The Strongest Magician Can Only Love His Dead Wife — After I Reincarnated, My Cute Younger Husband Turned Yandere - Chapter 22

After finishing their tea, the two decided to stroll through the town until dinner time.

Numerous shops, numerous people.

Rubia and Arsenio walked hand in hand through the bustling, somewhat chaotic main street.

“Um, Lord Arsenio… Holding hands is a bit embarrassing.”

“What if we got separated? That would be dangerous, wouldn’t it?”

Her modest protest was swiftly dismissed.

Not only that, but he intertwined their fingers and gripped her hand even more tightly.

Rubia grew increasingly anxious, worried that he might hear the frantic beating of her own heart.

“Hey there, handsome couple! How about some bread? Freshly baked and fluffy!”

“If you’re buying bread, you should get our liver pâté too. It’s absolutely delicious when you sandwich it with pickled onions.”

As they walked along the street, shopkeepers called out to them one after another.

It had been a long time since Rubia had seen such common shops up close. The familiar, casual way of speaking naturally reminded her of when she used to sneak out back in her hometown.

“Ah, that does look delicious. Shall we get some for dinner? But as you can see, I’m on a date with my wife. If it’s alright, could I send a servant to pick it up later?”

“Of course! Sending a servant, does that mean you recently bought a villa around here, mister?”

“Well, something like that.”

The shopkeeper probably never imagined that Arsenio, who was being deliberately vague, was actually the lord of this land. The shopkeeper continued with a beaming smile.

“It’s a nice area, isn’t it? Our current lord is such a wonderful person. He’s put effort into developing local specialties, built hospitals and vocational training centers—he’s made this a very livable place.”

“That’s right. He even built defensive walls to keep out vicious magical beasts and focused on maintaining public safety, so both locals and travelers can feel secure.”

“He sounds like a truly wonderful lord.”

Hearing the shopkeepers praise Arsenio one after another made Rubia happy, and she felt proud as if they were complimenting her. She nodded along, pretending not to know.

Perhaps pleased by their reactions, both the baker and the butcher offered to add a little extra to their purchases.

“You’re very well-loved by your people, aren’t you?”

After leaving the shops and walking along the street again, Rubia glanced up at Arsenio.

He smiled modestly.

“It’s because you told me to be kind to people. So, if I’m loved at all, it’s all thanks to you.”

“I only gave you the initial push. You were always kind by nature, Lord Arsenio.”

That was Rubia’s genuine feeling.

Anyone could see it by looking at the townspeople and the vibrant expressions of the shopkeepers.

It wasn’t just out of a sense of duty.

The smiles of the people living here were protected because of the inherent kindness Arsenio possessed.

“If it makes you happy, then my efforts were worth it.”

“Hehe. I’m absolutely delighted.”

They looked at each other and exchanged smiles.

Before she knew it, the embarrassment of holding hands had faded away.

After browsing through the shops and buying cute trinkets and sweets as souvenirs, Rubia visited an orphanage on the outskirts of town with Arsenio.

It seemed about fifteen children currently lived at the orphanage, with several staff members staying on-site to care for them.

“Director, who’s that lady?”

“She’s my wife.”

“Whaaat!? Director, you’re married!?”

The children seemed quite familiar with Arsenio, calling him “Director” affectionately.

They were intensely curious about Rubia and bombarded her with questions one after another.

“What made you fall in love and marry him?”

“What did he say when he proposed?”

“Did you go on a honeymoon?”

Unlike nobles, where political marriages were common, she had heard that love matches were the norm among commoners. Naturally, the children probably assumed the same.

Faced with such innocent, childlike questions, Rubia could only smile wryly.

But surprisingly, Arsenio took the children’s questions seriously and answered them earnestly.

“I love Rubia for her kindness and generosity, and for her clear heart that isn’t swayed by others’ opinions.”

“Eh…”

“And I love her more than anyone else.”

Those last words were directed at Rubia herself.

His straightforward gaze and declaration of love made the children cheer and tease them, leaving Rubia utterly flustered.

“Eh… Eh? Um, is that true?”

“I thought I’d shown you how I feel through my actions all this time… Don’t tell me you still doubt me?”

“But! You’re so kind, Lord Arsenio I thought you were just saying that…”

She had also felt guilty about losing him once before. She never imagined that someone like him, reborn and remarried in another political union, would treat his wife coldly.

“I don’t shed tears for someone I don’t love. I don’t hold them close. Why do you think I defied the emperor’s orders and stayed single for sixteen years?”

Hearing that, even someone as oblivious as Rubia couldn’t miss his meaning.

“Then, you’ve always loved me?”

“I might be laughed at for having an eight-year-younger child as my first love. But I’ve loved you since back then. When we met again, for the first time, I felt like I could believe in divine miracles.”

Arsenio gently lowered the corners of his eyes and cupped Rubia’s cheek. The spot he touched must have been burning bright red, warmer than usual.

“I love you, Rubia. If you won’t believe me, I’ll say it again and again from now on, with even more feeling.”