Shff, shff—
Lay of the Royal Guard’s shadow unit moved her hand, tracing a soft line along the edge of Rebecca’s eye.
It was makeup ti. For an audience with the King, one had to appear in the most ticulously prepared form.
However, since being betrayed by the Church, Rebecca had ceased to trust even the royal handmaids. If makeup was required, it had to be done by Lay.
“......”
There was sothing she'd always wondered.
When she was alone, she often thought of herself as Rebecca’s only friend.
But to maintain professionalism, Lay always kept her mouth shut. Still, for so reason, today she felt like asking.
“Princess.”
Probably because Rebecca had her eyes closed.
“Mm.”
“Why did you agree to it? The contract marriage.”
“......”
Rebecca remained silent, eyes still closed.
“You’ve been reclusive for so ti, focusing solely on your magical growth and training. But now, your ti is being taken away.”
“......”
“And to begin with, isn’t Professor Dante... kind of sketchy? I an, yes, he’s handso and one of Hiaka’s top figures, but...”
ntioning the past was tricky. It had once led them to lash out at each other, so it was half-and-half.
The problem was the future.
“You know it too, don’t you? He’s a dangerous man.”
“......”
Lay considered herself slow. That was how she saw herself. But if there was one sense she had that bordered on the supernatural, it was this:
She could instinctively detect people who could beco enemies.
And by that asure, Dante Hiakapo was dangerous.
He was unreadable.
And he was soone who could turn on Rebecca at any ti and throw her into hell.
He had the ability to do so.
“If I may be presumptuous... is there any feeling you’ve developed toward him, when he told you to pursue magic?”
“......”
Just then, the eye makeup finished, and Rebecca opened her eyes. There was no focus in those red eyes.
Her gaze, which had softened ever since she began studying magic, slowly drifted toward the window.
“No.”
Her red lips parted.
“It’s just a contract marriage.”
“I see.”
“He said he was going to do sothing good, and I figured I could help. Chairman Setian blocked my magical potential, so I need revenge too.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Marriage isn’t much, is it? Just a stamp on so paper. Of course, I know Professor Dante is dangerous. I’m also thankful in so ways. I was awful to him at tis too. But it’s just a contract, nothing more. Don’t say weird things.”
“Understood. I’m sorry.”
But Lay was left feeling a little strange.
“......”
Rebecca hadn’t t her eyes.
***
The day of the audience arrived. I stopped by a shop near the palace in the morning and had myself fixed up.
Rebecca appeared in sothing close to a dress, wearing heels.
It was the most dressed-up I’d ever seen her, but I didn’t feel anything in particular.
Still, from here on out, I had to be cautious with my words—there were ears listening.
“Shall we go, Princess?”
“Yes, husband.”
Rebecca linked her arm with mine.
Ezekiel and Lay were waiting for us. Together, we entered the royal palace.
The mont we stepped inside, the [Mini-map] lit up with noise. I could feel eyes all around the palace. Most were resident staff, but so were assassins. Elders too.
The King’s quarters were in the northern section of the palace. After several procedures, an elegant old building greeted us.
Upon entering, a breathtaking scene spread out before us.
Towering mountains and sprawling flower fields. A gentle layer of mist. It stretched endlessly into the distance.
A waterfall crashed down, creating a rainbow that looked like a painting.
At various points along the cliff, assassins—presumably royal guards—sat, observing us. Lay gave a respectful nod in their direction.
It was a stunning sight. Rebecca’s grip on my arm tightened.
This is high-level illusion magic...
It was truly illusion of the highest caliber.
Comparable even to mine.
We then headed for the building in the center of the scene.
Past the attendants, the large doors opened—and like a treasure in a chest, the King sat on his bed, gazing at us.
“We pay our respects to His Majesty. Princess Rebecca and three others have co to present greetings.”
Ezekiel's voice served as the formal cue.
All four of us bowed.
“Raise your heads.”
A heavy voice.
When I looked up, the King was looking straight at .
