Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord - Volume 2 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Hidden Boss Visits Her Fiancé’s Family

Two months had now passed since I’d first come to Dolkness County. The county-wide renovations led by Daemon were progressing smoothly, and despite thinking I would be of no use, I’d ended up being a big help to the construction efforts by acting as living heavy machinery. Just recently, I’d helped dig out a channel for water. Although, I had overdone it a bit... It’d ended up more of a canal than a channel, to be honest. Still, too big was probably better than too small, right...?

The county was also doing well financially now, thanks to Patrick and I’s frequent dungeon dives, and we were on the verge of fully paying back the county’s preexisting debt. Patrick’s level had been increasing from all our dungeon crawling as well, so it was practically like killing two birds with one stone. I had to admit, he’d gotten pretty dang strong.

Aside from that, we’d worked on fixing up some roads and had handled a variety of monster exterminations, but those were things that had to be done no matter what territory you were in. That meant we’d leveled up from a bad county to a normal county, which also meant that it was time to move onto the next step—showing off Dolkness County’s local flavor. After all, we couldn’t keep relying on dungeons to fund the county forever; we needed to find something else to sustain the county in the future. The problem was, Dolkness County didn’t have any particular specialty product, and appeared to have no resources that could be of use. It was just a nondescript area made up of plains and mountains.

Which was why, at the current moment, I was in Daemon’s office, discussing what direction we wanted to steer the county in next. “Most of the county grows barley, right?” I asked him. “What about switching to a cash crop like cotton?”

“Well, cotton is the specialty crop of our neighbors in Cottoness Viscounty. Other crops that could be an option for us would be tea leaves or various types of fruit, but those take time to be a stable source of income.”

“I don’t think it needs to be profitable right away...” I said thoughtfully. “And even if we were to dabble in those kinds of crops, we don’t have any guarantee that we could outsell existing suppliers.”

“That’s true,” Daemon agreed. “I doubt we’d be able to outsell specialty products that have been established in certain areas for many years. Especially when it comes to premium products that have added value based on where they come from.”

So we need branding, I decided. Not that I know a thing about building a brand. It’s going to be extra tough too, since we’ve gotta start from scratch. 

I’d come into this thinking that I might be able to use the knowledge I’d gained in my previous life, but it turned out things weren’t that easy. The world of LMH was similar to medieval Europe, which meant the standard of living was quite high. Things like sugar and spices were readily available, and food culture was advanced.

“It would be great if we could do something that no other domain was doing...” I mumbled.

“With all the innovative thoughts you have, I believe in your ability to come up with a good idea, Lady Yumiella,” Daemon said, his eyes hopeful.

Still, despite his clear belief in me, I couldn’t think of anything.

Hmm... I mused. What am I good at? What’s something only I can do...? A long moment passed. The only things I can think of are related to combat... 

“What about drawing people in with our dungeon, like in Valius?”

“The dungeon, hmm? Well, it’s not my area of expertise, but our dark-type dungeon does give off the impression of being quite dangerous...”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right. It’s an element that most people won’t have an advantage against.”

Well, seems like the dungeon is no good. So, what else am I good at...? Grinding experience?

“Maybe we could help soldiers grind experience and start a free company?” I proposed. “No, wait, that wouldn’t work.”

Daemon put a thoughtful hand to his chin. “Would it not? I think that would go well if you were to lead them, Lady Yumiella.”

That’s the exact problem, Daemon! I thought. People are already scared enough of how powerful I am. That will only get worse if I end up with an army at my disposal.

“Hmm... I’m going to get Patrick’s input as well,” I told my deputy.

◆◆◆

After I left Daemon’s office, I wandered the mansion, looking for Patrick. I found him soon enough—he was standing in the entryway, having just returned.

That’s kind of strange, I thought. He didn’t mention leaving, and now he’s coming back with a sword...?

I brushed it off and walked up to him. “Welcome home,” I said. “Where did you go?”

“Oh, I just joined in on the soldiers’ training. They’re a lot more skilled than I expected.”

By “soldiers’ training,” Patrick was referring to the training of the private army retained by the Dolkness family. Though they were supposed to be on hand in order to maintain public order and exterminate monsters, in reality they were terribly weak. The last I’d heard, the majority of our soldiers were around level 10. I had no intention of turning them into an undefeatable army, to be clear. I just thought it was problematic that the people who were supposed to be keeping our people safe were undependable.

“Should I join in and help from now on?” I offered.

Patrick shook his head. “Don’t meddle with them. Under any circumstances. Someone could die if things were to go south.”

That’s a bit of an exaggeration, don’t you think? I thought indignantly. All I would do is take them into a dungeon and use my monster-summoning flute! I would prefer they went in one by one, but that might be a little extreme.

Seeing my dissatisfied face, Patrick sighed. “Anyway, you were looking for me, weren’t you? You must have something you wanted to ask me.”

“Oh, right, I almost forgot,” I realized. “I want to get your opinion on some changes we’re making to the county.”

We started heading back to Daemon’s office, continuing our conversation along the way. I explained to him the issue we’d been currently discussing and asked for his advice. I figured that, being the son of a margrave, Patrick surely had some knowledge he’d gained over the years regarding territory management.

“What about the Mark of Ashbatten?” I finally asked. “Do they specialize in anything?”

“Us?” Patrick said thoughtfully. “I don’t think we have anything in particular. We don’t even have something we could call a specialty product.”

“What? And the mark is doing fine?”

Patrick shrugged. “Well, the situation there is pretty different from yours here in the county. Our mark receives funding from the kingdom as repayment for protecting its borders. Plus, the sizes of the Mark of Ashbatten and Dolkness County are on totally different scales.”

I see, I thought. So the function of a mark is fundamentally different from that of a county, since it shares a border with another kingdom.

But that knowledge only left me with the same question I’d had before. If the Ashbattens prioritized defending the kingdom’s border from invaders, what would we prioritize here in Dolkness? Should we just focus on having an overall prosperous county? That would lead to an increase in tax revenue, if nothing else.

As far as the issue of “different scales,” which Patrick had brought up, he was most likely referring to the fact that Dolkness County had a different composition of land from the Mark of Ashbatten. More specifically, he was referring to the amount of arable agricultural land within each territory.

In Dolkness County, where there were no other industries besides agriculture, farm size was directly related to the population of the surrounding area. In other words, if there was fertile land that wasn’t being utilized, we could use it to increase food production, which would increase our population, which would increase tax revenue...

Just then, a clever idea popped into my head. It was perfect timing too—we’d just arrived back at Daemon’s office. Excited, I decided I’d present my idea to both men as soon as I walked inside.

“I’ve got it!” I loudly proclaimed, bursting through the door. “We just need to make the county bigger!”

“No invasions,” Patrick scolded.

“That’s not what I meant!” I shot back.

Jeez, why is his first thought something so violent...?

“I’m saying we should increase the amount of farmland we have! That way our population would increase, and then our tax revenue would increase! Everyone would win!”

“Cultivating farmland, hmm? We haven’t done that for the past few decades...” Daemon said slowly.

He didn’t seem too interested in the idea, but I didn’t mind—I’d expected his reaction to be similar to this.

“Wait, didn’t you want to differentiate Dolkness County from other places?” Patrick asked. “I’m pretty sure other places develop their land too.”

“But...they haven’t really seen results, have they?” I asked, inwardly shivering with excitement.

Both men looked thoughtful. “Well...if you look at the entire kingdom, there’s a slight increase in population and food production, but there haven’t been any significant changes.”

Just as I thought!

The Kingdom of Valschein had a history of being used for farming. The land had been farmed for at least the first few hundred years after the kingdom was established, and if we were talking before that, it had probably been utilized by humans for thousands of years. That being said, all the land that could be used for agriculture had probably already been tilled. That left only barren land, mountain ranges, and areas where monsters appeared as the only places left to develop.

All of those environments were quite uninhabitable, of course. And even if you were to invest great amounts of time and money to develop those lands, there wouldn’t likely be much of a return on your investment. But...what if you had the power to change terrain in an instant? You know, like the kind of power I had?

“That’s why we’re going to flatten the entire county with my Yumiella-strength!” I proclaimed triumphantly. “I’ll get rid of mountains, fill in valleys, and eradicate monsters!”

As far as I was concerned, it was completely airtight logic. I was good at leveling terrain—with my physical strength and magic, I wouldn’t even need dynamite or a pickaxe.

“Are you serious? You’re joking, right?” Patrick said with a pained look.

“I may have exaggerated a bit, but that’s the gist of it.”

Okay, maybe saying I’d flatten the entire county was a bit too far. Obviously I know that the environment would get all messed up if I did that. 

If I truly went that far, rivers would stop flowing because of the lack of difference in elevation, and there was a limit to how much river water was available. Plus, there were some places where monsters would spawn endlessly, no matter how many I took down. Still, that didn’t mean that my plan was bad. We just had to pick a place that had been left untouched since it was a hassle, or because there hadn’t been the budget to develop it, and I could handle the rest. If we did things right, that place could become an effective breadbasket for the county.

“Just based on if it was possible or not... I do think it’s possible,” Daemon said, seemingly still not quite satisfied.

“Right? It’s foolproof!”

“It’s a very...Yumiella-like idea, I guess,” Patrick said, smiling slightly.

Heck yeah, it is! I thought, my lips quirking slightly.

To tell the truth, even though I always considered my options, it seemed I was destined to resolve things with brute force. That was how I had gotten through things until now, at least.

