Chapter 57 – Irresistible Force

Ashia’s eyes widened at Kaligo’s next words.

“Subjugation?”

“Yes.”

Kaligo’s voice was calmer than expected. Talking about the subjugation all of a sudden….

Crackle, crackle–

The sound of the wood burning in the fireplace could be heard occasionally through the brief silence. Ashia’s eyes shook as she wrapped her head around the situation.

Looking at Ashia, Kaligo slowly opened his mouth, “The subjugation will likely last for a week.”

Ashia lifted her wandering gaze from the floor and looked at him.

“I would like to ask you to take care of the Grand Duke’s mansion while I am away. Since you’ve set up the Duke’s mansion well, I know that that Grand Duke’s mansion will also be….”

“No, no! Wait a minute.”

“…”

“Subjugation? Explain that first.” Ashia grabbed Kaligo’s hand and led him to the sofa. The large Kaligo was gently fragged by her little power. Ashia pressed Kaligo on the sofa and sat down on the sofa opposite him.

“Housekeeping or whatever, you need to explain it properly. What is this subjugation all of a sudden?”

“…”

Kaligo couldn’t open his mouth easily.

Getting frustrated, Ashia started to pour out her words, “Did you bring me here to order me around?”

“Ashia.”

“What more misunderstandings are you trying to make by making me sit recklessly in this position without any proper explanation? I thought you told me I shouldn’t misunderstand you by just guessing. But in order to do that, you have to explain it properly, don’t you think so?”

“…”

“So, first of all, let’s talk about the subjugation.”

Kaligo paused for a moment before he answered her question, “It will be the Crown Prince’s birthday soon.”

“I know, he came to the store before and said his birthday was three weeks away.”

She remembered the day when Desian visited Ashia’s shop. She forced him to leave, saying that he would invite Ashia to his birthday banquet. It has been three weeks already; so much time has passed.

“This year, he said that he would hold a subjugation ceremony without a special banquet.”

Ashia’s eyes widened at Kaligo’s words.

’What? No banquets?’

“Really? But that time, he definitely….”

[– I want to receive your congratulations on that day.

– That…

– As our Miss Wizard said, I am going to throw a party with the gold that someone else has collected with blood and sweat as a lucky person in the bloodline of the Imperial family….]

Desian shouted that in front of Ashia. That he would throw a big, fancy party with the blood of the Empire people. But now, there was suddenly a subjugation.

’What the hell is he thinking? It isn’t like him at all.’

“From this year on, he said he would not waste the national treasury on unnecessary things.”

“…”

“Instead, he said that he would implement a subjugation system for the safety of the people of the empire.”

“Subjugation system.” Ashia tilted her head as she let out a sigh.

He wasn’t a man who had such a deep heart for the people of the empire. He was a person who was only focused on playing, eating, and fulfilling his desires.

“I think he is up to something.”

“I will find that out when I go.”

“You’re going?”

Ashia looked at Kaligo with surprised eyes. Expecting that reaction from her, Kaligo nodded slowly.

“But….”

The Crown Prince and the Grand Duke.

The two were best friends in the original story. The relationship between the two of them seemed to have fallen apart now, but it wasn’t a circumstance where he would ignore the Crown Prince’s invitation.

“It’s dangerous.”

Kaligo raised his gaze at Ashia’s words. “Dangerous…”

“It was something that wasn’t in the original story. Of course, I know that the contents of the original don’t really matter now. I know that but…”

“Are you saying that the Crown Prince may do harm to me?”

“…Yes.”

Kaligo smiled faintly as he buried his back deep into the back of the sofa. “Ashia.”

“Yes.”

“The position of Grand Duke can never be superior to the Imperial Family.”

“…”

“No matter who I am in this novel, there are certain settings that I cannot resist. For example, the part where I am a man or the part where you are a woman. The part where the Grand Duke has to bow his head to the Imperial Family.”

An irresistible force. He also said that if the Crown Prince asked him to come, he had to attend the subjugation ceremony.

“You don’t have to worry too much. As you said, I am the male lead, so will I die?”

He had a very relaxed face. But despite his calm expression, Ashia couldn’t keep her cool.

‘Should I tell you…’

She said that she wasn’t trying to deviate from the original, and what would happen because of it. And she was still afraid that something like that would happen again.

“Kaligo.”

Kaligo’s gaze turned to Ashia again.

“The original story… I won’t just wait and watch.” Ashia opened her mouth without the intention to hide it.

At the words ‘original,’ Kaligo tilted his head and asked, “Do you mean you now have an existence?”

“…It’s because I was trying to get out of this book seven years ago.”

“…”

Ashia began with what happened seven years ago.

“I thought that because I came here, there must be a way to get out of here somewhere.”

“…”

“And I finally found the gear.”

It took several years to gather the necessary materials. She had dreamt of complete success and believed that she would succeed.

“That was a mistake. I wasn’t prepared for failure.”

“…”

She didn’t think of the betrayal of people, and she wasn’t prepared for the danger it would inflict on those around them in case of failure. The village was set on fire as a result, hundreds of people were killed, and she had to look for the survivors.

Kaligo quietly listened to her story. He must have had a lot of questions as well, but he didn’t ask about the events of that day in detail.