"For now, let's agree to leave Wrath to Priscilla and the others. We've got Reinhardt's official endorsement regarding Liliana's blessing as well."
"It might not carry much weight, since it's a blessing she's not accustomed to, but I do believe Liliana's song could serve as a countermeasure against Wrath, if it came to that."
The eyes of everyone seated at the round table turned toward Liliana at Subaru and Reinhardt's words. She grabbed a lock of her tied-up hair, held it beneath her nose like a "mustache," and played around with it.
"Nooo, please, leave it to me! Once this Liliana takes on a job, she'll see it through to the end, you can count on that! Rest assured — all I have to do is sing! Sing on the stage where I'm needed! Sing because I'm wanted! Do you know how joyful that is?! And if I get paid on top of it, that's the cherry on top!"
"Nobody's gonna pay you, so cut it out with that capitalist-pig mentality."
"Buuhi!"
Liliana deflated at the shut-down, and in her place, Priscilla let out a derisive snort. Her crimson eyes shifted back and forth between Subaru and Reinhardt.
"So the two of you were huddled together conspiring — and for nothing. This consultation was entirely unnecessary. I have already confirmed the true worth of this singer. She'll crush those witless fanatics."
"Even so, it's necessary to verify things for the sake of certainty, isn't it..."
"Pointless. — I am the one who is staking her life on this singer's song. Why would I, the one who proposed this, entrust my life to something uncertain? Such a reckless thing is simply impossible."
"——"
When she put it that way, Subaru had no rebuttal. After all, it was Priscilla who had brought up Liliana's potential and who believed in that potential enough to face Wrath.
It was well known that despite her words and demeanor suggesting otherwise, Priscilla was a woman of remarkable cunning and caution.
"Hey, Princess, ease up on the sibling abuse, why don't you? Let's just stay out of it, us lot."
"What now, Al? Are you still sulking because I rejected your petition? A grown man acting so womanly. Don't make a fool of yourself in front of me."
"...It's not like that."
Al turned away with a huff, propping his cheek on his right arm and settling into spectator mode. Priscilla snorted at her attendant's attitude, leaned back against her seat, and stopped meddling.
Finally — finally — the conversation could move on to the next topic.
"So, that settles it — the assault on Wrath goes to Team Priscilla. As for the other assignments... talking about Sloth's group — for that one, I want to recommend Wilhelm."
"You're nominating Wilhelm by name? May I ask your reasoning?"
"I was the one who asked Subaru to do so, Julius."
At Julius's question, Wilhelm raised his hand to respond.
The old swordsman drew every eye as he lightly tilted his gaze upward — toward the upper floor.
"As you all know, my lady Crusch is currently suffering under the sinister power of the
"If possible, I'd like to capture the Sin Archbishop and extract the cause of that condition. That's what you're after too, isn't it, Wilhelm?"
"Precisely. Therefore, I would ask that you entrust me with the subjugation of Sloth."
His blue eyes, brimming with fierce will, bore down on the room with an aura of explosive sword pressure.
No one could bring themselves to oppose the resolve and loyalty radiating from Wilhelm's gaze — not a single soul, save one.
"Honestly, I'm against it."
"...Reinhardt."
While everyone else had been overwhelmed by the sword pressure, Reinhardt alone hadn't so much as flinched. Maintaining his usual serious expression, he locked eyes with Wilhelm.
"Right now, you've lost your composure, Grandfather. Of course, I understand your hostility toward the Sin Archbishop who committed such discourtesy against Lady Crusch. But I don't believe you can achieve your objective in this state of mind."
"You're saying my lack of composure will hinder me from achieving my objective? Is that what you're telling me?"
"When it comes to Lady Crusch, failure in capturing Sloth is simply not an option. If so, then I will take on the role. At least mentally, I should be able to handle this more effectively."
Reinhardt's words were sound logic — he was trying to ensure the most reliable resolution possible. There was no doubt that Wilhelm was too worked up, having lost his cool.
