Became the Son-in-Law of the Traitorous Family

9. Don’t Live Downward – 05

– That man is a person who is useless to be in the grand duke’s family. If you leave it alone, the Grand Duke’s family will be eating, so isn’t it a bad idea to send it to the system at this opportunity?

“… No.”

After that day, a man’s voice continued to wander in Karin’s head.

It was none other than him, but the voice of the mercenary who said that his husband, Reiner Kroyce, was useless.

Useless.

A man named Rainer Kreuzse is useless to the Grand Duchess of Yohrha.

It would be a lie if he hadn’t thought about it even once since he married the man.

But… Anyone else, at least Karin, could never sympathize with the man’s remarks. No, she couldn’t relate.

Because, in the first place, the woman who wanted a man named Rainer Kreuzse to be more incompetent than anyone else in the world was none other than Karin himself.

‘Liner… ‘

Karin is also familiar with it. A man named Rainer Kreuzse has no talent.

I’ve been holding a sword since a long time ago, but my skills are in a position inferior to that of a mediocre low-ranking knight. .

However, Karin thought she was fine with that alone. No, she thought she had enough.

Even if it was something very small and insignificant, she thought that being able to keep it small and insignificant was the right thing to do as a wife.

However, human beings were truly cunning. Driven into a predicament, all of the oaths I had made in my heart on the very day I exchanged rings with him had all scattered and disappeared before I knew it.

If Reiner had power, if he had exceptional talent in a certain field, or if he had power in his family…

If that was the case, he was filled with cunning thoughts that he might be of some help to him now.

“… No.”

Anyone else, at least not as much as himself, should never have thought like this.

Other people may not know, but at least she should never think that way.

Any other woman could do that, but at least Karin von Charlotte Johrha shouldn’t think of him that way.

Because he, he is the woman he is…

It was at that moment when Karin looked like she was about to cry at the guilt rising from deep inside her heart.

Smart.

A sudden knock is heard. At that sound, Karin erased all the expressions on her face, and she returned to her usual cold expression.

“Come in.”

With her permission, the door slowly opens. She then looked at the man’s face as she entered the room, and she put on a blank expression.

“… Reiner?”

“Karin.”

Karin couldn’t hide her bewilderment at the sight of the person she thought she would never meet, at least this time, and here she was.

Isn’t it always Reiner’s daily routine to train himself in the gymnasium or swing a sword at this time?

But judging from Reiner’s look at him, it seemed that he hadn’t come to this place for some frivolous business.

“I heard the news. And… I found out. Everything, everything.”

Surely, in his expression, there is a seriousness that is hard to find in ordinary times… And it was just full of sincerity.

If possible, that expression I wish I hadn’t seen on his face for the rest of my life.

“… What do you mean? Oh, maybe… Are you referring to the fact that the envoy from the Empire has to return to the Empire due to an urgent matter this time?”

Just in case, Karin let go of her pretense until the end. However, he already knew what he was saying. All the things she wanted to hide.

“Didn’t you say you knew everything? The fact that Marquis Illivatus, the envoy of the Empire, was actually a demon, that everyone in the Grand Duke’s family risked their lives to subdue him, and… Everything I knew nothing about while it was all happening… I mean.”

“…..”

Riner found out. I don’t know when or how he found out, but he did.

And he… In the end, Karin even spits out the words she hates the most from his mouth.

“Please let me go, Karin.”

“… Yes?”

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“They asked to let me go. I will go to the Empire in Karin’s place and meet with the Emperor. And… I will negotiate everything and come back.”

“No.”

Without time to think, and without time to ponder, dissenting opinions came out of her mouth.

“Why? Is it because I am not qualified?”

No, no. I just… It’s because I don’t like it. As for what I don’t like… I hate everything.

I hate that you might get hurt, I hate that you might get sick, I hate that you might be in danger.

However, the only words that came out of Karin’s mouth were stereotypical excuses.

“The current imperial palace is a very dangerous place. Because there… It’s just that there are so many dangerous things right now. The current imperial palace is a place that may be filled not only with humans, but also with beings that surpass humans. If things really, really go wrong… What will you do?”

At the lame excuses coming out of Karin’s mouth, Reiner just stared blankly at her face.

“If that’s the only reason, there’s no problem. Even if I look at it like this, I am confident enough to protect at least one part of my body.”

“Yes? No, what else is that-“

Before she could finish Karin’s words, Reiner drew out her sword from her own waist belt and pointed it at her.

Ugh-

And at the same time, a clear aura began to emanate from the sword Reiner drew.

“Sword steel?”

The aura surrounding Reiner’s sword looked at Karin in surprise.

From ancient times, sword steel did not reach the highest level of being a master, but isn’t it a power that is exclusive to those who have reached the level just below it?

“… Since when? When did you get to that level?”

“Not that long ago. I have been able to reach this level only relatively recently.”

‘A lie.’

