“How many has it been now?”
Right now, Isolte was in her house connected to the Dojo.
Sitting in the living room opposite her brother.
“…He was the 26th.”
Isolte said that as she hung her head.
Tantris tried to look her in the eyes, but she averted her gaze.
“There’s a rumour going around that you’ve given up.”
“…Yeah.”
“Why?”
Isolte pressed her lips together.
“Well, um… Everybody’s great. They’re all nice, calm people… It’s just…”
“It’s just?”
“Because they’re all so perfect, their flaws all stand out.”
Isolte began to remember all the people she had met with.
The royal family members introduced by Ariel.
They were all lively young men, and did well to entertain Isolte during the meeting.
But… They were all quite honest.
Just as Ariel said, they began to talk about their own individual fetishes.
The five she had met with, were all quite open about it.
Handsome, kind; After they were married, he would try his best to be of use to Isolte: Atole Orpheus Asura.
Handsome, strong; He has a deep understanding of the Water God Style: Beijil Venti Asura
Handsome, elegant; He’s be an extreme help to the finances of the Water God Style: Carlos Siodos Asura.
Handsome, funny; He can make you laugh in any conversation: Daniel Lips Asura.
Handsome, cute; He just makes you want to protect him: Elliot Skiron Asura.
All of them spoke in great detail.
About what they’d do to her on the bed, or places other than the bed, what they’d want her to wear, and finally, what Isolte wanted…
Isolte, who was by no means experienced, couldn’t keep up.
When she realised, she declined.
They said upfront what they thought.
She remembered the repulsive lust those handsome men possessed.
In truth, Isolte had quite a bit of mistrust towards men.
Not all men are like that.
They may not all be, but the world is large and there would have to be some that are.
So Isolte began to think that it would be fine if she just didn’t get married.
“What was wrong with them?”
“I cannot say. It’s something that I refuse to let from my mouth.”
“I get it… They are Asuran royalty after all.”
The perverted tastes of Asuran royalty are quite famous.
The upper class wouldn’t be satisfied with the normality of the common person’s desires.
“But this really is a problem. You turned them all down.”
“I haven’t rejected all of them yet. There are still some left.”
“True, but at this rate, nothing’s going to get decided.”
Tantris said that and reminisced.
Isolte, whenever she had to choose anything for herself, would always end up being too picky, denying everything, and saying she hated it.
And then someone comes along and takes all the good things leaving her with whatever’s left.
That’s also the reason she missed the usual age for marriage.
“Alright then, let’s do this.”
Taking her personality into account, he came to a decision.
“Marry the next man you meet with.”
“But, that’s…”
“There’s no way he’ll be able to match all your conditions.
Because you’re in a position to choose, you focus on all the bad points.
But after you’re married those flaws could seem like trivial matters.
There might be some massive benefit that you missed at first.”
Tantris didn’t like this kind of overbearing argument.
He believed that ample time to choose is necessary.
And to know that person from the core.
But it’s because of『Ariel’s introduction』that he believed, even if he had to be somewhat overbearing, he had to make it work somehow.
He couldn’t allow Ariel’s introduction to end in failure.
“…I understand.”
After a short silence, Isolte prepared herself.
It’s true that she was too picky.
She’d always been like that.
That kind of personality has a good affinity with the Water God Style, she would soon be the Water God after all, but it had a bad compatibility with marriage.
If things continued this way, she might spend her whole life single.
Water God is indeed a title to be proud of.
To receive praise and admiration from all.
Responding to everyone with a smile, conversing, and returning home in a good mood.
And then come home to an empty house, eat alone and go to bed with no one by your side.
Empty.
She didn’t become the Water God to receive praise.
But besides the swordsman within her, another Isolte exists.
And that existence is already alone.
And because of that, she felt empty.
She didn’t know whether or not building a family would fill the hole in her heart.
But it would be better to have someone to come home from being admired to boast to.
It’s possible that whoever that might be, after listening to Isolte’s day, they might demand some perverse act but…
…No, she was resolved.
“So, when and where is the next meeting?”
“Today. Apparently there’ll be a carriage to come pick you up.”
“Royalty coming to meet me?”
“Yes.”
There were three people left.
Isolte didn’t know, but after hearing that five had already been rejected, they had decided to go all out.
As a result of the order being chosen via lottery, each one came at her more serious than the last.
“…Hm?”
It was then that Isolte realised.
“The Dojo is quite noisy.”
The Dojo was adjoined to the Cruel house.
That said, it was the headquarters of the Water God Style, so it took up a sizeable portion of land.
