Chapter 5

After finishing their preparations to leave, Reina came downstairs with Chris. Karen, the innkeeper, greeted them with a smile.

“Good morning, Your Highness, Lady Saintess. Are you heading back to the Royal Capital today?”

Before Reina could say a word, Chris answered Karen’s question.

“Yes, that is the plan. Thank you for everything.”

“Not at all! It was an honor to have you both stay with us twice. Please, do come again.”

“Once we have some time, certainly. Thank you for looking after our… convenience. Thanks to you, the two of us were able to spend some relaxing time together.”

“I am so glad to hear that. The pleasure was mine. I look forward to the next opportunity.”

“Yes. Well then.”

Chris cut the conversation short. Reina, who hadn’t been able to get a word in, tugged on Chris’s sleeve once they were outside the inn.

“Hey, um… I’ve been wondering, what did you mean by ‘convenience’? And I just realized—exactly when did you check into this inn, Chris?”

From Reina’s perspective, she had been absentmindedly staring at the moon when he suddenly barged in, and after that, things had just… spiraled until she caved. The timing had been so perfect that she hadn’t had a moment to think about when he had actually handled the lodging procedures.

Chris looked at her with exasperation.

“Oh? You’re worried about that now? It doesn’t really matter when, does it?”

“No, no, no, it matters! Wait—Chris, you were with me almost the entire time after we reunited, weren’t you? …Was it while I was sleeping?”

“…That’s right.”

The slight pause in his reply made Reina pout.

“That was definitely a lie! There was a gap! I won’t be fooled that easily. Tell me the truth.”

At Reina’s upward, pleading glance, Chris let out a sigh as if surrendering.

“…It’s not exactly a secret, so fine. It was before you took a room. I figured you would likely end up staying at this inn at the end, so I made a guess and came here ahead of you.”

Hearing his explanation, Reina blinked in surprise.

“…Huh? So that means when I arrived at the inn, you were already here?”

“Yes. I asked the innkeeper to keep quiet because I wanted to surprise you. She already knew we were getting married, so she was happy to cooperate.”

“…I-I see.”

With a cramped smile, Reina recalled her interaction with Karen a few days ago. Karen had gone out of her way to bring up the topic of her marriage to Chris. At the time, Reina thought it was just the usual gossip and brushed it off, but was that actually a setup? Like, “Your fiancé has already arrived. It’s a secret, though. My, aren’t you two just head over heels?” Was she trying to hint at it because she’d been sworn to secrecy?

…It was entirely possible.

Chris said with a laugh:

“That innkeeper is truly a capable woman. By ‘convenience,’ I meant that the day before yesterday, she went out of her way to decline any other guests. Thanks to her, no other men heard your cute voice, so I suppose I should be grateful to her?”

“What!?”

“What kind of ‘consideration’ is that!” The words almost burst out, but Reina swallowed them. When she was in Chris’s arms, honestly, she hadn’t been in any state to worry about her voice. If no one else had heard… well, that was actually a relief.

“Uuuu…”

She wanted to complain, but it was hard to voice. As she groaned, Chris added: “I properly paid her the lodging fees for all the rooms later. You don’t need to worry about it, Reina.”

‘That’s not the point…’ Reina thought, though she was relieved by his thoroughness. No matter how much of a favor it was, it was still a business. It would be a problem if she didn’t get the day’s earnings.

“…I hope it wasn’t a nuisance.”

“She seemed to be making a strong point of it, saying people should stay away because the Crown Prince and his wife were staying, so I think it’s fine.”

Apparently, she had been advertising it quite thoroughly. Before long, a sign saying “By Appointment to the Crown Prince and Princess” might actually go up.

“…We’re not even married yet.”

“Oh, don’t worry about the small details. I don’t mind, you know?”

“…Hah.”

Reina gave a dry laugh, thinking that businesspeople truly were resilient.

