"rlin, I've said it many tis. There's no need to discuss the matter of 'taking a wife' any further. Besides, the mbers of the Round Table haven't brought it up again, so why are you as enthusiastic about it as the common people?"
Inside the workroom, Artoria said with resignation as she organized the grain reports from various territories on her desk, glancing at the white-robed magus in the room who, for so reason, had a teasing look on his face.
"Is that so? In that case, I'll just have to go back and tell En not to prepare for it. I won't bother you with this matter again in the future."
With that, rlin let out a regretful sigh and turned to leave. But under his hood, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, as if he were waiting for sothing.
Sure enough, as he had expected, he had only taken a single step before the girl's anxious cry ca from behind him.
"Wait!"
"Hm? Wait for what?"
rlin turned back to look at Artoria, who had unconsciously stood up. Her pretty face now wore an expression of disbelief, yet also excitent, as if she were afraid she had misheard.
Only when she noticed rlin's teasing gaze did Artoria realize her reaction was a little off. She coughed awkwardly, sat back down, and after a mont's hesitation, she finally stamred.
"...W-What did you an by that, rlin?"
"Exactly what it sounds like! Since 'King Arthur' can't put off getting married forever, to put the people's minds at ease, I discussed it with En, and that child has agreed to be your 'Queen Consort'."
"Really!?"
Artoria shot up from her seat again in excitent, but she imdiately realized her feelings were a little too obvious, and that this was not how a king should behave.
And so, as if to hide her emotions, she used one hand to pretend to casually arrange the items on her desk, while the other lightly brushed a strand of golden hair that had fallen beside her ear. Her eyes avoided rlin's "Ah, so you really do feel that way" gaze, scanning the room aimlessly.
But after a while, she sensed that there was sothing wrong with rlin's words. Thinking of his usual unreliable nature and her adoptive brother's innocence, Artoria frowned and looked at the white-robed magus with suspicion.
"...rlin, you didn't trick En, did you?"
Although her mind had indeed gone blank for a mont when she first heard the news, and the thoughts she had been suppressing deep in her heart had grown wildly in a joyous manner, if anyone else had told her this, she would have believed it imdiately. But with rlin, it was a matter that required further consideration.
"...How could I? Heh heh. En definitely agreed to help you with the 'marriage' matter. If you don't believe , you can go ask him directly later."
"R-Really?"
Hearing rlin's guarantee, no matter how much she suspected him, Artoria was sowhat convinced. After all, this was sothing that could be confird with a single conversation. Plus, her own heart held a small glimr of hope.
The girl seed to have accepted this fact. A hint of nervousness and fluster appeared on her pretty face, her crystal-clear earlobes tinged with a faint blush, and the strand of hair on her head stood straight up, for reasons unknown.
Seeing Artoria like this, rlin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It was a good thing he had anticipated that, with the girl's personality, she would certainly not take the initiative to ask the boy, "Will you be my queen consort?" Otherwise, his whole plan would have been exposed right then and there.
"But even if En agrees, what do we do during the w-wedding? En's a boy. Are you going to make him wear a dress?!"
Her thoughts instantly jumped to the wedding arrangents, and she even began to consider the details. Artoria stamred, completely devoid of her usual kingly deanor.
"Ahem, I was just about to tell you about that. In fact, although we call it a wedding, the main purpose is to deceive the public. So, at that ti, I will use an illusion to make En appear female in everyone's eyes. As for what cos after that, it will be much easier to handle."
rlin explained with a straight face. After all, if he were to actually make Aozaki Rin wear a dress and disguise himself as a girl, he estimated that even if the boy were slow on the uptake, he would still be suspicious of the matter.
Right now, the best thod was to place a layer of illusion on him, then tell him that he wouldn't need to say or do anything special, just quietly go through the motions.
This way, the boy, who could not see the outside world, would probably not realize what was actually happening.
Although he felt this thod was sowhat "despicable," to appease the people, rlin could only resort to this underhanded plan.
Who else was to bla but his own disciple, who was pretending to be oblivious, having the feelings but not the courage to act on them?
"But doesn't that just amount to a 'fake marriage'?!"
Seemingly disappointed by rlin's proposal, Artoria's tone subconsciously took on a hint of rebuttal.
In the girl's eyes, to act in such a way was no different from "deception." Perhaps the boy had only agreed to rlin's plan because of this. To think she had believed it was all real, but in the end, it was just to appease the people...
But after the words left her mouth, Artoria realized she was being a little too greedy, and her pretty face flushed red. rlin, at that mont, was also giving her a look that said, "Well, if you've got the guts, go for it yourself," disdaining the girl's dissatisfaction.
"I-I understand. Let's do it that way then... But even so, did En really agree, rlin?"
Although it was a "fake marriage" in a sense, Artoria still seed to be in disbelief and asked again.
She had thought that such a thing would have to wait several more years, until the situation in Britain was more stable, and after she had ntally prepared herself, before she would even try to bring it up with the boy. She had never expected rlin to just skip all the steps for her.
"Rest assured, this is absolutely true. That child has indeed agreed to help you deceive the public and hold this 'ceremony' called a wedding with you."
As for whether this 'ceremony' can beco real later on, that will be up to you...
rlin casually affird, his words containing no falsehood.
He looked at the girl, who was now becoming nervous, a mixture of anxiety and hidden, hopeful joy on her face, and smiled silently.
—This is as far as my assist can go, Artoria.
[You have agreed to rlin's request to help with the "ceremony." ]
[What you don't understand is that since that day, for so reason, the Knights of the Round Table all smile with satisfaction when they see you, but they won't tell you why when you ask.]
[Furthermore, your sister Artoria has also beco sowhat unusual, seeming to deliberately avoid you, and for these past few days, she has not co to your room at night as she usually does.]
[You feel sowhat confused, with a sense that sothing is quietly developing without your knowledge.]
[And as the days pass, one by one, the day of the "ceremony" that rlin spoke of finally arrives.]
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