In that moment, Karin realized that Reiner’s words were false.

Because when she saw it through Karin’s eyes, the shape of the current liner was straight and clear, and, crucially, the liner was not showing any signs of being too hard.

In other words, it would mean that Reiner has already reached the level of using sword steel for a long time.

“… Why didn’t you say something sooner? If only I had known earlier that you had reached that level… “

If that’s the case, if you’d told me a day earlier, there wouldn’t be any reason to hear such insulting words from that mercenary yesterday.

And towards such a Karin, Reiner smiled rather bitterly.

“It might get in the way of Karin.”

“… Interfering with me, do you mean?”

“Currently, I am not just a knight, but a grand duke of the Principality of Yohrha, and at the same time a person who is your husband. If the fact that I am a swordsman who has reached the level of creating sword steel becomes known to the outside world, you know very well what will happen, right?”

“…..”

At Reiner’s cold words, Karin gently bit her own lips.

Certainly, it was as he said. It was not difficult to imagine what would have happened if Reiner’s current state had leaked out.

The current Karin, on the surface, has all the power of the Grand Duchy, but she is secretly dissatisfied with her rule.

However, with a huge enemy called the Empire in front of you, you couldn’t divide public opinion, so you just kept your mouth shut.

Under these circumstances, what would happen if news came that a new person had been born who was nominally in the same position as her, and who could go one step further and become the center of her Grand Duchy just like her?

It was not too difficult for Karin to imagine that in the worst case, the Grand Duchy’s power structure could split in two.

But that’s why she doesn’t understand his behavior all the more.

There is no such thing as too consistent in his actions. I can’t quite figure out what his purpose is.

In the first place, Karin and Reiner are married, but they are not so close to each other.

No, to be precise, Karin was actively hoping to get closer to him, but her liner actually showed no signs of showing any emotion towards her.

Though recently, we had casual conversations with each other, but before marriage, it was so awkward that each other tried to pretend they didn’t know each other.

Then he revealed that she was hiding her own state for her sake. From Karin’s point of view, it was only natural that she couldn’t figure out what his true feelings were.

Why is Reiner now revealing her own realm to her? Why? What are you aiming for?

The man Karin knows, named Reiner Kroyze, he would never like a woman named himself anyway, would he?

“Then why are you revealing it now?”

“That’s because Karin is now in danger.”

The moment she heard that, Karin doubted her own ears. What did this guy just say-

“… Yes? What else is that-”

“Because Karin is having a hard time right now. And I… Because I wanted to be Karin’s strength.”

I can’t believe it. Now this man, what the hell is he talking to himself?

“Why? Reiner, you don’t like me that much. No, on the contrary, I hate it. No one else knows, but you shouldn’t act like that to me.”

“I know very well. As far as the fact that Karin can’t trust me. This is because we are nothing more than a marriage of convenience, where we got married out of necessity.”

Rainer’s voice is very calm. As if he had practiced countless times to answer in this way.

“… But, but. Still, I think of us as a family. And I think of family as a relationship where we help each other in times of need.”

“That’s why I also wanted to help Karin. Just… That’s all. That’s all.”

“…..”

“Then let me go. I will go to the Empire on your behalf and meet the emperor. I will do for you what you cannot do.”

“Please don’t think too hard of it. Also, don’t think of it as a debt. This is just… I do it because I want to do it.”

“Because we are, family.”

Only then did she realize. He said that she would not want to sacrifice herself for her now, her one and only ‘her family’. And she said she couldn’t stop him like that.

Karin wanted to say something to Reiner, but she couldn’t say anything. No, she couldn’t even catch his back like that.

As always, she ends up being a coward at the most important moment.

Since ancient times, and all the way to the present. As always.

****

“Kiya, Cirilla. Even if you look at it, isn’t it really perfect acting with perfect lines? [Because we are a family.] Keuuu, really, even when I think about it, it’s a great line, a great line.”

“…..”

“Hmm, now that I think about it, it seems that there was something lacking in my acting. For example, hugging the Grand Duchess tightly at the last moment, or pretending to be strong on the outside, but secretly shedding a tear. Should I say that such a delicate production was lacking by 2%… “

“… Young master.”

“Huh? Why? Is there anything you would like to say? Did you just want to write a review on my performance?”

“Boss, really… I know you look like crap right now… ?”

“Ugh, garbage. I was just concocting a small stratagem to go to the imperial family naturally. And every lie I told was a noble act for the future of the continent and all life on this land. Is not it? Huh?”

“Anyways excuses… That’s okay, was that just a lie too?”

“What do you mean?”

“So there is that… Grand Duchess Her Highness is the Bocchan’s only family, those words… “

“Oh, that? I can’t say it’s all a lie, but that doesn’t mean it’s true either. Because the family I love the most is you, Cirilla. You know I love you the most in the world right?”

“… I don’t know. Anyway, Bocchan is really… It’s real trash. That’s great too.”