Chapter 4

Upon learning the unexpected secret of his ancestors, Zenjiro's face twisted, and Aura approached him with a smile, saying,

"Indeed, you are the one I seek, Lord Zenjiro. What do you think, Lord Zenjiro? I understand this is sudden and may be confusing, but would you consider seriously the option of marrying me and living in this world?"

Suddenly turning serious, Aura's proposition made Zenjiro think more clearly.

Marrying the beautiful woman before him was not a bad idea in itself. As mentioned earlier, Aura's appearance was right in the middle of Zenjiro's preferences, and from their conversation, she seemed to have a good personality. However, it was dangerous to judge her character solely based on her attitude, given that she was a queen who had to perform such roles. More importantly, the issue was that this was not a proposal for Aura to marry into Zenjiro's world, but for Zenjiro to marry into hers. The moment he agreed to this proposal, Zenjiro would have to leave Earth. No matter how much he liked the beautiful woman before him, he couldn't bring himself to exchange everything—his job, friends, and the entertainment and food culture he enjoyed on Earth—for this.

Even with his muddled mind, Zenjiro, who was still half-thinking, "Is this a dream?" found it difficult to answer immediately. As he thought, he suddenly realized he hadn't addressed the most important issue.

"Um, well, I'm already here in this world, but hypothetically speaking, if I were to refuse marriage to you, Miss Aura... what would happen?"

Tentatively asking, Zenjiro received a reassuring smile from Aura.

"In that case, of course, I will take full responsibility and return you to your original world using the 'Return Magic.' Didn't I say at the beginning, 'If it does not suit Lord Zenjiro, I will restore everything to its original state'?

After all, I brought you here without your consent. If you refuse, I will at least return everything to a blank slate. You can answer with peace of mind, following your heart."

"Oh, r-really..."

Relieved, Zenjiro let out a sigh of relief at Aura's answer. In many manga and novels, "interworld summoning" often meant that the summoned person was forced to live in the new world, unable to return. However, the reality that befell Zenjiro was not as chaotic. Being able to return was a fortunate thing. This reassurance helped Zenjiro regain some of his composure.

"Conversely, if you accept this proposal, I will also return you to your original world once. If you decide to sever ties with your original world, there will likely be people you want to say goodbye to. The summoning and return magic are influenced by the alignment of the stars, so they cannot be used freely. Fortunately, the current alignment will last until tomorrow night. Additionally, the stars will align again for summoning one month from now.

In other words, if you refuse this proposal, you will return tomorrow, and that will be the end of it. If you accept, you will return home tomorrow for a short visit and will be summoned back one month later."

"Wow, you can do the summoning magic that frequently?"

Zenjiro's casual comment made Aura shake her head with a wry smile.

"No, this is a special alignment of the stars. If you miss the opportunity one month from now, the next chance won't come for thirty years. There's no need to be overly afraid, but it's not a situation to be overly optimistic about either."

"Thirty years?!"

Zenjiro couldn't help but forget his formal speech and exclaim in his natural voice. Thirty years was indeed too long. It seemed that if he accepted this marriage proposal, he would definitely have to leave Earth. However, knowing that he could return to his original world if he refused the proposal significantly improved Zenjiro's mental state compared to before.

Human psychology is a strange thing. If told, "You can never return," one would desperately want to return. But if told, "You can return if you want," one might think, "Maybe I don't need to return after all."

(Actually, if everything Miss Aura says is true, this is quite a good deal. I don't have any family, no girlfriend. My job... well, I do it, but I have no attachment to a workplace where I work 150 hours of overtime on average per month.)

Today was the first Saturday off in six months. On weekdays, it was normal to return home after midnight, and Saturdays were generally workdays. Sundays, he had to work three times a month. The only consolation was that the company paid overtime accurately, but he had no time to spend the money. When he got home, he lacked the energy to cook, so his weekday dinners were always convenience store bento or eating out. Come to think of it, when was the last time he had a conversation with a woman outside of work and shopping?

(When I think about it, I really have no attachment to that world's life...)

The other world: no girlfriend, just work every day.

This world: marrying a busty beauty.

Upon comparing the two, perhaps this proposal was a "boat that came just in time" for Zenjiro?

For a moment, Zenjiro thought this, but his inherent timidity acted as a brake on his runaway thoughts.

(No, no, wait a minute. Even if everything she's said is true, there are still things I haven't heard. Miss Aura is a queen, right? Marrying a queen means I can't just do nothing.)

Royalty are born politicians. While there are some playboy princes in manga and novels, they are the exception. Those who fulfill their duties as royalty are said to lead lives so busy that one might feel sorry for them. Given that, it might be better to continue as a black-collar worker in his original world.

Zenjiro took several deep breaths, trying not to be noticed, to calm his heart and avoid rushing to a conclusion.