Chapter 3: Call Me by My Name?

Fiene, who had resigned herself to the end of her life, thinking she would be consumed by the young duke in front of her, was met instead with sweet words and gentle warmth.

Involuntarily, she overlaid both hands on the warm hand that had been placed on her cheek.

“──!”

Fiene couldn’t stop her tears, and the drops moistened the hands of both.

“Why… why can’t I stop crying?”

“Fiene…”

Oswald, who had embraced her with strength, responded to her emotionally overwhelmed state.

“I won’t oppress you. I’ll cherish you.”

“…”

“Because I will take care of you.”

“Erze…Duke…”

Oswald responded to Fiene’s weak words with a wish.

“From now on, will you call me by my name every day?”

“name……?”

“Oswald”

As Fiene heard these words whispered in her ear, her body became even warmer than before.

For a while, the two allowed themselves to be swayed by the motion of the carriage in silence, but she muttered in a fragile voice.

“O-Oswald-sama…”

“──!”

Surprisingly, her calling his name seemed to be a powerful weapon, and Oswald, holding her, involuntarily jumped as if startled. He blushed slightly and let his eyes swim, but she couldn’t see that.

Eventually, when he released her after waiting for her to calm down a bit, he continued to gaze at her with an unchanged, gentle expression.

“From today on, you’ll be my wife. Is that okay?”

“Yes…”

“Really?”

“Yes. Thank you very much.”

Despite the swaying of the carriage that almost made her body fall, Fiene deeply bowed to Oswald sitting in front of her. Her head, bowing in the narrow carriage, was so low that it almost touched Oswald’s knee, and he hurriedly lifted her shoulders.

“You don’t have to be so polite to someone like me. I want you to feel free.”

“But…”

Seeing her like that, Oswald scratched his head, wore a somewhat frustrated expression, and bit his lip.

“Haven’t you noticed yet?”

“Huh…?”

Hearing those words, Fiene was taken aback.

(Am I unintentionally causing discomfort…?! Maybe because I cried? If a woman is sobbing in front of you, it could be troublesome, right?! No, maybe I messed up the courtesy earlier, and he’s angry?! What should I do…?)

With her eyes blinking, she moved her face up and down, left and right, showing a flustered appearance. Seeing this, Oswald chuckled and placed his hand on his mouth.

“You’re still the same, Fiene.”

“Huh…?”

Saying that, Oswald gently brushed her hair aside, allowing the sunlight to shine on him.

“Would it be easier for you to understand if I say ‘Oz’ rather than Oswald?”

“…………”

Fiene thought for a moment, but suddenly, like an electric shock, the person in front of her and “him” in her memory matched.

“──!!!!!!”

Fiene remembered a certain boy from her memories—