In the end, Female Dante was a failure.
Once again, let me clarify—I’d never have done anything this ridiculous if it weren’t for Rebecca’s goddamn tyranny.
Even now, I can remember her expression and tone with crystal clarity.
Raising her middle finger right in my face.
“Why don’t you go lick my toes. 凸”
Toes!
It was obviously metaphorical, but still. Who the hell knows what kind of abuse she’d inflict for real......?
Meanwhile, according to Ezekiel, Rebecca was currently training under a waterfall in the northern mountains of Hiaka.
Showing up out of nowhere to confront her would be low-tier. Showing up with a gift? Even lower. I had something slightly better in mind.
Step one: Pick a line that would land well, then go.
⋮
『World Forgery: Time Forgery [60 Seconds / 30 Frames]』
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I made a call using the [Crystal Orb].
– “What.”
Rebecca answered.
Even from her first line, I felt the wall. That voice was just dripping with frost.
“You’re training under a waterfall, I hear.”
– “I am.”
“Is it bearable?”
– “It is.”
“If you’re free, can we talk for a minute?”
– “What’s this about.”
We’ve known each other for nearly two years. Even if this were business, she’d be friendlier than this.
“......”
So I calmly explained: the aftermath of the Pink Drug, the royal family’s two-horned demon, the closed nature of the royals and why I had to become family, the resulting need for a contract marriage, and the promise that I’d break off the engagement the moment I dealt with the demon.
I was just about to prepare a countermeasure for the impending foot-related retaliation when—
– “Okay.”
A random answer came back.
I was the one caught off guard.
“You said okay?”
– “I said okay.”
“Did you actually hear and understand what I said?”
– “Why do you keep asking?”
“...Princess Rebecca. I believe there’s been a slight misunderstanding. Perhaps I was being a bit too roundabout, so I’ll clarify—I was referring to you as the candidate for this contract marriage.”
From the other end of the [Crystal Orb], I heard a sigh.
– “I said I’d do it.”
– “Contract marriage.”
That was it.
I hesitated for a second—and the world, including my room, collapsed.
“......??”
What the hell?
She accepted. Way too easily.
Maybe learning magic mellowed her out?
‘The fact that she accepted so easily makes it even weirder.’
Something felt off.
So I tried again.
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『World Forgery: Time Forgery [60 Seconds / 30 Frames]』
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I called her with the [Crystal Orb].
– “What.”
Rebecca answered.
“I wanted to say something.”
This time, I kept it simpler.
“There’s a two-horned demon in the royal family. I need to kill him. But because the royals are so damn closed off, I figure I need to become one of them to even get a shot.”
– “And?”
“So, I was thinking of proposing a contract marriage.”
– “......”
– “Okay.”
Another yes.
So I tried one more time.
⋮
『World Forgery: Time Forgery [60 Seconds / 30 Frames]』
⋮
I called her again.
– “What.”
As soon as Rebecca answered, I got to the point.
“Would you enter a contract marriage with me?”
– “......Why are you always so abrupt?”
I thought she’d turn me down this time.
– “Why.”
Surprisingly, she wanted to hear more.
I explained.
– “Okay.”
Again—acceptance. Even though I pitched it with zero buildup.
So I had to ask.
“Why do you keep saying yes?”
– “Didn’t you say you need me to kill the demon?”
“So you’re convinced?”
– “I just agree.”
“That’s unexpected. I thought for sure you’d reject me.”
– “......”
Rebecca went silent.
Just a few seconds.
Then she spoke in a calm voice.
– “This is an illusion, isn’t it.”
My heart skipped.
It was then I realized—I had underestimated her trait, Master of Mana.
“What do you mean.”
– “......”
I tried to bluff my way through it, but her sigh made it clear that wouldn’t work.
Rebecca can detect even the slightest distortion in space and time. Even if she herself is a virtual construct.
– “Don’t test me like this again.”
Her voice sounded... genuinely dejected, so I quickly apologized.
“I’m sorry.”
– “Forget it.”
– “Drop the illusion and talk for real. I’ll agree.”
And then the world shattered.
* * *
The next day, when I actually traveled north to meet her in Hiaka—she accepted. Just like that.
“......”
While Sir Layme was glaring at me like she wanted to rip me to shreds, Rebecca made the first move.
“Let’s go. Time to sign the contract.”
The one thought that kept looping in my head during the ride was: Why?
Why?
Why the hell was this runaway bulldozer suddenly acting like this?
Was it revenge against the Elder Council, who’d long tried to keep her in chains? Or had her temperament softened from learning magic?
Whatever the case, I couldn’t complain. Things were going unusually smoothly. Then again, even mellowed out, Rebecca was still a bulldozer.
“What do you plan to tell His Majesty?”
“We’ll inform him.”
“......”
Inform, she said.
Everything after that happened in a flash—like roasting beans on lightning.
Wedding ceremony? Skipped. Honeymoon? Obviously skipped. There should’ve been a royal procession or something, but nope. We stamped the contract, submitted it to the capital registry. All that talk from Ran and Adele about wedding shoots? Nonexistent.
No resistance at all throughout the entire process.
“Uh, um... yes... it’s been submitted.”
The registry clerk scratched his head like this was the weirdest thing he’d ever processed, but he still accepted it.
Sir Layme looked like she was one breath away from drawing a sword and lunging at me, but said nothing.
Everything moved so quickly it was hard to believe this was real.
“Can we really do this?”
“What’s stopping us?”
I recalled what Ran had said.
“Royal events aren’t exactly casual affairs, you know.”
To which Rebecca blinked.
“If it’s not casual... am I supposed to dance along with that puppet show?”
“They’ll talk about you behind your back, you know.”
Rebecca let out a small snort.
