My name was Konegit. I was the daughter of the premier merchant company in the Demon Kingdom Royal Capital. Or at least, that was the persona I adopted.
I apologize. I was living a lie.
I did have a desire to marry. However, I wasn’t so cynical as to believe that just anyone would suffice. It was surely acceptable to dream of a married life with a reasonably wonderful husband. And I had finally found him.
He was one of the beastman boys who had enrolled in the Galgard Noble Academy and become a teacher. He was wonderful. No, he was far too wonderful. I had originally given up, thinking I was no match for him, but I couldn't suppress my feelings. It was especially painful to watch other women approach him. Therefore, I decided to cast aside my shame and reputation to take a stand.
It was fine. I had a powerful ally: a book titled "Male Conquest Method," a culmination of the wisdom and labor of my predecessors.
According to the book, the way to capture a man’s heart was through cooking. Home-cooked meals were the most effective. But what exactly was a "home-cooked" meal? Did it mean cooking only the paws of animals?
Ah, it meant a meal I prepared myself. I see.
Wait. Wasn’t cooking something a professional chef was supposed to do? I assumed a meal from a professional would be far more delicious than anything a clumsy amateur like me could produce, but was I mistaken? I didn't understand. Or rather, my own cooking skills were certainly not at a level I could serve to another person. I was well aware of that.
...If a chef prepared the food under my strict instructions, wouldn't that count as my own home-cooked meal? It surely would. I decided to go with that.
The book also stated that to capture a man's heart, one needed physical contact. It claimed that men were simple creatures who were delighted just by a woman’s touch. It advised me to be proactive.
How indecent. That was impossible for me. It wasn't that I lacked interest, but I simply couldn't do it.
I noticed a supplement section for women who struggled with physical contact. How thoughtful. Let’s see... linking arms? That sounded lovely, but the difficulty was still too high for me. What else... touching his thigh?
Was the author an idiot? If I had the nerve to touch him there, I could touch him anywhere!
Good grief, wasn't there something more sensible?
"Invite him to dance."
I see. If we were dancing together, the physical contact would be natural. However, what would people think of a woman inviting a man to dance? Wouldn't that be practically the same as a confession?
The book asked if I should be that proactive. It warned me that if I hesitated, another woman would surely snatch him away. That was certainly a possibility. Understood. I would do my best.
But a dance? There were no upcoming events involving dancing.
If there were none, I would simply have to create one. That was all there was to it. Fufu. I would immediately draft a proposal and obtain the academy’s approval. My dreams were expanding.
Now, putting that aside.
I had a question for the small fry who had been launching attacks at me for a while now. Who was your master? Or were you acting on your own initiative? I wasn't in the mood to show any mercy.
My name was Konegit. That was a pseudonym. My appearance was also a fabrication. My true name was Hou Leg. I was one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Kingdom.
I had already graduated from the noble academy once, but I had re-enrolled. Why? Simply for a change of pace. I was glad I had been maintaining this cover for over a decade. Naturally, I had properly reported this to the Academy Director. I had a proven track record of catching spies and marking arrogant noble sons through this method, after all.
When I first saw the boys in the Village of the Great Tree, I thought they were completely out of my reach, but... fufufu.
Oops, I couldn't get ahead of myself. I wouldn't let my guard down. I was even prepared to abstain from sake for the time being to ensure my success.
For now, I would accept the invitation for a joint struggle from those other two women. It was frustrating, but I couldn't neglect my duties as one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Considering the times I would be away from the academy for work, it couldn't be helped.
Oh, right. By all means, do not speak of my true identity to anyone else. While I was at the academy, I was Konegit—a fragile, delicate young lady.