If that was because she had nothing but scorn for him, he could capitalize on that. But if it had been because she truly didn’t care about Arnald, he had the feeling that would upset him a little.
Arnald had no intention of letting a wife like Byletta go. How could he, when she’d made a man infamous for his cold-bloodedness and hard-heartedness feel so much? His whole body was buzzing with emotion. That was the only solid hard fact he knew.
Discovering the truth about his supposed harlot of a wife didn’t necessarily make him want to correct his own behavior, but it did set fire to his fighting spirit. He wanted to make her his.
As he thought smugly of the wife he’d obtained, Movris’s comment about how getting married would add spice to his life seemed to ring true after all.
“I bet you think this victory celebration is a hassle, don’t you?”
As soon as he and Byletta returned from the Swangan estate, Arnald had been summoned by the military to attend a meeting about the victory celebration. Having to attend a meeting for an event that was due to take place in three days was annoying, but the only people summoned were those due to receive medals. It was to inform everyone of who would be called in to the hall and when, and how they would move through the room, so it ended quite quickly. So quickly, in fact, that Arnald found himself wondering why they couldn’t have just practiced on the day of the celebration instead.
As he was about to leave, he heard the familiar voice of Movris Dreslan, who, for some reason, had requested Arnald join him in his office. Arnald seemed to be the only person to have received such an invite, as the pair were now alone.
Arnald had a bad feeling about the whole thing but continued to stare at Movris apathetically all the same.
Movris flashed Arnald a genial smile from behind his desk.
“You might think certain things are meaningless or bothersome, but there’s still a point behind them. We have to reward those who distinguish themselves, or it could come back to bite us later. Especially in an authoritarian society like ours.”
“I’ve heard that bonuses are going to be delayed.”
“That’s the courts butting in for you. They’ve made things complicated and found the perfect excuse to kick up a fuss.”
“I see.”
“I know, I know, you’ve never been one to care about political disputes. You don’t have to hide it.”
It wasn’t as though Arnald was completely uninterested. He had a feeling that the next opponent they would face after finishing up on the southern front would be a political one, but now that he was in the middle of a wager with his wife, Arnald fancied that he’d found a much worthier adversary.
Even if she wasn’t technically an enemy, she was still a very interesting opponent.
“Well, I’m sure that no matter what happens, none of it will come back to bite you,” Arnald noted.
“Bold as ever, I see. Have you driven your wife away with that mouth of yours yet? Knowing you, I bet you haven’t even bothered to deal with her at all. Why mess with something so irksome when you’re on leave? If you tell me that you’ve just been whiling your time away asleep in your military accommodations without going back to the count’s mansion, I’ll be most annoyed.”
“I don’t know why you would need to admonish me about that, but it’s a moot point anyway. I’ve been spending my time at home.”
“Oh, I see. That’s a first. I assumed that you would just ignore your wife and start on your next job. Well, I no longer have a reason to keep you here, then. Enjoy the rest of your leave.”
“Understood.”
Arnald nodded and had already turned to leave the room when he suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked back at his superior.
“By the way, I have something I’d like to say to you, sir.”
“Well, isn’t this a surprise. You’ve never had anything to say to me before. Speak.”
Movris fiddled with the documents on his desk, then looked back up at Arnald with interest.
“The example you set was entirely unhelpful,” Arnald pronounced.
“Huh? This sounds intriguing. What example are you referring to, exactly?”
“Your example on how to seduce women.”
At Arnald’s matter-of-fact statement, Movris burst out laughing.
“Pfft! You? Who would you be trying to seduce?”
“My wife.”
“Your wife? You mean Byletta?”
“Of course. You were the one who ordered me to marry her, so don’t forget about her now. Anyway, I tried complimenting her appearance, but her response was quite chilly.”
“Ah, well… Byletta is a tough nut to crack. I don’t think she enjoys that approach… Although, somehow, it feels like I’m the one being rejected by proxy here. Hmm… Byletta… Why don’t you try complimenting something about her other than how she appears on the outside?” Arnald’s experienced superior grinned.
“And what could you mean by that?”
“Girls like her tend to detest compliments about their appearance, so it’s more effective to say something nice about their personalities or practical skills.”
