The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Married Life in a Former Enemy Country in Her Seventh Loop

Clinging to Arnold’s back, Rishe somehow managed to speak.
“You have far too little desire.”
At that, Arnold let a self-mocking smile slip.

“That’s not something one says to the man who forced you into marriage.”
So he still thought of their marriage that way.
She couldn’t accept that in the least; with the low growl of a puppy, she protested.
“…In the end, accepting this marriage was unmistakably my own will.”

But Arnold wouldn’t have it. His hand, as if to say That’s not true, slowly stroked her head.
“Even if you hadn’t nodded then, I would have made you mine.”
Pinned in his arms, Rishe listened.

“By any means necessary… no matter how you resisted.”
“…!”
She knit her brows and shifted, trying to pull away from him.
He wouldn’t allow it. Holding her close, Arnold flopped onto his side on the bed with a soft thud.

Lying together like that, he loosened his hold just a little.
Rishe lifted her face and stared at him from close range.
“…Our First Husband-and-Wife Quarrel continues.”

“Oh?”
“Because you, Your Highness, are being obstinate.”
Stuffing as much displeasure as she could into the declaration, she drew a small laugh from him.

“As long as you like.”
His fingers combed the side locks along her cheek, tucking them behind her ear.
She flinched at the tickle, and he soothed her with a gentle voice.

“I’ll keep you company for as long as you wish.”
“…”
As expected, he wouldn’t even let it become a real quarrel.
She should have been nothing but dissatisfied, and yet—faced with that tender gaze—she couldn’t say anything.

“But now, close your eyes.”
He wrapped her up again and patted her back—pom, pom.
“Sorry I woke you… We can resume this ‘quarrel’ tomorrow.”

“…”
She had the feeling that wasn’t how husband-and-wife quarrels worked.
But she didn’t say it aloud; out of frustrated defiance she snuggled in and squeezed her eyes shut.
A skillful husband-and-wife quarrel was very difficult.

Feeling that, and wondering how she could make Arnold understand, Rishe drifted back into sleep.
＊＊＊
When Rishe woke the next morning, Arnold wasn’t in the room.

“…”
Sitting on the bed, she blinked blankly as she confirmed it.
She clambered off the bed and took about twice her usual time to get ready.

After changing her dress, she glanced at the side table and found several documents placed there.
They were the particular records from the Exchange Offices she had asked Arnold for.
Rishe picked them up, skimmed through, and let out a small breath.

I need to thank His Highness…
As she thought that, a knock sounded at the door.
Only one other person should know that she and Arnold were using this room. When she opened the door—sure enough, Oliver stood there.

“Good morning, Lady Rishe.”
“Sir Oliver. If you’re looking for His Highness Arnold, it seems he’s already left the room…”
“Yes. In fact, I was driven out of the office by my lord.”

Puzzled, she tilted her head; Oliver gave a fresh, wry smile.
“When he wishes to concentrate on state business alone, it happens often. The mere presence of others seems to annoy him.”
“My.”

“At loose ends, I thought I might assist you, Lady Rishe. Since you can’t summon the maids, is there anything you might need?”
That she was sleeping in the same room as Arnold was all because she feared ghosts.
They were keeping even the fact that she was in this room a secret so the maids wouldn’t notice; Oliver was likely taking that into account.

She started to demur, then remembered something.
“In that case, Sir Oliver—if you wouldn’t mind, could you help me carry some items?”
The dresses and bags Harriet had tried on last night had been piled up for the moment in the Wardrobe Room.

She wanted to take them to the wash area for a light cleaning. They were fairly heavy; a man’s help would be a great relief.
“I would be honored. We’re also moving ahead with breakfast.”
“Thank you. Then, please.”

She left the room with Oliver and headed down to the Wardrobe Room on the first floor.
Partway there, light pattering footsteps sounded.
“Lady Rishe…!”

“What is it, Elsie?”
Elsie came up from below and, upon spotting Rishe, looked on the verge of tears.
“M-my apologies for bothering you so early. I have a report for you…!!”

“Your color is poor. It’s all right—take your time.”
Rishe hurried to her where she stood on the stairs, breathing shallowly, and gently urged her on.
Elsie, still panting, held out a hemp pouch to Rishe. It was small enough to fit between her two little hands.

“I was sorting yesterday’s bags in the Wardrobe Room, a-and then I found this…”
“This is…”
The drawstring of the hemp pouch was loose, and she could see inside the open mouth.

The gleam made Rishe’s eyes fly wide before she knew it.
“Galkhein Gold Coins…?”
The gold crammed into the pouch were coins bearing an eagle motif.

And embroidered in the center of the hemp pouch was the Fabranian coat of arms. No one would think this belonged to Rishe, no matter how they looked at it.
Why would something like this be in my bag…
Her mind arranged the situation in an instant.

This was without doubt Harriet’s property. It was likely the Galkhein Gold Coins King Walter had had her carry.
The timing for their ending up in Rishe’s bag could only have been last night in Harriet’s room.
The problem was how the pouch had gotten into the bag at all.

Did it just get mixed in by accident because we were in a hurry leaving the room? …Impossible.
They had set the bags together on the long settee in the room. It was hard to imagine Harriet tossing a pouch stuffed full of coins.
“Elsie, can you remember which bag this pouch was in?”

“Yes. The red one with the thin chain handle…”
Summoning last night’s memories, she pictured Harriet’s room.
The red bag should have been in the center of the settee, crammed in alongside the others.

…At that time.
The Fabranian Women Knights arrived, and Rishe had to leave the room at once.
At that moment, it wasn’t Elsie but Harriet who gathered up the bags in the center of the settee.

Lady Harriet put the pouch of gold coins into my bag—…
Realizing it, she felt a profound shame at her own inexperience.
She had been watching the knights’ movements and had failed to keep her attention on Harriet. Even so—though she now understood what Harriet had done—the reason for it remained a mystery.

“What should we do, Lady Rishe…”
Elsie, pale as a sheet, voiced the worry that had to be on her mind.
“At this rate, we might be mistaken for having stolen Lady Harriet’s gold coins…!”

“…”
If that happened, it would undoubtedly develop into a grave international incident.
“—Lady Rishe.”

Oliver, who had remained a quiet observer until now, spoke her name without his usual smile.
“May I ask you to tell me the particulars?”
“Sir Oliver…”

The ordinarily mild Oliver now wore a taut, bracing air.
From it, she sensed a quiet killing intent. She had heard that ten years ago an injury had cut short his path as a knight; before that, he must truly have been an excellent swordsman.
Whatever she told Oliver would reach Arnold’s ears in full. All the more reason to choose her words with care.

As she lowered her gaze to her hands, Rishe caught her breath.
…No way.
She opened the pouch and took out one of the apparently new coins.

The face bearing the Galkhein crest shone like a mirror.
The reason Lady Harriet acted ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) in a way that would cast suspicion on me or Elsie…
Reflected there, Rishe’s eyes looked straight back at her.

Lady Harriet.
In her mind rose the Exchange Office information Arnold had obtained for her.
Weighing it against what had happened in her past life, she reached one conclusion.
—This is why you were executed in the future.

Rishe let out a short breath.
“I’m sorry, Sir Oliver.”
Then she looked straight up at him.

“I’ll explain the situation shortly. But first, there’s something I need to ask of you.”
“…?”