Chapter 43
While a secret yet astonishing meeting was about to begin in the banquet hall,
Outside, another familiar yet astonishing meeting was also taking place.
The personal maids of both houses were waiting by the banquet hall door.
On House Kron's side, of course, there was Rana.
And on House Sila's side, there was her.
Her golden hair was neatly braided like Rana's, but she was a beauty with a more demure air than Rana.
Her name was 『Ain Ansus』—the gift the Imperial Princess had sent to Jeras, Jeras's principal wife, and the head maid of House Sila.
While the personal maids stood guard at the door, Rana took advantage of the absence of other people to greet Ain, her older cousin whom she had not seen in a long time.
“It has been a long time, Sister Ain.”
“I see you’ve been doing well, Rana.”
Having received Rana's greeting, Ain gave her a benevolent smile.
In Rana's memories, Ain had always been the older cousin who gave her calm, benevolent smiles.
“Yes, I am doing well thanks to my lord. Have you been well too, Sister?“
In response to Rana's question, Ain showed her left hand.
On it was a golden engagement ring that Jeras had put on her finger not long ago.
”I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.“
”I see. Congratulations, Sister.“
Rana had heard several months earlier that Ain had become Lord Jeras's principal wife.
Though the wedding ceremony had not yet been held because there was still much to take care of, Rana had been astonished in many ways when she heard the news.
It was extremely rare for a servant like a maid to become a principal wife.
“Rana, do you love your master?”
“Pardon?”
While Rana was thinking about that, Ain got straight to the point.
Even cool-headed Rana was slightly flustered by the sudden direct question.
Ignoring Rana's reaction, Ain continued.
“I do. That’s why I even prepared xx and xxx to seduce Lord Jeras.”
“…Sister Ain, you’ve changed a lot.”
Rana was utterly shocked, though her expression remained blank.
This did not seem like the same Sister Ain who had once worried about what she would do if her master forced her to share his bed.
But on the other hand, Rana was relieved to see that Sister Ain seemed to be deeply loved.
“Love changes a woman. And you know what? You’ve changed a lot too.”
“Yes…all thanks to my lord.”
If she had been her old self, she would have let a conversation like this with Sister Ain pass without a second thought.
But now, she could sincerely congratulate Sister Ain.
And she wanted to be congratulated someday herself.
“I’ll be rooting for you, Rana. I’ll always be on your side.”
“Thank you, Sister.”
Rana smiled at her encouragement.
Ain, too, was relieved that Rana had ended up with a good master when she saw the bright smile she had never seen on her before.
”So at night, put on xxx and throw yourself at your lord.“
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
Since she was at it, Ain shared one more piece of her know-how with Rana.
Rana vowed that she would try using Ain's advice someday.
* * *
『Selenia Lily Novarens』
The Second Imperial Princess of the Novarens Empire and second in line to the imperial throne, she was one of the most powerful people in the Empire.
When she suddenly appeared in the banquet hall, I was honestly more shocked than I had been by anything since coming to this world.
Seated in the place of honor, she spoke with a mischievous smile.
“Sorry for showing up so suddenly, but I really wanted to meet Calix. You’ll understand, right!”
“I…I am honored, Your Highness.”
She looked at me with a foxlike smile.
I must not let that foxlike smile fool me.
And with good reason: although she was an imperial princess, she had independently built the Empire's second-largest faction.
She was by no means an opponent to take lightly.
“’Your Highness’ sounds so stiff. Just call me ‘Selenia.’”
“Understood…Selenia.”
She hated things like etiquette to an extraordinary degree, fitting her free-spirited image.
Having learned that side of her while briefly playing as her in my previous life, I obediently complied with her request.
The Imperial Princess—or rather, Selenia—stared at me.
“It’s fascinating seeing you like this. I once saw Hadem fight at the Sacred Martial Festival.”
She seemed to be recalling Hadem rampaging at the Sacred Martial Festival.
That mad lion really went wild, so it must have been an incredibly dynamic match.
“It’s amazing and astonishing that that mad lion fell to a seemingly ordinary lord right before my eyes.”
“That is what makes Lord Calix so remarkable. Selenia, he is a true hero who can hide his claws until the very moment he knows he can win. Ho ho ho!”
“You flatter me, Lord Jeras.”
Why were they buttering me up like this?
I knew from my previous life that praise at gatherings like this was never a good sign.
After praise, something burdensome that I could not refuse would always come looking for me.
“No, I think someone like that is amazing too.”
Selenia looked at me with a sly smile.
Needless to say, she was an incredibly beautiful girl.
She was a sly, mischievous little-devil type of beauty, and the smile she wore was enough to make my heart race despite her rank.
