I chatted with Orchid for a while until Lilia-san finally finished convincing the other three. Dahlia-san eventually turned toward me and bowed her head.
"My apologies. I was unfamiliar with the customs of Miyama-sama's home world and assumed they were much like our own."
"Oh, no, please don't worry about it."
"In that case, please treat Lilia with affection as your 'concubine.'"
"Mother, you still don't understand at all!!"
Hearing those words delivered with such a serene smile, I nearly slid right off my chair.
So, when Dahlia-san mentioned me taking Lilia as a second wife earlier, she had simply assumed my world followed the same rules as this one—and that a man of my age would naturally already be married.
Forget being married, I hadn't even had a girlfriend... No, let's not go there. Thinking about it just makes me depressed.
Lotus-san, who had been relatively quiet compared to Dahlia-san and Amalie, slowly stroked his goatee and spoke up.
"...Miyama-dono, I realize this may be intrusive, but might I ask you a question?"
"Hm? Oh, yes. Go ahead."
"Pardon me, then... but are you without a guard today?"
"A guard?"
I tilted my head, curious. His voice was slow but carried an undeniable weight.
It was true that I wasn't accompanied by anyone. Anima, Eta, and Theta had all insisted on coming along, but I'd left them behind because I didn't want the visit to feel too formal or overbearing.
"Yes. For example... and I know this is a far-fetched scenario, but suppose Orchid were to suddenly draw his sword and strike at you right now."
"Wait, me?"
"In such a case, Lilia would naturally intervene to stop him, but..."
"Hold on. Me, fight Lilia-neesama? Father, the only future I see there is my own death..." Orchid chimed in, breaking out in a cold sweat.
It seemed he didn't even want to imagine crossing blades with Lilia-san. I could certainly sympathize with that.
"But what if," Lotus-san continued, "I had hidden a number of soldiers in this room that even Lilia could not hold back?"
"..."
"Miyama-dono, your value is far higher than you realize. This may be unasked-for advice, but I believe it would be wise to have at least a few guards with you at all times."
"I-I see..."
I hadn't really thought about it that way, but hearing it from the former king made the reality of the situation sink in.
Personally, I hated the idea of being surrounded by a crowd of guards wherever I went, but if my getting caught up in trouble caused problems for Lilia-san, then I really ought to consider it.
Just as I was about to nod in agreement, a high-pitched voice rang out through the room.
"...That won't be necessary. Kaito-san has me. It doesn't matter if hundreds or thousands of people show up; they'll only end up regretting they were ever born~"
"What!?"
"...Alice?"
A look of shock crossed Lotus-san's face at the voice that had materialized out of thin air.
That distinctive, polite yet casual tone was definitely Alice... though her voice was unusually high-pitched.
As if in answer to my confusion, the space in the center of the room distorted. A figure clad in a black robe draped with chains appeared, her face hidden—Alice in her guise as the Phantasm King.
"The... The Phantasm King!?"
"Hello there. As long as I'm acting as Kaito-san's guard, no one else is needed-ssu."
"Alice... when did you get here?"
"Hm? I've been here from the very beginning. It'd be a disaster if anything happened to Kaito-san, after all."
I hadn't sensed her at all. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised; she was one of the Six Kings, standing at the very top of the Demon Realm.
As everyone else stared in astonishment, Lilia-san alone had developed dead fish eyes. Her expression was one of total, hollow resignation.
"Th-The Phantasm King is acting as Miyama-dono's guard!?"
"That's right~ Kaito-san is the master to whom I offer my sword. In other words, pointing a blade at Kaito-san is the same as declaring war on me and my entire legion~"
"My... My sincerest apologies. My advice truly was unnecessary. I never imagined the Phantasm King herself would be serving as your guardian..."
"Actually, this is news to me too."
Alice responded flippantly to Lotus-san as he bowed deeply in shock, but I was just as surprised as he was.
"What are you talking about, Kaito-san? I even know the exact number of moles on your body—Gyah!?"
"Do you even know what the word 'privacy' means?"
"I do! It's the thing you lost the moment Shallow Vernal-sama took a liking to you!"
"...I'm starting to feel dizzy."
Now that she mentioned it, it wasn't just Alice; Shiro-san was likely watching me this very second.
Did I have zero privacy left?
(Should I go there too?)
Please don't. It would cause a riot.
"Well then, I'll be heading back into the shadows. Call me whenever you need something! Or even if you don't need anything, feel free to call me for lunch or dinner!!"
"You just want to eat..."
"I'd like a very expensive lunch—Ow!?"
True to form, Alice rubbed her head where I'd given her a quick chop and vanished.
Her casual attitude made it hard to process, but having one of the Six Kings as a personal bodyguard was... frankly, insane.
"I had heard the rumors, but... Kaito-sama is truly a terrifying individual."
"Amalie, listen to me... Kaito-san is a monster. Common sense does not work on him. Just keep the words 'It's Kaito-san, so it can't be helped' etched into your heart."
"Wait, Lilia-san!?"
"Lilia-neesama, you look a bit pale..."
"Don't mind me... I'm just going to go take some stomach medicine."
Lilia-san spoke to Amalie with the expression of someone who had found enlightenment through immense suffering. I could practically see the weight of her past struggles radiating from her, and I felt a genuine twinge of guilt.
"...Kaito, you really have a hard time of it, don't you?"
"Thanks, Orchid. I appreciate you saying that."
"If you ever need someone to talk to or just want to complain, I'm always available."
"That would be great."
Orchid patted my shoulder with a look of pure sympathy. While I felt grateful for his support, my shoulders slumped at the realization that my privacy had been thoroughly extinguished... or rather, it had probably been gone for a long time.
Later, after a relatively calm evening of chatting and a lavish dinner together, I was shown to my room.
I was truly being treated as a state guest. My assigned room was staggeringly large, dominated by a king-sized bed.
The sheer scale felt disproportionate to who I was, and I found it hard to relax. Even the room at Lilia-san's mansion felt too big sometimes; this was on another level entirely.
As I paced restlessly around the room with nothing to do, there was a knock at the door.
Who could it be? Lilia-san?
"Yes, come in."
"Forgive me. I must apologize for visiting at such a late hour."
"King Ryze!?"
To my utter shock, it was the King himself.
Watching him enter the room alone, without even a single member of the Royal Guard, I froze in place.
"I wanted the chance to speak with Miyama-dono one-on-one. Might you have a moment for me?"
"Oh, uh, yes. Of course."
I nodded, my nerves flaring up as the King spoke in such a polite, direct manner.
Dear Mother, Father—
My time with Lilia-san's family had come to an end, and just as I was idling away the time in my massive room, I received a sudden visitor. For some reason, it was the King.
Serious-senpai: Springs up from his seat!
Sit down!
Serious-senpai: "...Aww."