Ch.114. Have You Never Read a Romance Novel Before? (2)

“El. I won’t say much. You came knowing everything, didn’t you?”

“You seem to have been hasty.”

Neither side would back down an inch.

Regardless of status, there could be no compromise, negotiation, or concession here.

Seras opened fire first.

“So what? Are you telling me to just give up?”

The princess was calm as always.

That noble, dignified side of her.

If you look closely, it’s truly heartless and even cruel.

Elehermina, the princess herself, probably has no awareness of this.

Just by existing, she is someone who drains the blood of those around her, all because she carries the tiniest, most trivial flaws or weaknesses.

There is no malice.

No coercion or intimidation either.

But her existence stands firm like a law or rule in itself.

“If you do, what will you do if I don’t?”

“…Conversely, if I hand him over to you, would Esdina actively support the Imperial Family?”

“A foolish question.”

“…Grandfather will retire from politics soon. It shouldn’t be something to conclude so hastily.”

“Are you planning to inherit that position? Being a female head of the family isn’t such an easy task.”

“I’ll pass it to Kariel.”

Hmm?

“After grandfather steps down, we’ll change our stance to support the Imperial Family. This way, it won’t burden you, His Majesty, Lord Lueld, or Lady Ermina. Rather, it would strengthen your position.”

“Easy to say.”

More importantly, is there any reason to do so?

The Imperial Family thoroughly reduces the vested interests of its subjects, sometimes taking them away, preferring their long-term weakening.

The strengthening of the subjects’ power means the weakening of the Imperial Family’s power.

And this means returning to the age of unbelievers, when violence and selfishness prevailed before Berk took the name of the Empire.

That would be.

Another hell, no less terrible than a demon realm invasion or indiscriminate war between nations.

“If you can’t trust verbal promises, I’m willing to draft a memorandum to prove it.”

“The vacancy left by Count Esdina’s retirement cannot be filled by your discretion alone. Even if Kariel becomes your puppet at the forefront, it’s woefully insufficient.”

“……”

“However, if he, who is the center of the noble faction, disappears… it would be easier to shake up and divide the remaining ministers.”

Truly a fox’s idea.

“But, it cannot be.”

“…Why not?”

“I cannot hand over Kariel for such trivial reasons.”

“Is… that so?”

“You may rebel if you wish. It is the duty of a leader and the virtue of royalty to guide and lead their subjects.”

This, this crazy woman….

“Yet, recklessly revealing such intentions is an extremely dangerous gamble. Didn’t you know from the beginning that I would not give him up?”

“That’s why! I need to show my sincerity even more!”

“Sincerity. Yes… sincerity.”

At that point, the princess rested her chin on her hand and closed her eyes in contemplation.

After 10 seconds, 20 seconds.

“I understand.”

Elehermina gently lifted her eyelids.

“I was mistaken about one thing. This is not Count Esdina’s instruction or intention, but entirely your own design.”

“……”

“And you even persuaded the Count to accept it, using it as material for persuasion. It was all your determination. Sincerity indeed. How fitting.”

Seras sighed inwardly.

It’s truly nauseating.

They’ve barely exchanged a few words, yet she’s already reached the core of the matter.

It’s always like this.

This is why…

She doesn’t want to associate with her.

“Very well then.”

…?

What? “Very well”? What does she mean?

“First of all, making him my husband is a decided matter. Therefore, if you wish, I will allow an unofficial relationship between you and him according to his wishes.”

“…?”

What.

Just now.

Just now…

This, this crazy woman, what is she saying?

“Why that expression? Seras. My old friend. I fully respect you. Therefore, I’ve proposed a compromise so as not to betray your hopes. Are you dissatisfied?”

“…Are you seriously saying that? Are you, are you really insane?”

“Such disrespectful words.”

Yet this woman, this princess.

From their first meeting until now, without changing her expression once, she was spouting nonsense.

“If he were a woman, and if we were men, this proposal would be impossible. But fortunately, he is a man. Luckily, we are both women. That’s why such a proposal is possible. I thought that what I cannot embrace, you, Seras, could provide instead, and wouldn’t that be meaningful to him?”

“……”

She’s serious.

This damned princess is seriously thinking that this would benefit herself, Kariel, and Seras, and has made this proposal with the best intentions.

Having known her for quite some time, Seras painfully realized that this proposal stemmed from goodwill.

Gritting her teeth, a retort naturally burst through her lips.

“So you’ll bind him securely with twisted bloodlines, knowingly or unknowingly? Are you telling me to bear a child without a father…?”

“I didn’t go that far, but if you’re prepared for that, I won’t stop you. Then our relationship would become even stronger.”

This, this crazy woman, really?!

“You, don’t you have any human feelings?! H-how can you say such things so casually?! And that! If the church finds out… it won’t end with just dismissal! No, how can you be so casual about it!”