With the conversation settled, the two walked hand-in-hand down the road back to the capital. During their journey, Chris had always been beside her, but Ortega and Seto had always been in front of them. This was truly the first time they were completely alone since they fell off that cliff.

Reina stole a glance at Chris’s profile. His handsome features didn’t lose even a fraction of their beauty from the side. ‘Being beautiful sure is an advantage,’ Reina thought to her secret self.

“…Is there something on my face?”

“U-Uh, no.”

Noticing her gaze, Chris turned toward her. Perhaps because he was finally bringing her home, he had been in a great mood the whole time. His eyes were narrowed tenderly, and his voice held a sweetness that felt like it could melt her.

“Hehe… you’re so cuuuute.”

He must have noticed Reina’s cheeks flushing. His voice grew even sweeter. Reina looked down, turning red, wondering if she would reach a saturation point of sweetness at this rate.

“You were staring at me. …Do you like me that much?”

“!”

Reina was so embarrassed she thought steam might actually blow out of her head. Finding her reaction amusing, Chris pushed further.

“You’re so easy to read, Reina. Even during our journey, from the second half onward, you were always staring at me. It was so, so cute how you’d steal glances while trying not to be noticed. I was getting so restless wondering why you wouldn’t just say you loved me. If you had said just one word, I would have hugged you tight and proposed right then.”

“…”

Reina felt like she was going to faint. It was true that in the latter half of the journey, she had found herself staring at him often. Having realized her feelings, she had been soaking in happiness through those small acts. But she never dreamed that not only had he caught her, but he’d also known exactly how she felt.

“…Y-You realized that I liked you…?”

When she asked in a tiny, mosquito-like voice, Chris gave an affirmative.

“Of course. Didn’t I say you were easy to read? Even Ortega and Seto—everyone noticed.”

“…Eek.”

How humiliating. She wanted to crawl into a hole. Chris stopped and, with his free hand, gently stroked the cheek of the now-crimson Reina.

“Why are you embarrassed? I was happy, you know. No matter how much I courted you, you wouldn’t take me seriously, and yet you fell for me anyway. I’ve wanted to make you mine and hold my cute Reina for so long.”

And yet, just when he thought he finally had her, Reina had had no intention of marrying him, had decided to make him a “memory” on her own, and was all set to leave the palace.

“That was a bit cruel of you, wasn’t it?”

Reina thought that Chris, smiling like that, was genuinely terrifying.

“I-I’m sorry. I caused a lot of trouble back then…”

“It’s fine. But at the time, even I snapped. I thought, ‘if that’s how you’re going to be,’ and I moved things forward completely behind your back. I knew you’d let your guard down, so I stayed quiet until the day before the return. I was waiting with bated breath to tell you the truth all at once, catch you while you were in shock, and tie you to me by force. In the end, you overheard me talking to Father and ran away, though.”

“…Because you suddenly mentioned marriage, it gave me a huge shock.”

Reina shook her head as she remembered that “shock” was an understatement. Chris gave a mischievous grin.

“Hardly sudden. In truth, the public announcement was made a year ago.”

“I told you, I didn’t know about that!”

Reina puffed out her cheeks, and seeing that, Chris gave a wry smile.

Chris said, “Shall we go?” and pulled Reina’s hand. She nodded and they started walking again.

They weren’t that far from the capital. If they used magic, they could easily reach it within the day. But Chris suggested walking, saying there was no need to rush, and Reina agreed.

“It’s a bit early, but we can soak in a bit of a honeymoon atmosphere, right?”

When he put it that way, Reina had no reason to refuse. Travelers and villagers they passed on the highway greeted them with smiles. Not long ago, being told “congratulations” was nothing but painful for Reina. But now that the situation had changed, it felt strangely ticklish and happy.

Seeing Reina shyly reply with a “thank you” and Chris wearing a pleasant, beaming smile, the people would say “be happy” before moving on, looking relieved.

That afternoon, after several such exchanges, Reina spotted a familiar figure setting out goods and doing business in a small open square. There were no customers, but seeing the many perfume bottles lined up, she was certain it was the same man.

