As Ian returned to his room, claiming he wasn’t a eunuch, the girls worried he might have been hurt.
“Ian…”
Watching Ian’s figure, slumped like a wounded cat as he walked to my room, Noah blamed the others for not being honest with him.
However, a young girl’s heart didn’t easily reveal its true feelings to others.
If only there were a medicine that could make someone speak honestly…
In a world where magic and summons existed, why wasn’t there something like that? Noah felt incredibly resentful.
To be honest… I wish there were a way to express my feelings without hiding them, she thought.
***
Later that night, Ian returned to his room, frowning as he spoke to the emperor over the orb.
[So, Ian… you shouted you’re not a eunuch?]
“…How did you even know that, Your Majesty?”
[Where do you think you are?]
At those words, Ian was reminded once again that he was staying at a resort reserved for the imperial family.
The servants here were trusted by the emperor and served only the royal family. Their eyes were the emperor’s eyes, and their ears were the emperor’s ears.
[If there’s a problem with your function, I can send a doctor or some medicine.]
“…It’s not like that. And I don’t think that’s something to say in front of a minor yet.”
[Young? You’re old enough to get married right now.]
The emperor looked at Ian with a strange expression, as if wondering what on earth he was talking about.
Only then did Ian recall that this was a game world—and realized his mistake.
…Right, there’s no such thing as a minor here.
On Earth, anyone under the age of 20 was considered a minor and couldn’t do much without a guardian. But this was a different world, one created in Korea, and it wasn’t a 100% replica of Korean law or society.
After all, he himself had to graduate from the Academy within two years and go to war to protect humanity.
“Anyway, I have no intention of getting into that kind of relationship with those girls.”
[Hmm… if it’s the princess, isn’t it okay to take her as a wife? There’s a saying that heroes come in threes…]
“I don’t think that’s something a father should be saying about his daughter…”
[Of course, the first wife must be a princess.]
Ian stared at the emperor, dumbfounded.
Wasn’t it just a while ago that he was being forced into a relationship with the emperor’s daughter, the princess?
Though Ian wasn’t her father, he could tell that the emperor’s emotions were unhinged. Some people cherished their children like treasures.
Ian once again realized that he couldn’t judge the emperor by ordinary standards and quickly changed the subject.
“So—how are things outside these days?”
[Surprisingly peaceful. All thanks to you, Marquis Ian.]
“The demons are keeping their promises…”
[I thought it might be a ruse to secure a justification.]
Surprisingly, after handing over the heads of the death row inmates disguised as Ian and Noah, the demons had truly ceased their attacks.
Of course, if they ever discovered the heads were fake, they might return with an army in a fury. Still, the emperor had expected them to use it as an excuse to retaliate immediately after his unreasonable demand wasn’t met.
[—Or it could be part of a scheme, using even your death as a stepping stone.]
“…Mine?”
[Yes.]
One of the reasons humanity couldn’t completely drive out the demons was because they fed on human emotions and were born from human minds.
Even within Dinua—inside the Academy, supposedly a completely safe place—such things occurred in another city steeped in violence and unrest.
Someone could spread a malicious rumor, claiming the emperor had offered up human heads to demons. That could spark hostility toward him from the people.
Such united hatred would manifest as a new demon that threatened humanity once again.
More than anything…
[That’s what I fear most, Marquis Ian.]
“What?”
[That the commoners we strive to protect… would one day point their blades at us.]
The peace they currently enjoyed had been built on the death of Ian Clark. But what if Ian Clark were to be discovered alive—and the demons used that to reignite a war?
Perhaps people would say what no one dared to voice aloud:
“Things were better when Ian died.”
No matter how strong a person was, hearing something like that could plunge them into a deep well of despair.
And that… was what the emperor feared most.
When those who uphold justice betray it…
“I don’t care.”
Fortunately, Ian Clark wasn’t the kind of person who paid much attention to the chatter around him.
