I Found a Wife Whose Engagement was Broken Off in the Neighboring

Mademoiselle Citroen dropped her pillow and knelt on the bed.

She loosened and untied the drawstring at the collar of her nightgown.

Unbuttoning about three fabric-covered buttons, she slowly parted the front of her gown.

Honestly, I tried desperately to maintain my composure.

But inside, my heart was pounding. Prince Arios despised it, to the point where some even called him "Lizard Man." While I couldn't see any tattoos on her arms, neck, or calves, I wondered how many were hidden by her clothes.

Would it really be something horrifying?

I was trying to suppress the sweat that was about to break out on my forehead when—

"...Huh? This?" I was so taken aback that I instinctively spoke in Tidrosian.

Just as Mademoiselle Citroen said, it was in the middle of her chest.

Or rather, slightly to the right. At the very edge of the curve of her breast.

There, two shapes like cherry blossom petals were arranged like twin stars. Their size was about that of my pinky fingernail.

The color was blue, like aquamarine.

"This is the Dragon Mark?" I asked Mademoiselle Citroen blankly.

She nodded firmly.

Her face was serious. Her expression earnest.

She looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

But her gaze never left mine, as if she didn't want to miss my reaction.

"Did Crown Prince Arios see this?"

"No. I offered, but he refused."

The stiffness in her voice allowed me to imagine her pain at that time, and I panicked, thinking, Oh no, I shouldn't have said that.

At the same time, I mentally cursed, Isn't that man an idiot?

He imagined the Dragon Mark himself, got scared without even seeing it, and then hurt this lovely girl.

"...Uh, um..."

I made an unintelligible sound, then stared intently at the tattoo called the Dragon Mark.

It was quite different from what I had imagined. To be honest, I thought this scale-like tattoo would be... applied all over her body.

Innumerable, dense. I probably, and Crown Prince Arios too, imagined the same thing and felt disgusted.

Poor thing.

Because of something like this, she was humiliated in front of others, hurt, and spent two difficult years in another country.

Before I knew it, I gently extended a finger and touched the Dragon Mark.

Naturally, it was warm. The smooth skin had no rough or unpleasant texture.

When I pressed my finger with a bit of force, it felt soft and yielding. I rubbed it with my thumb, but of course, it was a tattoo; it wouldn't disappear.

However, it didn't distort either. On her taut skin, it seemed to be naturally there rather than stuck on. It was a strange feeling, and the moment I enveloped it with my entire palm—

"Ah, Your High—"

A strange, startled cry erupted close by, and I blinked.

"Ah, Your High—"

Before me, Mademoiselle Citroen's face was as red as a boiled octopus, and she was looking at me, on the verge of tears, her words cut off.

"...Huh?"

As for me, I had a firm grip on her chest with my right hand and was staring intently.

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I'm so sorry!"

In my haste to spring back, I tumbled off the bed and hit the back of my head hard. I groaned and hunched over.

But the sensation in my hand simply wouldn't fade.

That soft, smooth, fluffy touch. Suddenly, everything became very difficult.

"Are you all right!?"

Along with her voice, I heard a rustling sound as she crawled across the bed, making me panic.

"Don't come, don't come! I'm in a bit of trouble right now!"

"Are you injured anywhere!?"

No, I couldn't say "my lower half is a bit..." so I just kept repeating "I'm fine" and curled up.

I curled up and rubbed the back of my head, which I'd hit quite hard. Good, no lump.

"No, really, I apologize..." I apologized, hiding under the bed.

She only told me to look, so why did I touch it? Idiot, idiot, idiot.

"I'm the one who suddenly raised my voice..."

Her voice grew smaller with shame, leaving me with nothing but embarrassment. Idiot, idiot, my idiot self.

"Um... So..."

"Hm?"

A voice, tinged with tension, came from the back of the bed. Since things had largely calmed down, I wriggled and only lifted my head.

On the bed, Mademoiselle Citroen, with her collar already tidied, was sitting in a strange way, with both knees bent. It looked bad for her knees.

"Um... was it... disgusting? The Dragon Mark."

When she asked seriously, my face flushed hot again in an instant. I desperately waved my right hand to shake off the sensation and answered, my lips trembling.

"Not at all problematic, in fact... How do you say the opposite of disgusting?"

I spoke some unintelligible Tanian, and still, I couldn't get back onto the bed.

"If you came any closer right now, I'm confident I'd attack you."

When I said that, my face and body completely flushed, the heat seemed to infect Mademoiselle Citroen. She turned crimson, as if steam might rise from her toes, hugged her pillow, and moved to the opposite end of the bed.

"...Did you come to dislike me?"

When I asked dejectedly, she shook her head vigorously. Her silvery hair swayed softly. It was out of place yet so beautiful, breathtaking even.

"Can I like Your Highness even more?"

She asked that, all red-faced.

I nodded my head vigorously.

Ideally, I wanted to embrace her and kiss her, but first, I couldn't show her this embarrassing state, and a kiss wouldn't be enough anyway, so I decided to endure it quietly under the bed.

"Good." She smiled like a blooming hibiscus.

Damn it all!

She's so incredibly cute, so why can't I touch her?!

What?! What is this?! What am I being tested for?!

I sprawled flat on the floor. I wanted to roll around, but I endured that too. From the bed, I heard, "Your Highness?" "Are you all right?" repeatedly.

"I'm fine. I'll sleep at the edge of the bed in a little while. Good night."

I answered, face down. She couldn't see my face.

In that prostrate position, I simply chanted sutras. Be nothing now, me.

As I was thinking that, I heard the rustle, rustle, rustle of clothes again.

Was Mademoiselle Citroen moving around the bed, or had she crawled in to sleep?

As I pondered that, suddenly, something touched the back of my head.

"Huh?" I lifted my head in surprise.

My eyes met her purple ones. Mademoiselle Citroen had moved to the edge of the bed and was lying face down just like me, reaching out. She was gently patting the back of my head.

"Pain, pain, go away," she said with a sweet smile.

Is this girl a goddess, or a demon?

I said, "Thank you," and decided to endure it face down for a little longer.