episode_0109

What kind of expression would he have had on his face in a situation that was utterly incomprehensible?

The man, who had been sighing heavily, cleared his throat once and then apologized to me.

“Oh, sorry. I was so flustered that I just blurted out whatever came to mind. I forgot to introduce myself! Well, since we’ll only be seeing each other for today, just call me ‘Nachal.’”

“…I suppose an introduction is unnecessary, right? You’ve already said everything yourself. By the way, sir, you don’t seem like an ordinary person. What business do you have with me?”

Despite not feeling anything, it seemed like he was only fierce on the surface, but mentioning his original name and gender before possession meant he couldn’t possibly be an ordinary being.

Discarding any thoughts of apprehension, I asked the man about his purpose for coming here, and in response, he put on the most harmless smile possible and answered my question.

“Don’t be too wary. I’ve come to help you. Well, it seems a bit late to offer help now.”

“…If you can’t help, could you at least provide a detailed explanation? I’m feeling very confused right now.”

“That might be difficult for you to understand. That crazy lunatic brought you here without any explanation.”

With a sigh, the man began to explain.

“Before we proceed, do you know the name Agathon? It’s the name of the woman who brought you here.”

“Yes, I know. I met her a few days ago. By the way, do you happen to know where she disappeared to? She suddenly vanished, causing quite a stir…”

“Oh, I took her away by the scruff of her neck. She’s probably being roasted alive by now, thanks to her dirty scent rubbing off on someone else’s husband.”

He explained, indifferent as if there was nothing special, and then took a sip of tea.

Surprised to hear that there was a wife involved, I tilted my head and asked, “Sir, did she have a wife?”

“Why, can’t you see her? Yes, she does have one, a nine-tailed fox of a wife. If you’re falling for me, you better snap out of it quickly…”

“Sir, that’s not my preference, you know? I already have an owner, so don’t entertain strange thoughts.”

“I didn’t, you don’t even look fluffy enough to catch my eye.”

Clank –

Setting down the empty teacup, the man spoke with a serious tone different from before.

“This isn’t important. Anyway, that woman, Agathon, brought you to this dimension through illegal means. That’s why I couldn’t help you immediately. It wasn’t done through normal means, so we realized it too late.”

“She doesn’t seem like a pleasant woman.”

“I agree, because of that woman, things have gotten terribly complicated. We need to return you to your original state before your soul and body become one, but since they are already merging… sigh…”

As if puzzled, the man touched his forehead and then looked at me as if pondering.

“By the way, how couldn’t you last even a year? Or nearly 24 years as a man? Shouldn’t you have endured at least a year?”

“It seems my mind couldn’t keep up with my body. Well, let’s leave that story aside… So, what do you mean by coming to help? There doesn’t seem to be anything urgent that requires assistance at the moment.”

“Well, originally, I planned to restore everything to its original state. However, the situation changed when your soul merged with that body.”

“How did it change?”

“Your body from the modern era has vanished. In simple terms, you’ve lost your way back.”

Sighing again, the man made me an offer.

“I’ll give you two choices. Even though it seems like you’ve already made up your mind, just in case. The first is to return to the modern era with just that body, and the second is to stay here and live happily.”

“…Feels like I’m being forced to choose the second option?”

“You were going to choose the second one anyway. It’s written all over your face, the fact that it’s the second one.”

The man chuckled happily, slowly rose from his seat, and handed me an amulet, saying,

“I think everything is settled with this… This amulet is a wedding gift. If an unbearable presence shows up, tear this amulet apart.”

“Got it, but are you leaving already?”

“I have to go. If I linger, my wife will nag me again. Well, thanks to you, I feel screwed already.”

Finishing his words, the man shrugged his shoulders, concealed himself in the reception room, and I briefly glanced at where he disappeared before stepping outside the reception room.

Still feeling confused and tired, with thoughts not yet organized, I had no choice but to head to the bedroom immediately.

Delaying any longer would undoubtedly subject me to torment by the insatiable beast of lust waiting in the bedroom all day.

—–

“Ugh… It’s all over…”

It had been a week since I returned to the Pasible family mansion.

