I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss, Vol. 4, page 10
“…I’m sure you will be able to love again as well.”
Only one person has borrowed the book previously: Roxane Fusca.
Beside him, under the blinding sun, the demon king shivers. He can’t possibly be cold, can he? The training ground where they’ve been ordered to assemble is swarming with new guardsmen, and it’s so hot he wouldn’t be surprised to see heat mirages. Auguste himself is soaked with sweat.
“Um, don’t tell me… Do you have a cold, sir?”
“No… I’m merely shaking with anticipation… I feel as if someone has trod on a very sore spot indeed.”
What? That sounds scary. And so, instead of asking for details, he opts to change the subject. “I’m glad they hired us, aren’t you? What a relief.”
“Yes. I’d never taken a test before, and I was nervous. Do you think I did all right?”
“You were perfect!”
Claude responds with a nod. Relieved, Auguste looks down at the sword he’s only just gotten permission to carry. It has the national crest of Ashmael engraved on it.
As soon as they entered the Kingdom of Ashmael, they’d begun gathering information.
Apparently, the fiend dragon had been resurrected, but the Daughter of God had already appeared, and the town was abuzz with talk that they’d be able to defeat the demon king as well. The reputation of the general and his wife had been particularly impressive. The Daughter of God had married a general named Ares; people said she was the fairest of the fair and that he was a holy general. Prints depicting the couple had been selling like hotcakes in the marketplace.
They’d heard a few rumors about the holy king as well. He was in some sort of love triangle; it had sounded like quite the sordid mess. His poor reputation was also concerning. People said he was a spineless man who wouldn’t issue the order to subjugate the demon king because he didn’t want to give Ares the chance to triumph, while some even speculated he’d already been possessed by the fiend dragon.
…The masses must believe the Daughter of God can defeat the demon king…
The rumors about Ellmeyer were rather dubious as well. People whispered that it was a pitiful country that had fallen to the demon king, and all because they’d believed in an impostor like the Maid of the Sacred Sword— Basically, it was the target of mockery. Auguste wasn’t all that patriotic, and even he’d winced. Cedric and Marcus had been quietly furious.
However, in all those rumors, they’d heard nothing about Ellmeyer’s crown princess, the second prince’s fiancée, or their servants. In other words, if Aileen and the others were here, it wasn’t public knowledge yet.
Once they had a good grasp of the situation, Isaac had assigned various jobs.
The fiend dragon had appeared in the harem and attempted to attack the Daughter of God, and so they were recruiting new guards. Since it was a temporary position, applicants weren’t required to be eunuchs. (When Isaac had told him about the eunuch system, Auguste had quaked in his boots.) Claude and Auguste had applied, and would attempt to at least find out whether Aileen and the others were in the harem.
Cedric and Marcus were acting separately. Isaac hadn’t wanted to let them go off unattended, but Claude had ultimately decided to allow it. Auguste didn’t know exactly what they were doing, but Claude had breezily declared, “Cedric is a good boy, so he won’t betray us. Since he is my younger brother, there’s also no way he could fail.” It must be tough to have the demon king as your big brother, he’d thought, sympathizing with Cedric: either betrayal or failure would mean death.
Isaac had said he wasn’t skilled enough with a sword to be a guard, and he didn’t plan to help Cedric and Marcus, so he was working on his own. He’d said that civil war might break out, so he was going to put some safeguards in place. Auguste had no idea how he’d reached that conclusion, but if Isaac said that was the case, it probably was, so he’d just do what he could.
That is to say, he’d infiltrate the harem, gather information, and babysit—or rather, “guard”—the demon king. Even without magic, Claude is plenty strong, so Auguste hadn’t thought he’d need guarding. However, he’s learned something very thoroughly on this journey: The demon king absolutely does need a guard, or rather, a caretaker. Apparently, the man can’t even dress himself.
“Hey, are you the one who cornered General Ares during the selection trial, then turned down a direct request from Lady Sahra to be her guard?”
“…Who’s Sahra?”
Then there’s his complete lack of worldly wisdom, and the fact he genuinely sees no one but Aileen.
“What did you just say?!”
“Excuse him, please, he has an illness that keeps him from remembering names!” Auguste breaks in, hastily and loudly, stepping forward to shield Claude from multiple pairs of eyes.
Oblivious to Auguste’s efforts, Claude frowns, his handsome eyebrows drawing together. “I remember the names of people who bear remem—”
“Oh, look, there’s a really rare bird over there!”
“? Where?”
Diverting the demon king’s attention to the sky so he won’t say anything uncalled for, Auguste hastily turns back to the other man. This isn’t the first time he’s had to resort to such tricks, and he’s starting to get used to it. “I’m sorry. We really haven’t been here long. We didn’t know what Lady Sahra looked like. He turned down that fantastic offer without realizing what he was doing, and he’s regretting it now.”
“…Really…?”
“Look at him just staring into space. He might not seem like it, but it shocked him.”
As Claude gazes at the sky, his beautiful profile seems melancholy by default. Being handsome is useful.
“I see… Well, if you didn’t know, uh… That was bad luck.”
