summerpeanut
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The Hero, His Highness Crown Prince, has been cursed by the Demon King but I will kiss him immediately ~I think the reward of a lifestyle with 3 meal a day, with snack and afternoon naptime included, should be A-OK~
🕑 Added 2023-05-21 08:31:36 +0000 UTCAuthor:夏乃
TL: summerpeanut
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A palace ball celebrating the homecoming of the Crown Prince, who is the center of this great holy kingdom. A magnificent grand hall that embodies the grandeur of this world. In the midst of the brilliantly dressed people, a grotesque monster appeared.
No, what appeared at first was not the grotesque figure, but it was indeed a monster. The Demon King, who was sealed by the first king of the holy kingdom and was passed down in ancient tales. It broke the seal and appeared in this grand hall. And then, a grotesque monster appeared. That was supposed to be our country's Crown Prince.
"Curse you, wretched hero and his descendants!!"
The Demon King shouted triumphantly, raising a laughter that seemed to well up from the depths of the earth.
"There are constraints, constraints, and constraints, but still(..)!!"
The Demon King continued his words with a mocking tone, as if enjoying himself. It carried an unpleasant humidity that seemed to make a sticky sound.
"Let's make it a pure maiden's kiss. Human, if there is a maiden who would kiss you in that form, if the 'true love' that you sing about truly exists, then perhaps the curse can be lifted."
The laughter of the Demon King echoed in the silent grand hall.
"As I regain my power, the curse will intensify and corrupt you. Your body, life, or spirit won't make it in time to obtain such a maiden. Wretched hero and his descendants, crawl as you watch the world sinks."
With those parting words, the Demon King dissolved into darkness and disappeared.
The people that had been frozen under the weight of the Demon King's presence regained freedom, and then I thought...
No, really. Isn’t now the greatest opportunity?
Although I am a child of nobility, I don't know the Crown Prince personally. However, I have heard plenty about him. It's all praise and admiration for His Highness. "If that person is there, we'll be safe." and such talks.
His Highness's achievements are also remarkable. I don't know if they are truly as impressive as they are made out to be, but both I and the people believe that he is the chosen one.
Our strong and beautiful, compassionate Crown Prince, our future king.
The chaos and damage that would occur if we lose him is immeasurable. If the Demon King were to resurrect, we would lose hope, and beyond that... I couldn't even bear to think about it.
But right now at this moment. With just a kiss, everything can be reversed. With that alone, we can regain him, and I can obtain the position of the "pure maiden who saved His Highness."
--well, isn't this a great opportunity?
I placed my hand on my chest and closed my eyes, contemplating whether I am a "pure maiden." The question is, what qualifies as a pure maiden? If it's on the physical note, I still don't have a fiancé and let alone a kiss, I never touched the hand belonging to that of opposite sex.
There's no doubt, this is purity...! (Confident)
I opened my eyes and started walking in the still and silent grand hall.
There were people who fainted and collapsed, others who froze in place as they held their partner, and a precursor to a scream echoed behind me. I walked toward His Highness, stopping in front of him. His Highness stood in the center of the vacant space, pressing his hand against the floor, staring at his reflection on the polished floor.
This is…disgusting.
I stared fixedly at His Highness in front of me.
The chin protruded forcefully from under the nose, as if it had been forcibly stretched forward. It would have been better if it had been animal-like, but the distorted nose, which was pulled and twisted, further intensified the sense of disgust with its human-like appearance. The beautiful blonde hair was dulled, and perhaps due to the enlargement of the head, it became sparse and hung down long and dry like withered grass.
I can't take my eyes off the disgusting parts. I have a nature where I can't look away from disgusting things and can't help but observe what is so disgusting.
Indeed, this gives me the shudder, I nodded.
His back swelled up in bumps, and the gorgeous suit was torn to pieces. The arms twisted in the wrong direction, with three elongated fingers extending forward and one short finger protruding on the opposite side. The nails were black and cracked.
