Estimated reading time: 10–13 minutes
Chapter 33
After that, I return to my own house the next day.
I let Arde go home ahead of me.
When I stagger home, Arde is the first to greet me.
「You had a good time last night, didn’t you?」
――Menacing aura.
「Eeeek……!?」
Arde glares at me with a fierce look.
Wait, was she crying?
「Arde…… Were you crying……?」
「Yes…… sniff. Yes I was……! Yes I was! Because, Master…… you didn’t come home!」
Arde pounds on my chest, crying like a child.
It’s so pitiful and cute.
「I’m sorry…… But I had no choice. I couldn’t refuse……」
「I understand. But I was so lonely……」
「Arde……」
Yeah, that’s right…… How can I explain this to Arde……?
Arde thinks about me to that extent.
I can’t show a half-hearted attitude to her.
「Master, didn’t you say you weren’t interested in Princess Claire! You’re a liar……」
「I’m sorry……」
「Didn’t you say you’d only be my Master!?」
「I’m truly sorry……」
I couldn’t say anything anymore.
It seems Arde had been crying all night, her eyes swollen bright red.
I can’t win against a woman’s tears.
「I’m sorry…… Master. I’m a failure as a slave, aren’t I? A selfish woman like this…… You must hate it.」
「That’s not true.」
「A slave is her master’s property. So I know very well that I shouldn’t let my personal feelings interfere. But……! I can’t help but love you, Master! You who saved me from the depths of hell……! That’s why, that’s why……!」
Arde burst into tears like a dam breaking.
Certainly, it’s a strange story for a slave to fall in love with her master and try to tie him down.
It’s presumptuous.
But I understood Arde’s feelings very well.
And I felt the same way as Arde.
「Arde, listen to me.」
「What is it…….? Master……」
「I didn’t steal Claire’s lips last night.」
「Huh……?」
That’s right, last night, Claire tried to create a fait accompli with me.
And I got to within a step of it.
But I couldn’t bring myself to embrace Claire no matter what.
◆
About last night――.
I couldn’t steal Claire’s lips.
「…… Lord Eld……? What’s the matter…….?」
Claire asks me, sensing something is off.
I grab Claire’s shoulders as she presses close to me, pushing her away from me.
「…… Claire, I can’t do this after all.」
「Lord Eld……」
That’s right, Claire’s shoulders that I grabbed were trembling.
It was definitely not from the cold of her thin clothing, nor from nervousness.
It was likely from anxiety.
「Claire…… You don’t really want to do this, do you?」
「Lord Eld…… That’s not……」
「It’s okay. Don’t worry, I’ll defeat the Demon King. So you don’t have to do this. The King said that, but it’s not like you like me that much, right?」
「Lord Eld…… That’s not……!」
「Let’s just pretend to the King that we spent the night together in this room.」
Yes, Claire probably hasn’t fully made up her mind to go that far yet.
But she did this of her own accord, mindful of her father’s intentions.
To secure me, the key to defeating the Demon King.
That’s how important defeating the Demon King is to the royal family.
「Lord Eld…… I admire you, Lord Eld! Even so, is that no good? Won’t you embrace me…….?」
Claire pleads with me, her eyes moist.
Certainly, she says she admires me. And that’s probably half true. Claire doesn’t dislike me.
But she probably isn’t resolved enough to be embraced yet.
After all, she’s a princess. She barely knows men yet. She’s been sheltered.
For Claire, who suddenly got engaged and is suddenly supposed to sleep with a man, the hurdle is too high.
Claire’s 「like」 is probably at the level elementary schoolers mean when they say they like someone.
「Haha, thank you Claire. …… But you’re trembling so much. …… It’s not time for that yet. I want you to value yourself more. And if you really do like me―― then, once you’re truly resolved, I want you to convey your feelings to me again in your own words then. Not in this form that’s like a political marriage.」
「Lord Eld……」
I didn’t embrace Claire that night.
I couldn’t do something so dishonest to both Claire and Arde.
The King wants me to defeat the Demon King at all costs, but it’s wrong to involve Claire in that.
In the first place, I’ll defeat the Demon King even without doing that.
◆
【Claire’s POV】
I desperately press myself upon Lord Eld.
Father told me:
If Lord Eld and I get engaged, Lord Eld will surely do his utmost to defeat the Demon King.
It’s a form of political marriage, but it can’t be helped.
The King has about 10 other children besides me. I’m low in the order of succession, so this is about the only use for me. It’s inevitable.
Lord Eld and I press close together, to the point of almost kissing.
But just then, Lord Eld suddenly pushed me away.
「…… Lord Eld……? What’s the matter…….?」
「Claire…… You don’t really want to do this, do you?」
「Lord Eld…… That’s not……」
Lord Eld admonishes me like that.
In fact, my body was trembling.
I had never been close with men my age before, and this was the first time I had ever pressed myself on someone like this.
Perhaps I’m not good with men?
Anyway, I was trembling unconsciously.
But I have a mission.
I must create a fait accompli with Lord Eld at all costs, mindful of the intentions of my father the King.
I understand that in my head, but…… my body won’t listen.
I’m just scared of men right now no matter what.
It’s not that I dislike Lord Eld.
Rather, I loved Lord Eld who cured my illness.
But I just can’t help being scared of men still.
I’ve never interacted with men at all until now, and I don’t know what to do.
I thought I was prepared, but…….
