Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Unexpected (3)
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“Heh heh heh.”
A slightly dopey chuckle escaped Alina’s lips. There was no special reason—it was just that the man she’d been thinking about lately had reached out to her first. Sure, she wasn’t about to hand over her heart and soul or anything, but considering he was pretty much the only guy who’d ever given her genuinely useful advice, wasn’t it fine to pay him a little extra attention?
No telling what the future might bring, but for now, she wanted to savor this rare flutter of excitement at her leisure.
And the fact that this utterly stoic man had made the first move? That alone put a smile on her face.
To avoid repeating her previous blunder, she straightened her clothes neatly, double-checked herself meticulously for anything out of place, then sent the communication.
Without a moment’s wait, the connection linked up almost instantly.
『...You’re properly dressed today.』
“Hold on, hold on, hold on. Kicking off the call with that is a bit much, don’t you think?”
『Did you check the video log after our last call, by any chance?』
“Yeah, I did. I’m really hoping you’d just forget about it.”
『Right. Well.』
What was this hollow feeling? His utterly unfazed reaction, despite clearly having seen it all, left Alina with a weird sensation. It felt like her body held zero appeal for him, momentarily freezing her words.
She wanted to snap back out of sheer frustration, but whining about something she’d shown off herself would just look pathetic, so she couldn’t find the right words.
『You suit just acting natural.』
“Ahem. You think so?”
『Yeah. Do something you’re not used to, and you’re bound to slip up, right?』
“W-Well, hypothetically speaking.”
『Pardon?』
“Hypothetically, what if it wasn’t a slip-up? What if I did it on purpose... to show you?”
『....』
“No, no, forget it. Pretend I didn’t say that. It was stupid.”
『...Feeling a bit rushed these days?』
“No!”
Alina slapped a hand over her face, regretting the needless outburst. This desperate vibe was entirely new to her; she couldn’t separate what to say from what not to, and words were spilling out uncontrollably.
As her slightly trembling hand fumbled for her water cup, she dropped it, soaking her clothes through. Julius stared at her in disbelief.
『That one on purpose too?』
“No! It’s not! I was embarrassed, so my hand shook, that’s all. Give me a sec to change.”
『Turn off the screen first.』
“I’m not an exhibitionist...”
Unable to face his skeptical gaze, she hastily blanked the screen and changed outfits.
When Alina switched it back on, dressed plainly and primly, she saw Julius sipping coffee with his eyes closed.
He asked without opening them.
『Dressed now?』
“O-Obviously.”
Julius cracked his eyes open at her reply, scanned her outfit, and let out a relieved sigh.
What the hell was that sigh supposed to mean? Does he really hate the sight of my body that much? Maybe next call I’ll show up buck naked.
As she toyed with a plan that might get her ghosted for life, Julius schooled his features and cut to the chase.
『Anyway, we should start with the Karsis situation.』
“...According to the administrator I dispatched, the purification efforts are finally underway. The elves are holding back on looting as promised—hell, they’re even proactively taking out problematic beasts, acting downright friendly.”
『I figured they’d keep their word, but this is more diligent than expected.』
“Yeah. Don’t know the full picture, but there’s a report that the Saintess of Light and the elf leader hit it off somehow.”
『Personalities are polar opposites... but not impossible.』
“Cleanup’s going smoothly regardless. If they keep this up long-term, the southern nobles will start lowering their guards bit by bit.”
On this front, Alina chalked it up entirely to Julius’s merit, no arguments. Proper communication with the elves was rare enough as it was, and one that benefited both sides? Practically unheard of.
His demeanor, actions, and raw power down south must’ve played a huge role.
Plus, since the official hero of the incident was an imperial appointee, even the unruly southern nobles were grudgingly bowing their heads on the looting issue—for now. A definite win.
Feeling pretty good about it all, Alina refilled her abandoned water glass with ice water and took a sip.
“I doubt you brought up Karsis out of the blue. Care to tell me what’s on your mind?”
『How much do you know about demon worshippers and Demon King revivalists, Your Majesty?』
“Honestly? ‘Next to nothing’ is the truthful answer. The Pallan Empire expanded faster than the Imir Kingdom partly because we rarely clashed with eastern demonkin.”
『You know the Lebedev family borders demonkin territory, right?』
“Of course. You’re saying some demonkin movements tie into Demon God or Demon King worship?”
『Yes. I suspect Karsis was part of a larger play.』
“That’s no small matter, then. Though the distance means border issues with the Empire are unlikely, even so.”
『The sticking point is that the kill on Karsis is credited to the Pallan imperial house.』
“Retaliation?”
『Exactly.』
The Empire’s core issue was the imperial family and nobles at each other’s throats, lacking a clear unifying force. That flaw shone brightest in the late emperor’s death—an assassination by demonkin.
Mustering against external threats was tough. Even after a hit, preparing retaliation or countermeasures was a slog. Hell, an imperial might die without an Empire-wide response.
Fury bubbled up thinking of her father’s murder, but realizing the man before her was worried for her safety softened it a touch.
Snapping back from empress mode to giddy girl, she reined in her wits and asked calmly.
“So, what demonkin moves do you anticipate?”
『Broadly, three possibilities. One: vengeance for Karsis. Two: striking the direct threat, the Saintess of Light. Three: rounding up sacrifices for the Demon God revival... or so I figure.』
“Sacrifices, huh.”
『Karsis’s lair had an altar stocked with humans and elves alike. Getting culled before hitting quota means they’ll scramble to fill the gap if there’s a plan.』
“Hm. Solid speculation.”
The demonkin probably had no clue who actually offed Karsis. So they might scour the tainted lands for clues or ambush an imperial to extract intel.
A powerhouse capable of slaying an executive.
The Saintess of Light nullifying Demon God powers.
And the Empire, a massive force potentially backing them both.
No telling their priorities.
『Personally, I’d recommend relocating, beefing up your guards, or securing an escape route.』
“Uh, well.”
『Yes?』
“Truth is, there’s no noble I can fully trust, right? So how about setting up that escape route... at your café?”
『Pardon?』
She was proposing a permanent teleport array in his place—one she could zip to in a heartbeat—yet she averted her eyes slyly mid-sentence. Surprisingly, Julius pondered it seriously before nodding.
『Never crossed my mind, but it could work.』
“Wha—really?”
『Yeah. Astraea’s got plenty of heavy hitters once you arrive, and noble faction folks can’t slip in unnoticed. Factor in my quick response time, and it’s a solid plan.』
Wait, what? An unexpected windfall hit Alina like a jackpot, her lips twitching upward. Empress mode flickered, pink thoughts bubbling over.
Permission to drop by his place? That had to mean it was already in the bag. She could show up at night and do whatever she wanted, right?
Stifling a grin, they set a time for the semi-permanent teleport array install. Julius wrapped up with a request to keep monitoring demonkin activity, then ended the call.
“Hee!”
Unable to hold back any longer, Alina burst into laughter once the line went dead.
It sounded pervy even to her own ears, but good was good, right? Since she’d taken the call from her bedroom, she flopped onto the bed and hugged a pillow.
Demonkin?
Thanks to them, smooth sailing seemed ahead for late-20s Alina’s marriage prospects.
Worried the palace staff might overhear, she buried her face in the pillow and giggled for ages before drifting into a contented nap with a blissful smile.