第四十章
“Alex, has this man knocked his head somewhere? Even if *I* am trying to be cute, proposing to a girl he’s known for less than five minutes—is he truly sane?”
“How am I supposed to know if you ask me! What should I do now, with all this mess!?”
“I-I don’t know either! Just do something to make him hate you first!”
Truth be told, Lisbeth had only intended to portray herself as a delicate girl in front of Krus. This was a ploy to conceal the fact that she couldn’t possibly have slain so many giant bear demon beasts. Thus, she had merely tried to show her most charming side.
However, what she never anticipated was that Krus, standing before her, would become utterly smitten without reservation. He even intended to approach Chris with a request to marry Lisbeth. This revelation nearly made Lisbeth spit blood in sheer exasperation.
Regardless, Lisbeth knew she could never marry a man. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to refuse Krus. However, before she could even open her mouth, a familiar voice drifted from not far behind her.
“Ah! It’s Lisbeth!”
“But who is that man holding her?”
‘Damn it, how did they arrive so quickly?’
Lisbeth knew without a doubt that it was Hilda and the others. It appeared they had come straight to find her after dealing with the remaining giant bear demon beasts. However, more than anything else, the most awkward situation was undoubtedly being held in Krus’s arms.
As Hilda and the others approached and saw who was holding Lisbeth, Hilda quickly drew a sharp breath. She then spoke, “Krus, thank you immensely for coming from the Demon Lord’s Castle to rescue us. You arrived much faster than we anticipated.”
“Naturally. After all, you personal maids are of the same rank as us Demon Generals. If anything were to happen to the three personal maids, it would be no laughing matter.”
Upon hearing Krus’s words, Hilda nodded with a smile. She then gestured towards Lisbeth, saying, “Indeed, though it’s not merely three personal maids, but four. This Lisbeth is a newly appointed personal maid under the Demon Lord.”
“Eh!? She’s *that* Lisbeth? The one who angered the Demon Lord on her first day of duty and was thrown into the dungeon for a night of reflection?”
“Y-Yes… that would be me…”
Since her identity had already been explained, Lisbeth nodded magnanimously. She was about to loosen Krus’s grip and stand up. However, before she could do so, Krus pulled her closer, embracing her tightly. “Oh! To think the woman who will soon be my wife is such a bold girl! I, Krus, am truly blessed!”
“Huh!?”
“Eh, eh, eh!?”
As Krus’s words faded, everyone present twisted their expressions in various ways. Seeing this, Lisbeth immediately waved her hands, glaring furiously at Krus. “Hey! Since you know my identity, you should also realize that I am a man… Ugh!”
Witnessing Krus’s genuine intent to take her as his wife, Lisbeth became enraged, ready to expose her true identity. But before she could finish speaking, Hilda sharply smacked her on the head.
“Ow! What was that for, old woman!?”
“Lisbeth, while you may be unruly on a daily basis, the man before you is Krus, one of the Demon Generals. Your tone just now was most inappropriate.”
Though Hilda appeared to be reprimanding Lisbeth about her manners, when Lisbeth saw Hilda subtly winking at her, she instantly understood the true situation.
‘C-Could it be? That barely anyone in the Demon Lord’s Castle knows my true identity?’
“It appears so,” Clotilde confirmed. “Otherwise, Hilda wouldn’t have unnecessarily smacked your head.”
Receiving this affirmative answer from Clotilde, Lisbeth’s mouth twitched sharply. In her mind, it was one thing for the ordinary maids she worked with daily to be unaware of her true identity. However, for even someone of Krus’s Demon General rank to be ignorant of it, truly left Lisbeth bewildered as to Chris’s ultimate intentions.
Regardless of all this, since Lisbeth couldn’t use her gender to refuse Krus, she took a deep breath. She then hurriedly spoke to him, “Lord Krus, I deeply apologize for my disrespectful words just now. However, I am truly sorry. While I am very grateful for your rescue, I currently have no intention of marrying. Therefore, I cannot accept your proposal here.”
“Is that so? So that’s how it is…”
As Lisbeth’s words ended, Krus immediately displayed a crestfallen expression. Witnessing this, Lisbeth, surprisingly, felt a wave of relief. After all, though she felt a slight pang of guilt for the Krus before her, it would undoubtedly be for the best if he were to give up now.
