Rather Than The Son, I’ll Take The Father

My husband’s expression was no joke.

People might think that the man down there is a noble Lord, and my husband is the demon king who is about to slay him.

I leaned on Aedis.

As I reached him, he loosened his stiff jaw and walked away from his thoughts.

Only then did he pay attention to the scene of the incident again.

Aedis had used his hand in advance, so I could see the man clearly from here, too.

He had a face different from the corpse he had used as a magic carrier vessel.

He had a very similar look to Gilbert, with the crucial difference being the drooping eyes. This made him seem more docile than Gilbert.

His white, moonlit hair gave such a gentle image a sense of fragility and mystery.

He was also shorter than Aedis in height and build, so if you put them side by side, he would look like his older brother.

No, they must have been divided into good and bad roles before that.

Even those who feared Aedis will take the initiative and reach out their hand if that man asks for help.

That man will know that fact very well and will use it.

Maybe he’s already used it a few times.

“Eve.”

“Yes.”

“I think I’ve heard enough of that person.”

Aedis carefully straightened me up as I had been leaning on him.

“I see…… ?”

Not knowing what he was going to do from now on, I left the thought hanging.

Aedis pointed his chin at his brother.

“Then it will only contaminate the wife’s eyes, so you can look away. I’ll take care of it, so please wait for a moment.”

“Shall I go with you?”

Aedis half-closed his eyes and smiled pretty.

“It would be better if you looked elsewhere.”

He was determined.

I let Aedis go and looked around.

By my order, the employees outside Cyclamen Castle had been evacuated.

Now, only a few knights, including Procyon, remained.

I had Shaula watch the other side just in case, and when I told her that she was on one meal a day with only vegetables for today, she listened more earnestly than ever before.

It didn’t mean I really starved Shaula, though.

There was only one meal a day, but her snacks were the portion for 20 people, so a strange phenomenon occurred, in which food expenses were doubled.

Anyway, it’s ridiculous to think of Shaula.

Sarah had worried that she looked like she was too skinny, but it wasn’t at all the case, in my opinion.

I periodically monitored Gilbert’s changes.

Slowly, Gilbert’s beastly changes were coming to an end.

However, it ended in a form that did not resemble any beast.

It’s just as huge as a mountain, but it’s really arbitrary.

I suddenly remembered the wolf I met in Eire Forest.

Treating it as the same beast was enough to make me feel sorry for the wolf.

If a person turns into a beast, will it become like that?

The ground shook as if an earthquake had occurred due to the huge beast twisting its body.

But the Cyclamen Castle was quiet.

“It’s strange.”

As no one ran out, the man who had been guessing which room I was in tilted his head. By the time he realized it, it was too late.

Aedis appeared behind him. He turned around with a bright smile on his lips, like a friendly brother.

“Welcome! My dear brother…… Kugh!

“Who is your sister-in-law?”

Oh, you were angry about that part. Then I don’t have to worry too much.

I shifted my eyes away as Aedis had kindly warned me.

The crystal, floating in an opaque circle in the air, changed the angle as I wanted, illuminating the place where the knights were waiting.

They were chatting without even realizing that the large demon that suddenly appeared was Gilbert.

They seemed quite leisurely, not suited to this situation, but only Procyon showed particular heat.

“Her Grace will win no matter what!”

Huh? I win what?

“Look at her eyes! Her Grace is undisputed! I’m sure she’ll defeat that beast too!”

I’m a fine-grown noble, not a general who’s been on the battlefield for decades…

Pollux looked at Procyon’s bread and agreed with him.

“I also agree with Sir Procyon’s provision, no, opinion. Her Grace also signed a contract with the spirit.”

Speak properly after wiping off your bread crumbs.

“But, hasn’t that beast been revealed yet? Even on the ground, it is difficult to estimate the size. Her Grace will not be able to escape the struggle. That’s why we need to stay alert and support the rear! Don’t sleep, don’t close your eyes! By the way, my share of bread has disappeared, but does anyone know who the culprit is?”

Another knight, who was speaking energetically, looked down at his hands that were only full of crumbs.

It seemed like they were debating who would win if I had a fight with the magical beast that suddenly appeared.

Although there were signs that it will soon turn into a search for a bread thief.

But why do they assume that I’m fighting……

“I’m sure! The bread thief wouldn’t have gone that far!”

Far from going far, he was right next to you.

