SWTI 07

Chapter 7

[It’s a side effect.]

“Could you explain it in a way I can actually understand?”

[When the memories of the future are forcibly attached to the timeline of the past, the surrounding mana becomes distorted, and that’s the side effect that occurs.]

“It doesn’t hurt, though. For a side effect.”

[It’s not an illness of the mortal world to begin with. It’s simply the way causality reacts when the worldline is distorted.]

To be honest, I understood less than half of what he was saying.

[Either way, a foolish human like you won’t understand, so just remember that it’s a side effect—W-wait! Don’t hit me!]

I smiled sweetly and raised the crystal hammer, making Kaiseus panic.

“Anyway, you’re saying there’s nothing wrong with my health?”

[Uh-huh. You might actually feel refreshed afterward. It’s the process of the distorted mana returning to its normal course.]

Come to think of it, I had indeed felt strangely refreshed after coughing up blood.

Unlike when I asked him why he had told me about the original story, where he had stubbornly kept his mouth shut, he was surprisingly willing to explain this.

As expected, violence was the answer to solving problems.

“Fine. Then when will the side effects appear?”

[I don’t know that either.]

We stared blankly at each other.

“…You definitely warned me when I coughed up blood, didn’t you? You told me to ‘pay the price.’”

[That was…]

Kaiseus’s cheeks turned red.

[…because I wanted to look cool.]

Oh dear. Just like a Black Dragon, his edgy phase had come early.

I suppose I had to understand.

‘But if the coughing up blood happens randomly, that’s a problem.’

It wasn’t just that I had coughed up blood. I had even fainted.

Regardless of how refreshed I felt afterward, it was still troublesome.

‘Well, surely I won’t collapse in front of everyone again, right?’

I decided not to worry about things I couldn’t control.

[Then can I go back now?]

“Go where?”

[Back into the ring.]

A brief silence followed.

“Come to think of it, even if it’s because of the pact, why are you disguised as a ring of all things?”

[Because it’s made from my magnificent horn. I’m not an adult yet, so I can’t enter the White Forest.]

When I looked at him with an expression that clearly said, Seriously?, Kaiseus’s face crumpled indignantly.

[I want to grow up quickly too!]

“Sure, sure. His Highness Kaiseus the Little One. Do whatever you want.”

[Ugh…!]

The baby dragon flapped his tiny wings in frustration before eventually doing a forward roll.

Roll, roll.

The ring that Kaiseus had transformed into landed on the table.

I picked it up and slipped it onto the ring finger of my left hand.

A small laugh escaped me.

“I didn’t pick up a dog or a cat. I ended up picking up a dragon.”

Just as I was feeling quite pleased with my useful little dragon acquisition—

Click.

I heard someone open the bedroom door.

I turned toward the person who had entered.

For some reason, his face looked more haggard than before.

And yet, somehow, this strange man managed to make even that look heartbreakingly beautiful.

“Shubel?”

At the sound of his name, Shubel, who had been walking into the room with unfocused eyes, widened them.

Blink.

His eyes slowly closed and opened again, as though he were checking whether this was really reality.

And then, like a scene from a movie, everything became vividly engraved into his mind.

The dead, empty eyes suddenly gained focus.

A faint light appeared in them—delicate and fragile—and then grew wide when they saw me.

“Elisia…?”

His voice trembled faintly, as though he couldn’t believe it.

He hurried toward the bed where I was.

And from Shubel’s eyes—

Plop.

A jewel-like tear fell.

‘W-wait.’

…Tears?

Tears?!

I stared in shock as Shubel grabbed my arm with trembling hands.

“You really woke up? You didn’t leave me behind, did you…?”

What the hell?

Why was he saying something that sounded like a widowed husband?!

Thanks to him, my dazed mind finally snapped back to reality.

I smacked the back of his hand.

“I’m perfectly fine, so let go. You’re hurting me.”

“Ah… I’m sorry. I was just so happy.”

He carefully released me, his pale face looking as though he had endured an incredible amount of emotional suffering.

It made me feel strangely uncomfortable.

‘We weren’t this close, were we?’

Perhaps because I knew the Shubel from the original story, this version of him felt even stranger.

The Shubel described in the original story hadn’t shown even the slightest bit of interest in me.

Complete indifference.

And two strangers bound together by the name of marriage.

That had been our married life in the original story.

‘Then what made him change this much?’

Feeling strangely embarrassed, with a ticklish sensation around my chest, I subtly avoided Shubel’s gaze.

