Chapter 02

The two stands far away from the crowd, secluded enough to have a private conversation but not too isolated it would raise some unwanted question and scandal.

"Is this really you?" Myrthe questions again of the nth time, hiding her face behind her fan as she stares blankly at the ground. She didn't know whether to thank god for letting her meet her husband or question whether or not everything is real.

"Yeah... It's me, dear..." He replied with a faint smile. Patiently waiting for Myrthe to face him. That's how he always is, always so patiently caring and loving for her, it's a quality distinct and reserved only for Myrthe in her previous life.

"Oh god..." Myrthe breathed out, she still couldn't wrap her head around what is happening. She lowered her fan slowly, eyes locked with the man that is her husband.

His striking light blue eyes, almost grey, is filled with forlorn, yet his face is undeniably happy and bright. It was the same for her, for all her 21 years living in this current time she could only weep in silence, she never had anyone to rely upon and no one would just believe her if she told the truth, maybe that is why she is so indifferent and glacial.

"Wait... I need to confirm," Myrthe folded her fan with a loud snap as she huff in frustration, she wanted confirmation so badly because she didn't want this to merely be a sweet misunderstanding.

"Go ahead, honey." The man replied with a smile.

"What's my favourite drink?"

"Spr*te" The man replied quickly as if it's a time-based quiz.

"What's my eleventh-grade pet?"

"Two beta fish named billy and willy. Billy was blue, Willy was red. Willy likes to eat his wife. You bought them on the pet store near the convenient store corner behind our school." He laughed quietly, remembering how he saw his wife pass him nonchalantly while proudly carrying those two fish.

"How did we first met?"

The man, although taken aback at the question, looked confident nevertheless. "High school, you are in the same class as me. You're so pretty yet so cold, and everyone had a silent competition to win your heart. I participated as a joke... but I ended up falling for you instead. By the end of the school year, everyone forgot about the little competition and no one ever bothered you any more, but not me."

"Ah... I remember being so annoyed you always text me non-stop trying to make a conversation with me," Myrthe laughed sadly, remembering the sweet memories of her first meeting with her husband. He was such an annoying kid that always followed her around like a puppy, but that ended up being the factor that made Myrthe fell for him. His endless determination that somehow ended up with the two happily married.

"But I manage to make that you mine, so all that annoyance is worth it in the end." He lightly clasped her hands inside his palm, looking at her while showing off his pure smile.

Myrthe could only stay silent, taking in the warmth embracing her hands that she didn't know was so shaky and cold. His big hands felt so familiar, and her mind is easily at ease by his body heat. By now, Myrthe was convinced this man is really her once husband. She tried her best to choke up the tears, after all, it would be improper for her to just cry on the spot without a reason.

"Honey, may I marry you again this time?" He asked, looking at Myrthe stricken with love.

"That's a no-brainer, idiot." Myrthe chuckled as if his question is the most obvious one in the world. "Right, that reminds me, what's your name?" she asked, using impolite casual words. He wouldn't mind and Myrthe knows it, after all, they are secluded and no one would dare to eavesdrop.

"My name's here is Eddie, Adelmire Edevane."

Myrthe raised an eyebrow hearing his name. Sure, Edevane is such a big name in social standing and she knows it. But something about his first name matched with his surname doesn't click right with Myrthe. "...?"

"I get your confused look... Eddie's my nickname, Adelmire Edevane doesn't taste right together. I don't know why my parents decided Ed-Ad-Ed sounds good in a name..." He sulked. He knows his name had a weird tongue twist to it, although not necessarily too hard, it still sounded just a tad bit too quirky.

Myrthe sighed too, with a smile gracing her face. She chuckled before patting her 'husband' in the back. "It's still a beautiful name. Don't sulk over it." she laughed. "I'm Myrthe by the way, Myrthe Wildhemn."