Normally you wouldn’t be able to hear anything, but Isolte was a Water Emperor.
When the noise was mixed with anger and bloodthirst, she’d have to notice.
“Is he already here?”
“It seems a bit soon for that… No I might just be mistaken, but in any case, I’m going. Even if it is a mistake, it isn’t good to keep royalty waiting.”
“You’re right. Let’s hurry.”
Isolte and Tantris nodded to each other and walked towards the door.
The Dojo was somewhat noisy.
The disciples in their training uniforms were surrounding someone, berating them with insults.
“Aah, Master, there’s someone here to challenge you! He just showed up demanding that our Master come out.”
Isolte and Tantris turned blue the second they heard that.
If the students were acting this way towards royalty, it would be possible for them to have the Dojo shut down.
He probably didn’t give his name.
The man who had come here to pick Isolte up.
“Cease this!”
At Isolte’s cry the place immediately quieted.
“Open the path! He is my guest!”
“…But this man,”
“All students are to kneel in the Dojo!”
After Isolte had shouted that, the disciples scattered like baby spiders, headed towards the Dojo and kneeled in a line.
Ever since the previous generation they’d been quite fast at this.
Well, that aside.
She would have to quickly apologise.
Thinking that, Isolte looked behind where the disciples just were.
“…?”
Waiting there was a man standing at 2 meters tall.
A shoulder width of at least a meter.
With a massive stone like frame.
Isolte recognised it.
“Doga?”
“…Yessir.”
When she called out and he turned around, it was definitely him.
The completely honest member of the Seven Knights of Asura, the『King’s Gatekeeper』Doga.
He had previously been standing there looking frightened,
but when he saw Isolte he looked relieved.
“You managed to narrowly escape death. This man is the North Emperor Doga. If he was serious, you people would have…”
Isolte had said that much and then noticed how Doga was dressed.
Knight’s formal wear.
Isolte hadn’t seen him in formal wear before.
He was always wrapped up in his usual gold or grey armour.
And as if it were his uniform, Ariel didn’t say anything.
In addition to his tightly wrapped appearance, he held a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
In Doga’s hand it may have looked small, but it was quite a large bouquet.
“What are you doing here? On Her Majesty’s orders? Or is an urgent summons?”
Isolte was puzzled.
Doga slowly walked towards her and pressed the bouquet towards her hands.
Isolte didn’t think it was possible.
Bouquet and formal wear.
Isolte felt that it wasn’t possible.
But what he said next, made the impossible, possible.
“I-Isolte Cruel… I love you! P-Please marry me!”
How was it possible that Doga was a member of the Asura royal family.
She suddenly understood.
He was the only man allowed to guard Ariel’s private room.
Luke was a special case and even Sándor, although he was allowed a weapon was assigned to guard some far off room.
Even late at night, he still stands outside Ariel’s room.
But considering that, she had never heard that he was a eunuch.
Doga was known to be a harmless man, be he was still a man.
With a large build and strength of a North Emperor.
Considering that, it would be simple for him to take a visit to Ariel’s bedroom.
Isolte had always wondered how this man had gotten his position.
But what if he was related to Ariel?
Someone she had known since she was young?
His birthplace was supposedly a small village somewhere in the empire, but there’s all kinds of royalty.
Ariel had once fled to a distant country, Doga may have also have hid himself since childhood.
“Isolte.”
At Tantris’s call, Isolte came out of her sea of thought.
He may have been part of something dangerous.
Doga was most likely part of the darkness of the Asura Empire.
If she carelessly got involved, Isolte might be erased.
“What’s the matter?”
Being asked from the front brought her back to reality.
“…Nothing.”
Isolte once more looked at Doga.
“Please marry me.”
He said that.
Without a doubt.
He remained silent after that, but she shouldn’t have misheard.
Doga’s manner was impressive.
Walking in from the front door with flowers in hand and proposing right off the bat.
Isolte would have preferred something slightly more romantic.
But if you think about it, you could call that romantic.
Giving flowers in front of a group of people and proposing was added to Isolte’s list of romantic confessions.
Of course, not in front of a smelly Dojo, but a beautiful fountain, at a luxurious party hall…
But she decided to ignore that.
She was ignoring all kinds of things.
“…Perfect timing. A fellow member of the Seven Knights would match you perfectly.”
“Yes… But, it’s just…”
It was then that Isolte realised where they were.
In the line of sight of the Disciples.
“In any case, we should change the location. Doga, please follow me.”
“Yessir.”
Isolte began walking in the opposite direction.
She didn’t take the flowers from his hands and for a second Doga looked somewhat sad but immediately began to follow Isolte.
