Chapter 35: What Comes Next... End

"“Princess!!”"

After the discussion with Thor-kun and the others, Knight Sunbrag and Delawear approached me with stern expressions, raising their voices in unison.

"What’s the matter? You both look so flustered."

"'What’s the matter?' is not the right question!! Making such a promise without your lord father’s permission is utterly unacceptable!!"

Knight Sunbrag glared at me, clearly furious.

Of course, I had calculated I’d be scolded.
It didn’t frighten me in the slightest.

"A promise like that, you say?"

"A promise about love! And more importantly, you said ‘anything’…"

"As long as it remains in the realm of the platonic, there’s no issue. This is a personal matter. It’s outside my father’s jurisdiction."

Patriarchal authority extends to matters like property management and marriage (including chastity).
Outside of that—personal friendships or romance—are beyond its scope.

"Don’t you agree, Delawear? As long as it’s platonic, it should be acceptable, right?"

"Th-that is…"

"You did say so, didn’t you?"

"…Yes."

Delawear nodded, looking uncomfortable.

Knight Sunbrag turned to her with a shocked expression.

"If it’s within the bounds of platonic affection… His Lordship would likely permit it as well."

"If that’s the case, then…"

Knight Sunbrag stepped back, although he still looked like he wanted to say something.

Apparently, he took my words at face value.

He's the same type as Thor-kun, this man.

"However, Princess—"

"What is it?"

"What exactly did you mean by ‘until marriage’?"

Delawear looked up at me, narrowing her eyes.

She seemed to have caught on.

As expected of a woman—her perspective differs from a man’s.

"What do I mean? I meant exactly what I said."

"Whose marriage are we talking about?"

"My fiancé is Prince Bartona, of course."

Though, Prince Bartona didn’t come to rescue me.

That said, the royal family is in utter chaos at the moment.
Sending reinforcements is probably the last thing on their minds, so I don’t intend to blame him for not coming.

If anything, it works to my advantage.

"I would never do anything dishonest or unfaithful. I don’t want anyone to think that of me either. That’s why—even if it’s platonic—romantic feelings are only until marriage. Is there something wrong with that?"

"…No. If that’s how you feel, I have nothing further to say. Please forgive my intrusion."

Delawear backed down, seemingly accepting my explanation.

No, she didn’t actually accept it.

Her expression clearly said: “I’ll be reporting this to your father later!”

Well, Father won’t be back for at least a month.

Until then, I’m the one in charge of this country.

"I’m glad you’re satisfied. Now then, let’s move on to the letter for Duke Larknoll—"

"Please wait, Princess."

Knight Sunbrag stopped me.

"Forgive my impertinence… but may I ask what your intentions were? What led you to, well… bestow your affection upon Lord Thor?"

"Oh my! Sir Sunbrag, are you trying to apply logic to matters between a man and a woman?"

"Well, that’s not…"

"I’m just joking."

I brought a hand to my lips and laughed.

It was quite a tactless question, to be sure—but from Knight Sunbrag’s perspective, it was only natural that he wouldn’t want me playing with fire, even if it was supposedly platonic.

It would probably be easier to gain his understanding if I explained my reasoning clearly.

"As you know, the royal family is currently in no position to move. The imperial family is in a similar situation, although there’s no guarantee their confusion will settle any sooner than the royal family's."

Apparently, Prince Bard is still alive.

Compared to the royal house, whose king is now a prisoner, the imperial family—with both its head and successor intact—should recover more swiftly.

"Our own country remains unstable. And above all else, for better or worse, this incident has significantly elevated the influence of the Larknoll ducal house. Their future actions could shape the entire continent’s political landscape."

"…So this is to lay the groundwork for future marriage diplomacy?"

"That would fall under Father’s jurisdiction, wouldn’t it?"

When I replied, Knight Sunbrag gave a quiet nod.

His expression softened just a little.
It seemed he was relieved to see that I still knew my place.

"Whether the House of Larknoll becomes an ally or an enemy is still unclear. That’s exactly why I wanted to establish an informal bond."