“Ah, that person.”

“Hm?”

Chris reacted to Reina’s voice and followed her gaze. He immediately nodded.

“…The man who gave you the perfume as a gift.”

“…How did you know that?”

Reina’s eyes went flat as Chris effortlessly provided the right answer. But Chris answered calmly.

“Because I’ve been following you ever since you left the capital.”

“…Right.”

Faced with such a casual admission of stalking, Reina gave up on commenting. She had been surprised non-stop since the day before yesterday and had lost the energy to say anything.

‘Hahaha, I was being stalked the whole time. I didn’t notice at all.’

Reina muttered only in her heart, looking off into the distance. No wonder Chris knew exactly where she was.

“Since we’re here, shall we take a look?”

“Eh?”

While Reina was brooding, Chris suddenly pulled her hand. Reina, who had assumed they would just pass by, asked in a panic: “Take a look? Why?”

“Just come on…”

Being pulled along, Reina couldn’t resist. The two of them ended up standing in front of the man’s perfume shop. The shopkeeper looked at them in shock.

“The… The Crown Prince… and the Saintess?”

“H-Hello…”

“Hello. Um, thank you for your help the other day…”

As Reina greeted him, the shopkeeper hurriedly bowed. He spoke in a flustered manner.

“Uh… is there something you need? As you can see, my shop doesn’t have anything so grand…”

While Reina was wondering how to respond, Chris took a gold coin from his pocket and spoke to the shopkeeper.

“I would like you to accept this.”

“Eh…?”

Smiling, Chris dropped the gold coin into the shopkeeper’s palm. Unable to keep up with the unbelievable event, the man’s eyes darted around.

“E-E-E-Eh? I-I can’t accept this! Why!?”

The shopkeeper’s surprise was only natural. Reina was also stunned, not understanding why Chris was acting this way.

“Ch… Chris?”

Chris stared into the shopkeeper’s eyes and spoke.

“The other day, you gave her perfume as a thank-you, didn’t you? This is payment for that. So please, take it without hesitation.”

“Eh…”

The shopkeeper was blank for a moment. Once he understood the meaning of Chris’s words, he tried to return the gold coin, saying it was out of the question.

“Th-That was a thank-you for the Saintess helping me… I can’t take money for a thank-you. And a gold coin—even a silver one would be too much!”

Even seeing the man shaking his head vigorously, Chris didn’t back down.

“No, please accept it. That perfume you gave her. When she smelled it, she said, ‘It’s like me.’ I was very happy about that. This is a reward for that.”

“Eh…”

Chris continued with a smile.

“She is someone who doesn’t become honest very easily. …But it was different only when she smelled your perfume. With a very relaxed voice… her honest feelings came through. It truly… made me happy. That is why—”

—This belongs to you.

Faced with Chris saying that, the shopkeeper gave a firm nod.

“…I… understand.”

Feeling something in Chris’s words, the shopkeeper accepted the gold coin. Then, he began rummaging through a large bag behind him, likely for his work. What came out was a new perfume bottle. One could see a golden liquid inside. Handing it to Chris, the shopkeeper spoke.

“Your Highness. Please take this as well. It is nowhere near enough for a gold coin, but it is my latest work. I just made it last night… and, if I may be so bold, I made it with the Saintess in mind. I would be more than happy if Your Highness would take it.”

Hearing that it was made with Reina in mind, Chris accepted the bottle with interest.

“…Thank you. I accept it with pleasure.”

The shopkeeper also relaxed his expression with relief.

“No, it is I who should be thanking you. I am glad if the Saintess and Your Highness like it.”

Opening the lid and smelling it, Chris gave a soft smile.

“A sweet, gentle scent. …Truly, it is her. To be honest, it’s not a scent I want to be sold to others. If possible, combined with the previous one, I would like to make them exclusive to us. Would that be a nuisance?”

