Ch.51Dating? – 4

I thought that was the case, but there was simply a better way.

“At last, you have realized the truth, my dear.”

“Are you treating me like some enlightened monk?”

“But is it not an undeniable fact? It is far better to be like this than to have those worthless, cheap vermin interfere between you and me. Now that you have finally realized this truth, it is only right that I praise you for it.”

“Why didn’t you just say so from the beginning? If you had asked me to do this, I wouldn’t have wasted time wandering around trying to figure out where to go.”

“You truly are a man who knows nothing of romance. How could you expect a lady to utter such embarrassing words with her own lips?”

As Charlotte’s declarations of affection toward me seemed to irritate Serena, whose eyes were twitching slightly, I stroked Serena’s hair a bit faster while moving my hand through Charlotte’s hair at the same pace.

Charlotte met my gaze and smiled as if flowers were blooming.

The three of us were at a bench in the central plaza. I was sitting in the middle of the long bench, with Charlotte resting her head on my left thigh and Serena on my right.

My hands were constantly stroking both of their heads.

We had just left the restaurant in the early afternoon, and now the sun was setting on the opposite horizon, creating a red sunset—meaning we had been like this for at least three or four hours.

Thankfully, my regenerative abilities prevented me from feeling tired.

The area around the bench where Serena, Charlotte, and I sat was filled with people bustling about.

The central plaza was once again overflowing with energy, and street vendors had quietly returned to their places. This was because rumors had spread that Charlotte had returned to the palace.

At first, people were skeptical since their lives depended on it, but soon they realized that Charlotte was nowhere to be seen and poured into the streets like a flood.

Even adventurers who had been anxiously waiting outside all day joined the crowd.

Since people hadn’t been able to come out to the streets since lunchtime, and it was now around the time when adventurers finished their quests, the central plaza was even more crowded than in the morning.

To exaggerate a bit, there was hardly any space to step.

Despite street vendors setting up everywhere, we couldn’t hear any noise or smell any food.

This was because Charlotte had used magic to completely isolate the space around this bench.

As if that wasn’t enough, she had cast high-level perception interference magic, making the five-meter area around our bench completely clear.

People seemed to perceive this space as having a wall, naturally walking around it.

Initially, Charlotte had wanted to isolate the entire central plaza, but I persuaded her that it wasn’t appropriate.

“What about you, Serena? Are you satisfied with this arrangement?”

“Anything my lord provides is good. Following your orders is my joy.”

“Is there nothing else you wish for?”

“That is…”

Serena hesitated, unable to continue. I smiled at her behavior and tousled her hair playfully.

Serena was still her usual self. While Charlotte was thoroughly calculating in nature, Serena was typically perfect but would cautiously step forward when I gave her an opening.

If I never showed any openings, Serena would continue to suppress her desires and follow me.

Now that I had revealed an opening by asking if there was anything else she wanted, she was hesitating, torn between her desires and her principles.

I carefully brushed aside the bangs covering Serena’s eyebrows and examined her eyes, which were like embedded blue jewels.

They were so clear and blue that I almost expected to see my reflection in them like a mirror. As our eyes met, Serena’s face turned bright red.

Though embarrassed and flustered, she was trying her best not to turn away. As I was observing her eyes, Charlotte reacted from the other side.

“My dear, are you not going to ask me?”

Charlotte tugged at my collar. Though it was surely all an act, her cheeks were slightly puffed up as if to express that she was upset.

I poked her puffed cheek with my finger to deflate it and replied.

“Why bother asking when I already know? How long have I spent with you that I can’t predict this?”

“Then I shall grant you the honor of telling me what you think I would demand. If you are wrong, I shall personally discipline you.”

“You’d want more than just having your head stroked.”

“Speak more specifically. I can clearly see your intention to be vague.”

“Do I really have to say it out loud?”

I moved my hand to Serena’s cheek and gently poked her soft skin. There was no particular meaning behind it.

I simply thought that since I had poked Charlotte’s cheek, I should do the same for Serena.

I might not be able to treat them equally in everything, but at least I could match these small gestures.

Even though Serena was mostly silent, I was already having most of the conversation with Charlotte.

“I must hear your answer to determine whether you are a mere braggart or truly a loyal subject who can read my heart.”

“What if I am just a braggart?”

“Then I shall graciously grant you a place by my side to personally correct that habit until it is fixed.”

“And if I truly can read your heart?”

“I shall graciously grant you a place by my side to keep you as a loyal subject for life.”

“There’s not much difference between those two options, is there?”

I knew this would happen.

“As a monarch, I strive to avoid unfavorable deals. Do you truly not understand this grand intention?”

“Well, I’m not a monarch.”