「Haha, thank you Claire. …… But you’re trembling so much. …… It’s not time for that yet. I want you to value yourself more. And if you really do like me―― then, once you’re truly resolved, I want you to convey your feelings to me again in your own words then. Not in this form that’s like a political marriage.」
「Lord Eld……」
Saying that, Lord Eld gently pushes me away.
How kind. How sincere a person he is.
I think Lord Eld is an increasingly wonderful person.
After that too, Lord Eld kindly spoke to me as I trembled all night.
Certainly, even if I gain Lord Eld’s heart in this way, it wouldn’t make me happy.
I was wrong.
Someday, once I’m resolved, I’ll convey my feelings to Lord Eld then―― I thought.
There’s no one else as sincere as Lord Eld who cherishes women to this extent.
At the same time, I was ashamed of myself.
Using my position as royalty to create a situation Lord Eld can’t refuse…….
That’s not fair as a man and woman, no, as human beings.
When I truly want to convey my feelings to Lord Eld, I’ll convey them to him as one human being to another.
◆
【Eld’s POV】
「――And that’s how it is. So nothing happened between me and Claire. Haha…… It’s a pathetic story for a man, isn’t it? Not eating the feast laid out before me. But…… this is for the best.」
As I say that, Arde leaps into my chest.
「Waaaah. I’m so glad, truly. I felt like Master Eld was going to go far away at this rate……. Master Eld…… Master Eld……!」
「Hey now…… Don’t cry. Nothing happened after all……」
Thinking 「good grief」, I pat Arde’s head.
Arde didn’t want anyone to take me that much, huh……
Putting aside her position as a slave, she thinks of me that single-mindedly.
I don’t want to be dishonest with Arde who cares for me that much.
「Hey, Arde. I realized something from all this.」
「Huh……? What is it?」
「I seriously like you, Arde.」
「…… A-As a slave, you mean?」
Arde looks up and asks with her tearstained red eyes. Cute.
「No, as a girl.」
「But I’m a slave, you know? For a master and slave to fall in love…… That’s……」
「It’s fine, isn’t it? It’s a forbidden love. Like Romeo and Juliet, doesn’t that fire you up?」
「Ro-mi…… What’s that?」
「Oh, uh…… Never mind.」
Oh right, Romeo and Juliet doesn’t translate in this other world. I thought it would since this seems like a medieval European-style world.
「It doesn’t matter if you’re a slave. I’m sure I liked you from the beginning, Arde. I’ll stop being unclear about it. I like you, Arde. That’s become completely clear to me.」
That was my heartfelt truth.
I don’t want to lose Arde. The one I most want to be with is none other than Arde.
As my prospects for avoiding the destruction flags improve, I realize that all the more.
In this world I was reborn into, I’ve lived with the goal of avoiding the destruction flags.
But even if I avoid the destruction flags, then what?
Just surviving, and then what?
I realized there’s no point in just surviving.
After that, I still have to keep living in this world.
At that time, I want Arde to be by my side, I thought.
It may be a strange story for a slave merchant to fall in love with a slave.
But to me, only Arde is special.
「Arde, come here. I’ll remove your slave crest right now. Your days as a slave are over. I want to be equals with you, Arde.」
Saying that, I pull Arde close and touch her slave crest.
If I remove this, Arde can escape anytime.
But I know Arde won’t do that.
If Arde and I have a relationship of trust, we don’t need this anymore.
As I touch the slave crest to remove it――
Arde brushes my hand away.
「N-No……! This is proof of the bond between me and Master. Without this…… I……. Um, Master. I’m very happy about your feelings. But it’s because I don’t want that…… Won’t you let me stay as your slave, Master?」
「Arde……. But a slave is ultimately a slave, you know? Don’t you hate that?」
「If I’m Master’s slave, I don’t hate it. Rather, I want to be Master’s forever.」
Arde obstinately refused to be freed from slavery.
Being my slave has probably become that much a part of Arde’s identity.
But I want to treat Arde as an equal.
I want Arde as just a normal girl.
「…… We’ll still have a bond even without slavery. We don’t need this anymore, right?」
「Then give me something to replace it.」
「Replace it?」
「Make me your bride, Master. And etch proof of it deeply in me!」
「Arde……. Of course. Let’s get married.」
「Master Eld……♡」
I kiss Arde deeply.
And I strip Arde and erase her slave crest.
With the deed done, I hold hands with Arde in bed leisurely.
Ahh, everything is perfect. I felt very happy.
「Master…… I’m so happy to have truly tied myself to you.」
「Arde, you’re not a slave anymore, so stop with the ‘Master’.」
「Th-Then what should I call you……」
「Just be normal, right?」
Somehow it’s a bit embarrassing. Since we’ve been interacting as slave and master until now, we don’t know any other way. We both end up being a bit awkward with each other.
「Th-Then…… Eld……?」
「Y-Yes. Arde……」
「Fufu…… It feels strange.」
「Well, you’ll get used to it.」
And so, I became tied to Arde.
It ended up with me turning down Mirei and Claire, but oh well, it can’t be helped.
I wonder if Mirei and Claire will hold a grudge……
No, but I won’t worry about it anymore.
Even if Mirei and Claire do hold a grudge and destruction flags arise, I’ll smash through them!
If it’s to be happy with Arde, I’ll face anything head-on!
Bring it on, Demon King or whatever!
I made that resolve.
After all, there’s no point in just avoiding the destruction flags if Arde isn’t there.
I finally understood what I truly want.
I finally found her.
The one woman I love in this world――
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