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Three days before the service opening day.

“Everyone’s here, right?”

“Yes.”

“Yep, yep!”

In the garden of the Ruelberta Mansion, a table was set with snacks and tea. The ladies who joined this leisurely afternoon tea time were Bella, who was soon to become the mistress of the mansion, along with Blanshe, Helga, and Wendy.

“Nope~ I’m not here yet.”

“Oh? Helga, were you there? I didn’t call you.”

“Eek.”

“Um… Princess… the reason you called us today…”

“Oops. I guess I haven’t explained yet.”

Bella, who had organized this gathering, cleared her throat and spoke to the women seated at the table.

“Ahem. The reason I arranged this gathering today is to strengthen the bond among us mistresses.”

“Strengthen the bond…?”

“Yes. Of course, it’s not like we’re awkward with each other, but I thought it would be nice to have gatherings like this from time to time. Since we’ll be living as mistresses of this mansion from now on, if there’s anything lacking or difficult, let’s talk about it during these gatherings.”

The four women seated at the table, aside from their connection through Tristan, came from different backgrounds and statuses. While they got along well enough now, as humans, they couldn’t avoid conflicts arising from their differences. Bella wanted to avoid such conflicts.

Blanshe nodded her head.

“That sounds like a good idea, Miss.”

“Blanshe… isn’t it about time you stopped calling me ‘Miss’?”

Blanshe had been Bella’s bodyguard knight for a long time. But now that both of them were to marry Tristan, their hierarchical relationship was expected to change to an equal one.

Of course, considering Bella’s status and background, they could have maintained the hierarchical relationship. But Bella didn’t want that. Blanshe was her irreplaceable friend before being her bodyguard knight.

Bella longed for a close, unpretentious friendship. Sometimes, while walking down the street, she would see commoner women linking arms, laughing, and chatting. Their simple, unassuming demeanor was something she envied deeply.

She knew, of course, that as the daughter of a duke, she had to maintain grace and dignity, which set her apart from them. But she wanted to live like them, even if only when she was alone with her closest friend, Blanshe.

However, Blanshe couldn’t easily let go of her formal demeanor. The time they had spent in a master-servant relationship was too long.

Blanshe scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“It’s still a bit awkward…”

“I understand. But we can’t stay in a master-servant relationship forever.”

“I don’t mind staying like this…”

“But I do.”

Bella was determined to change her relationship with Blanshe this time. Unable to withstand Bella’s silent pressure, Blanshe cautiously opened her mouth.

“Then, instead of ‘Miss’…”

“Auntie?”

“Who are you calling auntie…! Sigh… Helga. It’s you again, isn’t it?”

Helga was sitting with her legs crossed, giggling mischievously. She was truly unparalleled in getting under people’s skin.

“Why are you overreacting? It’s not like I said anything wrong.”

“Sigh… There’s the elegant term ‘Madam,’ so why ‘Auntie’?”

“I don’t like pretending to be elegant.”

“…I’ve told you repeatedly, Helga, you need to be aware of your role as the mistress of the Ruelberta family. Every action of yours could tarnish the reputation of Tristan and us…”

“Auntie, you’re so naggy.”

“I’m not old enough to be called auntie!”

“Ooh, is the auntie having a hissy fit?”

“P-please, don’t fight…”

Wendy, caught in the middle, nervously tried to mediate, and the minor squabble came to an end.

As they sipped their warm tea and chatted about various things, Bella brought up a recent concern.

“But don’t you think Tristan has been acting strange lately?”

“Huh?”

“He’s been running around so busy lately, saying he has a lot of work. He barely sleeps.”

“Wasn’t the Count always busy?”

“Not to this extent. It’s like he can’t afford to waste even a second.”

Even after the northern expedition had concluded, Tristan had been busier than ever, with no time to rest.

Tristan had brushed it off as having a lot of work, but Bella had her ways of finding out. Through the social scene she had joined to counter his bad reputation, she heard from the nobles about what he was up to.

Tristan was pressuring the empire’s nobles under the pretext of protecting the country’s territory from monstrous beasts. He wanted them to increase the size of their private armies and strengthen their military power.

Not only that, but he had also advised the Emperor to deploy the Imperial Army to key locations. Of course, his private army, Aslan, was also on standby, ready for battle.

Until now, nobles couldn’t easily maintain strong private armies because of the watchful eyes of Tristan and the Emperor. The two powers, in their sharp opposition, would immediately pressure any nobles who tried to increase their private armies, as it would disrupt the balance of power. The only family that could operate a strong private army without threatening the Imperial Family’s authority was the Ruelberta family.

But now, Tristan had suddenly flipped the script, urging nobles to strengthen their private armies. Even the Emperor had moved the Imperial Army, effectively siding with Tristan. As a result, the nobles, who had been cautious, were quietly training and expanding their private armies.

Bella shared the information she had gathered from the social scene.

“Don’t you think it’s strange? The expedition is over, so there’s no need to strengthen the Imperial Army or private armies now.”

“Well… the Count must have his reasons.”

“Come on… Do you just not care about anything Tristan does?”

“Of course not. The Count has never made a mistake.”

Helga spoke as if there was no problem. At this point, it felt less like serving a lord or husband and more like worshipping a god.

Of course, Bella couldn’t empathize with Helga’s blind faith, but she couldn’t deny that Tristan had never made a mistake.

Tristan appeared cold and cynical on the surface, but he had a caring and warm side. It had taken Bella a long time to realize this… but Tristan had even fallen into hell for her. Despite his antagonistic relationship with the Emperor, he had ultimately become the empire’s greatest hero, protecting it from monstrous beasts.

