Chapter 44 Demands to the Princess and the Collar of Control
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”—Our guard was very rude. I apologize.”
Inside the salon, where the cool air gently brushed against my skin, Princess Elisabeth offered her apology with an air of refined superiority. Not a single trace of worry showed on her beautiful face as she looked straight into my eyes.
Deep within those amber eyes, a strong will seemed to mix with a slight tiredness. She truly was every bit the princess of an empire.
In an instant, I shook off my own distraction and sharpened my focus.
”Hime-sama! This man showed such rude footage all of a sudden! He is the one at fault!”
The very culprit who had slashed my arm, the female knight Freya, shouted back with sharp, stiff anger, her face twisting as it turned red with fury. Her copper hair swayed with her anger.
”Silence, Freya.”
The princess silenced her guard with a single, icy word. There was no emotion in her voice.
”If this were an official meeting, you would be right. Cutting off his head would be justified. But do not forget. This is a private meeting where we are the ones receiving information. If we complain about every piece of information, no one will provide us with anything at all.”
Exactly right. I smirked inwardly.
――What an exceptionally brilliant princess.
”Well, the content was certainly very inappropriate. But there is no doubt it is extremely important classified information. If you kill me here, the only thing left will be the glorious fact that the princess of the Adrastea Empire tricked and killed an informant.”
”That is easy! We will just announce that you tried to attack Hime-sama, so we struck you down in return!”
Freya barked back, sticking to her hard, fighting attitude and refusing to let the matter drop. Well, she wasn’t entirely wrong, but things were never that simple.
This female knight had plenty of military passion, but her head was far too thick.
”However, Freya. There are many who would not accept that explanation. Regardless of the truth, there are those who would rejoice at the very fact that an incident occurred between me and the heir to the Grimlock family.”
I nodded in satisfaction at Princess Elisabeth’s careful words. She truly understood the way politics worked.
”As expected of the famously wise Hime-sama. You make this easy. As for me, I would not mind either way. As long as a new spark is created for the war between our countries to continue.”
I had no intention of dying here for something like that. But for now, I played the part of a cold troublemaker on purpose.
At my words, the princess suddenly looked at me with a hint of worry, or maybe a touch of pity from her noble status. A small trace of human warmth showed through her otherwise perfect calm.
”…Are you saying you are fine with being used as a disposable pawn for your family? You… Before we continue, let us treat that wound first.”
”Your concern is appreciated. But this small wound is no problem. As I said, I am a disposable pawn. Now, let us move on.”
I let out a laugh making fun of myself, letting a sense of sadness hang in the air.
For a fraction of a second, a sorrowful shadow crossed the princess’s face, but she quickly returned to her noble calm. With those intelligent eyes, she questioned me, her sharp gaze trying to look into the deepest parts of my soul.
”If continued war is your only wish, you could simply release that footage publicly. …What is your, no, the Grimlock family’s1 true demand?”
Sharp. She had seen right through my actions, seeing I had my own reason not connected to my family.
As expected, she wasn’t just some protected high-society doll.
”To be honest, this negotiation with you is entirely my own decision. My father Gaius knows nothing about my moves here.”
First, I laid out that single truth in a neutral, even tone.
And then, I cut straight to the core.”—Let me get straight to the point. My desire is you. Elisabeth-hime, I demand your body.”
With that single sentence, the air in the salon froze, like it dropped below zero.
The princess’s eyes widened with pure, high-born shock. Her pale cheeks quickly turned a dark red, like fresh blood. Her lips trembled just a little.
And behind her, Freya reached for the sword at her waist, ready to kill me for real this time. The scraping sound of steel echoed through the room.
I paid the knight no mind and pressed on.
”My fiancé was almost violated by your fiancé. The video I showed you earlier is proof. Therefore, as compensation, I demand you. Don’t you think it’s a fair deal?”
It was completely outrageous logic. Even I thought so.
But negotiation wasn’t a place for validating logic. It was a place for asserting one’s will.
And here, I would make my will undeniably clear.
As a heavy, suffocating silence filled the room, Princess Elisabeth slowly parted her trembling lips.
”—I will. Your request, I accept.”
”Hime-sama!!”
Freya let out a sharp cry that sounded like a desperate battlefield scream, heavy with utter despair.
”However,”
The princess continued, her dignified voice cutting off Freya’s protest at once. She stared back at me, her eyes holding a sharp, focused light that came from a sudden, deep decision.
”I will give you my body once. With that, you will drop this matter completely. Is that agreeable~desuwa?”
”Of course, that is fine.”
The corners of my mouth tugged upward slightly.
”So you desired me… not because of your family’s orders, but because of your own will.”
The princess pressed the point, as if seeking confirmation of my true nature.
Perhaps she felt some pity for me from her noble position, thinking I was just acting as a piece that could be thrown away. She looked into me, trying to find my true thoughts.
”That is right. I want you.”
I shot back firmly. This was my honest, true desire.
