Chapter 44. Husband, Am I Beautiful?
Aaaahhh—what on earth am I even saying?!!!
Master clearly only told me to drop a hint to the Prince Consort, so how did I end up blurting out my true feelings?!!
Right now, Reisen just wants to dig a hole and bury herself.
No, scratch that—if Master learns what she said, she probably won't need to do it herself.
Xander was also stunned.
Wait, we're going this far on the first meeting?
"Th-th-that's not what I meant, I was..."
Obviously trying to salvage the situation, Reisen stammered nervously.
But after hemming and hawing for ages, not a single complete sentence came out.
In the end, she could only lower her head, step out of the car, then come to his side to open Xander's door.
Seeing her curl in on herself like that, Xander couldn't bear to say much either.
He only asked casually, "By the way, do you know Eirin Yagokoro?"
At that familiar name, the withdrawn Reisen suddenly looked up in surprise.
"Do you perhaps know Master?"
If the Prince Consort truly knows Master, then doesn't that mean the Princess won't be bullied?
"No, I've only heard of her."
Waving his hand, Xander didn't say more and walked into the courtyard before him.
Although the estate was in the city's outskirts, nearly all the properties nearby were luxurious villas like this, so the security presence was substantial.
Passing through the gate, he was met by a meticulously built garden.
Flagstone paths formed winding lanes across the ground, and ahead stood a traditional Japanese-style building connected by covered corridors, with a hip-and-gable roof, deep eaves, and that distinctive raised floor.
As he took in the view, Reisen hurried a step forward to stand before him.
"I'll take you to the master bedroom. The Princess is waiting there."
"The master bedroom?"
Going straight to the bedroom??
"Y-yes. Is there a problem?"
"...No."
Reisen sighed in relief and started leading the way for Xander.
Following behind, Xander silently added a voiceover in his head: Sir, this way!
To take the shortest route, Reisen didn't go through the main hall.
She cut across the flagstones and went up the steps to the corridor.
"Does this estate have a name?"
Ambling along, a bored Xander asked in passing.
"Mm... It does. The Princess hasn't been here long, but she seems to have already named it. If I recall, it's called Eientei."
"..."
One coincidence after another made him realize that this really was the Kaguya from his memories.
However, judging from everything so far, there was most likely no supernatural power involved here, and Kaguya did not possess that bug-like ability of eternity and the instantaneous.
Soon, Reisen came to a halt.
"The Princess is inside. I won't intrude further."
She bowed slightly to Xander, took a few steps back, and turned to leave.
Before him was a sizable Japanese-style room, and he stood at its finely carved wooden door.
He stepped forward and knocked lightly.
"Please, come in."
A cool, pleasant voice sounded from within.
Xander placed his hand on the knob and gently pushed the door open.
...
"This humble woman is lacking in many ways. From here on, I ask my husband for his guidance."
The room was simple and refined.
Aside from a low table, a writing desk, and a few cabinets, there was nothing superfluous.
Upon the comfortable tatami, a black-haired girl in a kimono knelt respectfully before Xander and bowed.
"You should sit up."
He didn't take it upon himself to judge the behavior.
He simply wasn't used to such etiquette.
He bent down to help her up, and at his words Kaguya, bracing herself on her hands, slowly rose.
At that moment, Xander finally saw Kaguya's face.
How to put it—although he had already seen photos, meeting in person still filled him with awe.
Her long black hair flowed like a waterfall.
Her soft cheeks were exquisitely pretty, carrying that uniquely Eastern charm—gentle as jade yet as radiant as a blossom.
The flicker of her eyes was lively as water, enough to intoxicate.
Just by looking, it was as if everything around them fell silent.
Noticing Xander staring in a daze because of her, Kaguya's lips curved into a faint smile.
She straightened, leaned a little closer, tilted her head slightly, and with her fingertips gently pushed aside the lock of hair at her brow.
A faint blush rose on her fair cheeks as she looked straight into Xander's eyes and said in a voice as light as a lark's, "Husband, is this concubine beautiful?"
Xander didn't answer, but his silence said plenty.
Kaguya's smile deepened slightly.
She lifted her chin, revealing a swanlike jade neck, and slowly closed her eyes.
Seeing such a yielding, inviting posture, Xander's Adam's apple bobbed.
...
"It really is a curious feeling."
Lightly touching her dewy lips with a fingertip, ripples shimmered in her eyes.
Honestly, things were already going much better than Kaguya had expected.
She didn't dislike this gentle kind of possession.
After all, she had already placed him in the position of husband, and her upbringing didn't make her think there was anything wrong with this sort of act.
In her eyes, it would even be reasonable if Xander were a bit impatient and simply took all of her for his own.
Kaguya had always had the utmost confidence in her looks.
Unused to kneeling, Xander sat cross-legged opposite her.
To be honest, it was a bit awkward.
Before they had even properly spoken, he'd taken her first kiss.
It was completely beyond his expectations.
Then Kaguya picked up the teapot and poured Xander a freshly brewed cup of tea.
"Please."
"Thank you."
As Xander thanked her and took the cup, he heard Kaguya remark as if unintentionally, "About just now—husband, you seemed quite practiced."
Skilled as he was, Kaguya could clearly sense that her husband, like her, had never actually experienced that kind of thing.
And after seeing so much scheming in great clans, his personality felt to her as pure as a blank sheet of paper.
It was as if she had drawn the very best SSR.
Her faint fear of a political marriage melted away in that moment.
Xander's hand shook around the teacup and he almost dropped it.
As if!
Practicing on Seele every day—how could he not be proficient?
But there was no way to respond to that, so Xander pretended not to hear and drank his tea in silence.
Kaguya didn't mind and began to guide the conversation.
They first chatted briefly about their basic situations.
When she felt her husband relax a little, she ventured into something deeper: "Husband, is there anything you want to do in the future?"
"What I want to do? That would be making games."
Without much hesitation, Xander said it outright.
"Games?!!"
Kaguya's eyes lit up.
What a coincidence—she liked them too.
"Mm. Saying that, I'm actually already making one. I even took part in St. Freya's Mini-Game Festival earlier."
Since she was essentially his fiancée, Xander didn't hide much.
"Oh? This concubine knows a thing or two about that. Would husband tell me about your game?"
Holding back her excitement, Kaguya curled her toes in anticipation.
"Mm. It's a story-driven pixel game called To the Moon."
Kaguya: "?"
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