Chapter 31
Elric wasn’t the only one surprised.
Faced with this sudden encounter, Tiria felt a wave of bewilderment wash over her as well.
“W-Well then, I’ll be going now!”
The maid, perhaps feeling guilty for badmouthing Elric just moments before, beat a hasty retreat.
Neither of them could spare a thought for her.
The confusion, relief, excitement, and complex, subtle emotions they felt the moment they faced each other were enough to plague their minds.
This was especially true for Tiria.
『Of course! The Master was incredibly worried too! He stopped by every day to nurse you before leaving!』
The person who had worried so much while she was asleep was right before her eyes.
Her doubts grew deeper.
Why was he being so kind now, after having left the way he did?
……No, what shape did his heart hold right now?
Tiria couldn’t help but be consumed by that question.
“……You’ve come,” she asked, her voice thick with sleep.
“You’ve woken up,” came the reply.
Elric’s mouth pressed into a thin line.
The corners of his eyes drooped, a flicker of relief crossing his face.
But that look didn’t last long.
“You’ve finally woken up.”
“Pardon……?”
Elric’s gaze sharpened.
Though worry still lingered, a trace of anger now settled in his eyes.
He approached her, leaning on his cane.
Tiria clenched her hands in confusion.
Upon reaching her, Elric asked bluntly, “Why did you do it?”
“……Do what, exactly?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?”
It was because she hadn’t realized she was that sick.
When work was at its peak, Tiria had lived with a constant, mild body ache.
It had been even worse after the death of the previous head, Hoven Portman.
Over the past year, there were more days when Tiria felt exhausted than days when she felt refreshed.
Being accustomed to such a state, she had simply presumed she would be fine this time, just like before.
Should she tell him the truth?
No, it would sound like an excuse.
Suddenly, Tiria felt a sense of grievance.
She had only followed him out of concern; why did she have to be scolded?
How could he be so oblivious to her feelings?
Of course, she hadn’t explained her reasons beforehand, but couldn’t he interpret her actions a little more positively?
It was a childish thought.
She should have felt ashamed, yet Tiria found it difficult to shake the feeling.
Perhaps it was because she still wasn’t physically well.
The words she blurted out, fueled by emotion, reflected that.
“I was fine. Until we went up.”
Tiria threw the words out and was immediately surprised at herself.
She hadn’t expected such a curt tone to come out of her mouth.
Naturally, she peeked at Elric to gauge his reaction.
His expression hardened even further.
Feeling her heart drop, she was about to add an excuse immediately.
“I can take care of my own body—”
“I was worried.”
Freeze—
Tiria’s body went still.
Her gaze locked onto Elric.
Doubtful of what she had heard, she looked at him, only to see the worry deepening over his anger.
It seemed she hadn’t misheard him.
‘Worried?’
About me? Him?
She began to parse the intent behind his words.
Was he worried simply because of their legal bond as a married couple, because the person who should be working had collapsed, or perhaps……
‘……No, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.’
Tiria knew all too well that expectations usually returned as even greater betrayals.
The major events throughout her life had all been like that.
It was a learned fear.
She knew the sense of loss when expectations crumbled all too painfully.
What she managed to squeeze out was an apology.
“……I am sorry for causing you concern.”
“I didn’t say that because I wanted to hear an apology.”
Elric sat on the edge of the bed.
His hand covered Tiria’s fist.
“Look at me.”
Tiria flinched.
Her gaze drifted toward her fingertips, but at his words, she raised her head again.
His aura had softened. Yet, his face remained stern.
The sensation of his rough palm against the back of her hand felt alien.
The distance between them—close enough to embrace if she just reached out—felt like it was suffocating her.
Her temperature rose.
His statement that it wasn’t about an apology scrambled her thoughts.
“You need to take better care of yourself, Madame. From what I’ve observed over the past few days, your constitution is quite frail.”
Despite the long explanation, only one word struck her ears.
Madame.
He was using the title he usually reserved for when others were present, even though they were alone now.
Would it be presumptuous to attach meaning to it?
No, it wouldn’t be.
“It is no wonder you collapsed after working so hard with such a body. Please, trust others a little more. There are many in this mansion who can help you.”
Tiria felt a pang of resentment toward Elric.
‘Why……’
Why are you saying such things?
Why are you confusing me with those words?
Why do you keep making me harbor expectations?
“Are you listening to me?”
It wasn’t easy to control her expression.
The way he leaned forward to match her eye level poked at the roots of the emotions buried deep within her.
