They knew that the stake in the game for survival was their lives. What kind of comedy was this?
Still, he was satisfied because it ended up being as calculated.
He was satisfied.
Until the Emperor tried to destroy the balance he had managed to achieve.
'Yes, it lasted a long time. I knew that the time had come for this situation to come. But...'
He never thought it would hit him right away like this.
This was a question that cannot be answered directly. The Emperor seemed to know this, too, as he let go of his hand on his shoulder and took a step back, pretending to be generous.
"It will be sudden, so I will give you time to think about it. I hope you think carefully before answering."
"... Thank you for your consideration."
"Okay. I guess I won't stay long this time."
That way it would be fair.
It didn't matter whether he reported these actions to the Demon King or not. Even if Deon Hardt didn't open his mouth first, the Demon King he knew so far would recognize it right away.
Rather than feeling displeased with the game, he will probably urge and tempt Deon Hardt in the same way.
What are the things that the Demon King has given him and can give him, and what better things can the Emperor give him? Among them, what he could give you right away was...
"... In recognition of your hard work, I will elevate your status to Honorary Marquis. All documents will probably be processed by tomorrow."
"..."
There would have been strong opposition from the nobles as it was sudden, but there was no question about whether he would be okay with the current situation. There wasn't even a word of thanks, but the Emperor passed on without any problem.
It was natural. Because he couldn't possibly hope for him to be grateful for actions that clearly showed his intentions. He simply added.
"Let me say it again. You are a human."
The Emperor waved his hand, indicating that he should go away. Deon, who had seen his back turned, quietly walked away.
And then stopped.
"... What happened to Esperanes?"
"It is no exaggeration to say that it is a fortress blessed with heaven."
He failed. Realizing once again that Remember was not lying, Deon resumed his halted steps.
***
She made a mistake. The princess bit her well-manicured fingernails.
Since it was known that she liked Deon Hardt, she should have given him a ribbon before the hunting competition. She should have at least given him a handkerchief.
'Of course, at this important moment.'
How can she completely forget that fact?
Uncle Emperor took him with him and moved away. Even though she didn't know everything, her 'sense' that went beyond imagination was telling her what the situation was.
The intention was to securely tie him, who seemed to be floating alone without settling down anywhere, to this place.
Perhaps, given her uncle's personality, it would be difficult to appease him gently. Even if he pretended to be soft, his hard and sharp essence will soon be revealed.
'I could have helped.'
Her uncle was closer to a tyrant than a saint, closer to a king. A strict and charismatic monarch, not a friendly and gentle one. Conciliation or persuasion from such a person produces extreme results. If he accepted, he would faithfully serve her uncle as his master, but if he refused, he would become an outright enemy.
The way to keep him peacefully was to get married. Although it was old-fashioned, it was a method that was effective enough to be used to this day, so it would be the most worth trying...
At the outdoor banquet hall where she arrived late, the princess picked up a wine glass to quench her burning throat.
'Let's stop making meaningless assumptions.'
She learned that when it's time to look back on the past, think about fixing it.
Because of the war, because of her uncle's worries, because of internal affairs, because of her brother's worries... There were many excuses, but what did that matter now?
She must capture Deon Hardt in a finite way, with as little damage to her uncle as possible.
'Because there is some groundwork that has been laid so far...'
If she pushed forward, she would be able to overcome the suspicions regarding this matter somehow.
She spotted Deon walking between the trees on one side and ran towards him.
"Count!"
"Your Royal Highness."
"Oh my god, I heard something happened at the Count's hunting competition? Are you hurt anywhere? I..."
"Thank you for your concern. I'm telling you this because I'm worried that this story is going to be long, but if it's not rude, would you mind if we talked elsewhere?"
"...?"
Was this intentional? Before revealing his feelings publicly, he interrupted the conversation exquisitely.
However, it would be a big mistake to think that this was easy enough to be easily overlooked. The princess smiled brightly and answered in a loud voice.
"I'm willing to go anywhere if it's just the two of us!"
"...Thank you for willingly accepting."
Since he pretended to be considerate of the fact that her feet hurt because of her shoes, she couldn't ask for it now.
She took a hit. Even though it was only for a moment, the look of frustration that crossed his face seemed to prove that he was human, so she smiled happily and took her feet away.
She knew that the Deon Hardt in front of her was not the usual Deon Hardt.
She walked, avoiding the uncomfortable groans she occasionally heard from the grass, and arrived at a charming garden with flowers in full bloom.
The princess, who was sitting gently on the bench, raised her head and saw Deon Hardt. He took a step to the side and stood at an angle, as if to avoid being rude. Instead of opening her mouth right away, she waited quietly, waiting for the moment his gaze caught her eye and smiled brightly.
"It's better to speak alone. What do you want to say?"
"... I moved to better listen to Her Majesty the Princess."
"Oh, that's right! How much did you say?"
"At the hunting competition, I..."
