As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover

From that day on, no one approached Luize. It seemed like almost no one was interested. Edward, who had initially watched her with interest, quickly lost interest in her after seeing her stand like a shadow during every banquet and then disappeared after a while.

In the end, she just didn’t fit in well in society and was boring. Nevertheless, strangely enough, when he was in the same place with Luize, he would always, like a habit, look at her once. Is it because of that mysterious and beautiful silver hair that attracts attention?

“Your Excellency, may I fill your teacup?”

“Do that.”

“Yes.”

The inn staff came in. The staff here were cautious with Edward. It was a natural reaction because there were all kinds of rumors about him, even among the commoners.

Most of the rumors weren’t very good to hear, but they became a very good shield for him to protect himself. It was necessary to make the imperial faction aware that he was not a very dangerous figure compared to the rumors.

Because of that, Edward often visited this place at the same time as other nobles’ visits to prevent the rumors from dying down. Despite rumors circulating that he was an oddity for staying holed up in his room without calling for anyone or for having only a certain group of people visit him multiple times.

Yesterday and today, he visited wearing a mask for two days in a row, so new news was expected to be added to the rumor. They must be thinking that he enjoys playing with his mask on or something like that. Edward laughed as he thought about the content. It wasn’t so wrong.

While the staff was leaning down next to him and carefully pouring tea, someone pulled back the curtain and entered.

“

.. it looks like someone came in.”

Edward grabbed the sofa’s head and slowly picked himself up. A face appeared outside the door, seemingly waiting for him. Her cheeks were flushed red as if she had hurried over.

The woman who was pouring the tea opened her mouth in surprise. “

? Is someone else coming?”

“Seems like it.”

Edward smiled triumphantly from behind his mask. He had thrown out bait and was uncertain if it would work, but she really did come. In fact, he had been considering alternative plans if she hadn’t shown up in about three days.

“My name is Luize di Cloette. I heard you’re Ellisian, the best gigolo here…”

“The best gigolo?”

It was a soft, low-pitched laughter. Edward nodded briefly. Every time he moved, his slightly long black hair swayed gently.

“That said, are you Countess of Cloette?”

“Yes.”

“But this person…”

The staff stood up and opened her mouth. Among the inn staff, only the two who had worked here for a long time were the ones who knew that Luize would come. The person who came to pour the tea was a junior, so she probably didn’t know the situation.

“Wait, I’ll tell you. What brings Countess to a place like this? Are you looking for your husband? Or since you came looking for a gigolo, are you looking for a pleasure?”

“I came to make you as my lover.”

The more he looked at her, the more interesting she was. He didn’t expect a boring person who stood like a shadow every time she attended a banquet over the past few years and disappeared at some point to personally come to a place like this.

“What good is it to me if I accept it?”

“I’ll make sure you live a prosperous life without receiving customers.”

“I’m already living quite comfortably… Still, that seems like an interesting proposal.”

“I can give you something else if you want.”

“What?”

“Anything you want and I can give.”

A question that seemed daunting came back with a quite bold answer. Edward looked at her with an interesting look on his face. Did she know what he was going to ask for that she confidently answered that way?

“

”

“If you don’t want to, I’ll find another gigolo.”

“Does it have to be a gigolo?”

“Are you going to accept it or not?”

Edward stared still into Luize’s purple eyes. Her eyes resemble lavender that will soon be in full bloom. Coincidentally, the incense that had been burning while he was waiting for her was a lavender scent.

“Yes. I’m willing.”

Edward’s hand went to his face. Long fingers wearing white gloves slowly removed the mask. It was time to remove the mask covering his face and show his real mask. The corners of Edward’s mouth rose seductively. He knew very well what kind of face to make in certain situations to ease the other person’s alertness.  

“Your Excellency Grand Duke Edward von Lindeman.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“I was rude. Please forgive me.”

For a moment, a look of confusion appeared on Luize’s face. That was when she slightly bowed her head in greeting and turned around to leave. Edward’s hand gently overlapped the back of Luize’s hand as she was about to part the red curtain. Luize’s hands were rougher and colder than he thought.

