“Did you... do something to Bellos’s neck?”
I thought that was why he asked such a terrible question.
“Did you come here after doing something so admirable?”
Linel whispered to me.
He was looking at Moiya and Moni with a look of secret anticipation.
Since the guys had used Bellos as an example, Linel replied without hesitation.
“That kind of head should be kicked out. If that happens, you can kick it out for him.”
“Ah! Don’t worry. Just trust me, Moni~? I’ll turn that Magic Tower’s head to ash.”
Moni, Linel’s ardent fan, shouted like a proud knight. He stroked Moni’s head with a pleased expression.
“What on earth did you do to ask such a strange question? Tell me, quickly.”
I sat down on the marble floor where Moiya and Moni were sitting, and questioned them with a solemn expression.
It was clear they had come back from some kind of accident.
The two kids looked unsure, debating whether to speak or not.
It seemed as if they were confused as to whether what they had caused was an accident or not.
“Moiya and Moni didn’t cause any trouble...”
Grand Duke Joseph said, acting as their spokesman.
“Joseph, what have you heard?”
Linel asked Grand Duke Joseph, his eyes narrowing.
“Yes, they’ve been working hard for peace!”
“They... worked hard for what?”
I asked Grand Duke Joseph, watching Moiya and Moni’s ruby eyes waver.
“We were fighting so hard, Moiya~.”
“Ah! Our throats are sore from trying so hard to stop them, Moni~.”
“Did the wyverns fight again?”
“Not them.”
“Then who are you talking about?”
“Master, there are those guys... They’re really noisy, and they eat a lot.”
“...Who are they?”
“The guys with the body of an eagle and two snake heads.”
No way...
I was half-believing Moiya’s explanation, but Linel spoke to me first.
“Don’t you think you’re talking about Galaco?”
“If he doesn’t know, then we should sell the Magic Tower building. He’s not worthy of being the Magic Tower Master.”
Why are you going that far...
I glared at him, who was particularly stingy with Bellos, and smiled faintly.
“Oh, by the way, Melanie and Hetor. They get along quite well.”
“Really?”
He asked, intrigued.
“Yeah, maybe you should let Melanie go, like Rosie.”
“It’s not hard to give them away since they were never mine, but Hetor and Melanie... I can’t imagine?”
Linel trailed off with a ‘Hey, no way.’ expression.
Anyway.
“What do you mean you came here to work for peace?”
I asked, turning my gaze back to Moiya and Moni. Their small hands, which were about to pick up the sausages, stopped.
They took turns explaining the situation last night.
The Galacos were said to have been trapped in the iron bars of the spire at the end of the castle wall.
Judging from the fact that they flew from the Valley of Death to the Duchy of Aklatto, it seemed that they had enjoyed flying with the wyverns and then broke away.
“Two male heads were fighting over the female.”
“But?”
“Oh? Mating should only be done by two, Moiya~?”
“...So?”
“Ah! We made sure they didn’t fight, right, Moni~?”
Moni said with a rather proud tone.
“How?”
"Oh, you smashed one of its heads? That's why you asked me that question, right?"
Linel asked the two, laughing.
"Smashing it is too cruel and dirty, isn't it, Moiya~? I just burned it cleanly and neatly."
Moiya retorted, disgusted by his expression.
Killing it is the same anyway, so what difference does that make?
Anyway, I'm worried.
Even if it's imprisoned in an iron cage, the only beings in this world capable of burning all of Galaco's heads are the wyverns.
Everyone knew that the wyverns had recently returned to the Valley of Death.
But the fact that they had flown to the Duchy of Aklatto and attacked Galaco, who was trapped within the walls, seemed a bit odd.
If it were known that I was the Wyvern Lord, it could be misunderstood that I had moved the wyverns, and it could even become a pretext for war by holding me accountable.
"Your Majesty, Hetor will soon find out about this."
When I asked with a worried voice, Linel nodded, stroking her chin.
“I should go see the Magic Tower Master first.”
As he climbed up to Melanie’s bedroom, Hetor’s heart began to pound.
He had never been this nervous. Not when he was pirating at sea, not when he conquered the Duchy of Aklatto, not when he led the allied forces to invade the monastery in the Elanji Forest and threatened the dignitaries during the Continental Hunting Tournament. He had never been more nervous than this.