“Eh…”

What Chris was saying meant that this shopkeeper would be taken under the patronage of the royal family. The shopkeeper, mouth agape, realized the meaning and then blinked rapidly.

“A-Are you serious? Are you saying you will take me under your patronage?”

“Yes. Since you are here, you must be heading to the capital, right? When you arrive, please visit the Royal Palace first. You only need to give my name. Oh, what is your name?”

“I-I am Keith Haring!”

“Keith. I will let them know. Well then, I’ll be waiting.”

“Yes! Yes, thank you very much! Your Highness!”

Keith stood up and bowed at more than a ninety-degree angle. Reina, who could only watch their exchange in a daze, finally spoke after Chris had said his goodbyes and they were a good distance away.

“…Hey? You heard… the perfume story too…”

“I was watching you from the next room. Since it would have been a problem if you left, of course I was.”

“…”

Speaking of which, Reina remembered something she didn’t want to remember: Chris had barged in at the perfect moment when she was talking to herself. Apparently, she had been a victim of thorough stalking.

While Reina was exasperated, Chris peered into her face.

“…Reina, are you angry by any chance?”

“I’m not. What made you think that?”

“I don’t think I did anything wrong, but I thought I might have made you feel unpleasant…”

‘He doesn’t think he did anything wrong…’

While feeling dejected, Reina opened her mouth.

“I’m just amazed. …Really, I was just thinking how much you must love me, Chris… you know?”

“That’s a given. Nothing more precious or beloved than you exists for me.”

Reina gave a wry smile at his straight-faced reply. Because he affirmed it so naturally like this, Reina ended up forgiving all of Chris’s actions.

‘Whether it’s a weakness from being in love or a weakness from being loved, I’m just weak against Chris,’ she thought.

But surely that is what “loving someone” means.

Then, Reina let out an “Ah!”

“That person from earlier! If we were going to stop, I wanted to say thank you again too! You just moved the conversation along by yourself! I didn’t get to speak at all!”

“…It’s fine, isn’t it? Or what? Do you want to talk to men other than me, Reina? Are you planning to cheat?”

“Huh? Cheating is a bit much…”

“Reina, you’re cute, so I want you to be careful. You’re full of openings as it is. Do you really understand how much I worried while you were traveling alone?”

“Eh? Ehhh?”

‘Wait, is this the part where I get scolded!?’

At the unexpected turn of the conversation, Reina inadvertently let her gaze wander as if seeking help. But of course, there was no one there.

“Reina? Are you listening to me?”

Instead, she was glared at by Chris in an irritated tone.

“Y-Yes. I’m listening. It’s fine!”

“…I wonder. It’s suspicious. …Shall we take a break at a nearby inn and have a long talk? We’re going to be husband and wife. I don’t want any minor misunderstandings between us.”

“Eh? Ehhh?”

“Returning to the capital will be delayed by a day… but oh well.”

Reina gulped at the ominous ring to his words. Delayed by a day. In other words, he was saying they would stay the night. Could his “talk” be… referring to that thing they do while naked?

“W-Wait, surely, you know? I-I also have my physical limits…”

Besides, he had been holding her non-stop yesterday. She was honestly a little worn out. But Chris declared with a sparkling smile:

“It’s fine. Reina, you just need to feel it and make cute sounds for me.”

“Hie!”

As expected, Chris intended to hold her. Reina, understanding the situation, resisted desperately, but it was in vain. She was dragged toward the inn as their destination was changed.

“It’s not fine! That is not fine at all! No more!”

“You’re being a sore loser, Reina.”

‘Waaah, someone save me!’

But naturally, there was not a single tactless citizen in this country who would interfere with lovers on the verge of their wedding.

***

“I… I went through a terrible time…”

“I don’t think that’s a nice way to put it. I had fun, like a honeymoon.”

“…I’m sure you did, Chris.”

Though mentally exhausted, five days later, Reina and Chris returned to the Radish Palace in the capital. As they passed through the palace gates, the guards who recognized them widened their eyes and spoke in a flurry.

