Chapter 74 - 74 Sherry's Love
At Margrave Remington's castle, the King and Prince of the Kingdom of Merda had arrived. Of course, to conduct peace negotiations.
Steve had brought them here using Teleportation magic, and on the Kingdom of Merda side, there was no one else. Many nobles were captives and detained, and the Chancellor and ministers were still in hiding, so only those two could negotiate.
The fact that the Chancellor and ministers escaped was only what the Kingdom of Cascade thought; in reality, each was found by citizens at their escape destination, and when they resisted being apprehended, they were accidentally killed due to the momentum. The residents who killed them remained silent about the killing out of fear of punishment. Thus, no bodies appeared, and it was misunderstood that they were still in hiding.
And an early end to the war was good news for Margrave Remington as well. The largest number of prisoners in Kingdom of Cascade history was Margrave Remington's headache. In the case of the Kingdom of Forest and the Kingdom of Pasture, it ended with the fall of the Royal Capital, but in this war, the King had escaped, and Steve had made all enemy soldiers of the Kingdom of Merda captives. The occupation army could take all the supplies of the occupied territory, so there was no need to transport them, but the food and water given to the captives increasing day by day in his territory were pressing Margrave Remington's finances.
No, not just finances; even if there was money, the situation was becoming difficult to gather.
The declaration of war against the Kingdom of Merda had already been reported to the King, and I also requested additional material support. Now food is sent daily by rail, but thinking about future payments, it was a headache.
At the scene where the King and Prince greeted Margrave Remington, not only Steve but also Christina and Sherry were present. Steve had proposed sending them to the territory, but Christina chose to stay saying she wanted to see the ending, and Sherry accompanied her and remained at Margrave Remington's castle.
The reason they were participating even in this greeting scene was that Margrave Remington considered Christina who said she wanted to see the ending.
When the King of the Kingdom of Merda was offering words of apology to Margrave Remington, Steve noticed Sherry's change. She seemed somewhat distracted.
However, he didn't know the reason for that.
The apology by the King ended, and the King and Prince were to leave the room. They were to spend time at Margrave Remington's castle until a meeting with the King of the Kingdom of Cascade was decided. They would be monitored twenty-four hours a day so they wouldn't escape, but unlike other nobles, they would not live in a detention camp, but would be treated as guests.
The stiff greeting also ended, and Steve proposed to everyone that they go back.
"Well, shall we go back?"
Then, Sherry objected.
"Wait. I think it's okay to stay here a bit longer."
"Why, Onee-sama?"
Steve asked the reason for Sherry's unexpected opinion.
Sherry answered Steve.
"I think the King and Prince of the Kingdom of Merda are anxious being alone. Shouldn't we be their conversation partners?"
"I think words from victor to loser are just sarcasm."
"That's because it's you, Steve. If it were me or Chris-chan who didn't participate in the war, wouldn't it be different?"
"It depends on how the other party receives it."
Steve thought Sherry wanted to stay, but he thought they should go back here. He felt a premonition that if they stayed here any longer, they would be hit by further accidents.
However, the women other than Steve felt something in Sherry's attitude.
"Steve-sama, I think I should stay too."
When Christina said that, Sherry's face brightened seeing an ally appear.
"Steve is worried about the factory, right? You can go back once. I'll stay and guard the two."
Vera also stated the opinion to stay.
"Master-sama, I will stay too, so please return without worry."
Even Nancy said that, and Steve gave up going back alone.
"If everyone says so, I'll stay too. But I think Nick is bursting, so I'll go back and check occasionally."
"Steve-sama, you should understand maiden's heart a bit more."
"Chris, what do you mean?"
"She says to improve that part."
Vera and Nancy nodded heavily in this exchange, but Sherry was restless as if her mind was elsewhere.
Immediately asking Margrave Remington for permission to meet the King and Prince, permission was given to do as they pleased within the castle.
If permission was given, no need to hesitate, Sherry set up a tea party with the King and Prince.
The King and Prince had nothing to do in particular, so they accepted the invitation.
Steve and Nancy did not participate in this tea party.
They hesitated because if the two who pushed the Kingdom of Merda to the brink of extinction participated, the atmosphere would become awkward. Vera served as guard, and there were also soldiers of surveillance role attached by Margrave Remington, so it was judged there would be no particular danger.
After sending the three to the tea party, Steve asked Nancy about Sherry.
"Sister's attitude is strange, Nancy, do you have any idea?"
"Master-sama, that is love."
"Love? Sister?"
Nancy saying love was unexpected, and Steve raised a foolish voice.
"So you didn't realize?"
Nancy sighed. Steve felt mocked and pouted.
"Did you notice, Nancy?"
"Yes. Sister's eyes were eyes of someone in love. Charm Magic would make it clear, but..."
"I didn't notice."
"If so, I'll teach you how to distinguish eyes in love, please make a work standard book. That's what Chris said, did you understand?"