For some reason, both Movris and Arnald’s father seemed to understand Byletta well.
But why did that make him feel so uncomfortable?
Arnald nodded, an unpleasant feeling taking root in the back of his head.
“I see. Then I’ll bear that in mind.”
“So? How do you intend to put that advice to use on your and Byletta’s wedding night?”
“Oh, we already had our wedding night.”
“What?! You did? That’s unexpected. You’re not exactly the most forward man in that department. You just let them push you down without so much as a word. I bet it was Byletta’s first time as well. Poor girl.”
“I followed your example for that, too.”
“Huh?”
“When was it again? You started right here…and again quite recently, actually. You were with an aide from the administrative department, and then the daughter of someone from military headquarters, wasn’t it?”
“This office just stirs the passions in some people… I see. So those are the examples you’re talking about. So, how was it?”
Movris asked the question without a hint of shame. In his case, it wasn’t just the office where he got hot and bothered. Whether it was an official residence or a meeting room, during a military party or a drill, the time and place didn’t matter. In fact, it was probably accurate to say it was more likely than not that Arnald would stumble upon him in the throes of passion.
That was another reason there were whispers that he was a demon.
Arnald thought for a moment.
That night, Byletta had been extremely alluring and sensual. But she’d also clung to him affectionately.
He would say that she’d enjoyed herself more than not.
In fact, given how she’d driven his indifferent self wild with pleasure, he’d say that they’d both had a good time indeed. Still, he wasn’t in the mood to give away any gory details, so he just continued to look expressionlessly into his superior’s eyes.
“Oh, that’s right,” Arnald said flatly. “I heard that you’ve been promoted. Congratulations, General. How does it feel?”
“You’re such a tease… Come on, at least let me hear some of the juicy details. You’re so possessive.”
What exactly does it feel like to be possessive? Arnald wondered for an instant. Then he saw the look in Movris’s eyes—the man was clearly ready to mock him again—and decided against asking.
“That’s no fault of mine. My wife is simply too attractive. She’s downright lovely, and she has a delightful sense of integrity.”
As much as Arnald had tried to avoid the subject, it seemed he’d accidentally struck it right in the heart instead.
“Pfft! H-hang on a second… Stop making me laugh. I’m dying here! I can feel my sides actually splitting…!”
“I’m not joking around.”
“Oh, you were being serious? I’m sorry, it’s just too funny… Just how far have you fallen with her?”
“Fallen?”
“Here I was, worried that you were simply ravenous after starving for so long on the battlefield—but that doesn’t seem to be the case at all! You, complimenting someone with lines like ‘downright lovely’ and ‘delightful sense of integrity’? I’m not convinced I’m not hearing things. It seems you’ve actually come to have affection for someone.”
“Affection? I just said the same phrases you use when you’re seducing women.”
When Arnald attended functions with Movris, he at times couldn’t believe some of the sweet nothings that poured out of the man’s mouth. Arnald had tried to express himself modestly. There was no reason for his superior to be so amused.
“What? Did you not realize you were gushing about her? I’m still getting over the shock that those words were the ones you came up with while imitating me. Just be honest with yourself already and start treating your wife with care. She’s probably quite sweet to you, eh?”
Arnald mulled over Movris’s words.
It was true. He didn’t usually describe people this way.
Put more simply, he’d been saying that Byletta was a sweet, honest, and bold partner. That made her an enigma to him.
Movris was implying that those kinds of words could lead to feelings of love.
“My wife hates being complimented on her appearance, though…”
“Hmm, that is quite the quandary. Then, why not try starting with the physical?”
“The physical? I already made a mess of our wedding night, so I’m trying to show some self-control around her… I think she might already hate me.”
“B-b-b-bwa-ha-ha! I-I’m sorry…I can’t! My stomach… My God, it hurts…! This is all your fault!”
“I don’t understand. I haven’t said anything funny.”
“I understand. I understand that you’re being serious, just give me a moment… Ha-ha-ha— Aaah…!”
After Movris spent an age rolling around in laughter and pounding on his desk, he turned to Arnald with tear-stained eyes and left him with one piece of advice: “Try telling her exactly how you feel with your touch.”