YasashīShinjitsu to Seiryaku Kekkon Vol IIChapter 22

‘L

eandroth…’

‘GrandfatherBell, you have woken up. We’re sorry if we disturbed you.’

‘Whathappened to me?’

‘Youfainted and sprained your ankle. The doctor says your physical condition isbad. My wife was taking care of you.’

‘h.e.l.lo,my name is Matilda. It’s nice to finally meet you, Marquis Bellmud. Please restwell, I will look after you.’

‘Yourhighness…’

‘Pleasecall me Matilda, may I call you grandfather?’

Themarquis stared at Matilda for a moment then asked,

‘MayI have some water?’

Matildaquickly let him have a sip of some water. He smiled gravely at Matilda, ‘Thereis no need to trouble yourself, Princess, I am sure you are busy preparing foryour wedding.’

‘Iam not busy,’ she said gently. Matilda did not mind, she knew his refusal wasborne from loneliness, but he didn’t really mean it.

‘Ihave no official duties yet, as for the wedding preparations it’s all beinghandled. All I do is read books and wait around. So please let me have somethingto do.’

Hegave her a wry smile,

‘Alsoyou can tell me all about Leandroth’s childhood.’

Ifhe talked about Leandroth’s childhood, inevitably he would talk about hisdaughter, Orlatta. It must still be painful for him, so must still, that he wasupset about her hairstyle.

Themust also be something to know about the death of Empress Orlatta.

Besidesthat, she also wanted to know more about that Earl Pikers.

‘Iam sorry. I shall get back to work. Sorry for the inconvenience.’ The Marquissaid trying to get up. Leandroth placed an hand on his shoulder holding himdown.

‘Youcan’t move. There is a fear you may have hit your head, so the doctorrecommended bed rest. You are confined to bed for the next three days.’

‘Threedays?!’ he shouted.

‘Thisis a good thing, you getting injured is the G.o.ds telling you that you need somerest. If you hit your head, I’m afraid you’ll need a lot more rest. So if youdid not want to be an inconvenience, 

please rest well. That is what we need youto do now,’

Bellmudlooked at Leandroth is surprised askance,

Leandrothlaughed, ‘My wife is cute, isn’t she? You can’t go against her, so you betterlisten to her.’

Leandrothclapped, and two maids entered the room with the grumpy doctor. He confirmedhis diagnosis. He was suffering from chronic fatigue, and had a sprained ankle.He needed bed rest for three days. It would not be good to move too much. Heleft after that. Bellmud stared at the door after the doctor.

‘Pleasetake some leave,’

Sothe Marquis Bellmud acquiesced. He went to sleep.

◇

Matildalooked over the sleeping Marquis. He seemed like he was older than 60. If hehad been a knight as Leandroth told her, he would have been well muscled andbuilt when he was younger. But that was all in the past.

Nowhis cheeks were a bit sunken. The situation is the government was making thingsworse, to the extent that he was so thin. And his daughter’s last words being“Father, I am sorry,” was probably because she was dying first. Perhaps shewould do the same, say she was sorry to her father, if she died before he did.

Hermother died earlier, she remembered how sad he was. So if she died before…

Matildawiped tears that had welled up in her eyes. She used a cold cloth to wipe thesweat off the Marquis’ brow,

‘Orlatta…’hecalled in his sleep. He raised his hand, like he was desperately trying tocatch something. Matilda took his hand and stroked it to calm him,

‘Orlatta…’he called.

‘It’salright, I am here. Relax and go to sleep.’ She whispered. He opened his eyesand looked blindly at Matilda, and closed his eyes again. His grip tightened.

Hishands, that used to be large and muscular, were now frail.

---She wondered what he had been searching for.

Shethought of her foolish behaviour, nearly killing herself, Matilda’s eyes welledup with tears. If she had died, her father would surely have grieved. She maynot have been next in line to the Icecoreta throne, but her father had caredfor her. She had been his precious daughter. (Zuben: Wow! Really?)

Andyet…her affectionate father who nearly pa.s.sed away when her mother died, shenearly once again let him experience the death of an important person. Matildabegan to cry.

Themaids looked worriedly at her.

‘Whyare you crying?’

Matildawas startled; she sniffed as she wiped her wet face.

‘Wouldyou like some water?’ she said her voice a bit watery.

‘Thereis no need for you to cry. I can always retire early.’

‘I’mnot crying because of you, Grandfather.’

‘Isit because you don’t want to marry Leandroth? I can help you.’

Matildablinked at that. It had become serious,

‘Idid something foolish a little while ago, and I was crying because I onlyrealised it was foolish. I do want to marry Leandroth – very much. So please donot worry.’

Shewas slightly embarra.s.sed, but she heard him laugh,

‘Orlattawas would have been happy to have a daughter like you.’

