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I had a dream. A rather strange dream.

It was so realistic that at first, I didn’t even realize it was a dream.

However, there were occasional discrepancies with my memory that made me accidentally aware that it was indeed a dream.

Just like in reality, in that dream, I, still in a woman’s body, met friends, faced new things, and enjoyed myself.

One of the differences that stood out was how innocent Selian appeared, which made her seem cute amidst it all.

But there was one significant difference from reality.

In that dream, I was still the Third.

*

“Come on, try this as well.”

In the carriage heading to Selian’s mansion, Selian wore her usual bright expression.

Since serious discussions would take place once we arrived at the mansion, maintaining a slightly cheerful atmosphere now isn’t such a bad idea.

“Ugh.”

However, I wished she’d stop trying to shove more food into my already full mouth.

For some reason, it felt like I was going to recall some frightening memories…

*

“Welcome.”

Upon our arrival at Selian’s mansion, her father, Lucas, personally greeted us.

Next to Lucas stood a man with a face remarkably similar to his.

When our eyes met, he slightly bowed his head to greet me, and I nodded back in response.

He was likely Selian’s brother, whom I hadn’t met before.

“I apologize for making a valuable guest come and go like this. Please, come inside.”

The atmosphere was even more welcoming than during my last visit.

Of course, they greeted me warmly during the summer break, but it felt a bit excessive this time.

“Here, here. The room you used last time is all clean and ready for you, so feel free to use it. If you’d like a different room, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

The overly courteous treatment left me, the guest, feeling a bit flustered.

If anything had changed since last time, it would be that I had become a hero.

But wouldn’t it be normal for Lucas to dislike me given that fact?

The House Deretia takes great pride in being a hero family.

They themselves possess strong powers, but it’s their lineage as heroes that makes them shine even brighter.

That was why there were so many expectations placed on Selian, the current generation’s hero.

However, while all those expectations were directed at Selian, I unexpectedly snatched that position away.

I wondered if his warmth was merely for show, or if there was something more sinister brewing beneath the surface, so I carefully observed his words and actions.

But from what I could discern, Lucas’s demeanor genuinely reflected welcome.

That only deepened my curiosity as I made my way to the room I had stayed in before.

Knock, knock.

While organizing my relatively light travel bag, I heard a knock.

Wondering if Selian had come, I opened the door to find the man who had stood beside Lucas earlier.

“Hello, Lady Elysia Frentz.”

“Ah… Yes. Hello.”

He was someone I had barely met when I got off the carriage, making me feel somewhat uneasy.

Seemingly awkward, he raised his hand and scratched his neck with his index finger as he spoke.

“You saw me earlier. I’m Luke Deretia. I came to inform you that it’s almost time for dinner.”

“I see. You didn’t have to come directly; you could’ve had someone else call me…”

“Haha… My father instructed me not to neglect welcoming you, Lady Frentz. Anyway, I’m sorry since you just arrived and must be tired. Just prepare comfortably and come down.”

“Yes. I’ll come down right away. See you at the dining hall.”

“Then I’ll see you in a bit.”

After delivering his message, Luke turned to leave, and I entered the room again.

Lucas’s behavior felt a bit suspicious, bordering on excessive.

There didn’t seem to be malice behind it, but it made me uneasy nonetheless. I shook my head to clear my thoughts; there wasn’t much I could do by pondering alone.

Knock, knock.

Before I knew it, another knock echoed.

“Did you forget to mention something…”

It hadn’t been long since Luke left, so I naturally wondered if I had forgotten something, but it wasn’t Luke at the door; it was Selian.

“Oh, Sel!”

“I just bumped into my brother in the hallway… Did he stop by your room?”

“Ah… He came to tell me dinner would be ready soon.”

“Did he do that on purpose?”

“Don’t just stand outside; come in.”

While it may seem like I was taking over Selian’s home, I didn’t mind. After all, it was my room while I stayed here.

After leading her inside, I resumed unpacking my things.

“Alright. I’ve just about finished organizing; shall we head down soon?”

“Yeah?”

Lost in thought, Selian sounded a bit clueless at my words.

“Huh? Didn’t you come to go down to the dining hall together?”

“Oh, right. Then let’s go.”

Finally remembering the purpose of her visit, Selian snapped to attention and we headed to the dining hall together.

*

“Before we start the meal, since this is the first time my son has met you, let me introduce him.”

Although I had seen him before as instructed, I didn’t point it out.

I wasn’t in a position to do that, and it wouldn’t be inappropriate to formally greet him.

“This is my son, Luke Deretia.”

“Hello, Lady Elysia. I am Luke Deretia.”

As expected, he introduced himself politely as if he were meeting me for the first time.

“I am Elysia Frentz. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Luke.”

I merely responded to his greeting with a courtesy, yet Lucas seemed quite satisfied, letting out a hearty laugh. He wasn’t this cheerful during my last visit.

“Come on, come on, you must be hungry. Let’s start the meal. I noticed we invited you in a hurry, so there’s not much laid out, but it will be delicious.”

…If this is what you consider not much, what exactly does a feast look like?

This table, with me added to Selian’s family, had so much food I struggled to imagine the quantity and variety.

Even during my previous visit to Selian’s mansion, I didn’t recall it ever being this extravagant…

With little conversation apart from the shallow clinking of utensils, we quietly continued eating.

As the meal was nearly wrapped up, Lucas broke the silence.

“So, Lady Elysia, how does the meal suit your palate?”

“Yes. I’m more concerned I may have overindulged compared to usual.”

“Haha. That means you enjoyed your meal!”

Lucas put down his fork and knife, continuing to speak.

“By the way… Lady Elysia?”

“Yes?”

“I heard you became a hero?”

Here it comes.

