The Third Princess's Marriage Interview (2)
The marriage interview for the Third Princess Elizaveta was carried out amid the high expectations and deep anxieties of countless people.
The first candidate was Alex von Legmunt. Twenty-one years old this year—just one year older than Elizaveta. Among the many suitors, the young lord of the Legmunt County had stepped forward as the clear frontrunner. He possessed both outstanding scholarship and impeccable character. Moreover, as a strikingly handsome nobleman, he was undoubtedly popular in high society.
“It is an honor to temporarily serve as the fiancé of the beautiful Platinum Princess. I am Alex, eldest son of the Legmunt County family.”
“Hmph. Of course it’s an honor.”
The golden-haired nobleman offered a radiant smile. In contrast, Elizaveta rested her chin on her hand with a thoroughly bored expression. The difference between them was extreme.
He had desperately tried to win her over, yet all he received in return were cold, indifferent replies. It was as if she were openly declaring, ‘I only came here for appearances, so stop wasting your effort.’
If the Emperor or Ludmila had witnessed this scene, they would have let out heavy sighs and immediately rushed over to smack the back of the princess who was single-handedly ruining the marriage interview.
‘My fate really is pitiful. Here I am, forced to watch a poor man get openly ignored by the villainess.’
As the princess’s escort, I had been dragged into attending the marriage interview. I had tried to refuse, but it was no use. The villainess had already marked me.
The bold promise I had made out of goodwill had instead become a shackle around my neck. Watching Elizaveta thoroughly crush the hopes of every suitor who dreamed of a meteoric rise through marriage with the Platinum Princess, I let out a deep sigh.
“Edan, my legs hurt.”
“Then why don’t you sit down and rest for now?”
Even after pushing the Legmunt heir out of the running, Elizaveta still had to face the new suitors waiting their turn. It would easily take several hours. No matter how much I was acting as her escort, simply watching a marriage interview was incredibly dull.
‘Still, all these suitors really are handsome young men. Is this because it’s a romance fantasy world? That cheap setting where every noble son is automatically a beautiful youth, I suppose.’
In typical romance fantasy stories, even the villains were born with exceptional looks. Of course, male-oriented works were similar, but female-oriented ones were especially guilty of it. Look anywhere—handsome. Look somewhere else—still handsome. Even the older men held the “dignified middle-aged beauty” position.
My own father, the head of the Hoenberg family and the male lead’s father, was naturally a handsome middle-aged man admired by countless noblewomen. In this extreme environment, it was truly difficult for an ordinary-looking man to survive.
“I think Edan is plenty handsome too. Cool like a longhorn beetle!”
“Really? Then I’m confiscating your Nong-jjuk Candy.”
“Hieek…! It was a compliment! Why are you bullying me? Bad Edan!”
“……”
While I continued my quarrel with Rue, the Legmunt heir finally raised the white flag, defeated by the villainess’s icy iron wall. There was no chance. Continuing the interview would only earn him more ill will.
Alex’s decision was very wise. If he had clung on pathetically, he would have experienced the villainess’s wrath firsthand. I sent him a sympathetic look as he withdrew upon realizing there wasn’t even the slightest possibility.
“I’m tired. I’m already exhausted, so tell all the suitors to go home.”
“That won’t do.”
After the first marriage interview ended—
Elizaveta wore an expression that said she was already sick of it and flopped down right there. Any trace of dignity had vanished. It was such a slovenly sight that even the Platinum Princess’s brilliant reputation would tremble.
When I approached, Elizaveta reached out with both arms. I sighed and lifted the princess—who was sprawled across the sofa—into my arms. Her pale golden hair fluttered softly, and a rich, sweet scent stimulated my nose.
“Did you hear? They say a terrifying Demonic Human has appeared in the Fugh Kingdom.”
“I just heard about it as well.”
“Hmph! Edanant doesn’t seem surprised at all. The maids were all trembling the moment they heard the news.”
“Well, that’s because you’re the little sister of the valiant hero.”
In truth, I was quite shocked. A Demonic Human? Did those creatures still exist?
The Demonic Humans who had joined the Demon King’s army and turned against humanity were even treated as taboo. Their notoriety was so great that merely mentioning them was forbidden. That was why people referred to them indirectly as “cult worshippers” or “monsters wearing human skin.”
“I heard about it too! Max said… that all Demonic Humans smell weird!”
