My Childhood Friend Told Me to Go Marry the Most Beautiful Woman in the Kingdom, So I Seriously Started Improving Myself—and Somehow Ended Up Making Women Fall Hard - Chapter 104 & 105

Chapter 104: Women Who Fell into the Swamp (12)

Side: Luminaria Edelstein Valshrein

…My heart was pounding.

Hort had thought seriously… and spoken those words for my sake.
That made me very happy.

But… he didn’t understand politics. Just as he said I had been raised in the royal castle, he himself had grown up as a baron, far removed from the inner workings of court politics.

That was why there were things he simply didn’t know.

“…You’re the first person to ever say something like that to me.”

My voice trembled more than I expected.

And somehow… Hort seemed incredibly adorable to me.

An eighteen-year-old knight.
He still didn’t know the ugliness of adults.

I turned my gaze toward the window.

Right now, my face was probably softening into a smile.
The lights of the royal capital looked blurred.

It made me sad that he couldn’t understand my feelings. But Hort didn’t stop there. He was trying to listen to what I said.

Straightforward. Blunt. Painfully honest.

And I knew… that was the most dangerous kind.

I slowly turned back and looked at him.

I wondered if I could still maintain my usual composure.

“…Hort.”

“Yes.”

His reply was stiff… almost like a defendant in court.

I placed my fingers on the edge of the desk and steadied myself.

“I’ll explain now… why what you said is dangerous.”

“…Yes.”

That honesty of his… really was wonderful.

“First. Saying, in front of royalty, that the First Prince—who is currently acting in place of the King—is right to be indifferent… that kind of statement damages the Crown Prince’s authority.”

“…”

That devastated look on his face.

Haah… haah… haah… this feels nice.

“You probably said it out of goodwill. But goodwill doesn’t excuse anything. If someone hears it and thinks the Crown Prince is incompetent, then from that moment on… your words become a blade.”

I lowered my voice.

The warmth I felt toward him—I locked it away for now and didn’t let it show.

Because that way… I could clearly see his expression twist in anguish.

“Second. Saying, ‘your way of thinking is also dangerous’… is the same as declaring that a princess holds dangerous ideas.”

“…”

His face turned completely pale.

Fufu… good.

“In other words, it can be taken as inciting opposition against the royal family. If it reaches Brother Phantom’s ears, you’ll immediately be turned into a political tool. A perfect piece to drag me down.”

Hort’s brow twitched slightly.

At last… he was beginning to understand the weight of his words.

I continued.

“Third. You said you were prepared to offer yourself up… and asked to be dismissed, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“That is the worst of all. That statement is nothing but irresponsible. And if you disappear… who do you think benefits from that?”

“……”

“My enemies. Right now, you are my sword and my shield. If you vanish on your own, I become weaker. So… never say something like that again.”

The moment I finished, heat rose deep within my chest.

“I’m sorry.”

He looked completely crushed, his face pale, apologizing from the bottom of his heart.

Ah… just now, I bound him with a commanding tone.

He lowered his head, his expression dark.

“Hort, rising prices and worsening public safety are things the state must take responsibility for. We receive taxes from the people. That money exists so that we, the royal family, can protect them. We create laws, and we protect them economically and physically. That is the duty of royalty.”

I cleared my throat and forced myself to remain calm.

If I didn’t… I would get carried away, and my voice would start to shake.

“And lastly… when you said you didn’t want me to be sacrificed…”

My words caught in my throat.

The truth was… it made me happy.
He was worried about me—me, as an individual.

“…you’re too kind. And that makes you dangerous.”

I sensed Gina quietly holding her breath behind me.
And Haua letting out a faint snort.

Hort lifted his face and looked at me.

“Being kind… is dangerous?”

“Yes. You tried to save me. You tried to carry my burden in my place. In the end, your argument is full of holes. There’s no real correctness in it. It’s no different from the ideal I spoke of.”

And yet… parts of what he said were right.

My own purpose.
He had clearly pointed out what I lacked—the reason that would make him want to devote his sword to me.

I was a princess.
A diplomat.

I had lived my life navigating schemes and negotiations.

He didn’t know any of that.

And maybe that was why… I found myself wanting to rely on him, and him alone.

“Then let me ask you this instead.”

“…Yes.”

“Hort. Why do you think I’ve gone this far?”

He hesitated.

Even so… he didn’t look away.

“For the sake of the country… that’s what Lady Lumina…”

“That’s just the official answer. In politics, you have to separate your true feelings from what you show on the surface.”

The moment I said that, Gina’s presence stiffened slightly.
Haua let out a quiet, amused “oh.”

I took a deep breath and continued.

“Of course, it is for the country as well. Protecting the people is our duty. If we take taxes, then we also carry responsibility… but that’s not all.”

