Raniero knew where Angelica's gaze was directed to.
Since both the people of Temple and Tunia and Angelica returned to their lodgings, the audience room became empty. Only Raniero sat alone for several minutes, with his eyes closed.
A smile that was not remotely pleasant slightly caught on the edge of his lips.
He had been wondering since a while ago.
'What's with the Temple of Tunia?'
Angelica gave up all the social studies she had been so zealous for for several weeks, and she raked in only the information related to the Temple of Tunia. Even with her tired and emaciated face, she insisted that she undoubtedly would receive an audience from the Temple of Tunia.
Normally, when she was not feeling well and he gave her an excuse to run away, she was always quick to grab it.
'What is there?'
A barren land that he had never cared about… However, Angelica strangely set aside everything and explored it.
Since the Unro Kingdom and the Temple of Tunia were far away, there was no reason to trade with each other because expenses would be greater than the gains. For that reason, the Unro Kingdom does not know much about the Temple of Tunia.
Who would dig deep into the inconsequential matter that does not matter?
Raniero wanted to know what his wife, a native of Unro, valued so much in the Temple of Tunisia. But, he did not ask directly. It was because he would find out the day they came…
…From the direction of her gaze.
Indeed, the gaze was forthcoming. Angelica's eyes were fixed on one spot. He knew that their eyes had met for a moment. To Raniero, it was just a face that just looked hazy and uncharacteristic.
What did she see in the young man's eyes?
When that man first kneeled down in front of him, who was captured in the Empress' gaze, he could not help but laugh.
"Interesting."
Raniero uttered aloud in the empty hall.
There was a slight crack in his smile.
ﾟ· : * ✧ * :· ﾟ
"Who did you decide to invite for dinner?"
Raniero glanced around in his wife's room, which was now familiar.
A bow and arrow are arranged neatly on one side.
Raising up from his seat, he then leaned his upper body against the railing of the balcony. On the trunk of a large tree overlooking right from here, the marks have increased compared to the last time. It was proof that Angelica had been holding the bow steadily.
Looking at the traces of the arrows being pierced into the tree trunk several times, it seemed that the accuracy of the arrows was steadily increasing even though it was far from his standard. Not knowing that the training would be used as the basis of her escape, Raniero was filled with a slight sense of satisfaction.
Glancing over his shoulder, Angelica, who was sitting in front of her tea table, was blinking her eyes as she gazed at his back.
"Are you curious?"
Her pale green eyes rolled at his words. After taking her time, she eventually nodded her head slowly.
"Well… yes."
Somehow, it was an attitude as though she was not very curious.
"Who were you trying to seat?"
The silence was not pleasant.
As the scene of a young man kneeling in front of him was played behind Raniero's eyelids, another small crack was formed.
Raniero smiled.
Perhaps she thought it was a bad sign, and Angelica hastily opened her mouth, "The archbishop, the commander of the paladins, and two old-looking priests…Since I thought their ranks were higher."
She then glanced at him before adding her words.
"…But, come to think of it, Your Majesty is going to say such kinds of things are not fun, right?"
"…."
"As I thought about it, perhaps it doesn't sound really entertaining. Maybe, it's not good…?
That was not it.
'…There is someone she has been looking at.'
He still did not ask directly, turning his face away a little.
"Other than that?"
Angelica flinched reflexively. Somehow, her face had a desperate expression painted on it. She did her best to think of what to say for a few seconds, though after a while, her round shoulders soon drooped.
"…I don't know who else is important."
It was a boring answer.
"It's the first time I've met them."
Had he heard this answer two months ago, he would have been bored. Though now, it was a slightly different feeling—far from being disappointed, he was rather lenient. It may be a lie to say that she was not interested because she saw them for the first time.
Still, it seemed genuine that Angelica did not want to face that man in the evening. It seemed as though she did not even think about that young man at all.
Raniero grabbed a chair roughly and gestured towards Angelica.
She now easily understands her husband's wishes. The next moment, Raniero could feel a familiar weight on his thighs. With his arms wrapped around her waist naturally, Angelica drooped like a rag doll in his arms.
After only two months, she became complacent.
It felt like a long time ago when she held her vigilant and hardened her body. Their embracing figure was very natural. Although she never engaged first before the mood was ripe. After the hunting was over, a gentle impulse, similar to the one that came when they bathed together, tautened him down.
'I'd like her to beg for it first.'
—