Became the Villainess’s Guardian

It was not mere coincidence that Freugne was diligently treading the path of a stereotypical housewife.

Autumn had just arrived, and the ink on the armistice treaty was gradually drying.

The soldiers did not wish to remain idly squatting in the Demon lands, devoid of any entertainment worth mentioning.
Had there been a Demon Sovereign in the capital, they might have tried to provoke him in order to obtain the “Hero” title, but with it being completely hollow, their motivation quickly waned.

“So the war ends like this? But our goal was right before our eyes.”

“Well, what more is there to gain by fighting further from here?”

“But having come this far, shouldn’t we at least enter the capital?”

“Ashera. What if we push forward and unnecessarily reignite their aggression? They’ll just fight among themselves even if we leave them be.”

While the higher-ups did not openly state it, this was essentially the crux. It would feel incomplete if the war ended without the cycle of civil strife playing out once more.
Ordinarily, someone would emerge as a self-proclaimed Demon Sovereign after a decade or so to restore order, but this time, no one knew what would happen.

Thus, those who turned back westward had just disembarked from the train to Londinium in droves.

“Oh, long time no see.”

“Yeah.”

“Who’s that?”

“Just someone I know.”

“……”

And the rarely home Urra, who had come to greet them, witnessed it.
That scene exuding a subtle yet bittersweet air between the two, as if there were some ambiguous romantic tension with Erinne’s presence.

In truth, she was already aware. Since she could not openly acknowledge them as colleagues from the Umbra Organization, this was the only way she could put it.
However, for some reason, it did not feel like the whole story. Was it merely her delusion, to see it as if drawing a line for Erinne not to misunderstand?

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Hmm… I’ll believe you for now.”

No, it was not a delusion.
In the end, witnessing Urra and Erinne’s combination prompted Sif’s awakening.

“I have to present my thesis tomorrow! To get into university, everyone needs to have such credentials on their record.”

“But weren’t you already set to enter through connections……”

“Ah, that’s right! I’m meeting a boy I’m interested in today to spend some time with him.”

“Hmm……”

With the conviction that she must seize her own spring, Sif chose a life of wandering outside.

In the end, with no friends beyond the organization, Freugne once again repeated meaningless future deep learning exercises at home.
At the very least, her sunshine-like relationship with Erinne had her clinging to Urra after sending him off.

And one more thing.
Sif, who was now roaming about, had an instinctive premonition that something would soon occur.

The fermenting Freugne, confined at home, always arrived at the conclusion of ambushing Edan at an appropriate time.
Until now, Sif had deterred her, arguing that she needed to consider the greater cause and lacked the time for such antics.

‘…But is there really any need for that anymore?’

Such matters were not part of her official duties. Edan would have to resolve it himself.

In essence, it was her way of being considerate.
And true to those expectations, Freugne’s body gradually began to itch.

‘It feels like… I’ve forgotten something.’

Even after defeating the Demon Sovereign, she had remained preoccupied for a while.

She had drawn his face as accurately as she could remember and had the captured Demons confirm if it matched the Demon Sovereign they knew. Upon their affirmation, she had brought mages to examine the ash remains of his body, ensuring no strange magic had been cast upon it.

Next came the time for accolades. To prevent any grumbling among the organization members about who had contributed more, she had distributed appropriate sums of money or granted various privileges.

She had then severed the tentacle-like connections they had extended to the military and government.
If someone went mad and started shouting, “The Londinium Council is being manipulated by the Umbra Organization!” it would have been quite a headache.

In truth, she was confident they could have quietly buried the issue, but it was better to let it pass quietly if possible.

And after completing all of that, autumn arrived just as Erinne and Urra returned home.
Remarkably, it was the first time in Freugne’s life that she had experienced true leisure.

Urra was occupied with some romantic affair, and Sif had also plunged into her own love life.
If one considered it, she too had been periodically dating Edan, so was she not currently in a relationship as well?

Yet something crucial was missing. Something absolutely vital.

“James!”

“I told you I’d return safely. Did you wait long?”

