Alpeas loved her. Despite having the intellect of a ten-year-old, his mind wasn't limited by that age. His thoughts, prioritizing his husband's disappointment for not succeeding in the competition, brought tears to his eyes.
"Darling, I..."
Alpeas shook the trembling gold medal in his hands.
"I did it! I won! It's the Gold Circle prize!"
Erina, always calm and serene, displayed a dazzling look, as if she could contain the world in her eyes, something that rarely happened. It was truly a day Alpeas talked until he was out of voice.
"Congratulations. I knew you'd achieve it."
"Erina, it's all thanks to you. Everything I achieved, I did it because of you. Come here. I'll take you for a walk."
Alpeas considered Erina the true owner of the Gold Circle. Klump, of course, didn't understand this. Alpeas, who deciphered Erina's true intention beyond her innocent words, found it more impressive. But Alpeas knew. The small ideas that arose in Erina's mind would become the fundamental code guiding humanity's future.
"It's your prize. Your ideas amazed the world."
As Alpeas approached, Erina stepped back as if she were being burned.
"We should eat. Let's go soon."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I think I should go to Klump's party. We'll eat later."
"Oh, I see."
This time, Erina couldn't hide her disappointment. Seeing this, Alpeas lifted her up like a puppy.
"That's why we also need to make time for eating."
"Haha!"
Alpeas went up the stairs with Erina in his arms.
"Wait! We might burn the bread like this!"
"Say it or I'll do it! And if I do, I'll burn you!"
Since winning the prize, Alpeas received dozens of mysterious invitations every day. All came from nobles and self-proclaimed organizations. He didn't fit in with anyone other than the necessary contacts, and his reputation quickly grew due to his ability to increase his worth. As part of this strategy, Alpeas headed to a dinner invited by the Alchemy Foundation. As the responsible for 40% of magical ingredient supplies, it was a meeting he couldn't miss.
However, Saroph and his friends, unaware of this, had been in front of Alpeas's house since it started getting dark. Their anxiety for the night's arrival was evident.
Saroph sighed.
"Ah, that wounds his pride."
"Pride is the issue? His value has risen too much. Alpeas... he wasn't just a human with magical abilities. I should've foreseen this from the start."
Saroph also regretted. When Alpeas won the Gold Circle prize, somehow he should have mingled among the crowd to calm the situation. Even though only a month had passed since his victory, Alpeas's reputation had reached surprising levels. All thanks to his excellent political skill. Now, Alpeas, who was also selective about people he associated with, was further closing the gap for Saroph to enter.
"Let's enter gradually. I'll speak."
Saroph stepped forward and knocked on Alpeas's door.
"Is Alpeas here? It's Saroph."
The person who opened the door turned out to be Erina, something they didn't expect.
"Who are you?"
"Oh, it seems the wife is home. She might not remember me, but I'm Saroph, Alpeas's companion. Is he home?"
"No, my husband's out. He went to the Alchemy Foundation."
She knew he had a dinner there. But as it wasn't a drinking meeting, it wouldn't take much time. Saroph thought it was better this way and expressed it politely.
"I see. If it's not a bother, could we wait inside? People's gazes are a bit..."
Standing at the door after having reached the house was embarrassing; however, it was certain they'd become the subject of gossip if they stayed there.
"Yes, please come in."
Saroph, along with his friends, sat nervously in the living room. Erina, seemingly sympathetic, led them to the table and served snacks and drinks.
"Haven't you eaten yet? My husband will return after dining there."
"Thank you. That's very kind of you."
Saroph felt quite uncomfortable for not having brought a gift. Although he had thought of bringing one just in case, when the moment came to present it, he felt uneasy and couldn't bear to do it.
It wasn't due to a lack of skills. Even though he had cut ties with Alpeas and Erina's families, he believed his high-class status would have had some influence on the evaluation.
While serving drinks, he began to feel dizzy. At first, he had been tense, but the moment he experienced Erina's intellectual level, his mind relaxed unknowingly.
"I'm serious! I was once acclaimed as a genius! Me, myself!"
"And who wasn't? The world is so unfair! Some work hard until death, and others just rise because of a connection. Magic is already dead!"
One of Saroph's eyebrows raised at his friend's words. The target of these criticisms was none other than Alpeas. But he chose to stay on the sidelines. After all, Erina probably wouldn't understand what they were talking about. Suddenly, the alcohol became sweet. Perhaps this was the first time he outshone Alpeas? Criticizing him so openly in front of his wife?
"Hah, that boy humiliated me so much. But, after all, he's an ant compared to me, just an ant."
Saroph took another drink and addressed Erina.
"Isn't it so, madam? Magic, you know, isn't just about skill. Do you agree?"
