My Dear Husband, Let's Keep It Business-Like! ~Countess Anastasia, Raised in The Downtown, Won't Give Up Her Way~ - Episode 54

The private room in the count’s mansion in the royal capital evoked a feeling of nostalgia and a sense of detachment, as if saying, “Ah, so this is how it was,” both equally.

It’s been quite a while since I came back, but since I went to the territory before I even got used to this place, there’s nothing I can do about it.

Actually, I wanted to show everyone at the mansion the dress I made in the territory and talk about various things, but the carriage arrived in the evening. So, it was decided that resting well today is the top priority.

After all, the ball is in three days. I can’t afford to show any signs of fatigue on my face.

Moreover, there’s something I absolutely need to do before going to bed today.

When I entered the next room with a thick book in my arms, my husband was already sitting on the sofa.

“You’re early, sir. I’m sorry for making you wait.”

“No, I arrived too early. It would be better if I came early to be with Ana for even one more second, right?”

Tonight, Newborn Eugene is in top form again, but humans are a terrifying thing, and I too have gradually gotten used to this situation.

I’m highly adaptable!

“That’s right. Then, to avoid wasting time, shall we get started right away?”

Saying that, I placed the book I brought on the table, and the three spirits floated over.

“Wow! There are so many different kinds of gemstones!”

“From here, it seems like we can find a good name!”

“I’m going to find the shiniest one!”

Yes, what I brought is a gem dictionary.

From now on, we will finally decide the names of the spirits.

Why a gem dictionary to decide on a name, you ask? The story goes back two days, when we were still traveling by carriage.

I had my heart completely shattered after every single name I put so much effort into was rejected.

Ugh… I thought “Shooting Stardust” and “Dugong” were cool names, and “Ribbon” and “Frill” were cute names, but…

The spirits are looking at me with terrified eyes, as if they see me as some kind of terrifying monster.

At this rate, I might end up giving these kids an incredibly heavy cross to bear with their names as they go through life…

“Um, how about I give the name that you thought of, dear husband…?”

“Uh, wouldn’t that make it unclear who the contract is with?”

“Before that, just the fact that they’re calling it ‘Newborn Eugene’ makes me a bit uneasy about Eugene.”

I thought that a little too.

“…Ahem. Can I have a moment? Isn’t it difficult because you’re trying to come up with a name from scratch?”

“What does this mean?”

“Wouldn’t it be easier if we decided on a theme and came up with names related to it?”

I see. I never thought of that.

Indeed, I often see people naming things that way, and it might be good for someone like me who has a bit of a lack of sense.

“Then, I want a jewel!”

“I like sparkly stones too!”

“I feel a connection to the fact that there is a gem mine in the earldom, and I think it’s great.”

To avoid the burden of the heavy cross and the strange names, the spirits assert themselves at this very moment.

Gems, huh? I’m pretty sure the gem encyclopedia I studied before was at the count’s mansion in the royal capital…

“Alright, then when we return to the royal capital, let’s look through the gem dictionary together and think of a name!”

『『『Yay!!』』』

———, and thus we have arrived at the present.

“I really like this one, the ‘Phosphophyllite’! It’s got such a light color and sparkles.”

Fos… what!?

You suddenly chose something really hard to call out, huh!

The one I chose is the kid who said, “Maybe I got better at flying?” when we talked about the provisional contract the other day.

“Hey Anna, give it a try and call me!”

“Fo, fo, fo, uh! Phosphophyllite!”

“Too many followers”

My husband suddenly burst out laughing, shaking his shoulders. How rude, though!? This name is difficult at first glance, you know.

“Geez! If you’re going to laugh that much, then why don’t you give it a try too, dear husband?”

“Ugh… sorry, haha, it’s just that your earnestness is so cute, I couldn’t help it.”

The husband lets out a sigh, calms his laughter, and then looks down at the gemstone dictionary.

“What’s this? Fos… Fo, Fi? It’s definitely hard to call. Alright.”

Ho, ho, ho…

“A hermit?!”

Pfft! No way. I couldn’t handle the spirit’s unexpected retort this time.

“Even Ana is smiling, isn’t she?”

“It’s an act of God! It’s mostly your fault, dear husband…”

And then, the two of them have a bit of a quarrel.

“Hey, newlyweds over there! Get serious!”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not the official name of the jewel, but since we’re naming it after it, we can shorten it to make it easier to call.”

I was advised by the slightly blue-tinged kid among the three. The one who said the other day that they felt they had gotten better at communicating after making a provisional contract.

Maybe, but I think this kid will become really smart if we sign the contract. Yeah.

“I see, so how about ‘Foss’… or something?”

“Sounds good! I’ll have that one!!”

“Wait, wait! After everyone decides on their names, let’s all choose them together. Ana, me, this one!”

Among the three, the child with a warm color tone who spoke a bit slowly chose the gemstone “kunzite.”

“Kunzite… so, ‘Kunz’?”

“Yeah!!”

“Finally, it’s my turn, Ana. I’ll take this one.”

The last blue child chose a beautiful gemstone called “Kunzite,” which has a deep and rich blue color.

Amazing, whether it’s a coincidence or something that can be clearly understood, the color I vaguely felt and the color of the gems everyone chose are the same…!

“Kunzite… ‘Kaiya,’ right?”

“Yeah, call me that!”

The names of the three people have been decided. It’s finally time to sign the contract.

“Is it okay if I just call you by your name?”

“Yeah, that’s right!”

“Ana!”

“Call my name!”

I took a slow, deep breath and called out the names of the three spirits.

“Foss! Kuntz! Kaya!”

“I accept that name. My name is Phos!”

“I accept that name. My name is Kuntz!”

“I accept that name. My name is Kaia!”

When the three spirits respond like that, the room is filled with a dazzling light.

When the light settled, the three spirits at its center had a more defined appearance than ever before. Their colors were also clearer than before.

The three of them opened their eyes, looked at me, and smiled brightly.

“Let’s continue to get along, Ana!”

Actually, this is the secret story of the birth of the three pillars who would later save a certain country and come to be known as the “Three Great Spirits”…

Another story.