“Yes, I firmly believed you would keep your promise.”

Freugne sat quietly on a park bench, glancing at the passing couples.
It was the perfect day for a date, but since Edan was a working man, she inevitably ended up with spare time like this.

“So when will we get married?”

“As soon as possible!”

A lightning bolt struck Freugne’s mind.

That’s right, why had she forgotten this?
She must have been too preoccupied with work until recently. Perhaps it was even an aftereffect of the Demon Sovereign’s mind control.

Regardless of the reason, she had to act.

Freugne immediately rose from the sofa she had been lounging on.
There were preparations to make from now on.

No day would be complete for Edan without a visit to the Keres Manufactory.

Though the war had ended, his manufactory did not solely produce guns and ammunition.
Any surplus tanks left as toxic inventory could be roughly stripped for parts and converted into automobiles or tractors, and above all, this manufactory had originally originated from producing household appliances. Recall that, no matter what, Edan’s career had begun with air conditioners.

He restored the manufactory’s systems that had become slightly unhinged during the wartime transition, disposed of other toxic inventory in places like the Republic, and so on.
Not toiling in sweat all summer… but rather in the cool breeze, he gradually neared the completion of these tasks.

Excluding the one day he had skipped through an ambush, Edan, who had maintained perfect attendance, mentally calculated how much work remained until it was all finished. Perhaps just a few more days of perseverance would suffice.

Across the desk, Freyja, seeming fatigued from stamping documents, briefly stretched her arms before speaking:

“Ah, that’s right, I don’t know what became of the Demon Sovereign. They still haven’t found him, have they?”

“Y-yes. It’s quite an ominous world, not knowing where he might be hiding.”

“Why are you stuttering? Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“I see? Honestly, I don’t really care what the Demon Sovereign is up to or where he is. We’ve won, so isn’t that enough for now?”

Edan had much he wished to say but maintained his composure.
Glancing out the window at the gradually setting sun, Freyja continued:

“Why don’t we call it an early day today?”

“Hm?”

“It’s a nice day, but we’ve been cooped up working. While others were enjoying the festival and such, we’ve just been sitting in this gloomy room.”

Freyja’s expression was not unpleasant. More accurately, it seemed slightly joyful.
There were various reasons, such as the end of the war or the profits earned from military contracts, but ultimately, the greatest factor was likely that her nephew had safely returned last month.

Would it not be rude to reject her kindness?
Edan cheerfully hurried home. While work was enjoyable in its own way, there was no place like home.

-Creeak-

“I’m home.”

“……”

The house was quiet. Sif had originally mentioned going to find a boyfriend, and Freugne was likely still out.
Unconsciously preparing his magic, Edan promptly released his guard. Reacting this way every time was becoming an unhealthy habit.

Given his past experiences, it was only natural to instinctively search for Demons whenever he felt on edge, but he would need to gradually reduce this tendency going forward.
The Demon Sovereign had been defeated, Freugne had not forewarned him of any ominous futures that morning, and the Demons had already lost their foothold in Londinium to plant spies.

“I’m here.”

After a slight pause, her reply came from upstairs. Edan obediently removed his coat and headed up.

Freugne’s room was dark, the lights off – an unusual sight, as she typically kept them on to prevent straining her eyes.
Up to this point, there was nothing particularly strange, so he dismissed it. In truth, a scene that prevented him from noticing such minor details like the atmosphere was unfolding before him.

“…This is.”

“……”

In hindsight, Freugne had seemed somewhat off that morning.
Despite the refrigerator being fully stocked, she had claimed to be going to the market, and her peculiar gaze betrayed clear signs that she was hiding something.

Only now could Edan comprehend the reason.

For indeed.

“……”

“…Is this a bit strange?”

While the candlelight arrangement and wall-mounted flowers felt rather clichéd for a proposal, he could not help but find it endearing, evidently the result of her independent efforts and deliberation.

“No.”

“Heh.”

“Shall I enter, then?”

“Yes.”

Taking a deep breath, Edan grasped the doorknob.