After-Story Chapter 39: Proposal (Part 4)
“Just like Big Brother Ichiha and Big Sister Tomoe!”
“D-Do we really flirt that much?” Ichiha scratched his cheek, looking troubled.
Though Ichiha said that, the degree of their flirting was common knowledge among those working in the castle. Both Ichiha, the highly capable and competent Prime Minister, and Tomoe, the Chamberlains, executed their duties flawlessly, so there were no delays in state affairs. However, whenever their eyes met, they exchanged meaningful glances, and when they worked together, subtle body contact increased.
At noon, one of them would visit the other’s workspace to invite them to lunch, and during lunch, they created a space so exclusive to the two of them that no one else could easily intrude. Cian envied this loving closeness between Tomoe and Ichiha.
“Because we’ve been together for so long, Carla has put me in the ‘family’ category. I first needed to make her reconsider her perception of me as a man.”
“I see. That’s why you proposed right out of the gate.”
“If I stay as her younger brother figure forever, dates will just feel like casual strolls, and whispering words of love will just look like a child trying to act grown-up. Even if it’s harsh medicine, I had to smash that perception.”
“I think that aggressive attitude is commendable,” a gentle voice interjected at that moment.
Tomoe, Ichiha’s wife and a Chamberlain, was standing there, having arrived without anyone noticing.
“Although my brother-in-law inherited the throne, he wasn’t of the Elfrieden Royal Family, so his guarantee of legitimacy through blood was only as my sister’s spouse. Therefore, the bloodline of the Elfrieden Royal Family could only be maintained through his children with my sister. On the other hand, since His Majesty Cian is already of the Royal Family bloodline, he can ‘be fruitful and multiply’ with any woman. To increase the number of royals, which has been declining, I wish for His Majesty to be proactive in romance.”
Saying this, Tomoe placed the documents she had received from the Treasury Department in front of Cian. When Cian made a frustrated face at the increased workload, Tomoe chuckled softly.
“Besides, my brother-in-law’s blood is important, too. The Old Humanity lineage is necessary for controlling super-scientific relics and beings like Mao-san, so His Majesty must continue to have children. I’m already looking forward to creating your night attendance schedule.”
“Big Sister… just because this doesn’t concern you…”
“Regardless of Carla-san, I feel you should move forward with Sharan-san already.”
“Sharan is being considerate of me. That’s why… in order to advance my relationship with Sharan, I want to settle things with Carla first.”
Because Sharan knew of Cian’s feelings for Carla, she had maintained a certain distance in their relationship until Cian proposed to Carla. She felt that if Carla saw her and Cian’s good relationship, Carla might feel reassured and step aside, leaving Carla in Cian’s heart unresolved.
Sharan, having learned the responsibilities of a National Mother from her birth mother, Queen Shabon, and the pride of a First Royal Consort from her adoptive mother, Liscia, was not the type of person to overlook anything that could become a rift in the marriage, however small. Even if more women were to compete for Cian’s affections, she was determined to meet them head-on, stand as Cian’s First Royal Consort with fairness and integrity, and in the most honorable manner.
That was why she pushed Cian and prompted Carla to recognize her own feelings. Remembering Sharan’s character, both Ichiha and Tomoe could only offer wry smiles.
“It looks like… neither Cian nor Carla will ever be able to raise their heads to Sharan-san.”
“From the nation’s perspective, I think it’s a good thing. My sister has proven that the country and the family are more secure when a strong and admirable woman stands as the First Royal Consort. I aspire to learn from her, too.”
“T-Tomoe, I think you’re fine as you are,” Ichiha quickly interjected, seeing Tomoe clench her fist as if making a resolution.
The power balance within their household was evident, but even this exchange between the two of them simply looked like flirting to the onlookers. And Cian, the one forced to watch, sighed.
“Even though I became King, there are too many things I can’t control. I think I understand why Father retired so quickly when I turned fifteen.”
Souma worked diligently to develop a stable world after the world reorganization, but when Cian turned fifteen, he casually abdicated the throne and left Parnam Castle.
“The world is stable, and we have many competent vassals. The military is controlled by the Royal Family and Excel, so there are no problems. If you listen carefully to the advice of Ichiha and Tomoe-chan, anyone can manage state affairs without issue. Conversely, if I remain on the throne, people might try to saddle me with titles like Hero, Saint, or Savior, like the ones Fuuga and Maria carried. So, I decided to retire as King and leave the rest to Cian.”
