Chapter 65

“Um, Demon King? I don’t really understand this part of the document. Could you teach me?”

Freise, the temporary employee, pressed up against my side.

“I don’t mind teaching you, but your chest is pressing against me.”

My arm was fully cognizant of a distinct elasticity.

“Of course it is. I’m doing it on purpose. I’m trying to seduce you!”

I was fairly certain this counted as reverse sexual harassment, which was grounds for firing.

“Well? How about it? Are you feeling a bit hot under the collar? Want to hit a hotel after five?”

“No. Before we talk about ‘after five,’ I’d appreciate it if you worked seriously during business hours.”

I handled her with cold indifference.

“Hey! That’s mean! Aren’t you being a little too businesslike?! You should at least blush or get flustered or something! You’re making me feel like I’ve lost as a woman!”

Well, when you do this every single day, I’m going to get used to it.

Besides, a chest is just a lump of flesh when you really think about it. Once I reached that realization, I stopped caring.

“Anyway, if you have questions about that section, ask Torualina. She’s the one who decided to hire you, after all.”

Operation: Shift Responsibility to Torualina.

“Quite right. Freise, if there is anything you don’t understand, I will listen. Please, come here.”

Torualina was even more composed than I was. This was the usual landscape of the office.

“Also, Freise, I believe your plan to seduce the Demon King is futile. A considerable number of women targeted him back when he was single, but every single one of them was shot down.”

“I felt it would be disrespectful to Sasaya. But more than that…”

I felt a wave of exhaustion just remembering those days. It wasn’t my fault, yet it felt like a dark chapter of my history.

“Everyone had ‘Money!’ or ‘Social Advancement!’ written all over their faces… I mean, I get that marrying a Demon King involves political elements, but I wish they’d hidden it a little better…”

If they didn’t at least pretend to be acting out of love, it was a total turn-off.

Actually, I never even got “turned on” enough for it to be a “turn-off.”

“It can’t be helped. It’s impossible to tell people not to aim for a ‘jeweled carriage’. If anything, it’s better that they’re easy to read.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

I kept my hands moving even as I spoke. Both Torualina and I had been doing this job for a long time; we were efficient.

Even so, the workload was so immense we couldn’t clear it all, which is why we hired Freise as a temp. She was actually being somewhat helpful.

“Aww… So there were others in the past who devised a plan to become the Demon King’s wife and jump into the upper class all at once, just like me…”

I wouldn’t even call that a “plan.” It’s just wanting to marry someone with money.

“Actually, Freise, I’ve been meaning to ask—do you really long for the upper class and money that much?”

Freise technically belonged to the upper class, but her status was almost entirely ceremonial; for all intents and purposes, she was a commoner. At the very least, her values were those of a commoner through and through.

“Of course I long for it! I mean, I’m from a ducal house! I want to marry a rich man, make sure my kids only associate with other children from similar wealthy families, and maybe even arrange an engagement if the opportunity arises!”

She was so incredibly honest about her desires that, in a way, she might actually be a happy person… She had no doubts because her path to happiness was so clearly defined.

“I see… Well, good luck with that… I’m sure there’s someone out there for you…”

“Freise, don’t bother trying to get the Demon King to introduce you to other good men. I haven’t been introduced to a single soul myself.”

“That’s because you have no intention of getting married in the first place, Torualina. You’re the type who says it with your mouth but never actually goes through with the husband-hunting. If I carelessly introduced you to someone, I can see it now—you’d just end up resenting me for it.”

There were many people like Torualina who said “I want to get married” as a mere pose; you had to be able to see through that.

Deep down, she was enjoying her life as a single woman. If I suddenly proposed an arranged marriage meeting, she’d rightfully be annoyed.

By the way, Freise was actually still pressing her chest against me. Listen, girl, your market value is plummeting right now.

“But wait, Demon King, you remarried and even got a stepdaughter, right? Aren’t you going to have her associate with the children of other nobles?”

Freise asked a strange question.

To me, the idea was practically a joke, but I suppose if she didn’t know Angelica, it was a natural enough question to arise.

“Maybe she wants to avoid Demon nobles because she’s human, but there are plenty of nobles in human countries, too. Aren’t you going to have her socialize with that upper class?”

“Look, my daughter isn’t that kind of character. She’s the type who’d rather push deep into a forest, suck the nectar out of flowers, and laugh about it.”

“She’s a total brat! She’s the kind of brat who tears off azalea petals just for the nectar! The kind of brat who occasionally freaks out because there’s a bug inside! The kind who goes out of her way to walk on top of walls, falls off, and breaks a leg!”

She was describing it with such vivid specificity; she really was a commoner at heart…

“Exactly. That’s why my daughter definitely has no interest in socializing with the upper class. Besides, she’s an adventurer. She wouldn’t have anything in common with the ‘tea time in the garden’ crowd.”

She’d find a conversation about which cave holds the best loot far more exciting.

“Huh… Even though that Hero finally attained the status of the Demon King’s daughter, what a waste. It’s like casting pearls before swine.”

“It just means different things have value to different people.”

If my daughter suddenly started acting like a noble and saying things like, “I am a lady of the upper class,” it would be creepy. I’d probably get annoyed because I’d think she was just trying to use me.

In that sense, looking at the current Angelica gave me peace of mind.

“Ah, wait! I just thought of something brilliant!”

Freise let out a high-pitched exclamation. Her hands had stopped moving completely; I really needed her to get back to work.

“I should just become your adopted daughter, Demon King! I don’t even have to marry you! Then I’ll be a daughter of the upper class too!”

“Rejected.”

“At least stop working for a second before you turn me down! You’re being way too dismissive!”

“If anything, you need to resume working! I’m paying you a salary, so do your job!”