Luckily, based on Lucas’s demeanor so far, there didn’t seem to be an air of hostility directed at me for becoming a hero. If anything, he appeared to like me even more than before.

“…Yes. It just happened that way.”

I stole a glance at Selian to see if she had any knowledge of the situation, but it seemed she was simply observing our conversation without any prior warning.

“Haha. It must be thanks to your sincerity and abilities, Lady Elysia. You don’t need to be humble.”

…Sincerity? I hardly remember visiting the temple more than a handful of times, and I distinctly remember speaking ill of Goddess Serena back when I held the holy sword.

It wouldn’t be unusual if I received divine retribution now.

“Thank you for your kind words.”

“Nonetheless, Lady Elysia…”

Lucas’s voice had lowered slightly, as if he was about to get serious.

Selian and Luke seemed to have sensed the change in mood, and the hands that were previously moving over the table had now come to a halt.

“Are you a survivor of the Frentz family…?”

“Father!”

Selian, who usually spoke in a low tone, abruptly shot up from her seat, yelling at her father.

Lucas seemed surprised by Selian’s sudden change in demeanor and glanced back at her.

In fact, I was so taken aback that I lightly tapped Selian’s leg to calm her down.

“Yes. That’s something long past, so you don’t need to concern yourself too much about it.”

“Hmm, hmm… I spoke too insensitively, didn’t I? I apologize.”

“It’s really fine. Please, go on.”

Thanks to my gestures and calm words, Selian reluctantly settled back down but still wore a face full of discontent.

“That’s not what I wanted to discuss, Lady Elysia. I have a proposal for you.”

“A proposal?”

“Would you perhaps be interested in marrying into our family? With only a five-year age difference between you and Luke, it’s not that big of a deal… If you want, I wouldn’t hold back in supporting the restoration of the Frentz family. Though, you would have to take the name Deretia… That can be arranged later through an heir.”

Um…

The thought of marrying a man had never crossed my mind, and I was caught off guard, struggling to find words.

Looking around, Luke showed no expression change, indicating he had likely already heard it from Lucas, while Selian seemed utterly dumbfounded, her eyes wide and mouth agape at the shocking proposition.

What a sight. Where did her usual demeanor go?

“Um… This sudden suggestion is a bit surprising.”

“Haha. Just an old man’s rambling. But really, it’s a sincere offer, so would you consider it? You can take your time with your answer.”

“…Yes. I understand.”

It would have felt awkward to outright reject him in front of everyone, so I let it slide for now.

By the way, seeing Selian flustered like this was a first. She hadn’t shown such vulnerability even when I held the holy sword.

After finishing the meal with Lucas’s boisterous laughter, I returned to my room.

“So, Elysia? You’re not actually considering marrying my brother, are you?”

After dinner, Selian followed me into my room, her voice accusing as she questioned me.

Though Selian was displaying a side of herself I’d never seen, it was natural to feel this way when her beloved older brother suddenly announced plans to marry a friend.

“I just couldn’t reject it in front of everyone earlier. I don’t really have that intention.”

Lucas’s proposal seemed to be a ploy to bolster the Deretia family’s prestige by marrying in a hero like me.

However, there were many flaws in his suggestion.

The restoration of the Frentz family didn’t require the help of the Deretia family.

As a hero, I was destined to hunt down the Demon King.

If I were to succeed in defeating the Demon King? The Emperor would likely lend his support to reclaim the Frentz family name for the sake of his own reputation. Not the Marquis, but the Emperor’s assistance was what could be gained.

Conversely, if I failed to defeat the Demon King? At that point, family ties wouldn’t matter; I’d be fortunate if I were still alive.

Setting everything else aside, could I even get married in the first place?

No matter how much I may physically be a woman, my mind was that of a man. The thought of doing… those kinds of things after marriage made me feel utterly nauseous.

Conversely, marrying a woman?

Marriages between women were nothing but fiction, unrealistic in reality.

Of course, it might happen among commoners who have genuine feelings for each other, but me aiming to restore the Frentz family as a noble?

That’s assuming I can rebuild the Frentz family; if that time comes, maybe I will just live on my own until adopting a suitable child as an heir.

Nevertheless, Selian couldn’t shake her unease. She was biting her thumbnail and murmuring to herself in worry.

“I really must restore some strength, even if just a little…”

“Hey, Sel?”

“Don’t worry about me, Elysia. You should just rest easy. I’ll be going now.”

She hurriedly left the room, and all I could think was how I wasn’t planning to steal Selian’s brother from her… How could I make her believe that?

*

In the end, I remained holed up in my room the next day, avoiding everyone.

Upon waking up in the morning and passing the time reading, a maid I hadn’t seen yesterday came to notify me of meal time, allowing me to head to the dining hall.

Perhaps I had come down a bit too early, as there was no one in the dining hall.

As I hesitated near the spot I had occupied the previous day, I felt a presence approaching.

Turning my head, I found Selian entering the dining hall.

Unlike yesterday, she appeared much more at ease now. However, her outfit was rather elaborate for breakfast.

“Oh, Sel. Good morning.”

“Good morning, Elysia. Why don’t you take a seat instead of standing?”

“Oh no, I just arrived as well.”

As Selian sat down, I stood behind the chair to sit next to her.

However, she walked past me, again foregoing the seat I had occupied, and took her place at the very end of the long table—the spot where Lucas had sat yesterday.

“Sel…?”

“Oh, Elysia, please sit next to me.”

Selian personally pulled out a chair next to her at the head of the table.

“Father will be down shortly. If you’re hungry, just hold out for a bit.”

As I stood there, somewhat dumbfounded, a butler approached Selian to whisper something, but what I heard only added to my confusion.

“Then we will prepare right away, Head of the Family.”

?