“P-Prince Chris, Lady Saintess. Welcome home!”

Chris glanced at the guard and gave a regal nod.

“We have returned. Where is Father?”

“He is in the audience chamber. He ordered that you come to see him as soon as you return.”

“Understood.”

“Chris, are we going to the audience chamber?”

As they finished the talk and entered the palace, Reina asked Chris. Chris nodded with a “Yeah” and gave a wry smile as if it couldn’t be helped.

“Father has been waiting impatiently for our return. Let’s go give our return greetings first.”

“I see… I did cause trouble, after all…”

Originally, it was because she had run away. As Reina lowered her eyebrows apologetically, Chris spoke in a calm, soothing tone.

“It’s a story of the past, so don’t worry about it. You’re here by my side now. That’s all that matters.”

As if the conversation were over, Chris very naturally pressed his lips to Reina’s forehead. Despite being in the palace, his behavior was completely unchanged. Reina could only go wide-eyed.

“Ch-Chris. This is the palace, okay?”

She meant to tell him to restrain himself and consider the time, place, and occasion, but Chris instead stared at her with a blank look.

“Yes, what about it? Everyone knows we’re getting married, so no one will say anything.”

“…I wonder how many times I have to say it before you understand it’s not about that.”

Realizing her intention hadn’t come across at all, Reina hung her head in defeat. It seemed Chris had left his sense of “embarrassment” somewhere, and ever since they had become mutual, he had been like this twenty-four-seven. Chris’s words and actions, which had been sweet to begin with, had increased in sugar content… Honestly, it was a lot for Reina, who was a beginner in romance. She had asked several times for him to hold back a bit, but he had brushed it off easily, leading to the present.

Of course, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t happy… but there was a limit, as Reina had realized all too well over the last five days.

As the two headed toward the audience chamber, they saw someone running toward them with great momentum from ahead. Reina braced herself for a moment but soon realized who it was and stopped. Running toward them with exaggerated joy was the mage Seto, who had been a travel companion.

“Waaaaah! Lady Reina! Thank goodness! You really came back! Thank you so muuuuch!”

Shouting that, Seto trembled with emotion and tried to hug Reina in his excitement. But Chris cut in between Reina and Seto, mercilessly twisting Seto’s arm.

“Be quiet, Seto. Don’t get close to my Reina.”

“Gyak!”

Seto, who was first-class as a mage but had zero confidence in his physical strength, let out a pathetic scream.

“It… It hurts! Your Highness! I’m sorry! I won’t get close to Lady Reina, so… please let go…”

“…Always looking for an opening.”

Reina stared in surprise as Chris released Seto’s arm with a huff.

‘Wait—was Chris always like this with Seto? Really? Was he?’

His attitude toward Seto was so different from his attitude toward her that it felt earth-shattering, but thinking back, she had indeed rarely seen Chris talking to Seto alone. During the journey, Chris had spoken almost exclusively to Reina, and Ortega and Seto—who had been kept in check—had stayed as far away from Reina as possible to be considerate of Chris.

Finally realizing that truth, Reina gave a dry laugh.

‘…Could it be that Chris was really only like that toward me?’

She thought she was pretty oblivious for not noticing, but it had been a journey in another world. She’d had no room to spare. She comforted herself by making excuses that it couldn’t be helped.

Holding his twisted arm and keeping a bit of distance, Seto persistently spoke to Reina again.

“Ouch, ouch… Lady Reina, thank you so much for truly coming back. If you hadn’t come back, I would have been too terrified to sleep at night… and this devil… no, His Highness, will finally settle down now… Aaaaah, Your Highness, it hurts, it hurts!”

“Don’t say unnecessary things, you idiot.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

Seto, who had been hit on the head with a knuckle, apologized to Chris with teary eyes while holding his head with both hands. It was a sight she was technically seeing for the first time, yet it felt strangely right, and Reina felt it was a shame she hadn’t seen this kind of interaction during the journey.

