Chapter 1.1 : During The Audience

The faces of dangerous-looking demons were carved on the open gate.

This gate would look better without the evil-looking engravings on it. When I saw pairs of fangs appearing through the gap of the opened door, I instinctively wanted to leave this place.

A timid person would have turned back by now.

I mean, I wouldn't want to go any further too, if I had a choice, that is.

After taking one step inside, while thinking about the almost nonexistent possibility of them sending me back home, I hurriedly advanced through the long line of grim-looking fully armored knights that were standing on both sides of path.

I see.

There really was no chance.

Couldn't be helped then.

I already abandoned such hopes after coming all the way here anyway

Resolving myself, I walked upon the red carpet spread in front of me.

The place that I could see past that huge, double door was a spacious throne room.

According to what I had heard in rumors, this might be what you could call the 'audience room'.

The red carpet ran right across the middle of the room, on top of black, marble floor. There was a chandelier in the form of a skeleton hanging from the high ceiling, as well as numerous demon-like winged sculptures that adorned the room's pillars.

Absolutely not my taste.

Putting the interior design aside, I felt numerous strange gazes locking onto me from the mass of people gathered inside the room.

Some of them didn't even bother to hide their hostility.

Please don't look at me with such gazes. You see, one mistake and a frail girl like me could end up looking like swiss cheese.

The majority of these people obviously didn't welcome my arrival.

I expected such a reception but, now that I'm surrounded by danger on all sides, I felt even more depressed.

It's not like these guys would understand my feelings, right?

To be honest, this was not the kind of place an ordinary person like me should be at.

This is the home of the demons that have been hostile to humans for over a thousand years.

And there is a Maou, who stands above all demons. Yes, this is the Maou Castle.

[TL: The term 'Maou' is used for the current "Demon King" as a replacement for demon king, for a reason that you will will find out later.]

And now, I found myself walking towards the deepest part of the Maou Castle's audience chamber.

What lays ahead of the red carpet is a gaudy throne room with a cocky-looking Maou sitting there.

It was glaringly obvious, even for me, that the person wearing that sinister full-body armor was the Maou himself.

I was brought all the way to this place as that Maou's bride.

ARE YOU F*CKING KIDDING ME?

Isn't such a role supposed to be given to the princess of a nation or a legendary saint?

And those damsels in distress would be saved by the 'Hero-sama of the Spirit World' or the 'Knight in Shining Armor-sama', but then again, that only happens in fairy tales.

I am a normal seventeen-year-old village girl, in the prime of her life, whose years without a boyfriend are equal to her age.

To make things even worse, now I have to become this inhumane Maou's bride.

Those guys just suddenly came out of nowhere, after I had done my daily chicken egg counting and was plucking the feathers from the chicken that would be our next meal.

When they came, for god knows what the reason, they proclaimed that I was going to be the bride of the Maou.

Why would an innocent village girl like me suddenly become the Maou's bride?

I almost snapped and punched them but…, that would have been a bad move.

If it was only one sinister guy who appeared, at the very least I might be able to beat the crap out of him. But! It was an entire group of sinister guys and they took the entire village as hostage as well.

Why are you going that far for a frail village girl like me? I mean normally….

I came all the way to this place but then……….

No good.  I felt sick when I recalled certain memories.

When I noticed, I'm already in front of the Maou.

……….. Why are you doing this to me.

「There's no mistake, she is Lefiya of Marielle village」

The one who said so was the old dude who was standing one level lower than the throne while that Maou is sitting on that throne looking cocky without even moving an inch.

He wouldn't even open his mouth to talk to me.

Now I've had enough with this useless show of cockiness.

「No. Aren't you mistaking my identity? 」

………. So, I glared at him.

Despite being nominated by name.

You would never know if it was truly me.

That old dude then coughed lightly with a beautiful baritone voice which is a total mismatch with his appearance and then gestured for the armored knights at my side to fall back.

「Before advancing to his majesty, kneel and say your words of allegiance」

……HAH？

「Before advancing to his majesty, kneel and say your words of allegiance」

「DON'T JOKE WITH ME」

Words of allegiance?

From who to whom?　…….. What the hell is this?

「Guh…………… You peasant don't make me to repeat my words again. You should step forward, bow your head, pledge your allegiance in body and spirit to his highness! 」

The talk become……… Unbearable.

What the heck is this?　Allegiance?　Offering my body and spirit?

Like hell I'm going to do that.

「I refuse」

I declared so with a firm tone.

「HOW DARE YOU!　DO YOU EVEN REALIZE YOUR POSITION!?　LISTEN UP, BOW TO HIM! DO AS I TELL YOU! 」

This old dude is too hot-blooded.

I didn't know why but for some reason something that resembled black flame suddenly flared up from his back while he's shouting in anger.

It appeared behind the other guys who got angry too.

When I calmed myself, I saw that many of these people, that old dude and those angry mobs resemble humans.

Some amongst them were far from human appearance though.

Well this is unexpected since when I hear about demons, I thought that their appearance would be far different from humans.

……….. Yup. The commotion soon subsided.

I've also regained myself.

Certainly, I obediently came all the way to this place but, don't think I'm going to be obedient right to the end.

I was only holding back till now, it's time to explode.

「WHAT'S WITH YOU GUYS SUDDENLY BRINGING ME ALL THE WAY TO THIS PLACE AGAINST MY WILL, FORCING ME TO BECOME A BRIDE, AND IN THE END FORCING ME TO KNEEL?　ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME HERE? LIKE HELL I'M GOING TO DO THAT! 」