“You said it. Argh! You know we’ll never get another chance like that,” he laments in an exaggerated way, and the other man gives him a wry smile. Apparently he’s won his pity.
“Well, Lady Sahra is a kind woman. She’ll forgive him.”
“Make sure you don’t do anything rude next time, you hear?”
“We know. We’ll do our very best, for Lady Sahra’s sake!” Over the past few days, he’s learned that he can win most people over by saying this.
The man is smiling when he leaves, and Auguste sighs in relief. Abruptly, he remembers Walt and Kyle. He’d assumed guard duty would be a walk in the park for those two, and at this point, he feels like he owes them an apology.
“Auguste. I don’t see the bird.”
“Oh, maybe it flew off somewhere.”
“I see. That’s a shame.”
“You’ll be able to see it again.” This conversation is giving him flashbacks to the time he looked after children at a care home. “All right, they’ll be showing us around the harem soon. Let’s go, Master…uh, Clau… Claw.”
Auguste has a whole lot of trouble with what to call him. However, thanks to that, Claude forgets all about what just happened.
“Right,” Claude replies. “I’ll slip away somewhere in the middle, so you take the tour.”
But now he’s said something preposterous.
“But if they notice you’ve slipped out and decide to keep an eye on you, it’ll make it harder to maneuver later.”
“They’re already keeping an eye on me. I came in first at the selection trial. My final opponent may have lost, but apparently he was a general, and now the Daughter of God or whatever knows what I look like.” He does have a handle on what’s important… Although he’s started making risky comments again like, “Who would have thought a general would be so weak…?”
Master Claude was fighting with his left hand, after all.
Auguste had fought seriously, but he’d lost. They may have acknowledged his skill, but he didn’t stand out.
“Besides, if Aileen is in the harem, standing out would be better.”
“That’s…true, but if she isn’t there, won’t it backfire?”
“If she’s not here, then we don’t need to be here, and there’s no problem.”
His assessment of the situation is efficient as well. Granted, he doesn’t have a shred of the caution a future emperor should have, but… Well, it’s not as if we’re here to dutifully guard the harem anyway.
Meanwhile, Auguste himself has a careless personality. The real problem, then, is that there’s nobody to stop them.
“All right! Then I’ll take the tour and do whatever seems appropriate.”
“Yes, do. I’m counting on you.”
“From what I hear, the harem’s really big. Please don’t push yourself.”
“It’s fine. Aileen and I are bound by fate. We’re sure to meet.”
He has no idea where that confidence is coming from, but if the demon king says so, then it’s probably true.
Or maybe thinking it’s true is what’s important.
…I hope Serena’s not getting up to anything…
They stop chatting, fall in line as instructed, and enter the harem.
A garden of women, where the victor is she who wins the king’s favor. Auguste has a very bad feeling about Serena being in a place like that.
I bet she’s conning somebody. She just seems like a regular pretty girl if you don’t really know her… Maybe Ailey would stop her. Besides, as a rule, I guess there aren’t any men except the king here. No need to worry too much, then.
There’s no telling what’s reassuring about that, but he’s managed to persuade himself, and he follows the rest of the line. The demon king is already nowhere to be seen. That was fast.
The harem is laced with little man-made brooks and overflowing with lush greenery. In the middle of the desert, it seems like paradise. In the distance, he can hear the merry voices of women playing in the water. Even as maids in long, pale green kaftans gracefully clear the way, they gaze at the new guards with open curiosity.
Every girl is lovely, and Auguste feels like turning tail and running. As the guards’ eyes wander uneasily, a voice calls to them from the head of the group. It’s General Ares, the one who’s decided to place guards in the harem.
“Listen up: Your job is to protect the harem from the fiend dragon. And remember, all the women here are the king’s wives. Don’t even dream of fraternizing.”
“Yes, sir,” they chorus.
But didn’t the general marry a girl from the harem?
It’s odd that no one is calling him out on it. According to word on the street, the man offered his own fiancée as a form of equivalent exchange, but Auguste doesn’t hear anyone pitying the fiancée, either. Apparently, she became the principal consort, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s happy.
Exactly: That’s why Auguste is going to stop Serena. Obtaining rank without being loved is sure to be lonely.
Just as that thought occurs to him, he catches a glimpse of long silver hair.
“General Ares! Are these the gentlemen who are going to be guarding the harem?”
“Ah, Serena.”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll show them around in your place. Lady Sahra seems lonely; please go to her.”
Serena turns around. Her long, slender limbs are clothed in the costume of this country. Her kaftan is ultramarine. Both the color and cut of the garment are different from what the crowds of harem maids they’ve been passing are wearing. Even if he isn’t familiar with the customs of the harem, he understands that Serena has been given a special rank, and it shocks him.
“I see; Sahra is… Hmm. I don’t mind leaving it to you, but you’re not frightened?”
“I’m all right. Even you acknowledge my skills, General Ares.”
Not only that, but she’s oddly friendly with Ares. Even the sulky pout she’s wearing is cute.
She’s just the way she was during her days at Misha Academy. If he doesn’t watch how she behaves to the people around her, compare, and think calmly, he’ll get the wrong idea. So she looks this cute to those on the outside? —No, that’s not right, either.
