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“Ekaterina!”

The first to burst in was, as expected, Aleksei.
So fast! As expected of Onii-sama!

“Milady!”

Right on Aleksei’s heels, Mina and Yvan rushed in almost simultaneously. They were fast as well. Though this was hardly the time, Ekaterina found her suspicions deepening that these two had contracted the siscon virus.

The moment he took in the situation, Aleksei immediately stepped in front of Ekaterina and Flora, shielding them, and faced Vladforen. Mina and Yvan took positions at his left and right, fortifying the defense.

“What are you?”

In a low voice, Aleksei demanded. Noticing that he held a longsword in his hand, Ekaterina shrank. No matter that he was her brother, nor Mina and Yvan—if they clashed head-on with Vladforen, they could not possibly win.

“Onii-sama, please wait!”

Without thinking, Ekaterina rushed to Aleksei and clung to his arm.

At that moment—

“Ekaterina!”

The ones who came rushing in were Mikhail and Luka.

“Lord Mikhail…”

You absolutely should not be here! You’re the number one in line to the throne, a super VIP!
Though, it was too late to think that. At the academy when the magical beast appeared, and with the Great Horned Auroch as well, he had always rushed in without hesitation.

Turning fearfully, she saw Mikhail casting a sharp gaze at Vladforen, who stood facing Aleksei. Sharp-minded as he was, he must have recognized at a glance that Vladforen was an intruder—and no ordinary being.
And that this strikingly beautiful man had come to see Ekaterina.

Aleksei. Vladforen. Mikhail.
With these three men of differing yet equally splendid appearances gathered in one place, the air in the room seemed to thrum with tension.

.

Ekaterina was in full panic.

Waaah, what am I supposed to do!? I don’t need an all-cast assembly like this!

Clinging tightly to Aleksei’s arm, she was no longer restraining her brother but using him as a tranquilizer. Her former corporate-slave skills were useless in this situation—worse, given her deeply ingrained inadequacies from that life, they seemed only to be a negative.

Then Vladforen’s crimson flame-like eyes curved faintly in amusement. Addressing Aleksei, he spoke.

“You asked, so I shall give my name. Humans call me the Black Dragon, but my name is Vladforen. I rule the magical beasts that dwell in this northern land—the Demon Dragon King.”
“The Black Dragon…!”

Mikhail inhaled sharply.
Luka shifted position smoothly, taking a stance to guard his lord Mikhail.

“As I thought.”

Murmuring this, Aleksei lowered his gaze briefly to his sister clinging to his arm, then fixed Vladforen with a stern neon-blue stare.
Yet, guided by the noble pride that formed his core, he returned courtesy with courtesy.

“Since you have given your name, I shall give mine. I am Aleksei Jurnova, lord who governs this Duchy of Jurnova.”
“Ekaterina’s brother, then.”
“Do not so casually speak the name of Jurnova’s lady.”

At Vladforen’s words, Aleksei’s voice trembled with anger.

“Whatever you may be, I cannot forgive that you have frightened my sister Ekaterina so…”
“Onii-sama! I am not frightened!”

Pulling at his arm, Ekaterina cried out.

Waaah, I’ve falsely accused the Demon Dragon King! It’s not like that!
I’m just at a loss about this all-cast gathering!
E-each of them individually is kind, and there is nothing frightening. Why is it that when the three of them are together, it becomes terrifying in a way I can’t explain?

Ekaterina, who feared romance both in her previous life and this one. If something she had unconsciously avoided with all her might began to take shape, indistinct yet undeniable, it would feel as frightening as a ghost.

“Ekaterina… stand back.”
“No, Onii-sama, I will absolutely not leave your side!”

Because if by some chance this turns into Onii-sama & the Prince versus the Demon Dragon King—
No matter how capable Onii-sama and the Prince were, remembering the dragon form, they could not possibly defeat him.
And if anything happened to Onii-sama or the Prince, the Demon Dragon King would become an irreconcilable enemy of Jurnova—of this Empire. It would become a matter of imperial prestige to subjugate him. The army would be dispatched, he would retaliate, and eventually—an assault on the imperial capital. The fall of the Empire…!
Absolutely not!
This is such an early stage in the story, if anything happened to Brother or the Prince—absolutely not!

“Every one of you is precious to me. Please, please, do not let this become a conflict!”

…Later, she would bury herself under her blankets and roll around in mortification, thinking, Am I some self-indulgent heroine from a Showa-era pop song who stops men from fighting?—but now she was desperate.

In this situation, the key person was her brother. The greatest risk was that her siscon brother might resort to force for her sake. The Demon Dragon King and the Prince were less worrisome in that regard.
So long as she stuck to her brother, she could prevent a battle from unfolding!
With that reasoning, Ekaterina clung to Aleksei’s arm with the tenacity of a koala or a sloth.

“Onii-sama, do you love me?”
“Of course, my most beloved Ekaterina.”

An immediate reply. As expected of my brother.

“Then please grant my request and calm yourself. If you were to be wounded because of me, I could not endure it. I would find it unbearable even to go on living…”
“Ekaterina…”

Meeting the tear-bright eyes of his sister as she looked up at him, Aleksei stilled.

At that moment—
A stifled laugh sounded.

Unable to hold it back, Vladforen began laughing aloud.

“You remain like a child, Ekaterina.”

What?
How rude! I am struggling to prevent the fall of the Empire!
…Granted, what I’m actually doing is using my brocon to trigger his siscon and muddle things, but still…

Then a long sigh was heard. It was Mikhail.

“Ah… Demon Dragon King, shall I address you thus?”
“That will do. And you are?”
“I am Mikhail Jurgrahn, prince of the Jurgrahn Empire.”
“Your Highness.”

Aleksei interjected lowly. By imperial protocol, in such a situation it would ordinarily be Aleksei who announced Mikhail’s name and status, rather than Mikhail introducing himself. However, since it was unclear whether this was friend or foe, Aleksei had deliberately withheld Mikhail’s rank.

Mikhail shook his head.

“It is fine. If the legend that you are the oldest and strongest of dragons is true, then human rank would hardly concern you.”
“Oh?”

With a measure of interest, Vladforen turned his crimson eyes upon Mikhail.
With eyes the color of a summer sky, Mikhail met that gaze.

“Demon Dragon King, if you do not mind my asking—what is your relationship with Ekaterina?”