Axel left the hall after the declaration was over.
The girls remained behind to celebrate Eve, Fenrir, and Ria’s designations as First, Second, and Third Queens, respectively. The feast would likely continue well into the night.
Once in his room, Axel sat on the edge of his bed.
He was certainly worn out. However, before he went to sleep, there was one last thing he needed to do. To address this, he called two specific individuals to his room for a discussion.
Knock! Knock!
A knock echoed from the other side of his door, prompting Axel to clear his throat.
"It’s open," Axel responded, his voice echoing through the sturdy wooden door.
Soon after he gave permission, a voice called from behind it, "Excuse , Sir Axel," just before the door swung open.
Standing there were Arianne and Nina.
"You called for us?" Arianne asked directly. "Is it to sleep with you tonight?"
While Arianne was bold in her approach, Nina appeared a bit embarrassed, her gaze directed toward the floor in the hallway instead of Axel.
"Huh?" Axel quickly recoiled from the question. "Ah, sorry, but no. It’s not for that," he clarified. "I called you here for a serious discussion."
"...Oh," Nina whispered, sounding sowhat disappointed.
The two entered the room and closed the door behind them.
Axel offered for them to sit at the edge of his bed, but Arianne declined, choosing to remain standing. Nina, not wanting to be the only one seated, followed suit and also stood before Axel.
He smiled and shook his head at the two before revealing the true purpose of their eting.
"I’m sure you’ve heard how the first through third Queens have been established now," he said. "Therefore, I plan to take you two as my fourth and fifth queens. Is that acceptable?"
"...Huh?"
The two faltered at Axel’s sudden revelation. However, this wasn’t particularly surprising; it was simply a matter of elimination.
Axel needed five wives and had already secured three: Eve, Fenrir, and Ria. For the last two, his options were limited.
Beatrix was out of the question—not because of her age, as she was technically the most mature among the girls and closest to Axel’s actual tastes—but because she was Eve’s aunt. It wouldn’t look acceptable for him to marry both the niece and the aunt at the sa ti, would it?
Maria would also be a suitable candidate. However, since she was a maid, becoming a queen, technically on par with Eve, would dramatically change their dynamics. The sa applied to Cherry.
Thus, only Arianne and Nina remained.
Nina was Ria’s sister, but marrying both of them simultaneously wouldn’t pose a problem. In fact, after indirectly asking Ria, it seed she was even encouraging it. "It’d be more fun that way~!" were her exact words.
As for Arianne, even though she was the captain of the knight order, her becoming a queen wouldn’t cause any conflict. While it might seem awkward for a queen to also lead the knight order, new precedents could be established.
The two eventually regained their composure after giving Axel’s words so ti to register.
"M-, becoming a queen...?" Arianne stamred, disbelief evident in her voice.
Axel smiled teasingly. "Didn’t you think of this when you decided to sleep with ?"
"T-That was just wanting to offer myself to you as a sign of trust, loyalty, and... admiration." Arianne’s voice quivered, clearly embarrassed by her admission.
"So, is that a no then?"
To confirm, he asked one last ti.
Arianne faltered, pausing for a few seconds before finally kneeling before Axel, like a knight before her liege.
"Sir Axel, I have admired you since the first ti we t," she admitted, her cheeks flushing as she spoke. "Thus, there’s no way I would refuse such a golden opportunity. I accept the offer of becoming your queen!"
"Thanks."
Axel nodded once, his expression softening.
He then turned to Nina, who had remained silent the entire ti, deep in thought. "And Nina, what about you?"
"I..."
Nina raised her head, her eyes flickering with hesitation but fueled by a firm resolve.
"I will! I’ll beco your queen too!" she declared, biting her lip. "I will beco your ally, your lover, and your support, and I will do everything for the kingdom’s sake!"
Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, nearly deafening her.
At first, she had felt envious of Ria. After all, despite being younger, Ria had captured a decent—no, extraordinary—man. Then, after Queen Wisteria’s "exile," Nina had given up on ever becoming a queen.
But now, the opportunity had presented itself to her on a silver platter. She needn’t hesitate at all!
Axel could sense her nervousness. After hearing Nina’s declaration, he smiled sweetly and nodded. "Thank you."
He then stood up and pulled the two girls into a tight hug.
"I promise that I will cherish you both as my fourth and fifth queens."
Nina didn’t hold back, returning the hug with all her might. Arianne felt a bit awkward but still clung to Axel’s suit as if she would rather not let go. Their embrace lasted for a while before...
"Ahem!"
A cough echoed from behind them.
Axel opened his eyes and saw that the door to his room was now ajar, with three figures standing there, silently observing the scene before them.
"Tomorrow is the wedding and crowning ceremony, so please rest early, My King," Eve said with a smile. However, her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Fenrir wore a visible frown, clearly unconvinced, but chose not to speak. She understood it wasn’t her place to say anything.
Ria, in contrast, simply smiled, chuckling to herself as she looked at her sister, who was flushed red up to the tips of her ears.
Only Eve appeared frustrated.
"Jealous...?" Axel said with a wry smile, releasing the two girls from his embrace. "But with this, the first task is complete. Everyone, let’s continue to get along, as always."
He turned around, ready to head to bed.
However, just before he reached the edge of the room, a delicate hand tugged at the tail of his coat.
Axel stopped and looked back, realizing... he wouldn’t be getting much sleep that night.
As usual.
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