I looked out the window.

The lights flickered in the distance.

“I… I don’t want my life to be decided and ended by someone else’s convenience.”

I spoke my resolve.

As royalty, you could call it arrogance born from my position.

But I stood in a place where I could become king.

That was a chance.

“Because I’m royalty. Because my body is weak. Because I’m a woman. For reasons like that, people have always drawn a line and said—this is as far as you go.”

“……”

He looked at me with serious eyes.

“So before anyone else draws that line for me… I draw it myself. I decide how far I’ll go—and I’ve been running toward it.”

Through the window’s reflection, I saw Hort’s throat move.

He swallowed.

I turned back… and looked straight at him.

“The word ‘sacrifice’ you used… to me, it’s both an insult… and a kind of salvation.”

“Salvation…?”

“Yes. No one has ever said that to stop me. Because if they did, they’d have to take responsibility. Because they don’t have the resolve to stand beside me.”

At that moment, his expression changed—like he had realized something.

I was angry.

But just as much… I was happy.

That someone this adorable had become my Royal Guard.

“Hort.”

“Yes.”

“Do you have the resolve to stand beside me? From here on, it’s a world you’ve never known. You’ll come to understand that the words you spoke to me were nothing more than ideals. It’s a dark… messy path.”

“…I’m prepared. No matter what kind of path it is, I want to help you.”

His eyes were so direct.
So clear.

“Then I have conditions.”

“Conditions?”

“You need to learn as well.”

“Learn…”

“Yes. History, politics, diplomacy. You’ll learn all of it—right beside me.”

Hort didn’t know.
Just how terrifying politics could be.

“In the mornings, you’ll train as a knight. During the day, you’ll study beside me. And at night… you’ll work on making bras.”

“…B-Bras too?”

“Yes. In the future, what will push you onto the diplomatic stage… is bras.”

“Bras…?”

“That’s right. Win over women’s hearts. You still have plenty of room to grow.”

He looked completely confused.

But even so… I found myself wanting to raise him.

This adorable knight, who thought so desperately, struggled so hard to find an answer… and in the end said he didn’t want me to be sacrificed, because he wanted to protect me—

“Can you do it?”

“I can! I’ll prove it!”

“Good. Then learn politics. Learn the diplomacy I carry out. Broaden your perspective. Understand that there are things you can’t judge just by looking at this royal capital alone. Become a man with a wide enough view to see the entire kingdom.”

“Yes!”

He really was so honest…

Maybe that was exactly why I chose him.

When I glanced at Gina, she looked relieved.
She must have thought I was going to cast Hort aside.

But… it would be such a waste to let someone this interesting go.

Up until now, I had even given Gina money to support him.

Hort was still immature.
A knight still in the middle of growing.

And to raise him with my own hands…

There was nothing more enjoyable than that.

Chapter 105: Days of Training the Mind

Side: Hort Rubel

“Listen carefully, Hort. A Crown Knight needs more than just skill with the sword. You need education, knowledge, politics, manners… and strength as well. So train yourself in all of it.”

The conclusion I had reached… Lady Lumina called it naive and scolded me.

The world I saw… and the world Lady Lumina saw… were completely different.

And that was something I had to learn.

♢

Starting the next day, a desk was set up for me in Lady Lumina’s office.

In the mornings, I trained with Haua.
During the day, I observed diplomacy.
And from the evening onward… it was study time at the desk.

Paper and ink.
Thick books.
Maps.
Copies of treaties.
Noble family lineages.
Trade distribution charts.

…Honestly, it was tougher than training.

There was so much to memorize, it made academy studies feel easy.

Every time my head started to droop from sleepiness, Lady Lumina’s voice would snap at me.

“Hort.”

“Y-Yes!”

“That ‘yes’ was a beat too slow.”

“…You’re imagining it.”

“I’m not. Read that section again.”

There was no escape.

And Lady Lumina was strict… even with a smile.

My back straightened instantly.

Gina quietly placed a cup of tea beside me.

“Let’s review, Hort.”

“Yes.”

“In this treaty, which side is being protected?”

“…The kingdom’s side.”

“Close. What’s being protected is the kingdom’s image. What’s being protected on the other side is their way out. Politics always has a hidden side. And there’s no such thing as a law that protects only one side. Laws don’t have good or evil. That’s the important part.”

“…I see.”

When I nodded, Lady Lumina lightly spun her pen, looking satisfied.

“Good boy.”

“…Aren’t you treating me like a kid?”

“Yes, I am. Because you’re far too ignorant.”

“Ugh… sorry.”

She answered instantly.

Gina cleared her throat.
She was definitely holding back laughter.

I took a deep breath and turned the page.

A chapter on history.

Wars.
Famines.
Rebellions.
Plagues.