A platonic romance holds nowhere near the weight of a marriage alliance.

Still, attacking someone in a romantic relationship—even a platonic one—comes with emotional hesitation.
Above all, it would feel dishonorable and dishonest.

So it’s not entirely devoid of political value.

"I see… So that was the deeper meaning behind your actions."

"Surely you didn’t think I’d just lost my head over some boy?"

When I asked, Knight Sunbrag suddenly began to flail in a panic.

Bullseye, it seemed.

"N-no, of course not. But if possible, I ask that you consult us in the future… You gave me quite a fright."

"Yes, you’re right. I was lacking in consideration. I apologize."

I had managed to smooth things over with Knight Sunbrag.

Now, the only issue was how to convey my intentions to Thor-kun…

But finding a chance to be alone with him wasn’t going to be easy.

Fufu…

"How is it, Lord Thor? Is the water to your liking?"

The next morning.

I was at a footbath facility in the mountains near the city of Osen, together with Thor-kun.

It was already November—autumn.

Given the elevation, the temperature was quite low.

That only made the warm footbath all the more pleasant.

"It’s a curious sensation. This fizzy, bubbling feeling... It’s quite amusing."

As he spoke, Thor-kun gently swirled his bare feet in the hot spring water.

The carbonated bubbles frothed up, making a fizzy sound.

I imitated him and moved my feet as well.

"...Oh."

Suddenly, I noticed Thor-kun’s gaze resting on my bare feet.

In general, it’s exceedingly rare for a woman’s legs below the knee to be seen by others—especially by men.

Though our culture accepts exposed legs due to the custom of kissing feet, it still isn't something typically done in public.

Nonetheless, it's a part of the body usually kept hidden—considered sensual.

"When you gaze at me with such intensity… it’s a bit embarrassing, you know."

Of course, as a former Japanese man, I’d like to say I wasn’t embarrassed.

But the truth is—I was. Just a little.

Lately, I’ve felt my mind becoming increasingly influenced by this world’s values—its sense of ethics, morality, and chastity.

"M-my apologies!"

Thor-kun quickly averted his eyes, flustered.

Then, in an obvious attempt to change the subject, he shifted his gaze toward the view in front of us.

"So this is the scenery—and the hot spring—that Emperor Cartema cherished… It’s truly moving."

It wasn’t the view or the hot spring that excited him most—it was the fact that we were on land connected to Emperor Cartema.

Thor-kun really is a boy.

I suppose he’s naturally drawn to tales of heroes and legend.

"You revere him, don’t you?"

"Yes. I, too, once dreamed of becoming a great hero like Emperor Cartema… when I was little."

When I was little, huh.

Did he say that to avoid sounding childish if he admitted he still admired him today?

How silly. I would never mock him for that.

"To me, Lord Thor is a far greater hero."

As I said that, I gently placed my hand over his.

He flinched slightly.

But he refused to look at me.

I could feel his iron will, focused on keeping his eyes locked on the view.

"P-please don’t flatter me."

"My heart fluttered when I heard you’d come to save me."

Of course, I’m a man.

Just being rescued by another man wouldn’t make my heart flutter.

That said, I really was happy.

"Will you… protect me again next time?"

"Th-that is… um…"

Thor-kun faltered.

It seemed he thought that if he gave a simple "yes" here, I might use it for political leverage.

How insulting.

"Oh my! Surely… you don’t think I’m the kind of wicked woman who’d twist a sincere promise exchanged between a man and a woman for her own gain, do you?"

"N-no! Of course not…"

He must’ve thought so.

Perhaps it was because of my usual behavior. I don’t exactly inspire trust.

…Well, it’s true that I said it partly with political intentions in mind.

“I think about you with such pure feelings…”

“M-My deepest apologies.”

“In times like this, you’re supposed to say, ‘I think about you too.’”

“Y-You are…?”

“Sir Thor, you really ought to learn more about a maiden’s heart.”

…Not that I understand a maiden’s heart myself. I’m a man, after all.

“U-Um… The truth is, it doesn’t quite feel real.”

“Doesn’t feel real?”

