Are You Going to Do It? Marriage.
The next morning, Ilena told Hesed to prepare a carriage. But when it arrived in front of the house, the state of the thing was…?
“Ilena, is this the right one?”
“Why? Does it look weird?”
Ilena stared back with genuine confusion, as if she couldn’t imagine what the problem could possibly be. Beside her, Hesed nodded with deep satisfaction, clearly proud of the carriage he had readied.
“What’s with that face of yours?” I asked. “Did something go wrong?”
“I’m not even sure whether to call this wrong or… Look, this isn’t a carriage. It’s practically a war chariot!”
What had arrived was a lavish four-horse coach pulled by four powerfully built animals. Each horse was packed with muscle, far sturdier than any ordinary cavalry mount. The passenger compartment was just as ostentatious. It was magnificent—almost too magnificent.
Hesed had gone to the trouble of preparing something excellent, yet my lukewarm reaction made his expression cloud over with clear displeasure.
“What’s so strange about it, Roen? Isn’t a carriage better the more horses it has?”
“Better, sure. The problem is that it draws way too much attention. Most nobles in Crownland ride double-horse coaches. If a pair of country bumpkins like us roll up in a four-horse rig…”
As a man, I couldn’t deny the thrill I felt looking at those big, powerful horses. But that same sight made my stomach twist with anxiety. If we made this much of a spectacle, it would cause me no end of trouble. I had chosen to live quietly in hiding, which was why the remote, peaceful village of Elver had been the perfect place. If Elver suddenly became famous because of us, the whole plan I’d carefully built would collapse.
“Don’t tell me you rode something this flashy when you went to the market before?”
“No, we only used two horses back then.”
“Then why suddenly switch to four?”
“Didn’t the Demon King tell you herself?”
Ilena hadn’t said anything to me. What was he talking about…?
“The Demon King gave specific orders. Since you’ll be traveling together this time, she told me to prepare without sparing any expense. Spare nothing, she said.”
“Ehehe…”
When Hesed explained the reason, Ilena let out an embarrassed little laugh, cheeks flushing. She had meant it as consideration for me, but this was far too grand.
“Let’s cut it down to two horses. And swap the luggage compartment for something less eye-catching.”
“Why? I went to all this trouble!”
Ilena looked genuinely disappointed at the idea of scaling back what she had prepared with such enthusiasm.
“Remember what I told you before? The people in Crownland have been using me all this time. The only reason I came back to this village was to hide from them. So if we draw too much attention, what do you think will happen to me?”
“O-oh… That’s right. There was that whole situation…”
Thankfully, Ilena accepted the explanation right away.
“Still, Ilena, thank you for preparing something so nice for my sake. I really appreciate the thought.”
“It’s nothing, just a slightly better carriage. Wait a moment. I’ll go change it!”
While Ilena and Hesed went off to swap the carriage, I used the spare time to help my mother with her work in the fields.
“You don’t have to work today, Roen. You have a long trip ahead. You should rest well so you can endure the fatigue of travel.”
“I’ll only help until the carriage arrives, so it’s fine. Besides, look at Dipe.”
While my mother and I worked the field, Dipe refused to stay idle. She had picked up a hoe and was imitating us, giggling the whole time.
“At least she isn’t getting bored, right? It seems like she thinks it’s some kind of game.”
“That’s a relief. Oh, you haven’t forgotten what I told you, have you?”
“What you told me…?”
“Looks like you really did forget.”
Since Ilena wasn’t around, my mother didn’t bother lowering her voice.
“I told you, didn’t I? While you’re away this time, make Ilena your woman.”
“Ugh…”
“Ugh? What’s with that half-hearted groan? Ever since you two met, I’ve been watching from the side and it’s been driving me crazy. The way you look at each other with those deep, meaningful eyes…!”
I tried to ignore her and keep working, but my mother had no intention of letting me off the hook.
“Be honest with me. What do you think of Ilena?”
“She’s a good person. Far too good, actually.”
“That can’t be all there is to it. Come on, tell me the truth!”
At this point it felt less like a question and more like coercion to get the answer she wanted.
“It’s true that Ilena is a good person. But going any further than that…”
Of course my mother didn’t know. Ilena was a demon. Not just any demon, but the Demon King herself. Ilena had declared that she would make me hers. But that meant she wanted to possess me as a person, not that she wanted me as a man.
Still, it was true that whenever I looked at her, my chest would tighten painfully without me realizing it. Having already loved someone once, I knew exactly what that pain meant. Yet between Ilena and me stood two enormous walls—our past and the difference in our races—that made it impossible to ease that frustration.
When my voice grew heavy, my mother stopped pressing me. Instead she clicked her tongue.
“Tsk tsk. I don’t fully understand, but it sounds like things are rather complicated between you two, huh?”
“You’re seeing it exactly right.”
“I don’t know the details of your situation, but remember this one thing.”
My mother calmed her excitement and continued working the field at a gentler pace.
“When things are unclear, the best thing is to make them clear one by one.”
“One by one…?”
“That’s right. For example, try imagining this. If Ilena were to marry some man other than you, how would that make you feel?”
Ilena marrying another man? Smiling happily while holding someone else’s hand… I stopped the thought before it could go further. At some point my hands had frozen in the middle of their work.