"I finally understood now."
Here, Steve finally recognized that he was ignorant of such things.
And he also understood encountering a big accident.
"Falling for a prince of an enemy country. What happens to him after depends on Your Majesty the King, but it won't be a path of thorns, will it?"
"Once fallen in love, obstacles like that don't matter. Rather, the bigger the obstacle, the more the love burns."
"That level, huh."
Nancy's 'that level' meant the other country was collapsing, and Steve couldn't think it was that level.
Also, if it were the royal family of a defeated country, execution was possible. The future was too difficult.
"If Master-sama asks for the Prince's life, the King won't refuse easily."
"I don't think my opinion changes national will."
"No, the reason I can live like this now is because Master-sama advised sparing me. As King of the Kingdom of Cascade, he wanted to eliminate dangerous existence like me."
"Speaking of which, there was such a thing."
Nancy understood her situation. The fact that Steve didn't accept the King's order at that time allowed her to live like this now. If there was once, there might be a second time, that was Nancy's thought.
"But, that sister. Was magic used?"
"Didn't feel magic power, so that's unlikely. That's what love at first sight is like."
Both Steve and Nancy knew no magic was used at that place. Still, Steve couldn't believe Sherry fell in love.
He thought Sherry's personality was not doing love because it was troublesome.
After finishing the conversation with Nancy, Steve temporarily returned to Archibalt Territory to check the factory situation.
When he processed the accumulated cases there and returned, the tea party was over. However, Sherry's figure was not there.
Curious, he asked Christina.
"Chris, I can't see Sister's figure."
"Onee-sama is strolling the garden with Prince Abel."
"Love is going smoothly, huh."
"Noticed?"
"Nancy told me."
Christina smiled brightly and told the situation of the tea party.
There, the King of the Kingdom of Merda also noticed Sherry's diligent appearance, and cut the tea party early, suggesting to go for a stroll with the Prince.
As for the King, it became a form of entrusting a thread of hope to Sherry's attitude.
Learning from the conversation with Sherry that she is the sister of the Dragon Head Medal, if the sister has affection for the Prince, it might not go badly.
This time it was not about the nation, but a parental heart that if the only surviving son lives happily, that is enough.
The King had also given up various things until coming here.
Even if it didn't go well as the Prince said, he thought it was unavoidable from the current situation.
"So, what do you want for Sister, Chris?"
"I want her to be happy with the person she loves."
"Speaking of which, I didn't hear the Prince's attitude. How is it?"
Even if Sherry likes the other party, love requires the other party. If Prince Abel doesn't like Sherry, it won't start, and in some cases, there is a possibility of being used and discarded.
Having seen things like cabaret, idol, host club pseudo-love sales, there was such worry.
"From looks, that Prince wasn't bad either. When suggested a stroll, he blushed, but if that's acting, he would become a top star at the Royal Capital theater."
"So the partner's feelings seem okay. But there's status difference."
"One is a prince of a defeated country, one is the sister of the victor's main contributor. It's a combination hard to meet."
"Think it will go well?"
"I think surrounding noise will get loud."
Christina also thought the status of Sherry and Prince Abel would become a problem. Especially love of those with status tends to have loud surrounding noise.
"How will it turn out?"
"Living in Archibalt Territory without the Kingdom of Merda gone, without Prince status would be best."
"Indeed, if living in my territory, noise from outside disappears."
"Whether His Majesty permits that."
If Prince Abel lives, there is a possibility that someone will try to rebuild the Kingdom of Merda later and carry him as a palanquin. Nipping that future bud is something every ruler thinks. Winners killing the loser's family is that.
And Christina said 'whether His Majesty permits that' because she had certainty that Brian wouldn't oppose. If Brian was family-loving, if Sherry wanted to marry the person herself, he would recognize whoever it was.
"Nancy said if I ask His Majesty for Prince Abel's life, he'll listen."
"I think so too. Without Steve-sama, there was no victory this time. If so, for His Majesty, it becomes giving some reward, but the medal has already been awarded the highest level, and honor cannot be given. On the other hand, if it's territory, leaving the current land Steve-sama would refuse. Even to expand the current Archibalt Territory, if it becomes stronger, there is a possibility of becoming larger than the Royal Family, so I think there is a reason not to increase easily."
"Then saving the Prince's life becomes cheap?"
"Yes."
Christina's thought was also the same as Nancy's, and considering not offending Steve and not letting the House Archibalt grow too big, the King would jump at one Prince's life.
For Steve, even if told by Christina and Nancy, there was anxiety whether it would really happen.
When the King orders Prince Abel's execution, he worries what he should do.
Covering the whole execution ground with Illusion Magic, creating an illusion of Prince Abel's execution, saving him, and living with Sherry as another person was also thought as a final option.
Unaware of Steve's worries, Sherry and Prince Abel happily strolled the garden of Margrave Remington's castle.
Love is blind. Sherry could not see the surroundings.