As she listened to his story, Rishe wondered inwardly

It’s an interesting tale, but why is he sharing this with me?

“I beg your pardon. I was going to start with small talk, but it turned out to be too long.”

Schneider gazed up at the mural and turned to her smilingly.

Then he told Rishe sincerely.

“–You must not marry Arnold Hein.”

“…”

His unheralded advice took Rishe’s breath away.

“Why is that…”

She was about to ask, but quickly held her tongue. Another person appeared on the balcony.

“– I thought I ordered that no one from the Order/Religion is to approach my wife at all, except as necessary for the ritual?”

“…Your Highness, Arnold.”

Arnold coldly looked at Schneider.

The air was tense and the temperature seemed to have dropped dramatically. Schneider flinched, but cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

“Um, I wasn’t informed, Your Highness.”

He was trying to hold onto his composure, but his fear was clearly visible.

Nevertheless, Schneider seemed to have decided to give Arnold a piece of his mind.

“Rishe here isn’t your wife but your fiancee. The Goddess will not allow you to call your unmarried partner ‘wife’.”

“So what?”

“H…”

The sharp click of his shoes made Schneider cower.

Arnold took one step at a time, slowly, but never letting go, suppressing Schneider with his gaze.

“T-The engagement annulment isn’t over yet to begin with.”

“…”

“In other words, for the Goddess, Rishe’s fiancé is not Your Highness Arnold. She is still engaged to His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Hermity.”

“…I don’t know if you understand the concept of ‘difference in beliefs’. There’s no way I’m going to kneel before your Goddess and ask for forgiveness.”

Arnold took Rishe’s hand and pulled her close to him.

Or perhaps he pulled her away from Schneider. Without batting his eyelids, he turned his dimly lit eyes to Schneider.

“―― Even if I kill you and become a sinner.”

“Aah!”

She could see how Schneiner turned pale all at once and clenched his teeth tightly.

He seemed to have lost for rebuttal and ran off the balcony like a bullet. As the pattering footsteps drifted away, Rishe uneasily raised an eyebrow.

Errr….

While holding his hand, she gently looked up at him up close.

Arnold was silently looking in the direction of where Schneider had disappeared, with eyes like a predator intimidating the outside of its territory.

I -I think I’ve upset him…

Apparently, Arnold had nailed the Order’s people to stay away from Rishe.

She had never heard of it, but she didn’t think he would tell her why. So, she decided to shift on another matter instead.

“…I think it would be safer if you don’t call me ‘Wife’ when we’re only engaged.”

“…”

Rishe was aware of this at least.

Not only this time. In front of a third party, Arnold would sometimes refer to Rishe, who was still only his fiancée, as his wife.

I’m sure there are reasons behind it, though.

For example, calling her “wife” was shorter and easier than “fiancée.”

However, they weren’t married yet. Calling her something other than what she really was would unnerve some people.

But Arnold replied without a hint of offense.

“It’s all been decided anyway.”

“What decision?”

“That you will be my wife…”

“!!”

She felt her heart skip a deep in her chest at his candid response.

An unnatural scream almost escaped her mouth, so she covered her mouth with her free hand. Then Arnold gave her a quizzical look.

“What?”

“What? N-Nothing…”

She mumbled a reply, but Arnold became even more suspicious.

Rishe removed her hand from her mouth and said softly.

“However, it would be dangerous to say that the decision is final… You never know what’s going to happen in life.”

“Huh?”

“Even if we’re engaged, who can say what will happen in the future?”

At any rate, Rishe had the precedent named Dietrich. She even had a betrothal ceremony, but as Arnold knew, the result was the same.

“It’s not limited to a broken engagement. For instance, … I might die before my wedding with Your Highness.”

“…”

I can’t speak for His Highness Arnold, but I’ve died many times before.

With that thought in mind, Rishe tried to look away. “Right?”

But someone blocked her.

Arnold, who was holding onto Rishe’s wrist with one hand, used his other hand to grab Rishe’s chin.

M….

He forcibly had her to look up, albeit gently at that.

Looking up closely in the sunset-painted backlight, Arnold ordered Reece, eyes slightly downcast.

“–I will never allow that.”

“!”

He whispered a hairbreadth away from kissing her, making her gasp.