“Hehe, looks like your heart is wavering after all. That’s what I meant by making things clear one step at a time when they’re uncertain. But listen…”
My mother’s tone suddenly became cautious.
“Have you met Malcolm yet?”
“Malcolm?”
The name and face came back to me faintly. He was one of the friends I used to play with as a child.
“I remember him. We haven’t met yet, though. He’s the son of the windmill owner, right?”
“Yes. After his father, Fergus, slipped and hurt his hand a few years ago, Malcolm took over the mill.”
“So Malcolm’s become a proper adult too. But why are you bringing him up?”
“He’s after Ilena.”
“Cough…!”
I was surprised, but not for the reason one might think. If Ilena were human instead of a demon, it would be strange if men didn’t pursue her. Still, Ilena was the Demon King. I wondered what Malcolm would feel if he ever learned the woman he loved was the Demon King…
“Ilena doesn’t seem to have noticed, but everyone in the village already knows. I heard from old man Fergus the other day that Malcolm told his father quite firmly—he’s going to marry Ilena.”
Not that he wanted to marry her, but that he would? Where on earth did that baseless confidence come from?
“I see.”
“‘I see’? Is that all you have to say? You’re fine with her being taken?”
“There’s no chance of her being taken. Malcolm will never be able to marry Ilena.”
“Where is that confidence coming from?”
“I have my reasons. Besides, your premise is wrong. Ilena isn’t mine to begin with…?”
“You little—!”
My mother, unable to listen any longer, slapped me hard on the back.
“Mother, that hurts…”
“I can’t stand to hear any more. The carriage is coming, so finish your preparations!”
When I looked up, a double-horse carriage was approaching. It was humbler than the first one, but now it was just right. Ilena, sitting beside Hesed on the driver’s seat, waved cheerfully at us.
“We’re here! Did you wait long?”
It had only been a short time, but I had managed to finish a full section of the field. I stood up feeling refreshed.
“Dipe, let’s go.”
“Okay!”
Dipe, who had been playing in the dirt after helping with the field, got up as well. My mother came out to see us off before returning to her next task.
Ilena first asked for my approval.
“Is this carriage okay with you?”
“It’s just right. Not too much.”
“Good! Shall we leave right away then?”
Everything had been prepared in advance, so all we had to do was climb aboard. Hesed climbed down from the driver’s seat, glared at me, and spoke in a low, threatening voice.
“If you even think about harming the Demon King, prepare yourself. It’ll mean war again.”
“That’s not going to happen. I keep telling you we’re not enemies anymore.”
I lifted Dipe first and settled her in the luggage compartment.
“Ilena, you should… Hm?”
At some point Ilena had taken the now-empty driver’s seat.
“You’re going to sit there?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“It’s a long way. Someone with stamina should take the driver’s seat. Go sit comfortably in the back.”
“It’s fine. It’s just driving a carriage.”
I was surprised that Ilena knew how to handle horses, but the distance was too great to leave it all to her. I lightly jumped up and sat beside her.
“You’re sitting here too?”
“I thought we could take turns.”
“Oh my, you know how to drive as well?”
“Of course. I drove carriages countless times when I was a low-ranking mercenary. I’m more surprised that you know how.”
“Hehe, I’m quite versatile.”
Just then, Dipe poked her head out from the luggage compartment. Apparently unhappy that only the two of us were sitting up front, she puffed out her cheeks and shouted.
“Hey! You two are riding in front by yourselves! I want to ride with you too!”
“Alright. Come here then.”
With no other choice, I sat Dipe on my lap. Instead of taking the reins, Ilena placed her hands on the two horses and whispered softly.
“Okay, let’s go.”
The horses whinnied happily, and the carriage began to move smoothly.
“We’ll probably see you the day after tomorrow, Mother. I’m off.”
“Leave quickly. The sooner you go, the sooner you return. That’s best.”
“I’ll be back soon, Mother-in-law. Make sure you eat properly while I’m gone, okay?”
“Yes, have a safe trip.”
My mother and Hesed kept waving until we were out of sight. Once they disappeared into the distance, Ilena quietly asked Dipe.
“Dipe, do you want to ride a horse?”
“Whoa, can I really?”
When Dipe’s eyes sparkled at the suggestion, Ilena lightly snapped her fingers. Dipe’s body floated up gently and landed softly on one of the horse’s backs. With every step the horse took, Dipe’s tiny body bounced.
“W-whoa, ah, ah, ah…!”
She looked startled at first, but it didn’t take long for Dipe to burst into laughter and start enjoying the ride. While Dipe was distracted, Ilena turned to me.
“Are you okay?”
“Okay? I’m perfectly fine.”
At my answer, Ilena shook her head.
“No, you definitely have something on your mind. What did you talk about with your mother while I was gone?”
“Hmm…”
It wasn’t exactly an easy topic to bring up. Still, it had been bothering me. I decided to ask as naturally as possible what Ilena thought about Malcolm wanting to marry her.
“Can I ask you just one thing?”
“Ask me anything.”
“Then…”
I paused for a moment before asking.
“Are you going to do it?”
“Do what?”
“Marriage.”
Wait, hold on. What the hell had just come out of my mouth? I had tried to ask carefully, but because I was nervous… When I hurriedly turned to look at Ilena to fix my mistake—
“A-ahhh…”
It was already too late. Ilena’s face had turned bright red.