Chapter 4

Chapter 4

While the Emperor’s attention was focused on the sycophants who came to congratulate him on his birthday, we took the opportunity to quietly sign the marriage certificate. Afterwards, we went out to a relatively secluded terrace to discuss our future plans.

“Does your family members know about you?”

“Yes. My tears are quite valuable, you know. Even if they don’t want to lose their source of income, they won’t expose me.”

“If you’re suddenly married like this, wouldn’t it cause a big uproar?”

“It will indeed, that’s why I plan on leaving now. I have a small house that I secretly purchased without my family’s knowledge.”

The only reason I had been staying in that miserable house was solely to meet Reinhardt. Even if I had the status of a lady, I could only meet Reinhardt by attending the Emperor’s birthday banquet.

“What if someone decided to report you?”

“They won’t. You know that keeping a demon is considered treason, right? I have a recording of them saying that they know about my true identity.”

After the gates to the demon realm were closed, humans who could use magic in this world were no longer present except for half-demons. However, thanks to the tears and mana stones left behind by the demons, humans could produce magic devices.

As a result, humans could use magic as long as they became accustomed to it.

“So, you used a recording magic device?”

“Yes, I am a half-demon, but I can’t use magic, so I have to rely on the tools.”

“Besides the recording device, do you have any other magic devices to protect yourself?”

“Well, I don’t have anything like that, but I always carry a pepper shaker.”

Her words were met with Reinhardt’s belittling gaze.

“I can see how incredibly helpful that must be.”

He sarcastically remarked.

“I could only afford the recording magic device with the money I secretly collected from my family. Don’t look at me with those eyes.”

“What kind of eyes am I looking at you with, then?”

“Beautiful eyes… No, eyes full of pity.”

“….”

At the mention of ‘beautiful eyes,’ Reinhardt’s face stiffened and he turned his head. Between his neatly groomed black hair, his ears stood out, tinged with red. It seemed that constant praise of his face even made the cold-blooded Duke of the North shy.

“Anyway…”

He hesitated while mumbling.

“I don’t think there are any knights guarding you. How about coming to my mansion in the Capital? Even if I leave, there are always knights stationed in the mansion.”

“You want me to live in the same house as you?”

“I spend most of the year in my main mansion in the North, so the chance of us crossing paths is extremely rare.”

His words implied that I would have to stay in the same mansion with the Duke while he was in the Southern region.

“Is it alright?”

It was the Grand Duke’s mansion, after all, so there should be a separate building. And once the Emperor’s birthday celebration, which lasted for three days, was over, Reinhardt would also return to the Northern region.

If I stayed in a separate building, there would hardly be any chance of crossing paths with Reinhardt.

…I wouldn’t fall in love in that brief moment, right?

While I didn’t believe in my own tendency to fall in love, for now, it seemed like the only option that was possible. If the Emperor and Duke Hoover conspire together, it was only a matter of time before the location of my house was exposed.

“Okay.”

“Oh my, what a beautiful picture.”

At that moment, with the cliché dialogue of a villain, the Emperor appeared. His face was flushed, possibly from drinking, and his eyes were slightly glazed.

“Oh my, you flatter us, saying we look like a painting.”

I deliberately smiled and pretended to be embarrassed.

“Just because of some clueless person, we almost fell apart, but we overcame it with our love of the century.”

Saying so, I imitated what a couple who were deeply in love would say to quickly free myself from the Emperor.

“Oh my, we dropped our precious symbol of love!”

As I continued, I didn’t forget to theatrically drop the marriage certificate in front of the Emperor intentionally.

“What? Have you two really gotten married?”

“Yes. Your Majesty, you might’ve not known, but today is my birthday and I’ve come of age. Even if you don’t know, it’s okay. I understand. Your Majesty’s birthday is the only important one, and mine is nothing, right?”

“That’s right. Thank you for understanding.”

“…”

Crazy b*stard.

He didn’t even realize it was a mockery and took it seriously. If he was that severe, wasn’t it a sign of a lack of intelligence rather than selfishness to explain his past behaviours?

“Yes…you’ve become an adult… Well then, there’s nothing I can do. I can’t violate it, so I can only give up.”

It seemed like the Emperor became more docile than usual, possibly due to being drunk. While I was staying silent for a moment, he went on.

“But, I wonder if my brother knows that the woman he’s marrying is mentally unstable.”

It seemed that I had the wrong assumption. Even when drunk, the Emperor was still the Emperor.

“When asked about her hobby, she replies, ‘picking my nose,’ and when asked to dance, she does head bangs and spins her legs like crazy. Why would my brother like such a woman?”

What was wrong with my break dance? He should be happy to have a girl who could dance well and be carefree like me!

