Chapter 3

The surroundings suddenly became noisy.

The debate over whether my words or the prince's were correct was getting heated.

"Then, does that mean Lady Aronia killed the previous king... Even if there was a noble cause, it cannot be forgiven..."

"Wasn't it Jebra who directly did it?"

"Lady Aronia could have killed Jebra and taken the throne, but she returned it to the Mistria royal family."

"That's right. She didn't desire much. The proof is that she chose to live in the remote land of Kukuruj. She is certainly not greedy!"

This place has many supporters of the prince, and I don't know anyone here, so I thought it would be enough to bring it to a draw, but it seems I have a significant advantage.

Prince Rain's face was grim.

He didn't believe my story outright, but he seemed to be wavering. He looked unsure of what the truth was. Just as I thought, it was going my way.

Just when I was thinking that I could relax for now,

"Aronia, I don't know. It might be as you say. But! But, but...!"

Emerald stepped forward to replace the prince.

"What about the recent strange incidents? The criminals said they were acting on your orders!"

"It's absurd to take the words of criminals at face value."

My voice came out cold with frustration. Well, it's fine. There's no reason for me to be friendly to this woman.

"Some witches dislike your mother. She once ruled them through fear. Could they be trying to frame me out of resentment? Or perhaps they are jealous of my marriage to the handsome prince and want to break it off?"

I smiled at Emerald. Did she understand my sarcasm?

She bit her lip and looked down.

"Is there any other evidence that I am an evil witch? Surely you don't intend to condemn me based solely on the testimony of witches?"

"No! Because...!"

Emerald declared with determination.

"My name is Emerald Poplar! I was born with the power of foresight, and one day I received a great revelation! The daughter of the Red Witch will bring disaster to Mistria! To prevent this, I was told to find the Blue Prince and four companions! And, and, I...!"

Yes, I know. In the original anime's first episode, Emerald received this foresight and set out on a journey.

In reality, she probably does have the power of prophecy.

The prince and his followers believed in her power and took bold actions without solid evidence.

But I won't acknowledge it.

"As you know, the power of foresight is extremely unstable. It's impossible to accurately read the countless fates that change over time... I don't think everything you say is a lie, but there's no guarantee that your foresight is always correct."

"That's not true... My foresight is always frighteningly accurate!"

"Then why are you being refuted by me here?"

"That's... Because I'm inexperienced and can't control my foresight as I wish..."

Realizing her lack of persuasiveness, Emerald's eyes welled up with tears, and she cut off her words. But she quickly raised her head and appealed to the king and the guests. She's tough.

"Please believe me! You must not let Prince Rain marry the Red Witch! Mistria will be destroyed!"

But her words were so clumsy that they could be laughed off with a snort.

Everyone frowned. Even Prince Rain stopped Emerald from shouting again.

I secretly sighed. I can understand how Sonia felt in the original story. It's no wonder she would want to lose her temper and go on a rampage.

It's time to end this farce. I'm getting bored.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of marrying Prince Rain... It's impossible."

"Eh?"

"Being swayed by baseless testimony, breaking a historic alliance, and publicly insulting us... I have no desire to be with such a foolish man. As you wish, I will not marry Prince Rain... No, I will not marry the Mistria royal family."

Only Emerald looked relieved at my words. The prince, the prime minister, the officials, and the guests all twisted their faces as if they were afraid of something.

They might be worried that I will declare war here.

I have every right to be angry.

But if I choose to fight here, it will be too similar to the original story. Besides, it's troublesome.

"I have no intention of nullifying the peace treaty that my mother sacrificed herself to achieve. I will continue to strive for coexistence between the Kingdom of Mistria and the witches on this land. However—"

I looked up at the king, who seemed to understand the situation best.

"This time, the cancellation of the engagement comes from Prince Rain, that is, from the Kingdom of Mistria. In return for my acceptance, I demand compensation."

It's only right.

I hope they appreciate that I'm offering a solution to resolve the matter amicably.

"...Understood. State your demands."

Your voice is so deep and wonderful, Your Majesty. It resonates in my ears.

I pretended to think, though I had already made up my mind. If I reveal my true intentions from the start, they might become wary.

I let my gaze wander around the hall and finally pointed to the young man with black hair.

"That sharp-looking person... You are Prince Rain's knight, right? And the sword at your waist... Witch Slayer."

Ignoring the murmurs from the audience, I twisted my red lips.

"King of Mistria, I request that you allow this man to become my retainer and let me take him back to my homeland, Kukuruj."

The young man's golden eyes widened, and his face clearly showed disgust. How obvious.

He appears in the original anime.

Vil Obsidian.

The prince's best friend and one of the top knights in the kingdom.

A pitiful side character who suffers between his unrequited love for Emerald and his friendship.

However, he is overwhelmingly popular among fans, even surpassing the main hero, Prince Rain.

My previous self also found Vil the cutest.

The reason my previous self hated Sonia so much was that Sonia killed Vil in the final episode.

To be precise, Vil jumped in front of Emerald to protect her and became the victim of Sonia's magic.

Vil, who never confessed his love, remained steadfastly devoted to Emerald until the end. Many fans were moved by his character.

Moreover, Vil didn't go down without a fight. He dealt a blow to Sonia, and the injury he sustained prevented him from using his full power, leading to his defeat by Emerald.

What a great role. He's too cool.

My previous self used to say,

"If I were Sonia, I wouldn't kill a good man like Vil! I'd capture him and keep him! That's what an evil witch should do!"

I don't share any common ground or spiritual connection with my previous self, but I strongly agree with this point.

The original Sonia was always hot-headed and could only see Emerald and Prince Rain. It was a huge waste.

To be honest, Prince Rain is more attractive in appearance. The prince is too beautiful.

But Vil is also good. His well-trained physique, even through his clothes, his sharp and dangerous aura, his awkward and difficult life—all of these are very attractive to me.

I decided after seeing him with my own eyes.

I want Vil.

I will take him back and keep him.

"How can you! That's so unfair! Vil-kun will be so pitiful!"

"Please wait, Your Majesty! Vil—!"

Emerald and the prince were desperate. Of course, they both value Vil after each other. That's why it's worth taking him from them.

Ignoring the two, the king looked straight at Vil.

"Vil Obsidian... What will you do?"

Vil's face twisted in bitterness, but he quickly composed himself and knelt, performing the knight's salute.

"If my service can ensure the kingdom's peace, I have no complaints. I will go to Kukuruj."

That's the spirit.

Thus, in exchange for the cancellation of the engagement, I acquired the knight.