Even now, I no longer got nervous in front of Constellations, but this gaze had an odd pressure to it.
It felt like standing before a dragon wearing human skin.
It wasn’t about stats or combat power.
This was what it felt like to be in front of the man who raised an entire nation on his own.
“Father...”
Rebecca gave a slight smile and tightened her grip on my arm. It was to flaunt our relationship as planned.
That was when—
“You’re wearing a mask. Acting like it’s nothing. As if you were always ant to be here. But that body... that flesh should have died and disappeared long ago...”
The King was staring at as he spoke.
“Where did you co from?”
I froze.
I didn’t know how to answer.
“Your Majesty. I am Dante Hiakapo, husband to Princess Rebecca. I hail from the south, and ca through Hiaka Academy.”
“No. You’ve misunderstood the question.”
“Pardon...?”
“Step aside. I will ask the stranger again. Where did you co from? It is not of this world, is it.”
Lay turned to look at in shock. Ezekiel blinked in confusion.
I remained calm outwardly—but inside, I was startled.
What the hell?
Is he... talking about transmigration from the ga?
“Even if you deceive the entire world, you cannot deceive my eyes. From what I see, you’ve been given a task—”
Just then: “Your Majesty! You skipped your ds again—!”
An elderly handmaid pulled open the curtain and froze. Then bowed deeply toward us.
Ah.
“I apologize for interrupting the audience... His Majesty has a tendency to skip his dication on days like this...”
“Head maid. Don’t tell those are dentia pills?”
“Yes, Grand Magus...”
“Goddammit.”
Ezekiel pinched the bridge of his nose. The King was now murmuring while looking at a flower vase.
“Where did you co from?”
Ah, shit.
“Your Majesty... please, take your dicine...”
“Where did this dicine co from?”
“Where else? Director Harnt made it...”
“I refuse. I will not take it.”
“It’s tasty dicine! Now, open wide—”
“I don’t like bitter things.”
And with that, he started running away from the bed. “Your Majesty!!” the head maid chased after him in a panic.
Ah.
I shouldn’t have gotten so tense...
I knew Hiaka III had dentia—but seeing it firsthand was sothing else.
This was the reality the royal family was clenching their teeth to hide.
“......”
Once he took the dicine, a subtle shift returned to the King’s eyes.
And sothing curious happened.
His entire deanor softened.
His gaze beca almost neighborly, like a regular old man.
“......”
He looked around at the people and scratched his cheek.
“What just happened?”
“Your Majesty...”
Ezekiel was about to say sothing along the lines of: 【‘So he doesn’t rember anything from the dentia episode... I should explain it’】
When a jolt ran through my brain.
I cut in before Ezekiel could speak.
“Nothing happened, Your Majesty. I apologize for intruding upon you when you were unwell.”
Ezekiel understood and closed his mouth.
“Is that so...? I see. I’m not as I once was, now that I’ve aged.”
The King looked at .
“So, you’re Dante Hiakapo. I’ve heard of you several tis before, but only now do we et. A pleasure.”
I bowed with proper etiquette.
“Senior Professor Dante Hiakapo, at your service. To be wed to the Princess is an honor for my entire house.”
“......”
The King examined my face from different angles, then smiled faintly.
Then he murmured sothing inexplicable.
“A curious thing indeed...”
He spoke to everyone in the room.
“You’ve brought a good husband, Rebecca.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Father.”
“Thanks to ?”
“I grew up watching you since I was little. No ordinary man could ever asure up.”
“So it really must be close to the end for . To hear sothing like that from you, and not in a fake tone either.”
“What do you an, fake...”
The King laughed.
“I may sit on a high throne, but I hear everything. I’m not blind to the rumors floating around. My daughter, being a half-blood royal, must have gone through many difficulties. Even so, I had to bring her to my side.”
“That’s not true, Father, I—”
“It’s fine. And now, to see you having found your path, grown up, and even married... it is deeply satisfying to . Will you co here?”
Rebecca hesitated, then unlinked her arm from mine and walked over. She embraced the King.
