Chapter 37: The Frontier Marquis

"Fuhihihi! I-I am deeply honored to meet the illustrious Princess Sonia, celebrated as the Jewel of Sugarcreek!"

"Ah, ahaha… I-It’s an honor for me as well, Marquis."

One of the local lords from the southern region—where I’m currently staying for a short rest trip—heard about my visit. Apparently, he insisted we meet while I’m here. And so, I’ve been reluctantly invited to the Marquis’s castle.

I’d been told beforehand that he was a young marquis, but looking at him now… I could only assume he’s been living quite indulgently. His skin was oily and glistening, his cheeks flushed pink, and his stomach puffed out like a balloon. To put it mildly, he gave off an aura that made me not want to get too close.

Please, at least wipe off that sweat.

"I-I heard that you were staying in the south to rest from your duties, so I thought th-this would be the perfect opportunity! I-I am Alan, the Marquis entrusted with governing this entire region. It is a great pleasure to meet you, Princess Sonia! Fuhihihi!"

"Th-thank you so much for inviting me, Marquis Alan."

He leaned far too close, his breathing heavy as he grasped both of my hands tightly. I wanted nothing more than for him to stop, but since he’s apparently a powerful local figure, I couldn’t just push him away.

Among the counts and marquises, the Frontier Marquis holds a crucial position—responsible for the defense near the kingdom’s border. Within his territory, he’s granted a high degree of autonomy.

In other words, his lands are practically a semi-independent domain within the Kingdom of Sugarcreek itself.

That’s why royal family members like me make visits like this from time to time—to build goodwill and maintain friendly ties. It’s part of politics, after all.

"Now, now, let’s not stand here talking! Please, allow me to escort you to the guest chamber. Ah, your attendants may rest in the servants’ hall for the time being. Fuhihihi."

"…Then, Princess Sonia. I’ll be waiting here."

My maid, Kamina, bowed politely.

"Ah, okay. See you later then."

Honestly, being separated from Kamina made me feel terribly uneasy—but it’s proper etiquette, so I had no choice.

Once again, that familiar pit formed in my stomach. Still, it’s not like a marquis—especially one guarding the frontier—would ever do anything to harm me. I’m sure it’s fine. I’m sure it is… right?

"Th-this way, Princess! Fuhihihi."

"Ah, thank you, Marquis."

He gripped my hand tightly, his round face beaming with a smile as he let out small snorts with each breath.

Excuse me. Please let go of my hand already.

"P-please, just call me Alan. I heard we’re the same age, after all. Fuhihihi."

"Oh, r-really? W-well then, Alan… Marquis, if that’s alright."

I tried to sound friendly, but his overly radiant grin made me lose my nerve, and I ended up adding his title back on. I-I couldn’t help it, okay!

"A-and may I… call you Sonia, Princess?"

"Eh? Ah, um… as a matter of propriety, we should still keep some decorum, Alan…"

Despite my awkward grimace, I managed to say his name directly. It drained a surprising amount of mental energy.

"Fuhihihi! Quite right, quite right! One shouldn’t rush such things, after all!"

For some reason, he began to jiggle his entire round body in delight, expressing his joy through a full-body wobble.

"F-first, you must be tired from your long journey. Perhaps a bath to refresh yourself? Fuhihihi."

"…Ah, no thank you. I’d prefer to move ahead with the luncheon as scheduled."

A chill ran down my spine, and the words left my mouth before I realized it. Something about him set off my internal alarm. Maybe it’s just that his whole demeanor reminds me of that ex-chancellor we banished ages ago (see Episode 2).

"Fuhihihi! U-understood, Sonia—ah, pardon me, Princess Sonia."

He finally released my hand—reluctantly—barked some orders at his attendants (all of whom were young, cute, and beautiful), threw me a wink, and waddled off down the corridor.

"…"

…That meeting is getting wrapped up in five minutes, tops. I swore that silently in my heart.

"…Princess. A change of clothes has been prepared for you. This way, please."

A girl with semi-long pale blue hair stepped forward and spoke to me.

"Huh? But the dress I’m wearing is fine, isn’t it?"

It was a pink dress Kamina and I had picked out together—perfectly proper in terms of etiquette.

"My apologies, Your Highness. Our lord has personally prepared a new gown for you and insists that you wear it…"

Y-you’ve got to be kidding me.

Hmm… refusing might come off as rude.

"…Sigh. Alright, I’m not exactly thrilled about it, but fine."

"Thank you very much. This way, please."

And so, in the end, I found myself having to change clothes after all.

"What in the world is this!?"

I couldn’t help shouting in front of the mirror.

Oh—oops. That wasn’t very princess-like, was it?

But still… seriously, what is this!?

"…U-um."

"Yes, Princess?"

The maid with pale blue semi-long hair stood before me, expressionless. Still, I could swear the muscles near her temple twitched a little.

"Uh, where do I even start… First of all, this outfit—don’t you think the neckline’s a bit too low? Like, almost completely exposed? And the skirt—way too short! Not to mention this part here—you can totally see my underwear!"

Worse, the white fabric was so thin that… well, it didn’t leave much to the imagination. If I described it any further, this story would have to be published on an adults-only site.

Let’s just say it looked like something straight out of a seductive fantasy game—an outfit clearly designed to tempt men.

