Published at 25th of March 2019 11:31 pm

Chapter 48 – Secret Meeting

Translator: Isekai Shousetsu

“It’s been a while, Julia” (Almis)

“Yes, it’s been a while. Thank you for coming.” (Julia)

“You called me after all.” (Almis)

“At the lake, in the full moon” That was written in the letter Julia handed me in the banquet hall. I came here because of those words.

“I really thought that I wouldn’t be able to meet with Julia anymore. You called me something like Lord Almis before after all.” (Almis)

Julia laughs and counters.

“Didn’t you call me Princess Julia too?” (Julia)

…

“Can we talk for a little while?” (Julia)

“Hey…Do you remember the first time we met?” (Julia)

“Yes, I remember. You invited me with the butterfly to come out, right?” (Almis)

“Right right!” (Julia)

The two sit by the lake shore and enjoy themselves with reminiscence.

“There was also that time you saw me naked, huh?” (Julia)

“That feels like it just happened yesterday. If I recall, after that I met with King Rosyth, right?” (Almis)

“Whose was more beautiful, mine or Tetra’s?”

Julia smiles mischievously.

“Well…your breasts are bigger, you know.” (Almis)

Julia turns bright red and instinctively hides her chest.

“Jeez…” (Julia)

Julia tries to hide her elated smile by sounding angry.

“Hey…Almis…”

She fixes her gaze at me.

“I like you.”

“Yes, I know.”

There’s no way I wouldn’t have known.

“Do you like me?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

As I say so, Julia presses her lips to mine.

Her tongue enters my mouth.

I pushed mine in hers as I receive her.

The two intertwined many times over.

“Nnn!”

I find Julia’s weak spot so I concentrate my caress there.

I forcibly suck on Julia’s tongue and gulp her saliva.

We separate as our breathing turned rough, our saliva forming a bridge between us.

“You’ve gotten so good at this, huh.” (Julia)

Julia catches her breath and connects her lips with mine for a second time.

I put my hands on Julia’s shoulders and push her down.

And then…

“That was close.” (Almis)

Just a little more and I would’ve broken my promise with King Rosyth.

“Jeez, you’re really hopeless…it hasn’t even been a year since you got married. To be thinking of cheating already.” (Julia)

“The one who almost made me cheat was you, you know.” (Almis)

We haven’t done anything except kiss so it should still be safe. Probably…

“Almis”

Julia looks at me with a serious expression.

She then kneels and bows her head deeply.

“I ask of you, please. Won’t you marry me?” (Julia)

“I can’t answer that.” (Almis)

“Why? Do you dislike me?”

“No. I like you very much. I like you as much as Tetra…More than that, I love you.”

What the hell am I saying even though I have a wife?

“Then why? Is it because you feel bad about Tetra?” (Julia)

“That too. But the biggest reason is different.” (Almis)

As she hears my answer, Julia’s tears start falling. She cries out:

“What? If you marry me then you’d be able to love me as you like, you know? I won’t lose to Tetra, too!! If you marry me, then you’ll inherit the Kingdom too!” (Julia)

“That’s the problem!!” (Almis)

I unintentionally raise my voice.

“Supposing…I do marry you, how many people do you think would acknowledge my succession to the throne? Only the royal family and the nominally anti-DeBell faction centered around Bartolo. Even they won’t consider me as a beloved King. They only hate the DeBell clan, after all. Furthermore, do you think Regal DeBell would stay quiet and recognize me? There’s no way that would happen. A civil war would break out, you know.” (Almis)

I was just forced into the fight with King Ferrum by necessity. I took the risk to eliminate King Ferrum because our lives were inevitably threatened. However, this civil war could be avoided if I just not marry Julia. It will force Julia into bitterness but nevertheless no one would certainly die.

If that war were to break out, I won’t be an outsider. I would be at the center of it all. At that time, who would get hurt? Wouldn’t it be Ron and the guys?

I can’t let that sort of thing happen.

However…

“However, I will never hand you over to that Regal. That’s why…could you please wait a little more for my reply?” (Almis)

In reality, I should have immediately refused. As a leader, as a lord…

However, I can’t bring myself to do that…

Julia embraces me and says:

“I understand. I’ll wait for five more months. Give me your conclusion until then. Otherwise…”

…

“I’ll be made to marry Regal.”

“Hey, where have you been?” (Tetra)

“I met with Julia.” (Almis)

Tetra shows a slightly surprised expression as I answered.

“Isn’t that something you hide?” (Tetra)

“I don’t have the confidence to hide it from you. You’re very smart after all.” (Almis)

You’d immediately find out anyway if I told a poor lie. It’s better if I just told you straight.

“You were asked to marry her?” (Tetra)

“You knew, huh.” (Almis)

“Woman’s intuition.” (Tetra)

Even though Tetra’s ‘woman’s intuition’ had a low success rate, she hit the mark this time, huh.

“Did you accept?” (Tetra)

“I’m still thinking about it. I got a five-month extension.” (Almis)

Really, what the hell am I consulting with my wife.

“You don’t have to mind me.” (Tetra)

“There’s no way I won’t, okay? If I were to marry Julia, then you would be treated as a concubine, you know.” (Almis)

Would Tetra be fine with that?

“It doesn’t mean that I won’t have complaints. But it’s not like I’m concerned with social status. So long as you let me stay as your wife…” (Tetra)

Tetra states with blushed cheeks.

“Besides, Julia is so pitiful now. If I were in Julia’s position, then I’d want to die. …Although it’s not really a problem if it’s a complete stranger…” (Tetra)

Tetra pauses for a while.

“Julia is a friend. That’s why I’ll permit it. Well, if she apologizes to me sincerely first.” (Tetra)

Hmmm, I really don’t get women. (Note: Tetra uses yurusu which could mean to permit or to forgive.)

