The one who welcomed Jill, who wore a tired expression, was her own husband, whom had just returned from a relaxing day of harvesting his field.

Due to Jill’s wobbly steps, even Saute made sure not to block her path.

“I am home, Your Majesty…”

“Y, yes, welcome home… where’s Zeke?”

“He’s somewhere else. He got a different task to do.”

Jill stepped into the field and hugged Hadith, before toppling over. With a quick snap, Hadith caught her.

He smelled nice—just like that of the soil and the sun. She inhaled the healing scent, then exhaled.

“Your Majesty, I love you…”

“…I see that you’re exhausted. I will prepare a delicious dinner.”

Jill was lifted as she hugged Hadith’s neck.

Elynsia warned Listeard, “Stop chasing an apprentice, not to mention, a little girl.” Listeard reluctantly withdrew, but continued watching Jill over the course of the lecture, not letting her away.

He was merely watching her, but that was already taxing enough. Under that watchful gaze of his, she was afraid of any subtle hints her movements might give away. As a matter of course, the gossip about her grew worse. By that point, all she wanted to do was go home. She didn’t even want to think about tomorrow. Zeke ignored her pleas for help.

“You don’t have to cook rice for Zeke today, Your Majesty. I will pick a cabbage and that shall be his dinner for today.”

“? Well, if you say so. Here, Jill.”

A sweet and sour strawberry was pressed against her lips—delicious.

“Your Majesty, the strawberries are here?”

“Did something happen today?”

By leaning her head against Hadith’s neck, she was able to recover some of her energy. She continued to munch on the strawberries harvested from the fields. Slowly opening her eyes, she sighed.

“Truly, all I ever wanted to do today was to go home and see Your Majesty…”

“…Y, you can continue saying those sorts of words, but it won’t be so easy to get a reaction out of me anymore! E, even someone like me can get used to receiving those words! …N, not to mention? I, m-me too, I was, mis, missing you—…”

“So, the saying is true—when you’re exhausted, all you want is to see your beloved person…”

Contrary to his previous statement, Hadith staggered as he clutched his chest.

“I, I am fine, getting used to it, I am getting used—…”

“…If you force yourself to use magic, you will collapse, Your Majesty.”

“T, that’s certainly a possibility, but…”

From Hadith’s arm, Jill plopped down. Her gaze wandered. Then, a basket which had been placed on the ridge was taken by her.

“I shall give you a hand, Your Majesty. Speaking of which, where’s Camila?”

“—Yeees~? I am here, I was here waaay before you started getting flirty with the Emperor, Jill-chan.”

Camila, whom was sitting on a wooden box overlooking the field and the eaves of the house, answered. Jill blinked.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t notice. I currently only have eyes for His Majesty.”

“—Uggh…!!”

“Your Majesty~ do your best to stay alive~ and Jill-chan, please stop attacking His Majesty~…”

“Hadith, I found you—!!!”

The sudden scream caused Saute to shriek and escape. Camila gripped her bow while Jill jumped in front of Hadith and muttered in a low voice.

“Your Majesty, get ready to escape.”

“…But, this voice…”

The bushes moved swiftly, interrupting Hadith’s words. Hadith stopped Camila by raising a hand when she was about to shoot.

“Your Majesty?”

“I was wondering where you were hiding, but it turned out to be this place…”

Jill instinctively screamed at the person who stepped out with a great force.

“Your Majesty Listeard!?”

It seemed that Listeard had never intended to stop chasing her from the get go.

However, despite the momentum, Listeard didn’t move from his spot and only opened his mouth.

“…What do you think you’re doing?”

Towards the dumb question, despite his serious gaze, Hadith gave an equally stupid answer.

“Harvesting vegetables.”

“…”

As if seeing a rare specimen of a beast for the first time, Listeard gazed at Hadith from top to bottom. It seemed that Listeard truly didn’t want to believe what he had just heard—to the extent that Jill felt sorry for him.

I am already used to it, though—the appearance of His Majesty in an apron…

But Listeard might not be able to forget such an appearance for the rest of his life.

After all, Hadith was supposedly the emperor of the Rave Empire.

Listeard, pale-faced, covered his face and started hyperventilating.

“V, vegetable, …the emperor of my great empire… while amidst national crisis…. is harv-harvesting, vegetables…”

“Um, how are you doing?”

Hadith asked the question, and it was as if Jill could hear Listeard’s blood vessels popping.

“What have you been doing, you moron!?!? All this time, I thought you’re preparing for a revolt!!! B, but—!!!”

“Why are you asking that? People can’t live without food?”

“There’s a more pressing problem than that!? Forget it, for now, just come with me to Older Sister’s place!!”

“Eh? Nah.”

“‘Nah’—!? That’s a very unforgiveable thing to say—!!”

“I’m home—eh, w, wha? What are you guys fussing about? Wait.”

For a moment, Zeke glanced between Jill and Camila, before getting distracted by Hadith and Listeard.

Jill answered while narrowing her eyes.

“His Majesty was discovered. It seems that I was tailed… I let my guard down…”

“… Wait, Jill-chan~? Could you have done it on purpose~?”

“Not on purpose. But I was wondering if His Majesty were to be found, this guy would be the best person for it.”

That was why she slowed down her pace when she returned home, Jill smiled dully.

“Even though he is a prince, he didn’t bring any soldiers, and he’s trying to look for His Majesty alone. I don’t think he’s His Majesty’s enemy.”

Zeke sighed with a haggard look.

“…Well, I did wonder how long we would live like this…”

“But, it’s also a little lonely. I was very happy at the fact that His Majesty was waiting for me at home while I was at work…”

“Jill-chan…~”

“—I don’t wannaaaaa—!!!”

Hadith’s scream cut through Jill’s sentiment.

“I don’t wanna leave—!!! I get to cook rice here every day and wait for my wife’s return—!!! I can become just an ordinary boy—!!!”

“‘Ordinary boy’—!? What are you talking about, you fool—!! That ain’t happening—!!”

“As if you have the right to say that—!! Your side is the one who drove me out of the Imperial City—!! Well, not that I hate it now that things have come to this…”

“Are you in a position to say that now that you’ve been dismissed!? That is exactly the part of you that I hate!!”

“If you don’t like it, leave. I can turn this place into the new Imperial City just fine—I am the Emperor—!!!”

“Don’t be ridiculous—!!!”

“…Can we actually say goodbye to this lifestyle…”

“First we will have to convince His Majesty~”

Jill’s shoulder was patted by Zeke, while Camila gave her a reassuring look. Thus, Jill stepped forward to persuade her husband.

---

***T/N: You know it’s the second arc when our tyrannical Emperor who lit said ‘kill them all’ in second chapter of this series get a massive character development and dare to say ‘nah lols XD’ to his obligation to reign.

“Not on purpose. But I was wondering if His Majesty were to be found, this guy would be the best person for it.”

“””Translation: ‘–after all, this prince is dumb enough to charge to the enemy’s base ALONE and announce his presence as if he’s a shounen prota or sth, if he did sth we can prolly wrekt his ass, ig.’ (Jill)

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