A Cold Reality

The moon was high in the sky, and the streets of the royal capital were nearly empty.

Most businesses had closed for the day, and the few people still out were dung carriers, pushing smelly wooden carts loaded with the nobles' feces.

It wasn't a job they enjoyed, but it was one they had gotten used to, especially since it gave them a chance to brag to their friends about living in the royal capital… though they conveniently left out the part about being dung carriers.

… clop-clop!

The royal carriage carrying Prince Vritra and Princess Luciana rolled down the empty streets.

The coachman was the only one feeling uneasy… not because there was an Asura among the passengers, but because of the stern-faced butler sitting beside him on the box seat.

"Make sure you don't hit any bumps; we don't want to disturb the young lord's time with the lovely princess."

"These wheels are making too much noise. Did you remember to oil them?"

"Can't this horse move any slower? It's usually not hard for a lazy horse to act lazy!"

"Nothing should interrupt whatever is happening inside that carriage, or else…"

These were all the threats and unwanted advice he'd been getting from Butler Neron since the beginning of the journey, and he was nearly at his breaking point. If he weren't just a lowly coachman, he might have shouted back.

…

Inside the carriage…

Vritra and the princess sat quietly side by side.

Expectedly, Luciana felt uneasy being so close to him… after all, their shoulders were touching, and for someone with her vivid imagination, that felt far too intimate.

『I… I should say something…』

Luciana felt a bit nervous and clasped her hands together, squeezing them between her thighs──a habit she had developed to calm herself during socially awkward situations.

She often did this during small gatherings arranged by her father, where nobles would engage in polite small talk.

But that was years ago…

This thought made her realize something.

『I haven't felt this nervous or uncomfortable around someone in a long time. Yesterday, sure, I was a bit nervous, but that was just because I was scared. Now, it feels different. This time, I'm not nervous around God Vritra because I fear him; I'm nervous because I…』

She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

"Uhm, so… God Vritra."

Feeling even more nervous, Luciana gently tapped the tips of her glass-like slippers together while rubbing her thighs, keeping her clasped hands between them.

"I was, uhh…"

She didn't want to sound too eager, but she also didn't want to come across as nonchalant or disrespectful.

Sigh~

Vritra groaned lightly. "What?"

The straightforwardness of his voice eased her nerves, making her feel more comfortable and encouraging her to speak up right away.

"You… you said you would give me a ring when we returned to the carriage."

The dark prince heard this and smiled.

"Oho~? Desperate, are we?"

"NO! I'm not desperate!"

Princess Luciana's face turned bright red, and she dramatically turned her gaze away. She folded her arms and shut her eyes tightly… her way of showing that she didn't care.

… Heh-heh

The young lord chuckled and extended his hand.

"You're an interesting woman, Luci."

Soon, a bright white light appeared in his hand, lighting up the entire carriage and making it glow like a nightlight from the outside.

… Zuuuuuu~!

As soon as something began to form in Vritra's hand, Luciana glanced at his hand several times with sidelong looks.

『I-, I don't care anymore!』

She thought that, but quickly abandoned her pretense of indifference and eagerly watched to see what he was making.

The light died down and what appeared in Vritra's hand was a crystal ring.

"Since you have [Crystal Magic], an aspect of [Orange Magic], this [Crystal Lotus Ring] should be perfect for you. It not only enhances your affinity for that magic aspect but also looks elegant and classy, like a high-end piece of jewelry. So, what do you think?"

He gently took her slender hand and slid the ring onto her middle finger, then brought it to his lips and kissed it.

Luciana blushed deeply but did her best to stay composed, especially with her hand still in Vritra's larger, stronger hand. She never felt like this when Lumis held her hand… maybe because his hands were predictably more delicate and feminine.

"God Vritra, I…"

Noticing her hesitation, Vritra leaned back in his seat, crossing his legs elegantly and folding his hands.

"I shouldn't need to explain how it works, but then again, your magic aptitude isn't exactly impressive. The ring has a secondary magic stone that lets you store a set amount of your mana each day. If you ever find yourself in danger, you can use the full power of the stored mana. Convenient, isn't it?"

He gave her a small, calm side-eye.

The princess suddenly realized she hadn't said anything yet.

She clasped her hands over her chest, gently touching the crystal ring with a few fingers. A warm, grateful smile spread across her face as she tilted her head slightly.

"Thank you so much, God Vritra. I'll treasure it."

The young Asura only nodded in response. Then, he turned to look out the carriage window with a calculative expression.

… Mhmm

All he could see was the darkness of the night, but in a way, it felt comforting to him.

『Now that everything is in motion, I feel like my plans are finally coming together.

『I'm not sure how long Ymnes will be away from the prince, but I need to move fast and get everything done before he comes back. He's good at predicting what I'm up to, even if it's just on the surface. Still, I can't underestimate him.

『Sigh~ yes, yes, if that's the case, then now is the perfect time to tell Luciana the truth…』

Prince Vritra returned his eyes back to the princess, who was still completely fascinated by her crystal ring.

"Princess…"

"Yes, God Vritra?"

"Last night, when I asked if you'd become my wife to secure an alliance between our families, you said no."

"Um, I… don't think 'wife' was the exact word you used, but yes, I did say no. But that was just how I felt at the time. M-, My answer is completely different now, you know!"

"I really don't care about your feelings at any particular moment, woman. I'm too perfect of a being to have to contend for your affection like that white pig, Lumis does. The truth is, even if I did everything right, you would still choose Lumis over me, wouldn't you?"

"Well, no I──!"

Panic flashed across Luciana's face. She almost reached out to Prince Vritra to fully get her point across but stopped herself just in time.

Vritra's eyes glowed blood-red as he stared at her.

"You're smart enough to understand the importance of self-preservation here, but don't you dare speak to me with a lying tongue. Do not test me, woman. I assure you, it's a regrettable choice."

Truly, the young lord was furious.

"I-, I'm sorry…"

Luciana was shaking, looking like she might collapse any moment. She tried her hardest to control her fear, but it was impossible with God Vritra's intense, red glare.

She lowered her head and spoke.

"All you've said is true, God Vritra…"

Upon hearing this, Vritra smiled inwardly.

『As I expected, women are always the same. Statistical romance is just like regular romance, though it has a few more details here and there.

『If women could leave a man after being beaten or almost beaten, maybe domestic violence wouldn't be so common. But when a man loves a woman, she might tolerate a bit of abuse just to keep that love.

『To be brutally honest, I don't care about any of that… right now, I just want to win.』

Vritra closed his eyes and sighed.

"I don't think you'll be saying that after I tell you the real truth why that sick prince loves you."

"Wa-, Wait… what?"

"I know you're a God Vessel…"

The carriage fell silent.