Chapter 164 - Episode 26: "I Shall Have You Settle the Score"
Gokigenyou! It is I, Violia Nico Fortesia!
I have just won the final match of the Martial Arts Tournament, the death match against Doran, and have demonstrated sufficient strength and dignity as a King.
Yes. I am very satisfied with both the content and the result of the battle!
……But after that, Giovan approached me.
I know! When Giovan approaches like this, it's usually when he's bringing some no-good topic! In fact, he brought some incomprehensible story about 'a challenger coming to the entrance of the venue'!
……Really, what is it? That.
「A challenger, you say……?」
「No, I only heard a bit about it, so I don't know. But anyway, according to the guards, there's a man who has come saying, 'I want an audience with Her Majesty Violia Nico Fortesia.'」
Oh my…… that person has the wrong participation date. The tournament has just ended……
「Whether he has bad timing, bad luck, or is just stupid, what is that person doing now?」
「Who knows. Isn't he still at the entrance?」
Which means the guards' hands are being kept busy? Hmm, what should I do.
「……Fine. I shall go.」
「Oh? I don't think you need to go, though. In fact, I think it'd be better for Milady to quietly escape so as not to get involved in that mess.」
「That would leave a bad aftertaste. Besides, I think most bastards would give up on most of their business just by seeing my current appearance.」
「……Yeah, true.」
Yes. Right now, I am stained with the blood of many challengers. The sight of the victor's cloak fluttering on my back further exudes the atmosphere of a strong person, so, well, I think it's even harder to approach. Probably.
By the way, this blood is mixed with Doran's too! When I delivered a blow to the side of his face, I made him have a nosebleed! Ufufu, delivering a blow to the side of a handsome man's face was quite a good feeling!
「……I have a bad feeling about this. Can I come along?」
「Well, I don't mind, but……」
Wh-what, Giovan is saying something ominous! I'm sure it's just a groundless fear, but when this skeleton says it, it sounds truly ominous! Ah, I'm getting worried! What should I do! And what should I do about this skeleton!
But it cannot be helped. I must have the guards get back to cleaning up the venue quickly, and it is too much of a waste to let the work be delayed here for the sake of a single intruder.
……And so, I arrived at the entrance of the venue.
Then.
「That's why! How many times must I tell you that I have a legitimate right! Now, let me through! I must go see Violia!」
「……What are you doing, you.」
The person there was a surprising individual.
When I called out in exasperation…… he started, looked at me…… and called my name.
「Violia…… it's been a long time.」
「Yes. It has been a long time, Dactor-sama.」
……Yes.
The person there was Dactor Fila Orchesta, who had been missing and his whereabouts unknown.
I have various thoughts, such as what the prince of a destroyed country has come here for now, or ah, no wonder the guards, who were former soldiers of the Royal Family, are having trouble responding, or so this guy was alive after all, but let's set all of those aside for now.
「So, Dactor-sama. Step aside from there quickly.」
For now, I must deal with this guy in front of me.
I think it's an option to just capture him and throw him in prison, but to tell the soldiers to 'capture your former master' is also…… Well, he's an opponent with a history, so there's no problem with me dealing with him.
「Wh…… I came here to see you.」
「For now, you are in the way. Because of you, both the soldiers and the people are troubled. Step aside this instant. It is unsightly to make a scene at the entrance.」
When I said that, Dactor-sama finally seemed to notice the surrounding situation. He stepped aside apologetically.
Which means human words do get through to him? I'm relieved that we can at least have a minimum level of communication.
「……So, what is your business with me?」
Now then. The people have stepped back to some extent while whispering, and the soldiers have taken a firm stance, creating an environment to deal with Dactor-sama.
In this situation, for the first time, I asked Dactor-sama that.
「Eh, ah…… that is」
Dactor-sama glanced around and has quite an awkward face…… It seems he is bothered by the eyes of the people and the soldiers, and furthermore, the spearheads the soldiers are pointing at him.
「……I want to change locations. Is that alright?」
Who do you think you are? This guy. Can I punch him soon?
……But well, fine. He is a guest who has come all this way. If he has something to say, I must listen properly.
「It cannot be helped. Shall we go to the office?」
I responded while smiling beamingly.
Now then. Dactor-sama, will you provide me with materials to entertain me?
