A sudden proposal from Ciel Uranus.
Or the huge bomb was dropped on us and it caused a commotion.
Aeris turned pale, Nagisa drew his sword with a furious look, and Melia and Ruffie were in a uproar.
Urza, on the other hand, had a more direct approach, and was about to hit Ciel on the head with a club, saying "I'll get rid of the nuisance now, desu~no," causing a great deal of trouble to calm her down.
It was not because she had fallen in love with me or unconsciously set a flag that this happened.
"So...you want to pretend to be engaged to me and buy time?"
"Yes, please. Can you do that for me?"
When we returned to Leon and Monica's house and asked for further explanation, Ciel said that.
In other words...this is what is happening
Originally, Ciel, as a count's daughter, had a proposal with a man of equal status. However, she had been refusing the proposal because of her love for her childhood friend Leon.
Ciel's father, Count Uranus, said, "Marriage to Leon, who is a commoner, is not accepted. However, if he is knighted for his achievements at the academy, I will allow you to marry Leon."
However, during that grace period, Leon became missing. As a result, the marriage proposal, which had been put on the back burner, was brought up again.
To make an excuse to refuse the marriage proposal... Ciel wants to pretend to be engaged to me and buy time until Leon can be rescued.
"The marriage proposal is from the Count's family, so I think it would be acceptable to claim that I am engaged to Baskerville-kun, who is a Marquis. Then, I can rescue Leon and gain a title before marrying Leon again."
"...Please don't say confusing things. I thought my position as a legitimate wife would be threatened."
Aeris, who was listening to the conversation beside me, put her hands on her large breasts and sighed.
Aeris is the daughter of a viscount. If Ciel, a count's daughter, were to become my wife, she could be deprived of her position as a legitimate wife.
"I'm sorry, Centorea-san... I didn't mean it like that... in other words, Centorea-san really liked Baskerville-kun, right?"
"Isn't it obvious? Otherwise, we wouldn't have gotten engaged."
"I see, you're right... Baskerville-kun and Centorea-san have completely different vibes...... oh, I don't mean this in a bad way. I already know that Baskerville-kun is not as bad as rumored."
"…Whatever. Can't we just cut to the chase?"
I looked at Ciel, who tried to mask her vague smile, with exasperation.
"Indeed, if you pretend to be engaged to me, it might buy you some time. I can see the reasoning behind this proposal... But what's the benefit to me if I accept your proposal?
"What do you mean...?"
"Let's say everything goes smoothly. Suppose that Count Uranus approves of our engagement, we find Leon and turn him back into a human, and Leon gains enough status and accomplishments to become the Count's son-in-law. What do I gain from all of this? How does the Baskerville family benefit from it?"
I'm a nobleman of the House of Baskerville. In this world, polygamy is allowed, as it is in 18-rated games.
Despite moral issues, there are no legal problems even if I get engaged to Ciel.
However, even if Ciel and Leon had made it to the goal, I would gain nothing.
On the contrary, I would be labeled as a person whose fiancée was stolen by a male student from the same grade, even though I was engaged to the daughter of a viscount.
"Do I have a duty to help your love even if I have been called a fool and had sand thrown on me with your hind legs? You said I'm not a bad person... but I'm not a kind-hearted person who wears mud for the sake of others."
"Ugh..."
Ciel stammered awkwardly.
If she didn't think she would be rejected, that's naive.
To me, Leon and Ciel are my classmates and comrades who are also aiming to defeat the Demon King.
However, if they were to ask me if I considered them my friends, I would shake my head. I wouldn't even consider them my acquaintances
If their lives were in danger, I might help them, but I wouldn't get involved in their love lives.
"Besides... to be honest, I'm scared. The pressure from behind..."
I muttered with a grimace on my face.
I was facing Ciel across the table, but Nagisa and Urza were standing directly behind me.
Nagisa was standing with her arms crossed, and although her expression was expressionless, she exuded an aura of anger.
Urza was hitting her palms with her club, exuding killing intent from her entire body, as if she could kill at any moment.
And next to me, Aeris sitting in the chair said...
"I understand your story, but as Zenon-sama's legal wife and the 'principal lady' of the Baskerville family, I cannot accept Uranus-san's proposal."
With a calm expression on her face, she clearly rejected Ciel's request.
"I sympathize with Uranus-san, who has been forcibly kept away from her beloved and may be forced to engage in a marriage proposal with another man. However, our husband is the head of the Baskerville family. If you think you can use him in such a convenient way, I am very displeased."
"I... I don't think like that..."
"Even if you don't think so, please be aware that Uranus-san's request can be misunderstood as such. Are you asking Zenon-sama to shame himself for your sake?"
"That's..."
Ciel looked at Aeris with a puzzled look, but remained silent without uttering a word of rebuttal.
Aeris is a kind-hearted and generous woman.
The fact that she expressed such strong words means that Ciel's proposal was rude.
Don't treat my husband lightly.
Because Aeris has a quiet personality, her words are especially heavy.
"I'm sorry... I wasn't calm because I was in a hurry. I'm sorry."
After a long silence, Ciel bowed her head and apologized.
"Please apologize to Zenon-sama, not to me."
"Okay... I'm sorry, Baskerville-kun. I said something rude."
"I don't mind. I'm sorry I couldn't be of help."
I took the apology without a second thought.
I can't get engaged, but I don't want to ruin Ciel's relationship with Leon.
I don't like the depressing situation that Ciel is cuckolded by a man other than Leon, and I think it's better if they can be happy together.
Afterwards, Ciel had another talk with her father.
As a result of the discussion, if she could not find Leon within a month, she will have to marry the man that her father has chosen for her.