But is this something special for Tetra?

Isn’t that so.

“But that’s not the problem, right?” (Tetra)

“Right. It’s because there’s a possibility a war might break out…” (Almis)

There’s no way anyone could forgive Julia and me if the country splits into two causing unnecessary deaths just because of such a personal reason.

“For me, I think you should just do as you like. You’ve been working so hard for everyone after all. Isn’t it fine at this point?” (Tetra)

“Is that so…I’ll take that into consideration.”

It’s not good to leave my conclusion to others after all. I need to decide this on my own. It’s important after all.

“I see. He refused because of that reason, huh.” (Rosyth)

King Rosyth made a surprised expression as he heard Julia’s explanation.

“Did father thought that Almis would accept?” (Julia)

“No, I did expect him to decline. Just for a different reason. I thought he wouldn’t accept because he thought he still doesn’t have enough achievements.” (Rosyth)

Defeating King Ferrum was a great achievement.

However, it was offset by making him a great clansman.

By all rights, King Rosyth should have taken direct control of two-thirds of King Ferrum’s territory and for Almis to be sealed at the remaining third. That reward should by all rights be sufficient. Almis, from the very beginning, was not a citizen of the Rosyth Kingdom, after all. Furthermore, he’s just a little someone from a little village somewhere.

However, King Rosyth granted him all of King Ferrum’s former territory. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the reward was too much.

Because Almis was made a great clansman, not even one of his many achievements from before would stand. If he were to marry Julia in this situation, Almis will be seen as trying to cheat Julia. Well, it’s not necessarily wrong regarding these things.

It’s also doubtful if the Anti-DeBell faction would cooperate.

“Although I intended to forcibly make him take achievements by appointing him as supreme commander and making him attack a nearby country if war seems unlikely…” (Rosyth)

They should be able to capture a sufficiently great achievement with Almis’ subordinates’ martial prowess, gunpowder, and Bartolo’s assistance.

If it would seem he could not achieve a great achievement even with the tables set, then we would just end the matter with ‘he was just a person of that level.’

“Is that so…even if Almis was determined, without achievements, then it wouldn’t work, huh…” (Julia)

Julia drops her shoulders.

“Well…with just this much, we have no choice except pray. We can only leave it to fate.” (Rosyth)

“Fate, huh…Is see, that’s how it is…” (Julia)

In a certain town around the DeBell-Ars border, a small dispute has occurred.

“Hey! The wheat is not enough!! What’s the meaning of this!!” A man shouts as he brandishes a sword.

That man is Gilberto.

He’s Regal DeBell’s second cousin.

The village chief is prostrating himself before Gilberto and pleads.

“I apologize deeply. The wheat is all but gone. Could you please wait until next year? Without fail, we will include this year’s part in next year’s tax payment.” (chief)

Gilberto kicks the village chief’s face flying.

“Don’t mess with me!! You lot haven’t even paid this year’s cloth yet!!”

Gilberto shouts.

He ignores the still village chief and makes the soldiers investigate the storehouse’s interior.

“There’s really nothing…nn?” (Gilberto)

Gilberto directs his sight to the ground. The soil’s color is a little strange.

He orders the soldiers as he notices the chief’s face change color.

“Dig here.” (Gilberto)

The soldiers dig on the surface. The ground turns unusually soft so they were able to dig easily.

There are countless vessels inside. They open the lid and find the wheat packed inside.

“You had them after all!!” (Gilberto)

“Th…these are seed rice!! If you take them then next year…” (chief)

Gilbert kicks the chief’s face again.

“No problem. We’ll lend you (real) seed rice. You can return them next year. Alright men! Take these away!” (Gilberto)

The soldiers take the wheat from the vessels away one after another.

After this, Gilberto gathered the villagers together. He confirms their faces one by one.

It’s been a long time since Gilberto became in charge of this village. Even though he doesn’t know their names, he would immediately notice an unfamiliar face amongst the villagers.

Incidentally, he notices a woman he’s never seen before. She’s a woman with quite a fine face.

It’s not strange to forget mediocre faces but it’s a different story for a fine face like that.

“Hey, you. You’re not a citizen of this village, right? Where did you come from?” (Gilberto)

The woman turns pale.

“F…from the neighboring village.” (woman)

“Did you take a movement notice?” (Gilberto)

It’s forbidden to migrate freely in the DeBell Territory. By all means, you need to take a notice.

People who break this law are punished.

The woman couldn’t answer Gilberto’s question.

“I see. You didn’t take a notice, huh?” (Gilberto)

The woman shakes as she nods to Gilberto’s inquiry.

“The reason you moved to this town would be…marriage?” (Gilberto)

The woman prostrates herself to him and asks for pardon.

Gilberto grins widely.

“Well, fine. Pay both the Wedding tax and the Bridal Night tax.” (Gilberto)

The man beside the woman turns pale and prostrates himself before Gilberto.

“I…I beg your forgiveness. Please, I will pay without fail within the month so…”

“No. Pay immediately. Well, If you agree to my conditions then I’ll forgive the Marriage Tax and Movement Notice.” (Gilberto)

Gilberto states his terms while grinning. That is, Gilberto would take the woman’s virginity right here right now.

The right to the first night belongs to the lord, Regal. Still, taking away the woman’s virginity won’t change having to pay the marriage tax. Naturally, not taking a movement notice is also a crime.

However, right now, Gilbert would sleep with the woman and take way her virginity. If you can promise not to tell anyone about it then he will overlook the marriage tax and the violation.

The couple didn’t have a choice.

Author’s Note:

The marriage tax and the bridal night tax coexisting is a specification.

Nevertheless, this indecisiveness is frustrating, yes?

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