“Exactly,” her father said with a nod. “Cecilie is far more innocent than Liese ever was. At the time, my eldest was prepared to kill anyone that stole your heart and end her own life at the same time. You have no idea how anxious I was, praying that she wouldn’t do anything ridiculous. To see you speak of her so fondly now... Your Highness, I have nothing but gratitude for your benevolence.”
“In the game, she tried to kill Fiene, died, and was a proper villainess. Spot on!”
“The game’s events were primarily because of the witch’s emotional manipulation, but I’ll admit that her rivalry with Fiene was at kill-or-be-killed levels. But let me mention that she never bullied Fiene from the shadows like a coward, even before the witch stole her body. I can’t deny that she was a bit mean with her words and actions, but it was all in the name of love.”
The general, god, and goddess each put the absurd gravity of Liese’s love to words. Despite the heavy load, it just made me happier. To be loved so deeply was blissful—to think that, without the gods’ help, I would have never believed it.
“I’m truly thankful that we could get our feelings through to each other. Thank you for loving me up until now, Liese.”
I took her hand and placed my lips on the back of her palm. Her expression was a mix of frustration and embarrassment. It was difficult to put into words, and she soon began to let out a groan.
“Ugh, hnnng...” Liese’s gaze swam around, looking for a place to rest. Eventually, she glared straight at me. “Your Highness!”
I felt bad, hearing her shout so angrily. I’d overstepped my bounds by teasing her so much in front of her father...or so I’d thought.
“What do you mean to suggest by saying I loved you for over a decade in the past tense?! What do you mean, ‘up until now’?! Why are you sealing my feelings away in yesteryear without my approval? Do not belittle my love! Even should you ever grow to lose interest in me, I will love you for the rest of my life. No matter what kind of horrible plot or terrible deed it takes, I refuse to ever give up my position as your wife!”
“The tsundereally-pissed makes a glorious return!”
“Liese-tan says she’ll do terrible things, but she’s too nice for that. She didn’t do anything violent until the witch stole her body in the game, so I think the worst she’d do is challenge someone to a duel.”
...Oh, I can’t take any more.
“Wha—um, Your—wait! Stop!”
The onslaught of my adorable Liese and the commentary explaining her behavior caused my emotions to burst through. I hugged her tight, which made her shout at me in a panic.
“We may be the only ones in this yard, but m-my father is right here! Please, calm yourself!”
Her tone was very stern, but she didn’t try to push me away. It made it harder for me to pull myself off.
“Your Highness,” the general said quickly, “I shall see myself out. I will report to the guard station and explain our plans to the rest of the knights. Farewell!”
Thinking his actions strange, I snuck a peek at him. He was already marching off. My curiosity got the better of me, and I accidentally muttered, “I thought a father would want to stop something like this.”
Over his shoulder, he said, “Your intimacy is for the good of the nation! At any rate, I’ve given up on Liese since she was five!”
Oh, I remember. Once, at a banquet in the palace, I’d seen the general crying to my father. “I have four daughters, and not a single one ever said they wanted to marry me...” At the time, those around us managed to console him by saying things like “That’s just how girls are,” or “Don’t worry, you’ll be surprised by how much your grandchildren will love you!”
“Y-Your Highness! I’m, um, I’m hot!” Overloaded with embarrassment, Liese began to wriggle around in my arms. I didn’t mind letting her go, but that alone would leave a hollow space in my heart.
“Sieg,” I whispered.
She froze.
For the umpteenth time, I begged her, “Liese, please. Won’t you call me ‘Sieg’? I want you to always call me that, but can you at least start with when we’re alone?”
I’d also told her to forgo formal language, but to no avail. My dearest fiancée was just too shy to acquiesce to my requests. While I found it cute when she got tsun de really upset, I wished that she would be a bit truer to herself—if not at all times, then at least when she was with me.
Frozen and silent in my arms, she finally took the hint.
“...It’s embarrassing, and my heart is about to explode. So won’t you please let go of me...Sieg?”
For the first time, she called me by my name. For the first time, we were on equal footing. Slowly, slowly, slowly, I pulled away from the collar I’d nestled into.
Although Liese was clearly relieved, I sensed a faint loneliness as well. The air filling the newly made space between us felt cooler than usual, and I was moving before I knew it. Right before I pulled away entirely, I shifted course: my lips made their way to her cheek. The gentle peck barely even touched her skin.
“Hngh! Sieg!!!”
I had never known that human beings could blush as vividly red as Liese was now. She shouted and tears were beginning to well up in her glaring eyes, but she was just so adorable. I couldn’t help myself.
I was laughing as I raised both my hands in surrender. The girl who’d held me and me alone in her heart since the day we first met looked up at me in frustration; my lovely, cute, and beloved Liese.
An attack on my adorable future queen truly did warrant the whole kingdom rising up to protect her. The goddess had been right all along. Overkill was the best kind of kill. No matter how menacing the foe, I swore to bring down anyone that dared to try and pry us apart.