“I don’t care anymore. Let those damned society maggots gossip all they want. So what are you planning to do now?”
“I need to approach His Majesty the King. As closely as possible. As much as possible.”
“Great, then. No need for the puppet show. Dad’s bedridden, so meeting him is difficult anyway.”
She was seriously impossible to read.
As a result, the royal palace was in chaos the very next day.
< Missed Calls: 132 >
The Crystal Orb started blowing up. But Rebecca told me not to answer it, so I didn’t.
By evening, a royal envoy showed up at the mansion. Four knights, four assassins, and Ezekiel, a royal of a collateral line.
Their stated purpose was to uncover the truth behind this ridiculous situation.
“Princess Rebecca. This is far too sudden. This puts us in a very difficult position. How is the royal family supposed to interpret what’s going on here?”
“I’m sorry.”
Ezekiel pretended to be angry even though he knew everything. And Rebecca, who also knew everything, suddenly grabbed my hand.
“Because of love.”
I could die.
And so, the royal family was informed that all of this was true.
The Council of Elders promptly had a meltdown.
Ezekiel called me aside and said:
“You know what the Elders said to me?”
“What did they say.”
“They said Rebecca is eight years younger than you, so she must be protected! I’ve become a devil who seduced a naïve little girl who doesn’t know the ways of the world. Those senile, insane old coots.”
Ezekiel laughed heartily. He hated the Council of Elders, and he was the kind of guy who’d go out of his way to screw them over just for the fun of it.
“What a funny reaction. They were the ones who first arranged the engagement, weren’t they?”
“They were. Ah, isn’t this just absurdly amusing? The reason they wanted to leash you back then, and the reason they’re trying to push you away now—it's the exact same.”
“And that reason would be?”
“Because you’re a big shot! You were one even back then, but after the Soltia Conference, you’re considered a continent-level heavyweight.”
He wasn’t wrong.
By now, I was practically a giant dog with a leash too thick to hold.
Even the royal palace couldn’t just yank it around.
“So do you know what I told them?”
“The Dean is probably pretending to side with the Elders for now. Did you try to persuade them?”
“Nope. If I failed, they’d just start watching me more closely. So I said this must never be revealed to the public!”
What Ezekiel was holding as he spoke was an article about Rebecca’s marriage.
A full-page spread showed a photo of me and Rebecca’s faces.
He had already leaked it to the press—faster than anyone else.
“Ahaha! Wahahahaha!”
In all my life, I’d never seen this damn shield stand laugh this gleefully. Apparently, screwing over the ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ Elders brought him that much joy.
Of course, for every part that got resolved easily, there were parts that couldn't be helped.
A few more days passed.
“His Majesty was apparently quite pleased. The direct royal line doesn’t seem opposed either. So the Elders’ voice has weakened a little.”
Ezekiel continued to update me on the royal family's internal state.
“But there’s something to consider.”
“What is it?”
“There’s growing momentum behind the Council’s claim that this is a contract marriage. At first, they were willing to accept it because of your status or looks. But now, nearly every Elder suspects it’s just a political contract.”
Setian, the two-horned demon, had begun to make his move.
To the royal family, a giant of a body, I had become a virus infiltrating from within.
“Can I ask how His Majesty responded?”
“My brother’s reaction... I’m not sure yet. But... the thing you said was proven true.”
“You mean that Rebecca’s a magical genius?”
“That’s right. I’ve been updating my brother about it regularly. The problem is, the Elders keep voting against it. Saying it’s impossible.”
That’s something that’ll be proven in time.
Ezekiel raised a finger.
“If they decide this is a contract marriage designed to infringe on royal interests, they’re thinking it’d be better to persuade the King to exile Rebecca from the royal family altogether.”
“In that case...”
“His Majesty needs to be shown a convincing display of mutual affection. Including setting up a shared residence.”
So, in essence, I was being told to live near the capital with Rebecca for the time being.
Which is how the unseasonal house-hunting began.
“Let’s go look at houses.”
“Sure.”
Rebecca and I had to go around disguised, looking for a house near the capital to live in.
Even if it was only for a few months, Rebecca didn’t like leaving her personal environment to someone else.
“Let’s go with this house.”
“Alright.”
It was in Sky Lair, an upscale neighborhood where both direct and collateral royals resided.
“Do you like it?”
“It’s fine. Feels like a honeymoon house.”
“There won’t be many eyes around here. It means you can go off on your own if you want.”
“Let’s try to move together as much as possible. We already skipped the ceremony—getting caught moving separately wouldn’t look good.”
“Alright then.”
It felt strange, having this kind of conversation. Rebecca, calmly sitting on the sofa and looking at me, too.
What mattered was the King. The steering wheel of this whole situation was in His Majesty’s hands alone.
King Hiaka III.
Not just the monarch of Hiaka—but the greatest sacred sovereign in the kingdom’s history.
Fifty years ago, Hiaka was a weaker nation than even the Duchy of Horanche. Now, together with Kreutz, it ranked among the top three continental powers.
That was all thanks to him.
“Dean. Since preparations are complete, I’d like to request an audience soon.”
“An audience, huh. Alright.”
At the mention of an audience, Ezekiel’s expression darkened slightly.
I knew why.
Hiaka III’s condition had worsened, with dementia and other ailments. He didn’t have much time left.
“Hope the old geezer lives a little longer.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Seems so. Maybe that’s why he welcomed the marriage so much. When people grow old, they want to see their children’s line continue.”
At the same time, this likely wasn’t the marriage the King truly desired.
It was a kind of deception.
“My apologies.”
“What can you do? You sewer rats are always like that...”
And with all that—
“Anyway, meet His Majesty the King tomorrow with Rebecca. I’ll come with.”
“Understood.”
At last—
The day had come to knock on the royal gates.