“I don’t have that kind of patience, you see, so when I see someone with so much patience and ability, I want someone like that for myself.”
Saying that, she spoke to a light-green-haired woman wearing glasses who appeared to be her maid and stood behind her.
“Lumiell.”
“Yes, Selenia.”
The woman called Lumiell approached me and handed me some documents.
They contained information on young ladies, each accompanied by a portrait made with projection magic, like a photograph.
They were all young ladies from prominent Imperial Princess faction houses, such as House Ellersain, House Lilia, and House Lumen.
Why was she suddenly giving me what looked like matchmaking documents?
“Come to think of it, Calix, you’re still unmarried, right?”
“Yes…that’s right.”
“What a waste for Kron’s famous Silver Dragon to remain single! I’ll arrange a match for you. How about getting married while you have the chance?”
So these weren’t merely matchmaking documents—they really were the real thing!
From her words, I thought I understood what her scheme was.
In this world too, marriage meant a connection between houses.
Thus, political marriages for the sake of mutual family interests happened very frequently, while love matches were comparatively rare.
In these circumstances, what would happen if I married a young lady from one of the Imperial Princess faction houses listed here?
Whether I liked it or not, I would be more or less forced into the Imperial Princess's faction, and would naturally have no choice but to become antagonistic toward the Imperial Prince.
But refusing in this situation would not be good either.
This was a matchmaking meeting personally arranged by an imperial princess who had actually come down here herself.
And the ladies were from famous houses whose names everyone would recognize.
If I refused carelessly here, I could instead turn the Imperial Princess's faction into an enemy.
I was effectively in checkmate, like in chess, and could not hide my troubled expression. Selenia looked at me with an amused, sinister smile, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking.
“Isn’t there anyone among them you like, Calix?”
When I kept looking through the documents repeatedly, trying somehow to buy time, she spoke.
She spoke in a pleasant voice, apparently finding my attempt to stall adorable.
“What kind of woman do you like? Just tell me, and I’ll find one for you.”
Selenia spoke as though I already belonged to her.
What should I do?!
They say marriage is the graveyard of life, but if I made the wrong move here, I’d end up in a coffin!!
How was I supposed to get out of this situation!?
“I….”
My IQ in my previous life: 100. Calix’s IQ in this life: 100.
With a combined IQ of 200, I had to rack my brain for the wisdom to resolve this situation.
Then a brilliant idea flashed through my mind.
It was a poisoned chalice, but it was the only way to get out of this situation!
“I like women like the Imperial Princess…Selenia.“
The moment I said it, the banquet hall froze and silence fell.
Lumiell and Lord Jeras's expressions stiffened completely at my words.
Selenia, too, lost her smile for the first time and froze, unable to hide her astonishment.
“………
“…………
”……What?“
The banquet hall froze so completely that I could almost imagine the magic circle in the ceiling malfunctioning and letting out an icy wind, while Jeras and Lumiell's eyes darted frantically as they tried to figure out how to resolve the situation.
Then Lord Jeras spoke.
”Lord Calix means that he likes a woman of the same exalted status as Selenia. Ho ho!“
”Ah…hahahaha! What, that’s what you meant! I thought…“
Lord Jeras seemed to be trying to smooth over the situation by claiming that I had been speaking metaphorically.
I drove the point home.
”No. I like lively women with dark brown skin, like Selenia.“
The banquet hall froze again at my words.
Lord Jeras's mouth hung half-open, and drool even dripped from it.
“…………
“……………
Selenia was the first to recover. Her face red, she asked me,
“R-Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Th-That’s a unique preference. My skin tone…there probably aren’t many people in the Empire who like it…”
Selenia's dark brown skin was said to be the result of the blood of a distant relative in the imperial bloodline reappearing through atavism.
Naturally, it was not a style favored in the Empire, and if she had not been an imperial princess, she might have faced severe racial discrimination.
But to me, it was simply an incredibly sexy tanned-skin look.
To be honest, it was very much my type.
“Sadly, that’s why I’m still single.”
“I…I see…Mm…then I suppose you couldn’t help but remain single.“
This was my method.
It was difficult to refuse Selenia's proposal, but I could not accept it either.
If so, I just had to create a situation in which she could refuse me happily!
If I said that I preferred a unique skin tone like the Imperial Princess's, making marriage difficult,
Selenia would feel pleased that one of her complexes—her skin color—was being respected, while I would be happy to refuse the match naturally.
It was a truly perfect plan.
This time, just as I smiled proudly and Selenia blushed, flustered and unsure what to do,
she opened her mouth.
“Then…will you marry me?”
I hadn’t seen that coming.
The situation had gotten even worse.