But to Reinhardt's argument, Wilhelm cracked a smile.
Not a gentle one — but the savage grin of a ferocious beast.
"——Of course I've lost my composure, Reinhardt."
"Grandfather, but —"
"Who do you think I am? Who do you think your grandfather is? I am the Sword Demon, Wilhelm. I was supposed to be nothing but a single sword — but I failed at that, falling in love with a woman. But precisely because I'm half-baked in what I am, I have never been half-hearted about what needed to be done."
The savage grin overwrote the gentle, transparent impression Wilhelm usually carried. What emerged from beneath was a demon who had burned his life on blood and steel, whose heart had been captivated by the flash of a blade.
And yet, even as a demon, a trace of warmth remained in his eyes.
"The moment I decided to draw my sword, my heart surged. Losing composure is nothing new to me on the battlefield — it's been that way all my life, and I've survived to this age. I do not intend to rot away without repaying the debt I owe my lady. Worry is unnecessary."
"That argument is nothing but mental fortitude, isn't it..."
"Mental fortitude, when pushed to its limit, becomes conviction. Given fourteen years, even a dull blade can cut down my wife's murderer."
When told that this was the conviction of the man who had slain the
Yet even now, Reinhardt couldn't quite accept it, his gaze downcast. Seeing his grandson's stubborn posture, Wilhelm continued with, "Besides..."
"The battlefield that needs you isn't here. There is another place where you are needed."
"A battle that needs me..."
"——Subaru. Please take my grandson to your battlefield. To reclaim Lady
Hearing his name called so suddenly, Subaru's eyes went wide. But as Wilhelm nodded toward him, Reinhardt's gaze followed, turning Subaru's way.
Seeing this, Subaru scratched his head in resignation.
"I was hoping to deal with this after we'd settled Sloth's assignment. ...Yeah. Honestly, I want to borrow your strength for the fight against Greed — the one I'll be handling. I think your power is exactly what we need against that nasty bastard."
The image of Regulus, Greed's Sin Archbishop, surfaced in his mind.
He only knew fragments of the other Sin Archbishops' abilities, but among all the grotesque heretics, Regulus's authority was by far the most dangerous.
He couldn't say for certain, but right now, Regulus's ability could only be imagined as something absurd like "invincibility." Of course, he didn't want to think about an existence that was simply "invincible." He wanted to believe there was some weakness or limitation — but still.
"To break through Regulus's 'invincible' defense, we need someone who can actually fight him head-on. In terms of both offensive and defensive power, I'd say he's the strongest among the Sin Archbishops in a straight comparison. That's why I want to borrow your strength, Reinhardt, to take him down."
"An opponent whose attacks don't land... certainly, I suppose I'd be the right fit for that kind of monster. But —"
Even after hearing about Regulus's unreasonable authority, Reinhardt's hesitation didn't lift. However, another voice cut through his unease.
It came from right next to Subaru.
"——That's fine. I'll tag along with Gramps Wilhelm."
Garfiel stepped forward, snapping his sharp fangs together as he glared at Reinhardt. The Sword Saint looked at him with surprise. "You?"
"The boss recommended you. I know your strength too, I do. We don't need me for reclaiming Lady Emilia. Right, boss?"
"No, Garfiel — I wasn't trying to say anything like that to you..."
"I don't need your pity. Besides, it's not like I'm moping around saying this because I'm hurt. I'm actually against it. There are people with business to attend to this time around, and I'm not about to let someone else handle it."
Subaru furrowed his brow at Garfiel's labored breathing, then belatedly realized the truth.
Of course. Among the people of the city hall who had been transformed by Sloth, there was someone who seemed to be an acquaintance of Garfiel's — someone who had been turned into a black dragon.
For Garfiel, Sloth was no stranger to grudges.
And beyond that — "I can't forgive that bitch, that's for damn sure, but it ain't just about that. Those two assholes who got the drop on me first — they're holed up with Sloth too, ain't they?"
