Part 2 Chapter 107
“What bet? But isn’t it more likely that she looks like me, not Nike?”
My brother-in-law suddenly interrupted our conversation.
He was the handsome Duke, who resembled my husband and was also the Prince. I smiled while looking at my husband and his brother.
“You two are brothers, so it makes sense that you might look alike.”
“Hah.”
Right now, we were in the room of Matthias Valency, the second prince, who was one month old.
Just like with the first prince, Nike and I spent every free moment we had watching and admiring the newborn.
“You two spend more time staring at the baby’s face than the parents do, don’t you?”
Honestly, that was true.
Matthias probably saw my face more than his mother’s since I was in and out of the baby’s room all the time.
“Nike, you’re going to work now, and Your Highness, you should return to your room.”
“Ack! My dear brother~~”
It’s only been 20 minutes!
The cold-hearted Crown Prince quickly snatched Matthias from my arms and, with a smile, issued a command.
“Stop breastfeeding my son and start planning for your own children, you two!”
***
“When are you coming home today?”
I asked Nike, who was leaving for the knightly order, with an expectant look.
“I won’t be home today.”
“Eh?”
“I have training. It’ll take about a week this time.”
“Again?!”
Nike’s training trips with the royal elite knights had already been five times recently.
He would travel to various regions, and each trip meant he’d be away for at least three days to a week.
“Why do you go for training so often?”
“Why? I can’t go to the palace every day anymore.”
That’s true. We were preparing for our family’s relocation.
The place I had carefully chosen for our new home, the Duchy of Jevert, would be our new residence.
It was a two-day carriage ride from the capital, so once we moved there, Nike wouldn’t be able to commute to the palace daily.
“Make sure everything’s handed over properly.”
Right, Nike was training for that reason.
Honestly, I didn’t fully understand why he had to leave for training at such remote places, but…
“So where are you going this time?”
“Schwivirs.”
“Can’t you skip it?”
“…”
Nike frowned slightly before asking.
“Why suddenly?”
“It’s not sudden, but the training schedule is ridiculous. You came back from Gedeck just two days ago, and now you’re going for training again? Are you traveling the continent or something?”
“It’s work.”
“There’s no urgent reason, is there?”
“It’s urgent.”
“You’re the one who made this schedule, not anyone else. You’ve left me alone at home, and it’s happened so many times now…”
“Sorry. But I need to finish it properly. It’ll be over soon, just understand for a little longer.”
“Huh.”
I finally took a step back.
“Then can you delay it by just one day? Can’t you leave tomorrow?”
“That’s not possible. The knights I’m going with have their own schedule.”
“Can’t you just ask them for one day? Can’t you do that for me?”
“Why? Do you have something planned today?”
“…”
Nike seemed a little off.
If it were before, he would’ve agreed without question to spend the day with me.
But now, he seemed annoyed by the growing conversation and worried that the training would be delayed.
“I have something to say.”
“…?”
Nike tilted his head.
“Now’s fine, right?”
“No, not right now. Can we talk in private later, just the two of us?”
“What do you want to talk about? Is something wrong?”
“There’s nothing wrong. It’s not urgent. I just want to talk in a calm atmosphere. I’ll even bake you some delicious bread!”
“…”
After blinking a few times, Nike seemed to hesitate and then, awkwardly, said:
“Sorry. It’s really urgent.”
***
Bang!
The cake I had baked since morning was thrown into the trash.
Kali watched in surprise as I, with my clumsy skills, threw the cake I had worked so hard on into the trash.
“Did I upset you?”
Kali, who had been silently watching me head to the bed, now walked toward the trash can.
The smashed cake was clearly visible.
“Something feels off. It’s like every time we talk about training, you avoid the subject and act so firmly with me.”
“…”
“What’s going on? You seem to have some complaints.”
Bania, who had been tilting her head, suddenly spoke with a gasp.
“Maybe it’s because I haven’t been doing anything lately?”
“What are you talking about?”
Kali immediately got angry.
“That’s not it. If you want to, but today you’re tired and say just go to sleep, you should just accept it. Not like some animal.”
“I’m not an animal, but if my wife says she’s tired, I should let it go.”
“That excuse is nothing new, though.”
Kali’s frustration was rising.
She suspected something was up with Nike, but because Bania was too embarrassed to directly ask him, she started looking for the problem in herself.
Is that reasonable? Being upset just because a couple refused intimacy?
“Is the third prince that obsessed with sex?”
“Hmm. Not obsessed, but a bit intense.”
“…”
Kali, swallowing her anger, closed her eyes tightly.
She didn’t think Nike’s recent frequent training trips had anything to do with the concerns Bania had.
But Kali was well aware of Nike’s schedule and had suspicions regarding his mysterious absences.
“Your Highness.”
“Hmm?”
“If you don’t have plans to go out today, can I go out for a bit?”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m feeling a bit stifled. I want to get some fresh air. I wish I could take a few days off.”
“…?”
***
Jeido, Valen.
Two men sat at a cafe table in the middle of the city.
“Honestly, I know it’s a ridiculous suspicion, Kali.”
“But we have to check.”
One was Max, disguised with a fake mustache, and the other was Kali, disguised as a man.
“If Nike returned from Gedeck, he should have come back through the northwest entrance of Jeido. Before that, Cruiser, and before that, Dunst.”
Kali muttered with a glint in his eyes.
These were Nike’s movements during his training trips.
“But the entry records are only in the southeast gate. This means either he didn’t go to training, or he lied about his location to His Highness.”
“How can you be so sure that His Highness was sneaking around with his training?”
“He didn’t go through the north gate; he took a detour. This isn’t just once, but multiple times.”
“…”
“There’s no room for doubt. Every time His Highness left for training, he sneaked to a secret location in the southeast. And—”
Kali lowered the newspaper he was hiding and motioned toward Nike, who had just gotten out of the official carriage and was standing in front of a flower shop.
“Why is the guy who said he was going to Schwivirs for training, standing here? When did Schwivirs become a flower shop?”
“Isn’t Schwivirs the name of the flower shop?”
“Don’t make word games if you want to live. I’m really pissed off right now.”
Just as Kali spoke, the flower shop girl came out.
The girl greeted Nike with a bright smile.
…She was beautiful.
Angry, Kali immediately reached into his pocket.
Max hurriedly stopped him.
“Hey! Are you seriously pulling out a knife? Calm down!”
“Explain yourself.”
“Well, the Third Prince, the notorious lover, said he lied to his wife and came to a flower shop? It’s clear he’s preparing a surprise event for his beloved wife, right?”
“Ughhh.”
Kali’s anger quickly dissipated after hearing Max’s explanation.
This was why he brought Max along.
To stop himself from losing his reason and accidentally harming the royal family due to a small misunderstanding.
In reality…
Even though Nike’s actions seemed suspicious, there was no way he would lie about something like this.
A man who has sold everything for love, including his life, but will never give up his love for Bania.
Could such a man turn his eyes elsewhere after just three years of marriage?
It didn’t make sense.
No matter how suspicious Nike’s actions were, it was 99% likely to be a misunderstanding, and there must be an unavoidable reason why he lied to Bania.
Kali had started this surveillance under that assumption.
“See, now he’s buying flowers and going back…”
Max confidently said, but his voice trailed off.
Following Max’s surprised gaze, Kali turned and saw Nike entering the carriage with the flower shop girl.
“Where is the surprise event for her now?”
Kali gritted his teeth and muttered.