Contrary to the enlarged upper body, the lower body was dwarfed. It seemed that it became slender like a branch from the chubby thighs downwards, and it was swimming in the baggy pants. Something resembling a hoof peeked out between the discarded shoes and the hem of the pants. It closely resembled the untrimmed and overgrown hooves of a cow.
I wonder if he can even stand up...
I knelt before His Highness and rested both hands on his chin.
If the skin I touched had been black like that of a monster in an illustrated book, it would have been better. It has the color of meat that had been bruised, punched, and stained black, blue, yellow, and red.
The lifted eyes shifted left and right, larger and rounder than my hands, slightly protruding, reminiscent of some kind of fish.
They were eyes that stared vacantly from the bottom of stagnant water, stirring up others’ unease as if they would be dragged to an abyss where they couldn't return.
There were no lips to speak of. The upper jaw and the lower jaw were connected as if fused together, and when His Highness tried to open his mouth, the flesh stretched and made a popping sound as if tearing apart. The stretched and torn strands of flesh wriggled as if trying to reconnect.
Between the strands of flesh, densely packed molars peeked out. If they had been fangs, it might have been somewhat acceptable. The densely grown large molars evoked images of being crushed, making them even more grotesque.
"Excuse me, Your Highness."
I gently pushed up His Highness's lower jaw. Because if it stayed like this, it would feel like sticking my face into a huge mouth. The touch of his chin reminded me of chicken meat. Raw chicken meat.
As His Highness closed his mouth at my urging, our gazes met. His Highness saw my serious face reflected in his eyes.
--the imperial villa, yes. The imperial villa sounds good.
I don't know what will happen to the Demon King and the world, but I unconditionally and irresponsibly believe that as long as I can return His Highness.... If it’s him, the Crown Prince of our country, who has completed the journey.
I don't desire His Highness's love or position.
So, the imperial villa sounds good.
I am, by nature, not someone motivated. The evaluation from those around me is pretty much the same. That I am the type of "you can do it if you try."
So, in this once-in-a-lifetime important event, I will try to do what I can. And I will live on as someone who "could do it if I tried."
With achievement of a feat that no one can ignore, I will live leeching on this rich country.
I have no interest in extravagant trips or extravagant spending. I want to live a relaxed life in a corner of the royal palace, eating three meals a day, snacks included, and taking naps while reading the royal family's collection of books.
Certainly, the current Crown Prince is incredibly disgusting, but if I close my eyes and give him a kiss, and then open my eyes, I would see his revered face. Well, it's totally manageable.
Everything important to me is in this country. I want to live a carefree life without anxiety or conflicts. That's why--
I closed my eyes and kissed the Crown Prince.
"Thank you, I will definitely repay this favor."
When I opened my eyes, the beautiful Crown Prince was there.
“I’m glad…”
I smiled and sat down on the floor. It's great that the requirements don't require a "pure-hearted maiden" or "mandatory requirement: love."
From the appearance of the Demon King to the resolution of the situation, it took just over 10 minutes.
§
As for the aftermath of the Demon King and the world, the Demon King didn't know because he was sealed away in the first place.
When our country's Crown Prince turns 18, he embarked on a journey around the world, visiting sacred places, carrying the national treasure holy sword, for about five years. In other words, our Crown Prince had already become a hero (awakened) when he returned, not just a hero (planned).
That palace ball was a once-in-a-lifetime miracle moment for the Demon King. It was a celebration of the Crown Prince's return, so the holy sword was temporarily taken away from him and displayed to symbolize that he had received the proper blessings. Also, one of the reasons was that the Demon King joined in as a properly dressed adult male at the ball, despite some minor discomfort feeling he exuded.
The Crown Prince returned after five years and was busy dealing with the nobles of his own country whom he hadn't seen in a long time. After all, people's faces and body shapes change a lot in five years. He was caught off guard, trying to remember who each person in front of him was. That's why the long-crafted curse of the Demon King, sealed away for many years, managed to pass.
