We were staying at an inn in a city.


    It''s a little more upscale than the ones we''ve always had, and it''s soundproof.


    I was sitting next to her on the bed there, talking to her.


    ''''I''m ... a demon,''''


    She didn''t look at me and told me this with a tearful face.


    ''''I''m sorry, I didn''t tell you before... I couldn''t say it when I thought about you hating me...''''


    Her body is trembling a bit.


    She''s been looking anxious ever since she said she wanted to talk to me and even before she came to this inn.


    ''''I''m a former princess of the Demon Race''s Harzion Kingdom-now renamed the Gladio Kingdom, but I''m a former princess there.


    "When the new king, a man named Felix Gladio, ascended the throne, I was promised that I would marry him... but this Felix was a very belligerent man who thought very differently from his father, the former king.


    She recalls that time and speaks with tears in her eyes.


    She holds her mouth and speaks in a muffled voice with tears streaming down her cheeks.


    ''I ran for my life from my country but I didn''t see the point in living...''


    My family and everyone else in my family saved my life, and I''ve lived my whole life, but there are many times when I''ve wanted to die.


    But...


    He looks up here and looks up at me next to him with his cheeks wet.


    "--Meeting you.........life, fun.......I found the meaning of life.


    She leans her body against my chest, buries her face in my chest and says in a tearful voice.


    ''''I love you, I love you........!　Even if I''m a demon like this can I still be by your side?


    Her words of love feel desperate, like a child crying and begging me not to abandon her.


    I hold her gently on my shoulder and speak softly to reassure her.


    ''I ... I knew you were a demon,''


    What...?


    She looks up at my words and stares at me, and I stare back at her.


    ''I saw your eyes turn red when we were fighting demons before.


    So that''s what happened...


    So it doesn''t matter to me that you''re a demon. You''ll always be the one I love - and I love you, Irene Harzion.


    I look straight into her eyes and wipe the tears streaming down her cheeks with my fingers.


    ''''Eric-sama........!


    Irene is so impressed that she puts her hands around my back and hugs me tightly.


    I hug her in return, holding her body tightly so that she won''t let go.


    "It''s so good to see you........!　I''m so glad...!


    I''m glad I met Irene because I, too, have lost my reason for living. So I''m not going to lose you anymore, and I''ll protect you.


    She loosens the intensity of her hug once and looks into my eyes.


    Her face is so beautiful, so inviting in my eyes.


    She stares at me with her moist eyes, and I bring my face close to hers for what she wants - and what I want, too.


    ''Eric-sama....''


    Irene...


    The distance between me and Irene''s face was getting closer and closer--


    ''''Hmm...?


    For some reason, I felt dazzled - and I opened my eyes.


    I blink my eyes a few times to keep my heavy eyelids (eyelids) from closing again.


    Huh........where am I.......?


    Earlier I was at the inn with Irene.


    Thinking that far, I realized that it had been a dream.


    Then I picked up my upper body and looked around and realized that I had been sleeping on a bed in my room at home.


    Let''s see...why is my body so heavy?


    Did you train that hard?


    I search my memory and remember that I was fighting a man named Felix.


    That was it I fought that guy and won.


    And then I passed out right afterwards and you''ve been sleeping until now........


    I felt dizzy because the sun was in my room.


    I remembered the content of a dream I hadn''t had in a long time, and I felt nostalgic.


    That dream was when I kissed Irene for the first time in my previous life.


    ....I mean, if you showed me that much, let me even kiss you!


    I was a little angry at the dream - but then I suddenly remembered.


    That I was already in a different future than in that previous life.


    In the previous life, Felix had become king and Irene had escaped his proposal to marry her, and that''s how he met me.


    But - Felix was dead.


    So Irene didn''t have to flee the country, and there was no future for me and Irene to meet.


    ........I feel a little, no, quite sad about it, but I convince myself that this is okay.


    I took away the reason why Irene had shed those sad tears.


    Even if it prevents me and Irene from meeting each other, I don''t regret it.....


    No, let''s not be strong. The truth is, I''m so f*cked up.


    I don''t want to miss out on meeting Irene, that''s for sure.


    But killing Felix doesn''t mean that Irene and I won''t be able to meet, it just means that we won''t have that encounter.


    I know that Irene is in a country called Harzion Kingdom, and I''m not going to miss seeing her.


