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How should she put it?
The feeling of being left alone in the world?
Of course, she wasn't truly alone. Inside the cottage... was the man she had married starting today.
As Iris became newly conscious of Rahan's presence and turned her head, he spoke.
"Hey."
"Ah, yes."
"Is this all the firewood?"
Rahan asked, scratching the back of his head.
Iris looked at the firewood Riet had tossed in. One bundle. It was an amount that would last barely a day or two for two people.
"I'm not sure. Maybe it's near the hearth?"
"...I'll look for it."
The man opened the door and went out first. Iris followed him and looked around the surroundings.
"Oh, there's a chicken coop."
"But there are no chickens."
Iris caught up to Rahan, who was walking ahead, and lightly grabbed his arm. Rahan looked at her as if wondering what she was doing, and Iris gave a beaming smile.
"You can just call me Iris."
"...."
"Since you keep saying 'hey'."
'Hey,' 'you there.' She had already noticed that the man called her that because he was awkward. After all, they had only seen each other's faces for the first time yesterday.
The man whose arm was held had a very uncomfortable expression. However, approaching people who acted awkwardly toward her was what Iris was most confident in. Even at the monastery...
Eit. Iris cleared her thoughts and smiled brightly.
"We're married, after all!"
At those words, the tips of the man's ears turned red again. He remained silent for a moment before answering.
"...It's not that I don't know."
He seemed to be very shy.
But if you're this shy, how are you going to live with me from now on?
Just as she was about to say that, the man spoke first.
"You can speak comfortably to me too."
"Ah."
"You're not a novice priest anymore."
Under the protection of Eridrahan, priests volunteer to be the lowest of the low. Therefore, they have a custom of being polite even to commoners and humbling themselves.
But Iris was no longer a novice priest. Moreover, she was a woman with the right to inherit the title of Elector.
It seemed Rahan felt uncomfortable with a situation where only he was unilaterally treating her with formality.
'See, he is a good person.'
Regardless of everything, he was the man who helped her in her difficult situation.
Though she didn't know the inner details. And it felt like there were things he hadn't told her.
Rahan added one more thing.
"And since both your situation and mine are complicated, feel free to ask if there's anything you're curious about."
"Ah."
"I'd prefer it if there were as few secrets as possible."
Secrets.
At those words, Iris suddenly recalled the conversation the man had with the other knights last night.
About divorce.
She had thought that perhaps it might be possible. Abbot Wilbert had only said, 'Grand Duke Lacheize ordered that you marry.'
If so, does he intend to divorce me someday?
She wanted to ask, but it felt somewhat brazen.
From Rahan's perspective, how would he feel if a woman he was suddenly forced to marry by order, upon being told to ask anything she was curious about, immediately asked, 'Are you going to divorce me?'
It probably wouldn't feel very good.
Besides, he was a kind person.
She didn't want to ruin his mood.
The fact that he had kissed her yesterday afternoon was proof. Thinking back, how eccentric a request must it have sounded? Yet the man had willingly done it for Iris, who was in a difficult position.
That warmth still remained on her chest.
'I almost fainted while changing clothes this morning.'
At first, she was startled, thinking she had caught a fever, only to realize later that it was because of the commotion from the previous day. She felt so embarrassed that she had been fluttering her arms alone since morning.
At the same time, thinking of that kiss made her feel as if her toes were curling.
Iris stole a glance up at the man in front of her.
Seeing him in the bright daylight under the sun, he was an even more handsome man. Compared to that face, someone like Robbie, who bragged about being the most handsome in the lower village, was nothing more than a potato.
'With those lips, on my earlobe...'
Stopping her thoughts, Iris squeezed her eyes shut and opened them. She felt her face would turn bright red again.
"I'll... speak... comfortably... okay?"
However, it was difficult to discard the politeness she had practiced her whole life. Despite her efforts to change the subject, Iris's face flushed deep red. Seeing this, Rahan let out a short laugh.
In the end, the two reached a tacit agreement to each switch to comfortable speech whenever they felt it was appropriate.
"Well, since this is the first time for both of us, I guess it can't be helped."
"It's my first time too!"
"That's obvious..."
Both of them laughed at the absurdity of the statement. However, Rahan spoke a bit more seriously.
"It'll be awkward in front of others. Technically, you are the primary heir to the Elector title."
