The invitation is now open.
''Then I'll send it to you at [Gate Mirror]. I'll be handing it to the people in the castle directly from the Order.
Nice to meet you.

　Holding a thick bundle of envelopes, the butler, Mr. Lime, bows his head deeply. Huh, my shoulder hurts. This is the first time I've pushed the sealing wax all at once like this. I can't just say that this is the only thing I'm going to mail you about, right?
　At first, the original plan was to get a reply to this invitation to let me know if you were not going to participate, and then on the day of the event, I was going to open the gate to each country and to the person in question. However, the groom didn't have to do it and Grandma Tokie was going to do it for me. She's better than me when it comes to space transfer, and there's no one better suited to the task. Thank goodness.
　I take out my phone from my pocket and pull out the example checklist.



　We don't have the custom of giving away gifts in this world. But it seems to be part of the local culture to give small gifts as a thank you, and that doesn't mean they don't do it, so we decided to include it. It's normal in Japan.
　But what should we give out as a gift? I don't think they would use it even if we gave them plates or mugs with our pictures on them, and I feel that it would just be harassment.

I don't know if a catalogue gift is also an option.

　I did a search on my phone and found various catalog introduction sites.
　It might be surprisingly good. You can ask them to choose from the catalogs and have them decide what they want.
　However, since many of the guests are royalty and aristocrats or rich people, they may not want to buy bags, tableware or other ordinary items in the catalog.
　So it's better to pick up something unusual to include in the catalog. Like a massage chair?
　Food is an option, too. Oh, maybe dragon meat would be appreciated.
　Or would swords and armor be more pleasing? Or an accessory that has been imparted with magic?　If you're a person of status, you'll probably want to have a magic tool with an antidote or defense grant.
　Hmmm, I can't get it all together.

"Let's freshen things up a bit.

　I put my phone back in my pocket and left the room. I just wandered around the castle. I'm about to be confronted with the question of whether or not I have a job, but I don't have anything urgent to do at the moment. It's a small country to begin with, and there are excellent people here.
　I walk out while greeting the maids cleaning the corridors. As usual, everyone in the training ground was busy training in the knightly order. Some were striking each other with wooden swords, others were silently training their muscle strength, others were checking their respective techniques, and everyone was doing their best.

''Huh?''

　There is a girl sitting alone on a bench in the corner of the training ground, staring blankly at the sky. It's Else. There is a water bottle and a gauntlet on the side of the bench. Is she taking a break?
　She doesn't seem to notice us at all, so I sneak around behind the bench to surprise her a bit.
　I gingerly approached Else from behind, trying to cover both of her eyes.


'What?　Huh, Winter Night!

　Else's back fist struck me in the face as I tried to close my eyes. Pang!　That's a nice sound!　I think he broke his nose.

Gee, I'm sorry!　Reflexively...!　Wow, I didn't do that on purpose!
"I know..... It's my fault.....

　We shouldn't have wished for the development of squeaky-cheeky ughhhh, like two sweet lovers. Oops, your nose is bleeding..... It's been a long time since I've seen my own blood, isn't it? I thought I was getting pretty robust, though........

[Light, come, restful healing, Cure Heel].....

　I didn't realize I had to do recovery magic on my face. From now on, I'll be careful when I surprise Else.

''Hmm, I stopped. I'm sorry.
No, it was my fault for trying to scare you. I didn't realize I was spacing out. What's going on?
I don't know... but... I thought I was getting married, and then things happened...

　Else sighs loudly as she smiles bitterly. I was a bit surprised to see that I was sitting next to her.
　This is the 'marriage blue' we often hear about...!
　Those about to be married may experience anxiety and depression in their marriage and, in the worst case, the breakup of the engagement...!
　D-D-D-Do you think we should do something about it?

Is there something you're worried about...?
'Anxiety?　That's a lot of stuff.

　Is that a lot?　I'm starting to sweat.

"In spite of the fact that the title of queen is attached to you. You have to refrain from doing things that could bring shame to your life. Besides, if a child is born, he or she must be properly educated as a prince or princess. I don't know if I can do that.... I've been thinking about it a lot, and my anxiety is getting worse and worse.......
'Tsk.'
Ow!

　He lightly chops Else's head.

'You think too much. You don't have to get uptight because you're the queen. I'm the king.　There's no need to be pretentious now. Else will be a queen, just like Else. She doesn't have to raise her children by herself. She has me and eight other mothers. You're gonna be okay. Everything's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay. It's a blessing in disguise, I'm sure.

　Else, who was struck on the head, was gloomy for a while, but eventually started to laugh a small laugh.

