[π π²πΊπΌπΏπ]
"I'll give you two choices..."
With the devil down on the floor, the man with a crown pointed his sword at his enemy. His blue eyes shone in the moonlight as he remained impassive.
After a brief moment, the man finally spoke.
"You die..."
The devil's expression remained unchanged, fully prepared for the outcome of the battle.
"Or become my bride."
"...What?"
The devil finally raised her head to look at the man. Her eyes locked with his, their gazes trapped on each other.
The beautiful devil began to laugh, thinking it was a joke. However, she soon understood that he wasn't lying due to his silence.
"...You really are serious?"
The man nodded nonchalantly.
"Well... This is the first time a human has asked me something like this before," the devil said, placing her fingers under her chin. "Not only that, this is probably the first time someone has ever asked a devil that before."
With the corners of her lips curling into a smile, the devil responded with an amused expression, "I'm in... It's not like I have any other choices left. If I refuse, you'll kill me."
"True."
"...Isn't this technically blackmail?"
The devil joked, but the man's response was unexpected.
"...It's not like I have to follow the rules of this world. This isn't an RPG game."
"You really are weird... What was your name again, human?"
The man slashed the sword in the air to remove the blood staining the blade before putting it back in its scabbard.
"You can address me as Reyhart... King Reyhart Avalonshire."
Reyhart returned his attention to the devil. She thought for a moment before speaking up again.
"I don't really have a name myself, but... just call me Loraine."
Curious, Reyhart couldn't help but ask, "Loraine... Where did you get that name from?"
"Just one of my victims a hundred years ago~"
So she's older than my grandparents...
He fell silent for a moment before his cold expression turned warm. He extended his hand and waited for Loraine to reach out.
"Glad to meet you, Loraine..."
"As well as me... darling~"
***
(Saber POV)
"That's how I met my husband..."
Her Majesty finished her explanation and leaned back in her seat, taking a sip of her tea while gazing out at the beautiful view outside.
I sat across from her, staring in silence. Then again... What the heck?
The king was reincarnated like me?
Facepalming, I pushed my hair back to prevent some strands from covering my face.
No, wait! The princess... Her Highness is... This explains why Alice was born crippled!
She was born from a mixed race of human and devil. In the novel, it was explained that most half-breeds are born with a higher chance of having some kind of disability. Though, it also raises the chance of these people being born with exceptional talents.
"Does this mean... Maximus is also a half-breed?" I mumbled to myself as I pondered what Her Majesty, the Queen, had said.
Wait... Let's focus on the original question first!
Reyhart...
The king of this kingdom was reincarnated... Probably transmigrated like me, I'm still not sure.
Does that mean he was the one who ordered that mysterious maid to send the letter I received back at the mansion? Or does he have any sort of connection to why I was transported here to this world?
As I thought of the possibilities, I noticed Loraine's shadow towering over me, blocking the light.
"Your Majesty..."
"Loraine is fine."
Loraine emptied her glass before placing it on the table.
"Loraine... Can you tell me where your husband is?"
If I could only find out where he was, I'd immediately go to him.
However...
"My husband has been missing for a couple of months."
It seems like it might take me longer.
As I thought deeply, I recalled something from the letter.
About his diary...
"...."
Raising my head to look at Loraine, I quickly emptied my tea in one gulp before placing the cup back on the table.
"Do youβ"
"You're looking for my husband's diary, aren't you?"
I couldn't even finish my sentence as Her Majesty cut me off. With a light shake of her head, she took a deep breath before returning her attention to me.
"To be honest, my husband told me you'd be coming here a week before his sudden disappearance."
"....."
She didn't give many details about her husband's disappearance and went directly to the point.
Loraine walked past me and spoke to the maid outside the room. She quickly wrapped up the conversation and glanced back in my direction.
"Inside my husband's room, there's a hidden passageway. You can access it by taking a certain book from the bookshelf. There, you'll find a sealed letter and a book."
After a brief pause, she continued, "I've never read its contents. My husband only mentioned it to tell you about it if you came here. I've already ordered a maid to lead you there. Come back to me after you're done."
With that said, our eyes locked.
"...."
I didn't know why, but...
Is she sad?