”Very well. I accept those terms. With this, the matter of Prince Liam’s footage will be ended.”
At that, I deliberately dropped my gaze to my bleeding left arm. The red stain spreading across the cuff of my white shirt felt like proof of how cruel this negotiation had been.
”—Now, about this wound…”
I demanded that Freya wear a headband-type Magic artifact. The name of that Magic artifact was [Domination Collar].
It was one of my best works, the same model I had already put on Princess Elenor of this country. It was a tracker and a wiretap. It also had a feature that let me disturb the wearer’s Mana Control from outside at any time. As long as I sent my Mana into it, I could control her movements anytime, anywhere.
”What…! Don’t mess with me!”
Freya’s face twisted with deep shame, her military discipline breaking as she accepted her refusal, looking ready to jump at me any second. But the princess commanded her quietly, in a voice that allowed no argument.
An absolute, masterly authority resides within that voice.
”…Freya. Attach it.”
Freya could not defy the absolute command of her liege.
I could see her shoulders shake as if completely crushed by despair. With great reluctance, she accepted the dull silver headband I offered and placed it over her burning, copper hair.
The metal click sounded strangely in the quiet salon. With this, another important pawn was added to my collection.
My secret rendezvous with Princess Elisabeth was smoothly finalized for the day off three days from now.
She would be invited to my estate, and there, she would fulfill her end of our promise. A satisfied smile surfaced on my face.
Everything was spinning beautifully right in the palm of my hand.
This absolute sense of control was sweeter than anything else.
—
Summary:
Demanding compensation for his fiancée’s mistreatment, Grimlock leverages scandalous evidence against Prince Liam to corner Princess Elisabeth into yielding her body. Meanwhile, her intensely loyal guard Freya objects violently to the arrangement but is silenced by her mistress’s sovereign authority. Grimlock exploits the injury he received during the initial scuffle to force Freya to wear the mental-disruption device known as the [支配の首輪], sealing his control over both royal figures while leaving their impending secret tryst entirely unresolved.
—
Trivia:
Grimlock is acting entirely of his own volition without the knowledge or backing of his father Gaius.
The magic headband artifact [支配の首輪] has already been successfully deployed on another royalty member named Princess Elenor.
Freya’s intense protective outburst led directly to Grimlock’s injury, which he masterfully repurposed as leverage to bind her with his compliance device.
Princess Elisabeth identifies that internal political factions within both nations actively desire an incident to shatter diplomatic ties.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• de – A particle used in the aristocratic name of the Margrave Albion de Blanchefort.
• Elisabeth – A transfer student and princess of the Adrastea Empire, she possesses lustrous blue hair, striking amber eyes, and a refined, dignified beauty akin to a living painting. Known for her icy composure and formidable royal authority, she maintains elegance even under distress. As a high-stakes subject of imperial negotiations, she carries herself with a grace that reflects her absolute status.
• Freya – A guardian knight serving Princess Elisabeth who lunged with absolute intent to kill, wounding the protagonist’s left arm. A hot-headed female knight with burning, copper-colored hair who serves as the personal guard to Princess Elisabeth. A twenty-two-year-old female guardian knight from a destitute knightly house who serves Princess Elisabeth. She has short, cropped copper-red hair, amber eyes, a toned physique, and a few faint scars etched across her face.
• Adrastea – Princess Elisabeth bears the imperial family name of the Adrastea Empire, representing the majesty of the enemy nation she rules. As a royal figure, she embodies the power and identity of her lineage, standing at the center of the empire’s influence and its complex relationships with surrounding nations.
• Grimlock – Xenos, heir to the influential House of Margrave Grimlock, manages his family’s assets and military legacy from the Royal Capital alongside his father, Gaius. Behind this prestigious facade, the mana-less protagonist exploits his knowledge of the game’s script to manipulate others. Using tactical falsehoods, spatial magic, and the Collar of Submission, he maneuvers through dangerous social circles.
• Gaius – The physically imposing Margrave of House Grimlock is a stern, authoritative patriarch obsessed with mana. Cold toward those lacking magical talent, he harbors deep disappointment in his son, Xenos. As head of his house, he opposes elven alliances and leads a secretive rebellion against the royal family, maintaining an icy, demanding demeanor that prioritizes magical superiority above all else.
• Liam – The idealistic First Prince is a calm, detached leader dedicated to human and demi-human harmony. Engaged to Princess Elisabeth Adrastea, he maneuvers against the warmongering Grimlock family while maintaining the absolute loyalty of his aide, Elliot Valias. His political standing is threatened by a leaked magic recording that reveals his secret, passionate pursuit of Cecilia over his duty.
• Elenor – The Student Council President, a noble princess and revered “Saint of Light” with radiant golden hair and piercing blue eyes, is a sharp-minded master of adaptation. A skilled swordswoman and secret arena gladiator, she relies on past lessons with Xenos to prepare for threats like Grimlock’s tracking magic. Despite facing a brutal submission ordeal, she remains resilient, performing expertly to protect her secrets.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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