If he had the holy sword with him or if his mind wasn't preoccupied, the incident would not have happened.
Well, it was resolved in less than five minutes after the Demon King disappeared, thanks to me.
As soon as the curse was lifted, the Crown Prince immediately took the holy sword, snatched a coat from one of the security knights, and chased after the joyful Demon King, who was searching for a base while regaining his power. The battle between the Demon King (weakened) and the hero (awakened) ended immediately, and the world regained peace. Very quickly.
Afterward, the palace ball celebrating the Crown Prince's return was reconsidered, and it was decided that the Crown Prince himself would wear the holy sword instead of displaying it. I think that's a good idea.
And I was on the verge of a crisis where I couldn't obtain a leisurely and carefree life and couldn't boast of any achievements.
Because the Crown Prince wished me to be his Crown Princess.
The criteria for being the Crown Princess in this country are very lenient. There are no restrictions based on origin or social status. After all, previous Crown Princes have encountered quite a number of people during their travels.
Additionally, the first king and queen also fell in love during their journey to seal the Demon King, so if the future Crown Princess were to meet him in a similar journey, it would be considered destiny, and the whole country would celebrate it. Moreover, multiple princesses have been blessed in such cases.
Unusually, no one noticed... The Crown Prince, who had just returned from his journey, was cursed by the Demon King at the banquet celebrating his homecoming. However, I, the "Pure-hearted Maiden," a noble of his own country, immediately dedicated myself and lifted the curse. Once the Crown Prince stated his desire, there was no escape for me. Because it was celebrated as fated encounter.
As soon as I kissed the Crown Prince in that state, I couldn't even offer an explanation. “Ahh! What is that if it is not love!” Just like that everything was decided. Yes, there was love...but it’s for peace and a damn lazy life...
If what the Crown Prince handed out was a fever-like love, it would have been better. A short-fleeting sparkle born from the escape out of despair.
In that case, it would surely fade away soon, but I couldn't just throw it away. There was a possibility of obtaining a secluded and indulgent life in a quiet palace if I asked for such.
But it was different. It was also the reason why no one noticed him during his journey. The Crown Prince was truly a member of the royal family and a hero. What he sought was a woman who could make immediate judgments and take action for the sake of the national interest when necessary.
The Crown Prince was certainly in despair at that time. Not for himself, who had turned into a monster, but for the hardships of the future citizens and the world. And he trembled with anger, at his own incompetence that had been taken advantage of.
It was at that moment that I kissed him.
Oh well... I see... I closed my eyes and stared at the sky.
In terms of information war, it was my complete defeat. The escape route was brilliantly blocked with skillful tactics.
Even though there had been only a few exchanges and no formal proposal, the entire country was already in a festive mode in anticipation of the official engagement.
In such circumstances, today, a banquet celebrating the sealing of the Demon King was held, and I stood in the center of that grand hall, kneeling before the Crown Prince.
"My fated 'Pure-hearted Maiden,' please become my lawful wife."
I felt trapped. If it weren't for this public setting, I could have negotiated for a concubine position...
I put on my best poker face and smiled shyly.
"If it is your wish, Your Highness..."
Now that it had come to this, I resolved to create a comfortable nest... Well, I guess it'll be fine... probably...
Amidst the thunderous applause, I gazed into the distance and contemplated the building of a relationship with the Crown Prince.
"My dear..."
The Crown Prince stood up, leaned in close, and whispered softly.
"I like your attitude of trying to gain as much advantage for yourself."
I was surprised and blinked, staring at the Crown Prince.
"How cute."
Towards the Crown Prince who sported a beautiful smile as he declared so, my face blushed as if boiling.
Oh dear... It seems I'm going to lose in a good way...
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Author’s Note:
I got a FA(fan art?) to celebrate this series. I told him what I thought it should look like, and he drew it for me, but his "ok" reply was the best.
I can't help but laugh because lol. Please take a look at the activity report.
Lmao rofl.