“I won’t ask you twice. Even if I’m ignorant and a bad guy... Do you like it?”
Yesterday, he hadn’t heard an answer to the question he’d asked when he’d chased Melanie into her bedroom.
“I think I need to think about it. So come back tomorrow. I’ll give you the answer.”
Melanie, surprisingly, deferred the answer in a very detached voice.
And so, Hetor had come to hear that answer now.
Knock, knock.
He heard Melanie’s voice telling him to come in.
Melanie, as if she'd been waiting for him, had already taken a seat at the tea table.
"Come this way."
Melanie tapped the table with her fingertips.
"I came to hear your answer."
Hetor didn't beat around the bush, but asked directly.
"No matter how many times you ask, my answer will always be the same. I liked you."
Melanie spoke without hesitation, speaking directly.
Melanie watched Hetor's lips curl upward, then took a sip of tea and slightly changed her tone.
"No, it was good."
...Huh?
The corrected answer was in the past tense again.
Hetor was confused by his heart, which had been transformed into the past tense overnight.
“I don’t want to be petty. I’ll fold it.”
“...What?”
“My heart.”
Was it a heart as thin as a sheet of paper, ready to fold as soon as she said she would?
Displeasure spread across Hetor’s honest face.
“I indeed liked you, but I didn’t tell you to ignore me outright. You don’t seem to know, you’re a barbarian, but even if you reject me, it’s impolite to hurt me so ignorantly.”
Melanie said rather firmly.
“And I meant what I said yesterday.”
“What?”
“I told you to go back to the Empress’s palace. And now that you’re leaving the bedroom, I want you to speak to me more politely.”
“?”
“Why aren’t you answering? What I’m saying is difficult? Now I’ll fold my heart to you, and you’ll speak to me more politely. Easy, right?”
“...Easy?”
Hetor felt lost as the woman who had been actively seeking his love only yesterday suddenly turned cold.
He rushed up to Melanie's bedroom to check her feelings, but something felt terribly off.
"Get out of here. I need to start crying now to sort things out."
Melanie said, her emotions controlled like a theatrical actor.
"Why do you think I... chased you up here yesterday?"
Hetor, finally regaining his composure, asked calmly.
"What do I care about now?"
Melanie crossed her arms in front of him and spoke coldly.
"Yesterday... I was harsh."
I thought that was why he asked such a terrible question.
“Did you come here after doing something so admirable?”
Linel whispered to me.
He was looking at Moiya and Moni with a look of secret anticipation.
Since the guys had used Bellos as an example, Linel replied without hesitation.
“That kind of head should be kicked out. If that happens, you can kick it out for him.”
“Ah! Don’t worry. Just trust me, Moni~? I’ll turn that Magic Tower’s head to ash.”
Moni, Linel’s ardent fan, shouted like a proud knight. He stroked Moni’s head with a pleased expression.
“What on earth did you do to ask such a strange question? Tell me, quickly.”
I sat down on the marble floor where Moiya and Moni were sitting, and questioned them with a solemn expression.
It was clear they had come back from some kind of accident.
The two kids looked unsure, debating whether to speak or not.
It seemed as if they were confused as to whether what they had caused was an accident or not.
“Moiya and Moni didn’t cause any trouble...”
Grand Duke Joseph said, acting as their spokesman.
“Joseph, what have you heard?”
Linel asked Grand Duke Joseph, his eyes narrowing.
“Yes, they’ve been working hard for peace!”
“They... worked hard for what?”
I asked Grand Duke Joseph, watching Moiya and Moni’s ruby eyes waver.
“We were fighting so hard, Moiya~.”
“Ah! Our throats are sore from trying so hard to stop them, Moni~.”
“Did the wyverns fight again?”
“Not them.”
“Then who are you talking about?”
“Master, there are those guys... They’re really noisy, and they eat a lot.”
“...Who are they?”
“The guys with the body of an eagle and two snake heads.”
No way...
I was half-believing Moiya’s explanation, but Linel spoke to me first.
“Don’t you think you’re talking about Galaco?”
“You think so?”
We both turned our gazes back to Moiya and Moni at the same time.
They both quickly avoided my gaze and pretended to play with Grand Duke Joseph’s hair.
They both quickly avoided my gaze and pretended to play with Grand Duke Joseph’s hair.
“Are you saying Galaco is in the Lapion Empire?”