"——"
"There's a dumbass who got hurt because of how pathetic I was. I gotta pay them back for his sake. So I'm going with Gramps."
Meeting Garfiel's fierce gaze, Wilhelm quietly nodded.
Here, the old swordsman and the young warrior's wills aligned — both seeking to fight for the sake of a woman they cherished deeply, unified in their drive for retribution.
Subaru had no objections to Garfiel's declaration either.
"I know it's late, but Sloth's authority is mutation and transformation. They can transform themselves and force others to transform too. And then there's the blood — under no circumstances should you let that blood touch you. That's what's causing Crusch's suffering. Personality-wise... they're all the worst, but especially terrible."
"I am well aware."
"I'll crush 'em."
At Subaru's final confirmation, neither Wilhelm nor Garfiel showed the slightest hint of backing down.
When Subaru finally looked to Reinhardt for his input, even the Sword Saint seemed to have decided that there was no point in objecting when the decision was already this firmly made.
"That's fine. Garfiel's strength is solid. And with Grandfather there as well, I trust they can cut down any enemy."
"Hearing you say that doesn't exactly put me at ease. Ain't exactly like 'turtle soup is subtle but the flavor is exquisite,' is it?"
"I mean it. I believe in your victory — both yours and Grandfather's. I will be Subaru's sword."
Garfiel scratched his cheek with a not-quite-pleased expression, and Reinhardt nodded to Subaru. Hearing the Sword Saint's reassuring words, Subaru felt bolstered by an extra measure of support.
"Sorry for making selfish requests, Reinhardt."
"It's fine. No matter what kind of stage it is, I'll perform to the fullest of my ability. If that helps you survive, then that's all I could ask for."
"I hate relying on you all the time, I really do. I know this is a situation where I'm leaning too hard on how strong you are... but I'll make up for whatever you're lacking, so just trust me."
"——"
For a moment, Reinhardt's eyes widened and he fell silent at those words. Tilting his head at this rare reaction, Subaru saw Reinhardt quickly let out a small laugh and say, "No, it's nothing."
"Probably nothing to you, at least. — Ah, I'll take you up on that. The parts I can't reach — you'll try to fill them in for me."
"——? Yeah, sure, be my guest. I'm counting on you. And going by how things have laid out, the final assignment — Gluttony — falls to..."
"—— That would be Ricardo and me."
Picking up where Subaru left off, the one who answered in a low voice was Julius. The unusual sharpness in his tone made Anastasia cast a worried glance toward the knight.
"Julius, are you alright? You've been looking kinda off this whole time."
"I apologize for worrying you. But I'm fine. If this were about my physical condition, I certainly wouldn't be voicing complaints in front of Subaru."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm simply considering the state of your injuries and the situation you're in. Please don't bite my head off. The last thing I want is to bicker with you at a time like this."
"Ugh..."
Caught off guard by the unexpected response. At the same time, there was a strange sense of unease.
Subaru shared the same suspicion about Julius that Anastasia had. He still couldn't pinpoint what it was, but still — "The remaining assignment — Gluttony — Ricardo and I will take it on. Ideally, this would have gone to Subaru or Wilhelm, who have personal grudges. But I accept this role, and I will see it through."
"...Yeah. That's right."
As Julius steeled himself, the subjugation of Gluttony was truly the role Subaru had wanted to carry out himself. Wilhelm would feel the same, as would Crusch, still suffering above them.
The authority of Gluttony — to devour memories and names. Thinking of
To pummel them, kick them, stomp on them, make them regret every last thing they'd done, force them to tearfully grovel — and then do whatever else he damn well pleased.
And he was giving that role away to someone else.
"I wouldn't really want to hand it to anyone, to be honest. Rem — I want to get her back. I wanted to get her back. I believed that was supposed to be my role."
"............"
