A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 58: A Public Proposal

Who do you think you are? How dare you touch what's mine?

Those words nearly slipped past her lips. But clamping down with inhuman patience, Meredia forced herself to think rationally.

‘...No. This must be part of that bastard’s plan again.’

Since Whitney was involved, the only way to properly assess the situation was to stay calm.

Given everything so far, Hestia acting this way likely meant this was a calculated move—part of a strategy Whitney had prepared all along.

Though everyone behind him—his sister, his inner circle—looked genuinely confused, Meredia, who knew him better than most, believed even their bewilderment might be part of the plan.

The closer the enemy, the more you must keep them in check and use them—that was a lesson Meredia had learned better than anyone.

‘If that fool really means to betray me and run off with a woman like her... I’d welcome it.’

And if she was wrong, and Whitney really was switching sides here... even that wouldn’t be so bad.

Ever since that idiotic confession in the carriage, Whitney had grown into something unpredictable and uncontrollable inside Meredia’s world.

‘If it means he’ll disappear from my sight... then so be it.’

Meredia had never once in her life believed someone could appear and like her purely, for no reason at all.

To her, Whitney was a source of stress, an obstacle—something that needed to be removed from her path as soon as possible.

“......Tch.”

Yes. That’s how she would’ve thought just a short while ago.

– Tremble...

But as the Saintess slowly approached Whitney, Meredia’s right hand began trembling more violently than ever before.

‘...Go ahead. Walk away.’

No one knew better than Meredia what that tremble meant—it was a signal that her emotions were hitting their breaking point.

Still, she clenched her teeth, gripping her shaking hand with the other.

‘Go on and get taken by the Saintess. Disappear from my sight forever.’

She had already resisted the urge several times now to run forward and grab Whitney’s arm.

Even then, she only repeated the words in her mind:

‘Just stop making me feel this goddamned emotion...’

But the moment that damned Saintess looped her arm around Whitney’s, Meredia shut her eyes tight and, for the first time since that day in the carriage, whispered the truth she’d stubbornly ignored.

‘...I never wanted to know what this shitty feeling was.’

The moment the girl who had only ever known malice and hatred first realized a different kind of emotion.

***

What is the Saintess Corruption Route?

It’s one of the worst bad endings possible in the original game’s prologue.

The conditions to trigger it are roughly as follows: the Saintess fails to awaken after meeting the Hero, and somehow becomes completely subjugated by the forces of evil.

Once both conditions are met, the Saintess no longer serves the Goddess—but becomes a devoted follower of darkness, aiding in the world’s destruction.

The most telling sign? The radiance from the Saintess’s body changes from dazzling white... to a dark, murky gray.

‘I’m screwed.’

Yeah. Just like Hestia right now—shrouded in that thick gray glow right in front of my eyes.

No wonder her light hadn’t stood out earlier in the dark. There was a reason for it.

‘Hold on, though. I’m on the side of justice, aren’t I?’

Here’s what I couldn’t figure out: Hestia seemed to be implying that I was the one who corrupted her.

But what did I even do?

All I did was kidnap her from the black mages, disguise her as a maid, help her with small nightly escapades, and summon a demon in front of everyone...

‘...Okay, that’s a lot.’

Still, it was all for the sake of world peace—and for her safety, too!

Could it be that this world prioritizes the process over the outcome?

Or is it that the Saintess’s personal judgment plays a major role in her own corruption?

‘Now that I think about it, she has been calling me “Demon King” lately...’

As far as I know, the Saintess isn’t chosen by the heavens—she’s someone who chooses whom to serve.

But even so, shouldn’t she only gain real power by siding with someone nearly equal to the Goddess? Like the leader of the black mages, or an actual Demon King?

She mistook a nobody like me for a Demon King, and she still awakened with that much power?

“Saintess. It’s not too late to reconsider...”

“Excuse me, do I look like I’m doing this because I want to?”

Feeling like the world was about to take a fundamentally wrong turn, I urgently tried to stop her—but Hestia cut me off with a firm tone.

“No matter how redeemed you may seem, it would be a mistake to think I trust you blindly.”

“What are you saying...?”

“This is all part of my plan—to watch over someone who carries the fate of the Demon King.”

By now, I seriously had to wonder if Hestia was drunk—but unlike before, she didn’t smell like alcohol at all.

“If I can stay by your side, I can monitor you. And you’ll avoid political ruin from this whole situation. It’s a win-win, right?”

If she was sober, though... then there was still one massive flaw in her logic I couldn’t let slide.

“Saintess, I don’t mean to be rude but...”

I hesitated for a second, but curiosity and confusion got the better of me. I had to point it out.

“...You could just tell everyone I kidnapped you. That’d solve everything.”