Linel’s voice was a little agitated. If Galaco had appeared in the Lapion Empire, it would be a big problem.
“No, no. We didn’t meet here!”
Moni said, waving both hands. Thank goodness. I held my breath without realizing it, tensing up until I let it out with a whoosh at Moni’s words.
“Then where did you see Galaco?”
“What island was it?”
The only islands near the continent were the Principality of Aklato and Tanya Island.
“Tell me what’s around the islands?”
Linel asked Moiya and Moni.
“There was a wall right in front of the sea, right, Moiya~?”
Moiya nodded as if he knew where it was at his words.
“The Principality of Aklatto.”
“But weren’t Galaco originally bred on Tanya Island?”
“Yes.”
“But why did they bring Galaco to the Principality of Aklatto?”
“I also learned from my informant that before the combined forces of Tanya Island and Aklatto Principality surrounded Elanji Forest, the Principality had already fallen into the hands of that guy Hetor.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. So some of the Galaco that were released in Elanji Forest and then recaptured would have been brought to the Principality of Aklatto, which is closer to the continent, rather than to the distant Tanya Island. Hetor’s men would be stationed there too.”
"Then the duchy is Hetor's, so what's so regrettable that he volunteered to be Roxana's bodyguard and is here? What major weakness has she discovered...?"
It was something I've always wondered about.
"I found that a bit odd, too. At first, I thought he was helping Roxana because he had feelings for her, but now I don't think that's the case. And judging by his rough temper... If he really loved Roxana, I doubt he would have let her become the Empress of another country."
"That's right. That's not normal behavior. Unless Roxana hypnotized him."
"Or maybe he fed her some kind of obedience."
At first, it was passed off as a joke, but the more I thought about it, the more suspicious it became.
“Really... Is it possible that Roxana is using hypnosis or drugs to control Hetor?”
“It’s not entirely impossible.”
Linel’s expression became serious, and his blue eyes darkened.
“If that’s true, then restoring Hetor to his previous state could completely isolate Roxana... Right?”
“That makes sense. Let’s discuss this matter with your close friend, the Magic Tower Master.”
“Yes, but wouldn’t Bellos know that someone is under hypnosis or has taken an obedience potion?”
At first, it was passed off as a joke, but the more I thought about it, the more suspicious it became.
“Really... Is it possible that Roxana is using hypnosis or drugs to control Hetor?”
“It’s not entirely impossible.”
Linel’s expression became serious, and his blue eyes darkened.
“If that’s true, then restoring Hetor to his previous state could completely isolate Roxana... Right?”
“That makes sense. Let’s discuss this matter with your close friend, the Magic Tower Master.”
“Yes, but wouldn’t Bellos know that someone is under hypnosis or has taken an obedience potion?”
“If he doesn’t know, then we should sell the Magic Tower building. He’s not worthy of being the Magic Tower Master.”
Why are you going that far...
I glared at him, who was particularly stingy with Bellos, and smiled faintly.
“Oh, by the way, Melanie and Hetor. They get along quite well.”
“Really?”
He asked, intrigued.
“Yeah, maybe you should let Melanie go, like Rosie.”
“It’s not hard to give them away since they were never mine, but Hetor and Melanie... I can’t imagine?”
Linel trailed off with a ‘Hey, no way.’ expression.
Anyway.
“What do you mean you came here to work for peace?”
I asked, turning my gaze back to Moiya and Moni. Their small hands, which were about to pick up the sausages, stopped.
They took turns explaining the situation last night.
The Galacos were said to have been trapped in the iron bars of the spire at the end of the castle wall.
Judging from the fact that they flew from the Valley of Death to the Duchy of Aklatto, it seemed that they had enjoyed flying with the wyverns and then broke away.
“Two male heads were fighting over the female.”
“But?”
“Oh? Mating should only be done by two, Moiya~?”
“...So?”
“Ah! We made sure they didn’t fight, right, Moni~?”
Moni said with a rather proud tone.
“How?”
"Oh, you smashed one of its heads? That's why you asked me that question, right?"
Linel asked the two, laughing.
"Smashing it is too cruel and dirty, isn't it, Moiya~? I just burned it cleanly and neatly."
Moiya retorted, disgusted by his expression.
Killing it is the same anyway, so what difference does that make?
Anyway, I'm worried.
Even if it's imprisoned in an iron cage, the only beings in this world capable of burning all of Galaco's heads are the wyverns.
