The Crown Prince Who Raises Alt Characters

Chapter 212: Demon Kron (10) - The Demon's Goodwill "Hey, did you hear about that duel the other day?" "That fiancé showdown? Everyone said it was amazing, but was it really that much? I heard the guy couldn't even produce sword aura." "The knight department professor who was the judge gave it the highest praise. He said it wasn't a power struggle using mana, but art that exquisitely understood human anatomy and the mechanics of force. I heard he even suggested transferring to the knight department." "Hah, really. Now that you mention it, I'm curious again. I should have gone to watch back then." The duel incident quickly became famous. From the start, there were more spectators than usual duels, and both the process and result of the duel were absolutely spectacular. The scoundrel fiancé Lawrence Silverheim ended up proudly occupying a hospital room at the academy's affiliated hospital with crushed fractures and muscle tears, and immediately started having fits after regaining consciousness. "Ku, Kuella!! You damned bitch!! How dare, how dare you do this to your future husband!? To defile a duel with such cowardly tricks!!" Some of the medical staff who roughly knew the circumstances became curious about what Lawrence meant by "cowardly tricks," but they didn't bother asking about it. It was because ordinary people tend to suffer massive mental damage when trying to understand the mental world of those called troublemakers. Therefore, they took action like seasoned professionals. They summoned his parents for the sake of young Lawrence. "Ah, Father! Why are you only coming now! Right now you need to punish that damned wench Kuella— Agh! Agh!" "You damn bastard!! How can I call something like this my son!!" Marquis Silverheim. The man who was usually called a respectable gentleman in social circles was nowhere to be found. There was only a father whose eyes had rolled back at his son's delinquency. "I told you!! I told you to do well!! To make a good impression somehow, whether by showering her with gifts or whatever!! But what? A duel? A duuuuel? And the prize for victory is official permission for philandering!? This bastard has completely lost his mind!! Huh!? You've decided to drag our family's honor through the mud!!" "Agh! Kek! Wa, wait! Kuella was the one who said that first, agh!!" "But where is there an idiot who would actually accept that!!" (E/N: Right here sir) "At, at this rate I'll d-die, aaagh!!" "Just die!! Go apologize to our family's ancestors in the afterlife!!" Even while watching the ebony staff, a symbol of gentlemen, being used as a blunt weapon, the medical staff said nothing. They absolutely weren't feeling vicarious satisfaction watching Lawrence get beaten, but were simply being considerate not to interfere with the warm exchange between parent and child. Marquis Silverheim, who had transformed his son into something that used to be his son, went straight to find Kuella on his way out of the hospital and personally bowed his head in apology. In fact, considering that Lawrence's misconduct wasn't just a day or two in the making, even the Marquis Silverheim family couldn't be without responsibility, but Kron readily accepted the apology. It was also Kuella's will, and he knew that would be more certain revenge against Lawrence. Sure enough, news of Lawrence Silverheim soon ceased after that. According to occasional rumors, the Marquis Silverheim family's people had "politely" taken him away, saying they would serve him from now on, and probably after this, there would be no chance for Kuella and him to meet face to face. He drove out the stepmother who tormented Kuella at home and the count who neglected it. They had properly disciplined the scoundrel-like fiancé and, while they were at it, annulled the tiresome engagement itself. The wish Kuella had made to the demon Kron, the request of "please someone help me," had almost all been fulfilled. Yes, 'almost'. "By the way, Kuella. Where on earth did your sister disappear to?" [I don't really know either...] Irene Ospin. Kuella's half-sister and one of the culprits who had continuously tormented Kuella along with her stepmother. She, who had been investigated as a witness during the previous incident of contempt for the imperial family, unexpectedly cooperated with the investigation in a very cooperative manner. "...As a daughter, I don't believe my parents committed such evil acts. But even if it's to prove their innocence, I'll tell you everything I know." She gave quite meaningful testimony to the investigation, and considering that Irene was young when the incident occurred, she was able to receive a not guilty verdict unlike her parents. The problem was that Irene, who should have returned to the count's house after the investigation ended, had completely disappeared. [Irene was originally good at playing innocent. While stepmother would openly scold me from the front, Irene was the type who would subtly incite people from behind to torment me.] Thanks to this, she was well-regarded within the academy unlike herself, Kuella sighed with a grumbling tone. Kron stroked his lips with his hand, lost in thought. "She immediately positioned herself as an innocent witness when she learned