“That I’m able to connect with you like this… with someone as noble as yourself…”

It feels like a dream.

Thor said this, his face flushed with heat.

It’s not even a romantic relationship, yet he’s being so dramatic.

“When it comes to matters of the heart, status doesn’t matter.”

“D-Do you truly think so?”

“I do. …I’m your lover, after all.”

Saying this, I leaned in slightly closer.

Then, ever so subtly, I touched Thor’s foot with my own.

With my toes, I gently stroked the top of his foot.

Thor’s body jumped in surprise, almost comically.

“P-Princess Roselia!? Th-This is…”

“Shhh.”

I pressed a finger to my lips.

Technically, this was borderline inappropriate behavior—but with our bodies blocking the view, the knights watching us from behind wouldn’t be able to see anything.

Heh…

Doing something you’re not supposed to in secret… it’s surprisingly fun.

“There are plenty of tales about noblewomen and knights falling in love, aren’t there? Status doesn’t matter.”

“Y-You’re right…”

“Besides, we’re both nobles of equal standing. There’s no real difference in rank between us.”

As I said that, I gazed into Thor’s face.

Thor blushed and quickly turned away.

…So it still doesn’t get through to him.

And after all those love calls he used to make to me, too…

“Well then, I suppose it’s time I gave my knight a proper education in courtly romance.”

“Please do, Princess.”

“Very well.”

I began to share with Thor the story I had stayed up all night devising.

“Have you heard of a book called The Trial of Love?”

“M-My apologies… I’ve never read anything like that…”

…Of course not.

He doesn’t seem the type to care about that kind of thing.

“It’s a book where noblewomen hand down judgments on various matters of love and disputes between men and women.”

“Huh…”

“Let me share one of the episodes with you.”

There was once a noblewoman and a knight.

The knight fell in love with the noblewoman and begged her to give him her love.

But the noblewoman already loved someone else, so she told him she couldn’t return his feelings.

So the knight asked her to give him her love once her feelings for the other man ended.

The noblewoman agreed.

Sometime later, she succeeded in winning over the one she loved, and they decided to marry.

Then the knight showed up at the wedding, demanding she fulfill their agreement.

The noblewoman refused, saying her love had not ended.

Unwilling to accept that, the knight took the matter to court.

Now, I ask you:

Should the noblewoman have given her love to the knight, or not?

“…Not. The noblewoman was still in love with her intended, so there was no reason to give the knight anything. Frankly, I don’t even understand why the knight demanded her love in the first place.”

Ah… So that’s how he sees it.

Just as I expected.

No wonder he doesn’t understand my wordplay.

“The answer is yes. She should have given him her love.”

“…Let’s hear your reasoning.”

“The fact that she succeeded in meeting with him and they ended up together means, in other words, that her love had already ended.”

In the first place, marriage in this world is, as a rule, political.

It’s possible to end up in a political marriage with someone you happen to love—but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still a political arrangement at its core.

Therefore, love and marriage are fundamentally opposed concepts.

“Love is a connection of hearts. Marriage, on the other hand, is a physical union.”

I gripped Thor’s hand tightly, entwining our fingers.

I placed my foot over the top of his and locked our toes together.

“U-Umm…”

Thor’s cheeks turned crimson.

“Love is, by nature, a platonic thing. That’s why, once you’re married, you can no longer be in love. Which means that the noblewoman’s love ended the moment she got married. And so, she should have given her love to the knight.”

“I-I see…?”

Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heart pounded like an alarm bell.

A bead of sweat traced its way slowly down my cheek.

“That concludes my answer. …I hope to hear a good reply from you.”

I told Thor this with a trembling voice, overcome by nervousness.

And then, I waited for his response…

“Love… really is a profound thing, isn’t it.”

…Huh?

Was he even listening?

Seriously, this guy…

I nearly snapped.

There’s dense, and then there’s this.

Why am I the only one getting all flustered here…?

Ugh, enough already!!

At this point, might as well go for broke.

“I happen to have it with me now. I’ll lend it to you later.”

