A sudden marriage announcement.
It was a situation that could only surprise the parties involved, and even Count Winchester, the Chancellor of the Grates Kingdom, had heard nothing.
“Your Majesty. What is happening?”
Therefore, Count Winchester immediately set out to find Grates XVIII.
“Marriage? This is not something that should be handled so abruptly.”
Away from the banquet hall, in the King’s residence.
Despite the ongoing banquet, Grates XVIII, perhaps feeling drained, changed his clothes and lay on his bed, barely opening his eyes.
“…You were a long-time friend of Sir Wilhelm, weren’t you.”
King Grates slowly opened his mouth in a voice tinged with regret.
“So, are you here to oppose the marriage?”
“…….”
“As you yourself know, this marriage is the most extreme and certain means to protect the kingdom.”
“Extreme measures always bring crisis with them.”
“But we couldn’t let it be taken by another kingdom.”
At the King’s words, the Chancellor closed his eyes.
If the Chancellor had a reason for coming here, it was not to point out that the King’s decision was ‘wrong,’ but to say that it was ‘hasty.’
“He is the one who stopped the entire alliance against the Empire. It’s not just our Grates that benefited from Sir Wilhelm’s help. The Elf Kingdom, the Beastman Kingdom, even the fairies received help from Sir Wilhelm against the Empire’s grasp.”
“…….”
“The Beastman Kingdom is overtly targeting Sir Wilhelm. Fortunately, while Sir Wilhelm may indulge in beauties, he strictly controls procreation…”
“Rest assured. There have been many who claimed to be Sir Wilhelm’s illegitimate children, but magical assessments have proven them all false.”
“The Empire used this to slander him, calling Sir Wilhelm impotent.”
“That is not the case. He… he merely takes thorough precautions with contraception. With the power of his Aura.”
“Ha, haha.”
The King gave a faint smile.
“Yes. A hero should know how to enjoy the company of women.”
“And so you gave the princess to him?”
“It’s not just because she’s my daughter, but she is the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“That…”
“Although there are those who increasingly compare her to the young Empress of the Empire, Sylvia has been the most beautiful woman since her debut in society. And while she was at the banquet to decide her consort…”
The King clenched his fist under the bed and gritted his teeth.
“The war with the Empire broke out.”
“Yes. That was the reason the princess became a knight.”
“Sylvia knew the Empire’s true intentions long ago. She knew as early as her academy days that the Empire would start a war, and prepared for it with you and many others.”
“No one knew at the time. Until the Empire started the war.”
“Yes. Even when she was 25, when she would have been married, had children, and her children would be walking, everyone in the world called her crazy for her knightly training.”
The King turned his gaze to the side.
There, a magic crystal ball sat on a table next to the bed, and the King placed his hand on it.
Whirring.
Mana flashed from the crystal ball, and a hazy figure began to appear with magical power.
Echoes of Memory.
In the recollection magic that perfectly replicated someone’s memory, a banquet hall unfolded.
A banquet hall filled with hundreds of nobles laughing, as usual.
[Your Majesty!! The Empire has crossed the border! It’s a surprise attack!!]
However, the banquet hall was instantly plunged into chaos, but the woman who was the focus of the banquet knelt like a knight, dressed in a dress.
[Your Majesty. I, Sylvia, dedicate my life and will surely win the war against the Empire.]
A memory from 12 years ago.
This memory must have been so intense for the King that even in his old age, he couldn’t forget it, for the colors of the recollection magic were as vivid as reality.
“My daughter has dedicated 12 years to this country… No, 20 years since her academy days.”
“The first time she felt the Empire’s intent to fight was when she encountered people from the Empire at the academy at the age of 17.”
“Yes. From the age of 17, she lived as a knight, not as a woman or a princess, thinking only of this country’s peace. She’s already… 37 years old.”
Tears streamed from the King’s eyes.
“If she weren’t my daughter—if she weren’t of royal blood who dedicated her life to this country—it wouldn’t be strange if she already had a son or daughter entering the academy!”
“…….”
“She came of age at 20. Back in my day, 37 was an age when people already had grandchildren! And yet she remains unmarried because of the war…”
“Is that why you arranged the marriage?”
“Yes. It was the only path I could take—as a king and as a father.”
“…Because of that, we might lose a hero.”
“……Is this senile greed?”
The King’s tears soaked the pillow.
“Do I want my daughter to marry the most perfect man and enjoy happiness as a woman, even now… is that my excessive desire?”
“Your Majesty.”
“My daughter’s time has been frozen for this country’s peace since she was 17. She was insulted for not dating for eight years, and lived her life dedicating everything to the war with the Empire for 12 years. For her to grasp happiness now, how could it be…?”
“At least.”
The Chancellor closed his eyes tightly, but opened his mouth as if spitting out something boiling within.
