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The Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom

In That Case, Should We Get Married After All?

Translated by: S3

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

Gazing at the glittering water surface, she inadvertently held her breath. The girl with hair that was neither red nor brown blinked her eyes pachiri. Her deep blue eyes, as if reflecting the sky, sparkled like scattered stars.

The chilly mid-winter air drifted over with the shimmering of the water's edge.

For Elna, who possessed a past life as a Fire Dragon, water was a natural enemy. Even a little drizzling rain shito shito was enough to make her catch a cold immediately, yet the water surface, having absorbed plenty of sunlight, looked so much like the inside of the sky that she wanted to reach out for it. Unable to bear it, Elna impulsively pointed a finger tsui. Leaning her small body out of the window frame, she extended her right hand. Of course, there was no way such a thing would reach the pond. Realizing this, she slowly reached up toward the sky instead.

The sun was far too bright. When she shielded it with her palm, red lines showed through her shadowed fingertips. 「Ah,」 Elna gasped, swayed, and landed on her bottom with a soft posun.

「That's right, I was human...」

It had been a month since Elna recalled her memories as Elnalfia.

Since meeting Cross and coming to stay at the castle, only a little over a week had passed.

「How is life at the castle? Any inconveniences?」

「Inconveniences... no, not really. Yeah. It's not that there are any, it's more like there's too little to do...」

Facing Elna across the desk in the royal office was a handsome young man with blonde hair and fair skin—but actually possessing brute strength—Vaidcaldadolagaferucrosgald, or simply Cross. Both he and the girl, Elna, possessed memories of their past lives.

Cross, as Vaid, the man who built the foundation of this country. Elna, as Elnalfia, the Fire Dragon whose glass scales reflected the color of the sky. Though Elna had been oppressed by her unrelated stepsister and stepmother at the Baron Calzeed house and was not blessed with family in this life, by some trick of fate, she was weaving the ties of her past life once again.

(...How should I put it.)

Currently, Elna was in a state of limbo. Even though she used to sigh every day at her stepsister's unreasonable demands, being told she could do as she pleased in the castle left her surprisingly troubled.

Perhaps expressing Elna's feelings, the hamster sitting on her head was doing a hamster dance, violently waving its short arms hamu hamu. This hamster was not just a hamster but seemed to be a spirit from somewhere far away, yet before she knew it, it was somehow always with Elna.

Leaving that aside.

Elna is just a young girl now, but in a past world so distant it felt mind-numbing, she was a Fire Dragon and a Wyvern who raced across nations with Vaid. That is why in the Kingdom of Wizrain, the Dragon is like a guardian deity, and people awaited Elnalfia, who the First King Vaid prophesied in his will would one day be reborn. But while "Vaid's will" sounds nice, Elna believes he was definitely just saying something random and never expected his own lines to remain until such a later age. Vaid was a truly irresponsible man.

(...Yet he was a charmer, and his brain was a bit muscle-bound so his face didn't match his contents, which made him even worse.)

While cursing her past partner poorly, she compared him to the current man. Vaid, or rather Cross, clasped his hands on the desk and pondered with a very serious face,

「Too few inconveniences... Hmm. You say difficult things.」

By the way, regarding the treatment of Laura, Elna's stepsister who fraudulently claimed to be the Dragon herself, the situation is currently kept under wraps as it cannot be made public yet; thus, only a few people know the fact that Elna is Elnalfia.

「...Technically, to the people around us, I am the stepsister of Lady Elnalfia... but since Laura isn't at the castle and only I remain, the maids must think it strange, and I'm bored.」

「Then I guess we should get married after all.」

「Don't propose so lightly, like you're announcing tonight's dinner!?」

With Cross demanding marriage at every opportunity like this, Elna's head was constantly in chaos.

「Um, b-becoming a wife, that means... do you properly understand?」

「Mhm. Of course I do.」

In contrast to Elna, who was flustered with a bright red face, Cross was somehow perfectly calm and nodding confidently.

—It was three days ago that Cross proposed to Elna.

Taking only these words, it might sound like a terribly sweet story, but unfortunately, in reality, there was nothing of the sort. Every time she saw Cross's nonchalant face, Elna felt somewhat frustrated that she was the only one flustering awa awa like this.

「Listen, Vaid... no, Cross. Getting married means, you know,」 she asked, putting on a solemn voice. No, she tried to ask. 「Getting married, means...」 Gokun, she swallowed her own saliva. Then she opened her mouth again, 「G-g-g-getting married, means!」 And she couldn't get her voice out any better than that. Her heart pounded doku doku, and her mind went blank. The hamster dancing on Elna's head also increased its momentum.

「So, getting married means, um...」

「It's fine. I swear to take responsibility and make you happy. The ceremony will be at the royal castle, is that a problem?」

「There are only problems...!」

(M-Marriage with Cross...)

Honestly, she didn't hate it. She didn't hate it, but.

(Since it's marriage, isn't there supposed to be stuff like love, or hate, or things like that...?)

That was probably what she wanted to say. But it was too embarrassing to say out loud. Just thinking about it made her chest tighten kyuu.