‘GrandfatherBell…’

‘Humanhands are warm, I forgot.’ He said with a tired sigh, and he looked up at theceiling but his eyes were far away,

‘Orlattawas always laughing, we always laughed despite everything.’

Hesighed deeply,

‘Whydid I let you get married? Why didn’t I make you divorce…I should have takenyou out of the palace…’

‘Doyou…regret it?’

‘Thatgirl always showed a happy face, it would have been a painful situation.’

Bellmudcovered his face with this other arm.

Theformer Empress who had always laughed. The woman who raised Leandroth andBartholomew. The siblings, who would have been broken, were good.

‘WasOrlatta-sama a weak person?’ she asked without thinking. Bellmud raised his armand looked at her with anger in his eyes,

‘Somehow,Leann and Bell-sama see Orlatta as a weak person. But if my husband doesn’tcome to see me for a year or more, it would be hard to raise the children byoneself. You would be seen as a weak person.’

Shemade a fight unconsciously.

‘Ifshe was truly weak, she would have abandoned everything and just escaped intoher hobbies. Yet she partic.i.p.ated in her husband’s life despite his treatmentof her.’

Themarquis giggled at her conviction.

‘Peoplewho are always laughing are hiding a tremendous strength. They have greatmastery over their hearts and minds, even under times of great stress.’

Justlike her father who was always calm, always smiling; despite the stresses andstrains of ruling a country, despite not being physically strong. The body wasweak, but the mind was the strength behind Icecoreta.

‘Yousay that you laughed together, I wonder if she was truly happy. Did she notdecide she had to put aside a husband who did not look at her and concentrateon looking after the children?’

Bellmudbegan to laugh, he laughed so hard his body shook, he laughed so hard he beganto cry.

‘Then,why would she apologise?’

Matildaheld his hands, ‘Would you not apologise if you died before your father…?’

‘Before…’

‘Myfather lost mother first. I was afraid my father would die with my mother. If Idied before my father, in his presence, I would apologise.’

‘Whatif she chose to die?’

Choseto die? Matilda tilted her head (Zuben: Like you almost did, Mattie. I althoughI think falling down the stairs is a foolish way to suicide. There isn’t aguarantee of death.)

‘You’relooking forward to marrying Leandroth, aren’t you? Maybe he’ll let go of thepast.’

‘Isit not strange?’

‘Strange?’

‘Couldit be that she did not want to raise the children? If this were the case, thatwould explain why Leann doesn’t like his mother. He doesn’t regard his birthmother as his mother but Empress Orlatta. He is fixated on her as his mother.Children are very sensitive, if they aren’t cared for properly they would lookfor love elsewhere.’

‘Whatyou are saying is Leandroth longs for the love of his mother…’

‘Maybe so. I long for the love and attention of my father. We seem to be rathersimilar in that.’

Bellmudsighed and closed his eyes,

‘Grandfather…?’

‘Shewas certainly obsessed with raising Leandroth and Bartholomew.’ Bellmud saidgravely

‘Isthat so…?’

‘Ithought it was to escape her responsibilities as Empress.’

‘Ratherthan clinging to a man that does not want her, she decided to raise hismistress’ children and raise them wonderfully. They would reciprocate thatlove. I am sure she was surprised they grew up well.’

‘Iwish we could talk to Orlatta-sama about everything.’

‘Hmmm,’

‘Areyou still sad for Orlatta-sama?’

‘NoI am happier.’

‘Ithink that Orlatta-sama is happy too.’ (Zuben: sigh)

‘Really?’

‘Yes,’

‘Iwant to sleep now.’ He said

‘Pleaserest well today.’

‘Yougo get some rest. I am glad I got to speak to my grandson’s wife.’

ForMarquis Bellmud, Leandroth was his grandchild where biological or not.

‘Iwill come and visit again tomorrow.’

‘Iwill be here,’

‘Anddon’t let that strange man come and see you.’

‘Iunderstand, I will refuse the snake when he comes.’ Bellmud said jovially, ‘andtell his majesty to sow his seeds well.’

Matildasmiled, ‘I am not a messenger pigeon, tell him yourself. Your mouth would rotif you don’t use it.’

Shepatted his hand gently as she rose.

‘Iwill come again tomorrow and bring your grandson with me. Good night and sweetdreams.’

‘Goodnight,’ he replied.

Pleasehave a nice dream, one where Orlatta is laughing, she wished as she left theroom.

Zuben:It seems as they say in the bible, the scales have fallen from her eyes. Doooh…This was the most comprehensible chapter in a long time, and that is not sayingmuch. I still can’t figure out, half the time, who is saying what when. 

Index ⚔ Chapter 23