Racking your brain for ideas is for the weak, the strong can get by even without wisdom! Ha ha ha ha ha! 

“What will we do when it comes to residents?” Daemon asked, as if he’d just thought of something. “Even if we develop a new village, we will need to recruit villagers to live there.”

“Oh...” I said, wilting slightly.

I could obtain land for us and gather the funds we needed from dungeons easily enough, but people were one thing I couldn’t supply. Suddenly, my plan felt full of holes. Still, I clung to my stubbornness, continuing to try and think of solutions.

“Could we...recruit people from other villages?”

“I doubt it,” Patrick said, immediately bursting my bubble. “I don’t think any of the villages have extra people. I’ve also heard stories of villages splitting up because other villages were gathering up people.”

I sunk back into thought. I wonder if there are any nomads wandering for a place to settle... Dolkness County could be their promised land!

Spurred on by this new idea, I asked, “What about bringing in people from other domains? I’m sure there are places without enough land.”

A considering look came over Daemon’s face. “Well, I’m sure we would find some if we looked. The only thing is, whoever runs that domain won’t be too happy with us. Not that anyone would complain to your face.”

“Oh, but I don’t want to cause issues with anyone else... Plus, that sounds almost like I’d be threatening them to comply.”

It wasn’t very polite to compare people to objects, but to someone who ran a domain, I knew that both their land and their residents were their primary assets. As such, it would only be natural to grow unhappy with someone who took those assets without permission. That being said, it seemed like another of my ideas was a no go. I didn’t want to act in a way that would lead to someone’s hand being forced because of the looming threat of my strength.

I groaned. “This really is a thorny issue. I guess all we can do right now is expand existing villages.”

The men both seemed to agree. “Yeah, I think the current villages aren’t fully populated, so with a little work we should yield some good results.”

Thus, in the end, we decided to simply focus on expanding existing villages and fixing up the areas surrounding them. It wouldn’t really change much of anything, but I guessed it was a start.

I sighed. Looks like I won’t be flattening the world for a while...

◆◆◆

After we finished our initial discussion, we decided to go ahead and hold a mini debriefing, since the three of us were already gathered together. Thus, we went on to share certain information with one another, like how far we’d progressed on particular jobs, and so on.

“The county has been revitalized to a point where it is beyond recognition from its previous state,” Daemon said, sharing the good news. “It appears that even our business in the hospitality sector is doing well.”

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Well, we’ve invited tradesmen to work on public works projects and hired extra hands from other areas. That has resulted in merchants gathering here as well, hoping to sell to those workers. The temporary increase in people has also led to an increase in consumption in the hospitality sector as well, particularly when it comes to renting lodgings.”

I see, I thought. Looks like it was a good idea to throw money at a bunch of industries. With enough capital going around to boost various industries, it feels like we’re starting to develop a real economy. Not that I know anything about economics...

“So I guess the next step is getting those people to spend more money then,” I said, not thinking much of it.

Daemon’s eyes went wide. “Have you studied to become a high-ranking official, Lady Yumiella?”

I gave him a confused look. Why is he so surprised over a simple idea like that? Just how stupid does he think I am...?

With a huff, I pushed those thoughts away. Thinking of ways to increase spending was more interesting anyway.

Hmm... I’m sure food’s already being sold, but I wonder if we could do something with tourism. It would be nice if people could buy gifts after visiting our county.

I turned to Daemon. “Are there any items sold as gifts in Dolkness County?”

“Let’s see...” he mumbled in reply. “There are some wood crafts, but it’s not that big of an industry. We don’t have many tourists in the first place, to be honest. But I think that will change if we come up with some sort of specialty item that’s only available here.”

Gifts... I mused, thinking back to the trips I went on in my past life. What kind of gifts did I buy...? Maybe...wooden katanas?

“Wooden kata—... I mean, wooden swords might be good.”

“Wooden swords?” Daemon repeated doubtfully.

“They’ll definitely sell,” I insisted. “I would buy one.”

“You sure?” Patrick asked. “I’m pretty sure you’d be the only one who would buy them.”

Now that just plain wasn’t true. Back when I’d gone on a class trip with my elementary school class, half of my classmates had bought wooden katanas. Of course, I’d bought one as well. From what I remembered, that class had been made up of nineteen boys and twenty-one girls, and one of my friends who I’d shared a room with had begged me not to buy the katana since she thought it would be embarrassing. Still, I hadn’t been able to resist. I mean, who wouldn’t buy a sword with a cool name like “The Blade of the White Tiger”?

I’d bought a wooden katana on my middle school class trip as well. Fewer of my classmates had bought them then, but curiously enough, the same friend who’d complained to me before had bought one for herself, as if her warning from before had never even happened. Apparently, she’d longed for one after all. Though, I did think the “Lake Toya” inscribed on the handle was strange.

By the time I’d entered high school, I’d graduated from my wooden-katana-buying days. Instead, I’d used almost all of my allowance to purchase a replica katana. The same friend from before had made fun of me, but by the time we’d entered college she’d seen the light and understood how good Japanese swords were. She’d told me she regretted not buying a replica of Toshizo Hijikata’s sword, Izuminokami Kanesada back then, and that that wasn’t because she became a Shinsengumi buff.

“Uh, hey, Yumiella? Where’d you go?”

I came back to myself with a little jolt. “Oh sorry, I got a little lost in my thoughts. I was just thinking about the past.”

It seemed the thought of wooden katanas had been so nostalgic that I’d ended up reminiscing on unrelated memories. Regardless, there was still absolutely no doubt in my mind that, if we made them, they would sell.

Since Patrick seemed to oppose my idea, I decided to focus on Daemon instead. “Patrick doesn’t seem that interested, but you would buy one, right, Daemon?” I asked him.

He whined. “I’m sorry, Lady Yumiella, but I don’t think I would buy a wooden sword as a tourist.”

He’s lying; that’s impossible! Or, maybe they’re both not the type to buy gifts?

“W-Well, what about a key chain,” I proposed. “Maybe one with a dragon that’s wrapped around a sword?”

“I’m sorry, what did you say...?”

“A...decoration, with a dragon that’s wrapped around a sword!” I said, trying to convey the size of the object I was describing with my hands.

Now that’s something everyone would want. There’re those ones that have two blades that combine, or the ones where you can actually sheathe the sword... Some of them are so detailed, it’s great! I always loved them, but I just can’t remember what they’re actually called...

I desperately tried to explain the item, but neither Patrick nor Daemon seemed to understand the greatness of a key chain with a dragon wrapped around the sword.

“Don’t you buy any gifts when you visit somewhere?” I finally demanded, feeling fed up.

“I buy things like treats that won’t spoil right away, and interesting woven items,” Patrick said.

“Oh, I would be interested in those types of items as well,” Daemon chimed in.

What’s wrong with these two? They have the purchasing habits of old ladies on a guided tour!

“The swords would definitely sell...” I mumbled.

“But it’s just a plain old wooden sword, right?” Patrick asked, baffled. “You could get one of those anywhere. You could even make one yourself!”

“You don’t get it,” I muttered, just barely holding back a pout. “They have inscriptions on the handles...it just feels special!”

“Okay... What kind of inscriptions?” Patrick asked.

“Um, like the name of the area or prominent people from that place?”

Come to think of it, what would you inscribe on a wooden katana made in Dolkness County? I wondered. I haven’t heard of anyone special that’s from here...and if it’s the name of the area, then it would just be Dolkness. There’s plenty of other areas within the county, but they’re not famous.

“You know, I do think a sword would feel pretty strong if it had ‘Dolkness’ inscribed on it,” Daemon said after thinking for a moment.

“Right? Doesn’t it?!”

To tell the truth, I felt kind of embarrassed when I thought of selling a sword with my own name on it, but it was a small sacrifice to pay in order to get what I wanted. And, if all else failed, I could always just pass it off as being the name of the area.

“What about having it written on dinnerwa—”

“No way,” I cut in, stopping Daemon in a hurry.

Dinnerware with my name on it sounds like some kind of wedding favor. Totally, definitely not happening.

In the end, my idea for a wooden sword was selected, finally given the glory it was due. We would be producing the key chain with the dragon wrapped around the sword as well. Patrick and Daemon still didn’t seem too into the idea, but they went ahead and agreed to it. Although they didn’t say it, I knew they expected my plan to fail—they’d probably only gone for it because of the low production costs.

◆◆◆

A few weeks later, the day that the wooden swords would go up for sale arrived. In preparation for this day, a few samples had been created under my supervision, and we’d arranged things so they’d be sold in Dolkness Village. I didn’t expect many to sell right away, but I would be happy if even ten sold.

That’s why, late on the night of the first day the swords had been available for purchase, I was up waiting for the sales reports to come in.

Just as I thought I’d burst out of my skin, Daemon came into the office, where I was sitting.

“Were you waiting, Lady Yumiella?” he asked. “I thought I would be sharing the report with you tomorrow morning.”

“I couldn’t wait. How are sales?”

My heart was pounding. I should have just sold them myself at the store if I was going to be in this much agony!

“Well, I just received a report from the owner of the store,” Daemon said, smiling happily.

Does that mean there’s good news?!

“Apparently, we were able to sell one sword!”

“O-One...?”

“Yes, and it was the most expensive one, the one that was painted black,” Daemon replied. “I’m surprised that someone would pay such a price for a wooden sword.”

“One of the ones that was painted black...?”

