Yasashī Shinjitsu to Seiryaku Kekkon Volume 2 Chapter 22

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Leandroth…’

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

‘What happened to me?’

‘You fainted and sprained your ankle. The doctor says your physical condition is bad. My wife was taking care of you.’

‘Hello, my name is Matilda. It’s nice to finally meet you, Marquis Bellmud. Please rest well, I will look after you.’

‘Your highness…’

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

The marquis stared at Matilda for a moment then asked,

‘May I have some water?’

Matilda quickly let him have a sip of some water. He smiled gravely at Matilda, ‘There is no need to trouble yourself, Princess, I am sure you are busy preparing for your wedding.’

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

‘I have no official duties yet. As for the wedding preparations, it’s all being handled. All I do is read books and wait around. So please let me have something to do.’

He gave her a wry smile,

‘Also you can tell me all about Leandroth’s childhood.’

If he talked about Leandroth’s childhood, inevitably he would talk about his daughter, Orlatta. It must still be painful for him, so must still, that he was upset about her hairstyle.

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

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

‘I am sorry. I shall get back to work. Sorry for the inconvenience.’ The Marquis said trying to get up. Leandroth placed an hand on his shoulder holding him down.

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

‘Three days?!’ he shouted.

‘This is a good thing, you getting injured is the gods telling you that you need some rest. If you hit your head, I’m afraid you’ll need a lot more rest. So if you did not want to be an inconvenience, 

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

Bellmud looked at Leandroth is surprised askance,

Leandroth laughed, ‘My wife is cute, isn’t she? You can’t go against her, so you better listen to her.’

Leandroth clapped, and two maids entered the room with the grumpy doctor. He confirmed his 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. He left after that. Bellmud stared at the door after the doctor.

‘Please take some leave,’

So the Marquis Bellmud acquiesced. He went to sleep.

⚔

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

Now his cheeks were a bit sunken. The situation is the government was making things worse, 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 she would do the same, say she was sorry to her father, if she died before he did.

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

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

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

‘Orlatta…’ he called.

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

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

She wondered what he had been searching for.

She thought of her foolish behaviour, nearly killing herself, Matilda’s eyes welled up with tears. If she had died, her father would surely have grieved. She may not have been next in line to the Icecoreta throne, but her father had cared for her. She had been his precious daughter. (Zuben: Wow! Really?)

And yet…her affectionate father who nearly passed away when her mother died, she nearly once again let him experience the death of an important person. Matilda began to cry.

The maids looked worriedly at her.

‘Why are you crying?’

Matilda was startled; she sniffed as she wiped her wet face.

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

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

‘I’m not crying because of you, Grandfather.’

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

Matilda blinked at that. It had become serious,

‘I did something foolish a little while ago, and I was crying because I only realised it was foolish. I do want to marry Leandroth – very much. So please do not worry.’

She was slightly embarrassed, but she heard him laugh,

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

‘Grandfather Bell…’

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

‘Orlatta was always laughing, we always laughed despite everything.’

He sighed deeply,

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

‘Do you…regret it?’

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

Bellmud covered his face with this other arm.

The former Empress who had always laughed. The woman who raised Leandroth and Bartholomew. The siblings, who would have been broken, were good.

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

‘Somehow, Leann and Bell-sama see Orlatta as a weak person. But if my husband doesn’t come to see me for a year or more, it would be hard to raise the children by oneself. You would be seen as a weak person.’

She made a fight unconsciously.

‘If she was truly weak, she would have abandoned everything and just escaped into her hobbies. Yet she participated in her husband’s life despite his treatment of her.’

The marquis giggled at her conviction.

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

Just like her father who was always calm, always smiling; despite the stresses and strains of ruling a country, despite not being physically strong. The body was weak, but the mind was the strength behind Icecoreta.

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

Bellmud began to laugh, he laughed so hard his body shook, he laughed so hard he began to cry.

‘Then, why would she apologise?’

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

‘Before…’

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

‘What if she chose to die?’

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

‘You’re looking forward to marrying Leandroth, aren’t you? Maybe he’ll let go of the past.’

‘Is it not strange?’

‘Strange?’

‘Could it be that she did not want to raise the children? If this were the case, that would explain why Leann doesn’t like his mother. He doesn’t regard his birth mother 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 look for love elsewhere.’

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

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

Bellmud sighed and closed his eyes,

‘Grandfather…?’

‘She was certainly obsessed with raising Leandroth and Bartholomew.’ Bellmud said gravely

‘Is that so…?’

‘I thought it was to escape her responsibilities as Empress.’

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

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

‘Hmmm,’

‘Are you still sad for Orlatta-sama?’

‘No I am happier.’

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

‘Really?’

‘Yes,’

‘I want to sleep now.’ He said

‘Please rest well.’

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

For Marquis Bellmud, Leandroth was his grandchild where biological or not.

‘I will come and visit again tomorrow.’

‘I will be here,’

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

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

Matilda smiled, ‘I am not a messenger pigeon, tell him yourself. Your mouth would rot if you don’t use it.’

She patted his hand gently as she rose.

‘I will come again tomorrow and bring your grandson with me. Good night and sweet dreams.’

‘Good night,’ he replied.

Please have a nice dream, one where Orlatta is laughing, she wished as she left the room.

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 saying much. I still can’t figure out, half the time, who is saying what when. 

Index ⚔ Chapter 23