「Are you alright? Does your stomach hurt?」

「As if...!」

「Leaving that aside. Elna, I didn't call you here just for this main topic.」

「So it was the main topic after all!?」

In the end, Elna was the only one making a fuss. Elna understood that marriages for nobles and royalty were never dictated by emotion alone. But still, she felt frustrated and annoyed with herself for thinking "even so," and tried to endure it. Elna puffed up her cheeks panpan with air, her face bright red, and the hamster on her head imitated her.

Seeing the two faces lined up looking like their cheek pouches were stuffed, Cross involuntarily lifted the corner of his mouth, but managing to hide his expression with one hand, he lifted the bell on the desk with the other. Chirin, a cool sound rang out.

Then came three knocks that sounded like they were beating against a heavy door. The signal to enter. 「I don't mind. Enter.」 What arrived with Cross's permission was a very large man. 「Your Majesty, pardon the intrusion.」 The body that had looked cramped passing through the door stretched out gun to near the ceiling when he stood up. His chin was covered thickly with a beard, so Elna imagined a red-haired lion. Huge. No matter how many times she looked him up and down, he was huge.

Seeing Elna, whose eyes were widening as if they might spill out, the large man rubbed his chin with amusement, 「Hohou!」 and rubbed his beard washi washi with thick fingers.

「Are you the partner of that hero, Lady Elnalfia! I am extremely delighted to meet you!」

His voice was huge, too.

It was an impact that felt like it would blow her away, but Elna calmly put strength into her legs and withstood it. She is a small girl. However, the opponent is merely a human. 「...Umm, well...」 But troubled, she looked at Cross. 「Right, first comes the introduction,」 Cross stopped the huge man with one hand and glanced at Elna.

「Elna. This is Duke Lionel Halburn. He is in charge of a part of the castle's security.」

「Unworthy as I am, I am lending my aid to His Majesty!」

Facing the man laughing uho hoh ho! from his belly, Elna could only give a listless reply, 「Haa...」

The large man who came to the office, Duke Halburn, apparently knew about Elna's past life. Furthermore, he seemed to grasp the situation with the Calzeed family. It felt somewhat itchy to know there was a human who knew about her in places she couldn't grasp.

「A few days ago, we staged a play that a revolt had occurred, right? I can't move the castle soldiers without permission for private matters. So, I borrowed the Duke's soldiers.」

Elna squeezed her large, cat-like eyes even wider kyu upon hearing Cross's explanation.

From Cross's perspective, he intended it as a play to show a little painful reality to a single little girl named Laura; he never thought it would become a major incident revealing Elnalfia's power.

In that case, she could understand why the Duke knew everything... but what should I do, Elna thought, looking up at the Duke.

What if he gets angry that she stripped his soldiers stark naked?

(No, to be precise, I just melted their weapons and armor, I didn't strip them naked, though.)

While thinking up excuses to herself, she was honestly anxious inside. Ignoring the one-sided awkwardness, the hamster, kneading itself in her hands while proposing boldly, 『Let's bail, gonsu,』 Elna waited for Duke Halburn's words. But the Duke wasn't angry or anything; saying 「Lady Elnalfia,」 he quietly knelt toward Elna.

「To think... I would be able to meet you while I am still alive. Originally, I wanted to rush over first thing after hearing the news from His Majesty, but time was needed to impose a gag order regarding Lady Elnalfia's current appearance.」

A huge human is huge even when sitting, Elna pondered out of place. If there were a sound effect, it would be zunguri zunguri.

But this wasn't the time to think about that; it didn't seem like she was going to be scolded, but the flow had become strange. 「You can't put a door on people's mouths, but buying a little time is necessary,」 Cross said, fully in King mode now, which made her feel itchy.

「Um... for now, why are you kneeling...」

「Elna. The Duke is also a devout believer of the Elnalfia Order.」

「Elnalfia Order... Ah, ahh...」

Of course, even Elna knew about it; it was the leading religion in the Kingdom of Wizrain. Elnalfia had no memory of permitting it back then, but while she occasionally wagged her tail in response to the humans who approached her, enthusiastic believers—<fans>—had somehow increased before she knew it.

From Elnalfia's perspective, she just intended it as fan service, but before she knew it, it had crossed generations, traveled through time, and continued until now. No way, she honestly wanted to say.

Actually, it's heavy.

「Your feelings have been conveyed, and I understand. So for now, please stand up... I want you to stand up...」

「Oh-ho. I am grateful. This pose is tough on an old body!」

「Just incredibly honest.」

His movement was very quick. Wasn't he devout?

「No, no, my Halburn family has used flames as our emblem for generations. Because the Dragon is a symbol permitted only to royalty. So my ancestors racked their brains on how to get closer to Lady Elnalfia! Even when hiring people, we give preferential treatment to those who can handle fire magic!」

Come, look at this! The red-haired lion showed Elna the embroidery sewn onto his mantle. She was a bit troubled on how to react, so she smiled vaguely. How should she put it—he was pushy and physically close.

「...Duke Halburn. Isn't the purpose of your visit drifting?」

「Ha... That is so!」

「As always, your whole body reacts with such energy... Elna, I think you deserve more possibilities. I want to increase the choices available to you.」

「Choices...?」

She couldn't see where the conversation was going. When Elna frowned, Halburn slapped his own chest with a large palm bashin.

「Lady Elnalfia, if you would like, how about becoming my daughter?」

「............Mu?」

Daughter...?