3. The Hero Wants to Get Married

According to statistics accumulated over many years, one dragon can destroy an entire kingdom.

In a relatively recent story, seven dragons teamed up to defeat the mad dragon Grid, but they couldn’t bring him down and instead created seven dragon graves.

Therefore, arithmetically, the Dragon Slayer Revaston, who defeated the mad dragon, is stronger than seven dragons, which means he is stronger than seven kingdoms.

The empire was the strongest country in human society, but it would lose if it went to war with seven kingdoms simultaneously. Therefore, if Revaston and the empire went to war, the empire would lose.

There are many factors that determine the outcome of a war, such as the expansion of the front, the concentration of targets to project power, the range of wide-area magic, and many other elements, but the leadership cannot avoid being wiped out. In that sense, Revaston is scarier than fighting the whole world.

Naturally, his movements are top-secret information. That’s why Evangeline, the imperial secret intelligence director and the first princess of the empire, is personally in Verdain City. She also thought it would be nice if she could seduce him.

She didn’t come to squat next to someone pulling weeds to give relationship advice.

“Why on earth does she hate remarriage? Even using the word ‘never’?”

Breck mumbled, talking to himself. Evangeline looked at him pitifully, wondering if he didn’t know the answer.

“She’s already experienced failure once.”

“No, that’s because her ex-husband was a trashy guy.”

“Why would Viscount Aiden want to remarry? She has a title, wealth, enjoys her hobbies, and is respected in her territory.”

“That’s true…”

“And she has a big and beautiful lover.”

This was about Breck’s physique. Evangeline didn’t know his true masculinity.

Breck looked at her with dissatisfied eyes. She shrugged nonchalantly. What could she do if it was true?

“People who have a lot don’t need to take risks. Why would she make you, a gardener, her husband? Even if her partner was just a wealthy commoner, there would be a lot of talk, but her own gardener?”

“That’s true… but still…”

Breck mumbled gloomily.

Not long after realizing that he could live both moments and eternity equally, he asked Lily. He thought the atmosphere wasn’t bad. The cool early morning breeze was blowing gently, and the two bodies warmly embraced in the bed. It was such a moment that only positive answers seemed to come out no matter what he asked.

[Lily, do you have any thoughts on remarriage?]

[Remarriage?]

But when Lily heard those words, her body stiffened in his arms. Breck tried to look into her face, but she buried her face in his chest, not wanting to show her expression, and muttered.

[I don’t intend to. Never.]

[Never?]

[No.]

After that, she didn’t say anything. Her attitude clearly showed that she didn’t want to talk about it anymore, so he couldn’t bring it up again.

Since that day, Breck’s insides had been burning. No, at that time, it wasn’t like he was desperate to get married. He kept thinking that he was happy just like this. But when Lily firmly cut off the possibility, he couldn’t stop thinking about it all day since then.

“Sigh…”

“Didn’t I tell you? You need an appropriate status.”

Breck looked up at the sky once, then again, and vented his frustration on the weeds he was pulling. The deeply rooted weeds intertwined underground were pulled out all at once.

As if that wasn’t enough, flames erupted from his hands.

“Eek!”

Evangeline let out a small scream and stood up abruptly. The burning weeds quickly turned into ashes and scattered in the wind. The flower bed unexpectedly got free fertilizer.

Evangeline looked at Breck with a sour expression. He was furiously turning the soil without even raising his head.

“But.”

He stopped and looked up at Evangeline.

“You, a princess with so much, are also desperate to get married, aren’t you?”

“Oh, you really know how to piss someone off. What I want is Dragon Slayer Revaston. My goal is stable succession to the throne and making the empire the strongest nation ever.”

“A gardener…”

“Don’t even ask if I would reject Gardener Breck. It’s a pointless question since I know who you are, and it’s meaningless to guess my feelings when you don’t even intend to propose.”

“Sigh…”

“If you’re worried about acting according to your fake identity, don’t be. I’ll prepare everything perfectly for you.”

Evangeline spoke with a sour feeling. If Breck knew how disgusting it was to tell a man she wanted to seduce that she would prepare for his marriage, he should feel at least a bit guilty.

“If you need a proper event to reveal your identity, I can prepare that too. Tell me specifically what the problem is. I’ll solve it. We are much better at this than you are, and in return, what we want is…”

But he was no longer listening to her. He sighed and mumbled,

“It might be easier to talk if our names were the same…”

He disliked living as Revaston and returned to being Breck, but now he was worried about how to reveal his identity as Revaston. Would Lily also reject him if he was the Dragon Slayer Revaston?

It seemed likely. Come to think of it, she wasn’t with him for his power or authority. As Evangeline said, her life lacked nothing, and the appearance of Revaston might just be a factor that disrupts her peaceful and enjoyable life.

“If I hadn’t even changed my name…”

It might have been a little better if his name had just remained Breck. In fact, the only thing Lily had ever asked him about his past was one thing.

[Is your name really Breck?]

Of course, he was Breck, and it wasn’t a lie that he was from the neighboring village. But his answer was no different from evading the truth to hide his identity. She would surely be disappointed if she found out.

As he mumbled to himself, Evangeline raised her voice.

“Sir Revi. Are you listening?”

“Please don’t call me that. What if someone hears?”

“I’ve put up a sound barrier. They can’t hear us.”

“Hoo…”

Breck let out a long sigh. Evangeline really couldn’t understand him. If he wanted Viscount Aiden, he could just take her.

She already knew she was his weakness. She had no intention of exploiting it. If they were not going to fight, what was the point of hitting a sore spot? It was information she needed to know to prepare for any eventuality, similar to knowing the location of a dragon’s reverse scale. It’s not for defeating the opponent but for avoiding unintended repercussions.

She decided to willingly cooperate with their union. If through this, she could establish a connection with Viscount Aiden and, if possible, bring her into the Empire, it would be beneficial. Revaston had no interest in the Empire, but a mere viscount from a kingdom wouldn’t feel the same.

Breck sighed and pulled weeds at high speed. Evangeline, struggling beside him, dug up the roots with her delicate hands. She had no idea so many weeds grew in the summer when she used to stroll through the garden.

Eventually, Evangeline gave up on making any progress today.

“I’m curious, though. Why did you change it?”

“Because I thought the name Breck was too common.”

“…Isn’t Revaston a bit stranger? Honestly, it’s your name, but I always thought it was meaningless.”

“I was sixteen at the time.”

“Ah…”

At sixteen, one tends to give meaning to everything. She learned a past of the hero she didn’t really want to know. Even this would be stored as top-secret information.

Evangeline aimlessly scratched the ground, having lost all motivation.

In the past, she thought he desired honor and power. She guessed he had no interest in the Empire because human kingdoms were too trivial for him.

But now, she really didn’t know. It wasn’t purely for the joy of gardening that he played the gardener, and even if he enjoyed living in hiding, the fact that he was considering revealing his identity meant that enjoyment was over.

Realizing what she was thinking, Breck grumbled.

“I just want peace. The kind where people like Your Highness don’t bother me.”

“Peace can’t be maintained without power.”

“I’m realizing that right now. If I lacked strength, more people would be bothering me.”

Still, Breck remained quiet because the Imperial Secret Intelligence Service was the best at keeping secrets. Dealing with just Evangeline was better than being pestered by various people.

“Knowing that, rather.”

“Your Highness, I don’t need the Empire’s power…”