"...Ah."
Iris blinked. It wasn't that she didn't know about the secret of her birth. But, how should she put it? It didn't feel real.
Rahan, looking at her, gave a bitter smile as if he understood.
"Well, I get it. I sometimes feel like I'm going to choke when someone asks if I'm the son of Margrave Norwich."
"...."
"It's not like I could choose my parents."
Seeing the man shrug and speak playfully, Iris finally managed a faint smile.
"Take it slow, take it slow."
"Yes."
"I'll try to be comfortable too."
Anyway, it felt much better than a moment ago when it felt like they were suffocating being alone.
How should she put it? The feeling that she wasn't left alone in the world?
"Shall we look for the firewood again?"
"I'd love to!"
Because they were searching for firewood, the two were able to examine the cottage much more thoroughly than when the priests were there. Thanks to that, they discovered that the cottage had quite a few things they hadn't noticed.
"There's a well!"
Rahan dropped a wooden bucket into the well, drew water, and tasted it.
Although it was right next to the sea, the water tasted unexpectedly refreshing. Rahan handed some water to Iris. She didn't refuse and drank it in gulps, while stealing glances at the man.
‘I hope he likes it.’
Would this cottage, where she was suddenly left alone with him, be pleasing to the eyes of a man from the Grand Duchy?
However, the man didn't seem to mind that Iris was conscious of him; he simply walked around, surveying the surroundings.
“Pumpkins are planted here. There are apple trees, too!”
The backyard was planted quite efficiently. There were empty patches here and there, but it seemed the gardener had put in a great deal of effort. It looked like it would take a little more time before harvest, but Iris smiled, saying there was no need to worry.
“Behind the wheat field, it's all potatoes. They belong to the monastery, but the priests won't say much if we take a little to eat.”
A small pile of firewood was stacked under the eaves at the back of the cottage. It wasn't much. Moreover, it was damp.
“It's probably because of the morning dew.”
Iris touched the firewood, looking disappointed.
“The fields are probably about to enter a dormant period, so the gardener likely didn't think the house would be used continuously and didn't replenish the wood.”
“I see.”
The man nodded. Feeling awkward by the sudden lapse in conversation, Iris quickly continued.
“You know that forest next to the village you saw on the way down? The villagers gather wood from there.”
“Do we have to gather wood from there as well?”
“Ah… but probably.”
Iris tilted her head for a moment, lost in thought.
The forest in the lower village was a place managed through collective contributions. Strictly speaking, it belonged to the Lord of Arnsberg, but the village chief acted as the forest keeper.
In exchange for gathering wood from that forest, the villagers paid taxes twice a year.
“We probably can't use it right away.”
When she explained the taxes, Rahan nodded.
“So we have to pay.”
“We need the chief's permission, but from what I know, he's currently gone to Arnsberg to pay taxes to the tax collector.”
Tax collectors didn't visit every small village individually. Until the chief returned from Arnsberg, the two of them could not gather firewood from the village forest. They were people who had not paid the tax.
Iris whispered softly.
“The priests gather firewood from the forest below the monastery. Couldn't we just rely on that for the time being?”
“Hmm, Iris.”
Rahan winked and gave a small smile.
“Of course, Wind Rock Monastery wouldn't mind. But why do you think Abbot Wilbert went out of his way to bring us a bundle of firewood?”
“…Ah.”
Iris blinked. Rahan gave a bitter smile.
“I'll say it again: you are no longer affiliated with the monastery.”
“Oh….”
That was true. Those who were not priests would be punished for misappropriating the monastery's property. Of course, Rahan didn't think Abbot Wilbert would be that stingy.
However, there was one part that bothered him.
“It would be troublesome if people started talking later about the daughter of House Ahen misappropriating monastery property.”
“Ah….”
That was something she hadn't considered.
Iris rolled her eyes, wondering if it was really that big of a problem.
But Rahan, who had spent a long time by the side of Grand Duke Lacheize, knew better.
Even if the Church of Eridrahan had declined, the realm of the divine and the realm of humans were strictly different.
And the most mainstream way religion handled human power-holders was by seizing their weaknesses.
Though he didn't know for sure, Rahan didn't believe Philod Ahen had left so quickly without leaving anything behind.
Ten to one, he had left spies in this vicinity.
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