"But if I have to hand it off to someone, I'll hand it to you here and now. Don't get the wrong idea — it's process of elimination. ...It is process of elimination, but I'm entrusting it to you. When it comes to tolerating someone I'd rather not, you're one of the few I can stand."
Rem — her memories and her existence held hostage.
Emilia — still taken, still waiting to be rescued.
Both were precious to Subaru. Both were people he had to bring back. And he wanted to impress them both.
But Subaru was Emilia's knight, and Rem's hero.
"I'm going to defeat Greed and get Emilia back. Punching Gluttony's face in — I'm leaving that to you this time. ...Don't screw it up."
"—— I'll do my best to meet your expectations. This time — this time for certain."
Julius bowed his head deeply, accepting Subaru's trust.
The "Finest" knight then turned to Wilhelm and gave a small nod.
"Wilhelm."
"Nearly everything I wanted to say has already been covered by Subaru. It's true that my feelings toward Gluttony are far from tranquil... so I leave it in your hands, Julius. This city has far too many insolent people who've gotten full of themselves."
The refined sword energy in Wilhelm's gaze quietly bolstered Julius. Ricardo, who had been listening to all of this in silence, finally spoke up.
"What the hell? Y'all been goin' on without even askin' my opinion. Not that I mind! I agree this is the best lineup we could've asked for."
"Ricardo, you're a sweetheart for that. Getting all pouty with a frame that big — it's cute, really. ...You'll look after Julius, okay?"
"You got it, Annie! Have I ever lied to ya?"
"Drop the cutesy name thing. I'm Ricardo's boss, you know."
Anastasia puffed out her cheeks in a pout while Ricardo let out a big dopey grin. His dark, round eyes looked down at Anastasia with impossibly gentle warmth.
"So that's the lineup decided, then."
——At Subaru's words, everyone at the round table nodded.
"The assault on Wrath — Sirius — goes to Priscilla, Al, and Liliana."
"Don't make me laugh, trying to dominate people's hearts when I'm right here. I'll show that gaudy fool what it means to know her place — and the right time and audience for getting ahead of herself."
"Just sing, just sing! That's all I am — a lump of flesh that sings! Don't be afraid of death — be afraid of wasting the stage! Alright, I can do this! I feel like I can totally do this!"
"——"
Priscilla fanned herself while Liliana worked herself into some kind of self-hypnosis. Al showed no expression, but the dissatisfied aura radiating from his entire body hadn't faded one bit.
An uneasy trio — but when it came to confidence, they had more than anyone.
"Next — the assault on Sloth goes to Garfiel and Wilhelm."
"Yeah, that works. I'll grab that noisy broad by the scruff of the neck and make her cry and beg for mercy."
"Leave it to me. — I will settle things with those two as well, I swear it."
If you were to rank who had the most fighting spirit, it would be these two.
The Sword Demon Wilhelm — for his debt to his lord, and for the wife he had never stopped thinking about for a single moment.
Garfiel — for a resolution to emotions that churned in his heart, too formless to take shape.
Perhaps these two warriors would each find their own answer in the fight ahead.
"And the assault on Gluttony goes to Julius and Ricardo — you two."
"This role was entrusted to none other than you. I will see it through, without fail. That is how I can deny what he stands for."
"The bastards got my family too, don't they? No need to tell me twice. I'll flatten 'em and make 'em cry."
Of all the people here, these two had the shallowest ties to the Witch Cult. And yet they were trusted just as much as the others — because they were both people worthy of that trust.
They had already overcome hardship together once before. There was no need to doubt a comrade-in-arms.
Which was precisely why he could make the choice to give up Gluttony.
"And the last one — Greed — that's me and Reinhardt. Counting on you."
"—— Yes. Leave it to me. And I'll be counting on you too, Subaru."
At Subaru's request, Reinhardt inclined his chin with the same unwavering resolve. Though there was something about his demeanor that seemed... lighter. Perhaps it was improper to say before a battle, but he looked more human.