Chris turned back and gave a beaming smile to Reina.

“Sorry, Reina. Having an idiot around made things unpleasant for you.”

“N-No, that’s fine… Is Seto okay?”

Worried about Seto holding his head, Reina approached him and gently placed her hand on his head.

“L-Lady Reina!?”

“Stay still. …There, it doesn’t hurt anymore, right?”

“Th-Thank you very much.”

When she removed Seto’s pain with magic and spoke with a smile, Seto hurriedly bowed. The moment she answered “It’s fine,” a hand reached out from behind her for some reason, and she was pulled into a firm embrace.

“…Don’t touch men other than me.”

“Wait… Chris.”

She wouldn’t mistake the voice or touch of her beloved. When Reina turned around while still being hugged, Chris was staring at her with a truly sulky look.

“Reina is mine, and I don’t want to touch any other woman, so why are you touching Seto? …I think this is a clear case of cheating.”

“…”

— You’re a pain.

Reina forced back the words that were on the tip of her tongue. The lover she had confessed to and promised to marry turned out to be a very troublesome, truly possessive man once they started dating.

The case with the traveling perfume salesman was the same. Reina had simply wanted to say thank you, but after that, she had been taken to an inn and held for ages while being lectured. And the next day, while she was exhausted (she used recovery magic, of course), she had started walking to return to the capital, but there had been another clash on the way. He would sulk just because she glanced at another man, and even though she only replied because she was spoken to, she was warned that she was “full of openings.”

When Reina shouted for him to cut it out, he would say things like, “I’m worried because you’re cute,” or “The only one you’re allowed to stare at is me,” and finally, he even pleaded with a straight face, “You’re the one who made me fall this hard for you, so I want you to take responsibility.” To soothe Chris’s mood, the only way was to offer her own body, which was why it had taken five days to return to the capital.

‘I mean, Chris just wouldn’t let go at all.’

Once the act started, Chris was non-stop. Every time something happened, they ended up in an inn and she was made to cry for ages… and after repeating that over and over, they had finally returned to the capital. Just when she thought phew, Chris had become troublesome again.

‘…I love him, so it’s fine, but…’

She never dreamed Chris would be this jealous. This was beyond worrying about cheating. She was happy because she knew she was loved, but she hoped he would become a little more tolerant once they were married, Reina thought with half-resignation as she stared into space.

At that moment, her eyes met Seto’s for a split second.

‘I’m sorry, Lady Reina! Lord Chris is a very troublesome person, but it’s true that he loves you very much, so please don’t abandon him, please stay with him, I beg of you!’

“…”

It should have been an inner voice, but for some reason, Reina understood exactly what Seto wanted to say.

‘The eyes speak as much as the mouth—this must be what that means,’ Reina thought, hanging her head with a cramped smile.

“Reina…”

Placing her hand on the arm of Chris, who was hugging her tight from behind, Reina said in a soothing tone: “That was just treatment, wasn’t it? Don’t worry, I’m not interested in anyone but Chris.”

“…Yeah. But I’ll give you a punishment later.”

“…”

The relief that he had been convinced was short-lived. Reina hung her head again at the declaration of punishment. While sighing not again, she looked up to see Seto appealing with his eyes.

‘Lady Reina, hang in there!’

“…Whose fault do you think this is!” she wanted to say, but Reina endured it with sheer willpower. She felt that if she talked to Seto again, Chris’s mood would get even worse.

“Chris, you’re back. From the looks of it, you’ve safely brought the Lady Saintess back with you.”

When they entered the audience chamber, the King spoke to them immediately, looking as if he had been waiting. A middle-aged man with features very similar to Chris. However, his atmosphere was soft, and the smile he wore conveyed a great depth of character.

Standing up from the throne at the far end of the solemn audience chamber, the King came before Reina and bowed slightly.

