How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

Book 17: Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Wise Wolf Princess: Love Is War

Recently, in Parnam, Souma has been rapidly preparing for the second marriage ceremony of his lifetimeto Maria and Yuriga, of course.

The king of a rising power in the east was marrying the former empress of the fallen great power of the west, and also Princess Yuriga, who came from the Great Tiger Kingdom as an exchange student. There wasnt a person in the Kingdom of Friedonia who wasnt excited.

That day would also see the Black-Robed Prime Minister, who was the pride of the Kingdom of Friedonia, married to Queen Jeanne, the new sovereign of the Euphoria Kingdom. This one would be taking place in the Euphoria Kingdom, but the people were excited that the Black-Robed Prime Minister would become royal consort there. That is, everyone except for all the women who had secretly been gunning for him themselves.

There was a festive mood in Parnam right now that was as great, if not greater, than the one thatd greeted Soumas marriage to Liscia and the other queens.

And just as back then, Souma had put out a call to his retainers who were looking to get married so that there could be weddings held all around the city at the same time. Two of the big names that came forward were Mio Carmine, daughter of Georg Carmine, whose name had been cleared of the black mark of treason, and Colbert, the minister of finance.

This conversation happened the other day, in the Carmine Domain...

Congratulations, Colbert. Youre finally getting a wife too, are you?

It was after the wedding was made public. Julius had come to the Carmine Domain with his wife Tia to congratulate his old friend.

With a wry smile, Colbert said, Thanks, Julius. Technically, Im the one marrying into her family though.

Oh, I see... Youre taking her name, then. I wont be able to call you Colbert anymore.

Colberts full name was Gatsby Colbert, but Colbert was easier to say than Gatsby, so Julius and Roroa always called him by his family name. This had been adopted by others, and his family name started getting treated like it was his first name. However, once he married into the House of Carmine, his name would become Gatsby Carmine.

I dont see a problem with it. He can still be Colbert, Mio said as she entered the room holding Julius and Tias child, Tius. Tia was behind her, smiling.

Mio put Tius back in Tias arms, then put a hand on Colberts shoulder. Youll always be Sir Bee, Sir Bee. No matter what anyone else calls you, thats never going to change.

Madam Mio...

And if it bothers you, you could ask His Majesty and Lady Roroa to let you keep Colbert as a middle name. Gatsby C. Carmine.

No, no, Madam Mio, I couldnt... Deliberately keeping my family name when theres no political reason for it, like the Maxwells had...

Hmm... That could be good, actually.

Julius?! Colberts eyes went wide.

Julius laughed. Roroa would be sad if she couldnt call you Colbert anymore. I think Ill put in the request myself when I visit the castle tomorrow.

Colbert was stunned.

And so, the proposal to keep Colbert as his middle name went through with surprising ease. It worked out perfectly for Souma, who would get confused if he had to start calling him Gatsby or Carmine instead.

While these preparations for weddings around the capital continued, there were others who were quietly preparing for a wedding of their own. One such couple was Tomoko, the Wise Wolf Princess Tomoes birth mother, and Inugami, the vice commander of the Black Cats.

Inugami was deeply involved with the Inui family due to his job as Tomoes bodyguard, and her little brother Rou was completely convinced that Inugami must be his dad because he had no recollection of his own father. Inugami and Tomoko also seemed to share a mutual affection for one another, so those around them had pushed them to finally tie the knot. However, as Inugami was a member of a clandestine organization, and this was Tomokos second marriage, they didnt want to make a big deal of the event.

Then lets do it while all those other weddings are happening, was Tomoes idea, and the reason the couple decided to do it during the mass wedding event.

Having reached the age where she was thinking about marriage herself, Tomoe wanted to see her birth mother find happiness.

Youre...okay with that, Tomoe? Ichiha asked after hearing about it from Tomoe.

Tomoe gave him a blank look in return. Okay with what?

Having Mr. Inugami as your father. I thought you might feel conflicted.

Hmm... Not at this point, no? Tomoe cocked her head to the side at the look of concern Ichiha was giving her. I mean, Ive already got a lot of family who arent blood-related to me.

Oh... That makes sense.

Tomoes family included her birth mother, Tomoko; her blood brother, Rou; her adoptive parents, Albert and Elisha; her adopted sister, Liscia; and her brother-in-law, Souma.

On top of that, all of Soumas wives treated her like a little sister. Adding Inugami to the mix as a stepfather wasnt going to make much difference at this point.

Tomoe pressed her hand to her cheek and sighed. Besides, I think Mr. Inugami is a good choice. Hes looked after me all this time as my bodyguard, so if he makes Mom happy, then thats what matters.

I guess it is, yeah.

But I cant spend all my time fretting over the two of them, Tomoe said, taking a big sip of fruit juice through her straw.

Ichiha and Tomoe were visiting the fruit parlor run by Lucys family, the Evans Company, together. In short, this was a date.

