"You've truly lost your mind..."
Dantalion puffed on his pipe. His expression had grown increasingly indifferent.
"Count it as divine providence that the Memoria artifact isn't here right now. The Goddess was gracious enough to let me leave it behind at just the right moment. Your political life was just about to end, Gamigin."
"……!"
Gamigin snatched the pipe and hurled it away. The ceramic pipe shattered against the floor, its bowl breaking into pieces.
Dantalion looked up at Gamigin with an indifferent gaze. Their faces were just inches apart.
"It was a pipe crafted by an artisan in Saxony. Quite expensive, too."
"This is your final warning."
A rage-filled breath seeped through Gamigin's clenched teeth.
"Don't insult me."
Her crimson eyes burned with fury. She was a Demon Lord who had simultaneously reached the pinnacle of an archmage. Mana surged from her entire body, emanating a murderous aura.
"……Understood."
Dantalion said.
"You wish to apologize?"
"For the rudeness you showed me."
"I previously ceded the Moravia region to you, Lady Gamigin. I believed that settled all accounts, but... very well. In any case, there's nothing more I can officially do for you."
Dantalion remained expressionless.
"Even so, you still demand an apology?"
Gamigin didn't answer and simply glared at him. Dantalion nodded. He rose from his chair. When Gamigin stepped aside, Dantalion walked to the center of the room and slowly knelt down.
He would probably lower his head to the floor in apology. Gamigin looked at him with a displeased expression. Clearly, there was sincerity in the apology. But hadn't she been the one humiliated in front of others?
The humiliation had been public. In contrast, the apology was taking place in a private room. It was hard to find any fairness in that.
'…But still.'
I'll let it go. Gamigin thought, barely holding back her anger.
Dantalion had certainly made many concessions to her as well. The acknowledgment of her right to rule the Silesian territory. Moreover, the acknowledgment of the Moravia territory that Agares had occupied earlier. Now, nearly two years after the civil war ended, Gamigin stood firmly as the ruler of her nation.
As payment for this, Gamigin had been politically cooperative with Dantalion in every way. Barbatos was Dantalion's most powerful patron, but being responsible for a faction, his movements were naturally restricted.
Dantalion, riding on the reputation of his fourth rank, had been able to act freely. Each had exchanged practical benefits and justifications to mutual satisfaction. Gamigin knew in her head that this was a fair exchange…
But this was a matter of feelings.
'No matter how fair the trade was, couldn't you at least consider my face a little!'
They had slept together nearly a hundred times by now. Most of those instances had been forced by Dantalion's insistence. Yet Gamigin had never once refused.
There was a bet they had made in the past. Dantalion had answered like this:
'What if I lose?'
'In the future, please continue to play with me occasionally. When I say I want to be intimate with Lady Gamigin, I ask that you, for the most part, not refuse.'
For the most part, not refuse. An extremely light condition.
Even though she lost, Gamigin could have refused at any time. Not today, I'm tired, I don't want to sleep with you… excuses would have been countless.
Yet Gamigin made no excuses. She had sincerely and diligently honored the bet. From her perspective, she had consistently shown respect to Dantalion, while Dantalion had been humiliating her at every turn.
Wasn't that unfair?
She didn't ask for much. She just wanted him to be considerate to the extent that she showed him respect. Did he only realize it when she got angry and said it out loud? Gamigin felt fury rising but held it back.
Then Dantalion drew a dagger from his waist.
"Huh?"
Gamigin didn't even have time to process what was happening.
Dantalion drove the blade into his own abdomen. Immediately after, he dragged the dagger straight upward. The edge was slicing through the skin of his belly. Bright red blood soaked through his clothes and spread in an instant. "Kuh—" Dantalion let out a groan of pain.
"Wh-What are you doing!?"
Only then did Gamigin grasp the reality unfolding before her eyes.
In shock, she rushed toward Dantalion. She tried to wrench his hands off the dagger, but the other party stubbornly refused to let go. Even as they struggled, blood was seeping through the fabric of his clothes.
"You idiot—let go of it right now!"
"Guaaah!"
Panicked as she was, Gamigin acted quickly and very wisely. She grabbed one of Dantalion's fingers and twisted it hard. Dantalion screamed and released the dagger.
Gamigin tore open his clothes to inspect the wound.
"Nn...!"
It was bad. The blade had pierced deep and completely split his innards. Even with a Demon Lord's regenerative ability, Dantalion was the lowest of the low—his true power was truly negligible. He needed help.
Dantalion groaned.
"My apology... kuh... is... with this..."
"You idiot! You son of a bitch! You worthless bastard!"
Gamigin unleashed every curse she could think of while casting a healing spell.
The wound closed rapidly. But the healing magic was only temporary and actually sapped his stamina further. A potion—at the very least, medicine to restore vitality—was desperately needed.
But... when was the last time she'd actually carried potions around? That was back when Gamigin was still a pathetic, weak Demon Lord. Once she became an Archmage, she'd had no need for such things. Cradled in her arms, Dantalion's complexion had clearly worsened and he was gasping for breath.
"I could ask the Grand Dukes to... no, they'd just get suspicious and ask what happened. The handmaids too... damn it, what am I supposed to do...!"
The villa was overflowing with potions. It would have been simple to teleport and grab some. But in Niflheim, the neutral territory, teleportation magic was strictly forbidden. The moment anyone cast teleportation, all the Demon Lords would immediately join forces to attack.