And overall, the vibe was like some kind of lewd wedding dress.

"I-Is this really supposed to be formal attire?"

"…Yes. That is what my lord has instructed."

Her voice was as cold as ice. She stared directly at my chest while saying it. Why does it feel like she’s angry at me for this?

When I listened closely, I could hear her muttering under her breath.

"Using those to seduce him… so unfair… so jealous…"

Um. Okay, that’s terrifying.

"…This way, please."

"Uh, o-okay…"

She didn’t give me a chance to argue and immediately started leading me away.

Too embarrassed to walk normally, I folded my arms over my chest, hugging myself as if to hide.

What kind of humiliation play is this!?

After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at a room with one massive bed in the center. Just one.

It had a canopy, golden embroidery so fine it must’ve cost a fortune, and bedding that looked soft enough to sink into. The silky sheets shimmered in the light—definitely expensive.

If I wasn’t in this situation, I’d probably think, “Wow, that bed looks comfy.”

"Then, please excuse me."

With that, the maid bowed and left.

…But I’ve been through enough in my life to know exactly what’s coming next.

I could already picture how this would play out.

"F-fuhihihi… M-my beloved, my sweet honey. You just couldn’t resist me any longer, could you? Don’t worry… I understand you completely. Fuhihihi."

"…"

There he is.
Exactly as predicted.

And, of course, he’s not wearing anything.

For a brief moment, I had the urge to give him a piece of advice: “Please cover that up.”

But fine, this much was expected.

Now the real question is—how do I get out of this disaster alive?

Use brute force. Probably doable. Downside: I’d be attacking a Frontier Marquis. That would lead to civil war in Sugarcreek. Problematic.

Accept his… passion. Lose my virginity. Father kills him out of rage. Then civil war anyway. Also bad.

Run for it. I don’t know the castle layout. Get caught. Repeat option two.

Stall for time. Try to reason with him until he gives up—or someone rescues me. Unlikely, but definitely the best option.

Alright. Let’s start with negotiation.

"A-Allen? Could you maybe calm down a little first?"

I spoke gently, trying to soothe him.

"Fuhh… fuhhh… fuhhhiii…"

His eyes were wide open—completely feral.
Yeah, he’s not exactly in a state to understand human speech anymore.

"Okay, look. I don’t know if you can understand this right now, but if you lay a hand on me, it’s going to cause you a lot of trouble."

"Fuhh… fuhh… fuhhhee…"

"…U-um, also, don’t you think… these things should start as friends first? Like, planning the first date or something?"

Well, of course, I’d refuse the moment he tried to take the initiative.

"Fuhh… fuhh… fuhihihi. D-don’t worry, Sonia. We’ve been connected by fate since our previous lives, you see. Fuhhyuu."

Please, do not drag me into your so-called fate.

"Fuhihihi… I-I can’t hold back any longer! Then… l-let’s get started!"

"Eeek!"

The Frontier Marquis lunged toward the bed with terrifying force.
Yeah… this is bad. Really bad.

"…Hah. Honestly, I wanted to just watch for a bit longer…"

I barely registered the voice before Alan suddenly stumbled midair as if tripping—and then collapsed, unmoving.

He started snoring loudly a moment later.
At least he was still breathing… so he wasn’t dead.

???

It happened so suddenly I couldn’t process it at first. After waiting a moment and seeing nothing else happen, I quietly slipped out of the room.

"Good work on the meeting."

"Ah!"

Near the entrance, the pale blue-haired girl from before was bowing deeply.

"Uh… um…"

How do I even explain this?

"My lord has retired for the evening. I believe it is time for Princess Sonia to return as well."

"Ah… um…"

Just as I was about to ask for a change of clothes, Kamina appeared at the other end of the corridor, her eyes fixed on me with a piercing stare.

"…I had my suspicions for a while, but Princess Sonia, it seems you have a tendency toward exhibitionism."

"Eh? W-wait, that’s not—"

"Very well. Then let us remind you, Princess, that the House of Sugarcreek is a martial family. Perhaps this will help you remember who you truly are."

"…"

No. Nothing I say will get through to Kamina right now.

I cursed my own misfortune—but at the same time, silently thanked the gods that I had at least survived this ordeal intact.

"Impressive, as always. Lieutenant Zexis sees everything clearly."

The pale blue-haired girl—Lieutenant Colonel Sylphy of the Special Land Combat Unit—hummed to herself as she rifled through Frontier Marquis Alan’s desk.

Inside were ledgers of black money, records of human trafficking, and more.

But that wasn’t her main objective. She was investigating the Marquis’s ties to the Merchant Guild—and quietly erasing them from existence.

"Ah, there it is."

Evidence kept appearing one after another. Thanks to that idiot Marquis clearing out his staff so he could pursue Princess Sonia, her work had become much easier.

Normally, she could have incapacitated Alan before he even became a threat to the Princess, but for some reason, she had allowed the situation to play out a little.
Not out of personal grudge—this was a calculated operation.

"However… that Princess’s maid. She’s remarkable."

They had only exchanged a glance for a brief moment, yet Sylphy could tell—the Princess’s attendant was no ordinary woman.

"It might be wise to raise the alert level slightly."

Even in the small kingdom of Sugarcreek, there existed a surprisingly powerful presence—something Sylphy hadn’t anticipated.
The realization left her momentarily unsettled.