This wasn’t the surface-level history I had read at the academy.

This was the official history recorded by the royal family.

Why things happened… the explanations written by experts… all of it was difficult, filled with things that weren’t easy to understand.

Political conflicts with other countries turned into wars.
Betrayals among nobles led to kings being killed.

Lady Lumina had said—“Politics is a mass of blood, contracts, and debts.”

What I had been seeing… were the people living in the royal capital.

But what Lady Lumina was looking at… was the relationship between nations.

And what it meant to run a country.

And the more I started to understand…

The weight Lady Lumina was trying to carry was beyond anything I could imagine.

That was why…

I couldn’t look away from studying anymore.

“Hort. You’re making quite a difficult face. If there’s something you don’t understand, just ask.”

“Sorry… there’s just too much to remember.”

“That’s not it… You’ve started thinking about unnecessary things again, haven’t you?”

“Eh?”

Lady Lumina stood up and walked over to me.

Then she lightly pressed her finger against my forehead.

Push—

My head tilted forward toward the desk on reflex.

“W-Wait… that’s too close.”

“Hort, you still lack far too much knowledge. You don’t have time to be resting.”

“…Sorry.”

“Fufu, good. That honesty is nice.”

This time, she patted my head.

And then she gave me a bright smile.

…Yeah, this person really is strong.

♢

When night came, I was finally able to return to my room.

On my desk were cloth, patterns, and measurement charts.

What was laid out there wasn’t weapons…

…But materials for women’s clothing.

I remembered Lady Lumina’s words.

“This is your assignment.”

“Assignment…?”

“Yes. Design underwear that matches formal attire for diplomacy.”

“Isn’t this separate from studying diplomacy?”

“It’s part of it.”

She said it without hesitation.

“Diplomacy is about providing what the other side wants. And if you can create something other countries don’t have, that alone becomes a strength. That’s why you need to study this as well.”

Lady Lumina placed a single dress design in front of me.

The neckline wasn’t that low.

But it still showed the body’s shape.

If you moved, it would shift.
If you sat, wrinkles would form.

My task was to make sure it wouldn’t fall out of place.

There were many others too—dresses, casual wear, sleepwear.

I was told to study the materials and ideas needed to match women’s clothing… and come up with designs myself.

“Hort. You are a Royal Guard.”

“Yes.”

“But right now, you are also the kingdom’s leading designer of women’s underwear.”

“I… I’m still not used to that title.”

“Get used to it. I fully intend to use you in diplomacy along that line.”

Lady Lumina was far stricter than I had imagined.

I forced my body up from the bed and sat at the desk.

There were drawings of women, sketches of dresses, notes explaining materials and construction like recipes.

“…Let’s do this.”

♢

By the time it was late at night, I collapsed onto the bed.

Lady Lumina stayed very close.

“Good. Hort is obedient.”

“Please stop calling it obedient.”

“No.”

Her smile overwhelmed me.

Ever since I declared my resolve that day, she hadn’t gone easy on me at all.

I almost held my head in frustration.

But at the same time… I found it interesting.

It wasn’t just about protecting with a sword.

At the negotiation table, you had to keep the other side engaged… without lowering your lord’s dignity.

That was another way of protecting.

Understanding emotions.
Guiding them.
Reading the other person.

It felt like a higher-level version of what my sister had taught me.

Lady Lumina was trying to drill all of that into me.

“Hort.”

“Yes.”

“Make sure to prepare one for me as well.”

She said it softly, almost like whispering right into my ear.

My heart skipped a beat.

“This is part of your training too. Make underwear that fits my body… and make both me and Gina look beautiful.”

“…Understood. I’ll do it.”

“Good boy.”

She said it again.

It was frustrating… but at the same time, there was a strange sense of accomplishment.

And just like that, my days went on—

In the morning, I got beaten down by politics, history, and diplomacy.
In the afternoon, I got beaten down by studying, fabric, and design.
And at night, even in my dreams, Lady Lumina scolded me.

…What is this?

Is this hell?

As long as Lady Lumina was by my side, there was no escape.

Her eyes…

They looked like she was enjoying all of this.

And little by little, I kept getting trained.

My sword—Dame Haua handled that.
My mind—Lady Lumina handled that.

And then… between women’s underwear and her whispering voice, my brain felt like it was melting.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

[Afterword]

Hello, this is the author, Iko.

That concludes Act 06.

This is the first half of the Lumina arc.
Story-wise, it’s the Royal Guard arc.

Since February ends today, there will be more contests and submissions coming up, so I’d like to take some time to think about a new work.

Because of that, starting tomorrow, I’ll be updating this series at one chapter per day.

I plan to write it all the way to the end, so I’d be happy if you continue to follow along until the finish.