“It was supposed to be in order to request her opinion first.”
“Chancellor…!”
“And in the first place, to tell them to marry without regard for the opinions of the parties involved…!”
“That’s.”
The King closed his eyes tightly.
“That is…”
* * *
The royal palace garden.
In the garden where blue roses shone brightly, illuminated by the moonlight, seemingly celebrating peace, I am strolling with a white-haired, green-eyed beauty in a white dress.
“It’s been 12 years since our connection. Time flies, doesn’t it.”
“Yes, it does. Princess.”
“Didn’t you call me ‘Captain Sylvia’ back then?”
“I never imagined that the princess would lead soldiers on the front lines and fight herself. What princess in the world would fight like that.”
If there’s a reason I’m escorting Princess Sylvia like this, even though I was suddenly forced into a marriage announcement.
“As a comrade-in-arms, I truly respect Princess Sylvia’s contributions to this country.”
This woman is my superior, my comrade-in-arms, my hero, and my benefactor, the one who made me who I am today. Therefore, she deserves respect.
“If the princess hadn’t personally saved my life in the first battle when I was conscripted, I wouldn’t be here today.”
“Anyone who hears this might misunderstand. Before you began to show your prowess, you were just one of the knight candidates.”
Princess Sylvia’s voice is stiff.
From that subtle tone and atmosphere, I could realize one thing.
“Princess. The marriage is…”
“First, I apologize.”
Princess Sylvia placed a hand on her chest and bowed her head.
“My father’s old age has clouded his judgment. He saw with his own eyes that the war with the Empire was over, but in truth, he is at an age where it wouldn’t be strange for him to pass away soon.”
“…….”
“I am the youngest of my father’s three sons and four daughters, and the only one who survived. You know as well as I do what happened to the princes and princesses before me.”
“All those who were not traitors to the kingdom were murdered by the Empire’s assassins.”
The 12-year war.
The war didn’t start with a click exactly 12 years ago.
The Empire had been preparing for war for over 12 years and had deployed agents to various countries, including the Grates Kingdom, as much as possible.
Assassinating royal bloodlines, taking hostages, inciting internal strife, and even forming military alliances with the dark tribes led by demons.
“There might be illegitimate children somewhere, but officially, I am the only one who carries the royal bloodline.”
“You mean, for the princess’s political standing?”
“Perhaps. I didn’t know when I would die on the battlefield, so my father, even with his old body, tried his best to ensure the royal bloodline wouldn’t be severed.”
Princess Sylvia smiled bitterly and looked up at the sky.
“Even in this state, I must try to ensure the royal bloodline is not severed. Fortunately, my body… considering how I was worked to death on the front lines, it’s still quite usable, and with the power of magic, giving birth to a child is not a problem.”
“The power of magic.”
“Yes. Although it’s the technology and knowledge of the Empire, the content is useful.”
The princess quietly placed her hand on her lower abdomen.
“At 27, I ensured that my unborn child would not come out. I wove spells with magic, creating a body that could fight on the battlefield continuously without being removed from the front lines every month due to physical imbalance.”
“…….”
“The era of peace is approaching, so it seems I can now release that seal.”
“Are you really going to get married?”
“…I have to. However.”
Wheeeing.
The wind blew, and Princess Sylvia swept her hair back.
“A knight obeys the king’s command; that is chivalry. Since His Majesty ordered the marriage, I will obey that command. However.”
With sparkling green eyes, she looked at me without wavering.
“…I don’t entirely dislike that command.”
“Princess. That.”
“You.”
A blush slowly began to appear on the princess’s face.
“…Do you dislike it?”
“Princess.”
“If you dislike it, there’s nothing to be done. Refused by the most wonderful man in the world, I have no choice but to live alone for the rest of my life.”
“No.”
“You. I respect you more than you think. You are a hero, and you are not someone whose freedom should be suppressed like this.”
The princess looked at me with a slightly bitter, but resolute expression, and nodded.
“However, His Majesty has given me 100 days.”
“Princess.”
“…For those 100 days, would you please think about it?”
…
…
…
If one only sees up to this point, it might seem like a scene from a romance fantasy.
However, there is something that both the princess and the king have overlooked.
I am a Grand Master.
No matter how much one tries to hide their intentions, they cannot hide the aura felt from their mana.
What stands before me is…
‘Is this gaslighting at 37 years old?’
A female spider, covered in white, with green eyes.
“I understand. Considering the princess’s contributions, I won’t mention it separately for now. I also need time to think.”
The marriage order.
The order came from the King’s mouth, but whose head did it come from?
“Princess Knight Sylvia, this is my final concession based on my conscience for your contributions to peace.”
The woman before me is a genius strategist who protected the kingdom with her wits alone during the war with the Empire.