“I cannot give up. Therefore, since I cannot offer any further compromise, I have no choice but to make this extreme proposal.”

This means, in other words:

Either you give up, or you accept this absurd arrangement.

In a way, as Elehermina said, it’s clear that she has offered a substantial concession.

However, that’s only…

“Seras. Don’t you know?”

I…

“I once vowed to protect him, who went as a hostage to another country in my place. Although I couldn’t make that vow in front of him as he left, didn’t you clearly witness my determination at that time?”

“You who babbled about protecting him! What have you done for him until now? What exactly have you done for Kal while he was being driven to this point?”

But the princess was resolute.

Without showing a hint of wavering or agitation.

She declared:

“He is strong. He is not a man who would lose his light so easily. He may falter momentarily, but even that he will quickly overcome.”

Seras snorted.

“…You still have no intention of understanding that not everyone is a superhuman like you? Do you really not know how many people have been hurt and frustrated by your shamelessness, and that Kariel is among them?”

“If we argue that way, what about your original sin, Seras? After all, my foolish younger brother and your foolish twin sister, Eras, contributed to Kariel’s current reputation, my friend. You cannot deny that. Did you, who chose to defend your blood relatives, allow such atrocities with a noble human heart?”

“T-that! That’s not something to discuss here…!”

“I have waited for a very long time. Moreover, I gave you ample opportunity. Because I somewhat guessed your true feelings, I waited. Whether it was atonement, confession, or apology, I expected you to take some action.”

“What? Ample opportunity? Are you calling that an opportunity?”

“If not, why would I make such a decision only now? I am not such a filial daughter that I would follow the orders of His Majesty or my mother by force.”

Hopefully.

If there was someone who could embrace, lead, and comfort him, even if it wasn’t me.

“I was prepared to give up even my vow for his happiness.”

But.

“Who is around him now?”

“……”

“In the end, it’s complacency. It’s negligence. It’s laziness. It’s ignorance.”

“……”

“Do you only move when fire falls on your feet? How complacent you are, Seras Esdina.”

Lightly shaking her head, the princess finally turned her back.

“The moon has set. Now it is only the time of the sun. If you truly feel wronged and indignant, blame your negligent past self. I urge you to accept that the hourglass will not be turned over again.”

……

……..

And so.

After a brief time had passed and she had moved to a different place, she walked alone through a quiet corridor.

Elehermina calmly thought with half-closed eyes.

As she had always, always done.

Even if.

Even if there were tens of thousands of women in this world and the next who adored and admired him.

Even if all that affection was scraped together to the last speck.

“In the end, it would not match the love held by this one body of mine.”

====

Despite the commotion, thanks to the Demon King periodically dragging him into dreams and mercilessly immersing Kariel hundreds and thousands of times.

His habit of sneaking out of his residence at night to catch his breath and practice the lute had significantly decreased.

In just a few days, so much had changed.

Becoming Elehermina’s fiancé.

Even encountering and being swayed by the Demon King’s ghost.

It felt like not just days, but dozens of days had easily passed.

-Going to bed late isn’t good for your growth period.

“…But you said stress relief is necessary?”

-That’s the irrationality of intelligent beings.

Time is gold, and you should be using that gold to polish yourself, so why waste time on trivial matters?

“…So are you telling me not to go out or what?”

-It’s your choice, am I in a position to tell you what to do? Someone might think I’m your mentor or something.

“……”

On one side, a ghost of a former Demon King.

On the other, a descendant of the hero who slew that very Demon King.

…Their relationship was certainly complicated.

“And you said you’d teach me how to play if I endured the training?”

-That’s not a big issue, so I can.

Whether driving people or slaves.

The enthusiasm for work is determined by whether appropriate rewards are given.

Violence, fear, and pain are methods too, but…

‘That’s more troublesome.’

Cursing and tormenting others is also labor.

Unless you’re some perverted bastard whose temperament is so twisted that you need to do that to feel satisfied and relieve stress.

-Besides, if we’re talking string instruments, I’m more of a guitar person than a lute person.

“Guitar?”

-Yes, such a thing exists. A magic guitar, at that. The artificial, tearing electronic sound is just amazing.

“…?”

Come to think of it, music was often classified as the exclusive domain of demon-kind.

As a result, the church claimed that only human voices were pure.

But musical instruments and various traditional songs were already deeply rooted throughout the world.

However, for nobles and so-called noble people, it was treated as a culture to be avoided.

-When we do it, it’s automatically evil. Such inferior beings.

Above all, wasn’t the Golden Demon King known as a master of arts among the demon-kind?

The demon-kind who joined the human alliance and made great contributions.

The demon settlements and exchange cities that settled in parts of the continent could be considered leaders of the continent’s various arts, large and small.

“…?”

Surely.

They wouldn’t be planning to conquer the continent through culture and art… would they?