“Yes, apparently the person who purchased it was a suspicious hooded person. Perhaps they were embarrassed to be buying it,” Daemon joked.

My mood instantly crashed after hearing that the sales had greatly underperformed even my minimum expectations. Still, Daemon laughed and said there was nothing to worry about.

“To tell you the truth,” he continued, “I didn’t think even a single sword would sell. It seems that there are some people out there who have the same sort of taste as you, Lady Yumiella. I’ll let Sir Patrick know the results as well.”

“There’s no need for that,” I grumbled. “Thank you, I’m heading to bed now.”

“Very well, good night.”

I dragged my feet to my room, possibly looking even more dead than I usually did. Reluctantly, I looked to the corner of my room, where a single black wooden sword sat.

Suffice to say, I hadn’t received any samples.

“It’s a net zero!” I yelled.

I shoved the wooden sword I’d bought in disguise earlier that day under my bed, then climbed on top.

“I hope they’ll suddenly start flying off the shelves tomorrow...” I mumbled to myself, sighing.

I closed my eyes, sinking away from reality and diving back into the world of my dreams.

◆◆◆

Time flew by, and before I knew it, three months had passed since I had arrived in Dolkness County. Things were finally starting to settle down, which meant that Patrick could finally go and visit his family. Unlike me, Patrick had a good relationship with his parents, so I really wanted him to be able to spend some time with them. Especially since he hadn’t seen them even once since he’d graduated from the Academy.

He’s keeping in touch with them through letters, at least, I thought. Still, that’s not much of a saving grace. 

I looked up from the letters I’d been writing, which I planned to send to the landowners of the territories positioned alongside Dolkness County in a bid to show them how much I was looking forward to building a relationship with them as neighbors. Turning so I could see Daemon, I said hesitantly, “We’ll be all right without Patrick around...right?”

Daemon stared at me intently, then replied, “To be honest, I have some concerns. But I don’t think there will be any issues.”

Am...I the concern? 

I stared back at Daemon with equal intensity, which made him avert his gaze in a panic.

“Speaking of Sir Patrick,” he said hurriedly, “when are you two thinking of having the ceremony?”

“What ceremony?”

“Your wedding ceremony,” Daemon said, like it was the most natural thing in the world. “We must have a grand celebration.”

“Our what?!” I shrieked, his unexpected pronouncement making my voice come out in an involuntarily high-pitched squeak.

He thinks Patrick and I are having a “wedding”? Like, those ceremonies where people get married? The ones where you “tie the knot”? That type of wedding?! I took a deep, shaking breath. Maybe I just misheard him. He could have just said there was weeding that needed to be done, right? I mean, I haven’t even thought about getting married at all! It’s too soon—I’d need at least ten years to figure out how to get the timing right. Plus...are Patrick and I even really a couple? I mean, what even is a couple? What’s a marriage? What...is love...?

Thinking back over the past three months, Patrick and I hadn’t had even a single lovey-dovey moment together. If I took that into account when I examined our relationship...we probably were just friends. And if that was true, I seriously needed to set Daemon straight.

“Patrick and I aren’t necessarily a couple...” I told my deputy softly. “Nor have I said anything about us being together.”

Daemon’s brow scrunched in confusion. “And yet, Sir Patrick most definitely told me you were.”

“Really?!” I straightened in my chair, a giddy feeling bubbling up inside me. “I’m going to go see Patrick!”

Leaving a baffled Daemon behind, I went tearing out of the office in search of my newly ratified boyfriend. Yeah, boy! Couple status: confirmed! If Patrick’s claiming we’re a couple, that must be the case—it’s out of my hands now. 

◆◆◆

After wandering the halls for a bit, I found Patrick happily chatting with a few of the servants.

“Um, Patrick?” I broke in. “I have something I want to ask you...”

The sound of my voice made the servants abruptly fall silent. They turned and gave me hurried bows, then rushed back to work.

I sighed internally. There’s no need to run from me so openly... I thought. It kind of hurts my feelings...

“D-Don’t worry,” Patrick stammered, clearly catching on to my gloomy mood. “You can just get to know them over time.”

The words weren’t much of a comfort, coming as they were from someone who’d been getting along with them so easily.

“This is my home, right?” I demanded. “If that’s true, then why does it feel like you’re more at ease here than me?”

“Regardless, that’s not such a bad thing, is it?” Patrick said with a shrug. “I mean, eventually this house will be my home too.”

“Y-Yeah...” I said, lips suddenly feeling numb.

How’d he manage to take my dig at him and turn it around into a surprise attack like that? Did he do it on purpose...? Or maybe he just knew saying something like that would placate me...

“Anyway, what did you want to ask me?” Patrick asked, jolting me out of my thoughts. “Do you want to talk about it in the office?”

“Um... No, my room would be better,” I decided.

From my calculations, Daemon would probably still be in the office if we went to talk there, and if we were going to be discussing the nature of our relationship, that was probably best done without anyone else present.

That decided, we headed to my room, a silence falling between us. By the time the door closed with us on the other side, I couldn’t wait any longer.

“There’s something I want to clear up with you,” I said, jumping right in. “It’s been left kind of ambiguous up to this point, but...are you and I...”

Are you and I a couple? The words hung right at the edge of my lips, but I couldn’t make them come out for the life of me. This is so much more embarrassing than I thought it’d be... I moaned internally. No wonder we’ve kept things so vague this whole time.

Still, I had to do this. I steeled myself, analyzing how I needed to go about the conversation.

Well, first, the term “couple” is too embarrassing to use. I mean, in Japanese the kanji’s just a few strokes off from being “weirdo.” Ugh, why does such a dumb word have so much power?!

“Are we what?” Patrick asked, clearly having grown impatient with watching me stand there frozen, unable to finish my sentence.

“That...thing,” I mumbled. “You know, it’s kinda close to the word ‘weirdo...’”

There was a zero percent chance Patrick was going to understand that. I mean, kanji didn’t even exist in the world of LMH! Still...I believed in him.

“Are we...weirdos...?” Patrick repeated. “I don’t think I’m weird.”

My heart sank. Not a single ounce of what I’d been trying to convey had gotten through to him. Plus... It’s fine for you not to get what I meant, Patrick, but how come you didn’t say I wasn’t a weirdo either?!

Anyway, I had more important things to think about. Namely, how I was going to move forward from here.

Is there another word I can use for couple? Like...lovers? I shivered. No, no, that’s even more embarrassing. What is else there...maybe, fiancé? I feel like I could say fiancé. And, since we’re aristocrats, technically our relationship’s not that far from being a businesslike arrangement that was decided upon by our parents! Relief filled me—I liked this idea. Sorry for stealing your word, engaged couples of the world!

“N-No, I meant... Patrick, you’re my fiancé, right? We’re engaged?”

“Fiancé?” Patrick asked, eyes widening. “We aren’t engaged yet.”

“W-We aren’t...?”

Abruptly, I felt deeply hurt. What’s happening? Did Patrick just...dump me? Was that his way of telling me he’s not interested in marrying me?

“An engagement is something that’s decided between families,” Patrick said carefully, eyeing my face. “It needs to be discussed between the heads of the households.”

My hurt ebbed away. “Oh, okay. So we just need to go see your family right now.”

I nodded to myself, finally understanding. I totally get it now—an engagement is a contract between aristocrats, so it’s only natural we have to talk things over with Patrick’s parents. I didn’t even think about that. Jeez, why didn’t he tell me sooner?

Meanwhile, Patrick’s face had gone blank with shock. “You actually want to go?”

I ignored his question—I had more pressing things on my mind. “Wait, is your father going to be upset at me for taking so long to meet him? How do I fix that...?”

Not to mention, what am I even going to say when I first meet his father? “Sir, I would like your blessing to marry your son?” Ugh, that’s just a guess, but I feel like it’s probably wrong. 

“Oh, I’m sure he won’t mind,” Patrick assured me. “I’ve been telling them in my letters how hectic things have been here, since you’ve only just taken over the county.”

This gave me some peace of mind, but our conversation had gone a bit astray from the subject I’d originally wanted to discuss. I’d only brought up the fiancé thing on a whim; what I really wanted to ask Patrick about had nothing to do with our families, or about going to meet his parents. I just wanted to know if he really, truly liked me.

“If we got engaged, that means we’d get married someday, right?”

I had to roll my eyes internally at that one—why on earth was I asking something so obvious?

Patrick’s expression went a bit strange, almost like he was thinking the exact same thing. “I mean, that’s a given, isn’t it?”

“Well, I just...I was wondering if you were okay with that...”

I mean, it wasn’t like I’d proposed to him, and he certainly hadn’t proposed to me either. Suddenly, I started feeling deeply uncomfortable. Continuing the conversation felt terrifying to me—like I’d make a fatal mistake if I said much more.

As I stood there, on the verge of being crushed flat by my fear, Patrick reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder. “You’re really something, Yumiella,” he said with a nervous laugh. He pulled me closer, slowly closing the distance between our faces.

I looked up into his eyes. His silent, intent gaze washed over me, leaving me feeling like I was drowning inside it.

“Wh-What is that supposed to mean?” I finally managed to mumble. “If you don’t say what you’re thinking, I’ll never understand.”

“Even if I don’t put it into words,” Patrick murmured, “I’m pretty sure you’ll catch on if I do this.”

He shifted closer and closer, to the point that even someone as oblivious as me could understand what he was trying to do. I mean, come on, the only reason a man and a woman would get this close to one another is to get in position for a perfect upward swing! An...uppercut, I think they’re called?