And so we returned to the office. In short, it's a room in a building like a meeting hall that Onii-sama built next to the Royal Castle construction site.
「Now then, please, have a seat.」
The room is reasonably furnished, so even though it's a temporary office, it's reasonably comfortable. The sofa currently prepared for guests was in the waiting room of the Royal Castle, and it's exceptionally comfortable to sit on. Yes.
「Would you like a drink? Is black tea alright?」
「A-ah.」
「One sugar…… oh, would milk be alright? We are out of lemons. Ah, was it two sugars for milk?」
「……You remembered.」
「Do not misunderstand. I remember the tea preferences of everyone I have ever had tea with.」
Now then. I brewed the tea and put it in front of Dactor-sama. Then Dactor-sama drank it while being a little cautious.
……Which means he is showing trust in me. I wonder what his purpose is.
「Yes. Tea for you all as well. Giovan gets milk and no sugar. Keeb gets lemon and one sugar. Lital gets milk and three sugars. Doran, you should skip the tea. I've made lemon water for you. Chesta…… you can open the wine over there.」
「Tea brewed by the Queen herself, how extravagant.」
「Yay. I like the tea Violia brews.」
「I gratefully accept!」
「I'll take it. ……I'd prefer alcohol, though.」
「No. Alcohol is only for Chesta.」
「You get it. This bottle is mine. Doran is injured, so drink water.」
……And so, there are many companions this time. Yes. And they are all a bunch that seem dangerous.
「……Um, Violia. They are……」
「My subordinates.」
「Hello, Prince-sama. Sorry for the intrusion. Well, you're not a 'Prince' anymore. That said, you must be a person of a different rank than us commoners. Well, don't mind us.」
Seeing Giovan spitting out words with a bit of a sharp sting and smiling sarcastically, Dactor-sama looks even more uncomfortable.
Yes. I agreed to 'change locations,' but I didn't say anything about 'clearing the room'!
After all, there's no way for me to know whether Giovan, who was following me, would take it upon himself to gather the usual members! It cannot be helped, can it? Ohohohoho!
「So, what does the former Prince-sama want? Violia is busy, so get it over with.」
……Dactor-sama is making a face like 'there are lemons' while looking at Keeb's cup, but yes. There are. For the portion to give to Keeb and the portion to give to Doran. There just weren't any lemons to give to Dactor-sama! Things have an order of priority!
「That…… Violia. If possible, could we have some privacy?」
「I refuse. You, know your place.」
Dactor-sama is the prince of the country I destroyed. In other words, an enemy.
It is clear that the Orchesta family had been opposing the Revolutionary Army all along, and for a survivor of that clan to show up nonchalantly and ask me not to be on guard, isn't that a bit too presumptuous?
「That is……」
「Excuses are unnecessary. You have been given no choice but to state your business here.」
When I glared at him, Dactor-sama flinched a little. Yes. I am serious. I don't know what he was thinking when he came here, but I have no hesitation in killing him.
「Then I shall ask you once more. 'What is your business?'」
And when I asked that again…… Dactor-sama seemed to hesitate for a while.
But.
Dactor-sama finally said it.
「Violia. I have come to propose to you!」
……Eh?
「……A bulb?」 (T/N: 'Kyuukon' can mean both 'marriage proposal' and 'bulb'.)
「Yes. A proposal.」
Ah, not the root of a plant, but a……?
……Eh? Why now? And why to me? Furthermore, does this guy know his own place?
「In other words, you intend to become the husband of me, the Queen of a new nation?」
「That's right.」
「You…… broke off our engagement, didn't you?」
「Yes. That's why, once more.」
「How incredibly shameless.」
I cut him down flatly. Yes.
Because, do you understand the meaning? This guy, at this time, in this relationship, in this situation, is proposing? I cannot understand it at all!
「Does it mean that if you can return to the position of royalty, you don't mind kneeling before the person you betrayed? How shallow.」
「No! I'm not proposing because of your status as Queen.」
「Then I understand even less. Even if you are going to tell a joke, you should have thought of a more decent one, you.」
Now then. If he's only going to say boring things beyond this, I'll just knock him out, tie him up, and throw him into a bonfire. It might serve as a bit of entertainment to conclude the Fortesia Martial Arts Tournament.
「……I'm the same in not understanding. I don't understand your heart.」
Oh, so being burned at the stake is not to your liking?
