The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

When the new day had just arrived, Liadella had come here with her personal knight Charl to greet her father.

The father and daughter duo did have a fairly good relationship, so their had a good time chatting. Even though Aldia and Charl were next to them, it didn’t actually affect the two from talking.

However, for some reason, on this day, the father daughter pair both seemed somewhat distracted.

Charl even ended up speaking out on that.

“Your majesty, your highness, you two seem to be rather lacking in energy. Did you not gave a good night’s sleep last night?”

Charl asked with concern.

Ancil and Lia did actually consider Charl’s words to be out of place.

However…

“Are we lacking in energy? Father?”

Lia seemed somewhat confused.

“I do feel a bit down.” Ancil turned his head thoughtfully and addressed Aldi, “What do you think? Aldia?”

In response, Aldia calmly spoke.

“Your majesty does seem a bit tired. Her highness Lia is the same.”

The loyal and straightforward knight spoke truthfully.

“Is that so?” Lia nodded. Then, as if she finally realized it for herself, she let out a sigh, “Even though I obviously went to bed quite early last night. Why am I feeling so under the weather now?”

“Lia is feeling that as well?” Ancil similarly sighed and, as if seeking an agreement, “Do you feel like you’ve lost something important?”

Since Ancil pointed it out, Lia did feel something similar.

That’s right, it’s as if something important to them was lost, or maybe left them might be more appropriate. That was why Lia was so lacking in energy.

Maybe this was just a misunderstanding though.

However, as someone with a god’s blessing, sometimes, what one considered a misunderstanding may very well in actuality be that something bad really did happen.

This is especially true for members of the Mitra royal family. As the descendants of a Hero, all of them bear blessings from high ranking goddesses at least. Sometimes, blessings could produce some very mysterious premonitions and give the holder some feelings.

Of course, the whole thing is just a very mysterious and subtle feeling.

Only someone like Lucy, who has a blessing on the level of the Three Great Goddesses, would actually be able to accurately detect any true premonitions of the future. Otherwise, the premonitions from blessings for anyone else is generally not all that reliable.

Thanks to that, although Ancil and Lia both had bad feelings, they did not actually think much of them.

That said, the following conversation ended up happening for some reason anyways.

“Right, where’s Lucy?”

“I don’t know. She should still be in her room, right?”

“Is she resting? Or is she working?”

“She should be resting I think? I heard the knights of the Holy Knight Order mention the fact that Lucy had sped up the pace of her work yesterday for some reason, so a most of her work is already done.”

“That child seems to be doing that and finishing her work early quite often lately, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“… Is it because of that viscount?”

“… I think so.”

“…”

“…”

As Ancil and Lia had that conversation, for some reason, they suddenly stopped as a bad feeling welled up in both of them at the same time.

“… I don’t know why, but I suddenly really want to make some trouble for that viscount.”

“Father, please calm yourself. That’s just too unreasonable. Although I feel the same way as well…”

The father-daughter pair became even more listless now.

In their hearts, two sudden urges appeared at the same time.

One is an urge to go give a certain viscount a vicious beating.

The other is the urge to see Lucy as quickly as possible.

(Come out soon, Lucy…)

The anxious father and elder sister both wished in their minds.

However, neither new just when this wish will come true.

…

At the same time, in the Stalim villa, Bali and Limgir were gathered in the same location.

They weren’t drinking tea together and having a family chat though. Instead, they were discussing certain strange incidents that had recently been happening in their territory.

Ever since certain very strange things happened within their territory, Bali had called Limgir over for a meeting before then discussing the prospect of returning to the territory together. There, they hope to properly investigate these issues and resolve them.

However, even though the father and son pair were having a serious discussion, they also felt strangely listless as well.

Limgir especially. Ever since he got up this morning, he had been feeling a strange depression.

That depression made Limgir act in a dull manner also if he had lost all meaning in his life.

Bali, unusually, did not rebuke Limgir either.

It was because he also had a feeling of depression that was like his ambitions had been destroyed without him even knowing.

Thanks to that, the ambitious and focused father-son pair simply ended the meeting halfheartedly.

“This is decided then. You should go back and properly prepare. We’ll be heading back to the territory tomorrow.”

Bali waved a hand listlessly.

“Yes.”

Limgir didn’t have much thoughts either. He just reflexively answered, stood up, and left the study.

However, as he considered the fact that he’ll be returning to the territory tomorrow, Limgir tried to psych himself up.

“Let’s go see her highness before I leave.”

Although Limgir and Lucy weren’t particularly close, he was fine with just being able to see her from afar.

Especially given that today, that urge was especially strong in him.

“I really want to see Princess Lucy. So much…”

With such thoughts in mind, Limgir actually broke from his previous behavior and plan of quietly and stealthily getting close to the princess. Instead, he brought some gifts and gathered outside Lucy’s room just like all the other young noblemen to wait for the princess to appear.

The way he acted resembled a certain thing.

That thing is known as – [simp].

…

Actually, it wasn’t just Limgir either.

On this day, all the young noblemen who admired Lucy were all acting listlessly. There were even one or two who madly dashed over to the palace in hopes of catching even a glance of the princess.