Patrick’s strong jawline was already in the perfect position, so I swung my right hand upward with all my might. He went flying, a choked yell bursting through his lips. Muscle memory had me adjusting my stance for a follow-up attack, but I stopped myself before I got fully settled in.

I’ve...really gone and done it, haven’t I?

I ran over to Patrick, who was now stumbling around, rubbing his chin. “I’m sorry, are you okay?”

“Well, I didn’t think you’d just punch me out of nowhere,” Patrick muttered, shooting me an irritated look. “Did you seriously not want to that badly?” All of a sudden, his anger vanished, turning into a deep sadness. “I guess I was only thinking about what I wanted when it came to the engageme—”

“No!” I burst out, stopping him in his tracks. “I didn’t punch you because of that! I only hit you because your face was in the perfect position! I’m not against the e-engagement at all!”

At this rate, Patrick’s going to think I’m insane, I thought, miserable and embarrassed.

Little did I know, he’d already seen right through me.

“So, that was just your way of hiding how embarrassed you were feeling, wasn’t it?”

I winced. “You must be thinking I’m pretty dangerous to be around...”

Patrick chuckled. “Oh, I’ve thought that for quite a while.”

“I see... Well, I’m sorry I suddenly brought up being fiancés and stuff...”

I can’t blame him for thinking that—I mean, it’s pretty strange to suddenly punch someone, even if it was just to hide my embarrassment. That’s a whole separate problem from the engagement, marriage thing. 

Suddenly, an unusually serious look came over Patrick’s face. “I’m not sure if I’ve actually gotten through to you or not,” he said, still rubbing his chin, “so let me just make this clear. Yumiella, when it comes to my feelings about you, I—”

My face went hot. “I’m gonna go check out the yard!” I shouted.

I turned, possessed with the sudden, overwhelming need to escape, and went diving for my bedroom window. The glass exploded into a deluge of sparkling shards, and I went crashing down into the grass.

“Yumiella!” Patrick shouted from behind me, his voice chiding. “Don’t jump from the second floor!”

As I listened to his voice, I came to a decision—for now, I needed to put all my focus into meeting Patrick’s family.

◆◆◆

Now that Patrick and I had decided to visit his childhood home, the Mark of Ashbatten, there was much preparation to be done.

“We need to write a letter to your parents to let them know the date and time of our visit, we need to make arrangements for a carriage, and...oh, I’ll need a proper dress as well.”

“Can’t you just ride Ryuu and go dressed like you usually do?” Patrick asked doubtfully.

“That’s preposterous!” I stuttered. “Do you have no common sense?!”

He scoffed. “I can’t believe you’re bringing up common sense...”

Ignoring him, I continued to pace the room, mumbling to myself. Patrick watched, exhausted.

How does he stay so optimistic? I mean— Oh no, what am I supposed to do if his father says, “You have no right to call me dad!” or something...?

“Yumiella,” Patrick said insistently, forcing me to look back over at him. “Just so you know, I’ve already let my father know about the real you by letter.”

“Th-The real me?”

“Yes. I’ve told him all about how you usually act, and the things you tend to do. So it’s a bit late to act differen—”

“Oh, the real me...” I repeated, nodding. “Maybe things will turn out all right then.”

I mean, I’d done some strange things in the past, but nothing that would destroy my image. I couldn’t think of anything that was so bad that his parents would be disgusted with me.

“Okay...” I murmured, nodding to myself. “I think I can do this.”

◆◆◆

In the end, we decided to head to the Mark of Ashbatten using Ryuu. While I’d been worrying over various things, Patrick had gone ahead and decided when we’d be visiting, and then contacted his parents by letter.

“Hey, couldn’t you have at least consulted me on when we would be going?” I asked him once I’d found out.

He snorted. “With how you’ve been, you probably would’ve spent years just picking out a gift to bring.”

“A gift?!”

I froze. I hadn’t even thought about bringing a gift for them. And this was my first time visiting my future fiancé’s home—a gift was a requirement!

Oh no, what should I get...? People can make a judgment based on a single action—nay, on a single gift. I’ve gotta give this my all!

“Uh, what’s going on with you?” Patrick asked, eyes wary. “What’s the sudden yelling all about?”

“I’m going to do my best, Patrick, I swear!”

Upon seeing the depths of my motivation, Patrick’s face turned disapproving. “Yumiella, do not. I don’t know what you’re planning over there, but whatever it is, I know for a fact it’s misguided. So I’m begging you—do not do your best.”

Why’s he so confident about this? I wondered, pouting in the face of his unwavering conviction.

“I was just going to prepare a gift to bring your family...” I muttered.

“Oh, you were talking about a gift?” Relief burst out over Patrick’s face. “Wait. What are you planning on getting?”

Hmm, I wonder what they’d like? What’s something that I’d be happy to receive, but isn’t so easy to obtain...?

“Maybe...a dragon egg or something?”

It wouldn’t be one from Ryuu, to be clear. Dragons that were tamed by people only formed breeding pairs with other domesticated dragons, so his chances of getting a wife were pretty slim. Plus, putting him through something like that wouldn’t be fair to him. That meant that obtaining a dragon egg would probably take my full strength.

“Yeah, definitely don’t do that,” Patrick said firmly. He gave me pleading eyes.

I sighed. Seems he doesn’t care for that idea.

“Hmm,” I said thoughtfully. “Then what about...”

I could give them one of the wooden katanas, or one of those key chains with the dragon wrapped around it, I guess. 

I wasn’t sure how that would go over though, since we’d only recently started selling them, and only one of them had been sold...to me.

I turned to Patrick, a sudden realization hitting me. “Do I...maybe have different tastes than most people...?”

A full-blown grin spread over Patrick’s face. “Wow! I never thought you’d realize that on your own! I’m so proud of you, Yumiella!” He reached out and patted me on the head.

Heh heh, I giggled internally, feeling abruptly happy. Wait, no—we’re going off topic. 

Part of me wanted to continue, so we could have a lengthy discussion about how Patrick saw me, but I put it aside for later. Getting the right gift for his family was more important.

“Thanks, but we’ve got bigger fish to fry!” I proclaimed, trying to swat his hand away from my head.

Patrick pulled back, dodging my blow. My eyebrows rose at the quick movement, though I wasn’t overly surprised; Patrick had begun to snub me like this more and more as his level had shot upward.

I suppose him doing stuff like that is better than me accidentally sending him flying, but it’s still annoying, I thought, oddly frustrated.

“Focus—right now we need to be thinking about what we’re bringing as a gift. I want to sound humble when I give it to them and say, ‘Oh, it’s nothing special,’ not be telling the truth!”

“But wouldn’t just a box of treats or something be fine?” Patrick asked.

He really doesn’t seem like he cares about this at all, I thought, both shocked and appalled at the discrepancy in our attitudes toward the gift.

“That wouldn’t be fine at all,” I told Patrick sternly. “What if they think I’m some ridiculous girl who lacks common sense, and then decide to oppose our marriage?”

“They already know you lack common sense,” he responded, lips twitching.

I glared at him. Perhaps I should switch from Operation “See, I’m a Lovely Noblewoman!” to Operation “See, I’m Not So Bad, Am I?”

◆◆◆

A short time later, Patrick and I took our leave to visit the Mark of Ashbatten. We left the county in the capable hands of Daemon, then climbed on Ryuu and were off.

Despite the many times he’d ridden my dragon, Patrick seemed to still be afraid of heights—when I glanced at his face, he looked distinctly unwell. Ryuu was even taking care to fly slowly and gently too, but as far as I could tell, it wasn’t helping Patrick adjust one bit.

“I think we’ll be getting there soon...” I told him, wincing a little. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah...” he replied, voice hoarse. “Just, whatever you do, don’t suddenly speed up or start a sudden descent.”

Is he being serious, or...? Oh—! He totally just glared at me. All right, all right, I get it! I won’t do either of those things, okay?

“Oh, that must be the town where the margrave’s mansion is,” I said, peering at the land below us. “Huh? Things seem kind of intense down there.”

Even from our current height, I could see many armored people gathered in the center of the primary town of the Mark of Ashbatten. They seemed to be on edge, as if battle was on the horizon...

Patrick leaned forward. “That flag...” he murmured, eyes on the flagpole protruding from the roof of the tallest building in the town. “That’s the one we fly if there’s an emergency—one of the highest class. Could Lemlaesta be advancing on us...?”

My eyebrows rose. Our neighboring kingdom is attacking us? 

Abruptly, I felt cranky. “How could they?! Our future is riding on this day...”

I’d been so wound up from thinking about it the previous night that I hadn’t been able to sleep a wink. And if I couldn’t meet Patrick’s parents today, I would have to go through that all over again.

Are they trying to give me an ulcer?! I won’t forgive you, Lemlaesta!

“Just try to calm down,” Patrick said soothingly. “I get why you’re upset, but we need to keep our composure for now.”

You know, he seems weirdly relaxed for someone whose home is being attacked, I thought, eyeing him strangely. I mean, if there was ever a time to embrace your demonic side and become a vicious protector of the kingdom, burning all the inferior fools who would harm it to a crisp, this is it. 

“Ryuu, accelerate to full speed! I’ll give you an additional boost!”

Ryuu flapped his wings with all his might, speeding up while I supported him by blasting magical energy behind us. We ended up going so fast that the drag caused by his wings became an issue, so eventually he just folded them back. From there on out, it was all on me—Ryuu’s body was the fighter jet, and my magic was the fuel that sent him zooming forward.

