[IFITAOAMV] Chapter 31

So, this must be only a fraction of the madness he was capable of. Yet even so, every cell in my body felt like it was holding its breath, trembling with fear.

"Tsk."

I flinched at the sound above my head. Edwin gently set me down.

"Sorry, I didn’t consider my bride’s feelings," he said, his demeanour instantly softening as he looked at me with concern.

"My bride is delicate, so just close your eyes and wait for a moment," he whispered in my ear, gently closing my eyes and guiding my hands to cover my ears.

Thump, thump.

The anxious pounding of my heart echoed loudly in my ears. Even though I had covered them, there was only so much my hands could block out, yet somehow, I heard nothing at all. Instead, a strong scent of blood carried by the wind hit my nose.

'You crazy bastard, is this what you call consideration?' 

I wanted to run from this place immediately, but my legs felt rooted to the ground, refusing to budge. Suddenly, I was lifted into the air.

Startled, I didn’t even think to open my eyes and see who it was. I just stayed tense, my body rigid, until I felt a gentle hand soothing me. Then, through the faint smell of blood, the familiar woody scent began to filter in.

When I finally opened my eyes, Edwin was smiling brightly, looking refreshed.

"Shall we go have something to eat? I’m hungry."

The shock I had just experienced was so overwhelming that his words barely registered in my mind.

I nodded absentmindedly, still half in a daze. Whether Edwin noticed my state or not, he walked with a spring in his step. Even after we left the alley, I never once looked back.

Though it seemed like Edwin would rush us straight to a restaurant, he took his time wandering through the city before finally heading to a place to eat. This gave me some time to regain my composure.

The restaurant Edwin chose for lunch specialised in seafood, simply because I liked it. I was a little—no, very—surprised, as I had expected him to pick something he preferred.

"I’m glad to see my bride enjoying her meal. Was it good?" Edwin asked as we left the restaurant. I quickly nodded.

The lobster's tender, juicy meat had been perfectly seasoned, with a rich, cheesy flavour that still lingered in my mouth.

"We should come out more often," Edwin said, smiling at me with satisfaction.

As we stepped out of the restaurant, the warm, gentle afternoon sun greeted us.

"Ed, could you put me down? I’d like to walk," I asked.

"Why does my bride keep asking to be put down? I’m carrying you safely like this," Edwin said, frowning in displeasure.

It felt like I could hear the ticking of a time bomb, so I quickly came up with an excuse.

"It’s just... my stomach is full. And this is my first time out, so I want to experience your territory fully," I said.

"Hmm."

Edwin stared at me, looking somewhat unconvinced, but he eventually set me down. However, he kept a firm grip on my hand.

"I’m only putting you down because you said you want to experience my territory. I get anxious when you’re not close to me."

"Where would I go? I don’t have anywhere else to be," I replied quickly.

"So, you’re saying if you did have somewhere to go, you’d leave?" Edwin’s sudden serious tone made me shake my head vigorously, desperately.

"Right?"

I nodded immediately, and he patted my head as if he found me endearing.

"Stay close to me. Otherwise, I might lose my mind."

Even though he wore the sweetest smile, every hair on my body stood on end.

"Where should we go so my bride can fully experience my territory?"

There he goes again, parroting my words. How long is he going to keep doing this? I thought. What could I say without having it thrown back at me? Internally, I huffed in frustration but outwardly only let out a small sigh.

Edwin led me to a wide central square, where a large fountain in the middle immediately caught my eye.

"What’s that?" I asked, pointing to the statues decorating the fountain. At first glance, they appeared to be statues of goddesses, but they had two pairs of wings on their backs. The child statues surrounding the central figure also had wings.

"Fairies."

"What?"

Given that fairies like Jueri weren’t viewed favourably, how could such prominent fairy statues be on display?

"The first head of the family had it built. Fairies aren’t just Jueri, you know. They also appear in fairy tales and folklore."

"And the Emperor allowed it to stay?" I asked in a lowered voice, causing Edwin’s expression to harden immediately.

"Who would dare touch Crawford's land?"

Right, right. How could I forget? No wonder the royal family kept Crawford in check. Since I had already aligned myself with the Crawford family, I had to root for them to come out on top, no matter what.

In the meantime, Edwin had taken a seat on a bench opposite the fountain, pulling me onto his lap.