episode_0215

The body of a superman is strong.

It is resistant to diseases and does not get tired easily.

So my headache and fatigue right now are not just physical problems.

The castle’s office.

I sat down and listened to the report.

A woman with blonde hair as bright as a lemon tied up and wearing round glasses continued to speak.

I try to appear very intelligent and cold-hearted, but…

Honestly, to me, it only looks like a small chick.

His voice and manner of speaking are definitely dignified.

“… It is said that most of the area that was once the Demon World has been restored. More precisely, it is developing rapidly by taking advantage of the advantageous points for rebuilding and expanding the city. We also began the development of a city where warriors and soldiers could station and rest at the beginning of a no-man’s land. Therefore, the imperial family announced that it would increase the tax rate collected from vassal states.”

“How much?”

“The current tax rate is 10%. Ultimately, 1/10th of the estate’s income will be spent on taxes.”

If you go up, it’s the average value of other territories.

“Would you like to protest?”

“No, it’s okay. Let’s accept it. That’s about it. By what percentage did other countries rise?”

“15%.”

I thought so.

In one way or another, he is in a position of consideration in the imperial family.

From the beginning, we paid less taxes than other countries.

There was no need for such consideration, but there was no reason to refuse, so I accepted it.

There have been several complaints from other countries, but they have all been ignored.

This is the land held by the person who killed the Demon King and the warriors who made the greatest contribution in that war.

‘If you messed up, you should have killed the demon lord.’

With that mindset, I shamelessly endured it.

Public opinion was on my side anyway.

“I understand. Please let His Majesty the Emperor know that you will actively help him.”

“Yes. And requests to move in from refugees rescued from the eastern no-man’s land have increased significantly.”

“Hmm… . That’s a bit difficult. Is there any land left?”

My land is fertile and crops grow well.

Because it is surrounded by mountains, it is relatively warmer than other regions and relatively safe from invasion by foreign forces.

There is no foreign power to invade, but anyway.

It means that it is a good land for people to live in.

But there is only one drawback: the land is small.

“None. but… .”

She held out a map of my land.

Several places on the map were marked with red circles.

“There is land to cultivate.”

“This is… Isn’t it where it was produced?”

“Yes. It is a relatively gentle area compared to other mountainous areas, so it can be cultivated into land for people to live in. We also selected crops that can be grown in the climate of the corresponding production area.”

This time I handed out the documents.

A list of crops that could be grown in mountainous areas was compiled with brief explanations.

It mainly focused on root plants.

“It is also possible to build a road to the area. We believe it is more efficient to accept refugees, have them cultivate the land on their own, and allow them to naturally settle down.”

“Hmm. Hmm… .”

In the end, the decision is mine.

But, young… .

I can’t get used to this kind of thing.

Above all, Charles, who is the head of the house along with her, is very talented, so when you listen to it, you get “um. That would work. Let’s proceed. I start with the thought ”.

To be honest, I’ve already given permission in my heart, but I feel like I have to pretend to be thinking about it, so I’m holding off on answering.

“Good. Let’s proceed as is.”

“Yes. And then… .”

Her reports continued.

It is detailed and only states the facts.

This is a flawless report.

It was originally Charles’s job to do, but she took it away after they got married.

He said he would like to extend the time he spends with me.

Whether the food supply inside the territory has increased several times compared to last year, what my reputation is like among the residents, the friction between beasts and humans has significantly decreased, the training and equipment status of the security forces, the schedule and cost of repairs to the walls, and Next year’s farming plan and refugee acceptance policy.

Even if it wasn’t a job that suited me, I listened to it all.

If there was something I needed to write down, I wrote it down and thought about it seriously.

Even though it was my job, I couldn’t handle it lightly.

The long, long report finally came to an end.

“… That’s it.”

After finishing the report, she organized the documents and placed them neatly.

“You worked hard.”

She untied her hair and took off her glasses.

“Grace.”

Grace, who met me with a bare face, smiled brightly.

Then he came around the desk, jumped up and hugged me.

“Mmm-! hug me! Hug me tighter!”

It is indeed the same woman who was reporting like a machine just now.

After getting married, Grace took charge of the castle’s affairs, saying she wanted to be helpful to me.

I even received special training from the imperial family just for me.

‘I thought you said you were taking over the training that was going on before?’

Her practical skills were outstanding.

Honestly, there’s no need for me.

Grace and deacon Charles.

I think this land will take care of itself if it’s just those two.

“Ugh, I got scolded for wanting to hug you earlier… . Wow, it smells good. you… .”

Grace rubbed her head in my arms.

Since she started managing the estate, there has been a kind of switch for her.

It is a switch that switches between work mode and daily life mode.

It’s not always the case, but usually, when I’m wearing glasses, I’m in work mode.

For some reason, he becomes so cool that it is difficult to talk to him.