Tiria barely managed a nod.
“……Yes.”
“I’m glad you’re listening. Therefore, as the head of the family, I shall give you an order.”
Firmly, Elric’s fingers slid between Tiria’s.
“Until you are fully recovered, you are forbidden from leaving this bed. I will personally supervise you, so don’t even dream of working.”
“Then the work……”
“I will bring the documents here and handle them myself.”
His attitude was resolute, as if he had no intention of backing down.
Truthfully, she felt uneasy.
Yet, amidst that, an irrepressible joy welled up.
To Tiria, having someone to lean on meant everything.
‘You haven’t changed. In this regard.’
Tiria bit her lip slightly.
『What? If you’re hurting, you should tell me, you dummy! Come here! I’ll fix that ugly face of yours too!』
Knowing that the warmth of caring for her wounds while grumbling still resided within him, Tiria felt a sense of relief and happiness.
“Answer me. Can you promise to stay still?”
Ashamed to show her face, Tiria lowered her head deep and answered just as she had on that day in her memories.
“……Yes.”
A desperate wish filled Tiria’s heart.
If the kindness she felt now was an illusion, she prayed she would never wake from it until the day she died.
It was only after leaving her room that Elric shivered with embarrassment.
‘I was acting like such a fool!’
When he went to check on her as usual and suddenly faced her awake, he had reacted far too emotionally.
A mix of his past worries and anger had led him to meddle in a way that didn’t suit him.
It was an effrontery that made his skin crawl.
When he thought about it, it was obvious that he was part of the reason she had followed him to the snowy mountains, yet he had poured out his emotions one-sidedly without even considering that.
Luckily, Tiria didn’t seem to mind much, but since Elric had no way of knowing what she was thinking inside, his embarrassment only doubled.
It was then.
“Young master, where are you going?”
Aldio was walking from the end of the hallway.
Elric hurriedly composed his expression and replied.
“……Ah, I’m just going to the office to get some documents.”
“Hmm? Are you not going to work there?”
“I intend to do it in the Madame’s room. I feel like she’ll try to work again if I leave her alone.”
“I certainly can’t deny that.”
Aldio said with a chuckle.
“Please return to the Madame. I will handle the preparations.”
“Hmm? Would that be alright?”
“It would be better to use me than to have you going back and forth on that uncomfortable leg. I heard your wound flared up again after the trip to the mountains……”
Aldio wore a disapproving expression.
Elric had nothing to say.
It was true that the wound had worsened because he had caused unnecessary trouble.
In the end, all he could do was hang his head.
“I’ll be there.”
Elric trudged back to Tiria’s bedroom like a defeated soldier.
The preparations Aldio mentioned were completed while Elric and Tiria were exchanging awkward glances as she lay in bed.
Accompanied by two maids, Aldio set up a small side table, a chair, and a stack of documents next to the bed.
That wasn’t all. By the time Aldio left, satisfied, the room was filled with the aroma of warm tea for Tiria and coffee for Elric.
Only then did Elric let out a long sigh and slump his shoulders.
“Aldio is quite excessive.”
“I think he is a good butler.”
Tiria replied, her gaze shifting toward the stack of documents.
Elric narrowed his eyes and blocked her view with his hand.
“Don’t even look at them.”
“……Will you be alright?”
“I can handle this much. You were my teacher, so you should know, shouldn’t you? Do I look like someone who can’t even handle paperwork?”
“…….”
Tiria fell silent.
Elric pondered for a moment which way to interpret this silence.
However, the more he thought about it, the more the conclusion leaned in a direction that wasn’t beneficial to him.
Eventually, Elric cleared his throat with a fake cough and picked up a document as if nothing had happened.
“Just watch. I’ll finish this kind of paperwork in an instant……”
But the moment he checked the title of the document, Elric’s pupils shook as if an earthquake had struck.
[Fief Year-End Settlement]
Right from the start, a massive wall blocked Elric’s path.
Numbers.
A horrific string of characters more terrifying than facing an army of thousands.
The moment he saw it, Elric felt his mind go blank.
The numbers felt like they were jumping off the paper to strangle him, making it hard to breathe.
Elric’s gaze turned toward Tiria.
She tilted her head and asked.
“Shall I help you?”
Words as sweet as a devil’s whisper.
It took Elric about three minutes of deliberation before he could give his answer that he would do it alone.
“……I will try it myself.”
Elric was a very proud man.
The Wife Waited in the Wheat Field (Serial)