Everyone knew that the wyverns had recently returned to the Valley of Death.
But the fact that they had flown to the Duchy of Aklatto and attacked Galaco, who was trapped within the walls, seemed a bit odd.
If it were known that I was the Wyvern Lord, it could be misunderstood that I had moved the wyverns, and it could even become a pretext for war by holding me accountable.
"Your Majesty, Hetor will soon find out about this."
When I asked with a worried voice, Linel nodded, stroking her chin.
“I should go see the Magic Tower Master first.”
***
As he climbed up to Melanie’s bedroom, Hetor’s heart began to pound.
He had never been this nervous. Not when he was pirating at sea, not when he conquered the Duchy of Aklatto, not when he led the allied forces to invade the monastery in the Elanji Forest and threatened the dignitaries during the Continental Hunting Tournament. He had never been more nervous than this.
“I won’t ask you twice. Even if I’m ignorant and a bad guy... Do you like it?”
Yesterday, he hadn’t heard an answer to the question he’d asked when he’d chased Melanie into her bedroom.
“I think I need to think about it. So come back tomorrow. I’ll give you the answer.”
Melanie, surprisingly, deferred the answer in a very detached voice.
And so, Hetor had come to hear that answer now.
Knock, knock.
He heard Melanie’s voice telling him to come in.
Melanie, as if she'd been waiting for him, had already taken a seat at the tea table.
"Come this way."
Melanie tapped the table with her fingertips.
"I came to hear your answer."
Hetor didn't beat around the bush, but asked directly.
"No matter how many times you ask, my answer will always be the same. I liked you."
Melanie spoke without hesitation, speaking directly.
Melanie watched Hetor's lips curl upward, then took a sip of tea and slightly changed her tone.
"No, it was good."
...Huh?
The corrected answer was in the past tense again.
Hetor was confused by his heart, which had been transformed into the past tense overnight.
“I don’t want to be petty. I’ll fold it.”
“...What?”
“My heart.”
Was it a heart as thin as a sheet of paper, ready to fold as soon as she said she would?
Displeasure spread across Hetor’s honest face.
“I indeed liked you, but I didn’t tell you to ignore me outright. You don’t seem to know, you’re a barbarian, but even if you reject me, it’s impolite to hurt me so ignorantly.”
Melanie said rather firmly.
“And I meant what I said yesterday.”
“What?”
“I told you to go back to the Empress’s palace. And now that you’re leaving the bedroom, I want you to speak to me more politely.”
“?”
“Why aren’t you answering? What I’m saying is difficult? Now I’ll fold my heart to you, and you’ll speak to me more politely. Easy, right?”
“...Easy?”
Hetor felt lost as the woman who had been actively seeking his love only yesterday suddenly turned cold.
He rushed up to Melanie's bedroom to check her feelings, but something felt terribly off.
"Get out of here. I need to start crying now to sort things out."
Melanie said, her emotions controlled like a theatrical actor.
"Why do you think I... chased you up here yesterday?"
Hetor, finally regaining his composure, asked calmly.
"What do I care about now?"
Melanie crossed her arms in front of him and spoke coldly.
"Yesterday... I was harsh."
"You said you felt bad."
"That was a lie."
"Really?"
"Yes. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."
Melanie, who had been bowing her head at Hetor's sincere apology, raised one corner of her mouth.
Melanie's face, which had been sullen just moments before, brightened.
"Then I take it back. I take it back when I said I was giving up!"
Hetor stared at Melanie, dumbfounded for a moment. He wanted to ask why she had been acting so sullen when she knew she would change her mind so quickly, but he decided not to, not knowing when she would change her mind again.
“But why did you lie like that?”
Melanie’s sharp tone softened.
“Because I didn’t want things to get complicated. And I didn’t want you to be on my mind.”
“Because I’m annoying?”
“That’s not it... Haa. It’s just better not to know. If you get involved with me, you’ll probably...”
It’ll be dangerous.
Hetor couldn’t bring himself to say more, so he shut his mouth tightly.
“Yeah, if I get involved with you, you’ll look ignorant. You’re the King of the barbarians, after all.”
“?”
She had interpreted it as she pleased, but it wasn’t wrong. Hetor didn’t refute it.
Instead, he mentioned what he’d swallowed earlier.
