*Choo-rr-rr…*
A pleasant sound was made as the glass filled with deep red tea.
Now, it had become a habit to ‘inquire’ about food and drinks.
As expected, it was safe.
I lifted my teacup, lightly touching my lips to the tea, savoring its aroma.
It was brewed so well that I could immediately tell it used the highest quality tea leaves.
However, my honest impression was that it didn’t quite match Emilia’s tea.
“I can see your complexion has improved a lot.”
“Really…?”
A slightly tired voice drifted from across the table.
The owner of a beauty that couldn’t be hidden even with a veil covering her face.
Irene von der Lichtenburg.
Commonly known as Madam Lichtenburg.
Her face, hardly adorned with makeup, showed faint wrinkles, but they weren’t too severe.
Her eyes bore dark circles, and her pupils looked weary, accentuating an air of decadence.
Of course, this was much better than before.
Just a week ago, Madam Lichtenburg looked like a corpse.
“A decision has been made regarding Festia. All those involved will be apprehended and punished according to the same standards as other Asylum believers.”
“So that means…?”
“Yes. The mastermind will receive the death penalty. Simple accomplices will face life imprisonment.”
“Then—”
“Don’t worry. Selene von Festia. That child has been released due to insufficient evidence.”
“Thank you…”
Madam Lichtenburg slightly lowered her head and showed me her gratitude.
The fact that Selene received no punishment was thanks to Madam Lichtenburg’s earnest request.
Although Selene had merely followed her father’s orders out of ignorance, it still went against the principles, so it took some careful maneuvering to secure her freedom.
Since the heir was still alive, Festia narrowly escaped complete annihilation.
Of course, since its foundation had entirely crumbled, it would need to be rebuilt from scratch, but it wasn’t my concern to worry about that.
“What is your relationship with Selene?”
“I have no relationship with her. I’ve only seen Selene a few times during her childhood.”
“Then why…?”
“I didn’t want someone I knew to die helplessly. At the very least, I wanted to confirm that my voice could save a girl who lost her family.”
“…”
“I made things difficult out of my simple greed. I’m sorry, Schlus.”
“It’s fine.”
I didn’t want to let anyone die helplessly.
I wanted to confirm that my strength could save someone…
Listening to those words made my heart ache.
Madam Lichtenburg was still trapped in the memory of that day when she could do nothing but watch as Julia chose death of her own accord.
How could I ever understand the feelings of a mother who lost her daughter?
No one could pull her out of that abyss.
She would need to find her own way out.
Well, unless she suddenly started a new romance, only time could heal her wounds.
“Are you… eating well?”
“Don’t worry. I’m eating regularly. By the way, why do we use honorifics when we are the only two here? I’ve heard rumors that you even use informal speech with His Majesty the Emperor…”
“Right now, the other person is an adult. The Emperor Aria is younger than I am.”
“Oh? Since when did you start caring about that?”
“It seems people change.”
Just thinking about how I used to casually speak informally to the madam if I was in a slightly better position made me chuckle.
How could I have been so reckless and rude back then?
I must’ve thought that it would be a breath of fresh air.
Of course, there were a few blush-worthy moments with Irene, but after paying a considerable price all this time, I felt worthy of the respect I received as an adult.
So I stopped using informal speech.
“Schlus.”
“Yes.”
“I heard you declared a harem.”
*Gulp…*
I thought I was beyond being shocked after becoming a Majin.
But I couldn’t help spilling some tea at the Madam’s direct approach.
I stopped the approaching maid and used Flame Magic to evaporate my wet clothes.
Now, they smelled like black tea.
“I heard you have a main wife and you promised to marry Saintess Iris?”
“I won’t deny it…”
“To be direct, let’s get married, Schlus.”
“Excuse me?”
“I was a bit rude. I sincerely request that you engage with me.”
I was left speechless.
Wait, the infamous Iron Lady Irene is proposing to me?
Even though it’s a time when she’s weakened due to the loss of her daughter…
*Oh, no way.*
Could it be that I was the one to pull her out of her despair and start her fluttering new love?
What context would make her fall for me?
No, what’s the age difference anyway?
Isn’t she like 16 or 17?
It shouldn’t even be possible.
I hardened my expression and made my decision.
“Madam.”
“Erica said she wanted to marry you. But it seems like it’s too late for her, so she is troubled—”
“I can’t marry the Madam…!”
“Excuse me?”
“Yes?”
What did I just hear?
My vision went completely white for a moment.
Did I accidentally drink too much kimchi soup?
