Chapter 21 – Episode 21 ― Reconstruction of Likeability (6)
Episode 21 ― Reconstruction of liking (6)
A few days later, Princess Grünent visited the great dining room of the royal castle for the first time in weeks after moving to the castle tower.
She had seen the splendid dining room of the Merde Palace every day, but the dining room of the Demon King’s Castle, where her profoundness was felt, drew admiration from her as well. The ubiquitous pattern of the demon king and the black beads at its center were a bit creepy, but overall it was elegant and heavy.
“It is a classy decoration. Your majesty.”
“They say it’s the taste of the ancestors.”
When the owner of the original castle changes, the furniture and interchangeable decorations change according to the taste of the king or hostess. However, the original demon king had no interest in such things. After several people lost their lives trying to ask the devil’s taste, no one had the courage to change the interior of the castle.
So, the castle remained as it was decorated by the previous demon king.
“You seem to have followed the King deeply.”
“…”
The demon king smiled without speaking.
The expression was in ‘I don’t know what to say’ mode, but now the princess with a crush rate of 32 was in a state where she could interpret anything the demon king said ― as long as she didn’t have a big accident ―.
‘He must have been deeply affectionate with his father.’
Feeling the human side of the demon king, the princess started eating with Roan.
Recently, the skills of the chefs supported by Roan have improved.
Roan didn’t talk much, but he listened attentively to the princess’s story.
‘I end up comparing myself without realizing it.’
Once again, the princess inadvertently recalled her mealtime at Merde and sighed.
The king was not interested in his children.
Meal time, when children gather together, was never a comfortable place to check each other.
At dinner parties and balls, only the princess’s sons-in-law or ambitious people who covet the position of acquaintances listen to the princess’s words.
However, the meal here is delicious, and the demon king sitting in front of him listens to his story while looking only at himself.
‘… Might be a bit envious…’
The princess had heard that the demon king had a fiancée. There was a speculation even within the kingdom that there was a wizard following the demon king, so she might be the queen.
When he came here, he heard the words of the Yama tribe maids and learned that it was her fiancée.
At first, I didn’t think much of it.
Rather, he thought that Rani, an evil wizard who followed the demon king, got along well with each other.
But now, Grünent thinks that the rumors about the Demon King are not true.
As a result, her envy towards her also began to grow little by little.
Because she herself is a concubine of a different race.
“Princess Grünent.”
“… Ah yes! Your majesty.”
“You seem to have a lot on your mind today.”
“Ah… Yes, actually…”
The princess, slightly hesitant, glanced at her maid.
Her maid, who nodded, brought something of her own that she had left in the waiting room next to her dining room. It was a small package.
It wasn’t luxurious wrapping paper, but it was a flat object neatly wrapped in clean paper.
It was a little earlier than the princess thought, but the meal was almost over.
This should be fine. The princess thought to herself.
“Come on, Your Majesty.”
The head of the demon king who received the package tilted slightly to the side. Innocent eyes shone on her beautiful face.
‘Your Majesty, unexpectedly… It’s a cute map.’
Roan asked, unaware that the princess’s eyes were getting pods.
“What? This.”
“Your majesty. Thank you for saving my ladies-in-waiting the other day.”
“Hmm? You saved me.”
Roan looked at Grunent as if he didn’t know why. The princess felt as if she was being sucked into her purple eyes without realizing it.
‘… I think I’ll be possessed.’
The princess cleared her throat quietly and took her heart.
“Greatness. I remember what my children were like when they were down there. I couldn’t control my body because I couldn’t eat properly, let alone move. But I heard that His Majesty took care of her personally.”
Ron’s body trembled slightly. However, the princess, noticing the subtle movement, spoke.
“I am not saying this to rebuke Your Majesty. Before that, I didn’t know much about your majesty, but now that I’ve been talking to you, I think I know you a little. If your Majesty had known about the conditions in the prison, you wouldn’t have let us go.”
The princess lowered her gaze a little.
“I’m ashamed to say this now, but I also can’t answer if you ask me what Merde’s dungeon looks like. Even though it’s the country I’ve been living in all my life.”
… Apparently, the princess misunderstood.
‘Uh, no… It wasn’t because of that.’
Roan shuddered not because he was afraid of being reprimanded, but because he suddenly had the feeling that the princess was subtly caught in the ‘Miheun’.
Since the expression of the skill was considerably reduced, it was the current ‘Miheun’ that could have the effect of eliciting a favorable feeling for the other person. However, suddenly the princess almost fell for the skill.
I had to hurry up and further reduce the power that went into the skill.
‘He looks at me this well.’
Roan was genuinely happy. And at the princess’s next words, the joy was doubled.
“Thank you for making my ladies-in-waiting healthy and returning them to my side. I will never forget the grace of Your Majesty, who allowed me to keep the ladies-in-waiting of my homeland by my side as I was married from an enemy country. What I’m giving you now… Even though it is small, it is my gratitude.”
Received a gift!
I received a gift from my favorite cat!
Roan unwrapped the present, compromising to the extent of pulling up the corner of his mouth that was about to open wide without even realizing it.
It was a small handkerchief.
At the end of it was a clumsy embroidery. It was a small flower.
The princess, who had been fiddling under the table holding her hands together, said with her cheeks blushing.