“Yeah. And it’ll be dangerous to be around me.”
“Yeah, you’re the King of the pirates, too.”
“...Is that okay?”
“I’ll learn swordsmanship, swimming, everything, so I won’t be in danger.”
Melanie said with a sparkle in her eyes.
Even though learning wasn’t a big deal, her determination made him smile.
“But you know...”
Melanie opened her mouth with a feigned seriousness.
“Uh.”
“I don’t want to learn how to steal.”
“...What?”
“You may be the Pirate King, but I’m still a nobleman, and I don’t want to steal from others.”
“...Right. You don’t have to do that either.”
Hetor snorted in disbelief, and Melanie adorably folded her eyes and said,
“You thief.”
“?!”
“You seem like a truly excellent Pirate King.”
“Why are you suddenly talking so quickly?”
“You stole my heart. That means you’re definitely a talented thief.”
“...Melanie, your brain is definitely savage.”
When Hetor said indifferently, looking as if he’d been hit, she smiled brightly, saying, “That’s why we’re so compatible.”
Then, with a serious expression again, she grabbed Hetor’s hand and said,
“Hey, you thief.”
“What again?”
“Kiss me.”
“...What?”
“Steal my lips too.”
“I’m... a pirate who never gives back what he’s stolen. Do you know that?”
“Yeah!”
Melanie closed her eyes and cried out.
Hetor lay her down on the bed and kissed her.
Unexpectedly, Melanie's eyes widened as she looked up at him.
"Why did you think kissing was only done standing up?"
Hetor asked quietly.
Melanie shook her head slightly, and Hetor began to mercilessly peck her lips in one swift motion.
"That was a lie."
"Really?"
"Yes. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."
Melanie, who had been bowing her head at Hetor's sincere apology, raised one corner of her mouth.
Melanie's face, which had been sullen just moments before, brightened.
"Then I take it back. I take it back when I said I was giving up!"
Hetor stared at Melanie, dumbfounded for a moment. He wanted to ask why she had been acting so sullen when she knew she would change her mind so quickly, but he decided not to, not knowing when she would change her mind again.
“But why did you lie like that?”
Melanie’s sharp tone softened.
“Because I didn’t want things to get complicated. And I didn’t want you to be on my mind.”
“Because I’m annoying?”
“That’s not it... Haa. It’s just better not to know. If you get involved with me, you’ll probably...”
It’ll be dangerous.
Hetor couldn’t bring himself to say more, so he shut his mouth tightly.
“Yeah, if I get involved with you, you’ll look ignorant. You’re the King of the barbarians, after all.”
“?”
She had interpreted it as she pleased, but it wasn’t wrong. Hetor didn’t refute it.
Instead, he mentioned what he’d swallowed earlier.
“Yeah. And it’ll be dangerous to be around me.”
“Yeah, you’re the King of the pirates, too.”
“...Is that okay?”
“I’ll learn swordsmanship, swimming, everything, so I won’t be in danger.”
Melanie said with a sparkle in her eyes.
Even though learning wasn’t a big deal, her determination made him smile.
“But you know...”
Melanie opened her mouth with a feigned seriousness.
“Uh.”
“I don’t want to learn how to steal.”
“...What?”
“You may be the Pirate King, but I’m still a nobleman, and I don’t want to steal from others.”
“...Right. You don’t have to do that either.”
Hetor snorted in disbelief, and Melanie adorably folded her eyes and said,
“You thief.”
“?!”
“You seem like a truly excellent Pirate King.”
“Why are you suddenly talking so quickly?”
“You stole my heart. That means you’re definitely a talented thief.”
“...Melanie, your brain is definitely savage.”
When Hetor said indifferently, looking as if he’d been hit, she smiled brightly, saying, “That’s why we’re so compatible.”
Then, with a serious expression again, she grabbed Hetor’s hand and said,
“Hey, you thief.”
“What again?”
“Kiss me.”
“...What?”
“Steal my lips too.”
“I’m... a pirate who never gives back what he’s stolen. Do you know that?”
“Yeah!”
Melanie closed her eyes and cried out.
Hetor lay her down on the bed and kissed her.
Unexpectedly, Melanie's eyes widened as she looked up at him.
"Why did you think kissing was only done standing up?"
Hetor asked quietly.
Melanie shook her head slightly, and Hetor began to mercilessly peck her lips in one swift motion.
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