"Oh, that's right! You're not hurt anywhere, right? I was upset that I couldn't give you the ribbon, but I was so surprised that you were attacked...!"
"I am okay."
"Still, I feel very uncomfortable. There was no good reason and I accidentally forgot..."
"I'll say it again, it's okay. It's easy to forget."
It was just a remark meant to express the princess's empty-headedness, but Deon Hardt slightly raised one corner of his mouth as he pointed out something.
The princess, facing his laughter, froze. It felt like a bug called goosebumps was crawling up her body from below.
What did that smile mean? Jealousy? Disappointment?
'No way.'
She swallowed the laugh that was about to escape. When she saw that smile, her head wasn't clear enough to think of feelings related to dating. It had a clear appearance of ridicule.
"It's natural to forget."
He laughed. This time, a normal smile with both corners of the mouth raised.
No, could you call that normal laughter?
It was not a clean, pure laugh. He conveyed the meaning of his words with a smile. Her Majesty is smart. So he was sure she could read this too.
'It's natural to forget.'
Before interpreting the meaning, the princess had to check whether her mask was sturdy.
'Your Majesty. You don't like me.'
'...I knew it.'
Her face heated up, but it only lasted for a moment.
Hiding one's emotions and responding with shamelessness was a basic skill of the royal family who had to deal with nobles like snobbery snakes. Therefore.
'What do you think?'
Let's be confident.
In any case, it was widely known that the princess had feelings for Deon Hardt, so his marriage path was blocked except for the princess.
So, don't panic and just push through calmly. If tactics don't work, attack head on.
"Honorary Count Deon Hardt."
"..."
"How about marrying me..."
"Your Royal Highness."
Ah.
The moment the words calling her came out of his mouth, the princess sensed failure.
As expected, she pursed her lips as if asking her to say something, and words fell out that were polite but clearly expressed rejection.
"Don't waste your precious life on someone like me."
Wasn't there only one life?
...
The princess could not say anything until Deon Hardt turned his back and disappeared.
He must have known that it was the last offer. But he gave such a firm refusal.
It was so clean and solid that she didn't even think about getting any more messy. Since he rejected the princess's marriage proposal, could she assume that he planned to live alone for the rest of her life?
'...Now that I think about it, his relationship with women was too plain.'
no way.
The princess's face hardened as an unexpected assumption came to mind.
He was prepared to live alone without a woman for the rest of his life. He had overly plain relationships with women.
Perhaps it was a mistake for the 'princess' to try to lure him in the first place.
"...Does he like men?"
The princess had a fairly open mind.
***
I managed to survive and return to the banquet hall! This is a miracle!
I was so nervous and distracted that I couldn't remember everything, but I definitely remembered the most important things.
The Emperor…
'Do I really have to remember this?'
... Gave me more time. I think he allowed me to visit the demon realm even though I had only been here for a short time. I don't know anything else, but I do know that I have to go to the demon realm again soon. It also seems that in the future, the time spent in either the demon realm or the human world will be extremely short.
As for the rest of the conversation and the things I experienced... I don't really want to recall it, so let's bury it in the back of my memory.
'But why do you keep looking at me?'
It felt a little different from the glances I was given at a banquet in the past. It seems like they were learning something...
"Series of personal conversations with the royal family..."
"I think I know what the conversation was about with Her Highness the Princess..."
"...He may be a murderer, but he is also a hero..."
"You're more handsome than that..."
"...What on earth was he talking about with Her Majesty..."
Her Royal Highness? Why is the story about Her Highness the Princess being told while looking at me?
I don't know what it is, but the gazes directed at me stung.
I'm not sure if I can go home, so it's better to stay away for now.
Fortunately, the building was partially open, no different from when an indoor banquet was held. No, there was actually a small but fully equipped banquet held indoors.
It seemed like nobles who felt burdened by the noisy outside came in to rest or have conversations related to work.
'There were fewer people than outside, so there were fewer eyes... Um...'
I guess it didn't mean much because it became that much more intense.
As soon as I entered the room, I paused for a moment as all the attention was focused on me. I pretended like nothing had happened, put the food away, and quietly took refuge on the terrace.
It wasn't until I carefully closed the curtains that I felt relieved and sat down on a nearby chair. Only then, as if aware of it, did the stomach, which had been secretly indicating that it was empty, begin to complain of hunger. I was in a daze as I picked up the food I brought and put it in my mouth.
'I'm tired.'
No matter how long it had been since I returned, I touched the area under my eyes that had begun to darken again and let out a silent sigh.
The Emperor and the Demon King. Let's not think about anything for now. I need to get some rest too.
As I was just munching on the snacks without thinking, I heard a loud noise.
"So you want to kill them all now!"
Gah! I hurriedly caught the cookie that had bounced around before it hit the floor. Who the hell are you? Why are you fighting? I shoved the cookie I had caught into my mouth and turned my head towards where I heard the sound. A voice was coming from somewhere close to the outdoor garden outside the terrace.