Working diligently without slacking off allowed me to retrieve everything I had prepared for unforeseen circumstances.

“There’s quite a lot when you gather them all.”

I shook my head as I looked at the piles of weapons.

I really did prepare a lot, past me.

Well, having prepared this much, I must have confidently set off to conquer the empire without hesitation.

…But now, where can I use these?

There seems to be nothing more dangerous ahead than fighting with Lorian.

Contemplating whether to destroy them, I temporarily stashed all the weapons in a different space.

One day, I’ll surely have a use for them. The timing of that day remains uncertain.

After finishing the cleanup and taking a brief breather, a maid from the mansion quietly approached me and conveyed a message.

“Lady? Madam invites you to tea time.”

“She does? Alright, I’ll go right away.”

Why would someone who usually observes from afar call me now?

Arriving at the tea time location with questions in mind, I noticed Karl, who had arrived earlier, nervously fidgeting in front of my mother.

An unusual and ridiculous sight to witness.

However, upon hearing snippets of their conversation, the word ‘marriage’ was mixed in.

“…”

Should I run away?

Without realizing, I took a step back, but soon heard a snapping sound, and a dark mist enveloped me.

“What are you doing there? Come and sit, dear.”

“Yes, yes?”

Dear?

Wide-eyed and looking dumbfounded, when I made a foolish expression, Karl’s mother chuckled and said,

“Why such a surprised look? I know very well that you’ve gone beyond the point of return. The atmosphere has changed, how could I not notice.”

“T-That’s…!”

“Hmph! You’re blushing like a bride on her first night. I’d like to tease you a bit more if I felt like it… but I might get scolded by my son, so let’s stop here for now. So…”

Dragging blushing me to the table, Karl’s mother alternated her gaze between Karl and me, then slowly began to speak.

“When do you plan to hold the wedding ceremony? Seeing you two lovebirds spending every night together, it wouldn’t be surprising whenever you decide to do it.”

“T-That’s, um…”

“Two vigorous young men and women going into a room together, isn’t it obvious what they’ll do? Did you think we wouldn’t know? Even though you have a body of a mother of five children?”

“…”

Feeling so embarrassed that I wanted to hide in a mouse hole, I bowed my head deeply without a word, prompting Karl’s mother to urge for an answer.

“It seems you won’t need more time to understand. You’ve seen each other inside out during your travels, even checked your compatibility, haven’t you? What else do you need?”

“Hmm, I’m curious why you’re rushing the marriage like this!”

“It’s because Grandma wants to see her grandchildren soon. Does that answer your question?”

“…”

Unable to find words, she sent a pleading look to the sharp lad for help.

Hey, could you please talk to your mother a bit!

At this rate, we might end up having the wedding in just a few days…!

It’s not that she disliked marriage.

Why wouldn’t she like it when the sharp lad would be solely hers?

However.

There were quite a few things she wanted to do as lovers, not just as a married couple.

Someone once said.

There’s a significant difference between dates as lovers and dates as a married couple.

For her,

The sweet and exciting emotions she felt when dating him were so delightful.

While the sticky and warm feeling of being in a relationship was good, she personally liked the love that felt somewhat awkward and unskilled, almost ticklish.

If they became a married couple, wouldn’t she no longer feel those emotions?

Worried, she wanted to enjoy these feelings a bit more.

Can’t we wait another six months before getting married? If six months is too much, how about three months, or even just one month…

She gazed at the sword with earnestness, filled with longing, but her attitude changed completely with just two words from her mother.

It had to be that way.

Her words sparked a sense of urgency in my complacent thoughts.

“Oh, by the way, didn’t we hear from the princess? She said she wants to get married if the youngest still doesn’t have a partner.”

It was a bait that I couldn’t ignore.

I couldn’t just sit back knowing that another woman might be eyeing my man, right?

I didn’t even want to entertain the possibility.

No, I just didn’t want the sharp lad to meet other women.

Am I too possessive?

So what if I am.

What’s wrong with wanting him to love only me?

He’s mine.

Nobody can look at him with desire.

He’s mine alone.

With a fierce look in her eyes, she asked the sword,

“Darling, when do you think our wedding should be?”