It Seems the Demon King Has Returned to a World Where Gender Roles Are Reversed - Chapter 67

 Chapter 67 :

The Blazing Holy Flame. 

And the shimmering light of jewels.  

A group of people, adorned in vibrant, colorful garments, move through a grand garden, chattering incessantly.  

Their movements, flocking together, resemble migratory birds traveling in unison.  

If so, who is leading them?  

What are they following?  

Or perhaps, it’s none of those things.  

Maybe they are driven solely by instinct, thoughtlessly following wherever their steps lead. Intoxicated by the sweet scent of makeup and the heavy fragrance of perfume swirling like thick fog, they live on, wearing hollow smiles.  

All this, built upon the foundation of countless commoners’ blood and sweat.  

But who could dare condemn them?  

Those gathered here are none other than the heirs of renowned noble families, beings of such lofty status that ordinary people can scarcely look upon them.  

Who could accuse such people of living wrongly?  

And yet, if one thinks about it, Karen herself whether she likes it or not is a piece of that nobility.  

In the end, she too is part of the vampiric horde that thrives on the blood of the common people.  

With that thought, Karen lets out a sigh.  

She turns her gaze away from the crowd of nobles traversing the garden and steps down from her carriage.  

Then, she begins walking toward the garden, joining the flock of migratory birds.  

______

Having stepped down as a White Knight, Karen returned to the Steiner family estate.  

Coincidentally, the head of the Steiner family Karen’s mother was away on a personal trip. As a result, Karen had no choice but to take on the role of representing the Steiner family in her mother’s stead.  

The Steiner family, a prestigious noble house in the kingdom, particularly renowned as a martial family.  

As the acting head of such a family, Karen’s responsibilities were numerous. For instance, managing the Steiner family’s dojo, training the students who flocked from all over to learn the family’s techniques, was a key duty.  

This was a vital source of income for the family, one that could not be neglected.  

That said, Karen didn’t personally train the students. Licensed instructors from the Steiner family, particularly relatives, handled the dojo’s training. Karen’s role was simply to observe their work, standing by as they taught.  

Who would dare challenge Karen Steiner, a former member of the White Knights?  

Her mere presence was proof of her authority.  

The simple fact that she had returned to the family elevated its prestige, drawing more students to the dojo.  

Hearing this, Karen muttered, “That’s good to hear,” with a sigh, but her duties didn’t end there.  

Being the head of the Steiner family wasn’t just about leading one household.  

The Steiner family was a member of the Schreid Kingdom’s noble houses.  

As its representative, Karen was also one of the kingdom’s noble leaders, obligated to fulfill her duties.  

Attending the royal court’s periodic banquet was one such obligation.  

Even so,  

“Sigh...”  

The banquet wasn’t to her liking.  

With that thought, Karen moved toward the garden with reluctant steps.  

And there was a reason for her reluctance.  

“Lady Karen Steiner has arrived!”  

“Oh, Lady Karen!”  

“Lady Karen Steiner? Oh my...”  

At the guard’s announcement, the gazes of the young ladies moving in groups turned toward Karen at the entrance.  

Caught in their sudden attention, Karen’s expression stiffened involuntarily.  

Their looks were anything but ordinary.  

Flushed cheeks.  

Glistening eyes fixed on her.  

Breaths laced with a sweet fragrance.  

As the people surrounded her, chattering excitedly, Karen clenched her teeth, her mindset shifting to that of facing magical beasts on a battlefield.  

_______

This was why Karen dreaded attending the banquet.  

It was because of the admiring gazes directed at her.  

A member of the Steiner family.  

A great swordmaster who became a White Knight at a young age.  

That alone was enough to draw the affectionate gazes of the kingdom’s young ladies.  

But their affection didn’t stop there.  

As evident in the desire in their eyes, their gazes toward Karen held more than mere goodwill. They carried a deeper, more intense affection.  

Struggling to deflect their syrupy questions, Karen offered vague smiles in response to their slightly mischievous remarks.  

Still, it was bearable for now.  

After all, no one was brazenly touching or flirting with her.  

In a society dominated by women, as seen with the current acting queen, Christine, it wasn’t uncommon for women to take same-sex partners.  

Especially for someone like Karen, who exuded a certain gallant aura, such propositions were only natural.  

Even the noblewomen, accompanied by handsome young men with braided hair, refrained from approaching only due to decorum. Yet, they fanned themselves, casting heated glances at Karen.  

They would likely make their move once the excitement died down.  

Once the crowd of young ladies around Karen dispersed and she was left alone, those noblewomen would send their attendants with notes containing discreet proposals hidden beneath their fans.  

And Karen would have to endure the trouble of politely declining each one.  

In any case, the fervor surrounding her showed no signs of cooling.  

But Karen managed, somehow, to navigate the situation and lead the group. It was all part of her duty.  

As the head of the Steiner family and a knight of the kingdom, she bore these responsibilities.  

That’s how she justified it to herself.  

And then—  

“Baron Diego Gairelf has arrived!”  

At another announcement from the entrance, the chatter of the young ladies fell silent.  

The noblewomen at the banquet frowned, turning their gazes toward the entrance.  

Karen was no exception.  

Her eyes sharpened as she stared at the tall man approaching.  

Meeting her gaze, the man flashed a sinister smile, facing the crowd watching him.  

His demeanor was reminiscent of a venomous snake glaring at its prey.  

---  

“...To think he’d show up at the banquet...”  

“Utterly shameless... or perhaps he’s unaware of his place.”  

