My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~ - Chapter 043: Kōran's Miscalculation

“I decided since childhood to follow Onee-sama. Then the person Onee-sama marries is also the person I’ll marry. How could I refrain from testing whether he’s qualified as my own master as well!”

With those words as the boundary, the atmosphere completely transformed.

Would “thawed” be the correct expression? Even Kishō, who’d been watching developments, could feel the tense, awkward atmosphere like a bed of needles scatter from the scene and a spring breeze reminiscent of snowmelt blow through. However, something somehow affected mixed into that air.

Unless one looked carefully, it wouldn’t be noticed, but the sharpness had disappeared from the Princess’s meager face. The next moment, flash—a flower bloomed on that beautiful, lovely face.

The black chains that had restrained Kōran and pinned her to the ground came off soundlessly and vanished as if being absorbed into the earth.

“You should have said so earlier. I’m sorry for misunderstanding.”

As someone who’d nearly been incinerated, Kishō had absolutely no idea what part was a misunderstanding, but he did understand that the Princess’s eyes were knotholes.

That had absolutely not been an attack at the level of discerning ability as master or anything like that. Flames lit with killing intent. Because it was close combat, responding had been easy, but if that had been turned into a fireball and launched, dealing with it would have been troublesome.

That said, thinking back, this wasn’t the first time unreasonable demands had been thrust at him. Right. The trigger for being recognized by the Princess had been that duel conducted at night. Even then he’d been handed a real sword and a life-or-death battle had begun without question, but—

That had been to know love. Because she’d been searching for the person to marry.

The Princess’s seriousness had made it so.

‘(So that’s it, this woman!)’

That she had the same feelings as the Princess. That there’d been no ill intent. She seemed to intend to use the Princess’s sympathy against her and get through this situation.

With a triumphant face, Kōran said shamelessly:

“I apologize, Onee-sama. There are things that can’t be understood without crossing swords.”

“Ah, I understand. You’re entrusting your fate. You’d need to confirm at least that much.”

Like comrades who’d fought together before a powerful enemy, the two clasped hands with faces that understood each other. Helped up by the Princess, Kōran stood to her full height.

The Princess’s beautiful face smiled with satisfaction. Like she might start saying something like “You can appreciate this taste? You’re pretty good” while holding fine wine.

And as expected, the Princess puffed out her chest proudly and opened her mouth.

“This is my stepsister Kōran. So with that, I’m counting on you.”

“What do you mean ‘with that’!?”

Unable to bear it, Kishō retorted. But since they’d been together long enough, he vaguely understood what the Princess wanted to say. In short, she intended to put Kōran in the pack, so she was saying “I’m counting on you.”

As if tracing Kishō’s thoughts, the Princess dutifully answered:

“It means enrolling her in the pack.”

“So it becomes this development after all…”

One sigh. Kishō covered his forehead with his right hand and looked up at the heavens.

‘(She’s tremendously capable normally, so why is she useless at important moments!)’

No matter how you looked at it, this woman was different. She absolutely didn’t admire him. That much was crystal clear. The type who’d stab you in the back the moment you let your guard down and turned away.

In the first place, Kishō held a negative stance toward pack creation. And since Kōran was Upper School first-year female second-ranked in ability, she was the most promising candidate among the consort candidates the Princess was selecting. Considering that point too, he couldn’t refuse for half-hearted reasons, but this time he had to thank Kōran.

“Kuroyō. I know you’re working for my sake.”

By rudely calling the Princess without honorifics, sharp light dwelled in the eyes of Kōran standing behind her. While overwhelmed by that beast-like intensity, he realized his intuition was correct.

“But that woman is different. Unlike you, Kuroyō. She doesn’t think about working for me.”

“That’s not true. Even Kōran understands at least that much.”

Perhaps from sisterly affection of growing up together since childhood, the Princess desperately defended her.

Kishō secretly sighed, hardened his face, and steeled his resolve.

“Meaning, I can interpret that like you, Kuroyō, she recognized my ability?”

“Of course.”

The response rang immediately. Apparently she believed without doubt that Kōran had the same feelings as her.

“Then—”

Shattering that illusion was simple.

Behind the Princess. The tall girl wearing gorgeous red and black dragon robes. He looked straight at competitive Kōran’s crimson eyes that seemed ready to leap at him any moment and said challengingly:

“You shouldn’t mind at all getting engaged right here and now.”

“Naturally. That’s what Kōran wants too.”

The Princess answered immediately with full confidence, but over her shoulder, the crimson twin pupils widened in shock.

Engagement meant, in other words, exchanging a kiss. Right here, in front of Lower School students, her as an Upper School student. A kiss wasn’t something dragonkin women could exchange so easily. There was no way she could accept when she didn’t feel that way.

