It Seems the Demon King Has Returned to a World Where Gender Roles Are Reversed - Chapter 30

 Chapter 30 : Arranged Marriage

On a certain day in early autumn,  

The royal castle of the Shreid Kingdom is filled with an unusual bustle.  

Shouts pour out. The sound of yelling echoes through the corridors.  

Such a scene would normally be unimaginable.  

However, upon closer inspection, anyone would nod in understanding.  

The reason the castle is in such chaos:  

Today is the day when Christine, the First Princess of Shreid, returns from a meeting of the Union Kingdom held in the Papal State.  

Her return is a full week earlier than the original schedule.  

As a result, the preparations for the pre-ceremony events and the triumphal banquet have gone completely awry.  

But they cannot simply stand by idly. The royal vassals and servants are doing their utmost to align the events with Christine’s arrival. However, amidst their efforts, a loud, booming sound reverberates through the air.  

“...!”  

A vassal running through the corridor with documents in hand hears the sound, turns pale, and looks out the window.  

In their field of vision: the blue sky, the buildings of the Shreid capital stretching to the horizon,  

And floating above this backdrop, like a giant whale, is an airship.  

It is none other than the royal airship of the Shreid Kingdom.  

______

“The First Princess of Shreid! Her Highness Christine enters!”  

The herald’s resounding voice echoes.  

At the same time, fanfares sound, and the royal orchestra begins its performance.  

*Clack,*  

Amidst this fervent welcome, a tall, slender woman emerges from the passage at the entrance of the airship’s cabin.  

Her curly blonde hair, voluminous like a lion’s mane,  

And her cold, gleaming green eyes.  

Despite her refined features, her slightly furrowed brow and firmly set lips stand out.  

At this sight, the vassals standing around instinctively swallow hard.  

Her name is Christine Arietta Shreid.  

The First Princess of the Shreid royal family and, at the same time, the queen in place of the current queen, Minerva, who is bedridden.  

Stepping out from the airship’s entrance, Christine casts a sweeping glance around her.  

Those who meet her gaze stiffen, their faces hardening uniformly.  

It’s no wonder her expression is far from pleasant at a glance.  

This is a troublesome situation.  

She is no ordinary princess.  

As the first in line for the throne and the one currently wielding the kingdom’s authority in place of the ailing Queen Minerva,  

If she were to express dissatisfaction with the event, many heads would roll.  

She is the one who ruthlessly crushed her younger sister’s faction when they challenged her authority in the past.  

Fearing that her wrath might turn on them, those gathered around anxiously watch her expression.  

And then, slowly, her lips begin to part.  

Anticipating harsh words, the vassals brace themselves, closing their eyes tightly. At that moment—  

“Have you returned safely, Your Highness Christine?”  

“...Annerose!”  

A gentle girl’s voice rings out amidst the ceremonial music.  

Followed by Christine’s exclamation, almost like a cheer.  

The vassals blink, taking in the scene unfolding before them. They see a petite girl approaching Christine and breathe a sigh of relief.  

“What’s this, Annerose? You came to meet me yourself?”  

“Hehe... I heard you worked hard at the union meeting. Don’t just stand there please, come inside the palace and rest.”  

“Hmm, you’re right. That sounds good.”  

Nodding at Annerose’s words, Christine quickens her pace.  

And by her side, Annerose continues to nod, speaking softly to her. Seeing this, the vassals exchange bittersweet smiles and sigh in relief.  

Annerose’s presence, by all accounts, should not have been permitted in the royal court.  

A priestess from a fallen religious order.  

Yet, having caught the princess’s eye and become her lover, she rose to the significant position of Minister of State Affairs a thorn in the side of the vassals.  

But on the other hand, she is the only one capable of taming Christine’s fiery temperament.  

According to reports, didn’t Christine, unable to tolerate provocations from other kingdoms at the union meeting, disrupt the proceedings and return early?  

Yet now, she is conversing with the girl beside her as gently as a lamb.  

Watching this stark contrast, the vassals let out another sigh, tinged with a hint of self-mockery.  

_________

Inside the royal castle,  

In a secretive place inaccessible to outsiders, there exists a lounge created solely for Christine, the imperial princess.  

In that lounge, Annerose prepares tea for Christine, pouring it into a cup. Placing the cup before her, she speaks.  

“I heard you had quite a time at the meeting, Lady Christine.”  

“Hmph, don’t even mention it. They all looked down on us... especially that old hag from Nort. She was the worst. Demanding we increase timber allocations to boost their iron ore production does she expect everyone else to freeze to death?!”  

Trembling with anger, Christine stomps her boot on the floor with a *thud*. Annerose gives a wry smile at the crack forming in the white marble floor.  

“And during the meeting, absurd things kept happening... Kalfrain and Udisella’s people got into a fight, nearly sparking a crisis. Then Byfram’s delegate was caught lobbying to get their people into the White Knights. And there were strange magical disturbances in the Dark Forest...”  

“Magical disturbances...?”  

“Yes, that was the highlight. A mage from the Magic Tower reported sudden magical activity in the Dark Forest. Then Byfram’s delegate started shouting that it was a sign of the ancient Demon King’s revival, demanding we march into the Dark Forest immediately.”  

Christine snorts as she speaks.  

“...And what happened?”  

“What happened? Nothing. Just in case, they sent a search party a few days later to the ruins of the Demon King’s castle in the Dark Forest, but they found nothing.  

They even brought a detection mage to investigate residual magic, but all they found were traces of beasts roaming nearby no sign of the powerful magic associated with a Demon King.”  

“...I see.”  

“Hmm, now that I think about it, you were a saintess of the order, weren’t you, Annerose? Is it bothering you?”  

“Yes, a little... but if it was nothing, that’s a relief.”  

