YasashīShinjitsu to Seiryaku Kekkon Vol IIChapter 19

She was about to say something thenshe remembered.

W

hy did not you understand? No, shesupposed it couldn’t be understood.

He had a long fringe covering his faceand was pretty expressionless and did not talk much,

‘Oh, did you remember?’ he smiledhappily.

Somehow, she felt a bit weak soMatilda carried on eating,

‘Would you like to eat the last loafof bread?’ she asked, noting the single loaf in the basket

‘Yes, please.’ He replied as hereached for it

‘Was it such a strange question?’

Leandro tore the soft bread and ate apiece,

‘I suppose it is strange since I ambeing asked whether it is a natural occurrence rather than a strange one…’

She cast her mind back to those days,remembering the feelings.

‘Wasn"t it…okay?’

He laughed, but his laugher was cold.

‘It was a shock to me.’

‘Huh?’

‘As you know, Barenshiaga was at warwith the neighbouring countries south east and south west. The war was long andthe Elder Emperor, my father was partic.i.p.ating.’

‘I see,’

‘The Elder Emperor is a person wholikes warring, so he hires lots of mercenary companies. So he warred with theEastern Mountain regions and the Western River regions up until a year ago,’

‘Yes, I heard.’

She had heard that Leandroth hadreached the age of twenty-seven and was still single because of the prolongedwar being waged against the two nations. It had been rumoured that he’d said,while domestic affairs were not calm he had no intention of getting married.

‘While, growing up, I have been goingback and forth between war campaigns and the Palace. In the palace the Empressraised us strictly; she did not want us to have sloppy manners from spendingtoo much time with mercenaries and soldiers and disgracing our royal lineage.There was nothing patriotic about it.’

Leandroth paused as he took the lastsip of his soup and cut a piece of his pork with his knife and fork a littletoo forcefully,

‘I wondered why I was born to thisguy, and why did I have to work so hard.’

Now the elder Emperor has become “thisguy”, but it seemed reasonable reason somehow.

‘And then I met you… “Do I need areason to love it?’ …for some reason, it shook my heart.’

◇◇◇

Before the summer sun began to meltthe snow on the mountains of Icecoreta

She had come to see to the well beingof the mercenaries and soldiers.

‘Why is a girl like you coming to awar zone?’

‘I come on behalf of our King.’

‘Aren"t you afraid?’

‘I am the one most protected byeveryone, if I am afraid, the soldiers will be even more afraid.’

He looked at the ten Royal Knightsthat stood just behind the Princess, and then looked back down at her,

‘Your hands are trembling,’

‘…I am just shivering from the cold.’

A ghost of a smile appeared on hisface.

The young man, a red head named Rossasked, ‘Do you love this country?’

‘I love it.’ She answered withouthesitation, a face full of smiles

.

‘Why do you love it?’

‘Do I need a reason to love it?’ shereplied, tilting her head

The young man stared at her, silent.

◇◇◇

She had been eighteen when they hadthat conversation. Both of my brothers were already born…

She thought that her brothers werecute, but she felt that she could not be honest so as not to be misunderstoodby her step-mother (Zuben: what is wrong with thinking your siblings are cute.)

There were many emotions swirlingwithin her heart, but the feelings she had for her father and Icecoreta did notchange.

She felt like she was going to burst fromher feelings for her father, but she reminded herself that she felt sunny andhappy when she did her best for her father (Zuben: daddy complex MAX!)

‘Many things had been troublesome, butwhen I heard your words, they were blown away. And I decided to take thethrone.’

‘Eh?’

‘I told you that I wanted you for along time, but I didn’t want to say anything while I was still a mercenary.’

‘Why?’ she asked tilting her head.

‘Just to get a glimpse of you, almostevery year I joined the mercenaries on the mountain border campaign that brokeout from winter to early summer.’

He seemed to be a cowardly man who ispursuing a woman, yet does not do anything about it.

Leandroth rested his temple on hishand and his gaze became distant,

‘During that time; what about yourcountry?’

‘Oh, I let my father and brother dealwith it.’

‘Leann is the crown prince, right?’

‘And now you’re the Emperor, aren’tyou?’

Her head hurt. She wondered if it wasokay to have a Crown Prince like this. Then again, it seemed like it was alright,the Barenshiaga Empire was still in existence, despite everything.

‘Because of you, I agreed to take thethrone. Because of you, I am trying very hard to maintain the peace.’ He saidsolemnly.

He washed his hands in a bowl ofwater, and reached for the fruit bowl.

‘Is that true?’ She asked, opening hereyes (Zuben: why were they closed?) Should she say she was happy? Should shetell him she loved him.

She did not understand what was goingon inside her heart; feelings are so messy. (Zuben: Truff!)

‘So what if I want jewels and enoughdresses to fill a warship, and I want to go to b.a.l.l.s every night and dowhatever? Are you crazy enough about me to make it all come true?’ She askedwithout thinking, she looked dismayed as she stuck her own forehead.

‘If I have the budget, and if that iswhat Mattie wants, I can do that. But I would prefer to use the funds for warorphans, social reforms, war preparations, government projects and so on.’

‘Oh of course, those are prioritysurely?’ she replied nodding. Their eyes met. She felt somewhat strange as shewondered whether she was being manipulated by this person.

‘Don’t you think?’ She began to feelhappy as she gave a proud smile, but she could feel her face heat up,

‘I don’t think so.’ He said

‘What?’

‘I want to live for myself. That iswhat I truly want in my heart.’

‘What are you…?’

‘You seem to be misunderstanding. I’lltell you, I am not kind to anyone other than you.’

‘That is a…’

‘I did not fire the Grand Chamberlainearlier because he was useful in other areas; of course I began to regret itlater.’

She could see it in his eyes, thefuture of that Grand Chamberlain was going to be dark.

‘Even so…’

‘Do you really want lots ofjewellery?’ Leann asked with one of his cold smiles as he peeled an orange.

‘Jewellery?’

‘Women like them a lot, don’t they?’

‘No, I don’t need it.’ She saidhonestly, ‘A fresh orange, a ripe peach, a red apple, a chestnut that is rollingin the forest. A walnut, an acorn, a fresh green sparkling leaf, a flower thatseems to be a fruit ... those things are more beautiful and last longer than acold stones.’

‘Is that so? Well if you want it, Iwill prepare them.’ He said smiling faintly, but the smile was lacking. It didnot look like it was from the heart

Matilda gazed at his hand.

‘After all, can I eat one?’

‘What?’

Ignoring his stupid expression, shebit into the orange in his hand.

‘Ah!!’ He said in surprise, and thatawful smile was wiped from his face. She ate the orange happily.

‘Once upon a time, I asked a jewellerto make jewellery that looked like cut open orange, because I thought it wasbeautiful. But the craftsman refused, the beauty of nature’s blessing in fruitsand the beauty of nature in jewels are different things. I was told that itwould be useless to try and replicate one in the other.’ (Zuben: A talentedcraftsman with time can do it, but whatevers.)

She washed her hands and picked anorange and peeled the skin off. She put it into his hand.

 Leandroth remained stiff.

‘Leann, was the last orange that good?I am sorry.’

She looked up at him, and Leandrothate the orange and pressed his lips against hers.

Zuben: