Chapter 113 Each Their Own Love
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”T-that’s not it, Your Highness! I absolutely–I would never! Please, don’t take any of Grimlock’s groundless nonsense seriously!”
Elliot’s face turned bright red as he desperately denied it.
But even Prince Liam seemed to understand–that denial was nothing more than embarrassment. He didn’t push me further about having dragged Elliot out. Instead, he announced that he’d be joining the dinner himself.
”Ha ha ha. No need to be so shy, Elliot. I never imagined you’d been so single-mindedly devoted to my sister…”
With him joining, the dinner meant to comfort our “heartbroken strategist” grew even livelier.
Soon, the singer Leela began her solo show on the stage below. Her voice–clear, and yet so softly heard to the listener’s soul–captivated us so completely that we forgot the time.
When the song ended, loud applause came from the audience downstairs.
As the echoes lingered, Prince Liam spoke to me softly.
”…By the way, Xenos-kun. Has that dancer’s show already finished?”
”That dancer?” I asked.
”Don’t act dumb,” he replied, his voice carrying a hint of laughter. “The red-haired, pretty girl who was with you when we spoke at this theater before. The one I personally gave that ‘tip’ to–following the rules you taught me.”
…Ah. He meant Cecilia–my marriage partner, who had been using the [Ring of Transformation] to change her appearance.
”You mean that lovely dancer you were ‘forcibly pulling at her dress and trying to take it off,’ Your Highness?” I said, unable to resist.
”Wha–! Hold on!” he shouted, his calm breaking. “Don’t make it sound worse than it is! You told me that was proper way to tip at this theater, didn’t you?! Don’t tell me that was a lie!?”
Prince Liam’s handsome face turned bright red as he protested. Honestly, he was so funny to tease.
”Don’t be angry, Your Highness,” I said smoothly. “It was just a bit of playful chat.”
”That’s not funny at all–you really have a gift for stupid jokes,” he complained. “…So, where is that dancer girl today? Is her show already over?”
I’d tried to change the subject, but the prince pressed on stubbornly.
”She happens to be my favorite, you see,” I explained. “So I try to keep her by my side as much as possible. I’ve taken her out of the theater and made her a maid at my home. –You won’t find her here.”
”My, what possessiveness,” he remarked, shaking his head. “How narrow-minded. –This is exactly why insecure men are such trouble. Honestly… don’t you think she’s far ‘too good’ for a man like you? I believe she deserves someone better suited to her–someone like me. I should be the one to take her.”
Oh? He seemed quite taken with her.
”Take her, you say?” I asked. “How exactly–surely you don’t mean to seize her by force using royal power? If you did that, she wouldn’t be happy. She’d only be sad.”
”Ha ha!” he laughed confidently. “I have no intention of taking her by force. Of course, I’d pay fair payment. Besides, once she spends time with me, she’ll quickly see my charm and fall for me.”
–Where on earth did that baseless confidence come from?
As Prince Liam and I traded angry words over a woman, beside us, Elliot and the elf Kyle were shouting insults at each other with great passion.
”If you don’t take her fast, she’ll be grabbed away by another man,” Kyle said. “It’s your fault for not taking action. You were just afraid of telling and getting rejected. You couldn’t stand the thought of getting your heart hurt. Stop playing the victim and crying–you pathetic coward.”
”How could I possibly force myself on someone I respect?!” Elliot shot back, his voice shaking with anger. “Could you do that?! Then you try taking the one you love by force. You couldn’t, could you–if you actually care about her feelings? Don’t ask others to do what you yourself can’t.”
Despite both speaking at the same time, they somehow managed to hear every word the other said. They were men born to argue. Their ability to keep up with each other was, frankly, wasted talent.
A deadlock.
Perhaps seeing their useless, ugly arguing was too much for him. Or maybe he just wasn’t thinking at all–
”BAHAHAHA!” Aldrick shouted. “Hey, you two! Stop your fighting! Let’s eat together!”
Aldrick wrapped his large arms around both of them and squeezed them together with a huge squeeze. Apparently, that was his clumsy way of settling things.
”O-oi! Aldrick!” Elliot yelled. “That hurts–ow, ow, ow, ow, OWWW!”
”Let get off, you shitty human!” Kyle snarled. “Guh–my bones are–crack–ow, OWWWW!”
–Seems their ugly fight was settled by physical means.
I’d come to the theater’s main entrance to see them off. Prince Liam took responsibility for taking Elliot and Aldrick back in his carriage.
”Well then, Xenos-kun,” he said, offering a kind nod. “Thank you for everything tonight.”
”Not at all,” I replied. “The feeling’s mutual, Prince Liam.”
–It wasn’t, really. But I said it anyway, just for politeness.
As I saw them off, Lyphia–the elf princess who worked security at the theater–came looking worriedly at our group.
”Xenos-sama,” she said softly, her voice carrying true care. “I hope Kyle didn’t cause you any trouble? I was worried…”
Elliot saw her–bright and beautiful as moonlight–and froze solid on the spot.
”W-why…” he stammered, his eyes wide. “She’s perfect… Like a goddess…”
It seemed he’d fallen in love again. Kyle noticed it right away and shot Elliot a deadly glare.
”…I’ll kill you, you four-eyed crap…” he muttered under his breath.
But Elliot ignored the hateful provocation completely and turned to me.
”G-Grimlock!” he demanded. “Who is that noble lady, glowing with such holy light?! Don’t tell me she works at this bad theater!? Someone like you–human trash–employing a holy being like her is against the gods themselves! Unforgivable! Release her at once! Name your price–I’ll pay anything!”
Honestly, this guy’s leaps in logic were tiring. First Elenor, now Lyphia–did he have a thing for princesses?
”I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said flatly. “But Lyphia here is my precious lover. And she’s happiest by my side. So stay out of it.”
I said it flatly, slipping my arm around Lyphia’s thin waist and pulling her close. Lyphia didn’t grasp the situation at all, but she blushed and smiled happily at being held.
”YOU BASTAAAAARD!!” Kyle roared.
”YOU BASTAAAAARD, GRIMLOCK!!” Elliot shouted.
Kyle and Elliot’s voices–perfectly matched in hate–yelled at me together.
–Were these two secretly getting along?
Well, in any case. The deeply sad Elliot was now completely back to his usual self. That was what mattered.
After seeing off the princes’ carriage as it vanished into the dark of night, I teleported back to the home.
What a loud group.
But still–every once in a while, a night like this wasn’t so bad.
—
Summary:
A dinner party meant to comfort the heartbroken Elliot changes into a lively party when Prince Liam joins, leading to teasing about his interest in the red-haired dancer. Talking wars erupt between Elliot and Kyle while Aldrick physically stops their arguing. The evening ends with Elliot instantly falling for Lyphia, leading to both Kyle and Elliot united in their hate toward Xenos.
—
Trivia:
Elliot’s denial about Elenor was clear to everyone present, especially Prince Liam who understood it was embarrassment
The theater’s tipping rules involve a specific ritual that Prince Liam misunderstood, causing an awkward moment
Cecilia is currently disguised as a red-haired dancer using the Ring of Transformation and works as Xenos’s maid
Prince Liam has developed real interest in the dancer girl and believes his royal charm would win her over
Elliot and Kyle’s ability to argue at the same time while understanding each other perfectly suggests they have a strange mutual respect
Lyphia, the elven princess, works as a security guard at the theater despite her royal status
Elliot falls in love with Lyphia right away when he sees her and offers to pay any price to “free” her from Xenos
The matching “YOU BASTAAAAARD” shouted by Elliot and Kyle suggests they might secretly get along despite their constant fighting
Xenos uses teleportation magic to return to his home after seeing the carriage off
The chapter shows love and romance through each character’s different reactions and interests
Notes:
• Grimlock – Xenos’s family name.
• Elliot – Elliot Valias, a tall, slender, blue-haired noble and intellectual aide to Prince Liam, masks his deep, unrequited love for Elenor with crude, condescending arrogance. A pseudo-intellectual prone to quick accusations, he harbors murderous, freezing hostility toward Xenos Grimlock, driven by intense jealousy over Xenos’s intimacy with Elenor.
• Liam – Liam Asgard, the golden-haired, emerald-eyed First Prince of Asgard, is Liliana’s older brother and the liege of Elliot and Aldrick. Betrothed to Elisabeth, he is an arrogant yet fundamentally kind man who speaks with elegant grace. Though he underestimates his rival Xenos’s Zero Mana status, he shows consideration toward him, even as his obsessive pursuit of Cecilia threatens his political standing.
• Leela – Job: Disguised identity; Relationship: Alias for Layla; Note: Working at the theater under a false name.
• Xenos – Job: Heir to a high-ranking noble house; Relationship: Owner of Lilia; Has romantic connections with Elenor, Cecilia, and Lizel; Item/Magic: Summoning magic, [Substitution Collars]; Note: Was caught up in a Royal Palace explosion and missed three days of school. Pragmatic and calculating personality. Job: Noble of Grimlock family, protagonist; Relationship: Manipulator of Princess Liliana, pursuing Serena; Item/Magic: [Ring of Transformation]; Note: Reincarnated villain with game knowledge, calculating and arrogant. Job: Theater Owner and noble of Grimlock family; Relationship: Fiancé to Cecilia; Item/Magic: Game knowledge/metaknowledge; Note: Reincarnated villain protagonist who knows the original game script.
• Cecilia – The eldest daughter of the Vermillion Duchy and a former saint, she is Xenos’s fiancée and one of his romantic interests. Known for her flame-red hair, blue eyes, and pet, Lumiá, she possesses a cold yet playful nature. Though she rejected Prince Liam, she adores Kuuko and teases Lizel. Lilia shows no jealousy toward her. She occasionally uses a ring to adopt a revealing dancer’s disguise.
• Kyle – Job: Elf operative; Relationship: Pawn of Xenos; Note: Patrols theater perimeter, given permission to attack suspicious individuals. Job: Elf; Note: Bystander turned participant in argument with Elliot. Job: Elf; Note: Present at the scene watching the proceedings out of curiosity.
• Aldrick – Job: Aide to Prince Liam; Relationship: Subordinate to Liam; Appearance: Green-haired giant; Note: Battle-obsessed and simple-minded. Job: Holy Knight; Note: Muscle-headed battle maniac.
• Lyphia – Elf princess working as a theater guard. Soft-spoken and polite. Radiates ethereal beauty and grace. Worries about Kyle causing trouble. Speaks with deferential, gentle politeness. Shows innocent happiness when held by Xenos.
• Elenor – Princess Elenor, the haughty, analytical “Saint of Light” and sister to Liliana, is a silver-blonde swordswoman and healer with gray-blue eyes. Though a noble princess and Grimlock’s fiancée, she is the protagonist’s submissive, magic-sealed slave. A tsundere torn between royal dignity and affection for Xenos, she balances sharp retorts with intense devotion, often appearing in revealing cosplay.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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