The scene suddenly went silent, everyone's gaze fixed on Laurent. Jeanne Alter, in particular, was openly staring at him like he was some kind of idiot.
"…Huh? So there really is something wrong with your brain."
"Laurent…" Jeanne called softly from the side, her voice tinged with grievance.
What does he mean by agreeing to join her side if she becomes his wife? Clearly, I'm his wife!
"L-Laurent-san…you really have a great sense of humor," Fujimaru said awkwardly, laughing dryly. Only Laurent could spout nonsense so seriously in the middle of battle.
"How fascinating—I've never heard such a strange condition before," Berserker Assassin said, unable to conceal her interest.
Laurent immediately cut her off. "Sorry, that offer's exclusively for her. It doesn't apply to anyone else."
Far from being annoyed, Berserker Assassin smiled wickedly. "What marvelous determination. Now I'm starting to crave your blood too."
"I'm afraid you'd die if you drank it."
However, Jeanne Alter had abruptly fallen silent. She stared at Laurent, eyes wide in disbelief.
In her initial shock at his absurd remark, she hadn't fully registered it—but now, thinking back carefully, hadn't those people called him Laurent? Was it a mistake? Or was he really…
Her gaze locked onto him intensely.
Impossible! How could the English king who executed me be Laurent? Hahaha…no way… Even if it were Laurent, right now he'd surely be standing by my side, despising that village girl who betrayed him! This man can't possibly be Laurent—no way!
Her eyes filled with rage, unwilling to accept reality. She suddenly recalled their first meeting—how he'd addressed her, and his attack, which he'd ultimately held back.
Gilles…he must've lied to me! Just what's going on?
"Enough!" Jeanne Alter snapped coldly. "Berserker Lancer, Berserker Assassin, fall back."
"But I haven't even unleashed my full strength—"
"You desire their blood far too desperately. Playtime ends here!" Jeanne Alter's furious tone startled everyone, leaving even Laurent baffled.
She stared sharply at Laurent.
"Your name…is Laurent?"
A simple question, yet it made Laurent frown.
He could clearly tell Jeanne Alter's gaze toward him was strange. What's going on here? Why does it feel like she knows Laurent, yet doesn't recognize me at all?
"That's correct."
Jeanne Alter didn't respond. Instead, she turned her furious gaze onto Jeanne.
Why… Why, why, why? Why does that woman remember everything, yet I remember nothing? Why is Laurent standing with her? That foolish, naive village girl! Holding onto her laughable dreams, yet surrounded by important people!
No—wait, wife?
Thinking of this, Jeanne Alter's lips curled into a victorious smirk.
"You said earlier—if I agreed to become your wife, you'd join our side, right?"
Jeanne and the others suddenly sensed danger, instantly turning anxious gazes toward Laurent.
"Laurent-san! This isn't the time to think with your lower half! Please make the correct choice!" Mash's words instantly gave Laurent black lines across his face.
Excuse me? How can a girl like you, wearing such revealing armor, lecture me about decency?!
Facing Laurent's gaze, Jeanne Alter confidently extended her right hand.
"Very well. If you join my side, I'll agree to become your wife. As a bonus, we can destroy France together as our wedding ceremony—how about it?"
Her expression brimmed with absolute confidence and triumph.
She was certain he wouldn't refuse.
That's right—so what if I don't remember him clearly? If I give him what that foolish village girl can't, Laurent will definitely stand by my side. Laurent belongs to me. I've abandoned God and my country; if I had the chance again, I'd choose him without any hesitation. Compared to that idiotic village girl, I'm obviously the better choice!
Laurent is mine—everything is mine! That village girl doesn't deserve him. She abandoned everything, so she has no right to Laurent anymore!
The outcome seemed completely obvious.
"Honestly, it does make me kind of happy to hear you say that, but—I refuse."
Laurent's smiling words left Jeanne Alter stunned in place, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Seeing her reaction, Laurent sighed helplessly.
"I just can't accept a marriage based purely on achieving a goal. Perhaps if the circumstances were different, if you agreed as Jeanne herself, I'd be ecstatic. But…"
Blood surged from his right hand, shaping into a sword as he grasped it firmly.
"She already agreed to my proposal before you did. What I want is genuine love—not a deal."
Jeanne's expression blossomed into joyful happiness, though it didn't last long.
"Of course, if both of you want to marry me, I don't mind at all. You're both the same person anyway, so technically you're already both my wives."
Jeanne: "Laurent…!"
Jeanne Alter's expression turned frighteningly dark.
"Enough! Shut your mouth! It's all lies! I despise everything as it is now—if that's the case, then I'll just destroy it all! Everyone, attack! Kill everyone over there except that man. He still has some use—I'll personally torture him!"
Laurent: "Why am I getting special treatment?!"
Jeanne: "What?! Mash-san, quickly, take everyone and run! I'll find a way to stop them!"
Romani: "Waahhh! Is this a mega-sized shuraba?! But why does it feel so horrible?! And this time it's five-on-three?! What do we do? What do we do?! Is there really no solution?"
"Doctor, calm down!" Mash called anxiously. "If you panic, Senpai and I will panic too!"
"But…! But it's five against three! We're obviously doomed! Waahhh—sending an email, sending an email! At times like this, we must rely on the power of the internet!"
"You really are a useless doctor!" Laurent couldn't resist commenting.
Romani instantly sounded hurt. "Somehow that comment hit me really hard!"
"Let's try breaking through in one spot!" Mash suggested, a reasonable plan.
But Laurent had no intention of doing that. His eyes were locked onto Jeanne Alter, his mind racing.
Jeanne Alter clearly knows my existence, yet she doesn't recognize me at all…
What the hell is going on here?
---
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