“… For His Majesty’s majesty… , It doesn’t suit me, but… Continue to flower… Thank you for sending Do you like… , Do.”
Flowers are a favorite of Princess Grünent! It was Roan who remembered that each time the hero sent wild flowers, his liking rose little by little. And whenever the princess received a flower from the devil, her affinity rose by 1. It was a small number, but it was meaningful.
Finally, a bright smile appeared on Roan’s face.
Seeing that face, the princess involuntarily opened her mouth.
His face always looked a bit lonely, so I didn’t expect his smile to match so well.
The demon king smiled brightly and said.
“Thanks. Princess. I will cherish it.”
The demon king’s low voice thumped the princess’s heart. At that moment, the affinity level rose to 45.
If it’s a game, it’s a number that doesn’t matter if you start dating. The princess’ reason kept rejecting it, but it was the result of the slight application of the demon king’s skill ‘Miheun’, which he had unknowingly accepted.
Roan’s eyes widened beautifully when he saw the higher-than-expected likability.
‘Oh… Your eyes are so pretty…’
The princess tried hard to suppress the feeling of falling into it.
It was her pride as a princess. So, Grunent pretended to be unconcerned.
“No, Your Majesty. As a fellow human being, I sincerely thank you for caring not only for the ladies-in-waiting but also for all humans.”
“When it comes to humans, we still have a long way to go. But the princess’s encouragement will be a great help. The day will come when the demons will understand all of this.”
Roan hid his joy and kept his handkerchief in his bosom. The princess, who was watching it, asked cautiously.
“… Your majesty. With all due respect, may I ask why you suddenly decided to use prisoners as servants?”
“Hmm. Okay. I never specifically told you why. I was going to tell you sooner or later.”
It just went well. Roan met Grunent’s blue eyes.
We need her help with this next project.
“I also try to find the usefulness of the weak. The weak are useless in our world. So, the demons still ate human slaves. But if there is a use beyond food, humans can survive.”
“… Yes?”
Grünent felt a bit repulsed by the demon king’s calm confession of cannibalism.
But that will be true.
The demon king had said once before that the demons value power over justification.
“Us… Eating humans is useless… Are you?”
“It’s complex. They were weaker than the demons, so they couldn’t use their bodies, and they must have felt anger during the war. There is also the problem that the country as a whole has less food than the kingdoms of men.”
It was something the princess had never thought of. When she heard that the humans of Merde, including herself, heard that demons preyed on humans, she just jumped and jumped in disgust.
However, there are cases in history where even humans cannibalize when driven into a desperate situation. We’re at war, so you can show hostility that way… , Thought Grunent vaguely.
According to what the demon king said now, demons have their own reasons for “Eating” Humans. I can’t agree, but I understand the logic.
“… It wasn’t just because I didn’t like it.”
“Rather than hatred for the human species, it is hatred for ‘aggressors’ or ‘enemies’. That’s the prisoners… , It even leaks out to those we call slaves in Evirgio. Most of the slaves are civilians. They weren’t the ones who actually fought the war. We know that too.”
Roan looked at Grunent with his serious eyes and spoke in a clear tone.
“But it’s not efficient.”
“I guess so.”
Grünent nodded to his face.
“We despise the weak and try to eat them. In fact, it is not limited to humans. If you’re weak, you’ve eaten even your own people. And humans called us monsters and hunted them.
We needed something to eat, and humans seemed to need a cause to defeat evil. So it became a war.”
The princess felt that a corner of his heart was pierced by the demon king’s words.
Because I saw how he made a big deal out of border strife, which always happened in the royal family. And I know what the King was trying to achieve with it.
She was lost in thought
Is the demon king really evil?
And at Roan’s continued words, she felt a shock like being struck by lightning.
“And I want to stop the war.”
“Your majesty… ?”
Looking at Grünent’s round eyes, the demon king smiled sadly.
“Okay. Know. It is not easy. I can’t end the war that started just because I tell it to stop, or because the demons back down. However.”
Roan took a deep breath before speaking again.
With the help of the kind skill that stayed inside him.
“People suffer, and humans suffer too. It was a war I started without touching, but it is not anymore.”
Grünent bit his lip and stared at the demon king. There was indescribable power in his voice.
In response to his strong ‘will’, Grunent felt his heart beat quicken once again.
Her royal behavior while she was living in her merde and her shame at herself for passing it off carelessly. And her admiration for the devil’s belief was a mixed reaction.
‘Really… , Are you trying to end this war?’
She knows that the human royal family started this war.
And the devil, the enemy of mankind, says he will end this war.
Even with a bitter expression, the alluring demon king peers into her as if piercing Grunent’s heart.
“And I definitely need your help in that process.”
The look that makes my heart cry. At that point.
Grünent held her breath.
“It is a difficult race to understand each other. But if the war is caused by a need, it may be possible to meet that need in a different way. With your ability, you may be able to make my people live without contention. Not the way you have to hate someone like war.”
The demon king spoke quietly.
“It may be a long way, but…”
And Roan stared blankly at her unexpected words from her princess.
“You will be fine. Your majesty. I will accompany you on Your Majesty’s path.”
Grünent’s decision became a resolute voice and was conveyed to Roan.
A cute sound effect that didn’t match the atmosphere came to the demon king’s ears.
The affinity has reached 50.