Yes, Tristan often did the right thing behind the scenes. That’s why Bella didn’t think he was plotting something sinister or doing something wrong now. If he were, she wouldn’t have fallen for him in the first place.

“Of course, Tristan wouldn’t do anything wrong. But aren’t you curious about why he’s doing this?”

“Of course, I’m curious too. But the Count said we need to prepare for the threat of monstrous beasts, so that must be it, right?”

“That’s ridiculous. The war just ended.”

“Monstrous beasts aren’t only in the north. I know from my time with Aslan that they’re scattered across neighboring countries, waiting to invade human territories. The Count must be aware of that and preparing in advance.”

“That may be, but… lately, Tristan has been acting like a war could break out any moment.”

Bella pursed her lips and spoke to the eyes turned toward her.

“This is just my speculation, but… do you think he might have sensed that the Demon Lord we allied with is about to betray us?”

“Hahaha. Princess, really? How could that be? The Demon Lord is our ally!”

“Huh?”

In a flash, Blanshe covered Helga’s mouth.

“Blanshe? What are you doing?”

“Sorry. Helga had something on her mouth, so I was wiping it off.”

“Ugh! Ugh!”

“Right? Helga?”

“…Ugh?!”

Blanshe glared sharply, and Helga, realizing her mistake, widened her eyes. After exchanging glances, Blanshe finally released Helga’s mouth.

“Hahaha… I didn’t mean to…”

“…How careless of you to get something on your mouth? Be more careful next time.”

“What were you about to say?”

“Ah… I was going to say that the Demon Lord is no match for our Count. Right, Blanshe?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Hmm…?”

Bella tilted her head. It was understandable. She was the only one here who didn’t know that Tristan was the Demon Lord.

“Wendy… you look pale. What’s wrong?”

“Hic?! N-no! I-I don’t know anything!”

Wendy desperately shook her head. Bella’s eyes narrowed.

“What is it? Are you all hiding something from me?”

“Huh? I don’t know? Helga’s just a kid, so I don’t know much~”

“Well… I-I don’t know either…”

“It sure looks like you’re hiding something…”

“It’s just your imagination.”

Their attitude made it clear they were hiding something but wouldn’t say a word. Even Blanshe was firmly denying it, so pressing further would be pointless.

Bella sighed.

“…Fine. Let’s move on. I need to find out what Tristan is up to.”

Although she had recently boosted Tristan’s spirits, it didn’t solve the fundamental problem.

“I wish I could support Tristan on my own, but unfortunately, I can’t. To lighten the burden on his shoulders, I need to know what he’s carrying. That’s why we need to work together.”

“Work together…?”

“Yes. Let’s see for ourselves. Helga.”

“Yes?”

“You’ve been keeping an eye on Tristan, right?”

“Keeping an eye? I’m not a stalker. I just watch over him with love 24/7. Can you correct that for me?”

“…I see you’re a loving stalker, alright. So, I have a favor to ask.”

Bella crossed her legs with dignity. The demeanor of the mansion’s mistress was evident.

“If Tristan shows any signs of sneaking off somewhere without us, let me know immediately.”

*

“…Did you tell them?”

“Hahaha… Sorry, Count.”

Helga, who had confessed everything, gave an awkward smile.

“Of course, I’m on your side, but I thought this matter would be too much for you to handle alone.”

“She’s right, Tristan. You looked quite exhausted.”

Bella was dressed in a silver armor over her dress, ready to ride into battle at any moment… or rather, she had come prepared for it.

“If it were something you could handle alone, you wouldn’t be so worn out.”

To prepare for today’s events, I had pushed my body and mind to the limit. Perhaps it was because of the 526 failures I had experienced. I was just anxious and impatient. The more I pushed, the more exhausted I became. Bella… no, they had vaguely sensed my state of mind.

“May we be of help to you, Count?”

“Blanshe…”

“Don’t worry. The extermination squad maids have taken over the tasks you entrusted to me.”

“…Did you dump your work on others?”

“N-no. They offered to help after hearing the situation.”

Indeed. It seemed I wasn’t the only one they were worried about.

“…Alright. But did you really need to bring Wendy along?”

“N-no! I came because I wanted to…!”

Wendy, who had somehow managed to ride a horse on her own, was dressed in her usual maid outfit, unlike Bella and Blanshe. However, she had a long sword at her waist. Upon closer inspection, it was the sword Kyle had obtained in the north.

“I can help you too, Count!”

“Huh…”

She seemed ready to wield the Hero’s Power. Though timid, she often showed surprising resolve in times like these.

Seeing them come all this way for me made my heart swell. Of course, I didn’t show it.

“Now, will you tell us, Tristan?”

“…? Tell you what?”

“Don’t play dumb. What have you been scheming all this time?”

Ah, come to think of it, there were many things I hadn’t told them yet.

Bella, who had dismounted, approached me.

“Don’t tell me the Demon Lord is invading again? How dare they come to paradise?”

Among those secrets, there was one I had kept from Bella alone.

I had to make up my mind. Even if I couldn’t tell others, I had to tell her.

“Bella.”

“I sensed that now was the moment to reveal the truth.”

“You once said you trusted me.”

“Huh?”

“You said you could love me even if I kept secrets from you. Right?”

“W-wait! Speak softly!”

Bella, flustered, pushed me into a corner.

“What is it? Why are you bringing up what I said before… Did you do something wrong?”

“You are like a ray of light shining in the darkness. You always shone, even from afar.”

“……”

My serious expression made Bella speechless, as if she sensed something. I gently touched her cheek, feeling her warmth for a brief moment, lost in the lingering sensation.

Then I stepped back.

“Bella.”

“…What is it?”

“I am the Demon Lord.”

“Even so… can you still love me?”

Bella’s eyes widened.

 

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