“......”

“You clearly think I’m some evil Demon King—so why go out of your way to help me?”

Hestia stared blankly at me for a moment, then sighed.

And with a completely unexpected answer, she spoke.

“You’re a regressor, aren’t you?”

“...What?”

“I don’t know why or how, but you’re trying to fix the mistakes of the past.”

What... what kind of nonsense is that supposed to be?

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Strictly speaking, I’m not a regressor—I’m a reincarnator with memories from my past life. Obviously, I have nothing to do with regression.

“So that’s why I’m helping you. Does it make sense now?”

“Not even a little...”

How many misunderstandings had piled up between me and Hestia for her to mistake me for a regressed Demon King and fall into corruption because of it... I had no idea.

But one thing was certain now: this situation was completely, utterly wrong.

And while I was still barely holding on to my sanity, I had to fix it—somehow, anything to—

“S-Saintess.”

“Then... who is the Hero?”

That’s when I heard the anxious voices of the Holy Knights in front of us—and realized I was far too late.

‘...I’m doomed.’

Not just the Holy Knights, but everyone in the arena—whose vision had been obscured by black smoke—now had their eyes fixed on me and Hestia.

“...If you say no now, I’ll reveal that you’re the Demon King.”

“......”

“Please don’t throw away this golden opportunity for redemption...”

And from what Hestia whispered beside me, it was painfully obvious what would happen if I denied being the Hero.

And in that scenario, I didn’t have the power to protect Meredia, Cecil, or my inner circle—who were all quietly watching the situation from behind me.

“Ahahahaha...”

In the end, I gave up on everything and let out a hollow laugh.

“...Yes.”

With a forced but shameless smile, I stepped forward and made the declaration that would permanently derail the original game’s storyline.

“I am the Hero.”

And in the next moment, the stadium erupted in thunderous applause and cheering from all sides. As I closed my eyes, I muttered silently to myself.

‘I guess I’ll have to throw out half of my knowledge of the original game now.’

To be honest, what worried me more than the cheering was the murderous aura from Meredia.

Anyway, that marked the end of the long, long Prodigy Selection Tournament.

***

“M-Master...!”

“...Huh?”

Just as everything seemed to be settling—

“Hiiieek.”

“Sasha? What are you doing here...?”

I turned my head at the sudden, familiar voice behind me, only to see Sasha—covered in dust, panting and disheveled.

“I-I was watching from the audience... with my brother... So I...”

“That’s... okay, but why did you come down here?”

Naturally, there was no reason for Sasha to be behind me right now, so I asked, confused. She hesitated a moment before fumbling through her clothes and pulling something out.

“Y-You... you gave me... um, a... a trick bundle...”

“...What?”

“P-Par-Parsha said to only open it when everything was over, so... I opened it and just ran down here...”

What she pulled out was indeed wrapped in cloth that looked almost identical to the trick bundle I had entrusted to Parsha.

But I had some conscience—I never gave Sasha one.

Then was this... some kind of mistake?

“Th-There was a note inside saying... you’d need this...”

“...Hah.”

Thinking along those lines, I instinctively took the bundle she handed me—and when I looked inside, I couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.

“I-I’m so sorry!?”

“No, there’s no need to apologize.”

This must’ve been something Parsha prepared on her own, separate from my instructions.

“...A god-tier move, really.”

Because inside... was exactly what I needed at this exact moment.

“...Don’t come.”

So, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ holding it in my hand, I started walking again—under the confused gazes of everyone in the arena—when I heard a cold voice call out from the distance.

“Don’t come any closer, Whitney Ringaarden.”

It was Meredia, who had been standing still this entire time, emitting a frozen aura. Her voice grew quieter the closer I got.

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“You don’t need me anymore, do you... So...”

“...Don’t be ridiculous, Your Highness.”

Despite her words, she hadn’t stepped back—and now that I stood before her, I smiled gently and knelt down.

“It’s time to stop lying to yourself, isn’t it?”

“......”

“Why do you think I went through all this trouble?”

To her blank, stunned face, I held out what Sasha had just delivered—timed like a buzzer-beater.

“All of this... was for this moment.”

Feeling slightly guilty, but still wearing a sincere smile, I gently slipped the ring onto Meredia’s finger.

“Considering who you are, Your Highness... this much is the least I could do, right? Haha...”

“...You...”

It was the second treasure taken from the imperial vault. A gift I had originally planned to give Meredia once everything was over.

“...Will you marry me, Your Highness?”

The Ring of Fortune, said to have once been given by the second Hero to his disciple, gleamed quietly in the sunlight as it rested in her hand.

“......Tch.”

Of course, as soon as she wore it, she lowered her head and made an expression I had never seen before—something rare and utterly precious.