there was trouble at home, and she seems to be quite cunning. What to do." If she had failed to properly recognize the changed situation and bared her fangs like the former fiancé Lawrence, things would have been resolved quickly, but Kron had no proper countermeasure for her disappearing like this. People were convinced that the last inheritance return case had a political purpose, but if the Crown Prince were to order a pinpoint search for Irene here, there would be no room for excuses, would there? "Well, it can't be helped. Let's extend the period of borrowing your body a little longer." [...The borrowing period?] "Yes." Kuella tilted her head. Kron also tilted his head. [Oh, that means, um, you're going to return my body?] "Well, we can't do this forever, can we? Since we've finished improving the surrounding situation, we should gradually prepare to wrap things up." [I, I see.] Kuella made a slightly melancholic face. But she nodded as if she understood. [Well, I've seen such a refreshing sight. I was able to feel relieved for the last time in my life.] "Why is it the last? There will be many more good days ahead." [Huh?] "?" Once again, both of their heads tilted. Kuella, who had been opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish, soon seemed to remember something and said with wide eyes. [Ah, ah, I see. Are you perhaps going to wait until my lifespan ends? And collect my soul after that?] "Where on earth would I use something like Miss Kuella's soul?" [...Shouldn't you, Kron, the demon, know that better than I do?] "Originally, that's something only lowly demons demand. It's unnecessary for me." It was the kind of statement that would make a certain Greater Demon getting ground down at the Golden Cloud Palace throw a quill like a dart if she heard it. [Then, what about the price...?] "Sigh, Kuella. You seem to undervalue yourself too much. If a young lady in her prime lends her body to a complete stranger and has her privacy invaded 24 hours a day, isn't that the price? What else would it be?" Is that... so? Kuella's expression became subtle at the story that seemed strangely convincing yet not convincing at the same time. To say "is that all it takes" would seem to value a young lady's purity too cheaply, but then again, if you ask whether that's what a demon should say, well, um. While pondering a problem that didn't seem to have an easy answer, Kuella suddenly realized something and shuddered. [Oh, wait. Then if Lord Kron leaves, I'll be left alone, won't I?] "That would be the case, wouldn't it?" [That, that's not something you can just end with 'that would be the case'! How am I supposed to handle the aftermath!?] He might be dumbfounded, as if saving a drowning person only to be asked for their belongings. But Kuella was desperate in her own way. She had beaten up servants to rule through violence, thrown her parents into prison, and smashed her fiancé's limbs in a duel. It was true that it felt satisfying considering what she had endured until now, but what was Kuella supposed to do if the responsible party disappeared after stirring up such trouble? -Ah, it's a demon! These are things a demon did while possessing my body! -Hmm, I see. Which do you prefer, the psychiatry ward or the interrogation room? Unfortunately, since the empire has no temples, we can't call a priest. As Kuella turned pale at the very vivid future forecast(?). "Hmm. Well, if we're going to handle things, it's better to do it cleanly. If you have too much without the ability to back it up, misfortune will surely follow." At Kron's nodding as if he understood, Kuella's complexion brightened. As expected, Kron was surely a merciful demon. Wasn't communication going so well! "Then, let's get you accustomed. So you'll be fine even without me." Huh? Before Kuella could ask what that meant, Kuella's vision suddenly changed. The floating sensation unique to spirits disappeared, and the unique sensations and vision of having a real body returned. At first glance, it seemed like she had returned to her original body, but there were also subtle differences. For example, her right arm that was moving on its own even though she wasn't trying to move it. "Huh? Huh?" [Anyway, a feudal lord probably won't have many occasions to fight physically, so I'll just engrave some self-defense techniques into your body... Other than that, territory management skills? Ah, it would be good to learn some facial acting too. I don't expect a perfect score, so just... about 30 points worth.] 30 points. Thinking normally, it was a very low score. Low enough to justify asking if he was looking down on people. But Kuella, who had been continuously watching what Kron had been doing, knew. That '30 points' definitely didn't mean what it appeared to mean. "K, Lord Kron? Thinking about it, I think I asked for too much. People should have some shame. I'll somehow handle what's left myself!!" [It's fine, Kuella. Contracts should definitely be clean. Thanks to this, it helped with rehabilitation in various ways, so I'll keep you company until either your sister-related problem is resolved or you reach a level where you can protect yourself sufficiently on your own.] The road to hell was paved with the demon's goodwill. Kuella realized she was doomed.