“Lady Saintess. I am very sorry that you had to stay in this world because of my son’s selfishness. On behalf of my son, I, as his father, offer my apologies.”

There were major ministers and guards present, but everyone bowed toward Reina in unison, following the King. As Reina stood bewildered by the suddenness, the King looked up and took both of her hands as if to treasure them.

“Beyond that, I would like to offer my thanks. Honestly, before you came here, Lady Saintess, I was seriously considering giving up on my son. But thanks to you, my son has regained himself and is now showing us his healthy appearance. I can now entrust the country to him with peace of mind. I am sorry for what was done to you, but we are extremely grateful. Please, continue to stay by his side.”

“…Yes.”

There were points she was curious about, but Reina limited herself to just a reply. The King must have been worried about his son, Chris, too. Recalling him when he was expressionless and indifferent to everything, Reina thought it was understandable.

Seeing Reina nod, the King relaxed his expression with relief. But that soon turned to surprise. This was because Chris sharply slapped the King’s hand, which was holding Reina’s.

“Father, please don’t touch Reina.”

“Chris…”

The King looked as if he were struck by astonishment. Chris took Reina’s hand instead of the King’s and began making a gesture as if brushing off dirt.

“Even if it’s you, Father, it’s not allowed. The only one allowed to touch Reina is me. …Reina, I’ll disinfect it for you later.”

“Disinfect…”

Chris saying “disinfect” to his own father was just so typical of him. Reina was worried the King might get angry at this attitude, but far from getting angry, the King started laughing happily.

“To think you’ve found something you can be so obsessed with… I can’t believe it even seeing it before my eyes. You’re like a completely different person compared to before.”

”Is that the issue?” Reina wanted to chime in from the bottom of her heart. But perhaps the King had been so worried about the previous Chris that he could even say such a thing. The King nodded happily several times and raised his voice so those around could hear.

“How wonderful. Now our country is secure. …Listen, everyone. I will retire and pass the throne to Chris. I intend to hold the coronation as soon as the wedding ceremony is finished. Understood?”

Perhaps the talk had been settled in advance; the ministers bowed again without any sign of agitation. But Chris seemed not to have heard about this, as he had a look of utter amazement.

“Father?”

Chris let go of Reina’s hand and stared at the King.

“Father, what do you mean? Suddenly retiring…”

The King answered Chris’s question with a laugh.

“Oh, well, I had been thinking of retiring soon anyway. I was just worried about whether I should let you succeed as you were, and I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

Pausing his words, the King nodded with deep feeling.

“Honestly, I didn’t think I could entrust the country to you when you had that ‘enlightened’ face. But you’ll be fine as you are now. And if the Lady Saintess is by your side as your queen, there should be nothing to worry about. I leave the rest to you.”

Chris, whose shoulder was patted, stared intently at the King’s face.

“…You are serious, aren’t you, Father.”

“Yes. After I pass the throne to you, I intend to live quietly with your mother.”

“With Mother… I understand.”

A short exchange between father and son. While watching it and feeling a bit warmed, Reina suddenly realized a certain fact.

‘Wait? So that means—I’m not just a Crown Princess, I’m suddenly becoming a Queen? No way! The bar is way too high for a commoner!’

She felt her face turning pale. Ignoring the father and son having their touching exchange, Reina quietly backed away.

‘Sorry. I love Chris, but becoming Queen all of a sudden is too heavy a burden! P-Please wait until I’m a bit more mentally prepared!’

She tried to turn tail and run, but as she turned around, someone’s hand was placed on her shoulder.

“Eek!”

“Hm? Where are you going while your husband is talking about something important, Reina?”

The culprit who placed his hand on her shoulder was, naturally, Chris, but his smile was so terrifying that Reina couldn’t move an inch.

‘(Scary! Th-This is what they mean by a frog being stared down by a snake!’

The reason she was trembling might be because she had come to know at least some of Chris’s true nature over the last few days. Reina thought it was somewhat annoying how Seto was shooting her a look of pity.

