“How low can you get, fondling your own sister like that?!”
“Even as your wife, I’m not sure if I can support this...”
The two quarreling Divas were brought together by a mutual disgust for the act they had just witnessed.
What was that all about?
Maybe the method used was wrong, or maybe Cecilia simply meant the whole thing as a joke. Either way, no Heavenly Surge occurred, and the siblings learned nothing new from the experience.
“Oh, sorry. I was just excited to try it out!”
Cecilia had finally calmed down. The other girls, though, were still glaring coldly at Al.
Why is it always my fault?! Do they not know the meaning of the word “accident”? Or is it the fate of men to always take the blame, every time an indecent mishap happens?!
“Don’t you dream of laying your filthy hands on me ever again!”
That was Sharon’s takeaway from the situation.
I know how you feel, believe me. But hearing that from such a cute girl still hurts, you know!
“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t, even if you asked me.”
“Grr... Good! That’s all I want.”
Cecilia took a sip of tea. She might’ve seemed calm on the outside, but on the inside, she wanted nothing more than to flee to her room and curl into a ball.
Sharon, on the other hand, was an open book. Her fake smile failed to hide her anger.
“Oh, Lilicia! Would you please prepare a room for Miss Sharon as well?”
Lilicia quietly opened the parlor door and answered Cecilia.
“Certainly. The room has already been prepared.”
Since when was she standing there?!
“Thank you. Sharon, Lesfina, allow me to guide you to your rooms. I’ll show you through the castle on the way there.”
Cecilia left the parlor with Lilicia closely following behind her.
“Thanks for letting me stay here and all that, Your Majesty.”
So shallow!
With a mocking smile, Sharon gracefully stood up and followed Cecilia as well.
“.....”
Feena gave a quick bow with her usual expressionless face and left the room.
The young king was left in silence, now free of the naked animosity he had been facing for the last hour.
“Finally...”
Having successfully ridden out the storm, Al let out a sigh of relief, leaned back in his seat, and rested his legs on the table.
Life is full of surprises, huh?
In the end, it was decided that both of them would stay here for the next month.
What should I do now? I wasn’t prepared for this.
“What an absurd turn of events.”
He recalled the battle Althos and Freiya had fought a few days earlier.
Against all odds, they had emerged victorious. No one had expected an army led by a young, inexperienced king to triumph over Freiya’s military might. Seeing their fall, the neighboring countries then changed their strategy. They were still certain of an eventual victory, but they feared the possibility of a long, drawn-out war. Any victory would have left them weakened, making them easy prey for their neighbors.
Which would mean it’s better to take over our country without a fight.
And so, two of Althos’s neighbors sent in their trump cards: the Divas, maidens capable of felling thousands of soldiers on their own. Both countries had reached the same conclusion, but their approaches differed. One sought to take control of the king and, in turn, his kingdom. The other sought to take the crown more aggressively by killing the king. Freiya refused to give the initiative to Subdera, so Sharon was sent in a month early.
How obnoxious. I almost would’ve preferred an all-out war.
Al let out a heavy sigh and gulped down the last of the tea left on the table.
The next day, while rumors of the king’s arranged marriage plans spread across the country like wildfire, Al was quietly doing paperwork in his room. He had been neck-deep in work ever since the arrival of the two marriage candidates. It was complicated business, hosting two princesses.
Al had to send out confirmation of their arrival to their respective countries as soon as possible, while making sure to keep as many of the details as he could to himself. He did not want to find out what Freiya and Subdera would do should they ever learn of what had transpired the day before. He could only imagine the outrage he would face.
The other challenge was taking care of their needs during their stay.
“Al, do you have a moment?”
The door to his office opened without a knock. Though, one could hardly call it an office. It had a bed for napping and a collection of Al’s favorite books for leisure, making it more akin to a bedroom.
“What is it, Sharon?”
“I was just thinking, what if I gave up on murdering you and tried to become your wife for real?”
His unexpected visitor was none other than Sharon. She wore the same dress as yesterday, but she looked much more attractive now. For the first time in Al’s eyes, she looked like a real, beautiful princess.
Wait, are you sure you want to admit that you came here to assassinate me? Though I guess that much was already obvious.
Al was silent as she approached him. He was very suspicious of this change in attitude. Something was telling him that this wasn’t going to end well.
At some point, Sharon had started calling him “Al” instead of “Your Majesty.” He decided it was best not to ask why.
She probably changed because “Al” is just easier to say.
“...Really?”
“Yes. Really.”
“This isn’t a ploy to attack me, is it?”
“...No, it’s not.”
“Well, I’m happy to hear that, but would you mind telling me what it is you’re hiding behind your back?”
“That’s a secret. Teehee!”
Al wanted nothing more than to be able to trust Sharon, but unfortunately for her, her secret was peeking out from behind her fiery hair.