“If you wish, I can make you one. I can make this country, and Charlotte de Gargantua herself, all yours.”

“No thanks. I’m far from suited for such a position.”

“What a pity.”

Despite her words, Charlotte didn’t look disappointed at all. She was comfortably lying with her head on my thigh, quietly accepting my stroking hand.

This was a conversation that had been repeated countless times over more than a hundred years, and I had always refused like this.

Charlotte wasn’t making empty promises. If I truly wanted to sit on the throne, she would unhesitatingly hand it over to me and take her place by my side.

Charlotte was always sincere. The problem was that her sincerity sometimes extended in problematic directions.

I tilted my head back over the bench’s backrest. I could see the red sphere disappearing beyond the horizon.

The sky was dyed orange. Since all my original plans had been canceled anyway, I was absentmindedly staring at the sky when I suddenly felt the weight on my thighs lighten.

“My lord.”

“My dear.”

How could their timing overlap so perfectly? As Serena and Charlotte’s voices rang out simultaneously, I straightened my neck.

In stark contrast to the peaceful atmosphere just moments ago, I pressed their foreheads back down onto my thighs as they were about to growl at each other, and I put my finger into Charlotte’s mouth to quiet her.

I felt a wet sensation on my finger as she licked it. I tried to ignore Charlotte as she moved her tongue to let my index and middle fingers violate every corner of her mouth.

“What is it, Serena?”

“…It’s nothing. I apologize, my lord.”

“It doesn’t seem like nothing. What were you going to say?”

It was extremely rare for Serena to initiate conversation with me without something special happening. There were probably two possibilities.

Either this extremely rare event had actually occurred, or something unusual enough to make Serena speak first was happening nearby.

Serena still seemed to be debating whether to speak or not. I wondered what could be causing this, but decided to wait.

If she felt she shouldn’t say it, she would stop, and if she felt she should, she would eventually speak.

Serena’s hesitation continued for quite some time.

Just as I was about to step in and reassure her that she didn’t need to force herself, Serena made up her mind and met my eyes. She had finally decided.

“My lord.”

“Have you decided to speak now?”

“Yes. Would you… perhaps consider moving to another location?”

“What?”

It was completely unexpected. I never imagined Serena would be the first to suggest moving elsewhere.

As I froze in surprise at this completely unexpected suggestion, Charlotte stopped playing with her tongue and removed my saliva-coated fingers from her mouth.

Charlotte sat up. The hair that had been tickling my thigh was gathered behind her back, and her chest, which had been softly spread to the side, once again asserted itself under her uniform.

Serena followed Charlotte and sat up. Both Serena and Charlotte had stiff expressions.

Their mood had completely changed. It was hard to believe that just moments ago they had been smiling contentedly as I stroked their hair. Their gazes were fixed in one direction.

“It seems I’m not the only one who sensed it. To notice that woman without magic—as expected of a beast, following your instincts.”

“Look who’s talking—a useless woman who can’t do anything without magic. Is your mouth operated by magic too?”

Serena and Charlotte stood up from the bench. Serena reached for World Eater at her waist, while Charlotte drew a large magic circle on the ground.

As the magic circle glowed blue, the movement of people filling the central plaza suddenly stopped.

I had seen this before. It was the same magic Charlotte had used when she first came here to disperse everyone. She had clearly activated it again.

“What’s wrong with you two?”

Before my confusion could end, the central plaza was emptied once more. People flowed out through the connected streets like an ebbing tide.

Since we couldn’t hear any sounds to begin with, it didn’t matter, but with even the crowd completely gone, only desolation remained.

“It’s that woman.”

“That woman? Who… Wait, do you mean Christine?”

It was obvious who could make both Serena and Charlotte so alert and cause Charlotte to speak like that. Serena gave a small nod to my question.

“Yes, my lord. A place where mana flow cannot be sensed is approaching you at a very fast speed.”

“Judging by the speed at which the area where detection magic doesn’t work is closing in, she will arrive here within a minute.”

“Is it really Christine? Why would she come here?”

It was just two days ago that she had come to me saying she had sacrificed a thousand offerings. Had she already sacrificed another thousand?

‘Could she have massacred another religious group like before?’

That was the only possibility that came to mind.

There’s no way she could have gathered a thousand criminals in just two days, and even if that were somehow possible, considering Christine’s personality, the prayer alone would take at least a week.

Christine wouldn’t skip or rush through the sacrificial prayer.

“We shall find out soon enough.”

With those words from Charlotte, Serena finally drew her sword. World Eater made an ominous sound as it brushed against its scabbard.

As Charlotte released the spatial isolation, a chilling breeze swept past us.

From across the main road, a black figure approached.