“Ah, thank you. T-Though, I don’t usually read books like that…”

“Prince Bartona owns a copy.”

“Then by all means, please let me borrow it.”

…This is a last resort.

I really didn’t want to go that far if I could help it.

Three days had passed since then.

I had tried everything—words, gestures, indirect suggestions—but nothing got through to Thor.

He's not some thick-headed protagonist from a romance novel. I wish he'd pick up on it already.

Well, I suppose it was all rather roundabout.

But if I said it directly, Sir Sunbrag would catch on.

Thor and Sir Sunbrag—I'd rather not play a game of chicken over who’s denser.

And just like that, the day of our parting arrived.

“Princess, that book…”

“I’m planning to lend it to Sir Thor.”

While I was having the servants prepare the book, Delawear spotted it.

Not that it was unexpected.

“May I take a look?”

“Go ahead.”

I handed The Trial of Love to Delawear.

She opened it with a suspicious look.

“A book about courtly romance…?”

“Yes. Quite appropriate for lovers, don’t you think?”

“…I suppose so.”

Even Delawear couldn't bring herself to suggest I give him a military strategy manual instead.

A man and woman in a platonic relationship, exchanging a book about love—perfectly wholesome.

Besides, I’ve lent books to people other than Prince Bartona before.

There’s nothing to be scolded for here.

“Are your doubts cleared?”

“Of course not…”

Delawear backed down, though she looked clearly unconvinced.

Women’s intuition, perhaps?

I hadn’t expected her to be this formidable.

Still… I’d cleared the biggest hurdle.

All that remained was to slip in the bookmark I’d prepared.

An hour later.

“Well then, Sir Thor. I wish you good health… Do give my regards to your father.”

“Yes, and the same to you, Princess Roselia. Please take care.”

Thor and I exchanged parting words.

With both his attendants and the escorting soldiers present, there was no way we could speak of anything personal.

But this was my final chance.

“Here. The book I promised you.”

“Ah, thank you… I-It’s rather thick, isn’t it?”

Thor frowned as he took the book.

Looks like he really doesn’t care for reading.

Next time I lend him something, I’ll have to pick something that actually interests him.

…Though the content isn’t what matters most here anyway.

“I thought you might say that.”

“M-My apologies…”

“It’s all right. Really… I’ve placed a bookmark at the most important page.”

I gave him a gentle smile.

“At the very least, please read that one part. When you’re alone… and thinking of me.”

That’s what I told him, at the very end.

Then I quietly watched the carriage carrying him away.

Surely, at the very least, he’ll open the book.

If he doesn’t even do that… then I give up.

After parting ways with Roselia, Thor El Larknoll let out a sigh alone in his carriage.

“…What a troublesome gift I’ve received.”

He sighed again as he stared down at the thick book.

Reading and writing had never been Thor’s strong suit.

He’d only honed his writing skills for the sake of exchanging letters with Roselia, but reading a romance book—especially one he had no interest in—was a whole other matter.

“Why do women like this kind of stuff so much…?”

Roselia had given him a brief lecture on The Trial of Love, but Thor couldn’t relate to its content at all.

The very idea of separating heart from body, love from desire, was utterly baffling to him.

To be in love meant wanting to embrace that person. At least, that’s how the people of Garzaarth saw it.

Thor wanted Roselia’s heart.

But at the same time, he wanted her body.

He wanted her to bear his children.

He wanted to have many children with her—and with Roselia, become the ancestors of a thousand-year legacy.

He wanted to lay the foundation for a millennia to come.

“I-I want to hold her…”

For the past few days, Thor had been struggling with the overwhelming urge to pounce on Roselia.

When they sat together in the footbath, he’d been right on the edge of losing control.

Especially when she touched his foot with hers—he’d nearly pushed her down right then and there.

If the attendants hadn’t been watching, he probably would’ve done it.

“Until marriage, huh? And a platonic relationship on top of that… damn it.”

He couldn’t lay a hand on Roselia.

And once she got married, she’d belong to Prince Bartona.

Just imagining it made Thor’s blood boil.