Never mind those nobles, even the commoners of the Capital felt strangely empty inside. They couldn’t get energized no matter what they did, and all that was on their minds was to pray for noon to come soon so that they may head over to the palace and see the princess show herself.

The weather on this day was also dark and overcast, as if even the world itself was in a bad mood.

The depressive atmosphere continued to hang about over the Capital and even the rest of the Kingdom, making everyone act like living zombies.

While all this was going on, in the center of the noble district, where the Bayztrot home is, the situation there was actually completely normal. It was as if they were cut off from the rest of the world. Instead, the sun was shining and the air was clear. It was really unbelievable.

Later on, this day ended up being called the Day of Loss by the world at large.

It was, on this day, the Treasure of the Kingdom was completely eaten up by a certain beast.

…

Bayztrot home, the main mansion, Shien’s room.

On the bed, under the sheets, the beautiful princess with her smooth shoulders exposed had already woken up.

However, ever since that princes had awoken until the current moment, she was completely in a bewildered state.

It couldn’t be helped.

“I ended up being taken just like that?”

“I lost the most important thing just like that?”

“Who am I?”

“Where am I?”

“Just what have I gotten done to me?”

Lucy was in completely chaos, unable to pull herself out for some time.

Shien on the other hand had his arm over Lucy’s ever since he woke up. He felt a lightness in his mood that he never experience before while also having a moment of enlightenment at the same time.

“No wonder men would want to light up a cigarette at this kind of time.”

The reason for that is simple. It just really needed a moment of reminiscence.

Without question, this is something that gives a very high sense of accomplishment.

And after achieving such an accomplishment, one should have a cup of wine in celebration, and if not that, then he needs to light up a smoke instead at the very least, right?

Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as cigarettes in this world.

A Shame.

Truly. What a shame.

Just as Shien was reminiscing like that, a dark voice came from beside him.

“Smile if you like, but can you at least not it so obviously?”

Lucy’s voice was filled with resentment. It was filled even more with a grudge that no one else could possibly comprehend.

Shien hurriedly wiped the outrageous smirk on his face and showed the completely naked princess in his arms a fawning expression.

“I’m just happy, right?”

Shien attempted to act as an honest and guileless guy.

However, the more Shien acted like that, the angrier Lucy got.

An honest guy?

Would an honest guy really strip her nude while she’s completely asleep without her even noticing a thing?

You did so many things to be angry over, don’t you know?

And you’re trying to act like an honest guy?

Like hell you’re honest!

“Didn’t you already stood me up? And it’s one thing that you only came back in the morning, but you even dared to lay your hands on me?”

Lucy was gritting her teeth in anger.

“Besides that, I couldn’t even notice your hands and wake up. Just what is with that ability of yours to stripe someone nude while they’re asleep without them even knowing? Why didn’t I know you had that kind of power?”

Hearing that, Shien started grumbling in his mind.

(Wasn’t that something that I ended up learning form a certain maid?)

Strictly speaking, said maid hasn’t actually taught Shien any kind of techniques on that subject, but who exactly was Shien?

He’s a cheat!

A real, accept no substitute, cheat!

He could instantly learn the skills that others have to undergo harsh and brutal training to gain, so what is the mere skills for striping someone to him?

That kind of divine techniques… Cough… Shien doesn’t actually want to learn that kind of shameful methods.

But it can’t be helped. He is a cheat after all, right?

Therefore, there was no way that Shien could possibly admit that he had spent the time to research it. As far as anyone else is concerned, he really did end up gaining those skills against his will.

It doesn’t matter if anyone else believe him or not. Either way, that’s the story that he’s going with.

Thus…

“Well, it ended up being that way before I even knew it.”

Shien’s excuse was like that of a scum’s.

Lucy could swear. This was the moment that she wanted to cut that bastard down the most.

If not for the fact that it was already done, that the bridge had already been crossed, then Lucy felt like the first Hero who is felled by a Holy Sword in the history of Omnipotlin will appear at this moment.

“Sigh…”

After some time, Lucy finally let out a sigh, having basically given up.

Thus, Lucy turned about, straddled Shien, reached out, and cupped Shien’s face.

Just as Shien thought that the girl before him had awoken to pleasure, was finally enlightened, and was planning on turning the table on him to be a cowgirl, Lucy instead focused on him with a serious look.

“What’s our relationship now?”

Lucy stared straight at Shien and asked him.

Shien blinked.

He a sudden urge came out in his mind.

That urge was something suicidal.

(If I were to say that “we’re like brothers” again, I wonder what would happen?)

Hn… That particular result was quite obvious. There’s no way that would end without blood spilled.

Plus, Shien wasn’t quite at that level of scum.

Thus, Shien embraced the beauty in his arms and chuckled.

“What do you think? What other relation can we have now besides being husband and wife?”

That particular answer did satisfy the princess.

“You’re the one who said it.” Lucy spoke completely seriously, “I already gave my everything to you, so if you still dare to not marry me, then you’re dead for sure.”

Like Shien could object?

Of course he nodded and agreed.