Chapter 108: In Truth, They Knew (2)
Chapter 108: In Truth, They Knew (2)
The stake wagered in a gamble I'd entered to survive was my own life. What a farce.
Still, things had gone according to plan in the end, so I was satisfied. —Or rather, I had been satisfied.
Until the Emperor tried to shatter the balance he'd barely managed to maintain.
'Yeah, I held out for a good while. I knew this situation was bound to come eventually. But...'
To think it would come crashing straight into me like this.
It was a question that couldn't be answered immediately. The Emperor, as if knowing this as well, released the hand he'd placed on my shoulder and stepped back, feigning magnanimity.
"It must have been sudden, so I will give you time to think. I do hope you will give it careful thought and respond."
"...Thank you for your consideration."
"Good. This time, I will leave without staying long."
That would only be fair.
Whether Deon Hart informed the Demon King of this conduct or not was irrelevant. Even if Deon Hart chose not to open his mouth first, the Demon King, based on what he'd discerned so far, would notice immediately.
He would likely not be displeased at the throwing of a decisive move — if anything, he would equally press and tempt Deon Hart in turn.
What had the Demon King given him, what could he give, and what better things could I offer him? Among those, what could be given right now...
"...In recognition of your efforts thus far, I shall elevate your status to honorary viscount. All the paperwork should be processed by tomorrow, I imagine."
"..."
There were no questions about how sudden it was, or whether it was wise given the fierce opposition from the nobles in the current political climate. There wasn't even a word of thanks, but the Emperor let it pass without comment.
It was only natural. Why would anyone thank, or hope for thanks, for a move whose ulterior motives were blatantly transparent? He merely added one more thing.
"I will say this once more. You are human."
The Emperor waved his hand dismissively, signaling for me to withdraw. Watching his back as he turned away entirely, Deon quietly turned his own steps around.
And paused.
"...What became of Esperanes?"
"They said it was a natural fortress. That was no exaggeration."
So it failed. Realizing once again that Rememver did not speak empty words, Deon resumed his halted steps.
She'd made a mistake. The Crown Princess bit fiercely at her well-manicured nails.
Given that she was publicly known to harbor feelings for Deon Hart, she should have given him a ribbon before the hunting competition began. At the very least, a handkerchief.
'Of all times, at this critical moment.'
To have completely forgotten such a thing.
The Emperor, her uncle, had taken him and moved elsewhere. She didn't know everything, but her 'intuition,' which bordered on the transcendent, was informing her of what this situation was about.
He was trying to firmly bind here the man who seemed to float alone without settling anywhere. Knowing her uncle's personality, coaxing him gently was likely impossible. Even if he pretended gentleness, the hard, sharp essence would reveal itself in no time.
'I could have been of help.'
Her uncle was closer to a tyrant than a sage king, and closer to a conqueror than even a tyrant. Not an amiable and gentle sovereign, but a strict and charismatic ruler.
Coaxing or persuasion from such a man led to extreme outcomes. If accepted, Deon Hart would faithfully serve her uncle as his liege. If refused, he would become a thorough enemy.
The peaceful method of keeping him here was marriage. Antiquated, but effective enough to still be used to this day — it should have been the most viable method to attempt...
At the outdoor banquet hall she'd arrived at belatedly, the Crown Princess picked up a wine glass to quench her burning throat.
'Let us cease pointless hypotheticals.'
She had been taught to spend time thinking of solutions, not dwelling on what had already passed.
Because of the war, because of worry for her uncle, because of internal affairs, because of worry for her brother... there were plenty of excuses, but what did any of that matter now?
She had to secure Deon Hart in a way that, if possible, dealt no blow to her uncle — a finite method.
'I've laid the groundwork up until now, so...'
If she pushed forward, she could somehow gloss over any suspicions regarding this matter.
She spotted Deon walking between the trees on one side and dashed over in a flurry.
"Count Hart!"
"Your Highness the Crown Princess."
"Good heavens, Count, I heard something happened at the hunting competition? Are you hurt anywhere? I..."
"Thank you for your concern. I say this out of worry that the conversation may run long, but if it would not be discourteous, might we move elsewhere?"
"...?"
Was that intentional? He cut her off exquisitely, just before she could openly reveal her feelings.
But if she appeared so mild as to back down from this much, that would be a serious miscalculation. The Crown Princess deliberately beamed, replying in a loud voice.
"If it's just the two of us, I would gladly go anywhere!"
"...Thank you for so readily accepting."
He'd broached the topic under the pretense of consideration for her feet hurting from her dress shoes, so now she couldn't back down.
He'd landed one on her. The flustered expression that flickered across his face for just an instant seemed to prove he was human, and she laughed pleasantly as she stepped forward.
──She knew. She knew the Deon Hart before her eyes was not the usual Deon Hart.
Avoiding the embarrassing moans that occasionally drifted from the grass thickets, they walked and walked until they arrived at a garden in full bloom, tastefully scenic.
The Crown Princess, seated softly on a bench, lifted her head to look at Deon Hart. He'd shifted one step aside, perhaps to avoid rudeness, and stood with his body angled obliquely.
She didn't open her mouth right away, waiting silently, then aimed for the moment his gaze glanced toward her and smiled brightly.
"It's even nicer now that it's just the two of us. What was it you wanted to say?"
"...I moved us here so that I might better listen to Your Highness's words."
"Ah, that's right! Where was I?"
"At the hunting competition, I..."
"Oh, right! You aren't hurt anywhere, are you? I'd felt uneasy about not being able to give you the ribbon, and then to hear you were attacked — how startled I was...!"
