Chapter 91

Today,

Volume 6 of the novel and Volume 1 of the comic are on sale!

Thank you very much for your support.

In the great country of Marinfrost, beloved by fairies, the sun usually shines warmly and comfortably, but now the snow was falling softly, heralding the arrival of winter. It wouldn't pile up too much, but it would be enough to make a small snowman.

Tiara Rose looked out the window of her room and murmured, "It's going to be cold."

"Winter is the season when I crave chocolate...!"

She thought about how she would want ice cream if there were a kotatsu, but unfortunately, this world didn't have kotatsu. So, when winter came, she often craved seasonal limited chocolates from convenience stores.

As Tiara Rose counted the types of chocolate she wanted to eat on her fingers, Aquasteed, who was sitting on the sofa, and Philine, who was preparing tea, laughed.

"Looks like we'll be having chocolate for dessert for a while?"

"Aquasteed-sama! Winter just makes me want to eat chocolate!"

At Aquasteed's teasing, Tiara Rose smiled wryly.

"I've made the tea, so please take your time. Don't stay too close to the window, or you might catch a cold."

"You're right. Thank you, Philine."

Sitting next to Aquasteed, she sipped the warm tea. She sighed and leaned against Aquasteed's shoulder.

Her name is Tiara Rose Lapis Marinfrost. Her honey-pink hair, which floated gently, was very adorable, and her gentle smile could charm anyone. She had come from the Kingdom of Lapislazuli, which bordered Marinfrost, and was the villainess in the game "The Ring of Lapislazuli."

"What's the matter, Tiara? Are you being clingy?"

"I got a bit cold, so I thought I'd warm up with Aquasteed-sama."

"...You always say such cute things."

Aquasteed said this and gently stroked Tiara Rose's head, which was resting on his shoulder.

He was her husband and the king of Marinfrost, Aquasteed Marinfrost. With dark blue hair and golden eyes, he possessed great power and supported the country alongside the Fairy King as the King of the Stars. He was calm and strict but also had a sweet side for Tiara Rose.

Philine, Tiara Rose's maid, watched the two of them with a smile. She always put Tiara Rose first in everything and had served her since she was a child.

"I can't prepare chocolate right away, but I can make chocolate cookies."

"Really? That's great!"

When Philine said this, Tiara Rose's face lit up. She loved otome games and sweets, and she often received many sweets as gifts.

While there was a concern about gaining weight from eating too much, she planned to manage it with exercise and stretching.

When Philine left to prepare the chocolate cookies, Aquasteed started a conversation.

"Do you know the country of Sandrose, which is southwest of here?"

"Sandrose? Of course, I know it."

Nodding at Aquasteed's words, Tiara Rose recalled the information about Sandrose. It was a vast empire that rivaled Marinfrost in size, but half of its territory was a scorching desert. However, the oases scattered throughout the desert were beautifully crafted and famous for their natural wonders. If one were to travel from here to Sandrose, it would take at least two months by carriage.

—Come to think of it, I read in a book that it's a country where love is prevalent.

"Isn't it a polygamous society? It seems quite different from Marinfrost culturally."

"Indeed, Tiara, you're well-informed."

"No, not really..."

But Tiara Rose wondered what had happened with Sandrose.

"Actually, they've proposed a trade. They apparently want the Tiara Rose flower."

"The flower?"

Hearing the unexpected words, Tiara Rose was taken aback. She never thought a country with which they had no regular interaction would want Marinfrost's national flower. The "Tiara Rose flower" was a flower that grew and bloomed with Tiara Rose's magic. It was cherished by the people and filled the city. However, it required a bit of care, but the forest fairies diligently took care of it, so there was no problem.

Tiara Rose thought it made sense but was concerned whether it would grow in Sandrose. If the flower, named after the queen, were to wither, it could create an awkward situation between the two countries. Sending cut flowers also seemed inappropriate, as they wouldn't last long and might wither before reaching Sandrose.

Considering all this, she felt it was a bit complicated.

"Maybe it's too difficult to send the flower to Sandrose."

"...Yes, you're right. It would be nice if they had forest fairies, but they don't."

"Right. We should politely decline the request from Sandrose."

Aquasteed said this and ran his fingers through Tiara Rose's hair. Tiara Rose laughed and said, "It tickles."

"But, if they want the flower... I wish they would send Marinfrost's sweets to Sandrose and make them popular there."

"That's like Tiara."

