The Villainess Proposed a Contractual Marriage

The promise was kept faithfully.

Queen Lunia of Baskhill's mysterious illness vanished without a trace, and she even looked younger than before.

Yet a shadow lingered on Lunia's face. While bedridden, she'd learned of Letitia's disappearance.

Despite exhaustive searches, no clues surfaced. It was as if she'd vanished into thin air.

"What are we going to do... Our Letitia... Letitia... *sob*..."

"I'm sorry. It's my fault... I'm sorry for being such a failure as a father..."

Ronan truly believed this. He hated himself for knowing Letitia's whereabouts yet being unable to say a word. Still, seeing Lunia regain her strength filled him with a deep, conflicting joy that brought waves of self-loathing.

He'd traded his child to save his wife.

There couldn't be worse parents.

Hope still existed. Mar had promised to return Letitia to the kingdom if she safely bore an heir.

So Ronan endured each day, feeling his blood run cold as he clung to hope in his bloodline's power.

Indeed, hope wasn't entirely lost.

As seasons passed, Letitia safely conceived the Demon King's child and stayed healthy.

At this point, the reunion of parents and daughter seemed close at hand.

As the time drew near, Ronan recalled Mar's warning:

[Don't let any priests near the Queen for at least two years. Divine power is a miracle of the gods, so they'll definitely notice. They'll surely question the remnants of the blessing on the Queen.]

Ronan heeded this advice, shielding Lunia from the temple. He hid her away with all sorts of excuses, inevitably arousing suspicion. Yet without solid evidence against them, they managed to scrape by.

But cracks often start from the tiniest fissures. Like a small design flaw that brings down an entire building.

The annual Human Defense Council forum. A crucial event where leaders from all nations gathered, held this time in the Baskhill Kingdom.

As it wasn't a temple-attended event, Ronan and Lunia welcomed the various leaders together.

"Cardi."

"What is it?"

"... No, I'll tell you when I'm certain."

Cardi Luminel, the Imperial Emperor's bodyguard, was at the forum. And with him was his wife...

'Somehow, I sense a familiar aura.'

Elena Luminel, the Duchess.

With her auburn hair and red eyes, she was beautiful... and a former priestess.

---

---

At this time, Elena Luminel's background wasn't widely known. The public only knew that Cardi had recklessly married for love, choosing a commoner.

So the Baskhill Kingdom readily accepted the Luminel ducal couple's attendance. Little did they know it would create a fatal crack...

Elena was uncertain at first. But as she mingled with other women, she had a chance to interact with the Queen.

That's when Elena became sure.

Someone had blessed Lunia Baskhill.

'Well, someone with a baptismal name must have blessed her.'

That was her initial thought. After all, meeting someone with a baptismal name wasn't unheard of. But the moment she voiced this, Elena's smile faded.

"What? A blessing? What do you mean, Duchess Luminel?"

That was Lunia's response to Elena's congratulations.

An ominous suspicion crossed her mind. While those with baptismal names often hid their identities, hiding a blessing was unheard of.

If so, there must be a reason it needed to be hidden.

That much-praised "woman's intuition" sounded the alarm.

"...... I spoke nonsense. I'll take my leave now, Your Majesty."

Elena immediately returned to Cardi's side and detailed her suspicions. These suspicions reached the Emperor through Cardi, and the Emperor sent a cooperation request to the Pope for fact-checking.

The answer came quickly.

[No baptismal name holders have left the temple in the past 5 years.]

The Pope's official response was more than enough to turn suspicion into truth.

Several months later.

A major resolution was approved by the human community, excluding the Baskhill Kingdom.

[1. Under the Human Defense Agreement, Ronan Baskhill and Lunia Baskhill are to be detained on suspicion of colluding with demons.]

[2. If they resist detention, the Empire, as representative of the Human Defense Council, has the right to declare war.]

[3. ....]

[4. ......]

The document, bearing the consent of all nations except Baskhill, was delivered directly to the royal palace.

Ronan collapsed, his face in his hands.

It was true they'd received help from demons. And he'd sold his daughter to bear the Demon King's child.

A clear act of betraying humanity.

Letitia might survive in the demon realm, but Ronan and Lunia would certainly die.

Even if they survived, their royal authority would be completely ruined.

From the moment they received this document, requiring all nations' consent to function, Ronan and Lunia were socially dead.

"Ah... Aah..."

Where had it all gone wrong? What had tipped them off?

The crossroads of life and death suddenly loomed near.

Under extreme stress, Ronan's hair turned white.

---

---

Time passed, yet the Baskhill Kingdom took no action.

As the human community's patience wore thin, the Imperial Emperor issued a decree.

The decree's content: the forceful suppression of the Baskhill Kingdom.

Commander-in-chief: Cardi Luminel, the Imperial Sword of Protection. The objective: the dissolution of the Baskhill Kingdom.

"This is troublesome. Truly troublesome."

In the Empire's capital temple, where such ominous news spread, the Pope muttered with a gloomy expression.

"To think divine power was involved. It seems the demon god's servants have no common sense. What do our little ones think?"

"It's awful! They must have taken advantage of vulnerable people."

Holy Maiden Ibria indignantly exclaimed. However, the boy beside her remained stoic.

The Pope asked him:

"What do you think, Harte?"

"As one who carries out the Lord's will, I don't judge those with baptismal names. I'll do what must be done."

It was a surprisingly cold and firm resolution. The Pope and Ibria chided such a Harte.

"My goodness... Even the spine of the thickest holy book isn't as stiff as you, Harte."

"I see. I'll work on that."

Harte absorbed the criticism like a sponge. The Pope genuinely wondered what kind of adult this Harte would grow into.

"Huh! Harte."

"Yes, Your Holiness."

"Someday, you might find a good connection too. If you act like this then, you'll surely regret it."

"Are you referring to Ibria?"

"M-Me!?"

For a moment, Ibria's face lit up. Though her cheeks flushed shyly, Harte didn't even glance at her.

"I already cherish her as my ward. I have no regrets."

"Oh my, Harte... how embarrassing."

"If you want me to cherish others, I will."

"H-How could you!"

Harte ignored Ibria's chattering beside him. The Pope and the Divine Dragon wondered how such a child came to be.

"Oh dear, that's not something you can just decide to do... Perhaps Harte should go live outside for a while. This isn't usually allowed, but I'm seriously considering it."

The Pope couldn't help but contemplate Harte's future earnestly.

But that was only for a moment.

This wasn't a place gathered merely for pleasant conversation.

"Ahem, regardless of intent, the demon faction used divine power to cause division among humans. This is truly a serious matter."

[We must choose an appropriate course of action.]

"Yes, Divine Dragon. An appropriate course. We need an appropriate course, but..."

He fell into a long silence, hand on his chin. After the prolonged quiet, the Pope's eyes shifted to a rainbow hue as he issued his command.

"Harte."

"Yes, Your Holiness."

"This is a holy war."

Sometimes, a weak response might preserve peace. But now, Harte stood before the Pope.

Thus, judging this the perfect moment to suppress the demon realm's spirit, the Pope made his final decision.

"Judge the demon maiden. If the demons resist, I grant you full authority over their subjugation."

"I will carry out the Lord's will."

Golden particles shimmered around Harte.

At twelve years old.

An age when some might be happily playing with toys.

At such an age, Harte took his first step into the outside world.

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