And so Doga was invited back to Isolte’s estate.
He was sitting huddled up on the sofa that was creaking under his weight.
The bouquet was still on his lap.
Opposite him, Isolte was sitting dignified.
She didn’t give off any sort of aura nor did her face reveal her emotions.
It gave the illusion that she was feeling nothing at all.
Tantris wasn’t around.
He had left them at the entrance to prepare tea.
“…”
And in the meantime, Isolte was carefully observing Doga’s face.
In the face of her gaze, Doga put on a serious expression.
Because he was trembling slightly, it was obvious that he was nervous.
But what Isolte was looking at wasn’t that, it was his face.
His simplistic face.
She just wasn’t fond of it.
She could try to ignore it, but it just wasn’t her preference.
“……”
Honestly, she thought that maybe one of the previous 5 might have been better.
They were all similarly high spec’d with handsome faces. They were all much more fantastic.
But the next royal family member to come through might be below Doga.
There was also the previous discussion with her brother.
This was something she had to decide.
“In any case, who would have thought you were royalty.”
As Isolte said that with a sigh, Doga looked puzzled.
“I ain’t royalty.”
“…Hm? Were you adopted?”
She asked that to find out if he was hiding his status as royalty.
“I was born in a small village in the Donati province and have always been a gatekeeper. Me pops was a soldier of the village and…”
But what came out from Doga’s mouth was a story of rising up from a decidedly poor soldier.
No, he might not have been poor.
Isolte had already somewhat heard the story but when he got to the part about his sister's wedding, he started crying, which caused Isolte to start crying too.
“And so, after I heard you were gettin’ married, I thought, before that, I should let you know how I felt.”
“…”
But this basically meant that he was someone completely unrelated.
he had nothing to do with the royalty introduced by Ariel.
And so Isolte decided to refuse him.
It was a slight shame, but she had to uphold the dignity imparted through Ariel's introduction of the suitors.
(Hmm? A shame? why?)
It was then she questioned her own thoughts.
But she immediately reached a conclusion.
He was honest, diligent, and wholehearted.
From what she had heard from him just now, he didn’t have any kind of fetish that would make you draw away.
He had the strength of a North Emperor and as a member of the Seven Knights his wage was secure.
He liked to drink but it didn’t make him violent, nor did he get involved in showy gatherings.
Only his face was no good.
It wasn’t that it was bad, it just didn’t fit with Isolte’s preferences.
“U-um…!”
Seeing Isolte’s complex look Doga spoke up as if resolving himself.
“I-I, ever since I first saw you, I thought you were as pretty as a flower, and, um, I had always loved you!”
Doga said that and once more pushed the bouquet towards Isolte.
“Is that right, from when we first met…”
Isolte’s vision was filled with flowers.
Deep blue flowers.
She didn’t know their name but they were beautiful flowers.
Being compared to these flowers caused her heart to flutter a little.
“…Yessir.”
If Isolte recalled correctly, their first meeting was a battle.
To decide the matter of Ariel’s guard, the time when she fought Doga.
To say that it was then that it started.
Thinking back, he had always been somewhat kind to her.
He always had faith in her.
He wouldn't take her weapon when she entered Ariel's room.
Of course, it was also because they were both members of the Seven Knights.
But that wasn't all there was to it.
Thinking like that, Doga's face looked about 20% better to her.
It really wasn't that he looked bad.
Looking at it from a different angle he had a certain charm.
You normally wouldn't see it because of his helmet anyway.
Or so, Isolte thought.
"No, no...!"
Isolte shook her head.
"I'm terribly sorry but it has already been decided that I would marry royalty at Ariel's introduction."
Right, if she was to choose Doga here, it would disgrace Ariel.
Isolte was a knight.
Her loyalty may not be absolute and unwavering, but she had still sworn it to Ariel.
To disgrace the name of her Lord is something she mustn't do.
"You are also her majesty's knight, you wouldn't go against her will, would you?"
"...Yessir."
Doga looked somewhat troubled.
Just as Isolte said, Doga was also a Knight.
Doga was Loyal.
It was precisely because he was not royalty hat he had gained Ariel's faith and been made gatekeeper.
He could not do anything that might betray Ariel's trust.
"...Then if you would please go home."
"Yessir."
She had thought that Doga would try to resist, but he easily stood up and turned his back to Isolte.
Quite easily.
He even looked somewhat triumphant.
It was as if he knew he would rejected from the start and was simply relieved that he had said it.
It was a respectable position to take, but it was also somewhat disappointing.
“…Haa.”
Isolte sighed and looked at the table.
