Oliver naturally assumed that Amanda was resting in the bedroom or already asleep. It was the right thing to do, as her arrow wound hadn’t completely healed yet. However, this night, contrary to Oliver’s expectations, however, Amanda was nowhere to be seen, despite the late hour.
Oliver frantically searched the bedroom before summoning a maid to ask about Amanda’s whereabouts.
Ttubeog ttubeog—
Oliver’s swift footsteps echoed in the large palace halls. He didn’t like the place where she was now.
Sswiiig!
There was a sharp sound of wind as Amanda’s arrow hit the bullseye. There were already a dozen other arrows embedded in the target, and her sword was out as if she had been practicing with it.
Oliver’s eyes flashed in disapproval.
“What are you doing here, my wife?”
“Ah, Oliver. Are you here to find me? It must be late already.”
Amanda set down her bow and tried to look contrite. Oliver walked behind her to inspect her back, worried that the wound might have been aggravated and started bleeding into her bandages.
Amanda spoke with a reassuring voice.
“You don’t have to worry. I’m fine.”
Fortunately her bandages were clean, but Oliver’s brow crinkled in dismay.
“It’s not fine. What the hell are you doing here practicing with your injured body?”
“I…I thought when I had the free time, I should improve my skills.”
“You can stop. Do you know how much worry you’ll cause me?”
Oliver lifted Amanda without further comment. She looked surprised, but did not push him away. She had already been in Oliver’s arms several times, and had subconsciously adapted to it. A broad smile spread across her face.
“Are you going to carry me to bed?”
“I’ll tie you to it as well.”
“Well, I’m not so easily captured.”
Oliver chuckled at Amanda’s playful words, but then his expression turned solemn.
“…Don’t make me worry. You can’t stress your body until your wound is healed.”
Amanda fully understood Oliver’s feelings, but she was too restless to simply lie still.
“I’m sorry to have troubled you, but the tournament will be soon. That’s when the Imperial Family would gather, and I’m uneasy about it.”
The tournament was the one Aaron had long been training for. It would have been held much earlier, but it was delayed due to Oliver’s and Amanda’s sudden marriage.
The tournament was periodically held in the capital, and it would bring together all members of the Imperial Family—Emperor Howard, Empress Madelyn, Second Prince Leon, and Grand Duke Luke. But could the event proceed without any incident? What’s more, Oliver wasn’t saying anything, but she had seen some suspicious movement from him. It was like the calm before the storm.
Oliver glanced down at Amanda in his arms.
“I suppose I still don’t have much faith in you. Just listen to me and rest until the wound is healed.”
“Then let me know what you’re up to.”
“…When you are healed.”
“If you don’t tell me anything by then, I might die in curiosity.”
At Amanda’s words, Oliver’s eyes darkened momentarily.
“Don’t joke about that. I still have nightmares about you being struck by an arrow and falling in front of me.”
“Ah…”
Amanda was speechless. The reason she was so aggressive in her training was to make Oliver emperor. She also had her duty to protect her family, but she also had a strong desire to do it for Oliver. However, she hadn’t fully understood what was going on in his mind.
Amanda lifted her hand to stroke Oliver’s cheek, and he tilted his head towards her touch. She spoke in an apologetic tone.
“I see. I’ll try not to worry you as much as possible.”
“I’m glad.”
Oliver stared down at her with a soft gaze.
“Never forget, you are the only person in the world who can hurt me.”
Oliver had never paid attention to what other people thought about him or said behind his back. However, he could not easily pass by even the smallest thing about Amanda. To him, Amanda’s injuries hurt more than they did, and he gave weight to her words more than anything else.
“I’m a fool when it comes to my wife. You’re the only one who can ruin me.”
There was nothing about Amanda that was insignificant to Oliver. Her small joys were his bursting happiness, and her wounds were intolerably painful. All the more so not only because she was the only love he had, but because they had exchanged their hearts. It made everything both sweeter and more heart-wrenching. Because of a single woman named Amanda, Oliver seemed to soar into the sky several times a day and then plummet to the ground.
Amanda grinned and pinched Oliver’s cheek.
“I know. Only I do that.”
As the pair carried on in conversation, they finally arrived in the bedroom. Even though there was a fair amount of distance from the training room to their bedroom, Oliver showed no signs of tiredness. Amanda glanced towards the bathroom.
“You can set me down.”
“To bathe?”
“Yes. I’ve been sweating, so I’ll have a wash.”
“You’re injured, so call the maids for assistance.”
“It’s alright. I don’t want to wake up the maids if they’re already asleep.”
Since she had been a knight for decades in her last life, it was easier to do it herself than to borrow someone else’s hand. Such experiences had eroded some of her aristocratic thinking.
Oliver carefully lowered Amanda to the floor. He stared at the bathroom door for a moment, and then spoke.
“…Can I help you?”
Amanda didn’t process the meaning at first, but soon enough her face turned bright red. She patted Oliver’s shoulder and hurriedly spoke.
“It’s alright. I can do it myself.”
Oliver watched Amanda hurriedly disappear into the bathroom, and he looked back at their exchange. He made the offer because he thought she would have difficulty washing alone, but Amanda’s shyness drove him even crazier. They agreed not to sleep together until Oliver became emperor, but as the days passed, his self-control seemed to wear down even more.
Oliver looked down at his hands. The feeling of her weight in his arms remained.
“…At this rate, I might not do it even if she allowed it.”