The earth below us rushed by in a dizzying blur, and the trees of the forest below us vanished in an instant, leaving us over open land. Shock waves burst out behind us...or wait, were those sonic booms?

We must be going at the speed of sound!

“Patrick! I can see the enemy forces!” I called over my shoulder, but I didn’t receive a response. “Hellooo? Patrick...?”

Is he so moved by our unprecedented speed that he’s been left speechless? I wondered. I didn’t take him for such a speed freak. What if he starts saying he wants to reach the speed of light...?

Casting these worries aside, I focused on the area which seemed to be at the heart of the conflict, which we were rapidly approaching. Two armies were stationed there, and it seemed they were in the midst of some sort of confrontation. Judging by that, they were most likely close to Valschein’s border.

At the moment, neither army seemed to have noticed Ryuu shooting toward them. It made sense when you thought about it—although he was leaving thunderous sonic booms in his wake, we were moving so fast that the sound was behind us, meaning the soldiers would only hear us once we flew over them.

“What would be the best way to keep damage to a minimum...” I pondered aloud. “Maybe...capturing their general?”

Patrick was the sort who’d know a lot about war tactics like that, but he was still deathly silent behind me. I didn’t have time to wait for him to respond either—we would be above the battlefield soon, and I needed to make my decision.

All right, let’s just dive right into the enemy’s headquarters! I decided. Wait...where exactly are their headquarters...?

“Ugh, there’s not enough time! Ryuu, start your descent immediately! We’re aiming for a spot between the two armies!”

Ryuu roared and dived down toward the thin strip of empty land that stretched between the margrave of Ashbatten’s army and the Kingdom of Lemlaesta’s. Our speed slowly decreased, but we were still going quite fast. As a result, Ryuu didn’t come to an immediate stop when he landed—he skidded forward, claws carving out lines in the ground as he cut through the center of both armies. When he finally slid to a stop, he was facing Lemlaesta’s soldiers.

The battlefield had fallen completely silent. The two armies stood across from each other, motionless. I put my head in my hands, staring at them from Ryuu’s back—I had gotten this far driven by impulse, but was beginning to realize that perhaps I had only made a bad situation worse. If I ended up escalating a situation that would have just been a glorified staring contest into a full-scale war, I’d never forgive myself.

I braced myself, ready to retaliate if someone made a move, but both armies stayed deathly still. Everyone seemed to be watching me.

Well, at the very least, I should let them know which side I’m reinforcing, I decided.

Just as I’d begun to muse over the proper way to do so, Ryuu let out a small sneeze. I found the strange little grunting noise he made absolutely adorable.

You know, it would be nice if Ryuu’s cuteness lightened the mood, I thought, hopeful. Maybe we’ll even be able to make an immediate truce!

That’s when the screaming started.

“A monster from the kingdom of Valschein is here!”

“Run! The darkness will swallow us all! We’ll be killed!”

“It’s over, we’re going to die!”

And so, contrary to my expectations, Ryuu’s sneeze began the demise of Lemlaesta’s army. Their formation crumbled in a matter of seconds; some of their soldiers fled for the hills, while others just curled up on the spot with their heads in their hands. The rest just remained where they were, staring blankly ahead.

I watched it all, not really understanding what was going on. But, hey, at least it looked like we were going to be able to win! Happiness filled me with the thought that, because of my actions, things might be able to be resolved without anyone dying.

This is another chance for me to help end discrimination against black hair! I realized. I need to seem like an agent of peace. I nodded to myself. Yes, these soldiers shall all see me as an angel, who hath landed on the battlefield to bring an end to this war without shedding a single drop of blood! I dwelled on that for a moment, then snorted. Yeah, right. Even I’m not that delusional—I know they see me as a Demon Lord and not an angel. 

By this point, the sight of the hellscape before me—from which agonized screams were continuously erupting—had become a bit much. In an attempt to shield my eyes, I turned to look at the Ashbatten army behind me. This, however, did not go over well—the moment I turned around, loud metallic clangs rang out from my heretofore silent allies. It seemed a single glance from me had been enough to give them the shivers; the clanging was coming from their armor, which was vibrating with the force of their terrified shaking. I sighed, then turned around to face Lemlaesta again.

“How did this happen?” I mumbled to myself.

I mean, all I’d done was fly over to visit my boyfriend’s family. We might have put a little too much pep in our step, but that was because we’d been alerted that there was an emergency!

I let out another sigh. Maybe I should go and capture Lemlaesta’s general, just in case...

I focused back on the opposing army, who seemed to be falling back at full speed, but I couldn’t tell where their general was stationed. Their formation was in such a shamble at this point that I couldn’t even guess where to begin my search.

“Patrick, wake up. Come on, wake up,” I said, turning around and giving him a strong shake of the shoulders.

If he would just open his eyes, Patrick would most likely be able to help me, given his knowledge of the battlefield, but alas, he only let out a groan and didn’t otherwise stir.

“Um, excuse me?” A voice called out from behind me. “It appears my son is on the verge of dying.”

I turned to find a horse standing beside Ryuu. On its back was a man who appeared to be in the late stages of middle age, and whose face resembled Patrick’s. His gray hair was a similar shade as well, but the strange man’s was a lighter color, closer to white. The man’s appearance made his identity obvious enough, but the Ashbatten family crest that was painted onto his armor eradicated any lingering doubts. He was Patrick’s father.

Margrave Ashbatten urged his horse forward a few more steps, leaving his escorts behind. They watched him nervously, worry in their eyes. It seemed they had no choice but to remain where they were, as their horses refused to draw any closer.

Okay, Yumiella, calm down. I know you didn’t think you’d be meeting Patrick’s father in a place like this, but making a good first impression is crucial to building a positive interpersonal relationship. Whether he approves of your marriage or not is riding on the things you do or say from this moment on. 

Keeping that in mind, I jumped down from Ryuu’s back and took a knee. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Margrave Ashbatten,” I said respectfully. “I’m Yumiella Dolkness, and I’ve come to offer you my aid.”

“Um...does that mean you’re going to annihilate Lemlaesta?”

“What?” I thought for a moment. “If that’s what you wish, sir.”

“I don’t wish for anything of the sort...”

Then why did you mention something so violent as me annihilating a neighboring kingdom? I wondered.

I gave the margrave a puzzled look, which he returned in the same fashion. We were probably thinking the same thing at that moment: Patrick, please wake up.

◆◆◆

“I see! So you just came to visit us!”

“Yes,” I told the margrave, my tension easing. “I thought it was about time for me to introduce myself.”

It had been a few minutes since Patrick had woken up and brought the silent staring contest between his father and me to an end. One of the first things the margrave had told me was that he was not at all inclined to start a fight with Lemlaesta, a sentiment which had been of great relief to me. Now, he continued to speak, filling Patrick and me in on the situation that we’d come flying into.

“After that, they just suddenly declared war on us,” the margrave concluded. “I’m quite glad you came, Countess Dolkness—with your help, we were able to resolve the situation without any casualties on our side.”

It was a bit odd to hear Patrick’s father refer to me in such a manner, but I knew that using someone’s family name and title to address them was the proper way of things in the aristocratic world. I’d been referring to him as “Margrave Ashbatten” as well, but I couldn’t help but feel as if the titles put up a wall between us.

Casting aside my discomfort, I inclined my head in thanks. “It sounds like it was a pretty turbulent situation.”

“Indeed. Although, as long as we can protect the border, we’re happy. I do wish we could ask their general about the situation, though...”

“Then I shall go capture him for you, Margrave Ashbatten!”

I straightened, preparing to go running off toward the Lemlaesta army. There’s nothing like cleaning up trouble together to bring two people closer! 

Alas, just as I launched forward, I was brought to an abrupt halt by a hand firmly clenched around the collar of my shirt.

“Hold on, Yumiella!” Patrick scolded. “Wait here, and don’t do anything else!”

I turned my head, blinking up at him in confusion. “Oh, do you want to come too? We’ve gotta do something to impress your father.”

Patrick sighed. “I’m more worried about how many Lemlaestan soldiers you’re going to get killed if you do anything else. If you so much as take a step out there, some of them will die from the shock.”

“What?!” I scoffed. “That’s impossible.”

Disregarding Patrick’s advice, I pulled free from his hold and began walking toward Lemlaesta’s army. I made eye contact with one of their soldiers, then froze when he fell backwards, his eyes rolling back in his head.

Oh, come on! Doesn’t Lemlaesta have anyone with some actual mental fortitude?!

Gloomily, I made my way back to where Patrick and the margrave stood.

“Ah, so that’s the type of girl she is,” Margrave Ashbatten muttered to his son. “She’s just as you described.”

I watched Patrick with narrowed eyes. Just what did you say about me...?

◆◆◆

After receiving notice that I was unqualified for battle—or rather, overqualified—I ended up standing by the headquarters of the Ashbatten army with Ryuu, while Patrick and his father took care of the rest. I’d only been there for a short while when they returned, leading a man dressed in a Lemlaestan army uniform. He looked...oddly familiar to me.

“Oh, are you that secret agent?!”

“Indeed. Thank you for your assistance back then, Countess Dolkness. I am Linus, and I currently serve as the assistant to the lieutenant of the Kingdom of Lemlaesta’s Central Army.”

