“Yo.”
“…I knew you’d show up.”
The moment I left the throne room, King Aival’s roar and Sandra, who had been next to me, disappeared. I immediately understood that Yuri must have taken me to another space, just like before.
As expected, Yuri was right in front of me, wearing a wry smile.
“How was it? I went through the tutorial of the story… though you probably don’t know what that means. Anyway, I certainly broke off the engagement, but I managed to overturn the fate of separating from Sandra.”
“I never imagined you’d do something like that. This is too unexpected.”
“Ahaha.”
“Aha♪”
Yuri and I shrugged and couldn’t help but laugh.
“Even if it’s something trivial, once you make a mistake, it’s hard to fix, even if it’s fate.”
“Maybe so. But this story isn’t straightforward. It’ll try to correct itself to reach the predetermined ending.”
As she said that, Yuri curled the corner of her mouth up.
I see… To make things consistent, she’s going to set something else in motion.
Which means…
“Could it be that the kingdom is going to move to eliminate the Chevalier family?”
“Who knows?”
I asked, but Yuri playfully dodged the question.
But the fact that she didn’t clearly say ‘no’ is as good as saying ‘yes.’
So, she’s still trying to push the tutorial scenario of “EnHaza”—my engagement cancellation with Sandra, followed by the Chevalier family’s rebellion and destruction.
What’s likely is that they’ll pin a false charge on the Chevalier family, and the kingdom will move to subjugate them.
This is within my expectations, and I’ve already made preparations.
“Haa… it must be tough for you. Having to be so desperate about something so trivial.”
I sighed and threw those words out there.
To confirm the sense of discomfort I’ve had ever since Yuri revealed her true nature.
“Oops, I’m not falling for that. I know you’re just pretending to sympathize to get information out of me.”
“Tch, didn’t work.”
I clicked my tongue and pretended to be frustrated, but that wasn’t my goal.
But since she’s always smiling and I can’t tell what she’s thinking, I didn’t achieve my goal after all.
“So, can you release me soon? I have a wife waiting for me over there.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
Yuri replied, sounding a little disappointed.
“Haa… you can just call me out like this again if you want to see me, so don’t make that face.”
“I know, but… I have various things to do, so I can’t just meet you so easily.”
I think she should just stop doing those ‘various things,’ but I didn’t say it out loud.
Because Yuri probably has her own goals and feelings.
In the end, since what Yuri and I are seeking are different, we’ll never intersect.
…It’s a little lonely, though.
“Well, see you later.”
“! U-Um! See you later!”
If you make such a happy face, it’ll throw me off…
“Lord Hal…?”
“Eh? N-No, well then, shall we go?”
“Yes.”
Sandra, who was staring at me with a curious look, refocused, and I headed towards the entrance of the Royal Palace.
Seriously, I thought this last time too, but when returning to the original world, can you not do it so suddenly…?
◇
“Wahahaha! How was it?”
Lord Drake, the commander of the Royal Guard, proudly announced to us as we left the Royal Palace and arrived at the Royal Guard’s barracks.
Actually, Lord Drake was reinstated as commander when Wilfred was imprisoned for attempting to assassinate me and brainwash Christia.
Thanks to that, all the Royal Guards who had been scattered were also reinstated, and over a thousand Royal Guards were offering their swords to us as before. It’s a bit much.
“Ah, thank you very much. By the way, you may have already heard, but I have officially withdrawn from the race to be the next king.”
“That’s right. But I offered my sword to Prince Harold, and I have no intention of following the other princes. More than anything…”
“‘What the Royal Guard serves is only the Dehauvalz Kingdom,’ right?”
“Mu… Wahahahaha! You said it before I could, Your Highness!”
Lord Drake laughed heartily and slapped me on the back. It hurts, it hurts.
“So, the reason you came here today is…”
“Of course, because there seems to be movement on that matter.”
“Oh…? Finally?”
At my words, Lord Drake grinned.
“Then, what we, the Royal Guard, should do is one thing.”
“Yes. Can I ask you to do it?”
“Wahahahaha! Leave it to me!”
It’s really reassuring to have him as an ally.
After all, Bradley Drake controls the Dehauvalz Kingdom’s army.
I nodded with a smile at Lord Drake, who forcefully pounded his breastplate with his fist.
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