''Hmph, what's that? I can't help but feel uneasy if you let God out. It's not fair, Wintery night.

　It's okay to cheat. If you can make the girl you love's insecurities go away, God will forgive you.
　I want Else to always have a cheerful smile. Her smile is what pushes me forward.

Anyway, don't worry about it alone. From now on, we're going to be together for a long time.
Yeah. It just blew me away. You just have to be me, right? When we're all together, I'm not afraid of anything.

　Else stands up from the bench and stretches wide. She turns around and gives me the smile I've always wanted to see.

'Thanks, Winter Night.'
It's a husband's duty to listen to his wife's problems. It's a good thing it's a solution to your wife's problems.
"Oh, ma'am, you mean...!　What are you talking about?　Well, you're not married yet, so no!　Enough!

　Her face turned bright red, Else turned her back to me and walked away quickly. Well, I got a little carried away, didn't I?
　But it's not like he's angry, so it's okay.

I should have consulted with you about the gift. Oh, shit...
Ororo?　Fuyu-dono. Are you basking in the sun, that you are?

　As I was reflecting on my failure on the bench, the duo of Yae and Hilda appeared in front of me with a wooden sword. They're as close as ever. It looks like the two of them came to train together.
　There's also what happened with Else earlier. Let's ask the two of them if they are holding something back.

"Anxiety about your marriage...
So?

　We both look at each other and hmmm, a little distressed. No, it's okay if you don't have it, boys. It's safer that way.
　The two of them were thinking about it, but eventually Yae popped a hand.

''Oh, come to think of it, there's one thing that's bothering me.''
What, what?
The food for the wedding.... The bride won't be able to eat it, shall we?

　There. Well, if you say it's octogenarian, it's an octogenarian problem.
　And then Hilda let out a small voice.

I'm a little worried that if I have a child, I'm not allowed to do any strenuous exercise while I'm pregnant, and I'm worried that my body will become overwhelmed.......

　Quick-tempered. It's true that I would like them to refrain from too much strenuous exercise.
　Well, these two don't seem to be as troubled as Else. I was a bit relieved.

''But why would they do that?''
'It's like you think about a lot of things before you get married. If there's a problem, it's now or never.
As for the marriage, it's just beginning. I'm sure that many hardships will overtake us, but I believe that with the power of love and a strong heart, we can overcome them all. But I believe that with the power of love and a strong heart, we can overcome them all.
Yeah, that's true.

　Huns and sniffling Hilda's eyes are shining. She's the kind of girl who burns better in trials and adversity. Maybe she's not related to marriage blues.

I believe in everyone, that I do. We can solve any problem together, that I am sure.

　Yae's thoughts are the same as mine. She values the harmony of people more than anything else. I guess we already exist as a new family in her mind. Always in a natural state. That's the nice thing about Yae.
　I wonder how Else's twin sister is doing when it comes to this. I'm a bit curious.

"Where is Linse?
"Lord Linse, that you are?　You've been spending a lot of time with Lord Tokie lately, that I'm sure.

　Come to think of it, I used to be taught to knit on the balcony.
　It would interfere with the training of the two of us and I was also worried about Linse, so I used [Teleport] and jumped to the usual balcony.
　There I saw Linse sitting on a chair and continuing to knit single-mindedly.
　She's knitting so silently that she doesn't even notice that I'm near her. That's a lot of concentration.
　I didn't call out to her, and for a while I was in awe of Linse's dedication to her work. For some reason, seeing the way she was working so hard on something, I felt beautiful.

''...?　Oh, Mr. Fuyu?　When did that happen?
Oh, I'm sorry. It was kind of hard to talk to you, but...

　I couldn't say that I was fawning over her, as expected, and I muddled through my tea to Linse, who noticed me.
　When I sat down across the table from Linse, she gave a small tilt of her head.

'Something wrong, huh?'
'Yeah, no, it's not a big deal but...'

　No, maybe it's a big deal. I asked him outright if he felt uneasy about getting married.

'You're worried about it? Well, there are many things about it, but I think the excitement is stronger than that, you know.
Exciting?
'Yes. Yes, Fuyao-san and the others will become a proper family, and when the children are born, we will make many memories together.... It's an exciting time for the future.

　Is it that there is more hope for the future than anxiety?

'But why all of a sudden?　........haha, sis, right?
'What?　Oh, why....
'I've been somewhat preoccupied lately. I've been thinking about it for a long time, sister. But once a decision is made, it doesn't linger, so it's okay.

