I Became King by Following My Little Sister's Advice. Now the Princess I Forced to Marry Is Giving Me Death Stares, What Should I Do? - Chapter 02: It Was So Scaryyyyyyyy!

Chapter 02: It Was So Scaryyyyyyyy!

Van Arlengs, the man who successfully led a coup and brought an end to the history of a kingdom, was now in the process of imprisoning Medina Aidron. 

He directed the capture to a room deep within the royal castle.

“…”

“Good work, Brother.”

The room they entered was once the king’s bedroom.

It was furnished with a grand canopy bed, luxurious furniture crafted by renowned artisans, and a plush, long-haired carpet. 

Everything in the room was of the highest quality, each item worth more than a commoner’s lifetime earnings.

“It’s fortunate that we were able to safely secure the princess. Now, the plan can proceed smoothly.”

“…Moa.”

Van called the name of the girl lounging elegantly on the bed.

Moa Arlengs, Van’s younger sister, was the strategist behind the rebel forces.

She was a petite beauty with long, raven-black hair flowing down to her waist and a mischievous expression on her innocent face.

“You seemed to have quite a chat with the princess. What did you talk about? Please tell me.”

“Moa…”

“Yes?”

“Moaaaaaa! It was so scaryyyyyyyyyy!”

Van cried out in a tearful voice and clung to his sister.

“Hyan!”

Moa, who had been lying on the bed, let out a sweet scream as she was hugged. 

Though it looked like Van had pinned her down, Moa seemed oddly happy.

“The princess was so angry! She glared at me… just thinking about it gives me chills! *shudder!”

“Is that so? You poor thing. There, there…”

Moa gently patted her brother’s head, her expression as kind and comforting as a loving mother’s.

“Poor brother, you worked so hard. You’re so amazing.”

“Uuh…”

Van was known by many names: the kingdom’s strongest knight, the dragon slayer, the king slayer, the man who could destroy an army by himself, and the ogre of the Roicardan Plains. 

However, few knew that he was actually a weak-willed man with a sister complex.

Van had always struggled with thinking things through. 

His thought process was slower than others, often taking him over an hour to reach conclusions that others would come to in a minute or two. 

To make matters worse, his conclusions were often completely off the mark, leading to ridicule and mockery from those around him.

His attempts to think things through and act often caused problems, so he relied heavily on his much smarter sister.

It was quite pathetic for a man over twenty to cling to his sister like that, but Moa never scolded him. 

She adored her brother and had never once said a negative word to him.

“Sister… did I really do the right thing? Was it right to start a rebellion and destroy the Kingdom?” 

Van asked in a weak voice. 

He had taken on the role of the rebellion leader with determination, but the princess’s reproach had shaken his resolve.

“Brother, you said you didn’t want to be reassigned to a cold, remote land,” 

Moa replied calmly, gently stroking his head. 

“You also said you wanted to save the people who were suffering under the royal family’s rule. Have you forgotten?”

“But… was there no other way?”

“There might have been. However, if we had waited to find another solution, you would have been sent to the north, and many more people would have died. So, this outcome was inevitable.”

“Is that… so?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Okay…”

Moa hugged her brother’s head, cradling him against her ample chest. 

“My kind brother, this was the only way.”

Yes, it was the only way. 

Medina, the only decent member of the royal family, was trying to reform the kingdom. 

But that would have taken at least three years, maybe more than five. 

During that time, who knows how many people would have suffered under the oppressive rule. 

The weakened state of the kingdom could have invited attacks from neighboring countries.

What Van accomplished was addressing many of these issues at once, executing a coup with as little damage as possible.

(He’s really hopeless… letting a woman’s words shake him like that.)

Moa thought as she tightly hugged her brother’s head, licking her lips with a quick swipe of her tongue.

(He’s so kind. Strong, yet gentle and weak… that’s exactly why he deserves to be king.)

Moa didn’t look down on her timid brother. In fact, she believed that someone like him should be a leader.

(If my brother becomes the king, the kingdom will be strong, kind, and prosperous. I want to see that…)

Van was the strongest knight, possessing extraordinary military talent. 

Despite this, he lacked confidence and had a tender heart.

He was strong yet vulnerable, capable of wielding a sword to protect others while feeling pain when others were hurt.

This was why Moa adored him.

She had organized the rebel army and elevated her brother to be its leader, overthrowing the tyrannical royal family. 

Many people admired Van, who, despite his overwhelming strength, never acted arrogantly. 

There was no one who opposed him becoming the leader.

“Brother, you did nothing wrong. If you feel the need to blame someone, hate me instead. I’m the one who decided to start the rebellion.”

“…I won’t do that, Moa.”

“Huh?”

“I’m the leader of the rebel army. I led the charge to capture the castle. I won’t put that responsibility on anyone else.”

“…!”

Van lifted his face from Moa’s chest and looked into her eyes from up close.

His eyes were sad and troubled, yet unwavering. They were Moa’s favorite eyes.

“I definitely won’t blame my sister. If anyone is at fault, it’s me. I’m the one who will go to hell alone.”

“Houu…!”

Moa arched her back, her skin flushing red at her brother’s words. Saliva dripped from the corner of her mouth, creating a small stain on the bed sheets.

“Moa?”

“Excuse me. You were just so cool that I… got a little wet.”

“Wet? Where? What do you mean?”

“Never mind, it’s nothing you need to worry about, Brother.”

Moa shyly rubbed her legs together, looking embarrassed.

“Tomorrow, you will give a speech to the people. I’ve prepared the content for you, so please memorize it.”

“Okay, got it. Sorry for always relying on you.”

“I’m not much use in battle, so let me at least help with this.”

Van was truly grateful for Moa’s innocent, sincere smile. 

However, he didn’t realize her true intentions. 

The speech was subtly phrased, but it essentially declared Van Arlengs as the new king. 

Moa planned to put her brother on the throne, knowing he wouldn’t fully understand the speech’s meaning.

“And about Princess Medina’s fate…”

“We won’t kill her. Absolutely not.”

Van interrupted, firmly stating his decision.

“The princess had a different method, but she definitely tried to save the people of this country. There’s no reason for her to be killed.”

“…I agree with you, Brother. She is necessary for the rebirth of this nation.”

This was Moa’s true intention.

If a member of the royal family survived, there would be those who would rally behind her.

While some argued that Medina should be killed to eliminate future threats, Moa saw more value in keeping her alive.

(Even if the royal family is foolish, there are people who value bloodlines. If we can incorporate the princess, those people will quiet down.)

Using Medina as a shield would reduce opposition to the new government. 

The sacrifices of the king, queen, and crown prince were enough to satisfy the people’s hatred for the royal family.

(By now, they’re probably realizing their foolishness while being pelted with stones… This is their punishment for mistreating my brother.)

Although the rebel army overthrew the royal family for the sake of the people, Moa had a personal grudge.

(They looked down on my brother because he was a commoner and forced dangerous tasks on him, taking credit for his achievements. They must pay for that.)

Moa grinned darkly to herself. 

Her primary motivation was always her brother.

“I’ll handle Princess Medina. You just continue as you have, Brother.”

“Yeah, I’ll do as you say, Moa.”

“Thank you.”

Van and Moa hugged each other and laughed cheerfully. 

It was a scene filled with familial love, belying the fact that these were the two leaders who had brought a kingdom to its knees.