“Um, something urgent has come up. I should go—”
“Schlus! Don’t run away, hear me out! The way you looked at me… was surprisingly not expected, and while I was surprised, I’ll keep it a secret.”
“Ah. I can’t take this anymore…”
I admit it.
Irene is beautiful.
“Beautiful” suits her way better than terms like “pretty” or “cute.”
She has an incredibly youthful face, but it also carries a certain depth that is far from youthful freshness.
Of course, this merely means she is an attractive woman; it doesn’t mean I thought of her as a romantic interest or potential spouse.
Absolutely not.
I really mean it.
“Erica… said that.”
“Yes. Erica told me how much she loves you and how miserable she is without you, blah blah. As the head of the family, I can only speak from that perspective.”
I was somewhat curious.
How much does she love me, and what is it like for her when I’m not around?
I never would have imagined that Erica could say something like that.
It seemed that the hostility in her gaze towards me had diminished greatly lately, but I never guessed that she was harboring such feelings.
I was more shocked than when Trie confessed.
“You are engaged with Flechette, one of the Three Great Magical Families.”
“I have alliances with all three families, so it’s not a problem.”
“No, there is a problem. Without the strong bond of marriage, those alliances are practically meaningless. Right now, in a time of war, it may not seem like much, but once peace returns, Flechette will begin to take control of the Magical Society. When that time comes, Lichtenburg and von Byrne, without any connection to you, will be completely pushed out of the competition, and the Magical Society will be fully dominated by Flechette. Stagnant water becomes foul, and foul water is bound to stink.”
“I see what you’re saying.”
I understood what the Madam was concerned about.
She was worried about Flechette monopolizing the Magical Society and hindering the advancement of magic.
“It’s okay. I will prevent that from happening.”
“How will you stop it? How well do you understand the structure of the Magical Society? Do you know what is decided in the Magical Society Council and the Board? Regarding the rights granted according to magic grades—”
*Ugh. I concede. I don’t know much.*
“I thought so. No matter how hard you try to prevent it, Flechette will ultimately fill the major positions of the Society while dodging your eyes. You cannot stop that.”
“But Lichtenburg and von Byrne can?”
“That’s right. I would like to ask that you build ties exclusively with Lichtenburg and exclude von Byrne…”
It wasn’t an easy issue to contemplate.
This engagement was truly necessary for the future of this world, unlike the hasty engagements made in the past.
If I were to question whether I held any romantic feelings for Erica, I wouldn’t have much to say, but it would be the same when I think about my engagement with Iris.
I probably didn’t realize back then.
That I would eventually not see Iris as a mere object of admiration, but as a partner by my side to love.
“For now, I will consider it a bit. I need to hear Erica’s confession directly to finally make my decision.”
“That girl… She hardly talks about it. Until now, she has never mentioned it even once, and now that the Saintess Iris has made a public vow regarding the harem declaration, it’s unlikely she would say anything rash.”
“Then I’ll have to dig it out.”
“I’d appreciate that. Although she is my child, she really has some frustrating tendencies… Of course, I never intended to pressure her that you must accept. No matter what choice you make, Lichtenburg will not change our solid alliance with you.”
After finishing my meeting with the Madam, I stepped outside and thought deeply.
But no matter how I looked at it, I was just amazed that Erica saw me that way.
The so-called “confession attack.”
From a woman’s perspective, when a man suddenly confesses without any warning, it’s practically an attack.
That was exactly how I felt.
*Wait, was there really no sign?*
I decided to dig deeper into my memories.
When did Erica start to lose her hostility toward me?
Was it after I returned from the desert?
No, she was already friendly by then.
How about after going south?
That’s right; following that time, Erica led me to meet Julia or seemed to get closer with me. But even before that, her animosity had vanished.
*Was it after the Whist Forest incident?*
Yes, it was then.
When I went to Whist Forest for Combat Magic Studies.
That time I lost consciousness and was carried back in a coffin.
Definitely, from that time onward, Erica had withdrawn her hostility.
Although she still fussed a bit, her overall response toward me was favorable.
So, accepting the sudden proposal to go south also made sense.
*Then does that mean I’m an idiot?*
Could it be that Erica had been expressing her feelings for me all along?
And I just didn’t notice?
“Darn it. She should’ve made it clear…”
While I was struggling to survive, how could I catch a hint if she was just passively teasing me like this?
How on earth could I tell if she disliked me or if she was bothering me like a kid who liked me?
I’m not a mind reader!
“I feel like I’ll be cut off by Emilia at this rate…”
I could almost see the future unfolding.
Still, I decided to listen to Erica’s own feelings.
Not giving her a chance would be too much.
