite anyone?”

“Not really. It wasn’t a wedding held in the capital. We kept it very simple. It was a busy time when I was busy with guild expansion.”

“I see. You were so busy, yet you managed to have a love life?”

“Sorry…”

“How amazing and impressive must that man be to take you away like that and not even show his face? Introduce him to me sometimes, too. Even the Prince is curious about him.”

Startled, I unknowingly shuddered at those words. Why would I arrange for them to meet? The meeting between the main character and the villain?! Absolutely not! Such a thing should never have happened.

After that remark, I became curious.

“Is His Highness doing well?”

Dylan’s eyebrow twitched.

“Of course. He’s like a blooming flower these days.”

“…Blooming flower?”