Subaru couldn't quite tell why Reinhardt seemed so relieved, but — "Alright then, that wraps up the assignments for the battle! For communication, we've got three Dialog Mirrors total. One stays here at city hall with us... what about the other two?"
"I'd want one with the Wrath team for sure. As for the other... I'd say either Sloth or Gluttony."
"What's the thinking?"
"Wrath is the one with influence over the entire city. Whether or not she goes down changes everything about the situation we're in. So I'd want to share information on that as quickly as possible."
Everyone nodded at Subaru's proposal for handling the communication mirrors. And the reason for assigning the last one to anyone other than Greed — "I hate to say it, but Reinhardt's the one facing Greed. Since we don't know the extent of Greed's ability, I'm being optimistic, but I can't rule out the possibility that it gets resolved in an instant. When that happens, I want to have Reinhardt in a position where we can send him as reinforcement."
"But if there's no Dialog Mirror with the Greed team, we won't be able to share information, will we? Natsuki-san's reasoning makes sense, but..."
"That's actually the easiest part. Use the broadcast magic device. City-wide broadcast — ask anyone who needs help to report their location. Anastasia consolidates the information through the Dialog Mirror and relays it to everyone. How's that?"
"That's quite clever. My, my, aren't you the quick thinker, Natsuki-kun."
Anastasia smiled with an impressed expression, then tossed one of the Dialog Mirrors to Priscilla. Priscilla caught it with her fan and rolled it toward Liliana.
"Wha- wha- wha- what!?"
"You're the singer. You hold it. I can't carry anything heavier than tableware."
"That fan of yours weighs more than tableware. Don't be lazy."
"Don't be ridiculous. Look at the craftsmanship — there's a fortune's worth of gold in this design. That gives it a certain gravitas. Don't compare it to something as common as tableware."
"It weighs more than tableware..."
Regardless, Liliana holding it put the matter to rest. Ignoring Liliana busily adjusting her bangs in the mirror's reflection, the final Dialog Mirror was offered to Wilhelm.
"Considering the enemy numbers, the mirror should go to Sloth rather than Gluttony. Two people is better than one, but if you sense danger, contact Anastasia immediately."
"Understood — let's say that much."
At Julius's consideration, Wilhelm tucked the Dialog Mirror into his robes.
But it was a judgment tinged with unease. There was a real chance Wilhelm, if he lost his temper, wouldn't follow those instructions. And Garfiel, needless to say, was the type to fly off the handle at the slightest thing.
——But either way, preparations for battle were now complete.
"Let's take a little time. Once that's done, we move out — the operation to retake the control tower begins."
At Subaru's words, everyone returned their own nods.
But their tense, somber expressions didn't sit well with Subaru.
"Don't you guys feel like something bad's gonna happen if we keep looking so grim?"
"I could sense Natsuki-san was about to say something ridiculous again."
"Nothing ridiculous about it. This is important. Even the biggest army in the world turns into a ragtag mob if morale's low. I'm not saying our fighting spirit is down, but there's nothing wrong with putting on a brave face. So — let's make some noise."
Subaru clapped his hands together and stood up.
Then, raising his fist where everyone could see, he declared: "Let's do this, everyone! In this battle, we're gonna sweep every last one of those bastards out of the city! We beat the Witch Cult senseless, and we get our happy ending!"
"——"
At Subaru's rallying cry, everyone exchanged glances. Then, nodding — "OHHH!!"
— they let out a rousing cheer.
If they could produce words that powerful, they'd be fine.
This lineup, this fighting spirit — it wasn't something you could assemble every day.
——The battle for the city's recapture was about to begin in earnest.
"This battle — is ours to win!!"
Subaru's dramatic declaration served as the closing line for this round-table conference.
*** A strange sensation of breathlessness lingered as her consciousness slowly drifted back to reality.
As the drowsy haze receded and reality seeped in, the sensation of her limbs gradually returned. A sense of control spread through her whole body, and the first thing she felt was the softness enveloping her.