「Why did you help me back then?」
……Oh?
Back then? Which time is that?
……Ah, I remembered. That time! Yes. When the Royal Family messed up trying to kill Carol and the Holy Knights along with Dactor-sama!
At that time…… indeed, I also took Dactor-sama out of the dining room and left him in some garden. Yes, if you say I helped him, I suppose you could say I helped him.
……Eh? Are you seriously dragging that out?
「If you had left me as I was, I would have surely died. Due to the betrayal of my father and my brothers and sisters……」
W-well, I suppose so. Yes. ……Come to think of it, if I had let him die back then, I could have enjoyed that in its own way…… At least now, it wouldn't have turned into such a nuisance.
「But you helped me. Why was that?」
「Because I wanted to kill you.」
When I answered honestly, Dactor-sama shook his head and made a face like he understood even less……
「……If you wanted to kill me, you shouldn't have helped me. But you didn't do that. You didn't try to kill me, but tried to let me live. That's because your heart gave me mercy, isn't it?」
No, I'm saying if you're dead, I can't kill you! Do you think that dying as a result is the same as being killed? I see, this guy has never killed anyone before, has he!?
「Violia. I understood after being betrayed by everyone in the Royal Family.」
「That you are an idiot, perhaps?」
「Yes, that's right. I was a fool. ……There was only one path I should have taken.」
An idiot is just an idiot even after admitting they are an idiot.
「Violia. If your heart is still with me……」
「It is not.」
「……Even if your heart is not with me, I am thinking of you! If you say you are not interested, I will surely make you interested. So, please, with me once more…… won't you become engaged?」
……I let out a long, long sigh.
Ah, how should I put it…… truly, a hopeless person.
「You said you understood after being betrayed.」
「Yes. The one I should have truly believed in was not my father's words, nor the shackles of the Royal Family. It was only you……」
「It seems you don't understand at all.」
I must tell this bastard in front of me who 'doesn't understand at all.'
「If you understood, the thing you should do is not a proposal. The thing you should do is……」
「Simply to die in an amusing and funny way for my sake.」
「……You have changed.」
「I was always like this.」
If there's anything that has changed about me, it's that I've grown a little. But that's growth, and it's not something to be told 'you have changed.'
「If you felt that I have changed, that is just because you knew too little about me. I have been like this all along.」
「Then, what was the you who laughed with me in the castle garden? Was that all a lie?」
「Whether it was a lie or the truth, it was the truth. It was all one me. I, on the day after laughing while looking at roses in the castle garden with you, was enjoying hunting monsters. It is the same now. Even though I kill many people and trap many people, I still think beautiful flowers are beautiful. Nothing has changed.」
Dactor-sama probably cannot understand. Yes. He shouldn't be able to.
What he is thinking about is not my heart or anything, but just 'how can I obtain a path to survive.' I'm sure.
「……Right? Dactor-sama. Aren't you the same? Even after being engaged to me, making an effort to love me, and laughing with each other, you treated me like a great criminal and broke off the engagement for your own self-preservation. ……And now, you are shamelessly proposing again. You, who are trying to obtain once more what you once threw away, have also been one person all along, haven't you?」
「Th…… that is……」
「That's how it is. Dactor-sama. If you ask whether my love has changed, first ask yourself about the sin of betraying me. And if you are truly serious about proposing to me, I'd like you to at least show the spirit to settle the score. For example, by trying to die on this spot.」
When I said that, Dactor-sama hung his head.
Yes, that's right. This guy must weigh his own life against his own future with honor.
Indeed, if he becomes my husband, he is royalty of a new nation. But there is no way that status can be obtained for free. Furthermore, there is no way the idiot in front of me will ever obtain that status in the future.
Dactor-sama remained as if in a state of self-abstraction for a while, but eventually began to move sluggishly.
「……I see. Then…… yes, the ring……」
「A ring? Don't tell me it's an engagement ring? I don't need such a thing.」
Dactor-sama thrust his hand into his coat and is searching the inside, trying to take something out. Of course, I have no intention of changing my attitude even if a ring is brought out. Or rather, I have no intention of changing my attitude no matter what comes out.
「I brought it……」
……Dactor-sama, in a sluggish manner…… aimed something from inside his coat.
With a bang, a loud sound.
I realized it was a gunshot only after holes opened in Dactor-sama's coat and my flank.