What should she do?
Gamigin racked her brains. Getting her weakness exposed to the Grand Dukes was out of the question, and solving it alone with her own power was impossible. What on earth was she supposed to do?
"Ugh, ah…!"
Gamigin hurriedly rummaged through Dantalion's clothes. That's right — a cautious guy like Dantalion surely would have stashed a potion or two somewhere on him.
All sorts of liquids were hidden inside his cloak. Among them was even the aphrodisiac that had tormented her on countless occasions. But it didn't even register in her mind. Among the five or six glass vials, one contained a liquid with a particularly deep crimson hue.
Gamigin frantically popped the cork and took a whiff. Under the treaty signed between the various alchemy guilds, recovery potions were required to carry a rosemary scent. And from this vial, a strong rosemary fragrance burst forth!
Gamigin's vision went momentarily blurry. She didn't know why.
She slowly poured the potion into Dantalion's mouth, administering it two drops at a time per minute. Long ago, when she herself had been wounded, this had been the most efficient method of dosage. That had been a thousand years ago, yet the knowledge surfaced almost on instinct…
"Mmm… mmh…"
Dantalion's complexion gradually relaxed. It was working.
He still hadn't regained consciousness, but she could afford to breathe a sigh of relief now.
Gamigin ran her hands through her beautiful golden hair, mussing it thoroughly. She looked as though she had just returned from a battlefield — utterly exhausted. How had things ended up like this? Anger, shock, relief — all of it churned together in a tangled mess, and she felt tears threatening to spill at any moment.
For a while she just stared blankly at the floor.
Some time passed. Gamigin stood up and helped Dantalion to his feet. She then half-carried him out of the room toward the banquet hall.
"Oh my. Lady Gamigin, whatever kept you so long?"
"Lord Dantalion seems to be in a rather unusual state…?"
The Grand Dukes welcomed Gamigin, though they eyed her with puzzled expressions. They had assumed the two were simply indisposed in the private room and had been waiting patiently. Yet here Gamigin was, practically dragging Dantalion along.
"Oh, honestly. He went and got himself completely smashed — look at him~!"
Gamigin flashed a bright, cheerful smile.
She had already donned her mask completely. It had just taken her a little while to put it on, which was why she had sat in the private room staring blankly at the floor in silence.
"I kept telling him to ease up on the drinking, but he wouldn't listen — completely out of his mind!"
"Kekeke. Your Majesty Gamigin has been through quite the ordeal as well, I see."
When Gamigin cracked the joke, the Grand Dukes laughed.
She gave a light wink.
"He normally never gets drunk, but he must've been in a really good mood today. Mm, since he's the one who's drunk, I guess it's okay to say this? He was singing your praises — how loyal you are, how considerate, nothing but kind words for the Grand Dukes."
"Haha. What could make us happier than knowing both Your Majesties enjoyed themselves?"
The Grand Dukes were in high spirits. Setting Gamigin aside, Dantalion was famously difficult to deal with. The fact that he had gotten completely wasted under the atmosphere they had set up was immensely satisfying from a hosting standpoint.
"I had a great time today too. But with him like this, I really ought to head out. Sorry to leave early."
"Oh my! What is there to be sorry about! The hour is already quite late."
The Grand Dukes scrambled to their feet. They straightened their loosened clothing and bowed at the waist with impeccable formality.
"It has been our greatest honor to serve Your Majesty today."
"We have prepared a carriage and attendants outside. Please travel safely."
"Thank you. I'll look forward to another invitation."
Gamigin smiled brightly. When such a beauty offered a candid smile with a slightly flushed face, the Grand Dukes couldn't help but feel their hearts soften — despite knowing she was a Demon Lord.
The carriage arrived at Gamigin's villa.
There were no maids present. Gamigin had to struggle along alone, supporting Dantalion by herself.
Gamigin had given every single maid the day off — in fact, a couple of days' worth. The reason was simple. She had promised to spend tonight with Dantalion, and what was about to happen would be far too embarrassing for anyone else to overhear.
Once Dantalion got intimate, he was nearly impossible to restrain. She absolutely did not want the maids to witness any of that. But because of that, Gamigin was now supporting an injured man completely unbefitting her status as the fourth-ranked Demon Lord……
"Son of a bitch!"
By the time they reached the bedroom, Gamigin had cursed out loud more times than she could count.
"Goddamn worthless bastard! Stubborn monkey who won't listen to a single word! A bastard so awful you'd want to shove dirt in his mouth and it still wouldn't be enough!"
Since there was no one around to hear her anyway, Gamigin could finally take off her usual mask and let loose with all the curses she wanted.
"Ugh…!"
Gamigin set Dantalion down on the bed.
She had reinforced her body with magic, so Dantalion didn't feel particularly heavy. But an inexplicable exhaustion had enveloped her entire body. A sigh escaped her lips on its own.
Gamigin glanced down at Dantalion. Completely oblivious to everything she had gone through, the man lay sprawled on the bed with his eyes peacefully closed. Gamigin felt her anger flare up all over again.
He should've just dropped dead.
"…Haa."
Gamigin covered her face with both hands.
How on earth had things ended up like this…
============================ Author's Notes ============================
Questioner: My fuckbuddy keeps trying to act like my lover. What should I do?
Dantalion: Self-harm with a kitchen knife is OK.