Linus had reached out to me in the past, trying to recruit me to the side of one of Valschein’s neighboring kingdoms. The fact that he was in the military surprised me, but I was more confused over why someone of his position had been brought to speak with us instead of someone of higher rank.

It seemed that my confusion got through to him, for he clarified, “The commander and the lieutenant were among the army’s first deserters.”

“Oh,” I said. “Uh...my condolences.”

This guy seems to have some real bad luck when it comes to his superiors, I thought pityingly. I mean, wasn’t the whole reason he tried to recruit me back then because his bosses forced him to? Oh, I wonder if he got demoted because of that... A demotion would explain how he ended up being transferred from the intelligence department to the military.

Regardless, it seemed Linus was currently the highest-ranking officer available, which meant it was now his job to negotiate a truce. Naturally, Margrave Ashbatten would be representing the Kingdom of Valschein.

As for me, I’d just be watching the whole thing quietly—I had no intention of interfering in a political matter like this, especially since I was an outsider to the situation.

That’s right, so stop looking at me like that, Patrick! I thought crankily as we entered one of the tents pitched within the Ashbatten army’s headquarters. I won’t do anything.

“Um, where should I start...” Linus began nervously. “Currently, our kingdom is split into two...”

This was something I’d already known. From what I’d heard, Lemlaesta’s king had fallen ill around a year ago. Their first prince had been named as heir to the throne, but he couldn’t actually succeed his father’s title until the king died. The second prince and his faction had seen this as an opportunity to seize control, and they had enough power that the resulting struggle had split the kingdom in two.

When I’d first heard of the matter, I honestly hadn’t thought much of it. In my mind, all it had meant was that our neighbors were having a hard time—I hadn’t considered that it might affect me in the future. Little had I known that I’d end up getting involved.

“I know all that,” the margrave said. As the lord of a territory near the border, it only made sense he’d know of Lemlaesta’s affairs. “What I’m more interested in is which side led this advance.”

“It was the second prince,” Linus admitted. “His faction is sorely outnumbered, so he thought his only remaining choice was to gain prestige by distinguishing himself in a war.”

“So, your general is...?”

“Yes, it is His Highness...” Linus responded, his voice trailing off.

“Well, with how fast he ran away, I’m sure he won’t try to start anything anymore,” the margrave said with a heavy sigh. “And since there were no casualties, it looks like we can avoid a war breaking out.”

From what I could tell, it was only natural Margrave Ashbatten didn’t wish to escalate the conflict into a war—his mark would end up becoming the battlefield. I didn’t want war either, so I decided to do the best I could to back him up.

“Linus, please tell your prince that the next time he does something like this, he’ll have to deal with me. It doesn’t matter how far he runs—I’ll chase him to the end of the earth if I have to.”

“Understood,” Linus said, his exhausted expression lightening up a bit. “I will make sure to let him know.”

Poor guy, I thought. He must have been through a lot. 

After that, Margrave Ashbatten and Linus discussed a few more things before the meeting concluded. Linus got up from his seat, preparing to head back to his army and give them the instructions to pull out, but before he left he turned back to say one last thing.

“I’ve heard that the Kingdom of Valschein has a faction pushing for the second prince’s ascension to the throne as well,” he said casually. “I’ve also heard that they’ve begun making some moves toward achieving that goal. It seems Lemlaesta isn’t the only kingdom having a difficult time.”

It seems our two kingdoms aren’t so different, I thought. Thanks, I hate it.

◆◆◆

In the end, I didn’t really do much of anything, but a war between the Kingdom of Valschein and the Kingdom of Lemlaesta was averted. Honestly, it seemed a little ridiculous to me for us to get involved in a war just because of another kingdom’s inner struggles over the throne, so the fact that the situation had been resolved was a relief.

Well, looks like my work’s done here. Time to go home!

So I thought, but I knew that what Patrick and I had come here for was just beginning. We hadn’t journeyed here to stop a war, but so I could meet the margrave of Ashbatten, or, in other words, my possible future father-in-law. I needed to keep myself reined in—I couldn’t make any faux pas, or demonstrate a lack of common sense.

All I’ve done so far is nosedive out of the sky while riding Ryuu, so I’m probably still in the clear... I thought.

Now that Linus had left, it was just me, Patrick, and Margrave Ashbatten left in the tent. Deciding to seize the moment, I cleared my throat, grabbed the edges of my skirt, and took a bow. One of the few things I felt confident of was that my form was impeccable—after all, my physical abilities were unnecessarily robust.

“Margrave Ashbatten, head of the Ashbatten family, I would like to formally introduce myself to you. My name is Yumiella Dolkness. ’Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of nervousness; I could feel the burning heat of Patrick’s gaze. His expression was oddly protective, like a parent who was watching their child do something dangerous but who was holding themselves back in hopes that it would provide them some life experience.

A long, still moment passed, and then the margrave turned to Patrick. “Um...what she’s doing right now...” He trailed off with a troubled look.

“She’s just saying hello,” Patrick said with a sigh. “She’s still planning to act like she’s a regular noble girl.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. Hey, Patrick! Don’t go spilling the details of my plan to him! It was going perfectly until now—I’m the epitome of being ladylike! Even crashing down from the sky is incredibly feminine and good!

“Ahhh, I see,” the margrave said, nodding. “I think I finally understand what you’ve been talking about. She’s really an unfortu— Ahem, I mean, wonderful girl.” That said, he turned back to me. “Welcome to the Mark of Ashbatten, Countess Dolkness...or shall I call you Lady Yumiella?”

I grinned internally. Yes, it looks like my plan worked! 

Patrick’s father was even giving me a gentle smile—honestly, it felt refreshing, since I’d never really seen Patrick smiling like that. It made me wonder if Patrick would be like that when he got to his father’s age.

“Just Yumiella is fine, sir.”

Patrick sighed. “You know you can just act like you usually do,” he told me.

I gave him a ladylike glare. “Whatever do you mean, Sir Patrick? I have no clue what you are referring to.”

“Stop that, Yumiella. I’m getting chills. Plus, I don’t want you deceiving my father anymore.”

My plan’s a failure after all, I thought, wilting. And now Patrick’s making me sound nefarious, saying I’m “deceiving” his father. He could at least say I’m “maintaining a façade” or something. Wait, that doesn’t sound much better, does it...?

By this point, the margrave must have known I’d been acting from the very beginning. The realization made me feel awkward, and my eyes started darting nervously around the tent.

“Patrick, I’d like you to prepare for withdrawal,” the margrave said. “I’m temporarily transferring command of the army to you.”

Patrick immediately accepted his father’s orders and left the tent.

Wait, don’t leave me alone with your dad! I thought desperately. This is too awkward!

And yet, I seemed to be the only one who thought so—when I nervously looked at him, the margrave shot me another soft smile. He’d given off the impression that he was a strong commander back when he’d been on the battlefield, but now he seemed much softer, like he was just a kind father.

“Lady Yumiella—if I may address you as such—I wanted to thank you for being there for my son.”

“N-No, no!” I said hurriedly, my back straightening into a perfect line. “If anything, Patrick is the one who has been there for me.”

I knew that Patrick had been sending letters that detailed my actions to his family—the margrave must have known all about the time Patrick had nearly died, and that other thing that Patrick had gotten really mad at me for. I had no choice but to apologize to the margrave profusely.

“You don’t have to be so tense,” Margrave Ashbatten said with a chuckle. “I must offer you an apology myself, for having to stay here for a while even after you’ve come all this way to visit. There’s a chance that Lemlaesta’s army could come back.”

“Should I annihilate them after all?” I asked thoughtfully.

“Lady Yumiella, please,” the margrave pleaded. “That doesn’t sound like a joke coming from you.”

You know, he sounds just like Patrick when he scolds me, I realized. He even has the same kind of expression on his face. This conversation feels so familiar... Honestly, I’ve probably had a similar one with Patrick, not once but multiple times. 

Casting these thoughts aside, I asked, “Has Lemlaesta ever made an advance on you like this before?”

The margrave shook his head. “We frequently have squabbles, but I don’t think they’ve made an advance of such a scale in over ten years... Your presence was of great help to us, Lady Yumiella.”

Hmm, I thought, does that mean Lemlaesta attempted to attack Valschein ten years ago...? It’s surprising, but it seems like the Mark of Ashbatten is a more tumultuous land than I expected. 

Now that I knew the margrave would be stationed at the fortress at the border for a while, I felt a little disappointed. On one hand, it seemed like we’d visited at a good time, since I’d been able to help them out with the fight at the border. On the other hand, it was a shame I wouldn’t be able to spend more time with Patrick’s father. “Perhaps we should come back another time?” I asked the margrave. “Um, you see, we actually came to discuss something...”

Patrick’s father nodded, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. “Oh, yes, you must be referring to the engagement.”

“I... Well, yes.”

An engagement. In other words, a promise between two people to get married. It still didn’t feel real to me, but Patrick and I were definitely a couple. At least, I thought we were... Please, someone! Can you define what a couple is for me?

“To tell the truth, it feels a bit late to discuss an engagement between you two,” Margrave Ashbatten admitted. “After all, you’re already living together.”

“Oh, but nothing has really happened! Patrick just...kinda tagged along...”

I trailed off, a shocking fact coming into focus due to the margrave’s statement. Patrick and I had been living together! From the research I’d done in my old life, I remembered that many couples broke up after moving in together. They became aware of parts of their partner they disliked but had never gotten the chance to glimpse before they were in such close proximity.