I only did it because I felt like something troublesome might happen if I kept looking at him.

But Shubel’s expression became anxious.

“Wife?”

Come to think of it, hadn’t he called me by my name earlier?

“Are you in pain? Ah, but you even coughed up blood, so there’s no way you could possibly be fine… I was foolish. I’ll call the priest immediately—!”

“I’m fine.”

“But—”

“Shubel, look at me.”

Because Shubel looked ready to drag a priest here by the collar, I hurriedly grabbed him.

I must have been in too much of a hurry, because I grabbed him by the collar.

As a result, the distance between us became even closer.

‘Hmm. This distance is dangerous.’

Of course, not for me.

For Shubel.

Apparently, it was too much stimulation for a sheltered young nobleman.

Seeing his eyes widen in surprise, I offered him a silent apology.

‘How is someone this innocent supposed to survive in this harsh world?’

I had completely forgotten that on the very first day I arrived at Runein, Shubel had calmly asked me, “Should I kill them?”

I was already thinking that before returning to my sweet home, I needed to give him some serious lessons about the world.

That way, I could leave without worrying about him.

“I’m really fine.”

I firmly assured Shubel.

“Look. There’s nothing wrong with me.”

According to Kaiseus, coughing up blood was merely a side effect and there was nothing wrong with my health.

Even if I got examined, there was no way some illness that didn’t exist would suddenly appear.

At my words, Shubel obediently lowered his eyes while I still had him by the collar.

The shadows falling across his thoughtful face made him look incredibly delicate.

He’s ridiculously handsome, I thought to myself.

Then he looked up at me and spoke in a sorrowful voice.

“You don’t have to pretend in front of me, Wife.”

“…Huh?”

“I know you’re an incredibly strong person. But at least in front of me, I wish you wouldn’t… always force yourself to endure everything.”

What was he talking about?

I stared at the man who was somehow trapping me beneath him while looking up at me.

‘Wait. When did we get into this position?’

Thinking that this was a little too much, I slowly tried to retreat.

Then I felt the soft cushion behind my back.

Ah.

Right.

We were in the bedroom.

And we were…

On the bed.

The moment I realized that, I looked into Shubel’s eyes, which seemed to have gone slightly strange, and swallowed nervously.

It was the first time I truly realized that he was my husband.

“You rascal! What are you doing to my daughter-in-law?! Are you planning to crush the poor girl with that enormous body of yours?! Move!”

It was definitely Bella’s voice, but it was completely different from her usual elegant manner of speaking.

Bella, who I had no idea when had entered the room, smacked Shubel repeatedly on the back.

Shubel’s expression instantly became bored before transforming into a gentle smile.

“Mother, I’m your son.”

“My sweet and gentle daughter-in-law is much prettier than an unlovable son!”

“Hmm. That’s true.”

Why are you agreeing?!

In the end, Shubel reluctantly moved away.

I decided not to ask why he looked so disappointed.

“Daughter-in-law, are you all right?”

“Yes, Mother. I’m fine. Really, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with me.”

Bella had already returned to being an elegant noblewoman. She gently held my hand as she asked.

I smiled even more brightly to convince her that I was fine.

For some reason, Bella looked even more heartbroken.

“My poor child. She matured so early that all she learned was how to swallow her pain.”

I felt dizzy.

‘No, I really am fine!’

Of course, I had coughed up blood.

And I had fainted!

…When you put it that way, I really did sound like a critically ill patient.

I let out a groan internally.

In the end, despite the doctor’s diagnosis that I was perfectly healthy, I found myself under the excessive protection of my in-laws.

“Wife, just in case, I think you should let me carry you.”

“…I’m just going down the stairs.”

“No. You might get nauseous otherwise.”

What kind of ridiculous logic was that?

“This tableware should be a different color here, and… Vikal?”

“I’ll carry it. Little Mistress, please conserve your energy.”

After that, they even took a fork away from me because I needed to conserve my strength.

“Cough!”

“Eek! Little Mistress! Quickly, call the doctor and the priest!”

I coughed once, and the entire Grand Duchy Castle descended into chaos.

…Was this really necessary?

Was it?!

In the end, unable to endure it any longer, I made an announcement in front of everyone in the Grand Duchy Castle.

“I’m perfectly fine.”

“……”

“There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“……”

“I’m healthy! Cough!”

“Turn up the heating!”

“Daughter-in-law, breathe! Breathe!”

“Wife… you can’t leave me behind…”

I just had a cold, but my in-laws’ overprotectiveness was becoming a serious problem.