That was the end of it.
Smoother sailing than expected.
Of course, I knew the King was pleased with Rebecca’s marriage. Still, given the circumstances, there had been so internal concern.
But the King greeted us more like a regular old man than I’d imagined. And he was more favorable toward than I’d anticipated.
Afterward, he spoke with a warm expression.
“Would the three of you leave us for a mont? I’d like to have a word with my new son-in-law.”
“Understood. Let’s go.”
Ezekiel took Lay and Rebecca and exited. The servants also cleared the room, leaving just the King and .
From the feel of the magic in the air, it was a fully sealed and soundproofed space.
And then—
He reached into his robes and took sothing out, placing it on the table.
It was a balance scale.
“Let’s have a mont of honesty between us, son-in-law.”
I narrowed my eyes inwardly.
That item was a nationally designated artifact of the kingdom—National Treasure No. 25, the “Scales of Truth♣.”
A scale that could detect lies.
“Do you love my daughter?”
A sudden headwind.
It was hard to believe that things had been smooth sailing just seconds ago—the wind had turned sharply against .
From this point on, lies would not fly.
So I stayed silent.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“......”
“I asked you. Do you love my daughter?”
But...
I’d expected this.
Even in the [Hard Difficulty] version of the ga, the King was a top-tier AI. From the player’s standpoint, he was impossible to deceive.
I knew that and still ca here.
“I apologize, Your Majesty. I do not love her.”
In the next instant,
the King’s expression shifted drastically again.
Just like when his dentia surfaced. A monstrous, draconic gaze returned.
“You have other motives. And you’re using Rebecca for them.”
“Yes.”
“You know what this item is, don’t you? It’s never been shown to anyone outside our nation.”
“That’s correct.”
“I’ve heard the Elders weren’t thrilled about this arrangent. If you loved my daughter, I’d have left things be. But that’s not the case, is it. So what makes you so confident, that you would show up before like this? Are you banking on the Empire opening its arms to welco you?”
Seems I really have beco a big shot.
Even the King considered a core executive who could transfer to another empire at any mont.
“That’s not it, Your Majesty. I live solely for Hiaka.”
“You do speak well.”
“My relationship with the Princess is the sa. Though I may lack that chemical reaction called ‘love,’ I have no intention of betraying her. The marriage is real. I intend to maintain a good relationship with Princess Rebecca.”
“Very well. Then your purpose.”
My purpose.
This was the branching point.
That the conversation had continued this far was because the King was far more of an adult than I had expected.
He was old.
He held a powerful position.
He carried weight well.
But those who make snap judgnts tend to make mistakes.
This King, however, chose to hear out before judging. Because he was mature.
But... I didn’t know if he’d still listen after hearing what I had to say.
“There is a demon among the royal family, Your Majesty.”
“Who.”
“Soone very close to you, Sire.”
At that mont, both the King’s and my eyes dropped to the Scales of Truth♣.
The King’s expression twisted into sothing terrifying.
The scale didn’t move.
Whether what I said was true or false, the scale showed I believed it to be true.
“Leave.”
“Your Majesty, I still have more to say—”
“Out.”
His voice was firm.
I bowed my head and backed out ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) of the room.
That was the end of my first audience with the King.
Out in the corridor, Rebecca entered next, and then returned with a calm face.
“What did you two talk about?”
“......”
Rebecca shook her head. It was a secret, apparently.
I asked again if that ant the marriage was off—but the answer ca back:
“He says it was a good marriage.”
“I see.”
That was it?
A bit unsatisfying.
I wanted to know how the King reacted.
It probably wasn’t easy for him to accept.
This was about soone he’d spent nearly a hundred years with.
And the person who told him that truth was —currently the most influential figure on the continent when it ca to eradicating demons.
That he didn’t annul the marriage ant that, even though my words were hard to swallow, he wasn’t going to ignore them outright.
That was all I needed. I could begin doing what I had to do within the royal palace.
Whether or not the King would aid ... that was entirely up to him.
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