Villainous Husband

Chapter 59

"I can't believe I've been fooled by you"

Raniero clicked his tongue briefly before pulling my hand as if there was nothing more to see.

"The Empress must have been very bored in my absence to be looking at unimportant things in an unimportant place like this" 

"Oh, well... I didn't really have anything else to do"

As I was drawn closer to him, I clutched the [Flowers Bloom In The Abyss], which seemed like a blank paper to him. It seemed that the paladin, who had stood guard, had been sent back to the temple by Raniero, and there was no one else there but the dwindling sun.

Raniero placed at such a brisk pace that I had to almost run to keep up with his stride.

It was not a well-traveled path, so I thought I was going to sprain my ankle. While I was concentrating all my attention on not falling, Raniero suddenly stopped his steps and asked.

"Don't you even remember what you said only ten days ago?"

...What did I say ten days ago?

I was dumbfounded again. If it were ten days ago, it would be the day he left. After having a nightmare at night, he asked me if I would go with him and I said I wasn't going to go. seeing Raniero sulking at that time I said...

"Ah...!"

It was only then did I realize what Raniero was grunting so much 

"... I want to quickly finish the work as soon as possible and return to the imperial palace with your Majesty...to our home. To the Actilus Empire."

I did say something like that.

I had said it in a rush to appease him though I had forgotten that i had said it because I had been so preoccupied with the old sanctuary.

"I forgot..."

Still, I didn't think he was going to keep it in the back of his mind and came back early because of it. As I nudged and slid my finger between Raniero's fingers, it felt awkward, whether it was because I hadn't met in a long time or because I read the author's words.

He let me clasp my fingers through his but still didn't look at me.

I softened my voice.

"We can go home, right?"

"It's too late to remember, Empress."

"...You know I'm not very smart."

When he completely ignored me, I fiddled with the book with the hand that wasn't holding him and spoke softly.

"I'm glad you're back."

He didn't answer this either. Even when I glanced up at his face as I walked, his expression was ambiguous. Raniero glanced down at me only when we were almost at the temple.

"Let's call it a day."

After saying that, he let go of my hand.

When I withdrew my hand with a puzzled face, Raniero looked at me with a very offended look on his face.

"Your Majesty?"

He didn't answer my call but left me alone and walked briskly into the temple.

At that moment, I realized that I should have grabbed it back when he let go of my hand because he got sulky since I didn't hold it.

"Oh really..."

I sighed and followed him into the temple building.

"When you look at it like this, he's like a child."