"Myrthe sounds like 'Mirth'. means 'Jolly' right?" he smiled, his heart melted at the hearty laugh given by Myrthe. Truly, only his wife is able to make his heart thump so loudly in his chest.

"Mhm, that's actually the word taken to name me. It's basically the equivalent of someone's name spelt 'Syielveah' only for it to be pronounced simply 'Sylvia.',"

"Pfft- that's a thing back then, right?" He stifled his laugh, referring to the modern days where young parents tried to be creative with names.

"I know right... never knew they existed this time too..." She let out an exasperated sigh while cupping her cheek in a fake frustration, before joining Eddie in laughing. She couldn't remember when's the last time she had let out such ease around a person, well to be expected since he is after all the man who caught her heart.

"So, you're from house Wildhemn. The marquessate was it?"

It feels weird to have to introduce themselves again. They used to know everything about each other, but now they had to learn each other's name again. It feels foreign, yet they both knew this brand new gap will soon disperse.

"Mhm," Myrthe answered shortly. "And you're from house Edeva-..." she suddenly stops, as if realizing something grave that made her face pale.

"Hehe yes, I'm the next duke in line!!" Eddie boasted without shame, something he would never do if it wasn't to his wife. "Are you that shocked?" He tilts his head curiously once seeing Myrthe's face again. Although it's normal to be shocked since his position was that of almost equal to a royal, Myrthe's reaction to say was a bit too dramatic.

She was frozen in place while staring at Eddie, an unreadable expression latched on her face. "Oh god, please tell me you're joking..." She sighed, opening her fan again and hiding her face. She stared at her former and soon-to-be husband.

"I'm not?" Eddie replied innocently, he neither had a clue why Myrthe was looking at him with such a pity. "Is there a problem?"

"Don't you know? you have a very bad reputation, Hon. And that's an understatement."

"Bad reputation?"

"The insolent, uneducated Duke's son is unable to do proper etiquette. Rumour has it he had been long an eccentric child and often display improper behaviour unbefitting of high noble, especially for the future leader of the Dukedom." Myrthe whips out her fan once more as she recited the rumour like a poem.

Eddie was taken aback, blinking comically as he stared at Myrthe looking at him in pity. "Where did that come from?" He quizzed, rubbing his chin as if recalling if he ever did anything stupid to ruin his reputation. "I'm pretty isolated as a child and i don't remember any outside party other than people from the estate to know i'm like that. so why did rumours going around like that???"

"That's the thing, hon. You never did anything to dispel those baseless rumours so now it's kinda stuck on you," Myrthe knows her husband wasn't someone close to such rumours. Even if he is shameless at times, it is mostly out of spite playfulness, not one worthy to be a cause of crashing reputation. Myrthe found it a problem, not only for the Dukedom but for herself, after all, she knows first hand just how important reputation and social standing is in this kind of era.

"S-so you're not going to marry me...?" Eddie was mortified, he was almost sobbing while giving Myrthe the look of despair as if his treasures had been snatched.

"You big baby, even if you're an assassin from a neighbouring country, I'd still marry you."

"I'm touched, but that's kinda too much, babe."

"I know, maybe not that much but you get my point!" She laughed, patting Eddie on the shoulder. Tho her smile soon went flat as her face contorts to full seriousness. "Don't worry, I'll make sure those rumours won't stay long."

Eddie merely smiled, afraid yet in love. His wife had always been someone so intimidating, It's been like that since they first met in high school. She always had a thick wall surrounding herself, only a selected few are able to trespass it. Eddie is one of the few lucky ones able to do so.

"Can I hug you?" He suddenly blurted out. Eyes set on Myrthe's smaller form itching to engulf her in his arms.

Myrthe clicked her tongue, slapping her fan on Eddie's face. "Absolutely not..." She trailed off, seeing how Eddie deflates in sadness. "...now at least. Send your engagement request first and I'll let you hug me whenever once we're engaged." Myrthe added with a smirk.

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