‘(No, I’d be troubled if she actually accepted even by some chance, but judging from that reaction, it should be fine.)’

Those words had an immediate effect.

Kōran’s face went deathly pale and her lips began trembling. Tears faintly welled in her sharp eyes, and regret was clearly visible on that despairing face. Perhaps from rejection of that abhorrent act, the trembling spread throughout her body. Her knees shook violently, and she could barely stand.

Having stated falsehoods, she couldn’t refuse before the Princess. But there was no way she could exchange a kiss with a man she didn’t even like. That conflict showed transparently.

It was Kōran’s own fault for deceiving the Princess with lies off the top of her head and trying to get through this situation, but seeing her gone pale made him feel somewhat sorry. He wavered over whether to show mercy, but deciding this was an unavoidable path, Kishō indicated with his chin:

“Doesn’t look that way to me.”

The Princess turned around dubiously. Flinch—Kōran’s shoulders jumped.

“What’s wrong, Kōran? If you exchanged blows with Kishō, you should have felt his power. Or is it still not enough?”

Kōran’s teeth chattered.

The tears pooling at her eyes seemed ready to spill any moment.

‘(You don’t need to hate it that much. Making a face like you’re marrying a monster. Well, I’d be troubled if you accepted too.)’

As Kishō was slightly hurt internally, the Princess with her back turned let out a big sigh.

“Good grief. How many times must I tell you to stop such stopgap tricks? You really haven’t changed since childhood.”

“Um… I’m sor… I’m sorry.”

Kōran began crying with large tears spilling. An Upper School student with high pride shedding tears on Lower School grounds. Even shameless Kishō could imagine how disgraceful an act that was. Probably no greater humiliation existed.

Perhaps having her poison drawn out, the Princess’s voice also softened.

“Don’t misunderstand, Kōran. I don’t intend to force you to marry.”

“Huh?”

Kōran raised an anxious face like an abandoned puppy.

“You and I have been together since childhood. Whatever we did, you were always by my side. That’s probably why. I thought it would be good if we could marry the same master. This selfishness of mine drove you this far.”

I’m sorry, the Princess bowed her head. Jet-black hair flowed fan-like.

The competitive girl’s face crumpled. And after wiping tears with her dragon robe sleeve, tightening her reddened eyes sharply, Kōran raised her voice admirably:

“That’s not it! I’ll follow Onee-sama anywhere!”

Then the girl stood up indignantly and strode briskly toward Kishō. Flames of determination burned in the competitive girl’s eyes.

“It can’t be helped. I’ll allow myself to become your consort!”

“I didn’t ask for that!?”

He retorted with full strength at Kōran who crossed both arms as if calming her angry shoulders and turned away haughtily with a hmph. Why was this woman looking down on him in the first place? Moreover,

“What’s with that face anyway! Looking like you put umeboshi and lemon in your mouth, like ‘this is painful!'”

“Hmph, how fitting. They say first kisses taste like lemons.”

“Who cares!?”

A lie, he actually knew. The Princess’s lips had been soft and sweet.

“In the first place, apologize for attacking me first. We’ll talk after that.”

“You were worried about that? What a petty man.”

“Every single royal is an outrageous free spirit!?”

“Really? Though I’m not as elegant as Onee-sama.”

“That’s not a compliment! It’s sarcasm!!”

When he shouted as if howling at the heavens, he felt a little refreshed, but the situation hadn’t changed at all. Returning from a brief escape from reality, the Princess nodded saying “Kishō is right.”

“Here you must follow proper procedure and apologize for your rudeness. Understood, Kōran? First, kneel, bow your head, and then lick his foot to pledge loyalty.”

“That’s too much!? And you, don’t start kneeling already!”

“Permission was granted. Be grateful for Kishō’s mercy.”

The Princess nodded with satisfaction while standing imposingly.

Meanwhile, Kōran who’d started to kneel stopped in place and glared sharply as if reproaching the rudeness toward the Princess. Just as the situation was already becoming unmanageable, further chaos flew in like a follow-up blow.

“Ah! You’re leaving me out and having fun just the two of you. That’s not fair!”

A carefree voice came from the main building’s direction. Looking toward the voice, beside the frog-faced male student who’d collapsed, meaning near the entrance, Ōka stood.

Ōka came running over pitter-patter, swaying her short chestnut hair with a mischievous smile. When she made such a face, she absolutely never said anything good. As expected, leaning forward with an extremely interested manner:

“What what? Could it be you got harem member number two?”

“The situation keeps getting more complicated!?”

At the chaotically darkening situation like yaminabe, this time Kishō truly clutched his head and screamed.