“Eh?”
At this, Field couldn’t help but exclaim, her voice tinged with excitement as she pressed on,
“You, you mean…!?”
From the earlier conversation between Liyakade and Sistem, it seemed that His Majesty the King really hadn’t continued to trouble them, just as Liyakade had predicted.
“F-Father… does that mean he’s agreed to let us be together!?”
“Not quite so directly.”
Sistem looked at her younger sister’s incredulous yet slightly joyful eyes, and shook her head helplessly, explaining to everyone,
“After Father calmed down, he thought that you, Field, might have your own feelings. From childhood to now, you’ve never shown affection or anything like that towards anyone else, so when he suddenly heard you liked girls, he got a bit emotional for a moment.”
“But after I honestly told him about you two, he decided to go back and think it over carefully.”
Sistem added,
“Father said he might be able to accept your relationship, but if it were to be exposed, it would definitely become a topic among the other Nobles.”
“So it’s still an issue of royal honor, huh?”
Listening to Sistem’s explanation, Field couldn’t help but frown. Even though His Majesty the King, after being persuaded by Sistem, didn’t further trouble Liyakade and the others, it sounded like he just wasn’t planning to cause trouble for them for the time being.
“That’s right.”
Sistem spread her hands.
“After all, you’re the Kingdom’s Third Princess. Many Nobles are watching you, and even a minor flaw in your conduct could lead to malicious gossip and slander from some Nobles, like that Eric person. If you were to make this public now, it would surely cause a stir throughout the Kingdom.”
“Hmm… It’s just as you say, Sistem.”
Though unwilling to admit it, Field felt that what Sistem and His Majesty the King considered wasn’t wrong. From a broader perspective, this really wasn’t the best time to reveal their relationship.
“Besides, Liyakade isn’t even a Noble anymore, right?”
Sistem continued, recounting the discussion she’d had with His Majesty the King earlier.
“The Third Princess not only fell for a girl, but that girl isn’t even a Noble—just a Commoner. That’s something those Nobles definitely can’t accept, and if word spreads to other Nations, it won’t sound good.”
“…You’re right. In the eyes of other Nobles, this might seem absurd…”
Field listened to Sistem’s analysis, growing slightly silent, but after a moment, her resolve remained unshaken.
“Then I’ll give up my Princess status and, like Liyakade and Alice, become a Commoner. As long as I can be with Liyakade, I don’t care about titles or status!”
“Ah, my foolish little sister…”
Hearing Field’s lovestruck words, Sistem couldn’t help but sigh heavily, pinching her forehead.
“There’s no need to go that far. Since there’s a problem, there must be a solution.”
At this moment, Sistem’s mood was just like His Majesty the King’s earlier—she really couldn’t understand what kind of charm Liyakade possessed to make both Alice and Field so infatuated.
In Sistem’s eyes, Liyakade was certainly cute, and her abilities and rank far exceeded her peers, but those alone shouldn’t have made the two so obsessed.
“It’s about defeating the Demon King, isn’t it?”
Looking at the helpless Sistem, Liyakade spoke up, stating the so-called solution Sistem had mentioned.
In the Original, the way to bridge the gap in status between Alice and Field was just this. It was also the only solution Liyakade could think of.
“Oh? You guessed it again, Liyakade.”
Sistem looked at Liyakade with a hint of surprise. She hadn’t expected someone who seemed so harmless and even a bit silly to have such a sharp mind. Sistem truly hadn’t noticed this before.
However, it wasn’t that Liyakade was particularly smart—she’d just played the Original before being transmigrated, so she could anticipate others’ actions.
“Just as you said,”
Sistem continued.
“According to the Prophecy, the Demon King will resurrect in ten years. If you can defeat the Demon King, then with the honor and achievement, you could rise to become Heroes of the Kingdom, and at that point, you could be together openly.”
“Really!?”
Field shot up in excitement, looking at Sistem hopefully, but soon deflated.
“But even if we defeat the Demon King, that’s still at least ten years from now…”
“Ha, aren’t you being a bit greedy?”
Sistem rolled her eyes in exasperation.
“Having such an opportunity is already good enough for you. Be content. Besides, before defeating the Demon King, you can still be together—you just can’t publicize it everywhere.”
“True, just having the chance is enough.”
Field laughed softly, finally feeling the weight lift from her heart. Then she remembered that His Majesty the King was still at the Academy.
“By the way, where’s Father?”
“Father went back to the Royal Palace to deal with Eric. He’s planning to treat this as a scandal for now, so just endure it and don’t throw a tantrum.”
As Sistem spoke, she patted Field’s shoulder.
“It’s fine. As long as Father doesn’t separate us, that’s enough.”
In fact, agreeing to treat the matter as a scandal to conceal it from His Majesty the King and use it as a delaying tactic wasn’t something Field couldn’t accept. What really made her lose her composure was the idea of His Majesty the King wanting to separate Liyakade and Field.
But things had turned out alright, at least His Majesty the King gave them a chance.
“Oh, right.”
Sistem clapped her hands, drawing the attention of the three.
“Although Father has tacitly approved of you being together, he has one more condition.”
“What condition?”
Liyakade looked at Sistem in confusion. This time, she couldn’t guess, since the Original never mentioned any such condition.
“That is—let me join Yorozuya too and team up with the three of you from now on.”
“Eh???”
The three voiced their confusion in unison.
Although Liyakade and the others had already invited Sistem into their party to deal with Darkness, from Sistem’s words, even after successfully finding and defeating Darkness, Sistem planned to keep following them.
“By ‘team up,’ you mean…”
“Exactly that. Whether it’s Yorozuya requests or Dungeon exploration, from now on, I’ll be tagging along. That’s Father’s requirement—he wants me to evaluate whether you’re worthy of being with my sister, Liyakade.”
Yes. While His Majesty the King could accept Field loving another girl for her happiness, Liyakade hadn’t exactly been well-behaved at the Academy before.
Even though her reputation had reversed and she’d become the Festival Flower, she was now dating two people at once, which made His Majesty the King question her character.
Therefore, His Majesty the King specifically had Sistem accompany them—not to monitor their every move, but to observe how they got along in daily life.
If Liyakade did anything to bully or betray Field, Sistem would be obligated to report to His Majesty the King and ensure strict punishment.
“So we have to do everything together, Her Highness Sistem?”
Liyakade looked troubled.
In the Original, even Alice didn’t have to endure this, but now she herself was being evaluated.
“Of course.”
“Even when exploring the Dungeon…?”
Alice asked awkwardly.
“Like I said, everything together.”
“We meant… other kinds of Dungeons…”
Field stammered as she added.
“Of co—hmm?”
Sistem almost reflexively agreed, but then she saw the three before her with slightly reddened faces and finally realized what Liyakade, Field, and Alice were talking about.
The always-elegant Sistem lost her composure, waving her hands and stomping her foot in embarrassment.
“I do not have some kind of fetish for watching others do those kinds of things! Enough already!”