The young ladies’ whispers reached Karen’s ears as she looked at Diego entering through the entrance.  

Diego Gairelf.  

Commonly known as Baron Gairelf.  

A man with the unique distinction of becoming the head of a baronial family.  

If that were all, he wouldn’t have attracted such overt hostility from so many.  

The reason for the widespread disdain toward Diego lay elsewhere.  

It stemmed from a series of events within the Gairelf baronial family.  

The so-called “Tragedy of the Baronial Family.” The incident where the family’s heirs died one after another.  

As a result, the Gairelf family lost its primary heirs in succession, and the line of succession eventually reached a collateral branch.  

However, those collateral branches began relinquishing their claims to the inheritance one by one.  

Rumors circulated that they received letters urging them to abandon their rights to the Gairelf succession. But since those involved remained silent, the truth remained unconfirmed.  

As a result, the succession rights, pushed further and further down, eventually fell to the only male in the family—Diego Gairelf.  

Thus, Diego ascended to the position of Baron Gairelf as the sole heir.  

This led people to grow suspicious.  

The tragedy of the Gairelf family.  

Wasn’t the successive deaths of the heirs orchestrated by Diego himself?  

Indeed, such speculations were rampant when Diego assumed the title.  

Particularly when he became the sole heir, the royal court investigated his actions with intense scrutiny. Yet, despite their efforts, no evidence was found linking Diego to the heirs’ deaths.  

In the end, Diego assumed the title of Baron Gairelf as the family’s only heir.  

“...”  

Diego calmly met the sharp gazes directed at him.  

With an air of nonchalance, he strode forward confidently. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought,  

“Oh, oh! If it isn’t the esteemed Lady Karen Steiner. I heard you had returned, but to think I’d meet you here...”  

With theatrical gestures, Diego approached Karen. In response, Karen said,  

“...It’s an honor to meet you, Baron Gairelf. I trust you’ve been well?”  

“Haha, and you, Lady Karen? I apologize for not visiting sooner. I’ll make sure to call on you later.”  

“...”  

At Baron Gairelf’s words, the surrounding young ladies openly expressed their displeasure. But the baron ignored their complaints, gazing at Karen with a sticky intensity.  

His snake-like stare reminded Karen of his nickname, “the Viper.”  

She returned his gaze with a hardened expression and a sharp look.  

There was another reason for the baron’s rejection by others. It was tied to an incident a few years prior a rebellion within the royal palace.  

The rebellion led by the Third Princess, Yieta. At the time, with the queen bedridden in a coma due to a sudden illness, the First Princess, Christine, acted as her proxy.  

Though not officially named the next in line, Christine’s position as the First Princess made her a fitting regent.  

But someone opposed her.  

That was Yieta. Using knights loyal to her and golems of unknown origin, Yieta seized control of the palace, aiming to eliminate Christine and claim the throne.  

However, her rebellion failed, and those who followed her were executed.  

The only reason Yieta escaped death was Diego’s intervention, arguing that the royal bloodline was too scarce to lose another member.  

At the time, Christine was in a relationship with Annerose, making her unlikely to produce an heir. Diego argued that if Christine failed to produce an heir, the royal bloodline could be at risk of extinction.  

Though the court officials were skeptical of Diego’s argument, they had to concede its validity.  

As much as they disliked it, Diego’s point was sound.  

Even if Yieta was the ringleader of the rebellion, she was still of royal blood. If Christine, who showed no interest in taking a male partner, died without an heir, the royal line could end.  

For the officials tasked with preserving the royal bloodline, this was the gravest concern.  

In the end, even Christine was swayed by the officials’ persistent persuasion.  

Or rather, she was forced to yield. Though visibly displeased, Christine decided to spare Yieta’s life, on the condition that she be confined to an isolated castle for life, with the threat of execution if she ever left.  

Yieta accepted the terms and chose confinement.  

This was how the Third Princess Yieta, despite leading a rebellion, survived an unusual outcome.  

“...”  

Karen, then a member of the White Knights, heard the news from the frontlines.  

And she was furious.  

Diego’s argument seemed reasonable at first glance but was mere sophistry. While preserving the royal bloodline was important, there was no need to spare a traitor’s life.  

Such a seed of unrest should have been eliminated immediately.  

Yet, the kingdom’s officials, swayed by Diego’s silver tongue, chose to spare Yieta.  

This decision was influenced by Christine’s unstable position at the time and the precarious political climate, which necessitated preserving as much of the royal bloodline as possible. But emotionally, it was unacceptable.  

Karen wasn’t alone in feeling this way; other nobles shared her sentiments.  

They understood logically that preserving the royal bloodline was necessary, especially given the declining number of noble heirs, a concern they all shared.  

But even so, they couldn’t accept it.  

To think that a traitor was spared, and by the words of a mere man, no less.  

Thus, the nobles’ gazes toward Diego were inevitably hostile. Breaking the tense atmosphere, a vibrant voice suddenly rang through the garden.  

“Well, well! What’s this? A joyful banquet suddenly shrouded in silence? Did I come to the wrong place? I thought this was a banquet, not a monastery for silent meditation!”  

“...!”  

At that voice, all eyes in the garden turned toward one direction.  

Basking in the attention, the speaker a figure with blazing golden hair and sparkling green eyes flashed a confident smile.  

It was the host of the banquet, the lord of this castle, and, above all, the ruler of the Schreid Kingdom Christine Arietta Schreid.  

The First Princess of the kingdom had arrived.  

______________________________________

Translated by Reversalnovel.web.id