Published: August 10, 2026
Ipsandros Republic.
Since I left the country of Mizuho, I've traveled all over the place, but this is the place that suits me best. It had been two years since I started living in this country, and by now, I had come to think that way.
Ipsandros lies on the western edge of the Eastern Continent, and the whole country feels like a port town. Though it shares a land border with Shaina, the greatest nation in the East, it is also close to the countries of the West across a calm sea. Thanks to that, trade between East and West has been active since long ago, and the cities are overflowing with trade goods.
The food, in particular, was remarkably advanced. It wasn't that there were any especially rare ingredients or cooking methods; more like the overall quality was high. It felt as if everyone in the country wanted to eat delicious food every day if possible, and they kept devising new ideas toward that end. Even the cheapest eateries served tasty meals, and the ingredients sold in the markets were fresh and never disappointing. Thanks to that, even in this tiny house with its tiny kitchen, we were able to make delicious food every day.
As I bit into a piece of salted grilled fish, I felt that deeply.
"Aah, this is delicious... Yeah, meals really are important. If the food's bad, life is just a dark abyss, you know?"
"That is true enough, sir. Though it was i who grilled it."
The one who said something unnecessary was the man sitting across from me, Deputy Minister An. I puffed out my cheeks in irritation.
"What's that supposed to mean? You're working on the housework and child-rearing while I'm out working, aren't you?"
"Yes, of course i have no complaints."
With that, Deputy Minister An poked our baby's cheek.
"I am truly blessed to be able to serve a master who is clever, hardworking, and eats well."
"...You could at least say, 'I'm glad to be the husband of such a wife,' you know?"
"Marriage is when a man and a woman are officially recognized by their country and both families and are wed. We are not married."
"Well, yeah, but! Look, we even had such a cute child together!"
"Whether the child is adorable has no relation to the fact that we are not formally husband and wife."
"Ugh... you damn retainer, you're still being stubborn at this point...!"
As I ground my chopsticks together, Deputy Minister An stared at the infant and grinned.
"If i were stubborn, i would not have made a child."
Apparently realizing they were talking about him, our son, who had been drowsily nodding off a moment ago, suddenly opened his eyes wide. He looked at his father's face and let out a little squeal of laughter. Deputy Minister An's face broke into a smile as well.
"Oh, he is truly adorable. It drives away the fatigue of labor."
"You're not working, though."
"Grilling fish is labor."
"Well, sure, I guess. If it were me, I'd need more than just normal pay to do it. Fish, what even are you? Born with bones and scales and all sorts of annoying stuff attached. You should just swim around as fillets, honestly."
"As expected of Lady Kaede, you show no mercy to any living thing."
Rocking the baby in his arms, Deputy Minister An laughed merrily.
In this land far from the country we were born in, no one complained about our relationship. I lived as myself, doing work that felt worthwhile, and Deputy Minister An lived with a peaceful smile. I was happy.
Through the window beside the table, I absentmindedly gazed out at the distant sky.
I was reminded of a certain couple living in a faraway country connected by this same sky, on a continent across the sea. Thanks to them, we had obtained work, a home, and a family here. I wouldn't go so far as to say I owed them a life debt, but well, I was grateful in my own way. Rare as it was for me, I genuinely wanted those two to be happy. Their child must be about two years old by now.
"I guess I'm starting to want to see their faces again soon..."
When I muttered to myself, Deputy Minister An nodded as well.
"So it is, sir."
Though I hadn't said their names, it seemed we had been thinking of the same people. We looked at each other and gave a little laugh.