While promoting the flower was good, Tiara Rose insisted on promoting sweets. However, Aquasteed also found it puzzling. If they wanted to see the actual flower, it made sense, but no member of the Sandrose royal family had ever visited Marinfrost.

"Oh, but..."

"?"

"Maybe it's a gift for a woman."

"Considering it's a country of love, that makes sense."

Tiara Rose agreed.

"But, they're not just commoners, right?"

"Sandrose has an emperor, and below him are the nobles. I heard the emperor has five concubines."

"Five..."

Hearing this, Tiara Rose frowned. In Marinfrost, where one-to-one relationships were the norm, she would definitely refuse if her husband had so many wives.

—What a playboy emperor.

She had never met him, but he must be a playboy. There would likely be conflicts among the concubines, and the relationships would be messy.

"But, the status of the concubines is determined by their family background, right?"

"There are nobles, but there are also concubines chosen from commoners."

"!"

Tiara Rose, who had been imagining a messy situation, widened her eyes at Aquasteed's words. In Marinfrost and Lapislazuli, a noble lady's status was required for marriage to the royal family, but it seemed that wasn't the case in Sandrose.

—So, free love is possible?

While she disliked polygamy, she found this aspect appealing. Noticing the change in Tiara Rose's mood, Aquasteed asked, "Is something bothering you?"

"I think it's good that they have a culture of free love and marriage, not just arranged marriages."

"You mentioned that the place you lived, Japan, was like that."

"Yes. While I understand the importance of bloodlines..."

It was a difficult issue.

—But, considering it's an otome game...

Proper bloodlines were a popular element in otome games. However, if something similar happened in her own life, it would be different. In Tiara Rose's circle, arranged marriages would involve people like Olivia and Aishira. Elliot, though not a noble, would have a tough time if he fell in love with a noble lady.

"Here are the chocolate cookies."

"Thank you, Philine."

While she was deep in thought, Philine brought the chocolate cookies. However, Philine's expression seemed less lively than usual.

—It took her a while to prepare them, so maybe something happened?

But she couldn't ask "What's wrong?" in front of Aquasteed, as it might sound like an order and make Philine uncomfortable.

"Along with the cookies, I've brought hot milk. There's no sugar, but how would you like it?"

"Ah, that sounds warming. Since we have cookies, I'll have it as is."

"Yes."

Aquasteed nodded and took the hot milk. On a snowy day, enjoying hot milk and sweets indoors was a luxury.

Philine smiled at the cheerful Tiara Rose and went to the window to draw the curtains before it got too cold. Suddenly, she noticed the snow was starting to accumulate.

"Tiara Rose-sama, Aquasteed-sama, it looks like the snow is starting to pile up."

"Really? I haven't seen snow accumulate since I came to Marinfrost."

"It's rare because of the mild climate. It's unusual."

Tiara Rose and Aquasteed stood up and looked out the window.

"Wow, amazing! It would be fun to build a kamakura and have cheese fondue inside..."

"Kamakura?"

Hearing Tiara Rose's excited voice, Aquasteed tilted his head.

"It's a kind of cave made of snow. Usually, we eat hot pot inside."

"Interesting..."

After enjoying the snow, they returned to the sofa. Tiara Rose's fingertips, which had touched the window, were a bit cold. As she tried to warm them with her breath, Aquasteed took her hand.

"Ah! Aquasteed-sama"

"Your fingertips are cold."

He chuckled and rubbed his cheek against Tiara Rose's hand.

"Aquasteed-sama's cheek is warm."

Blushing, Tiara Rose smiled and tickled Aquasteed's cheek with her fingertips, making him laugh.

"That tickles."

"I'm tickling you."

"Then, I'll return the favor."

"Eh!"

Hearing Aquasteed's words, Tiara Rose tried to pull her hand away, but Aquasteed held it firmly, preventing her from escaping. She was tightly embraced by Aquasteed and gave up.

"Aquasteed-sama's fingertips are also cold, so I'll warm them up for you."

"Thank you."

Smiling at Tiara Rose's offer, Aquasteed kissed her cheek gently.

I plan to update leisurely every Friday.

The comic also has free releases, so I hope you enjoy it!

◆The villainess is featured in a short ad for Beeslog Comic!

Aquasteed's speaking in it made me go "fwooh."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFxUalYiqQY

Also, on Nico Nico Seiga, the results and illustrations for the places where Tiara Rose and Aquasteed should go on a date are being announced.

They are very cute, so please check them out!