I mean, it’s not like we’re sharing a one-bedroom apartment or something, I reassured myself. He probably has no idea how much of a slob I am in private. At least...I hope he doesn’t... And uh, it’s not like he’s seen me using wind pressure from running really fast to dry my hair or anything like that... Yeah, of course he hasn’t...

The more I thought about it, the more embarrassment boiled up inside of me.

Oh no, I feel like my head’s going to burst into flames! And my face is hot enough it’ll have its own fire... This may be it—the birth of Yumiella, the Explosive Flame! 

I groaned, fighting the urge to plop my face into my hands. And all because of the bomb that the man before me, Patrick’s father, had dropped.

“Don’t worry, I know that Patrick invited himself,” the margrave told me, as if trying to be considerate of my feelings. “And regardless, I approve of your engagement. If anything, I welcome it.”

“I’m sure you can’t make a decision on such short no...tice... Wait, what?!”

Are you really going to make an important decision like that so easily?

“Are you sure?” I demanded. “Is it all right for you to come to a conclusion like that so quickly?”

“Well, I’ve already been hearing all about you from Patrick for a while now,” the margrave pointed out.

I fell silent, processing this. It seemed Patrick had been pushing things forward from behind the scenes.

Are you trying to use your family to convince me to be with you? I thought distrustfully. Seriously, I wasn’t planning on running in the first place.

As a matter of fact, the time for running was over—now that his father had given us his blessing, we were officially engaged. It didn’t feel real; it had gone down too smoothly.

The margrave sent me another kind smile. “I can’t do much for you myself,” he admitted, “but I would be pleased if you’d take some time to rest at our home before beginning the journey back to your county.”

“We will,” I said, instantly taking him up on that offer. “Thank you very much.”

“Uh, just one more thing,” the margrave said suddenly. His tone of voice was odd, and the sense of relief I’d been feeling turned into fear. “Be...careful, of my wife.”

Is Patrick’s mom dangerous?!

◆◆◆

Once Patrick returned to the tent, we said goodbye to his father and left the border of the Mark of Ashbatten, riding on Ryuu to a town surrounded by castle walls that was located in the territory’s center. Looking down into it, I couldn’t help but think of how it was the place Patrick had grown up in.

“Hey,” I said suddenly. “Is your mother scary? Your father told me to be careful.”

“Oh...” Patrick said hesitantly. “She’s, uh... Well, she’s usually normal. I think it’ll be fine.”

Well, that’s helpful, I thought with a sigh. I still have no idea what kind of person she is. 

What I could imagine was a conflict brewing between the two of us—after all, since ancient times, mothers had thrown aside both morals and social etiquette to meet their daughters-in-law on the battlefield. Such wars were to be expected, although I had never personally witnessed anything of the sort.

Oh, right, I remembered. Patrick has an older brother too. I want to meet him as well.

“Patrick? What’s your brother like?”

“Uh, well... I mean, I’m not sure if you’ll get the chance to meet my brother. I feel like he won’t want to be introduced to you.”

What?! Does he hate me already? He hasn’t even met me yet! All of a sudden, a pulse of pain radiated out from my stomach; I felt like it was in knots.

After that, I sent Ryuu wish after wish for him to fly slower, but alas, he didn’t pick up on them. I was thankful when the town finally grew close enough for us to land.

“Um...where should we land?” I asked Patrick.

From what I could see from our current height, the town still seemed a bit on edge from the earlier emergency at the border. They people didn’t seem to be disorderly in any way, though.

“That building over there is the margrave’s mansion,” Patrick replied. “Ryuu, can you land on the yard, about there?”

Noting where Patrick was pointing, Ryuu slowly began to descend to the ground outside a large mansion. Thankfully, he had no trouble landing—there was a large swathe of earth available for him to touch down upon, most likely because the yard was also used as a training ground.

So, this is Patrick’s home, I thought, taking it all in.

Just as Ryuu got settled, a woman came running out of the mansion. She waved her arms widely in our direction, her long silver locks sparkling as her movements sent them bouncing. She didn’t seem much older than I was, but as far as I knew Patrick didn’t have an older sister.

Wait...is that his older brother?! I didn’t hear anything about my brother-in-law being so cute.

“Is that your...”

“Yeah, it’s my mother.”

Oh. I sat for a second, reining my silly thoughts back in and sending them off in a more normal direction. I guess between a cross-dressing older brother and a young-looking mother, the latter seems more realistic, huh?

There was a soft thump, and I shook myself from my musing. Ryuu had just gently settled to the ground.

All right! I declared internally, bracing myself for a fight. This is the first battle in the mother-daughter war! Using my level 99 power, I shall take the first strike!

Buoyed by my thoughts, I leaped from Ryuu’s back and ran over to Patrick’s mother.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” I said with a deep bow. “I’m Yumiella Dolkness.”

“Oh, there’s no need to be so formal,” she replied. She sounded a bit surprised.

Still bowing, I replied, “Thank you for being so considerate!”

Alas, due to the decision of a high-level politician, my first strike has been canceled. 

When I finally straightened, I found that Patrick’s mother was staring intently at my face. I started to wonder what was so strange, but then she suddenly reached out and grabbed my cheeks, squishing them up and down.

“Oh, you’re so cute! Your expression really doesn’t change, just like Patrick said!”

“Mother, you’re making her uncomfortable,” Patrick said with a sigh.

“Actually, I don’t mind,” I corrected him. “Please, touch me as much as you’d like.”

I mean, if all it takes to build a good relationship with Patrick’s mother is to let her touch my cheeks, I thought, that’s a pretty amazing payoff. 

Patrick’s mother seemed to take me at my word, since she continued to play with my cheeks to her heart’s content. As she did so, I examined her more closely—she looked incredibly young, as if she was only in her midtwenties.

A short while later, she let out a sigh and relinquished my cheeks, as if having had her fun. “Come, come, you two,” she said. “Let us go inside. I’m afraid Ryuu won’t fit inside—is that all right?”

“Yeah, that’s no problem,” I told her.

I turned to check on Ryuu, only to find that he was falling asleep, his head resting on his tail as if it was a pillow. It seemed that, like me, he could fall asleep anywhere.

I guess it’s true what they say, that children take after their parents, I thought. But more importantly, how adorable! He must be tired after flying such a long distance today. 

Confident that Ryuu was comfortable, I turned and followed Patrick and his mother into the mansion. The whole way, I couldn’t help but think of how considerate she’d been of my darling dragon. It was a little awe-inspiring, but I had to be careful—I couldn’t take the first impressions she’d made on me at face value.

After a short walk, the three of us stopped in front of a door, which Patrick’s mother opened. It appeared to lead to a drawing-room-like chamber. Patrick took a step forward, as if to enter, but his mother held up a hand.

“Uh-uh,” she said. “You go somewhere else. I’m sure you have people you want to see, since it’s been so long since you’ve been home.”

“Well...I do have a report for you regarding the advance from that kingdo—”

“It’s fine, I’ll hear about it from Yumiella.”

All of a sudden, I felt as if danger was afoot. How could I forget—we’re still in the middle of our mother and future wife war! That’s foul play, getting rid of Patrick...

“Mother, please don’t say anything strange to Yumiella,” Patrick said with a sigh. “And you,” he pointed at me, “don’t you do anything weird either.”

Hold up, you’re actually leaving me here with her?! Also, I totally wouldn’t ever do anything weird. 

With nothing left to do, I turned to enter the room in front of me, but Patrick snatched me up, pulling me close. “No matter what, don’t say ‘Lemlaesta’ in front of my mother,” he whispered in my ear. His breath grazed my earlobe, sending a shiver down my spine.

Hey! I’m not into you for your good voice, so cut that out! I command you to never do something like that again! I mean, if you really wanted to, I guess I could allow it one more time... Maybe two or three more times, depending on the situation? Or, uh...as many times as you want to...? I’m definitely not into it though!

I shook myself, forcing my thoughts back on track.

Wait, what did Patrick even say to me just now? All that ear breathing distracted me—I can’t remember a word! Heh, that means we’ll have to do it again, won’t we? I mean, I just need to make sure I accurately absorb all the intel he’s trying to get to me. It can’t be helped...

I looked over my shoulder, fully prepared to tell Patrick he’d need to try whispering whatever he’d said to me at least three more times since I hadn’t really been able to hear him, but...he’d vanished.

I started trembling with fear. Oh no, I know this situation! I’ve seen something like this in daytime soaps before; she’s going to totally switch personalities now that Patrick’s gone!

“Yumiella? Don’t just stand there—come in and sit down! I’m so happy you’ve come by. I’ve been wanting to meet you.”

“All right, thank you,” I said, giving in.

Is “I’ve been wanting to meet you” code for “I’ve been looking forward to torturing my future daughter-in-law”? I wondered as I sat down across from her. If so, I better get mentally prepared. 

“So...” Patrick’s mother began. “How far have you gone with my son?”

I blinked at her, my mind going utterly blank. “I... I don’t know how to answer that.”

“Oh, just look at you! You’ve got a little blush on those cheeks. How adorable.”

Wait, what’s going on? I thought, bewildered. Is she genuinely just a nice person? Did I delude myself into thinking I’d be the victim of bullying when nothing bad was going to happen at all? How embarrassing... I’ve totally lost control...

Honestly, now that I thought about it, I wasn’t exactly going to be Patrick’s mother’s daughter-in-law in the traditional sense, anyway. Patrick would be marrying into my family, not the other way around. From the very beginning, there had never been a reason for a mother and future-wife battle to occur.