Edward’s gaze turned to her silver hair, which glistened in a strange color even under the dark light. The pure silver hair that seemed to have been embroidered with moonlight, stitch by stitch, reminded him of that day. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes after losing consciousness was that hair. Then, did he meet those purple eyes while talking?

“I’m a big fan of fun things.”

“Your Excellency knows that I’m a boring person.”

“Boring people and sexual relationships are not fun for me…” he bent down and whispered in her ear. “But it’s quite refreshing to see those two together.”

“This isn’t a kind of refreshing relationship.”

“I think that’s up to me to judge.”

“…”

“Wouldn’t you be in trouble if you leave now? Adding one more scandal to my numerous scandals won’t make much of a difference to me.”

Her hand holding the curtain lost strength. As Luize let go of the curtain, Edward also let go of her hand.

She turned her body again to face him. Her face was as emotionless as usual.

“I’ll say it again. I’m here to get a lover.”

“Yes. I will be that lover, Countess Luize di Cloette.”

“My husband is a count.”

“Who cares? The lover may have a higher title than the husband.”

“…”

Edward’s red eyes turned to Luize. After a moment of silence, she opened her mouth. “…That’s right.”

The gazes of the two intertwined sharply in the air.

“Let’s do it. My Lover.”

Luize held out the back of her hand towards Edward. He gazed into her purple eyes and kissed the back of her hand. 

“I hope it will be an opportunity to repay Madam’s kindness.”

In this way, the dethroned Prince Edward E. von Lindeman became Countess Luize di Cloette’s lover.

* * *

After returning to the mansion, Luize took off her robe in the room and changed into an indoor outfit. She wrapped her shawl around her body for a walk in the garden to calm her mind. The moment Luize opened the front door to go out into the garden, someone called her from behind her back.

“Luize.”

As she turned her head, the only person in the mansion who could call her name was standing crookedly, leaning against the railing of the stairs.

“Reiad. You weren’t sleeping.”

“I have some work left to do after I go out today.”

“It looks like you had a bit to drink.”

“Yes. Because it is a nice day after work. The moonlight is bright.”

Luize took a close look at Reiad. He looked tired, but he was still as beautiful as the sun. Every time she saw him like this, she would mistakenly think that her whole world would be getting warmer. She didn’t even know that her entire body was burning up because of that light.

“Reiad, can’t you just quit about the lover? There may be other happiness.”

“I thought one day you might bring it up.” Reiad continued, smiling as usual. “Do you remember, Luize?”

“…”

“The moment you interfere with my private life, this marriage is over. You’re the one who accepted that condition.”

Staring still at his blue eyes as clear as the sky, Luize nodded slowly. She then turned around again. “Yes, I remember.”

Luize stepped out the open door.

* * *

Cloette’s family’s carriage headed to Lindeman’s mansion the next day. Luize, who was visiting the mansion, had an armful of documents in her arms. Edward, who was sitting across from her in the parlor, looked back and forth between the documents in front of him and Luize’s face.

“What’s all this?”

“It’s a contract.”

“So, I’m curious as to why Miss Luize has prepared something like this.”

“I don’t know what to do with lover… So I have to decide it step by step. For example, I’ll add something like we will not engage in the kind of relationship a married couple would have.”

“It won’t happen unless Miss Luize wants it to happen.”

“What?”

“Miss Luize. Pardon me, but I understand that the matters between lovers are decided by discussion, not by a contract. Of course, if Miss Luize is anxious, I should sign a contract.”

“Lover? Your Excellency and I are not lovers.”

“The world sees lovers as, in other words, ‘shameless people who cheat on their partners, but they themselves mistake it as being the lovers of the century,’ Miss Luize.”

“…I even signed a contract with my husband.”

“… I’ll correct that. I guess that’s the trend these days.”

“Besides, Your Excellency has been calling me by my name since a while ago. Aren’t you and I still not close enough?”

Edward’s mouth went up gently. He replied in a polite tone. “Then do you want me to call you Countess Cloette from now on?”

“…That would be strange.”

“Miss Luize, you didn’t just take in a lover now.”