However, in the very next second, Krus embraced Lisbeth even tighter. A pained expression slowly spread across his face as he declared, “If that’s the case, then there’s no helping it. If you don’t wish to marry yet, Lisbeth, then we shall simply become engaged first.”
“Huh!?”
“Eh, eh, eh!?”
‘Is this man insane!? Or did my punch back then knock him senseless!?’
Upon hearing Krus’s words, Lisbeth’s expression twisted in an instant. As she turned her head, she saw both Hilda and Airenst trying to stifle their laughter. Staros, meanwhile, was already unhesitatingly rolling on the ground, convulsed with mirth.
‘Hey! Stop laughing and help me already!’
Although Lisbeth could continue to refuse Krus, he was, after all, a Demon General. Angering him here would not benefit her future. Therefore, if possible, it would be best for someone else to speak on her behalf. Lisbeth frantically winked at Hilda, hoping she would come to her rescue.
However, contrary to her wishes, Hilda did not help her. Instead, she silently turned her head away, as if she hadn’t noticed Lisbeth’s desperate gaze.
‘Hey!! How could you do this, you old hag!!’
Gazing at the unhelpful Hilda, Lisbeth’s teeth gnashed in frustration, yet she was utterly helpless. With no other option, Lisbeth decided to risk offending Krus and directly rejected him.
“Lord Krus, I am truly sorry. I genuinely cannot bring myself to like you. While I am incredibly grateful for your rescue, I simply do not harbor any romantic feelings for you.”
“H-How could this be…”
Indeed, being so explicitly rejected by Lisbeth for the second time, Krus’s confidence, no matter how great, was still shaken. Nevertheless, Krus took a deep breath. He then declared, “Even so, I will not give up on you, Lady Lisbeth!!”
‘Sigh… what a bother…’
Watching Krus, who was clearly determined to relentlessly pursue her, Lisbeth sighed, intending to continue trying to persuade him. But before she could speak, an unexpected person suddenly chimed in.
“Krus, Lisbeth would never say something like ‘I like you,’ you know~”
“Eh?”
As that person’s words fell, Lisbeth immediately turned her gaze towards the source of the voice. In the next second, Lisbeth’s jaw dropped, unable to believe what her eyes beheld. For the one who spoke on her behalf was none other than Staros, who had just been rolling on the ground with laughter.
Upon hearing Staros’s words, Krus immediately furrowed his brow. He then asked her, “Staros, what do you mean by that? Does Lady Lisbeth already have someone she likes?”
“Hmm, not exactly~ As I just said, Lisbeth would never utter the words ‘I like you,’ that’s all. As for the reason, it’s actually quite simple~”
“Hmm!?”
Although Staros superficially appeared to be speaking up for Lisbeth, the moment she opened her mouth, Lisbeth clearly saw the malicious grin plastered across Staros’s face. As expected, Staros’s subsequent words truly made Lisbeth want to spit blood.
“Because Lisbeth is a very unforthcoming person, her feelings are always at odds with her words. So, the more she rejects you, the more, in a sense, you need to use even greater love to move her and make her genuinely fall for you~”
‘Hey!! What kind of nonsense are you spouting, you damned pseudo-loli!’
As Staros’s words concluded, Krus seemed to understand something. He then said to Lisbeth, who was still in his arms, “So that’s how it is! But it’s alright! I will definitely use my love to move you, Lady Lisbeth, so please marry me!!”
“No! That’s not it at all!!”
“It’s fine. I’ve already understood your unforthcoming nature from Staros, so one day I will make you open up.”
Gazing at Krus, who was now completely ignoring Lisbeth’s explanations, Lisbeth furiously turned her attention to Staros. In the next moment, she saw Staros, along with Hilda and the others, all wearing smiles. They then said to Krus, “Well then, Lord Krus, whether you can take our lovely Lisbeth with you depends on your skill~”
“I understand! We shall go propose to the Demon Lord right away!!”
Having spoken these words, Krus unhesitatingly soared into the air with Lisbeth in his arms, heading straight for the Demon Lord’s Castle. Lisbeth, held captive in his embrace, silently shed a single tear. Then, suspended in mid-air, she cried out at the top of her lungs.
“I! SAID! I don’t like you at alllllllll!!!”