　As expected of a twin sister. She seems to have a firm grasp on her sister.
　By the way, I've been wondering about that since a while ago. The 'it' that is piled up on the table, and that you are still knitting right now, could it be....

'Oh, yes. This is a leg warmer and this is a knit hat, you know.

　I picked up a small hat that was on the table. It was knitted with soft, cozy yarn and was, by all accounts, for a baby. There were also rompers, socks, baby ties, baby knits and a bit more!

For nine people.
'No, no. It's too soon for that...
I suppose it's better to be early than never, right?

　No, we haven't even done 'that kind of thing' yet.... It's not like we're born at the same time.
　I wonder what it is. In Lindsay's case, it's as if she's become a "mother" instead of a "wife". Is her maternal instinct already active?　I feel like I'm working too hard.
　Well, it's not a bad thing.
　Oh, yeah. I'll ask Linse about the drawer.

A gift for...?　Was it a gift to give away to invited guests?　What kind of things, if you ask me.... Sweets, maybe?

　Sweets..... It may seem a bit plain, but it's possible. If it's a fancy cake made with high quality ingredients, it might make them happy.

What else would you like to have?
''Hmmm.... Oh, today is Sue's sleepover day, so why don't you ask everyone about it then?

　Linse claps her hands together as a good idea.
　I'm getting used to the 'sleepover' where we all sleep in the same room together. Well, I'm the only one who always sleeps on the sofa. I'm determined to stick to this style until I get married. Laugh at the slobs. I've been kissing everyone goodnight properly, so I'm happy with myself.
　In the meantime, let's get everyone's input and make a catalog list. In terms of amount of money, how much would you like to spend........ I'll have to ask Kosaka-san about this. I'm so busy. Weddings are a lot of work.....




"A simple magic tool will do just fine, right?　You see, you could give only the music function of your phone to a music box-like object.
That's good. I think she'll want it.

　Leanne in her black pajamas and Sakura in her peach-colored pajamas agree with Leanne's words. A music player, I guess. I wonder if the aristocrats will be pleased with it. No, aristocrats at the level of having their own orchestra or something might not want it so much, though. Anyway, I'll write it down on my phone.
　As usual, we were discussing on the huge bed. By the way, underneath the bed, Amber, Coral & Kuroshio, Benitama, Ruri, Paula, and the squad of followers of Albus are playing the Earth board game I made for them. Nyantaro isn't here because he's accompanied by Fiona, Sakura's mother, so he's not here.

''Nuh?　Ruri!　You, that's the land I was after!
I don't know. First come, first served. Then build a village.

　It's a game for large players in which the first one to collect points by settling islands, building villages and cities is the winner, and it seems to be quite exciting. However, the dice are very cleverly rolled.
　Should I put this on the catalog list, anyway?
　Fortunately, the marriage blues that started with Else have helped with the others, with Sue being a little homesick.
　Homesickness, or rather, the kind of homesickness that makes you miss your parents, the Duke and Duchess of Ortlinde, your newborn brother Edward, as well as your steward, Mr. Raym, who has been taking care of you all along, when you get married.
　He wasn't that anxious, though, since I told him at the transfer gate that he could return home whenever he wanted.

'Warawa will start a new family with you all. You won't be lonely.

　I couldn't help but hug Suu, who said that even though she was strong, and I loved her so much. I won't let her get lonely. I'm sorry for the Duke of Ortlinde as well.

If it were me, I would want to have a luxurious cooking set.
Hmmm, but isn't that something that the chief cook or something like that would want?

　Lou and Yumina are talking about such things. It's true that there are not many royalty and nobility who enjoy cooking. But our weddings are not just for nobles and the like, but also for ordinary people, such as Mika and Dolan from Gingetsu, Baral from Kumahachi Weapon Shop, and Ael from Parento Café.
　There's a good chance they would want it. It's practical, and it could be useful at work. I'll put it in, just in case.

What kind of stuff do you send in "Chikyu" by the way?
Hmm?　Do you want to take a look?

　I let Linse's question cause me to project some of the catalogs I'd searched on my phone into the air.
　Mostly dishes and ingredients floating around. It was Yae and Lou who responded as a matter of course.

''Ooh. This meat dish looks delicious, that it is...''
'Really!　I'd love to try one!
'We'll eat when we go over there on our honeymoon.'

　The World God has given me permission to go. It was just a study tour for the new gods and their attendants.
　That night, we stayed up late discussing catalog gift lists. I can't deny that it's not a very s*xy way to spend an evening with your fiancé.
　I could have done with a little more flirting, I thought to myself. Hmmm.