The Incompetent Noblewoman Marries the 'Devil of the Far East' as a Substitute Bride—Told by Her Parents to 'Die in Place of Your Sister,' She Left the House, but Her New Family Turned Out to Be Wonderful and She's Happy - Episode 1.28

Satoru-sama, Risa-sama, and I are led to the audience chamber of the Far East Castle.

During the audience, it was a spacious tatami room.

In the seat of honor, there is a beautiful man sitting.

“Nice to meet you, Rei Saiga. I am… the Far Eastern King, Kuzu-ryu Byakuya.”

“huh?”

I couldn’t help but mutter that.

This person is… the Far East King…?

Indeed, at first glance, he looks like a tall, handsome man in his 40s or 50s… But…

“Um, um…”

I was, how should I put it, feeling lost.

Saying this might be very rude.

Satoru-sama is looking at me.

As expected, strange.

Satoru-sama, at times like this, asks, “What’s wrong?” or “Did something happen?”

But… Satoru-sama doesn’t say anything.

It’s as if they are testing my reaction.

Try it?

What on earth… what?

“What’s wrong, Miss Saiga?”

With a smile, the Far Eastern King asks me.

“If you have something to say, it’s better to say it honestly.”

The King of the Far East is also looking straight at me.

Smiling, yet straight… looking at me.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that, implicitly, they were testing me.

From the atmosphere between the two of them, I can tell that they are… testing me or something.

But… is it really okay to be completely honest?

No, the king said, “Speak.”

If I don’t answer honestly here, they will think my abilities are low.

In other words, it would lead to a decline in the prestige of the Ichijo family.

That’s not good.

The Ichijo family, and Lord Satoru… I can’t cause them any trouble.

“With all due respect, I must say…”

“Please.”

“Where might the real, Far Eastern King, Kuzuryu Byakuya-sama, be?”

Lord Satoru widened his eyes, and Princess Risa also exclaimed, “I’m so surprised!”

“Authentic… what does that mean? What could it mean?”

In a gentle voice, the Far Eastern King says.

“Um, it’s just a hunch, but… well, from the Far Eastern King, there’s no sign of human presence, so to speak… I’m sorry. I really apologize for relying on intuition, but…”

But then, I thought, “Oh, this person… isn’t human.”

“I see… Miss Saiga is a reincarnated-type ability user. Formerly non-human, that’s why she can intuitively distinguish between non-humans and humans. A wonderful quality.”

There are three types of people with special abilities, and it seems that I am a reincarnated type with a past life as a demon.

“You are correct. I am not Kuzu-ryu Byakuya himself. I am a shikigami he created.”

“Shiki…gami?”

“Ah. I’m sorry for putting you to the test like that.”

The Eastern King of the Shikigami stands up.

When I place my hand on the hanging scroll behind me, it flips over with a rustle…

“!? A, a hidden passage…?”

“Ah. Come with me. I’ll show you the real me.”

The Far East King proceeds deeper into the hidden passage.

When Risa and Hime also stand up, they follow along with quick, small steps.

“Alright, shall we go, Rei?”

“Y-yes…”

I walk alongside Satoru-sama, making my way through the hidden passage.

In the pitch-black darkness, directly below… a staircase extended.

“Um… Satoru-sama. I’m sorry…”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“Um… I ended up pointing out that it was a fake…”

“Ah, it’s fine. That was a test from the Far Eastern King.”

As I thought, it was a test.

“However, to think that he could see through even the ultra-hard illusions. Rey’s talent for seeing through illusions is truly terrifying.”

“Kenki…”

“It’s a collective term for those who can see. Even if they possess special abilities, there are still a certain number of people who can see youkai.”

“Not everyone can see the youkai, huh?”

Ah, Satoru-sama nods.

“If you have even more superior and special abilities, like Rei earlier, it’s possible to distinguish between the shikigami and the real body. However, that’s truly a rare exception. Even I didn’t realize at first that it was a fake.”

Even Satoru-sama didn’t realize that the shikigami was a fake…

“I’ve arrived. Here it is.”

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, it was an underground space.

Somehow, it reminds me of a dungeon.

“Miss Saiga, my true form is up ahead. However… it might look a bit unsightly, so I would appreciate it if you don’t get too shocked.”

The Far East King says so.

“I-I don’t look ugly or anything!”

Risa and Hime shake their heads and say.

But… I could tell my legs were shaking.

What lies ahead might truly be a terrifying monster.

But… it doesn’t matter.

I came to greet the King of the Far East. No matter what form he takes… it doesn’t matter.

“I understand. I will try not to be surprised.”

“Thank you. Well then…”

The door opens.

The smell that hit my nose was the scent of bl00d…

“Bl00d…? Why…?”

“If you look at that, you’ll understand.”

Suddenly, Satoru-sama points in front of him.

It was an open, underground space.

And what fills the vast underground space is… a massive, white… monster.

“Yōma…”

Yes, it’s a demon.

It’s a giant, white cow demon.

However, a human face, six horns. And… nine eyes.

A giant cow demon with a strange appearance.

“It is a demon called Hakutaku. And… this person is our Far Eastern king, the Nine-Headed Dragon, Lord Byakuya.”

This giant bull demon, the Far Eastern King…

The king’s body has several stakes driven into it.

And then, my body is bound with thick chains, and talismans are scattered all over.

Risa and Hime are biting their lips tightly and looking down.

What on earth… could this mean? A demon being the king of the Far East…

There are questions. But before that…

I perform the nobleman’s bow, which is quite common in the western continent.

“Nice to meet you. I am Lady Rei Saiga, the daughter of Count Saiga. By royal decree, I have come to the Ichijo family as a bride. From now on… please take note.”

Seeing my greeting, Hakutaku… the King of the Far East had his nine eyes wide open.

“This is surprising… Not screaming at the sight of this.”

“No matter what form you take, you are the King of the Far East. You are… the one who serves Lord Satoru.”

“I see… Hehe, hahaha. Satoru, that’s great. It seems a very nice woman has come to you.”

Satoru-sama smiled very happily and nodded, saying, “Yes!”

“Well then… once again, nice to meet you. I am the Far Eastern King, Kuzu-ryu Byakuya. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Saiga… or rather, can I call you Rei?”

“Y-yes! As you wish!”