Warm — like being wrapped in the fur of some great beast. A feeling of deep comfort.
She had experienced this sensation once before. Long ago, when she was still so small that her mind couldn't quite keep up with her body — when sleeping alone used to scare her.
It had been a long time since she'd felt that fur against her skin.
"...Ah."
A gentle, nostalgic sensation, like tears welling up.
Tearing herself away from the desire to luxuriate in the warmth, her eyelids slowly opened. Long lashes trembled as her violet eyes took in the hazy world around her.
A high ceiling. An unfamiliar, decorated space. She realized she was lying in a bed, wrapped in a high-quality towel blanket made from fine fur.
And seated beside her, there was someone wiping their face with a damp cloth.
"Who are you...?"
"——"
Looking down at her from above was a beautiful woman with a stark white face.
Her complexion was so pale it bordered on sickly, and a doll-like beauty sat frozen in an expressionless mask. She must have been stunning when she smiled — but her gorgeous features remained rigid, like those of a Noh mask.
The woman in the black dress stood without a word, let her long golden hair sway, and strode out of the room.
Emilia almost called after her, but hesitated over not knowing her name, and the door closed before she could speak. She was left alone.
"Where... am I?"
She struggled to sit up.
A faint lassitude lingered, but there was no pain or discomfort. The fatigue was the same kind she felt when she overused her magic beyond what her body could support — when she hadn't yet gotten accustomed to it.
Following that thought, the events leading to her current state came flooding back.
"Right. I was fighting that weird person in the plaza..."
One by one, memories from just before she lost consciousness surfaced.
The stranger with bandages on his face — the person Subaru had called Wrath — had wielded terrifying combat power and directed a rage so chilling it made her skin crawl. She'd initially held her own, but that roaring, blazing inferno had overwhelmed her, blowing her away — "And then I blacked out. But I'm alive."
She had been at a disadvantage and in mortal peril, there was no denying that.
Someone must have saved her. Since Subaru and
She'd put on such a brave front in front of Subaru, delivered that rallying speech — and then she'd lost and had to be saved.
"No. I can't just mope around. I'm already late to the fight as it is — I don't have time to stop and reflect. I'll do my reflecting while I walk."
She pressed a palm to her pale cheek and quickly pulled herself together. Dwelling on things was a waste of time.
This bed, the towel blanket, the fact that someone had been tending to her — it meant this place belonged to someone friendly. Being carried to a location that wasn't an inn suggested she must have been in pretty bad shape.
"But there's no pain, and whoever treated me was skilled... Huh?"
As she tried to stand, Emilia noticed something about herself for the first time.
"I'm naked."
Her bare feet touched the floor, and she realized she didn't have a single stitch of clothing on. Tilting her head, she wrapped the towel blanket around herself and got out of bed.
She scanned the room, hoping to find something else to wear, but nothing turned up.
"Umm, what should I do? If I go out like this, it would be improper..."
Before leaving the forest, Pack had taught her. Between lessons once she was outside the forest, and later under Annerose's thorough tutelage — she had been schooled in the matter of modesty.
One should not bare one's skin in front of others. By that standard, her current state was completely unacceptable.
"But everyone might be in danger, and this is an emergency, so it can't be helped."
She had to find out as soon as possible how the fight against the Sin Archbishop had ended. Using that as her justification, Emilia stepped out of the room wrapped in nothing but the towel blanket.
In the hallway, she found herself in a building she didn't recognize. Unlike what she'd expected, the corridor outside had a surprisingly austere, cold feel to it.
"I thought it would be something like a mansion, but it's totally different. Or is it just this room that's strange?"
She turned back to look at the room she'd been in.
A large bed, a small wardrobe. But looking more carefully, there was an indelible sense of imbalance about the place — as if the bed and other furniture had simply been carried into an otherwise empty room and placed without care.
