MHITE - Chapter 4

 My Husband is Too Earnest

Translator: Aucchan

Proofreader: Chonnie

Chapter 4

Perhaps it was because his desire to be with his beloved Lady Liselotte was so mercilessly denied made Alberto begin to show signs of overcoming his heartbreak. 

He willingly drowned himself in work and bothered me a lot less.

In his heartbroken state, I had described him as a useless person. But, admittedly, that didn’t seem to be the case. He was actually a very outstanding person.

Everyone, namely the servants of this mansion and his parents, was extremely worried about our relationship as a couple. Unexpectedly, we were able to cultivate something good between us. Nothing like the expected relationship between a husband and wife, but something that would be seen between friends. 

“Claudia, where are the documents you had asked me to look at before?”

“It’s in the third drawer from the top-most.”

“As a secretary, you are quite efficient.”

The words Alberto once said to me sarcastically, had now become something of his greeting for me. 

We’ve begun to accept each other’s presence in our lives; allowing our cohabitation to simply be. I’ve even begun to see those words of his as a way of expressing some form of fondness or closeness. 

But even so, I’m certain that he will never forget her. Sometimes, Alberto would look outside the window; a forlorn expression masking his handsome face.

Heartbreak really seems to be quite troublesome.  

During those times he would reminisce, I would simply wink at his servant and let them prepare his favorite snacks and tea. I’d adjust my tone of voice to speak to him more gently and cheerfully. 

“Alberto-sama, I’ll have them prepare your favorite tea. Let’s take a break.”

“I don’t have an appetite, so it isn’t necessary.”

I expected the rejection. 

“Then, Alberto-sama, would you like to go and look at the scenery from a hill-top?”

“That’s not a distance we can reach by foot, isn’t it?”

“If we ride a horse, then it’s not that far away.”

“Can you ride a horse?”

I don’t think that it’s anything to be astounded by, but he was looking at me with an astonished face. But when I think with his perception of women, then I suppose it could be understandable. He seems to think that delicacy is the standard for women. The petite build of most ladies would make people unwilling to allow them to ride a horse alone, as it could pose a danger to them.

But I love to ride horses. When I lived in the main house, riding horses was my pastime. Alongside that, whenever there was a fox hunt, I made sure to participate. 

“Yes, I can. I would like to go together with you, Alberto-sama.”

In the end, he was pushed out of the room by me and relented to my desire. 

It’s been a long time since I last explored the vast land of the territory. It felt wonderful. I felt like I could roam without restriction in this troublesome world. 

“There. You can faintly start to see it.”

I was really happy to feel the wind brush past my cheeks.

Alberto who initially had a gloomy face had eventually given into the beauty of the current scenery. A cheerful glint in his eyes could be seen as he looked around. 

“Next time we should go to other places too.”

My words were laced with promise. I no longer lived to live with a man who had lost himself in heartbreak, so if going on outings like these would make him function like a normal human, then it would be no trouble to do.

Alberto seemed a little confused but nodded in response to my suggestion. I was satisfied with that for now.

The two of us had nothing to talk about, so we quietly enjoyed the rural scenery, I peeked at my husband’s face; taking in his profile. 

I wonder for how long will his heart continue to belong to Lady Liselotte.

Will his feeling for her never change?

It had always been a mystery to me of how people could continue to love one person never endingly. Perhaps my perception of love and the sanctity of marriage was so jaded because my parents had other lovers even if they trusted each other. 

But from what I knew, love is a very unreliable thing. That had been my unshakable belief. Tightly holding onto love and making it the center of your universe? Preposterous.

That’s why my first impressions of Alberto and Lady Liselotte were poor. 

It was laughable to me when they acted as if nothing else existed besides the other. Like they were each irreplaceable existences in each other’s eyes. But now, as I watch him anguish over her to the point that his health falls…

“Shall we go back now?”

I put an end to my meaningless thoughts as I talked to Alberto. 

When we go back, his favorite things will have already been set up and prepared. With this, he may be able to distract himself from the sadness in his heart. 

“Claudia.”

“Hmm?”

I turned around to ask what he was calling me for, but held my tongue ant his expression. Alberto looked lost; uncertainty tinging his brows.

I waited patiently for him to speak, and then he finally looked at me in the eyes. 

“Thank you for worrying about me.”

I was surprised by his unexpected gratitude. He looked at me with slanted eyes as I delayed my response.

“What?” He asked.

“Nothing. I’m just a little bit surprised.”

“I’m not so much of a fool as to not recognize your and everyone else’s efforts to help me not feel down.” Alberto explained quickly; without his usual sharpness. It made him look very awkward. 

Ah, now I wanted to be mean as revenge for all those times I had to pick him up.

“Well, well. Your attitude is quite different from when we first met. It seems like I have misunderstood you, Alberto-sama.”

“That was my fault, but I hope you understand that I was at my lowest at that time.”

“Then does that mean that you have already gotten over Lady Liselotte?”

My question caused Alberto to turn his face away from me.

It seems that he still can’t give up. It was a silly question anyway. If he had already gotten over her, then we wouldn’t be in this place anyway. Lady Liselotte is truly something for him to be this dedicated and bewitched by her. Or, it’s just that Alberto is too earnest. 

I laughed, knowing it couldn’t be helped. 

“It’s fine. You can feel down all you want. I’ve already promised you that I will support you.”

Alberto simply looked at me silently as I jumped up to mount my horse. “Let’s go back.”

In my attempts to help motivate him with things other than Lady Liselotte, I recommended some things that he might be interested in such as books and board games. While doing so, I realized that Alberto is also a man who excels in art.

He knows poems by heart, he can play the piano, and he can sing with a very pleasant voice.

“That’s wonderful.” 

I can feel the emotions in the lyrics he sings, and close my eyes, fascinated. 

Even if I didn’t know much about music, I could recognize that his voice was amazing. He could probably become a vocalist. 

“You’re exaggerating. If it was possible for me to become a vocalist, then that means everyone in the world is worthy of being a vocalist.”

“But I truly think so.” 

I hate empty compliments, so I would never say them to stroke anyone’s ego. Alberto needed to have more confidence in that talent of his.

Seeing that I was serious about it, he quickly looked away from me. But I had already seen the shocked and awkward expression he was trying to hide.

“I know you’re an honest person so… thank you.”

It seems like he was feeling shy.

I’ve begun to see more unfamiliar expressions on his face, so I thought that I should better take a good look at them. Seeing that I was looking at him quite intently, a grumpy expression contorted his features as he once again looked away. 

“Don’t stare at me like that.”

“Hmm, it seems like you do have something of a handsome face after all. Please don’t be shy and let me look at you in your full glory.”

He rolled his eyes at me. “You are really…”

I chuckled, “That face you make when you roll your eyes at me is lovely too.”

“Hmph. Suit yourself.”

I would never tell anybody, but I do think he is being quite cute. 

As our casual days go on, I’m starting to slowly find that my and Alberto’s ties are becoming more intertwined. 

“Alberto, this way!”

“Wait for me, Claudia.”

Without really knowing it, we’ve begun to stop using titles to address each other. He has begun to call me by my name instead of the usual ‘you.’ There was a time when I was racing on my horse that I found him looking at my figure with squinted eyes. I had asked him if he was having trouble with the gleams of the sun, but he quickly assured me there was nothing. 

Nothing at all.

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