“Smell? It must be a foul stench or the smell of their victims’ blood, right?”
“That’s not it. I think I heard each Demonic Human has their own unique scent.”
“Ugh, it just sounds like a made-up warning to scare little kids…”
Rue and Elizaveta chattered on about the taboo beings in meaningful voices. I stayed silent and listened attentively to the fairy and the princess’s conversation. They really did look like girls who loved ghost stories. I didn’t want to ruin the heightened atmosphere by clumsily interrupting.
“Your Highness, the young lord of the Niaz family requests an audience.”
“Tell him to wait until I call for him!”
After a brief rest, Elizaveta had to face her next marriage interview partner. The young lord of the Niaz family was another tall, handsome youth, just like the previous suitor. I watched the scene, wondering how long this one would last. After observing the situation in detail, I planned to report everything to Ludmila immediately.
“I’m a cute and adorable Luinong fairy, so the Demonic Humans will definitely fight each other to catch me!”
“What are Demonic Humans, some kind of boogeyman?”
“Hieek…! Anyway, Edan has to protect cute and adorable me!”
“Of course I will.”
I nodded at the little one who was turning deathly pale and throwing a tantrum. Demonic Humans were the stuff of nightmares. They had always existed like nightmares, dyeing the world in terror. Just as nightmares eventually had to end, those blood-soaked monsters deserved to disappear as well.
If the monsters continued to threaten the world, true peace would never come. I clenched my fist, recalling the moments I had faced those monsters on the battlefield alongside the Saintess’s party.
A Demonic Human is a monster wearing human skin.
Those who had not participated in the war would probably dismiss it as exaggerated propaganda. They would say it was nothing but inflated notoriety—words fabricated to glorify the achievements of the victorious nations in the Racial War.
The notoriety of the cult worshippers should have been proven by the mountains of corpses and rivers of blood on the battlefield. Yet there were still people who denied it. Even if they had accepted the blessing of the cult into their bodies, how could a human possibly turn into a monster? Such was their cynical reaction.
But—
Could they still say such things after seeing this monster?
The nightmare that had vanished under merciless subjugation and suppression had begun to look upon humanity once again.
“We offer a sacred and noble pure-blood as a living sacrifice to welcome the descent of God! Ah, the great Savior now desires a new vessel!!”
An altar artificially carved from stone. Ominous statues placed all around. Before them stood a man wrapped in tattered rags.
The unidentified man let out a bizarre cry for a living sacrifice, turning the gathered crowd deathly pale. The sight of him rolling his eyes back while continuing his worship was truly grotesque.
“He’s completely insane. I wonder if he can even understand the plan…”
“On the contrary, the fact that he’s this crazy makes him more reliable. Aren’t we the very Demonic Humans that the Empire and the Holy Kingdom call lunatics?”
From the conversation between the mature-looking woman and the elderly man watching the madman, two things could be inferred.
First, that they were plotting something sinister.
Second, that they were the feared beings known as Demonic Humans.
As if to prove the earlier inferences correct, the surroundings overflowed with impure energy. And each of them carried a distinct scent—evidence of danger stained by corruption and decay.
“The moment we return from the Chaos Realm, it’s one shock after another. We finally come back only to find that we lost the Racial War, the cities that once worshipped their respective gods have been destroyed by the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, and all our comrades who believed in us have become guests who will never return…”
“The timing was off. We should have returned three years ago.”
They had gone to the Chaos Realm to seize the power needed to tear apart the followers of that detestable goddess. But they had returned far too late. A full three years had passed since the expected time.
Because of that, the Demonic Humans who had crossed into the Chaos Realm were met with nothing but a thoroughly ruined wasteland. Defeated in the Racial War, the remnants of the Demon King’s army and the cult worshippers were now forced into a pitiful situation where mere survival was their greatest concern.
“We must take revenge. For the sake of our unfairly sacrificed comrades.”
“Of course. I haven’t forgotten revenge for even a single moment.”
The moment they returned to their hidden base, they learned that their surviving comrades were already planning revenge against the Valtaria Empire and the Gael Holy Kingdom. The Demonic Humans who had returned from the Chaos Realm naturally joined the plan.
It was an incredibly meticulous scheme. Since the remnants of the Demon King’s army were also participating, success was all but guaranteed. It was more than enough to serve as the signal flare announcing a new upheaval.