"I am fine."
"Still, my conscience is terribly unsettled. There was no proper reason for it, and I simply forgot out of carelessness..."
"I tell you again, I am fine. It was perfectly understandable that you forgot."
It was a remark made merely to express her airheaded, carefree nature — but as if he'd picked up on something, Deon Hart lifted one corner of his mouth slightly.
Meeting his smile, the Crown Princess froze on the spot. It felt as though an insect by the name of goosebumps was crawling up her body from deep below.
What was the meaning of that smile? Jealousy? Hurt feelings?
'As if.'
She swallowed the hollow laugh that threatened to escape. She wasn't so empty-headed as to see that smile and conjure feelings related to romance.
It unmistakably took the shape of a sneer.
"Of course you forgot."
He smiled. This time, a normal smile with both corners of the mouth raised.
─No, could that even be called a normal smile?
It wasn't a clean, pure sort of smile. He was conveying the meaning of his words through the smile itself. You are an intelligent person, Your Highness. So you will be able to read this as well.
[Of course you forgot.]
Before even interpreting the meaning, the Crown Princess first had to confirm whether her own mask was still intact.
[Your Highness,]
[does not,]
[like me.]
'...So he knew.'
Her face flushed, but only for a moment.
Concealing emotion and responding with shamelessness was a fundamental requisite for royalty who had to face nobles as cunning as old snakes. So.
'What of it.'
Boldness.
In any case, because the fact that the Crown Princess held Deon Hart in her regard was widely known, his marriage prospects had been firmly blocked to all but the Crown Princess.
So she must not panic. Push forward calmly. If guile wouldn't work, then a frontal breakthrough.
"Deon Hart, Honorary Count."
"..."
"Marrying me, well..."
"Your Highness the Crown Princess."
Ah.
The moment the word calling out to her left his mouth, the Crown Princess intuited failure.
And sure enough, to her, who'd kept her mouth firmly shut as if to say, go on, try me, fell words that were courteous but clearly laden with intent to refuse.
"Do not waste your noble life on the likes of me."
You have but one life, after all.
.......
The Crown Princess could not utter a single word until Deon Hart turned his back and vanished.
He would have known it was the final offer as well. And yet such a firm refusal.
It was so impeccably clean and resolute that she didn't even feel like clinging persistently. In the current imperial family, where familial bonds ran deep, he'd refused a proposal from the Crown Princess — was she to take it that he intended to live alone his entire life?
'...Come to think of it, his relations with women were exceedingly detached.'
Don't tell me.
One unforeseen hypothesis surfaced, and the Crown Princess's face stiffened.
The resolve to live a lifetime alone without women. Exceedingly detached relations with women. Perhaps, from the very beginning, trying to entice him as the 'Crown Princess' had been the wrong approach.
"...Does he like men?"
The Crown Princess possessed a considerably open mind.
I'd miraculously survived and made it back to the banquet hall! This was a miracle!
I couldn't remember everything due to being so tense and out of it, but I definitely remembered the most important thing.
The Emperor had...
'Did I really need to recall this?'
...given me more time. I think he'd permitted me to visit the Demon Realm even though I hadn't been back long.
I wasn't sure about anything else, but I at least understood that I'd have to go back to the Demon Realm soon. And that going forward, my time staying in either the Demon Realm or the human world would likely become extremely short.
As for the rest of the conversation or anything else that happened... well... I didn't particularly want to recall it, so I decided to bury it in the recesses of memory.
'But why do people keep staring at me?'
It was a slightly different feeling from the furtive glances I'd received at the banquets I'd experienced before. There was muttering too...
"Back-to-back private conversations with the imperial family..."
"I think I know what the talk with Her Highness the Crown Princess was about..."
"...a murderous fiend, but still a hero, so..."
"More than that, his looks are handsome..."
"...What on earth did he discuss with His Majesty..."
Her Highness the Crown Princess? Why were stories about the Crown Princess coming up while looking at me?
I didn't know what it was, but the gazes directed at me were piercing. I wasn't sure if I could go home yet, so I figured it was best to at least avoid this spot for now.
Fortunately, as was no different from any indoor banquet, parts of the building were open. No, in fact, a small but fully equipped banquet was being held indoors as well.
Nobles burdened by the noisy outdoors seemed to come inside to rest or to converse about business-related matters.
'The number of eyes has decreased since there are fewer people compared to outside... hmm...'
But the intensity had increased proportionally, so it was rather pointless.
Hesitating for a moment at the gazes that instantly converged upon me the moment I stepped indoors, I pretended nothing was wrong, gathered various foods onto a plate, and stealthily escaped to the terrace.
Only after meticulously drawing the curtains did the tension finally drain from my body, and I slumped into a nearby chair. At last, my stomach, which had been timidly signaling its emptiness as if gauging the mood, cried out in hunger. I picked up the food I'd brought and put it in my mouth, staring blankly into space.
'Exhausted.'
I brushed the darkening shadows under my eyes — how long had it been since I returned, and they were already deepening again? — and let out a silent sigh.
Emperor, Demon King, whatever — for now, let's not think about any of it. I needed to rest a little too.
I'd been mindlessly munching away at cookies like that for a good while when I heard a loud voice.
"─So you're saying we should just kill them all now!"
Ack, you scared me! The cookie that bounced out of my hand was frantically caught before it could hit the floor.
Who on earth was that? Why were they fighting? I shoved the caught cookie into my mouth and turned my head toward where the sound had come from. The voice was drifting in from somewhere just outside the terrace, nearby in the outdoor garden.