"Because I don't think I can do it. Objectively, my brother is handsome and has a good status, so if he really likes men, it won't be difficult for him to fall for you."
"... Do we really have to go that far?"
"There will soon be a war with the demon realm. And Deon Hardt remains the Empire's most dangerous and unstable hero. My gut tells me so."
There was no basis for this.
The princess didn't even know that Deon Hardt traveled to and from the demon realm.
The Crown Prince sighed as he looked with new eyes at the princess, who had only limited information about Deon Hardt but had pinpointed him based on intuition alone.
"Of course... now is the right time to tie him to the Imperial family."
If they missed this timing, you never know when another opportunity will come. The Crown Prince, who had been contemplating for a moment with his arms crossed and his mouth closed, rolled his eyes slightly, looked at the princess' bright eyes, closed his eyes tightly, and stood up.
"Please don't forget that I have a duty to leave a successor."
"Oh, of course. After you tie him up securely."
You can meet as many women as you want.
The princess smiled and waved her hand.
So much so that he listened to the princess's claims that would have been laughed off by anyone else.
The Crown Prince was also an unbiased person just like the princess.
***
"I visited you regarding your becoming an Honorary Marquis."
"... If it is a letter of appointment, I have already received it."
And what is that bouquet in your hand...?
Now that I look at it, I can see that he put a lot of effort into his appearance, including his hair. Was he planning on going to meet a girl after meeting me?
The crown prince, who was dressed more extravagantly than usual and had his hair down on one side, smiled calmly and spoke.
"Didn't they just send out a letter of appointment? Because His Majesty was busy, he sent the letter of appointment in a hurry, but you didn't just receive the title and wipe your mouth without going through the process of swearing to the Emperor, right?"
"Is that possible?"
Why are you talking like that? It's scary.
When I urgently shook my head as I felt my life was in danger, he smiled as if he was joking and held out the bouquet of flowers he was holding.
"You can relax because it's fun. Although I came as His Majesty's representative to take the oath on his behalf, His Majesty actually said that there was no need for such ostentation. He said there was no need for an oath that was not sincere. I came today simply because I wanted to see the Marquis."
What.
I pointed at the bouquet of flowers held out and stuttered as I opened my mouth.
"... That bouquet...?"
"This is a gift to celebrate becoming an Honorary Marquis and winning first place in the hunting competition."
"Uh... thank you."
"And there are some jewels and money... but that is the winning prize and a reward given by His Majesty to you for your misfortune at the hunting competition."
It didn't seem like he was upset about losing the first place spot in the hunting competition. Thank god. Thinking of the sincerity of the person who gave it to me, I touched the bouquet a few times, then held it in my arms and turned my head to look out the window. People who appeared to be from the Imperial Palace were carrying something heavy.
If I looked closely, I could see that they were carrying several chests, but that was 'a few'...?
"Well... you..."
"Ah yes. Please speak."
I turned my gaze again and faced the Crown Prince.
A man whose appearance was so flashy that it gave the illusion that his surroundings were sparkling, was hesitating, not being able to speak easily, which was rare.
What on Earth is that snake-like man taking a moment to say?
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyebrows and pondered how to speak, and finally spoke in a noble tone.
"What do you think... if the law changes and same-sex marriage becomes possible?"
"... Yes?"
Why are you asking me that? No, it's more random than that. It's not about war. Why are we talking about marriage in these times?
Still, since the Crown Prince asked a question, I must answer. I suppressed the absurdity that was about to come out and used my head to come up with the simplest answer possible.
"I'm not sure, but I think some people will be happy."
Were there any powerful nobles who liked people of the same sex? Were you trying to attract that nobleman with the bait of changing the law?
It's definitely a peaceful method. Although this was not something to say in the current situation.
"You don't know... Are you saying you don't like men?"
"Yes."
To be precise, I would say that I don't have the capacity to like anyone.
I'm so busy taking care of myself, how can I care about others? To me, other people are just two-dimensional characters.
There is no need to worry too much or delve into the other person's story, and it is enough to just treat them as they appear on the outside.
In terms of a play, it's like a background character... Oh, since conversation is possible, it's not a background character, is it? Then an extra. Or, a being like a character in a book who moves according to a given theme.
"I see..."
A somewhat empty voice touched my eardrums.
There, doubts arose. No way.
'Was that target me?!'
Were all the baits about same-sex marriage and the fact that you came dressed up neatly aimed at me?
Since the princess didn't seem to be having any success, the Crown Prince himself came forward, right? I roughly understood the situation. But...
'I understand everything, but why are you changing my sexual orientation...'
If the princess doesn't work, you can just say, 'I guess the princess isn't your type' and find another woman. Why is His Majesty the Crown Prince coming forward instead?
... Could it be the prince's tastes...?
It seems like I leaned back without realizing it. The Crown Prince waved his hand with a puzzled face.
"It's a misunderstanding."
"Ah, yes. All right."
I never thought the Crown Prince would like men.
Of course, it has nothing to do with me whether he likes women or men. Even if he likes a guy, I would only briefly think about 'what should he do about the succession' and have no further interest... but if that person was me, the story was different.
I fumbled and stretched my hand to the side and pulled the rope. No reaction. I pulled again. Still no one came.
I pulled the string like crazy.