There sat a single flower petal.
Not the bouquet;
He had taken that with him.
“I should have at least taken the flowers from him.”
Isolte muttered that to herself with the petal between her fingers.
Later that day she turned down the royal that came to meet her.
The next day.
Isolte was in the training grounds.
One of her duties was to be a sword instructor.
While the soldiers were learning from watching the knights, she was thinking about what happened yesterday.
The royal that had come to meet her, Fraiser Kaikias Asura.
His sexual desire was, as usual, repulsive, but he wasn’t a dislikable person.
But compared to Doga, his insincerity was readily apparent.
But instead of refusing him outright, she should have at least told him to wait before she made her decision.
In any case, only two were left.
She would have to screen each of them carefully and choose one
As she was thinking that, a messenger soldier approached her from behind.
“Isolte-dono! Her Majesty has issued an urgent summons for you!”
Isolte could guess what Ariel wanted to talk about.
She had probably heard that Isolte had rejected them one after the other and intended to scold her.
She was resigned to her fate.
Isolte thought that she would have to apologise to Ariel.
“Understood.”
Thinking that, Isolte left the training grounds.
She left behind the knights’ rooms outside the training grounds in a cloud of dust.
Normally one would shower when leaving after training, but as the summons was urgent, something like that wouldn’t be allowed.
And so, she quickly headed towards the King’s chambers.
“Hm?”
As she got close to the inner palace, she felt something was off.
She noticed it was much busier that usual.
Normally one you would advance through the empty hallway devoid of both soldiers and knights but today you could see soldiers busily walking about.
Something probably happened.
Isolte was thinking about it but Her Majesty’s summons was the priority.
Without hearing anything in particular, Isolte headed towards the King’s Chambers.
And so, she arrived before the King’s Chamber.
In front of the extravagant door, Isolte furrowed her brow.
The person who should have been standing there was missing.
The single man with the stone like frame in his golden armour.
The man who would never move from his post in front of Ariel’s room, the Asura Empire’s strongest gatekeeper, Doga.
He wasn’t anywhere in sight.
As if in his stead, standing in front of the door in formation were the palace knights.
All of whom had weapons strapped to their waists.
It was an imposing sight.
In addition, they all held themselves like experts.
There were also many lower level noble knights that would normally wouldn’t be allowed this far into the palace.
They were most likely Sylvester’s men.
They did not fear their rear, each taking optimal movement.
“Lord Ifrit!”
It was then she saw the figure of a certain person.
The man in charge of the guard of the castle, the『King’s Rampart』Sylvester Ifrit.
“Well if it isn’t Isolte. You got here quite fast.”
“Just what is going on here?”
Hearing that, Sylvester had quite a difficult face.
As if he was questioning how he should explain it.
Several seconds later, he shrugged his shoulders and said this:
“Her Majesty calls for you.”
As if to say that everything would be explained inside.
Isolte gave up upon hearing that explanation and knocked on the door.
“…Isolte Cruel, reporting in!”
“You may enter.”
Ariel’s voice was the same as always.
Contrary to the bustle outside, her voice was unusually calm.
“Please excuse me.”
Isolte opened the door and entered.
What she saw before her was a strange sight.
Ariel sitting at her desk, performing her duties.
Luke standing beside her, arms crossed, looking worn out.
An Imperial Maid standing grim faced and armed.
And Doga.
Doga who was rarely ever seen in Her Majesty’s room was standing there.
In one hand he held his golden helmet and in the other, a slightly withered bouquet.
“Good work Isolte. You arrived rather quickly.”
“I was in the training grounds… But just what has happened here?”
To which Ariel replied as if it was nothing:
“Doga has decided to retire as my knight.”
“What!?”
Isolte looked at Doga.
He looked serious.
It didn’t seem like he was doing this as a joke.
“So what exactly does this mean.”
“Well then, I’ll have you hear it from Doga himself… Doga if you could explain it one more time.”
Ariel said that and looked at Doga.
Doga nodded and began to speak.
“Isolte said that she couldn’t marry a knight of Ariel-sama.”
“…!”
A single sentence.
With that, Isolte could guess the reason she was called here.
“That’s not it! So as to not shame your Majesty’s name: “A knight of her Majesty, you wouldn't go against her will” is all I said.”
“Quiet, listen until the end.”
In response to Ariel’s calm voice, Isolte subsided.
But Isolte’s thoughts were not calm.
Depending on the flow of the conversation, she could be accused of instigating revolt in Doga.
No, judging by the clamor outside, it wouldn’t be strange if that was already the case.
Although she didn’t have such intentions…
“Doga.”