"Yes, I don't know."
"Haha! Of course, you don't know. But it's true. Everything I say is true."
Saroph savored the pleasure of victory. He had criticized Alpeas and mocked his wife. His friends, understanding Saroph's intent, pounded the table and joined in.
"Madam, how about singing a song? To celebrate Alpeas's success, of course."
"Yes, and also to celebrate the success. Pick a song."
Erina's smile tensed. People often think that if someone has limited intelligence, they won't know anything. But reading the emotions of others was always the territory of the weak. Erina knew that Saroph and his companions weren't being friendly. However, she was only being polite because he was her husband's friend.
"If my homeland were filled with wheat..."
As Erina began to sing, Saroph and his friends clapped and whistled. As they did, she continued singing with a trembling voice.
But before she could finish three verses, a cold voice was heard from the room.
"What do you think you're doing?"
There was no need to ask; everyone turned around. Alpeas stood there, face red, fists clenched. Saroph startled instantly. When he regained composure, he finally realized what he was doing.
"Sorry. It seems we drank too much."
"You son of a bitch!"
Alpeas stepped forward with firm steps and punched Saroph. Struck in the face, Saroph fell to the ground. Then, his friends quickly stood up and protested.
"Alpeas! What are you doing? Even if you're angry..."
"No, it's okay. Let it be."
Saroph raised his hand to calm his friends. He felt ashamed. Was that all he could do? Be just a loser seeking solace by mocking his rival's wife?
"Get out before I kill you! Get out of this house right now!"
"I'm sorry for today. We won't come back."
Saroph and his friends were kicked out of Alpeas's house. A silence filled the room once the intruders left. Alpeas couldn't contain his anger. He knew why they made Erina sing.
"What's going on? Why were those guys here?"
Erina was too scared to speak. It was the first time she had seen her husband so angry.
"Speak! Why did you let those guys in here?!"
"I'm sorry. I thought you'd like it, as they're your friends..."
"What are you saying? Why would those guys be my friends? Can't you distinguish real friends? And still, you sang with them? You're a real fool!"
Alpeas turned abruptly. His face, tilted downward, reflected his regret. He had been carried away by a remark he should never have uttered, a promise he should never have broken.
"Forget what I said. I made a mistake."
"Darling, I'm sorry. I won't do it again."
Erina's words pained him even more. She was offering apologies. But then, where could he release this anger?
"I'll get some air and come back. Eventually, everything will work out. I'm sorry. I'm going to bed early today."
Alpeas left the house. That was the only rational way to deal with the current situation.
He went to the inn where Klump was staying and drank alcohol all night. He didn't get drunk. As the drunkenness intensified, Saroph's memories faded, and he only remembered the wounds Erina had suffered.
"Damn. I'm trash. I don't have the dignity to be a husband. She's a woman who trusted me. How could I say such a thing!"
Klump maintained a grim expression. As a man, he could understand Alpeas's anger. But that didn't change the fact that he had made a mistake.
They say couples' fights are like cutting with a knife. Now, the future is bright, and the bad times have passed. Couldn't they get closer from today?
Alpeas didn't respond, and Klump broached the subject he had been thinking about for some time.
"Instead, how about having a child now?"
Alpeas's eyes lit up for a moment. But soon, he lowered his gaze with a grim expression.
Klump, suspecting something, opened his eyes in surprise.
"What, you, seriously? You've never..."
"What are you talking about? We're married. Erina might know more than you imagine."
"Who knows! Maybe you're sterile, not Erina. You're so restless. Haha."
Alpeas, with no desire to laugh, stared at his glass of liquor and drank it bitterly.
Klump sighed.
"Seriously. So, what's the issue? After having a child, everything will be fine, right?"
"Erina... I'm not sure if she could have a child."
"Why? Does she have a health issue?"
"No. Well, actually, yes. Childbirth is terrible, and I don't know if Erina could bear it. There are also issues with parenting."
Klump pondered over Alpeas's words and sighed. Ultimately, it boiled down to whether a woman with the intellect of a ten-year-old could endure childbirth. Intelligence is a powerful force that controls humans. There was a vast difference between consciously enduring and unknowingly enduring.
"Alpeas, though it pains me to say this, you knew it from the beginning, from considering marriage...".
"Yes, I know. I don't regret it. Seriously, I don't. I can't live without Erina. No achievement would make sense without her."
Klump downed two glasses of liquor in a row. Even though he was also frustrated, how would the main character of the story feel?
"So, what are you going to do? It's unlike you to vent like this. Why is a smart guy like you feeling this way?"
Alpeas toyed with his glass of liquor, lost in thought. At one point, his eyes, battling against the drunkenness, shone brightly with clarity.