“Well, yes. The magical surge was only reported by one mage, so it's likely they were bribed by Byfram’s people. What a mess... all this chaos just to cover up their own mistake”  

Grumbling, Christine brings the teacup Annerose prepared to her lips.  

Sipping the slightly cooled tea, she scoops some jam from a plate with a spoon and brings it to her mouth.  

“...So? How are things domestically?”  

“Hmm... I’d say things are as they always are.”  

“...As expected, huh? And Mother’s condition?”  

“Her Majesty Queen Minerva still hasn’t regained her strength. We’re providing regular divine healing, but...”  

“I see... That’s troublesome. It would’ve been better if she’d just settled on a successor before this...”  

Sprawled on the sofa, chewing on the jam-covered spoon, Christine mutters with a discontented expression.  

Annerose gives a wry smile and falls silent.  

The order of succession and the official designation of an heir are two different matters.  

The order of succession is merely a nominal ranking based on bloodline and primogeniture.  

Ultimately, the designation of an heir is determined by the current ruler’s choice, not the order.  

Thus, it’s not uncommon for a lower-ranked sibling to push aside a higher-ranked one to claim the throne.  

And there’s no law saying such a thing can’t happen in the royal family.  

“How’s Yieta doing?”  

“...The Third Princess is still holed up in her sanctuary. However...”  

“However?”  

“...I heard she’s brought a few more boys into her castle recently.”  

At Annerose’s reply, Christine frowns.  

“That wench... planning to add more lovers, is she?”  

“Probably to show off her vigor to those around her. The royal family always struggles with low numbers, after all.”  

The greatest difference between a matriarchal and patriarchal society lies in their reproductive capacity, to put it bluntly.  

In a patriarchal society, a patriarch could, if he wished, produce a child every day.  

By cycling through numerous lovers and impregnating them, the resulting children would carry the bloodline.  

But in a matriarchal society, the focus is on who is born from whose womb.  

Thus, producing legitimate heirs is limited to about one pregnancy per year, even for a woman in her prime, resulting in roughly ten children at most.  

Since multiple births are rare, the issue of heirs for royal and high noble families is a well-known societal problem.  

Thus, the actions of Yieta, the Third Princess of Shreid, carry a unique significance.  

Five hundred years ago, in a male-dominated era, Yieta’s behavior would have been frowned upon as the debauchery of an unchaste woman.  

But in this era, her actions are seen as an expression of her robust libido and ability to produce heirs.  

“...That wench, after her rebellion failed, is now scheming to gain the support of the vassals...”  

“Most likely. Right now, Yieta is essentially isolated, her influence severed. Unable to confront you directly, she’s likely shifted her strategy to highlighting her differences from you to garner support.”  

And that strategy is, in a way, highly effective against Christine.  

Unlike Yieta, who openly displays her desires, Christine has never taken a man. Instead, she has taken Annerose as her lover, openly declaring her preference for women.  

This is problematic for a candidate for the throne.  

No matter how you look at it, a they must produce an heir. Otherwise, issues of legitimacy arise.  

“...That wench... I should’ve killed her back then...”  

“You know that’s impossible, don’t you? It’s forbidden for royals to kill each other.”  

“I know. I was just venting.”  

Sighing, Christine waves off Annerose’s troubled response and rubs her forehead.  

“This is getting complicated. But no matter how I think about it, this isn’t something that idiot Yieta could come up with on her own... So it must be...”  

“Yes, most likely. It’s almost certainly Baron Gairelf behind it.”  

At Annerose’s reply, Christine grimaces.  

Baron Gairelf.  

Known as the “Viper.”  

A man who, amidst a series of murders of the heirs of the once-great Gairelf barony, emerged as the sole surviving claimant to the family’s leadership.  

Due to those bizarre events, rumors persist that he might be the culprit behind the killings.  

“...That viper is still slithering around Yieta, huh?”  

“There’s no proof. But...”  

“There’s more than enough suspicion, right?”  

“Yes, exactly.”  

Well, that’s to be expected. In the previous rebellion, he cleverly severed ties with Yieta and claimed innocence. It’s hard to believe he wouldn’t resort to such cunning again.  

“...For now, keep an eye on him. He’ll show his tail eventually.”  

“Understood. I’ll inform the ladies of the guard.”  

“Hmm, good... So, is that all?”  

“Yes, that’s all... Oh, wait, I forgot one thing.”  

“Hm?”  

“It’s something too delicate for me to handle with my authority. It requires your approval, Lady Christine.”  

Christine tilts her head at Annerose’s hesitant words.  

She doesn’t understand.  

“...I gave you full authority over domestic issues. Are there still fools resisting you?”  

Her eyes narrow as she speaks.  

Compared to the incompetent fools around her, Annerose’s ability to handle state affairs is like the difference between a phoenix and a pheasant.  

That’s why Christine entrusted her with domestic governance without worry.  

But not everyone acknowledges Annerose’s capabilities.  

Some foolish vassals belittle her, thinking her position as Minister of State Affairs is merely due to Christine’s favoritism.  

Whenever such people caught her eye, Christine crushed them without hesitation. Thanks to that, such behavior had recently diminished. But it seems some of those she’d disciplined in her absence had started raising their heads again.  

However, Annerose shakes her head with a wry smile at the fuming Christine.  

“No, it’s not that. Well, I can’t say such things didn’t happen while you were away, but that’s not why I need your approval.”  

“...So there were some. We’ll deal with them later. What’s the issue, then?”  

“Yes, well... Do you remember Karen Steiner?”  

“Karen Steiner? ...Oh, right. She was a member of the White Knights from here, wasn’t she? What about her?”  

“It seems a letter of resignation and a leave of absence from the White Knights has arrived in her name.”  

At Annerose’s words, silence falls over the lounge.