Fed up at the lack of progress in their relationship, despite their obvious mutual attraction, their friends had started forcing them to go places alone together more often. And yet, not much had changed between them.

Silence overcame the table.

This was because Ichiha just wouldnt make the first move. He had incredibly low self-esteem after spending most of his life in the Duchy of Chima being bullied by people who couldnt recognize his gifts. He was aware of Tomoes affection for him, and his for her, but struggled to see himself as worthy of her princessly status.

However, after coming to this country, Ichihas talent blossomed, and people recognized that. Those closest to Souma thought there was no one else who would be a suitable partner for Princess Tomoe. Meanwhile, the people who didnt know any better largely assumed they were already engaged. All the groundwork had been laid for him, and all Ichiha needed to do was press the attack and seize the fortress that was Tomoe for himself. Tomoe was even waiting for him with the gate bar removed.

The only thing keeping them in limbo was Ichihas introverted personality.

Ugh! This is going nowhere...! she thought.

That was why Tomoe had decided to try something today. She was going to make Ichiha take the first step, and the only one he would need in order to bring him across the finish line. Even if it took using the feminine wiles shed learned from First Secondary Princess Juna for this day. Yes, the Wise Wolf Princess wanted to make him confess his love to her.

You know, Yurigas going to be getting married too.

Tomoe started jabbing in the general direction of the subject.

Well, theyll be getting married, but theyre not going to be trying for a baby for a little while. Yuriga wants to keep playing mage soccer for now.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah. I know because Im going to be the chamberlain.

It had been decided Tomoe would be taking over Marxs role in managing palace events and managing the health of the royal family. One of those duties was managing their nightly schedules to ensure the propagation of the royal bloodline. That meant their family planning was handled by Tomoe, and shed been using that to poke fun at Yuriga lately. It was adorable the way Yuriga turned beet-red and got angry.

Tomoe chuckled to herself as she remembered Yurigas face.

Big Brother and the others want to respect Yurigas decision, she said.

I see. Well, they already have Prince Cian and Princess Kazuha as heirs. When you consider our relationship with the Great Tiger Kingdom, its probably best not to rush things.

Yeah. So...I may be the problem. Theres been a lot of marriage offers for me lately. Tomoe went and threw a straight punch at the matter. Maybe a lot of people are being influenced by this mass marriage? Ive been getting a lot of requests from knightly and noble families... Its a real nuisance, you know?

Tomoe let out a belabored sigh, but...it was all a lie.

Souma had made some moves behind the scenes, quietly shutting down any offers for the Wise Wolf Princesss hand before they could happen.

By stressing that she already had someone in mind and bringing Liscia and the other queens, who were always delighted to hear about their little sisters love life, on board, he had managed to kill any attempts to say, It would look bad if she were to refuse outright, so could we just have the two of them meet?

In short, there were no offers to marry Tomoe right now. It was a total bluff! Tomoe was simply scheming to make Ichiha feel it was urgent that he propose to her himself! This was what the Wise Wolf Princess could do when she got serious!

Now, as for Ichiha...

Yeah, go figure. I get a mountain of those requests too.

...

He was serious. Once his talents were discovered, Ichiha had become famous throughout the country. It had also been decided he would act as prime minister while Hakuya was out of the country. There were few better people to marry for wealth and power, so all the upper-class families with daughters of marriageable age were plotting to arrange a marriage with Ichiha. And having come from another country, Ichiha didnt have the kind of strong backers that Tomoe did. It was hard for him to reject the meetings. While he was at the Royal Academy, and Tomoe was by his side, the houses had restrained themselves, thinking it best not to anger the kings little sister.

However, now that he had graduated, they didnt see the need to hold back anymore. Many of them thought that even if he was going to get engaged to Tomoe at some point, they should get in there first, build a connection, and have him choose their daughters as his second or third wife.

Tomoe understood that too. She had been trying to put pressure on Ichiha, but instead, she unknowingly piled more pressure on herself. What a natural womanizer! Ichiha Chima!

But Tomoe wasnt one to be deterred.

Then I think you should get yourself some proper backers. If you had a fiance with powerful people behind her, that would dissuade the others from making offers. Might I suggest someone with ties to the royal family?

A blatant appeal to pick her!

Tomoe was King Soumas honorary little sister. Who could have a more powerful backer than her? If he would just get engaged to her, he could get rid of all those bothersome other offers.

So, propose to me, she was saying.

Tomoe gave Ichiha a meaningful gesture, but...

Hmm... But wouldnt it be rude to the lady I proposed to if I was only doing it to fend off other suitors?

Ichiha unbelievably missed this blatant move due to his sincerity! What he was saying was genuine, and it was a valid argument. But because of that, Tomoe couldnt keep pushing. However, she wouldnt give up!

By that same logic, isnt it insincere going to meetings with prospective marriage partners you have no intention of taking seriously? she questioned.

Tomoe overturned his good argument with one of her own! That put a pensive look on Ichihas face.