“H-Husband… we’re not even married yet…”

As she said that as an excuse and looked away, her face was forcibly turned back toward Chris with his other hand.

“That’s true. But even though you didn’t know, our official announcement is already done, you know? And since we’re holding the wedding ceremony immediately, there isn’t much difference, is there? Just a matter of whether it’s a little late or early.”

“Y-Yeah.”

The atmosphere was such that she couldn’t say it was different. Reading the room correctly, Reina nodded her head up and down repeatedly like a bobblehead doll she’d seen long ago.

Perhaps Chris had cheered up a bit after hearing her agree with him, as he asked in a slightly softer voice:

“So? Where were you trying to go? Be honest with me. I won’t be mad.”

“R-really?”

When Reina looked up at him pleadingly, Chris gave a beautiful smile and nodded.

“Of course. I would never be angry with my beloved Reina.”

“Oh, thank goodness. Then… I have a favor to ask…”

“Hmm? Tell me.”

Encouraged by his smile and letting her guard down completely, Reina gave a sheepish, awkward laugh.

“I’m happy to marry you, Chris, but being a Queen right off the bat is a bit much for me. So, I was wondering if we could wait just a little while to get married… until I’m mentally prepared…”

“Wow… Lady Reina, you actually said it…” Seto muttered under his breath, though Reina didn’t hear him.

Chris continued to smile, nodding along as he watched her.

“I see. So Reina, you’re saying you can’t handle the pressure of being Queen. Yes, yes. That makes sense. I understand.”

Showing a certain level of understanding, Chris continued. His voice dropped an octave.

“…Listen, Reina. I want to grant any wish you have. I truly do.”

“Yeah.”

Though she found his tone—as if he were lecturing a child—a bit strange, Reina nodded. Suddenly, Chris tightened his grip on the hand he had resting on her shoulder.

“Ow… ow-ow-ow! Chris, that hurts!”

Reina looked up at him with teary eyes, as if to say “What are you doing?!”, only to find Chris with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“However,” he said, “I will not permit a postponement of our marriage for any reason whatsoever. You will marry me immediately and become my wife. After all… we promised, didn’t we?”

‘Chris… his eyes aren’t smiling at all… I’m scared!’

Realizing she had provoked him, Reina shot a desperate glance toward Seto—her supposed comrade—for help. But Seto quickly averted his eyes, clearly wanting no part of this.

Finding herself suddenly isolated and helpless, Reina turned even paler. Chris spoke pleasantly, his eyes still cold.

“Reina? Were you just having a silent conversation with Seto? …I told you before, didn’t I? I don’t want you touching any man but me. And ideally, I’d prefer you didn’t speak to them either.”

“…T-that’s impossible.”

“Yes, I know. I don’t intend to be that narrow-minded. But—”

Chris paused, staring intently at Reina.

“It seems you and I need to have a very thorough discussion. Father, if you’ll excuse us. The ceremony will proceed as planned. Come, Reina. We’re going.”

“…Yes, sir.”

The word “discussion” and that final “going” were so terrifying that Reina had no choice but to nod meekly.

It was punishment time. The “punishment” he had threatened earlier was surely about to begin. She felt a surge of resentment toward Seto, who was clasping his hands together as if praying for her soul.

Reina was led away to Chris’s room with her head hanging low. There, predictably, she was held and loved thoroughly until she was exhausted. Slumped and spent, she was forced to swear multiple times: “I will marry you as promised and support you as your Queen.”

The next day, Reina spotted Seto walking down the hallway in high spirits—and she ambushed him with a terrifying grin.

Seto later recounted the incident to his fellow mages:

“Yeah… Lady Reina in the moment was like a literal demon… It was as if the Prince himself was possessing her. I really felt like that’s what people mean by ‘a husband and wife growing to resemble each other.’ Seriously, it was terrifying.”

Apparently, Seto was summoned by Chris shortly after that… but everyone who heard the story agreed: he had it coming.