Chapter 161 – After the Wedding

“Don’t open your eyes yet~”

Heart took my hand, leading me with my eyes closed all the way to our new home. His voice brimmed with delight, practically singing. While I was swamped with paperwork, he’d handled every single arrangement in my place. The house location, the furniture, even the little knick-knacks—he’d been given free rein on it all.

“Okay! Now open your eyes, Marie.”

“Wow! Such a beautiful color!”

There stood our house, its white walls glowing under the streetlamp, with a turquoise blue front door. The door’s color served as our nameplate, matching the ring I’d received—and the color of both mine and Heart’s eyes.

The stone-built two-story home looked just like any of the others around it, blending seamlessly into the neighborhood. No one would ever guess a Saintess lived here. Our next-door neighbors were Holy Knight families, so getting along with them should be a breeze. This area was full of church-affiliated homes. At first, they suggested a grand mansion in the upscale suburban enclave, but it was too far to walk from Grandfather’s place, so I turned it down.

“The neighbors have orange and pink doors, with theirs facing red, right? I worried ours might stand out too much.”

“No, this color is perfect. It’s our color, isn’t it?”

I flashed my ring, and Heart pulled me inside by the hand.

“Marie.”

—It was the first kiss of my life.

“Sorry. I just couldn’t hold back.”

“No, it’s… I was just surprised since it was my first time. But I didn’t hate it, so please don’t apologize.”

Well, look at me—finally all grown up. So this is my first kiss. Kinda moving, actually. In my previous life, the only thing I’d ever done was with the dog I kept, but that was more like it lunging at my face.

“Hey, we’re married now, so can we drop that?”

“Ah, sorry! Did I say something rude…?”

“No, no, that’s not it. Lily talks to me casually, right? From now on, drop the ‘-san’ and just call me ‘Heart.'”

Heart waved his hands frantically in denial, then scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

“Got it… Yeah. Heart… Okay.”

Ugh, it’s so awkward to say, and so embarrassing. Maybe even more than the kiss.

“Thanks. It felt special, like we were close—like how you are with Lily. I was jealous.”

Jealous? That’s new. Heart—no, just Heart now—feels so much closer already.

“Hee hee. You should’ve said so sooner.”

He straightened up and took my hand.

“Now then, princess. Allow me to give you the grand tour.”

The living room we were in had walls papered in a lighter shade of turquoise blue than the front door, paired with beige wooden floors. The furniture and sofa were all pure white—it really did feel like a princess’s room. Heart’s tastes might be more girly than I expected.

“That white vase is a gift from Note. These orange flowers are from Katriona and Evas.”

The pure white ceramic vase in the center of the table was simple and practical, just like Note herself. The orange blooms stood out beautifully against the cool tones, as lovely as Katriona’s hair.

“They fit this room perfectly.”

“Then, princess, shall we move to the dining room?”

He opened the white door opposite the entryway, revealing a spacious wooden dining table that dominated the white room. Six chairs were lined up around it.

“Haha, it’s way too big for just two people…”

“I said the same thing. But Sid—er, Dad—and Gain insisted on making it themselves. Check out these decorations, right?”

Heart peered at the side, urging me to look.

“Oh, the same as this!”

I pulled out the Horned Rabbit strap I’d gotten from my first beast subjugation. Its arabesque patterns were stunning.

“Yeah, mine’s the same.”

Wait, that’s a Silver Wolf fang, isn’t it? An A-rank beast for his first? …Best not to overthink it.

“And this is the kitchen beyond. It’s compact, but plenty for two people, yeah?”

“The storage is great, and I love how the cabinet doors match the front door!”

“Exactly. I matched the colors on purpose—thought they’d pop against the white kitchen.”

I opened the doors to check the cookware. Pots, bowls, dishes—everything essential was there.

“What about these spices?”

“Oh, those are a gift from Gramps to me. He said I should make full meals, not just sweets.”

“Grandfather? Haha, maybe I should brush up on my cooking too.”

If Grandfather—who loves cooking—picked them, they’re bound to be spot-on.

Next up was the bathroom. White marble walls, a huge white tub, and nothing else.

“Nice and simple.”

“Yeah, keeps it clean. I left this to Fernet and Ted. That tub’s a magic tool—cleans itself automatically and fills with hot water.”

“Huh, a magic item like that exists…?”

“Apparently. It’s trendy among the nobles.”

Makes sense. Fitting for the young master duo.

“We could line up some candles; it’d look gorgeous.”

“Yeah, it would. Alright, princess, upstairs next.”

The staircase led straight to a hallway, with white doors on both sides and one straight ahead.

“The side rooms are guest rooms for now. Kids’ rooms later. Our bedroom’s at the end.”

Heart opened the door at the far end, revealing a room with pale gray wallpaper. A long, narrow slit window sat high on the wall. It’d let in beautiful morning light at dawn.

A large white bed dominated the center, flanked by matching white nightstands on either side.

Thank you for reading.

The main story is complete, but I have a few extra short stories stocked from the ones left over after book publication.

I’d be thrilled if you checked them out.

Please see the activity report for details.

Bookmarks, ratings, and likes are greatly appreciated!