Youve got a point... It gets harder to refuse every time I see them, but its not like I can just keep ignoring them either...

Th-Then...

How do you handle it, Tomoe? Youve been getting offers too, right?

An unexpected counterattack!

Her earlier attempts to make Ichiha feel the need to act fast were coming back to bite her! Because all attempts to make marriage offers to Tomoe had been shut down completely, shed never struggled with this problem.

Tomoe looked around evasively, sipping her tea and trying to appear calm.

W-Well... In the end, you have to turn them down sincerely, I guess?

Yeah, youre right, Ichiha replied, nodding repeatedly.

Tomoe had just been trying to say something inoffensive, but Ichiha was in agreement. Despite her feigned composure, her hands trembled as she held her teacup.

Urkh... Im so bad at acting like a mature woman... she thought.

In order to compete with Yuriga, whose perspective was broadening as she grew up, Tomoe had turned to Juna for lessons on how to act like an adult woman. Perhaps thanks to that, Tomoe wasnt intimidated by adults the way she had been when Souma first hired her. Shed gained the ability to keep her composure no matter whom she was dealing with.

However, that was only on the surface level, with people she only had superficial relationships with. When it came to someone like Ichiha, who she was looking to connect with on a deeper level, she lacked the experience shed need to show that kind of composure. He was her first love, after all. And theyd come this far with their relationship as it was.

Tomoe stared down into her cup.

This is hopeless. I cant think of where to take this. What am I supposed to do, Juna?

Inwardly, she turned to her master for help. When she did, Junas words echoed in her mind...

There are times when thinking with your head will get you stuck. Sometimes, you need to act honestly with your feelings. Surprisingly, there are moments when that kind of candor will work better.

This was something Juna said to her one day.

There was a time I prioritized my own feelings over my familys situation. It was at the ceremony to reward those who distinguished themselves during the war with Amidonia. The right thing to do there wouldve probably been to act on behalf of the Houses of Walter and Vargas for my grandmother. But Grandmother gave me the push I needed, and that let me ask His Majesty for what I really wanted. Hee hee! Now, Im glad I was honest with my own feelings.

Juna had patted Tomoe on the head as she said that. Even the mature Juna had given in to her emotions before, and that fact gave Tomoe the push she needed.

I...hate this... Tomoe said, forcing the words out. Ichiha suddenly looked up at her, surprised.

Large tears were streaming down her face.

Ichiha panicked. T-Tomoe?! Whats wrong...?!

While Ichiha was all shook up, Tomoe let her emotions do the talking.

I dont want you marrying someone else. We... Weve been together all this time... And I want us to stay together...forever... Sniff...

Well...yes. I want to be together forever too.

Sniff... Do you mean...as family? Will you be with me my whole life? Tomoe asked between sobs. Ichiha was so preoccupied with thinking about how to make Tomoe stop crying, that hed lost all his previous self-control and lack of confidence.

Thats why, almost reflexively, he said what hed been holding back all this time.

As a familyof course! Because I want you to be the one I spend the rest of my life with too...! Ah

A moment later, Ichihas eyes widened as he realized what hed just said. There was no doubt about ithe had just proposed to Tomoe. And in response, fresh tears began to roll down Tomoes face.

Unlike her previous sobbing, she was outright bawling in earnest now. Ichiha still didnt know how to react.

U-Um...Tomoe?

Thank...

Thank...?

Thank goodness! Oh, thank goooodness! You proposed, Ichiha...

When she heard his proposal, all the tension shed been feeling broke. These were tears of joy.

Seeing her tears, Ichiha realized that Tomoe had been waiting for him all this time. Though he hesitated at first, Ichiha resolved to get up from his seat and walked around to hug her from behind.

Um... Sorry Im a gutless coward, and I made you wait so long...

Sniff... Tell me about it. Youre such a dummy.

Ichiha smiled wryly. He had to admit, hed been a big dummy indeed, making her worry like this.

Yes. But if youll have me, I hope we can be happy together.

Yeah.

Tomoe relaxed, leaning her head back against Ichiha.

A little later, once theyd calmed down, Tomoe clapped her hands.

Okay, why dont we go tell Big Brother that were engaged now?

Huh?! So soon?

Yeah. Itd be nice if we could announce our engagement at the wedding.

Tomoe was giggling, despite crying not that long ago.

She brought her hands to his face, and her expression changed gears.

Those tears werent just an act...were they?

Hee hee! Im not that skilled an actress. I learned that today, Tomoe said with a soft smile. Thats why I opened up about my feelings. It just happened to work out.

Youve got me beat...

When he saw Tomoes smile, Ichiha raised the white flag. When you think about it, hed been tossed this way and that at the whims of Tomoes emotions today. When she stopped thinking and acted naturally, Tomoe was even more of a little devil. As Ichiha realized this, and that his fate was to be at her mercy from now on, he let out a sigh, not entirely unhappy with that outcome.

Todays victor: Tomoe (as she got Ichiha to propose.)