Had they ever faced the true evil of a human being hiding behind an anonymous mask, orchestrating chaos from the shadows?
It wasn’t so frightening when powerless commoners had to take a stand.
[Then you are lucky.]
The emperor laughed as he spoke. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he gave an instruction to Ian’s attendant.
[I sent you a present.]
“A gift?”
[I’m sure you’ll like it. Well then—]
With those words, the emperor ended the communication. Although magic existed in this world, objects couldn’t teleport, so Ian went to bed wondering what kind of gift he might receive.
Please, let it be something that helps him cut down demons.
***
The next day, the gift arrived.
As he opened the box handed to him by a maid, Ian found pills inside.
“…What’s this?”
“These are, well… not sure…”
Even the maid didn’t know what the pills were. Still, considering the sender, it might not be anything too dangerous—probably.
Ian guessed that if the pills had magical effects, anyone familiar with magic should recognize them.
“Empress, do you know what these are?”
[Summoner, do you think I’m some kind of all-purpose dictionary?]
“Just say you don’t know.”
Unfortunately, the Great Witch, despite her centuries of wisdom, didn’t recognize the pills either. And in a way, that was understandable. Technology advanced rapidly, and no matter how powerful she had been, someone from hundreds of years ago couldn’t possibly know everything—especially not magic, which evolved insanely fast.
Smells sweet…
Sniffing the contents, Ian noted that the pills resembled candy. The scent was almost intoxicating.
Unfortunately, he didn’t like sweets. Since there were four pieces, he figured the girls could have them. He made his way down to the dining hall with the box in hand.
The girls were already eating downstairs.
“Ah—Ian!”
They waved at him as he entered and pointed to the seat next to them.
Ian casually took the seat next to Noah, and the maid immediately began serving the dishes.
Seafood delicacies made from the finest ingredients, cooked by the kingdom’s best chef—despite being from the modern world, Ian found this food tastier than anything he had eaten on Earth.
Then again, I’ve never eaten at fancy places.
Good ingredients and great cooking skills produced excellent flavor, regardless of the era. Honestly, 70% of the ingredients could probably have produced great taste even back on Earth.
“Ian, what’s that?”
“Hmm? Oh—this?”
After the meal, the girls grew curious about the box Ian had brought.
He handed out the candies: two pink and two yellow.
Stella and Syrah chose the pink ones, while Noah and Dinua picked the yellow ones.
“Ian, aren’t you having one?”
“I don’t like sweets.”
Stella tilted her head, remembering how he usually only ate sweets on rare occasions, but she shrugged it off and popped the candy into her mouth.
The girls who ate the candy immediately smiled, their faces lighting up.
“Wow, where did this come from?”
“Yeah. It’s really tasty!”
“Super sweet…”
“…Right.”
Watching them enjoy the candy, Ian was briefly tempted to try one himself. But then again—what kind of man ate candy like that? He shook his head. Better to just let the girls have it.
Guess that’s the end of the gifts.
As Ian stood up, Stella suddenly said, “You look great today. I want to kiss you on the lips.”
“…What?”
Ian froze, staring at her. Stella looked back at him innocently, as if she didn’t realize what she had just said.
“Why are you looking at me like that? I really want to take him home and raise him.”
“S-Stella?!”
Noah, clearly flustered, called her name.
Stella, now aware something was off, brought her hand to her mouth.
“…What did I just say?”
“You said you want to kiss Ian on the lips.”
“Hey! I didn’t mean that! I just meant… like… a friendly kiss or something!!”
Realizing something was seriously wrong, Stella clammed up.
Watching her squirm, Dinua frowned and said with concern:
“S-Stella… I think you ate something weird. You stray-cat b!tch, don’t flirt with Ian. I’ll kill you!”
“…What?”
“E-Even you, Dinua?!”
The moment Ian realized both Stella and Dinua were saying things they’d never normally say, he understood what kind of “gift” the emperor had sent him.
The emperor truly wanted to mess with him!