“Would an affair… not be possible? Or is it that she said ‘until marriage’ because she has no intention of cheating after?”

Any child born of Roselia would undeniably be her child.

And Prince Bartona would be nothing more than a stud horse—Roselia would become the ruler of the Duchy of Budoudarl.

If she wanted to cuckold him, she could, easily.

And yet, she refused to take that path.

Because Roselia was noble. Pure. A virtuous woman.

That was exactly why Thor loved her.

And because he loved her… he couldn’t touch her.

It was unbearable.

“…Well, I guess there’s still a chance the engagement could be broken off. Until then, I’ll just continue this platonic relationship with her—wait, what?”

Suddenly, something struck Thor as odd.

Continue a platonic romance until marriage.

But why?

If it’s platonic, wouldn’t it be fine to continue even after she got married?

Why had Roselia deliberately set a time limit—“until marriage”?

Because she was noble and virtuous?

Maybe.

But still…

Thor’s eyes drifted to The Trial of Love.

He recalled what Roselia had said during their time in the footbath.

—To successfully meet and be joined with someone means the love has ended.

—Love is a connection of the heart. Marriage, on the other hand, signifies a union of the flesh.

—Love, by nature, is a platonic thing. That’s why one cannot love after getting married. —The noblewoman’s love ends the moment she weds. And so, she should give her love to the knight.

If Roselia’s logic was correct, then even after marrying Prince Bartona, there should be no problem with her giving her love to Thor.

And yet—Roselia had told him:

“I will give you my love until I’m married.”

Which meant…

—That is my answer. …I expect a good reply from you.

Thump, thump, thump.

Thor’s heart pounded harder and hotter than it ever had before.

With trembling hands, Thor opened the book.

It naturally fell open to the page where the bookmark had been placed.

The passage there was the very same story Roselia had told him during the footbath.

Word for word, the exact same tale.

“…Did I expect too much?”

Thor felt a wave of disappointment.

Then, absentmindedly, he glanced at the bookmark.

He read the words written there—the message she’d left.

—

—

Next millennium, together.

“...Heh.”

After parting ways with Thor, I returned to my office and let out a quiet giggle.

Surely, after all that, he must have understood that I was seriously considering marrying him.

“I do apologize… but I’ll be using you.”

This war made one truth painfully clear to me.

In the end, the only thing you can truly rely on—is violence.

I won’t say violence solves everything, but when you're up against someone trying to use violence to get their way, the only real countermeasure is violence.

“In a crisis… I’ll need someone who can protect me.”

I’ve learned how unreliable the lords and knights can be.

This time, I managed to handle things because I had freedom of movement…

But what if I’d been pregnant?

Just imagining it sends a chill down my spine.

Being captured during a siege, locked away in a dungeon, all while pregnant—forced to give birth after having my limbs cut off… I want no part of that nightmare.

Whoever becomes my husband… must be strong enough to protect me, even while I carry a child.

“My apologies, Prince Bartona… but you’re not quite dependable enough.”

Prince Bartona is a trustworthy man, yes. But I can’t fully trust his capabilities.

Frankly, the royal family itself feels unreliable.

If I’m to forge an alliance, it must be with someone stronger.

“The problem is Duke Larknoll and Father… Thor will have to persuade the former. But the latter… he’ll be a tougher nut to crack.”

Father will undoubtedly oppose it.

There are several possible points of contention… but the one he’ll be most concerned with is Thor’s overwhelming power.

If Thor ever tried to kill me, I wouldn’t stand a chance.

No matter how many soldiers I had, I wouldn’t be able to defeat him in war.

If Thor decided to claim the entire Duchy of Budoudarl for himself, I wouldn’t be able to stop him.

And yet…

“Thor would never do something like that.”

Because Thor loves me.

Because he protected me.

Because he’s strong, kind… and a wonderful man.

“If I’m with you… then I—”

I won’t lose to anyone.

No matter how many times they encircle me, I’ll break through every blockade.

I’ll crush anyone who stands in my way.

“…To become the ancestor of a millennium, huh.”

Not a bad future… not bad at all.