After work is over, he returns to his normal mode and runs away like an adorable puppy.

“Kiss, give me a kiss too!”

As we kissed naturally, Grace cupped her cheeks with both hands and trembled.

“Ugh-! Sweet! Me too, I want to do it too!”

One after another, Grace smacked her lips all over my face like a sparrow pecking at a meal.

“Phew. I think I’m finally going to buy something.”

“Thank you for your hard work every time.”

“What. As the hostess of the Philip family, it’s only natural!”

Grace was very happy and proud of her last name, Philip.

That’s because he’s been arbitrarily adding Philip to his middle name for a long time… .

“You don’t look good today either.”

Grace sat on my lap and caressed my face.

Little hands are warm.

Clear golden eyes that look into you as if you are worried.

“You have a lot of work these days?”

“Yes… . That’s right.”

It’s not just a lot.

Quite tangible results were revealed in the eastern no-man’s land.

As the empire in charge of it became busier, its vassals naturally also became busier.

I am no exception.

There has been a sharp increase in the number of things to worry about, including taxes and refugees.

Honestly, things progress even without me.

Because here we have Charles, the competent head butler, and Grace, the former princess.

Those two work more than me.

But the final decision lies with me.

Even if you have less to do, it’s not easy to care less.

“Please let go for an hour. It breaks my heart to see you having a hard time.”

“… It wasn’t that hard, but for Grace’s sake, I need to control my mind in peace.”

After kissing him, Grace turned around and leaned back.

Whenever Grace rests, she uses me as a sofa.

I also liked the warmth of his embrace, so I hugged his waist.

There is a faintly sweet smell coming from the top of the head.

“I’m thinking of going to see my dad soon.”

Grace said, fiddling with my hand.

“Dad will miss you.”

“Hmm. It’s been a while since I haven’t seen my father.”

Former Emperor Julianus.

Now he has changed his name to ‘Janus’ and lives as an ordinary farmer.

Grace and I tried to bring him into the castle as a companion, but he flatly refused.

He said he just wanted to settle down near the castle and enjoy a peaceful farming life.

I also heard that they are friendly with the local residents.

Very few people know that he is a former emperor who was dethroned.

Sometimes he comes to the castle to see Grace, and sometimes Grace and I go to see him.

It’s been quite a while since I haven’t seen your face.

“Is that so? Oh, by the way, you said last time that you wanted to see your grandchildren… .”

“Hmm… .”

“I also have a great desire to have a child… . I still liked being alone with you, so I pretended not to hear.”

“… Don’t rub your butt.”

“Heehee.”

Grace smiled mischievously and rolled up my sleeves.

Burn scars were visible all over his arms.

She often looks at this scar.

The hand caressing the scar is gentle and meticulous.

“Why do you think it looks so good every time you see it?”

“What’s nice to see is… . No. Still, I miss you. It’s a scar you got while trying to protect me.”

Grace raised her arm and kissed along the scar.

My forearm tickled as my soft lips touched it.

“Oh, indeed. My brother sent me a letter.”

As if it occurred to her too late, Grace took out an envelope from her arms.

It was a letter with the imperial seal.

I played with her cheek while she read the letter.

It’s soft and soft, perfect for massaging in a daze.

If you do this, the fatigue in your body melts away at a rapid pace.

When I’m with Grace, reality sometimes feels new.

I never thought that the princess who foolishly promised to marry me would actually become my wife.

‘It’s even surprising that it wasn’t just something I said out loud when I was young, but that it was sincere… .’

At the time, I never imagined it would happen like this.

Well, I couldn’t imagine not only Grace, but the reality itself.

“Mmmmm. I hear that your brother is doing well and in good health. You’re tired because you have a lot of work to do.”

“You must be the busiest in the current empire, so you can’t help but feel tired. It must be worse than me.”

“That’s right. So I don’t think I’ll be able to come see my dad for a while.”

Very occasionally, Edippus would also come to see Julianus, hiding his identity.

“You. It’s not any busier today, right?”

“It’s already past lunch… .”

I looked out the window for a moment and calculated.

hmm… .

“I’m not particularly busy.”

“It went well.”

Grace got up and grabbed my hand.

“Let’s go see it together now.”

I obediently led her.

“Okay, let’s go.”

It’s not bad to take a short break.

*

A field of appropriate size, neither too big nor too small.

During the transition from spring to summer, the fields were green with potato stalks.

This field, close to Arrogant City, can be reached easily on foot if you leave the castle.

This is Grace’s father.

This is a field ruled by my father-in-law, Julianus, the former emperor of the Pride Empire, currently a man named ‘Janus’.

And there I was… .

“Wow, I’m so real! Aren’t all the potatoes spoiled?

“… Sorry.”

I was getting scolded for not being able to dig up potatoes.

‘Grace… . Come back soon… .’