Unbeknownst to what Isotle was thinking,
In response to Ariel’s cue, with some difficulty, Doga continued.
“I thought really hard.
About how I promised my dad that I would protect my sister.
Ariel said that protecting the country and protecting my sister were the same thing.
And Ariel-sama is the queen so protecting her is protecting the country.”
“But my sister said that I had protected her plenty already.
There was nothing to think about, this time I would protect what I loved.”
“I like Ariel-sama. I like this country. I want to protect them.
But my feeling for Isotle are much more special.
So I’ll quit as Ariel’s knight.
And after that, I’ll protect Isolte.”
After he said that, he put his golden helmet back on his head,
And once more he held the flowers out to Isotle.
“…”
Isolte’s eyes were filled with slightly withered deep blue flowers.
The same bouquet from yesterday.
“That’s what he says… What are you going to do Isolte.”
“Huh?”
Isotle was wide eyed at the sudden confession.
“I dont know what kind of conditions you have put out,
but he has chosen you over the Seven Knights of Asura.
It’s more than a woman deserves. What will you do?”
Those words.
It seemed she wasn’t called he to be reproached for inciting rebellion in Doga.
And on top of that, she was being asked how she would respond to him.
“B-but, the men that your Majesty had introduced…”
“Forget about that group.”
Alarm bells had begun ringing in her heart.
Far greater than when she faced the Fighting God in the Biheiril Empire.
She felt like she would collapse on the spot.
In actual fact, her face was bright red.
“I… I…”
It was then she remembered the story of the first Water God.
The princess that threw everything away to be with the Water God.
With yesterday’s conversation, she knew that Doga didn’t have much to his name.
His strength, large build, and few family members.
And his position as a member of the Seven Knights.
But he no longer even had that much.
He threw away his position and even his own family to choose Isolte.
With yesterday’s conversation, thinking about it carefully, she was somewhat hasty.
Doga said that Isolte was worth more to him than anything.
He was different from all the other nobles and royals she had met with.
Even after he had thrown away that which he held closest to him, he still didn’t demand that she become his.
Just like the princess from the story.
In the whole world, the only person who loved her that much, might just be Doga.
Just what was there to be dissatisfied with.
His face was something she no longer cared about.
“…”
Before she realised, Isolte had taken the flowers.
The large blue bouquet.
The slightly withered flowers seemed as if they were Isolte’s symbol.
Even if the flowers wilted Doga was still sure to love them.
In the end, a flower’s beauty was but a fleeting thing.
“I may not have much, but I’ll be in your care from now on.”
“…Yessir.”
Doga had a bright smile on his face while applause burst out from the surroundings.
The proposal in the King’s Chambers became well known even among ordinary soldiers.
Doga’s former co-workers shed tears of joy, and those who idolised Isolte and wanted to make her theirs shed tears into their pillows.
Doga retired from his position as a member of the Seven Knights and became Isolte’s husband.
He was no longer Doga of the Seven Knights, but Doga the house husband.
“You said that you would retire as my knight but Isotle is also a knight of this country.
She is quite strong, but if I were to die, the country would fall into disarray, and she might very well be assassinated.
Of course, you said that you would protect her… Nor do I have any intention of dying.
In any case, how about it? Why don’t you protect Isolte while protecting me?”
…But due to Ariel’s persuasion it was decided that he would keep his post.
There was no way Ariel would allow the North Emperor Doga to escape from her grasp.
Of course, as punishment for the disturbance he had caused in front of the King’s Chamber, he was assigned no small amount of manual labour.
Two members of the Seven Knights of Asura getting married was an excellent outcome for Ariel.
The members of the Royal family that she had called out to were but a trivial matter.
Due to his marriage, the time Doga spent guarding the King’s Chambers was greatly decreased.
He would return home at a predetermined time each night, and when Isotle was sent away on duty, he would certainly follow.
As a result, Isolte’s position shifted to an exclusive guard for Ariel but that’s another story.
The awkward Doga had been accepted by Isotle.
Until they were married they spent that time getting to know each other as friends, and it wasn’t until about a year later that the two were officially married.
During that time, a rumour started that Isolte truly didn’t like Doga after all.
Because within the Royal palace, during that time, Isolte’s treatment of Doga was just as cold as usual.
But after Isolte accidentally referred to Doga as ‘Darling’ in front of the soldiers and turned bright red while quickly correcting herself, that rumour soon vanished.
Surely, when the two were alone, they were as close as a couple could be.1
And so, the two were married.
―○●○―
1. Original said: "As close as Mandarin Ducks"
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