After Love Causes an Accident
“I’m sorry, Lady Karia… I have no excuse…”
Once Cartoria regained her senses and grasped the situation, she immediately bowed her head to me in apology. Still dizzy, I stared at her for a moment, briefly wondering if we had somehow shared the same dream. I shook my head vigorously, pressing a hand to my temple.
No matter how much Cartoria’s help had eased my worries, I couldn’t afford to become this dissolute already. In truth, the fault lay with my own failure to maintain proper posture. It wasn’t only Cartoria who owed an apology.
The dream’s contents still refused to fade from my mind. Staring at the floor in confusion, I finally asked, “So… why did you really do it?”
Cartoria faltered, lips moving without sound, before she bowed her head once more and cried out with sudden resolve, “Your determination and will moved me deeply…! Your conviction completely shattered my perfection, and I… I…!”
“I fell in love at first sight!!”
I squeezed my eyes shut, still rubbing my throbbing head, when the dream’s lingering memory and Cartoria’s fresh confession brought Justitia’s face rushing back. “This fucking…” The curse slipped out before I could stop it.
Cartoria seemed to misunderstand. “Ah… ah…” She stiffened, bowing even lower, her reaction so intense I could feel it even with my eyes closed. Realizing she had taken my words the wrong way, I opened my eyes at once, ready to explain that an unpleasant memory had simply surfaced—
“This… this might not be so bad either…”
For some reason, Cartoria slowly lifted her upper body, covering her lips with one hand as she murmured. I could only gape at her, speechless.
“I-if that displeased you, I truly apologize. It was an accident born of a momentary surge of emotion I failed to control, so I will take full responsibility and accept any punishment…”
Only then did Cartoria seem to collect herself. I watched her for a moment before letting out a long sigh. “Fine. I’ll forgive you.”
Even though the Cartoria from my dream made me want to purge her on the spot, that had been nothing more than my own delusion. Damn it all.
“So from now on, if you want to do something like that, just ask me carefully first…”
Realizing Cartoria’s actions had stemmed purely from her innocent affection, I forgave her for the time being and tried to keep her from wallowing in guilt.
“Ah… Th-thank you, Lady Karia…”
Far from growing despondent, Cartoria’s expression brightened. “Th-then, Lady Karia…!”
“H-huh…?”
Her eyes sparkled with pure innocence as she asked, “So next time… would a kiss be… all right…?”
Looking at her, I felt certain the succubus-like Cartoria from my dream had been nothing but my imagination. A little relieved, I answered, “No.”
“Yes…”
I shook my head firmly, snuffing out the spark before it could grow. “But… if it’s just a kiss without anything strange like today, I suppose I could allow it.”
Why was I saying this? Aside from the dream, today hadn’t been entirely unpleasant. Having received a proper apology and feeling my mood lighten, I ended up granting a limited permission.
“Besides, I do owe you a debt… If you ask politely, I’ll do it.”
Even if Cartoria’s words had been meaningless, she had helped me find an answer, so I considered this repayment. Afterward, Cartoria practically danced with joy as if she had saved the world. Well, if she was happy, that was enough, wasn’t it?
“…It was a good time. I’ll be going now.”
“Ah, yes! Please visit again——!”
Thus I left Cartoria’s private quarters after yet another absurd experience. Still, thanks to her, I had managed to obtain an answer to the problem I carried.
The frailty of human nature. The loneliness of being alone. The absence of conviction that grows harder to overcome the deeper one sinks into peace.
“…There’s only one way to overcome the frailty of human nature.”
With that single solution in mind, I left Cartoria’s room.
“……”
Unlike the hero I had been in failure, this time I would never—never—let my ideals be stolen away. My ideals. Everyone’s ideals. The brilliant ideal of ending the war.
“Karia.”
“……”
After the incident ended, I returned straight to my room. Tia sat at the desk, working. When I greeted her and climbed onto the bed, leaning back against the pillows with my eyes closed, she spoke.
“Karia?”
“Ah, yeah?”
She had apparently finished her work and changed into comfortable clothes. “You look troubled again today.”
I closed my eyes once more and let out a weary sigh. Tia climbed onto the bed beside me, gently stroking my legs before meeting my gaze. When I explained why I was like this, she asked, “One of my subordinates is giving you trouble?”
“Who is it?”
Her expression turned serious at once. I waved my hands dismissively. “It’s nothing serious. She said she likes me.”
I softened the truth a little for her sake; there was no lingering ill will. Tia looked slightly relieved, then pulled me down into her arms.
“It’s Cartoria, isn’t it?”
“Ah, you knew?”
She had guessed immediately. “She’s spoken of you quite fondly to me as well, so I had a vague idea.”
I hesitated before asking, “Th-then… does Cartoria have any particular… preferences…?”
Some uneasy memory stirred, making me fear she might possess some strange fetish—the cliché of the perfect woman hiding something twisted. The thought that she might attempt something so horrifying even outside the dream filled me with dread.
“Why do you ask that?”
Tia looked genuinely upset. “Uh, no, it’s just…”
“You only need to know my preferences.”
She slowly climbed over me, bringing her face close to mine. Her hair brushed my cheek, tickling, but the sight of her sulking made me want to ask if this was what she enjoyed.
“T-Tia, you used to like being with lots of people—”
At that moment, Tia’s face truly fell. “Did you really think I meant that seriously?”
“Ah, Tia…”
She began to pull away, moving to the far side of the bed. “No matter how much of a perverted coward I am as Demon King, I would never treat the one I love that way.”
For a split second I wanted to retort that she had shown no such restraint with the servant, but saying it would make the incident irreparable. I swallowed the words and apologized instead. “I-I’m sorry.”
When problems arose in any relationship, apologizing without questions was the best course. Tia, who had kept her distance, returned and embraced me gently.
“Actually, I wanted to apologize for how I treated you in front of the servant before.”
“……”
“I truly loved you, yet in that moment your appearance was so lovely beyond words that I wondered what it would be like to show you to the servant… and acted without thinking.”
“…What if you stop thinking again?”
I asked carefully but firmly, spotting the flaw in her words. Tia answered with complete sincerity, “If I ever act without thinking again, I will die by your hand.”
“I mean it. I will die by your hand.”
“……”
Her words pierced deep into my heart. “That’s enough… You already said you wouldn’t care about that anymore anyway.”
I turned my face away, feeling my cheeks grow hot. “If you really love me, just keep living. Don’t die.”
Closing my eyes, I felt the exhaustion of the day settle over me. The words had slipped out without much thought. I hadn’t intended to worry about Tia this much. It was simply that today had been tiring, and I wanted even her to have some peace. I didn’t want her entertaining thoughts of dying so casually.
Yet the words seemed to have more effect than I expected. That night, Tia held me with unusual tenderness, never once disturbing even a single hair, and slept soundly. Thanks to her, I too slept more comfortably than I had in recent days. It was the only truly restful night I had known lately.
So that night, Tia wasn’t hateful at all. I felt I could simply love her. I held her close in return, hoping my embrace would soothe her slight sulk and let her sleep peacefully.
Just as I thought she had fallen asleep, Tia brought her lips to my ear and whispered, “Even if the world burns for them, you alone… you alone I will protect, Karia…”
I didn’t know who “they” referred to, but if Tia harbored such hostility, it could only be toward humanity. I accepted it as a sign of how deeply she loved me, and drifted into peaceful sleep.