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[By the way, I’m not your friend, I’ll be your husband.]
Dole grinned broadly and pointed to himself.
[Husband? Mine?]
[That’s right. I’m going to buy you.]
I was surprised and looked up to Saine.
I know that I’m going to get sold someday but I didn’t think that it will be so sudden. My heart was beating furiously. Soon after pausing for a short while, my tears dripped down. (TN: Oh dear…. )
[Oh boy, do you hate it enough to cry?]
[Uuhn, that’s not it…… I just wanted to be with Saine for a bit longer…… I know that I will be sold someday, and I also understand that I can;t stay with him forever, but, I just thought that we can be together for a while more……]
I never thought that it was going to end like this. I couldn’t control my tears, they keep falling drop by drop.
[Sorry. I’m not saying that I hate you, Dole, rather, anyone who isn’t Saine is all the same. Sorry……]
Uhiih*, how embarrassing. It’s so unsightly to cry in public even though I’m a man*. I’m aware of that but my tears won’t stop. I thought that today was a good day but, it’s the worst. (TN: Just a groan)
When I pressed my hands against my eyes to stop the tears, Saine held them and kept them away.
[Stop. You’ll hurt your eyes.]
A big hand is placed on my head.
[Don’t worry. I’m not going to sell you yet.]
[Not yet?]
[Yeah. I’m going to keep you.]
I was relieved by his words and the stiffness of my body loosened.
[I’m so glad. You know, I was rea~lly scared.]
My tears stopped after what Saine said. Saine is like a magician. He can make me panic or calm down with just a word from him.
[Sorry, I understand it well. But my heart hasn’t caught up yet. If you wait for a bit longer, I think I’ll be able to prepare myself properly.]
I lightly tap my chest and nod. My head comprehends but here hasn’t caught up yet. No one will keep a man indefinitely and he must redo the Ceremony. I understand that but my heart still hurts.
[You don’t want it if it isn’t Saine?]
Ooh~, Dole laughs amusedly.
[Un. I was scared of him at first but I’m fine now. He’s kind, and he’s ve~ry gentle. I think that there are other good people but I find Saine special.] (TN: ‘Yes’, but sounds cuter that way so I left it alone.)
I believe that there are a lot of good people. The food stall uncle even gives extras to customers he’s familiar with.
[That’s why I’m aware that we’ll have to part ways someday. You know, a cute girl suits Saine well. I also believe that the girl will be happy if Saine waits for her. I heard from the grannies. When they were summoned here, the other party who called themselves their husbands were bearded old men and they apparently hated it a lot. On that point, Saine is good-looking, beardless, doesn’t have a big belly, and very cool.]
[Hmm~. What about me?]
[I also think that Dole is a good guy. Oh, then, you shouldn’t have a man, too. You’re a guard, right? If you’re a Hero like Saine, you’ll be able to get a Ceremony soon, won’t you? Take it properly and go get a girl.]
[If I do that, who will buy you?]
Now that he mentions it again, I suddenly have no idea. I believe that good men deserve cute girls. If I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t like it either. But if I’m the one being sold, as expected, I want to go to a good man.
Hmm~, I became seriously troubled.
[How difficult. I’m a man and I can’t demand luxury, but still, I don’t want to get hit either, after all…… For now, I want someone who doesn’t beat me up, I guess. Oh, but, I don’t want it if he’s always quiet inside the house, even if he doesn’t beat me up. If so then I don’t mind getting hit a little, it would be nice to have someone who I can converse with.]
Saine’s hand that was placed on top of my head circles around my shoulders. In that position, there, there, he stroked me.
[Don’t worry. I won’t put you in danger.]
[He’s right. Don’t worry. For now, I’m after Saine. I’m a better man than Saine.]
Dole’s bright green eyes were laughing and I also laughed as if influenced by it. When we were laughing at each other, for some reason, Saine’s arm that was patting my shoulder suddenly grew strong. He grabbed me so hard that I think I could a creak, so I ended up crying out with “ugyaa”.
[Saine! It hurts!]
[Hey now, don’t treat what’s mine so roughly.]
[Who did you say is yours?]
[Didn’t I tell you that I’d buy him? For 10 ales.]
[Eh? What’s that? Do I cost as much as a food stall?] (TN: I’m assuming the food sold in a food stall and not the stall itself.)
What a big shock. Am I that worthless……
[Who said I’m going to sell him for 10 ales!]
[I guess I have no choice. Well then, I’ll pay 20 ales. Don’t ask for too much or he won’t sell, you know?]
[I don’t care. I’m not selling!]
The moment Saine said that, another burst of laughter sounded in the guild.
[Nice, here’s a toast to Saine’s determination!]
[Speaking of a*$*, treat it gently, okay~] (TN: It’s a word play between “ketsui” (determination) and “ketsu” (the bum).)
[No, they’re probably doing it already, right?]
[Nope~, looking at that, it seems like they haven’t yet.]
Hahaha sounds can be heard here and there. I have absolutely no clue what they’re talking about but, the Guards Guild was a fun place.
Dole became my friend from being my future husband candidate. Truly, it’s a good day. I managed to make 2 new friends.
[It can’t be helped that you’re worried about the future. Just enjoy the present. Also, I’ll also take a proper look at your future husband.]
[Thank you. The grandpa next door also said the same thing. Saine will find him*, but, he’ll properly check him* out, he said.] (TN: The future husband.)
[……Didn’t I tell you not to worry about your husband?]
[Un. I may have said all of these but Saine will be the one deciding in the end, after all. But as expected, I can’t help being bothered. When the present is good, I worry all the more about it.]
[Isn’t there an option of staying with Saine permanently?]
[Eh? No way. Such a happy thing. After all, Saine is really cool. He’ll definitely be popular among the ladies.]
Compared to the food stalls uncles, I believe Saine is very cool. He’s not a sparkly handsome man like Olphynn, but his straight-laced impression is irresistible.
If it’s allowed, I would love to show him to the grannies. Since the husbands who bring them along are like that, no wonder they* didn’t like them. (TN: The grannies.)
There’s an order in getting the Ceremony, and even if your turn has come, it’ll be postponed if you don’t have any money. That’s why when it comes to farmers who have the highest population ratio, as well as the charworkers below it, everyone was gotten older by the time they receive the Ceremony.
Haruka’s husband was a stall shopkeeper who falls under the charworker job but his turn didn’t come and he was unable to save some money so he bought a man. I’m not saying that that’s the case but, he’s a deplorable fellow inside and out who makes even me want to run away barefoot.
Many of the grannies’ husbands are also farmers. Allec’s former husband was a lumberjack but that also falls under “farmers”. The mountain hunters and the fishermen like the grandpa next door are consolidated as farmers. I think this grouping is vague. When I wondered if there is an order even among the farmers, it’s their order at birth. Indeed, they’re really unequivocal in weird places.
When I think about the grannies’ husbands’ appearances, as well as how terribly Haruka is being treated, Saine is totally a jackpot. Although I have previously emphasized that, Saine hung his head down as if he’s tired.
[Uh-huh. I get it, Saine’s cool. But leave it at that already. Saine is getting sad.]
-[What’s he sad about?]
-[Well, you see, that’s because the topic is subtly off-point.] (TN: Being called cool because he’s not old and hairy. Lol)
Dole said so and chuckled.