This was the epitome of pathetic.

Soon after, the man next to me muttered in a voice filled with shock.

“Picking her nose…?”

“….”

“Darling, His Majesty was asking a question.”

When I stabbed Reinhardt’s side with my elbow, he looked at me in surprise.

‘Please tell him that even such a sight looks cute to you.’ I conveyed it with a fierce gaze.

“At a glance, the craz–no, I mean, she seemed like someone with an unstable mind, but she’s just a little peculiar. You misunderstood.”

Reinhardt’s words, as he opened his mouth, were quite intriguing. I heard everything. He wanted to say I was crazy but then retracted it.

“Misunderstood? Did I misunderstand the strange dancing and the nose-picking?”

“That…?”

Reinhardt’s pupils shook vigorously. At the same time, his eyes, while looking at me, seemed to convey, ‘How could she be capable of such actions?’

“Just say it’s cute.”

I whispered to him in a soft voice that wouldn’t reach the Emperor’s ears, and the robot next to me carried out my command exactly.

“C-Cute…?”

Trying to say words he didn’t mean, he wiped his forehead with his hand. Nevertheless, Reinhardt’s appearance seemed like a husband who couldn’t regain his composure due to his wife’s cuteness.

“It seemed like you truly experienced a great love.”

The Emperor gave us a middle finger with an expression that seemed to say he had seen something he shouldn’t have before and quickly walked fast as if running away.

“Wow, he finally left! We’ve defeated the pitiful emperor who doesn’t understand the beauty of love!”

“….”

What?

Why did Reinhardt’s expression seem to be in disbelief?

Due to the Emperor storming off to the bedroom, claiming that his motivation to enjoy the party had diminished, today’s party ended in disarray. As prearranged, as I decided to enter Reinhardt’s mansion, I tried to look for the carriage engraved with the crest of the Erestein Duchy to bring me there.

“Sister, we should go home. What is there to do here?”

Unius wrapped his arm around my shoulder with a fake smile.

“Leave me alone.”

Pushing his hand away, I gave him a disdainful look. Even though I didn’t push him hard, he grabbed onto my hand and began to make a fuss.

“Ow… It hurts. Why is my dear sister being so mean? Do you have belated puberty?”

“Stop bothering me and leave.”

“If you’re upset, let’s talk it out at home, hmm? People might get the wrong idea.”

“What wrong idea? Do you think I persecuted you? It’s a misunderstanding.”

“Irovel, you…”

It seemed that even pretending to be amiable had its limits. He immediately shot me a fierce glare after hearing that.

Whenever he looked at me like that, it always led to unpleasant things, like when he scolded me and locked me in a dirty, smelly warehouse, refusing to let me out or withholding food. Perhaps because of those memories, my body trembled involuntarily.

“My wife has decided to move to my mansion.”

Right at that moment, Reinhardt’s firm hand gripped my shoulder. Even with his bare hands, his powerful yet gentle strength was enough to calm my trembling. He then put his head near my ear and whispered.

“Do you need help?”

His breath tickled me. Despite the inappropriate situation, this d*mn useless heart of mine started to beat harder.

Being slightly embarrassed, I nodded softly.

“Grand Duke, Irovel was chosen by His Majesty. It would be really troublesome if she were to refuse.”

“So, what?”

“Excuse me?”

“Irovel chose me.”

‘Wow, quite impressive.’

As expected of a protagonist. His skill in delivering lines was no joke.

“No, why bring up Irovel’s choice here? Regardless of her opinion, His Majesty desires her. We have promised to His Majesty… how would His Majesty think of the Hoover Duchy if you were to take her?”

“If you’re going to be hypocritical, do it properly. It’s evident that you treat Irovel like an object. Am I foolish enough to be deceived by such feeble sophistry?”

With fierce eyes and a low and rigid voice, disregarding courtesy and formality, he appeared genuinely angered, unusually so.

“Your Excellency, what kind of impertinent remark is that?”

Unius protested with a scowl.

Just then, the carriage of the Erestein, which had come to escort us, stopped in front of us. Reinhardt shot a remark at Unius, who was stammering foolishly in response to his harsh words.

“Get lost, vermin.”

As Reinhart opened the carriage door and escorted me, there was a level of gentleness that was entirely different from how he had dealt with Unius.

“…What did you say? Vermin? Did you just say that?”

“Let’s depart.”

Whether Unius was furious or speechless, Reinhart, with an indifferent expression, gave the order to the coachman.

Soon, the carriage started to rumble and depart.

“How have you endured it all this time?”

As I leaned against the moving carriage, gazing absentmindedly out the window, he suddenly spoke up.

“Well, I endured it with the thought that one day, I would marry you.”

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