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His conscience pricked him at that.
Rahan glanced sideways at the axolotl dozing by the window before speaking.
"There were some cloves in the luggage I brought from the Grand Duchy."
"Ah, so this is clove!"
Iris smiled brightly, sniffing the unique scent.
"Anyway, it was a truly wonderful morning."
"Really?"
She said she had woken up unconsciously because of a delicious smell that was tangy yet mouth-watering.
And when she opened the door, ta-da! There was the wonderful venison dish Rahan had made.
Along with something she had never seen before called lambswool. The lambswool was so sweet and smooth that she had already drunk two glasses.
Iris said with sparkling eyes,
"It was so delicious that I felt sinful eating it alone."
"I ate too."
"I wanted to let the priests taste it as well!"
As she said that and looked around tentatively, Rahan chuckled.
"There's still plenty of venison. And there's sauce left over."
"But..."
Iris was surprised by Rahan's words and tried to say something. But Rahan was faster.
"I told you I'm rich."
"Still."
"I have nothing to do, so I'll just make it once more in the afternoon."
There were more things to do in the cottage below the monastery than he thought, but it wasn't an overwhelming amount. They were busy because many supplies were lacking, but conversely, that meant they wouldn't be very busy once the supplies were filled.
So, grilling venison one more time was nothing. He had to go to the monastery anyway. Both for cutting wood in the monastery forest without permission, and also...
"Won't it be hard because there's so much? I'll help too!"
"Forget it. Do you know how much my subordinates ate during the expedition? Making a lot is nothing."
It was true. Of course, the hearth was small, so he would have to build a new one.
"Let's go gather some stones to make a hearth. We can pick wild raspberries while we're at it."
"I'd love to!"
Iris stood up with delight. The axolotl opened its mouth wide and yawned.
* * *
Originally, he had intended to pick wild raspberries on the way back yesterday, but he had forgotten.
Iris set out carrying a large wooden tray. She had bought it in the village yesterday. Rahan grinned.
"How many are you planning to pick?"
"As many as possible? Ah, I wonder if we can eat them all."
"If there are too many, we can make jam. We bought plenty of sugar."
He might even be able to make wild raspberry tarts. Since they had butter and flour. When he mentioned raspberry tarts, Iris looked extremely excited.
"I've tried the apple tarts Auntie Laura made for me, but raspberry tarts? I'd love that!"
Walking ahead excitedly with her cheeks flushed, she looked more like a ten-year-old than a twenty-year-old. Rahan followed behind her, leading the goats and teasing her.
"Is there anything you actually dislike?"
"Nothing!"
A cheerful answer came back, almost like a song. Yeah, you certainly seem that way.
Iris walked with a bounce, her hair tied in braided rolls on either side swinging back and forth.
"I'm so happy."
"About what?"
"Just... everything."
The raspberry bushes were by the stream. Iris took off her small leather shoes and crossed the stream. Her exceptionally white feet stood out.
Why do her feet look so white and soft? Compared to those, my feet look as big as a thief's.
Rahan, who had taken off his shoes following Iris, was suddenly lost in random thoughts and ended up soaking the hem of his trousers in the stream. Iris burst out laughing.
"I thought the world would end once I got married."
"There are people who say that."
Rahan, wringing the hem of his trousers, replied with a smirk. Iris answered while hopping on a stone to shake the water off her feet.
"Priest Marid always looks like he's dying, and Abbot Wilbert is the same. But now that I'm actually married, I love it!"
Why was it? The strength in his fingertips wringing the trousers faded.
Rahan unconsciously looked at Iris. Iris, who was just putting her leather shoes back on, blinked at his gaze, looked back at him, and smiled brightly.
"I really do."
...Really, why was it?
Rahan hurriedly lowered his head and twisted the hem of his trousers for no reason. Thanks to that, the fabric became terribly wrinkled.
The wild raspberries growing in the bushes were luscious. He hadn't noticed yesterday, but there were black blackberries growing further inside as well.
However, as is typical for raspberry bushes near human settlements, the berries within arm's reach were either gone or unripe.
Seeing Iris struggling to reach the berries inside, Rahan clicked his tongue.
"Move aside."
The luscious berries filled the tray. Iris put one in her own mouth and picked another to put into Rahan's mouth. Was it a mistake to be distracted while eating it?
"Ah."
A thick thorn from the bush scratched his arm. Beads of blood formed over the red wound. It was only natural that Iris, who had been watching on tiptoe, was surprised.
"What should we do?"
"What do you mean 'what should we do'? It's nothing."
Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep. Rahan pulled his arm back and tried to wipe it roughly on his shirt, but Iris lightly tapped his shoulder, ran to the stream to scoop up water in her hands, and washed the wound.
"It must hurt."
Rahan chuckled at Iris's words.
"You can just heal it for me."
"You said I shouldn't do that, Rahan."
Iris, glancing at him tentatively, was absurdly cute. She remembered that?
"Wouldn't it be okay where others aren't looking?"
"Eridrahan is probably watching."
The way she tilted her chin and spoke as if preaching made her seem quite like someone who had intended to take priestly vows.
Just as Rahan was about to answer, Iris winked at him and shouted loudly,
"Eridrahan, please close your eyes!"
Then, she reached out and lightly brushed Rahan's arm. A faint light covered the arm and then disappeared. The wound vanished with it.
"Oh."
"While I'm at it, how is the wound on your left hand?"
"Ah, that. It's fine. It healed well."
Iris seemed to want to heal that as well, but Rahan waved his hand.
No matter how much the priests' divine power came from their faith in Eridrahan, it ultimately consumed the user's energy.
What healing could she possibly do with those slender arms that looked like they might snap? It was something that would heal just by applying saliva.
"The ointment you gave me worked really well. It healed quickly."
Of course, that wasn't an empty compliment. The ointment Iris had given him really worked. Hadn't he confirmed that the knife cut had closed in two days?
Iris replied happily.
"That's our monastery's specialty. I made it; did it work well?"
"Yeah. It works great."
"I'm glad. Still, let me see."
Then, clinging to his left arm, she stubbornly unwound the cloth.
"I told you it's fine."
"I said let me see if it's fine."
Her determination to see a trivial wound, gripping his left arm tightly against her side, was quite formidable.
The problem, however, was the posture. Rahan's face turned red. Because Iris had grabbed Rahan's upper arm against her side, something soft was pressed firmly against his arm.
'This is...'
Before he could even realize what it was, Rahan panicked and quickly pulled his arm away. Because of that, Iris tumbled backward.
"Kyak!"
"Uh, uh."
Consequently, Rahan also panicked. He hadn't expected her to fall backward so easily. Moreover, because she fell, her skirt flipped up, and her white legs beneath the under-tunic were completely exposed.
Rahan hurriedly grabbed Iris to help her up. Iris, now covered in dirt, smiled embarrassedly.
"I'm sorry. I must have been too rude."
"No, it's not that. Sorry. I was just too surprised..."
"Ah, did it hurt? I'm sorry."
At Rahan's words, Iris apologized again, as if she thought she had pressed on Rahan's wound.
It was absurd. Do you even know what you just did? Of course she wouldn't.
Rahan stared at that clear face for a moment and then let out a sigh.
"Iris."
"Yes?"
"Aren't you approaching a man a bit too without hesitation?"
It was clearly advice. However...
"But you're my husband?"
Only a nonchalant answer returned. For some reason, he felt like he was getting a headache.
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