I Favor the Villainess

- Chillin 'chillin'.

The doorbell rang.

The time is evening.

I was leaving a message, and I was about to get ready for dinner while waiting for Master Claire to come home.

I still need a pot simmering pork and root vegetable soup.

Since it is not a gas stove and cannot be easily lit or extinguished, priority was given to those responding to visitors for the time being.

"Yes, who... not Matt"

"Long time no see, Ray"

When I opened the door, it was Matt there.

Matt-Mon.

I think most of you probably forgot, so to explain, he's a senior grad student who was seriously injured in a courtyard case during the civilian movement.

I'm meeting with Claire at the Spirit Church treatment center to hear what happened shortly after the incident.

He graduated from college after the revolution and should now have been a bureaucrat for the new government.

"What's going on? Well, what's with the stand-up, and you're putting the pot on fire, will you come up?

Sorry to bother you.

I led Matt to the living room and I started spinning the pan again.

All right, it's not burning.

"Can I cook?

"Yeah. Maybe because it'll be a long story. Where's Lady Claire?

Matt, who at the time of the courtyard incident had only rebelled against the nobility, called Lady Claire with honor.

I was a little surprised about that.

"It's still college. Dear Claire, because I'm teaching at the college now."

"Yeah, I know. Isn't that amazing? Even though he's a hero of the revolution, I can't believe he pulled a slice from the new regime. It was all about personal gain. It's very different from other nobles."

Oh, I see.

Is it not inconsistent for Matt, who was part of the civilian movement, that Master Claire would be subject to respect?

I guess Claire, who is an aristocrat but has led the revolution to success and has since lived as a citizen, is an object of admiration for him, so to speak.

"Well, leave that alone, what can I do for you?

"... I'm going to go straight in."

I felt Matt's voice harden.

I glanced away from the pan and looked back at him over my shoulder.

he said.

"I want Master Claire to go to the Empire."

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

"Would you please explain to me how we got into that?

Master Claire asked Matt with a serious face.

After Matt came to visit, Lady Claire went home soon.

My house still had dinner, so Matt also invited me to surround the table with the kids, and now I'm just finally taking a breather.

May and Allea were trying to be unusual because they were meeting Matt for the first time, but now they're tired of it, playing in the children's room.

"Yes, first, let me explain from the international situation of the last few months"

Matt took the world map out of his bag and continued.

"The Nah Empire had stepped up its aggression against other countries over the past few years. A number of countries have already been attacked and made part of the country."

Matt pointed to that country, which boasts a wide print in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Bauer.

"The hands of the demons of the Empire have also fallen upon the kingdom. During the revolution, this country went as far as to become a puppet of the Nah Empire. Fortunately, thanks to the work of Claire and Suse and Appalachia, we escaped the difficulties."

"I don't care about me. So?"

Master Claire prompts me to go ahead and Matt continues.

"Not only the kingdom, but also Suse and Appalachia were burning their hands in acts of aggression from the Empire. So Queen Manaria of Suse took the head, and the plan was raised to organize a coalition of three nations to discuss the Empire."

"Allied forces... that was what was happening..."

Master Claire said to groan.

Lady Claire and I were helping out with this shortly after the start of the new administration, but the last few months have been no touches on politics.

I can't believe that was happening at some point.

"But the empire is also a temper. Before this union was formed, there was an offer of peace to the Kingdom of Bauer."

"... well, that's what I'm talking about"

Master Claire nodded as if she was convinced of something, but I have no idea what it would be like.

"What do you mean?

"Buy yourself some time, yes. Isn't that right, Matt?

"You're right."

This is what Lady Claire explained.

Dealing with three countries at the same time: Bauer, Suse and Appalachia has a poor flag color, no matter how stubborn the military might is an empire.

Even if we are to respond, we need to buy time to expand our armaments.

That's probably why we're offering peace.

"The offer came to Bauer because Bauer probably can't afford the most national power right now. Bauer, who agreed with the coalition in front of his allies, doesn't really want to avoid war, either?

"... you can't hide anything from Master Claire."

Matt told me to admire it.

"But how is that supposed to tell Master Claire to go to the Empire?

I didn't know where it was.

"As part of peace, the Empire has offered to send exchange students from both countries. Among those candidates was Claire's name."

"Me? Why is that?

Lady Claire reveals her confusion.

That would be so.

Even before the revolution, Claire is only a citizen today.

"This is a completely political story. As an exchange student, the Empire has put out the Crown Prince, the first heir to the Empire's throne. Even as a Bauer, we have to send someone to match it."

"So why me? I'm not noble anymore, am I?

Matt continued as Lady Claire asked on top of each other.

"Indeed, Master Claire is only one ordinary citizen today. But not for the Empire. You are a hero who has changed the system of the kingdom. And it is also a resentment that prevented the invasion of the Empire"

"Are you telling Master Claire to take hostage!?

I saw the story.

The kingdom is offering Claire as a personal gift.

"I'm not kidding! Matt, I'm done talking. I refuse."

"Ray, listen to me till the end."

"No, I don't even have to ask!

I had blood all over my head.

Through the revolution, I got a peaceful life, so why should Master Claire see me like that?

But there was a voice that chilled my excitement like that.

"Ray, calm down. Let's talk to the end."

"Dear Claire!?

It was Master Claire.

She was looking at me with very quiet eyes.

Those gentle lake-like eyes shut me up, rather than being reprimanded weirdly.

"Matt, keep going."

"Yes. For once, this eyeball above the building was the third prince. Master Yu will be dispatched as an exchange student. Lady Claire will go with it."

"I guess that is. Whatever it takes, the Crown Prince and his former nobility can't match it."

"As you will notice, the candidate from here has been chosen by the criterion that he is the least damaging to the kingdom. It does not include, for example, key cabinet officials. Because the kingdom doesn't have that strength yet."

"Yes. I am only a citizen now, even though you have renounced your right to inherit the throne. I think it's an accurate candidate."

I was completely left out of the conversation between the two of them.

Master Claire looked like someone she didn't know.

No, you're not.

I know.

This Claire is that Claire.

- As a nobleman, when I tried to scatter myself at the execution site.

"I understand it's not a very beneficial story for Master Claire. Of course, we will pay you as much as we can, but it will not be commensurate with the risks that Claire takes."

……

"But the kingdom doesn't have any other options right now. Please understand that I can't. Please, for once, help me Claire."

That said, Matt bowed his head deeply.

I have always prayed for words of rejection to come out of Master Claire's mouth.

But Lady Claire's reply was:

"... to give you a week, time?

It was a reserved reply that