And that impression might not have been far from the truth.
From the corridor's atmosphere, this place was clearly not designed for habitation. It was a place of work. If she listened closely, she could hear faint sounds of water and some kind of activity.
Emilia tilted her head at this, and then — "Oh, you're awake! That's great, great. The most important thing is that you're safe."
A voice called out to her, and Emilia turned around.
At the far end of the corridor, a young man had appeared. Smiling at her with warmth, he was a white-haired youth.
He wore an approachable grin as he made his way toward her with a casual gait.
"But you really shouldn't be up and about right away. You've just been through so much — what if something's wrong with your body? I want you to take proper care of yourself. Your body doesn't belong to you alone anymore, you know."
"Um, who are you...?"
Emilia blinked, looking at the young man who'd approached her.
His forward manner of closing the distance in a single stride reminded her of Subaru. But the critical difference was that his attitude lacked even a trace of consideration for the other person's feelings.
That was Subaru's timid virtue — but this young man had none of it whatsoever, as if he felt no reproach for his own behavior whatsoever.
——At the same time, Emilia felt an indescribable sensation about the young man before her.
"Oh, right, sorry about that. I was watching you sleep, but this is your first time seeing me, isn't it? I haven't even introduced myself yet. Even considering our relationship, that's poor manners. This was my fault for rushing ahead. I'll apologize sincerely — I'm the kind of person who can do that."
"E-yes..."
The young man's torrent of smooth, rapid-fire words made Emilia's responses come slow and heavy.
Partly because his demeanor was overwhelming, but also because of something more significant — her consciousness was trying to tell her something.
——This young man... she felt like she'd seen him somewhere before.
"What a shame, having such a moment in such an uninspiring place. But someday, you'll look back on this and remember it as a special, singular moment. Think of it that way, and it's not so bad. The small daily joys are more than enough to light the path of life. Especially with you beside me — I'm sure that'll be even truer. I don't just want to see your flaws — I want to see those good parts of you and determine how you should live. Don't you think so, Emilia?"
"I don't recall telling you my name... and you are?"
"Oh, sorry. When I get excited, I tend to lose sight of my surroundings — that's a bad habit of mine. I hate my own affectionate nature for that sometimes. You just make me far too captivated. Right — my name."
After taking the most circuitous possible route, the young man finally arrived at the point.
Seared by the inexplicable sensation she felt toward him, Emilia couldn't take her eyes off his behavior. Her instincts told her she was not in a safe place.
And that the cause of that instinct was the young man in front of her.
"My name is
"...What?"
The meaning of the words the young man — Regulus — had spoken with such sincerity didn't register.
Emilia was bewildered, furrowing her elegant brows. But Regulus paid her unenthusiastic reaction no mind. He looked her over — barely concealed beneath a thin cloth — and said: "That outfit is an eyesore. I'll have clothes brought for you right away. Don't worry. You'll be dressed by my other wives — women in the same position as you. They're quite experienced with wedding attire."
"Wedding attire? What do you mean — no, it's more than that. Me being your wife — what are you —"
"Right! I forgot to mention something important! For me to slip up like that — I nearly missed something dangerous."
Emilia tried to interject in the rapid-fire exchange, but Regulus wasn't listening. He clapped his hands together and gently — but with terrifying strength at his fingertips — gripped Emilia's shoulder as she tried to draw closer.
His fingers dug in with abnormal force, and Emilia grimaced. Leaning in until their foreheads nearly touched, Regulus peered directly into her eyes.
"I forgot to ask a very, very important question. The marriage ceremony comes after this. Emilia — this is important, so please answer carefully. It's critical for our future."
"——"
Under the extraordinary pressure, Emilia held her breath and said nothing.
Regulus seemed to take her silence as consent. He smiled.
Smiled, and spoke.
"Emilia — are you a virgin? That's the one thing that truly matters."
He smiled, and said it.
Passing on Regulus's creepiness to everyone!