At the birthday celebration held for Cian and Kazuha, Souma announced this in front of the assembled family and vassals. It was a complete surprise to Cian, but his consorts, beginning with Liscia, and his senior vassals, seemed to have known already and showed no surprise. The banquet, which was supposed to be a birthday party, transformed into a celebration of Cian’s enthronement and a farewell party for Souma.
A few days later, after Cian’s enthronement ceremony concluded, Souma readily left Parnam Castle and moved into one of the residences in the noble district below the castle. Liscia and the other former Queen Consorts followed Souma, establishing the residence as their base of operations and devoting themselves to their respective passions.
Liscia chose to stand by Souma and support him as his secretary even after his abdication. Cian and the others believed she would follow Souma to the ends of the earth if necessary.
Aisha remains by Souma’s side as his bodyguard. However, she has recently been making strong advances toward Souma, demanding a child of her own, which reportedly leaves Souma flustered.
Juna is still involved in music programs as a legendary diva. She has also become the mentor of her son, Kaito, who made his debut as the Singing Knight Orpheus, utilizing his androgynous looks.
Roroa seems to still be secretly pulling the strings of her trading company even after handing it over to her son, Leon, and Flora. She continues to display her business acumen while raising Misora.
Naden is active as a weather forecaster and flies around with Souma on her back. Since the family’s activities are scattered, Naden’s cooperation is essential for the wives to spend time with Souma. Furthermore, her daughter, Linoa, is being educated under Excel to become a long-term backing for the Royal Family, like Excel, due to her long lifespan as a Kōryū.
Maria continues to devote herself to charitable work and supports her sister Jeanne and her daughter Stella (since the Kingdom of Euphoria has even fewer royals than the Kingdom of Friedonia), who was adopted by Hakuya and his wife.
Yuriga is still an active magical soccer player, raising Fuuga’s orphaned child, Suiga, and her daughter Sayuri. She is feeling a little lonely because she has recently been approached by Shuukin and others about making Suiga the King of the Haan Kingdom soon.
The last one… since she is a state secret, we shall refrain from discussing her here.
As for Souma himself, after retiring as King, he became a researcher of Old Humanity Studies and is a special professor at the Royal Academy. Simply put, Old Humanity Studies is the academic pursuit of recording and transmitting the history, culture, and customs of the Old Humanity—his former world, Earth—to leave a record for future generations.
When it was discovered that Mao, the Seadians’ leader, possessed data of books originating from Earth, Souma began the translation process. Although these book data are a small fraction of Earth’s history, they are still numerous. The first book Souma chose to translate was Machiavelli’s The Prince.
Souma had actually studied it and clearly remembered the contents, which is why he chose it for the first translation. It had also served as a guideline for his behavior as King, and he likely wanted to leave it for Cian and the others. He published his translation, annotated with examples from his time as King, under the title The Prince (Souma’s Notes).
Despite its slightly biased content, such as Souma’s unique interpretation defending the cruel aspects of The Prince that the Christian world once denounced as the ‘Devil’s book,’ it became a bestseller due to the novelty of being “A book about the monarch written by the former King who reorganized the world.”
Since then, Souma has primarily focused on translating entertainment-related content, such as songs and manga (as the impact of mistakes in highly specialized texts is significant), and teaching students translation methods. Whenever Old Humanity relics are discovered in dungeons or the Northern Hemisphere, he rushes to investigate what they are and whether they pose any danger.
That was Souma’s second life since stepping down as King.
“Are my brother-in-law and the others in the Northern Hemisphere right now?”
Cian nodded at Tomoe’s words.
“Yes. Mother Maria and Mother Yuriga… and Mother Juna, perhaps? A few of them should have remained here, but Father, Mother Liscia, and Mother Aisha, at least, should be out on an investigation in the Northern world. They are scheduled to give their regular report today.”
“Everyone is so energetic. They seem more vibrant than when they were in the Royal Castle,” Ichiha said, sounding a little envious.
Cian shrugged.
“They really have it made. I want to retire soon, too.”
“Oh, then you need to have children quickly. Once the next generation is ready, you can step down, you know? Perhaps I should check on Sharan-sama’s physical condition right now.”
Cian fell silent when Tomoe said this with a beaming smile.
