A Girl Who Impersonated the Saint Lives Freely in Her Second Life

Chapter 50: Conscious

Marriage is the fastest method to evade notice by the Goddess Kas’uan’s. Maybe I should get married to Garen after all.

Garen entered my room while I was still thinking about it. I’m curious what’s going on.

“I completed my task early today—would you like to go for a stroll with me, Mika?”

I nodded, hoping that a stroll might help me think, and Garen extended his hand. I’d never considered something wrong while accompanied by Garen before, but my cheeks flushed as I became conscious of it. I took Garen’s hand, blushing, and he smiled happily at me.

Following that, we took a walk around the courtyard, chatting about nothing else. The flowers cultivated by the Demon King were very beautiful, which was undoubtedly due to the careful cultivation by the Demon King.

Speaking of which, is Garen really wanting to marry me? I’m not educated enough to be a member of the royal family.

”Have I already told Mika? I’m already a subject; therefore, I hope Mika will marry me without question.”

Garen laughed, he looked really happy when he said that.

“Mika is seriously conscious of me, isn’t she?”

“Hey, was that a joke!?”

“No, I’m not joking—I’m serious, and I’m relieved that Mika is conscious about me.”

Garen then takes on a serious expression.

“Mika, marrying me means abandoning your world, and I vow to make you happier than I can take from Mika—so will you stay by my side?”

“… Garen.”

“… I’m sorry—I’m not trying to hurry you to respond. But I just want you to remember that.”

“Yes.”

I know. I overlooked the obvious. Garen is really interested in marrying me—not to escape the Goddess Kas’uan’s or to avoid trouble with the Demon Lord, but to think about it. What do I want to do with Garen?

■□■

I sit on the bed and contemplate.

What does marriage entail? —I’m not going to see Oka-san, Oto-san, Azusa-chan, or any of my other friends. Garen and I will instead start a family. I will have children and raise them in the same way that Oto-san and Oka-san reared me.

No, I need to think about becoming Garen’s wife first. Garen is someone I care about. If I had to pick between liking him and disliking him, I’d go with the former. But I’m not crazy about Garen. But I’ve heard on television that marriage isn’t just about love. Then why do we do it?

the Demon King said that developing love after marriage was one way of thinking.

What is the difference between love and romance?

It’s challenging.

Finally, I couldn’t sleep that night since I was worrying about everything.

■□■

“Mica couldn’t sleep?”

During a break in the paperwork, the Demon King looked at my face with concern.

“…Yes—I’ve been contemplating.”

I couldn’t sleep because I was anxious about something unrelated to the Goddess Kas’uan’s.

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

“What does O’Dowell-sama think love is?”

the Demon King paused for a time before opening his mouth.

“I know from books that you want to help them, that you want to see them smile, that you want to touch them, that your heart palpitates when you look at them──.”

the Demon King’s story appears to continue, but instead of doing so, the Demon King says something incoherent, such as “Yulin said…” or “I don’t think so…” or some such rambling thing.

“O’Dowell-sama?”

What’s the problem? When I looked the Demon King in the eyes, he shook his body.

“No, no, it’s nothing.”

However, the corners of his cheeks appear to be slightly red…

“I-It’s really nothing—don’t worry about it, Mica.

Because the Demon King says so, I nod. But after that, he doesn’t make eye contact with me or, as is always the case, he doesn’t say much.

一What exactly is going on here?

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