    I''m going to see her for sure.


    Because I love Irene, and I love her.


    --? What''s going on?


    I am feeling very low right now....


    I am lying down on my bed in my room in the royal palace and doing a sort of slumber.


    I understand that this is an act of royalty, but I have to distract myself by doing that.


    Because I can''t help but marry someone I despise.


    He is the next in line to the throne after your father, and he is a very strong man.


    He even had a one-on-one match with the current king''s father in a dueling arena and won a light victory.


    I never thought there was anyone in this world who could defeat the strongest man in the country... or rather, the strongest father in the country, so easily.


    And when he ascends the throne, I will have to marry him....


    I admit that he is very strong, but my personality is not very compatible with him. Absolutely nothing.


    I don''t know why that person is so belligerent.


    His father and mother''s idea was to be friendly and interact with people from different countries, but that didn''t have much result....


    But it was good for me.


    I really liked the idea of being able to live without shedding blood.


    But as soon as he became king, he declared that he was going to corrupt many countries.


    I can''t stand marrying into such a person...!


    I sighed at the thought and was lying in bed when I heard a knock on the door.


    ''''Yes ... yes.''''


    I raise my upper body from the bed and reply languidly.


    ''It''s me, my darling daughter.


    Father!


    I hear a low, authoritative voice from outside the door.


    Realizing it''s your father, I jump off the bed.


    Standing in front of the mirror where I can see his full body, I run my hands through my wrinkled clothes and adjust my hair.


    ''Do come in, Father,''


    You rush to get ready and take a breath before calling out to him.


    Then the door opens and your father walks in.


    ''I''m sorry, I''m sorry you came so suddenly.


    No, I''m fine.


    Your father has been thinking about something lately, and he''s starting to look a little older.


    It''s all because of that man........!


    Father, can I help you?


    ''Yeah I know it sounds unbelievable when you say it out of the blue, but...''


    Your father hesitated for a moment before telling me the shocking truth.


    ''-Felix is dead.


    ...What?


    It took me a little while to understand your father''s words.


    And even when I understood, I doubted that fact was true.


    ''Felix, my lord...?　Why...?


    What is it about the death of a man stronger than your father...?


    Could it be a sudden illness or something?


    There was a village that Felix wanted to use as a base to corrupt the Kingdom of Begonia, but he was defeated by the young man who lived there.


    Master Felix was defeated by a boy of the human race...?


    I can''t believe it.


    Apparently they can''t take the body home, but it''s been confirmed that it''s dead which I don''t believe either, but it''s true.


    No....!　I never thought...!


    I can''t believe she''s dead.


    I''m sorry, Irene.


    When I was surprised and confused by this fact, your father apologized to me for some reason.


    ''''Eh ... what is it, father?''''


    ''You ... I couldn''t protect you. You could have resented me for losing to Felix, forcing me to marry you, and for not being able to do anything about it.


    Oh no...!　I have never held a grudge against your father for a moment!


    Your father didn''t hesitate to fight for me, even though he had no chance and might die for me.


    How could I hate your father like that...!


    ''I''m sorry to make excuses but we knew you wanted to get away and we had a plan to get you out of there.


    Well it''s the first time I''ve heard of it.


    ''It''s a plan that we''re all prepared to die for. Because I knew that if you found out, you would never run away and marry for us.


    Your father came closer and stroked my head and hugged me to his chest.


    ''I''m sorry I gave you a hard time I''m sorry. It''s all right now. He''s dead.


    ''　Master...!


    I can feel the anxiety and pain I''ve been holding in my arms and realize that the anxiety and pain I''ve been holding in is gone, and I can''t help but cry.


    ''''Thank God, is...!　I can still live with your father and your mother and everyone else...!


    ''Oh yes we will. We''ll be by your side until the day you want to leave.


    I couldn''t hold back and continued to cry - I couldn''t hold back.


    My tears finally stop and leave your father''s chest.


    ''I have to thank that young man from the village... we were saved by that young man, albeit indirectly.


    That''s right........we were saved thanks to the One who defeated Felix-sama.


    ''''What is that young man''s name?''''


    I don''t know I''ll have my people look into it.


    If we ever meet, I''d like to thank you...


    To a very strong man whose name and face I don''t yet know, a very strong man I can''t thank him enough, I will certainly deliver my feelings one day.