“Okay. If you would, then. Don’t push yourself, though.”
“I won’t.”
She’s capable of agreeing obediently… Even though she always looks at Auguste coldly, as if he’s a caterpillar.
No, come on, she’s just pretending to be like that. What’s the point of letting it shock you?!
On that thought, he looks up. Serena has just seen Ares off, and when she turns around, their eyes meet.
Hers widen. For some reason, she drops her gaze, then lifts it to his face again. Her expression is pitying and a little repulsed. She mouths the words silently: “Don’t tell me— Did they cut yours off?”
With that, Auguste is down for the count. As first greetings go, it’s more than he can handle.
According to the demon king, if your fates are linked, you’ll meet again. If that’s true, their fates must be ill-starred.
By the time Aileen’s finished reading the library book, Baal has awakened.
He only slept for about an hour, but it seems he slept well. He stretches, looking refreshed. When Rachel comes to find Aileen, he has her bring him some snacks, eats them, then goes back to work. Apparently, some new guards are scheduled to stop by the harem and introduce themselves, so he’s going to perform a surprise inspection.
“Ares may be commanding them, but we are still allowing men into the harem. We need to keep them in check.”
That’s what he says, but when she thinks of the game’s developments, it feels as though Ares has bolstered his personal forces. From the fact that Baal chose the phrase “keep them in check,” he seems to have picked up on that as well.
Ares has grown arrogant. Still, opposing him right now would be a poor move. It’s frustrating, but we’ll have to handle him by being evasive… We have far too few allies.
Baal thanks Aileen, pushing his half-eaten piece of fruit against her lips and telling her he’ll share it with her. He even says that he’ll have her attend him in his bedchamber, as a reward. It seems he’s begun to trust her a little. If he wants to sleep, he could just be honest and ask for that. The man is tiresome to the last.
“Still, we may have established a little room to negotiate now— What is it, Rachel?”
Her lady-in-waiting has completed the procedures for borrowing the book, but she’s acting rather strange. They’re on a covered path with a view over the entire garden when she stops to ask her what’s wrong. Rachel looks solemn. “Lady Aileen. You do understand what attending to him at night means, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. It will be a good opportunity to talk. I’ve finally found a lead that might help repair the man’s relationship with his principal consort, too.”
“Um, are you quite certain you understand? What are you going to do if, um, that happens?”
Realizing what Rachel is worried about, Aileen nods. “True, men will sometimes settle for any partner. Never fear; I’ll break it.”
“You’ll break it?”
“Unlike Master Claude, if he’s never able to use it again, it won’t pose any sort of problem for me.” But perhaps that would be doing Roxane a disservice. Thinking she’d like to talk to her as well, Aileen turns to face forward again. “Never mind that, how are Lady Lilia and Serena faring?”
“Quite well, it seems. General Ares has begun to consider removing Lady Lilia and Lady Serena from the harem and having them serve Lady Sahra.”
“Even though it’s only been three days since I sent them?!”
Aileen had ordered them to conquer Ares—or rather, to become his allies—so that they could gather intelligence about the holy sword and civil war. At that, the two of them had cheerfully begun putting together a strategy. First, in order to make him relax his guard, they’d approach on the pretext of being infatuated with Sahra. What that sort of man needed was complete affirmation of his work, a show of brave frailty, a passion for justice—etcetera, etcetera. She hadn’t told them to romance him, but they’d set out to do just that as if that were completely natural. Not only Lilia, but Serena as well.
Two heroines, plotting a honey trap. In terms of otome games, it seemed like a dubious proposition… Then again, the prime objective in otome games was romancing the hero, so perhaps they were right after all? In any case, after just three scant days, Ares has begun to trust them enough to consider making them Sahra’s attendants.
It’s possible that Ares is a pushover, but Aileen has only one thought on the matter.
Otome game heroines are terrifying!
“…For the moment, impress upon them they are to do nothing that will make it hard to look Prince Cedric or Auguste in the eye.”
“When I say that, they both give me the most outrageous looks…”
“Assume that means it’s effective… If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility…”
With a distant look in her eyes, Aileen cuts across the courtyard. It’s a tranquil garden: A fountain sits at its center, with water flowing from it in four directions. It’s designed in such a way that no matter which angle she views it from, what she sees is as lovely as a picture.
“Oh!”
Aileen has been hurrying, but the wind blows harder, as if it’s trying to detain her. She’s distracted by the garden, and the silk gauze wrap she’s wearing loosely around her shoulders slips away from her. It floats elegantly, and then someone catches it.
Time stops.
Beauty like a fair-skinned work of art, and not a drop of sweat under the hot sun. Black, lustrous hair sways slightly in the wind. The wide eyes he fixes on her are a beautiful, jewel-like red.
“………”
“……………”
It’s a mirage of her husband. Yes, that must be it— But she doesn’t even have the chance to escape reality for a moment.
“Oh— Lady Aileen?!”
She whirls around at once. Discretion is the better part of valor. Unless she regroups first, she won’t be able to fight.
