The Invincible Aloof Yandere Princess Falls in Love with Her Younger Court Mage's Fatherly Warmth! ~She Clung to Him So Much That the King Fired Him. When He Made Marriage His Official Reason for Resigning Under Royal Order, the Light Vanished from the Princess's Eyes~

Chapter 31: Parent-Child Fight

There wasn’t even a hint of joking in what the princess said.

…She’s seriously trying to make me the king of Atlas, and she’s been thinking really hard about how to actually pull it off.

When she brought up marriage, I kinda wondered if she was just being clingy or something. But then she said she’s been showing footage of me fighting? That’s when it finally hit me.

—The princess is dead serious.

“…So yeah! Now the question is how to shut everyone else up by showing some real results. And lucky for us, there was just the perfect thing sitting in our treasury! If we record the footage with this necklace, then everyone can see the exact same thing through the paired magic tool—”

“Please… stop that.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I already stopped it? We’re talking right now, after all. I wanted everyone in the palace and the public to see Papa rescuing me when I was taken hostage—”

“That’s not what I mean. Sure, stopping the magic tool is part of it, but more than that— I want you to stop this whole ‘making me king’ thing.”

“…Huh?”

The princess froze for a second at my words. But then she processed what I said, and her face slowly started to twist.

“Why… why would you say something like that…? You just told me earlier… that you’d give me your life—!”

Her brows drooped as she looked up at me, pleading.

But no. Yeah, I’d happily give you my life, but this is completely different. There’s no way I can accept her seriously trying to put me on the throne as her partner or whatever.

Because—I don’t wanna become a shackle on the princess’s life.

“When I say I’ll give you my life, I’m not lying. I mean it. But the opposite can’t happen—”

I’m really happy that the princess cares about me so much. In return, I’m ready to do anything I can for her.

Even so. If she openly declares— in any way—to the palace or the whole country that she’s trying to push someone like me onto the throne… no one’s gonna see that as a good thing. It’s definitely gonna become a huge burden on her down the road.

I can’t let the princess take on a handicap just for someone like me…

“If someday… like, if you ever get tired of me or something—”

“!”

The moment I tried to voice my honest worry—

“—Never! Not ever! Not until we’re in the same grave together! There’s no way I’d ever get tired of Papa…!!”

“!”

The princess glared at me. Her silver hair practically stood on end, and her lips trembled like she still had more to say.

…This is the first time she’s ever looked at me with anger.

“Why… why won’t you believe in me! I’m never gonna hate Papa or anything! There’s no way you’d ever become a shackle on me…!”

“…Al-kun. I don’t want you becoming king or anything either, but I can’t just let that comment slide. There’s no way the feelings we have for you are ever gonna get smaller… not now, not ever…”

“Even you, Suu-san?”

I never thought I’d get backup from Suu-san too. And these two usually don’t get along at all.

But no matter what either of them says, my opinion isn’t changing. No feeling in this world lasts forever.

Just like—how I used to think my hometown would always be there, but then one day it was just gone in a flash. Stuff like that happens way too often in this world.

So when that happens, I don’t wanna drag down two people who’ve got real talent, solid determination, and bright futures ahead of them. I don’t wanna cast a shadow over their lives. The least I can do is repay them for adding color to my empty existence.

Being the guy they call “Papa,” that’s probably what I’m supposed to do.

Besides… making some random non-noble guy king? That’s just insane. Think about how much trouble, how many downsides that’s gonna dump on the princess.

So—

“—No matter what you two say, I can’t accept it. I won’t let my existence narrow down choices you haven’t even seen yet in the future.”

Right after I said it clearly—

—the air shifted. I felt it on my skin.

“…So then.”

A low mutter slipped out of the princess.

Before I could ask what, she looked up at me with tears pooling in her eyes and screamed.

“—Why, why, why!? Why why why why…! Why won’t you believe in me!!”

“That’s not—”

“You big dummy who doesn’t get it! …Idiot! When I love Papa this much—!!”

Her hysterical shout echoed. The way she forced it out, it sounded like pure despair was riding on every word.

That’s not it, princess. I’m not rejecting how you feel.

It’s just— I can’t forgive myself if I let someone way more valuable than me have their possibilities boxed in right now…

I was about to try explaining my feelings more clearly when—

“If that’s how it is… then fine… I’ll just do whatever I want—”

Right as the princess was on the verge of exploding—

—all of a sudden, a massive burst of star trial exploded outward.

“Wha—”

This isn’t… coming from the princess?

Suu-san and I quickly scanned around. The princess was still stubbornly glaring at me, but right now that didn’t matter—

“It’s not Mel-chan… Leo…?”

At the center of the pressure spreading across the area—right where the light-blocking barrier had been—silver light rose up, along with a human silhouette.

The big shadow moved closer, protectively shielding a smaller one, then swept the silver glow aside and grinned savagely.

“—Alright then. Time for the final round… kid…!”