Something’s Not Right About This Transmigration

At the absurd remark, Frey let out a disbelieving laugh.

“We haven’t even had the wedding. How are we spouses……?”

Samuel replied seriously, as though it were no joke.

“The marriage registration has already been properly filed with the imperial palace. Legally, we’re already spouses.”

“……What?”

“So there is no problem whatsoever with us sharing a room.”

He spoke firmly and removed a first-aid kit from a drawer. Then he crouched before Frey and pulled up the hem of his trouser leg.

“Ah……!”

Frey flinched violently and tried to pull his leg back, but Samuel caught his ankle.

“You’re injured. We moved quickly, but it looks like the net grazed you. I don’t think it’ll scar…….”

“…….”

“If the wound concerns you, we can visit the imperial palace together. One of the mages there is quite skilled with scar-removal magic.”

As he spoke, Samuel slathered medicine over Frey’s wound.

Over a mere scratch.

“……Your Grace. Is it right to put this much medicine on such a small wound?”

“Probably.”

“……Probably?”

“I was taught that applying more makes an injury heal faster.”

He sounded completely sincere, not as though he were joking. Samuel even tried to wrap a bandage over the dripping medicine.

“……A little medicine is enough for an injury this small.”

“…….”

“It would probably heal even if you left it alone.”

Samuel gave him a deeply suspicious look.

Frey was weak and collapsed at every opportunity. Samuel seemed to think that piling this much medicine on him would at least help him recover sooner.

‘A swordsman can’t truly believe that applying a lot of medicine makes wounds heal faster.’

Then could Samuel actually be worried about him?

Samuel, of all people?

The instant he thought that far, Frey realized why he was sitting here unharmed.

Samuel had noticed something was wrong before anyone else and thrown himself forward to save Frey.

If Samuel had not been there…… the strange net might have caught Frey and burned his entire body.

“Um.”

When Frey began, Samuel looked up from packing away the first-aid kit. His gaze dropped to the injury again, as though he were waiting to see if Frey would say it hurt.

“Th-thank you.”

“……?”

“You saved my life.”

In truth, Frey had thought Regulus was the only person who would save him if something happened.

Yet moments ago, Samuel had thrown himself forward without a hint of hesitation.

Even though a mistake might have injured him instead.

‘And besides…….’

Samuel had taken Frey away from the room where the attack occurred and even treated his wound. Whether he meant to or not, his odd conversation had eased Frey’s tension, and he hadn’t left Frey alone.

Frey didn’t know whether Samuel had intended any of it or was simply acting out of ingrained courtesy. Even so, it was true that Samuel’s presence had allowed him to calm down completely.

“……You’re stating the obvious. We’re spouses now. It’s only natural to protect my own.”

“Even so.”

Frey met Samuel’s eyes and smiled faintly.

Samuel stared at the smile, which held no hostility whatsoever, for a long moment before abruptly looking away.

The ear visible between his golden strands of hair seemed the faintest bit red, but…….

‘I must be seeing things.’

Frey shrugged and dismissed it.

* * *

“I lost them.”

Three hours after the attack.

Regulus returned from pursuing them, cursing.

He would have pursued them to the ends of hell if he could, but at some point, interference had scrambled his tracking spell.

“It only took them two hours to break my magic. That means there is a mage among the people after Frey. A fairly skilled one too.”

Regulus clicked his tongue and approached Frey.

“I placed guards around you after the previous attack, but it appears they were already eliminated. Someone manipulated the magic so their signal would not reach me.”

“Oh…….”