Pollux was unaware of the existence of the bread crumbs that were the decisive evidence on his lips, and he was aiming for Procyon’s bread.

I thought I could be relieved no matter what happened, but I wondered if they would believe me like this. Aedis returned.

It wasn’t a face full of anger.

“Aedis, aren’t you thinking of making a familiar and attacking the desert right now?”

“I thought about it, too.”

Aedis didn’t even deny it.

I smiled slightly.

“I think you have given me enough revenge for being called Sister-in-law. Even though it was a familiar of that person who came here, it was only one magic power, but it was so large that it turned Gilbert into a beast, so you need to inflict damage on the main body.”

At the very least, recovering the magical power would be difficult.

I turned my gaze away while keeping a close eye on my husband.

At last, Gilbert in his completed beast form began to move toward the castle.

Because I was on the roof, I could tell through the lens that his was bigger than Paimon’s body.

“Gilbert, is it possible to get him back?”

“Since he has been given a lot of choices, it is up to him to decide whether he wants to live as a beast or as a person who is not even that good. If he wants to come back as a human again, he will have to pay the price for this.”

The huge body was on the verge of colliding with the Cyclamen castle.

Aedis snapped his finger and sent Gilbert, who had turned into a beast, somewhere else.

“Ah.”

Unbeknownst to me, a sad groan escaped.

Aedis turned his head.

“I sent him over the crystal gate, is there any problem?”

“Oh no! My dream of remodeling the inkstone!”

Involuntarily, my thoughts jumped out of my heart.

Gilbert’s father saw Gilbert’s disabled aura, so I had guessed that he wouldn’t just retreat.

The idea of turning Gilbert into a beast was unexpected, but I did take into account the possibility of damage to the castle.

So the employees were evacuated, the knights were on standby, and a budget was established.

If the castle was really destroyed, I was thinking of repairing it and redecorating it here and there, and then I’d like to spend some money improving it.

At present, Cyclamen Castle has an eerie and gloomy atmosphere despite its pretty name. Occasionally, employees also joked that it was called an inkstone.

When I first arrived in the North, my heart was shattered when I saw the shocking exterior of Cyclamen Castle.

Of course, the castle itself was as grand as the imperial palace.

The architectural style was also old-fashioned and elegant, except for the unreasonably insufficient number of windows.

However, in the end, the outside was the color of ink.

If Monica sees it, I’m sure she’ll make a ‘blergh’ sound first.

Due to the nature of the nobles who are so obsessed with their outward appearance, leaving it for such a long time would only solidify it as an inkstone.

Since becoming the Grand Duchess, remodeling Cyclamen Castle has become my dream and mission that must be fulfilled.

Anyway, it’s not like Gilbert will help with remodeling.

Aedis didn’t seem to understand my pity, so he tilted his head.

“You don’t like the castle that much?”

Even Sarah, who was positive in everything, couldn’t help but sigh at first.

“Does that castle look pretty to Aedis?”

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t look particularly strange.”

Hmm, I think my husband’s aesthetic standards are a bit unusual.

Throwing away the thought of Gilbert, who had been removed to beyond the crystal gate, or his magically-depleted father, I asked with a curious face.

“How would you feel if I wore the same dress as the wall color right now?”

“You must still be beautiful.”

Aedis answered in a tone that was stating a fact that was too obvious.

“…… How much?”

Ack, this isn’t it.

“More than anyone.”

“That’s, that’s nice to hear, but that’s not the answer.”

I remembered Regen’s infamous fashion sense, which was a hot topic for a while in 〈Esmeralda’s Crescent Moon〉.

“Then what if Regen wears a blue blouse with a yellow vest and green pants?”

“He wore it with great care…… ”

“……”

“That is not the right answer either.”

Aedis noticed my expression.

He was dressed in black as usual and kept his mouth shut.

It was rare to see Aedis wearing clothing of any other color.

Even the clothes he wore to sleep were mostly black.

Uh, no way.

“Aedis, was it possible that you wore only black to hide your cursed fashion sense?”

“I have no memory of being cursed like that.”

Aedis widened his eyes and raised his hand willingly.

“Recently, the wife has often slept late, so I will give you a special service tonight.”

“What? Really?!”

“Not that kind of service.”

What, why are you looking at your wife with one eye as if you are wary of a pervert?

“I didn’t think much of it.”

I quickly added.

I had very, very little, very little thoughts about it, but it was really very, very, very little.

Aedis distrusted me for being honest.

“You were too surprised for that.”