"...The cord you are pulling right now is not a calling cord, but a light cord."
"Ah."
For some reason, one side of my vision was sparkling.
"I said it was a misunderstanding."
"Yes, I believe you. Just a moment..."
I carefully got up, took a step back, and approached the door.
After looking at the prince with a puzzled look in my eyes, I quickly turned my back, opened the door, and shouted into the hallway.
"...Remember! Remember!"
"No, Marquis. First, calm down..."
"When will the preparations be ready?"
"Marquis?"
The Crown Prince grabbed my shoulder!
I didn't know when he had come up behind me, but I heard a voice close by, and I felt goosebumps and shouted out the door for the last time.
"You can use that for three seconds for an elephant, so let's finish it quickly!!"
"Elephant, three seconds...?"
I don't know, I'm going to go to the demon realm. If I had shouted at this point, Remember would have heard me. Even if he didn't hear it, other people would hear it and pass it on to him.
So let's buy some time. As if nothing had happened, I turned around, faced the Crown Prince, and spoke calmly.
"I trust you, Your Majesty. Of course it would be a misunderstanding."
"... But why are you so close to the door?"
"Ah."
"..."
After that, I had to be held by the Crown Prince until Remember came and listen to an explanation until the misunderstanding was resolved.
Well, in the end, the misunderstanding was resolved.
The Crown Prince must have been under a lot of stress in that short period of time, so much so that his neat appearance was almost in vain, but he didn't feel the slightest bit of regret.
So who would do something like that?
***
"Let's eat!"
"You crazy guy! Don't cut in line!"
"... But aren't the Revolutionary forces quiet these days?"
"It seems like it, but... damn it. We took care of another thing today. How long does His Majesty intend to exploit us?"
"We have to pay for the buildings... How many buildings did we knock down?"
"Honestly, it was all because of the bombs the Revolutionary Army had. We're so busy dealing with them, how are we supposed to deal with bombs one by one? All I can do is throw it into the sky."
"Anyway, the frequency has really decreased these days. Even the kids who came out occasionally were small children. Why? Is it because of the war?"
"But why are your hands shaking?"
"Never mind. It's an aftereffect. Even so, since I am in charge of dealing with the Revolutionary forces today, I need some medicine..."
"Puh-ha! Hey guys! There's a bastard here who still can't get over the aftereffects!"
"Really? It's been a few years since we used medicine!"
"Oh, you weak bastard."
"You all shut up!"
Thud!
"... I told you to shut up, I never told you to put your head on the plate."
"Is this a new eating method? Eat like a dog without using your hands?"
"Hey, he's sleeping. He had narcolepsy."
"What are you all doing..."
Thud! Thud!
"..."
"..."
"... Even after taking a medicine that is said to make even wild beasts grow taller, they still talked for 10 more minutes before going to sleep."
How did the Marquis come to gather and lead such crazy people? If this was a talent, was it a talent?
Anyway, he could take stronger medicine next time.
"Tell the Marquis that preparations for departure are complete."
***
Escape!
***
As always, Deon Hardt rode his horse as he was used to and reached the entrance of a mountain range that no one could reach. Both the Emperor and the Demon King knew that there was a border here, but they did not send troops to station there.
The small border, barely large enough for one person to enter or exit, existed solely for Deon.
Until Deon Hardt's affiliation was clearly determined, the two different yet similar monarchs made an implicit promise to refrain from actions that would prematurely expose the location of anyone by sending anyone to the border located within the mountain range.
That was why those who saw him off to avoid being trampled did not follow him into the mountains.
'Until I clearly decide on my affiliation...'
Obviously, life, like food, has an expiration date.
Although he was prepared, his rotting heart was something else.
Would the Demon King remain silent if he knew that the Emperor had decided to win? No way.
He chuckled, rubbing the brand with his fingertips.
'There's no way the guy who carves something like this is normal.'
The initiative was still on this side, so he wouldn't be overly forceful, but it was still a good idea to be prepared. The Demon King was not the Demon King for nothing.
He sent his horse back and set foot in the mountains. He climbed the steep mountain path without even looking back, and when he got halfway, he heard a sound that he couldn't have heard.
"Kreuk-."
The sound of blood being coughed up. In other words, the sound of someone dying.
He turned his head. A little distance away, there was a man blocking someone's mouth and pulling out a dagger that had been lodged in a throat.
Green eyes and black hair. It's really boring. Why was he everywhere he went?
"Cruel Hardt."
He muttered as if he was talking to himself and pulled out his dagger.
Cruel, who was looking down at the fallen corpse, looked up and saw Deon. Their eyes met and there was silence.
Witnesses must be killed. He may not have been able to see the boundary line due to its location, but the reason for stepping behind it was so clear that it was right to kill him.
Especially if the opponent was a subordinate of the Duke, the head of the noble faction.
But even though he knew full well, Deon did not move. He didn't want to move. Deon was currently too exhausted to show hostility towards him.
"..."
"..."
Cruel, who was quietly looking into Deon's mentally exhausted eyes in strange silence, soon turned his head. In response to this unexpected action, Deon pretended not to have seen anything, whether he opened his eyes or not, and without showing any signs, left the body alone and walked away as if he wanted to go back to where he came from.
Deon, who couldn't understand Cruel's thoughts, could only frown and stare at his retreating figure.