Besides, Patrick’s mother has been so kind to me so far! There’s no way she could suddenly change into some scary person.

“Oh, but could you tell me about what happened on the battlefield first, Yumiella?” Patrick’s mother said, casting me from my thoughts. “We can talk about all the other things on my list after.”

“Certainly,” I agreed. “Regarding Lemlaesta’s advance, it seems their entire army has pulled out. The margrave will be staying in the fortress by the border for... Uh, ma’am?”

Something about Patrick’s mother’s smile had shifted, sending shivers down my spine. She still looked as happy as ever, but the air around her boiled with something dark.

“Lemlaesta, huh...?” she said slowly. “A kingdom like that should just hurry up and perish. Don’t you think so too, Yumiella?”

S-So I guess I was wrong, I thought. People actually can change at the drop of a hat. I must say, people who smile when they’re angry are really terrifying...

“U-Um...” I stammered weakly. “Well, there were no casualties, so...”

“Why, I wouldn’t say that,” Patrick’s mother said, voice cloyingly sweet. “Here you are, having come all this way to visit us, and we can’t even properly welcome you. Would you not say that is a casualty of sorts? We may just have to eradicate Lemlaesta after all. They’ve left us no other choice.”

Y-Yay, she likes me. I’m so glad you care for me, mother-in-law. But...I’d be even happier if you’d calm down...

I had a feeling that the warning Patrick had whispered into my ear earlier had something to do with this—I should have ignored how good his voice sounded and paid better attention!

All right, I’ve got to get her to calm down, I thought. I need to say something sensible here, so I can defuse this mess...

“I-If you decide to annihilate Lemlaesta, I’ll help you,” I offered.

Nooo, I wailed internally. I just added more fuel to the fire! How could I say something so impulsive?! I just...thought it would end up all right if the result was her liking me... I-It’ll be fine, I’m sure in the worst-case scenario Patrick and his father will stop us. I mean, girls keep their feet on the gas pedal and their hands on the gas! Brakes and coolant are best left to men!

I looked over at Patrick’s mother, terrified my heated statement would only inflame her hatred of Lemlaesta even further, but instead found that her face had gone blank, all emotion drained away.

Okay, that’s even more terrifying than the smile! N-Not that I’m one to talk... But anyway, why does she detest Lemlaesta so much?!

I could hear my heart thumping in my chest. Silence stretched over the room as second after second passed by, both of us staring at each other’s expressionless faces. Then, suddenly Patrick’s mother’s expression changed, and the smile returned to her face.

I shivered. She’s seriously terrifying. 

“I’m sorry,” Patrick’s mother said. “I’m afraid I got a bit too heated. It wouldn’t be right for me to get you involved.”

“O-Oh, I don’t mind at all, it’s fine! Anyway, I think things with that kingdom will be fine for a while. It appears that they’re split internally, and probably don’t have the time to be sending an army again.”

“I see, I’m glad to hear that,” she replied. “Well then, I’d like to hear how you met my son. He’s always vague about the important details when he tells me things.”

“Um, we first spoke to each other during an outdoor training session...”

That’s right, just keep speaking normally. Act as though nothing is wrong, like you aren’t terrified she’ll snap again...

◆◆◆

By the time Patrick got back, his mother and I must have been speaking for at least a few dozen minutes.

You’re late! I screeched internally.

“Mother, I have a feeling Yumiella is probably tired from our long trip today. I’d like to let her rest now, if you don’t mind.”

A slightly guilty look flickered over Patrick’s mother’s face. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Yumiella! I was just having so much fun.”

“I had fun as well,” I lied.

The reality was, I was terrified. I was more than happy to follow Patrick out of the drawing room and into a guest chamber.

“Do you think you’ll get along with my mother?” Patrick asked suddenly. “I have a feeling you brought up that kingdom, didn’t you?”

“I did...”

He winced. “Sorry, I knew I should’ve stayed there with you.”

That would’ve been nice, but it wasn’t what was on my mind at the moment—I wanted to know why she hated Lemlaesta so much, especially when Patrick and his father didn’t at all seem to feel the same. I opened my mouth to ask, but Patrick began to explain before I got the chance.

“To be honest, people around here don’t generally like Lemlaesta much. Although, my mother’s hate is especially extreme. There aren’t many people aside from her who hate them that much.”

“Yeah, I could tell.”

“Basically, the whole thing started when they... Well, when they destroyed her wedding,” Patrick said.

Like a wedding wedding? The kind where you wear a wedding dress, cut a cake, exchange vows, and get married...?

“Mother was originally the daughter of a central marquess,” Patrick continued, “so her family was completely against her marrying my father, who was going to succeed the more rural title of margrave. Despite those issues, my parents pushed through and were finally able to get married, only for a squabble with Lemlaesta to occur the day before their wedding. The situation was serious enough that it was no time to be holding a wedding, and my father ended up having to go to the border to help out.”

Well, I can see why she’d be upset, having such an important, once-in-a-lifetime event ruined... I thought. If someone were to get in the way of our wedding... Wait. That wouldn’t be that bad, would it? Then I wouldn’t have to wear a dress and behave myself, right? That would actually be great! I mean, seriously, why is it even tradition to hold an event like that? I’d prefer to go without one if I could. Although, then I wouldn’t be able to eat a giant cake...

“Hey,” I burst out. “Are we going to have a wedding? J-Just hypothetically speaking, I promise! Hypothetically, in the far, far future!”

Patrick gave me a weird look. “Of course. And I won’t let anyone get in the way, no matter what. We’re going to have a grand celebration.”

“W-Wouldn’t it be all right to, I don’t know...not have one though? I mean, you don’t like things like that, anyway...”

“I don’t really like elaborate festivities, but I think it’s different when it comes to a wedding.”

Patrick, you’ve got to be kidding me! Why are you so on board with this?! 

I sank into thought. “A wedding, huh...?”

Such a happiness-filled event doesn’t really feel like my scene, but...ah, well. It’s gonna be a long time before it happens, anyway.

◆◆◆

We ended up staying at the Mark of Ashbatten for three days in total. Most of our time was spent with Patrick’s mother, who acted entirely normal as long as the land mine that was the Kingdom of Lemlaesta wasn’t brought up. Although, there had been an instance where her reaction to me saying the word “lemon” had caused me to fear for my life.

Other than that, I’d chatted with Patrick’s mother quite a bit about my level grinding methodology—turns out, she was a huge fan. Patrick had tried to stop me from saying too much, but I couldn’t help it! Not when his mother had enjoyed our talks so much.

It hadn’t been just Patrick’s mother who had welcomed me with open arms—turns out, the people working in their mansion were just as friendly. I’d never felt so pampered in all my life.

You know, maybe I should get Patrick’s parents to adopt me... I thought, feeling a bit sad that the time had come for us to leave the mark. The three days had passed so swiftly, and we weren’t even able to say goodbye to Patrick’s father, as it seemed he’d be stuck at the border for a while longer.

“Thank you for everything!” I called to Patrick’s mother from my place on Ryuu’s back.

“Swing by whenever you’d like,” she said with a smile. “Just come alone next time, all right? Patrick doesn’t need to come.”

I giggled. “That sounds lovely!” To my dragon, I added, “Okay, Ryuu. Time to go.”

Ryuu began to flap his wings with great force. Once he’d built up enough momentum, he launched from the ground and soared into the sky, Patrick and I on his back. Below us, Patrick’s mother was waving us goodbye; she continued until she vanished from sight.

All right, I thought. I finally got to meet Patrick’s parents, and now we’re officially engaged. I managed to accomplish everything I came t— Wait.

“I didn’t get to meet your brother!” I cried, turning to Patrick in dismay. “Was he not home?”

“No, he was home,” Patrick shouted back.

That’s pretty strange, isn’t it? I wondered. We were in the same house for three whole days! Shouldn’t I have run into him at least once? Unless...he was hiding from me. But there’s no way that could be it. 

I raised my voice even further—we had no choice but to yell at each other so our words wouldn’t be lost in the rushing of the wind. “Do you think he was avoiding me?”

“Yeah!”

So, that was it...

Abruptly, I felt kind of sad. I’d gotten used to being avoided at the Academy, but for Patrick’s brother to do it? It was a bit hurtful.

Sensing my depressive mood, Patrick yelled in a panic, “It’s just, my brother’s not really good with women! Don’t worry, if he hides next time, I’ll force him to come say hi!”

I relaxed a little, not feeling so hurt anymore. Ohhh, so he’s just afraid of women. You know, I kinda forgot I was one before this. If I’m remembering right, I think I heard that guys who are afraid of women are especially bad at communicating with people their age that they can’t help but perceive as the opposite sex. Having his little brother bring home a beautiful woman like me must have been mortifying. I mean, I’m so lovely it could almost be a crime.

As I was basking in these thoughts, Patrick rudely interrupted by speaking again. “My brother is especially not good with strong-willed women, particularly aggressive ones with bad tempers. I think it’s because of mother...”

“You think...I’m aggressive and bad-tempered?” I asked haltingly.

Me, beautiful?! Ha! Patrick didn’t mention my beauty once! I hope all the so-called beautiful girls vanish from this earth!

“Well, I don’t think you have a bad temper...” Patrick said reluctantly. “But, about the ‘aggressive’ thing...”

That’s it! I’m living like Buddha from tomorrow on! I’ll leave my aggressiveness behind and work hard for my county!