Persuasion

Mai ODoll entered the room just as I started to sleep with Meat as my hug pillow.

This setups like a man just got caught cheating on his wife, huh. Its a bit awkward.

I decided to just sit up and hear her out.

Kehma-sama! What happened!?

What happened about what?

About becoming my fiance! Why isnt it going to be you!?

Oh, so its about that. I thought that she was going to ask about me sleeping with Meat.

Hmm, Im sure that I declined from the outset though? Also, if I had to say, Kuro is a much better choice than me.

Kehma-sama, youre better! If its not you, I dont want to!

Mai ODoll said that as she shook both her head and body. Her blue ringlets swung about.

What vigor. Guess she doesnt want to have a girl as her fiance, moreover a slave girl theres also the possibility that she wasnt told about it being a fake betrothal. It should be obvious that its fake since Meat is a girl, though.

I am honored, but sorry, I have someone that I like. I couldnt even think about being with another person. [1]

Having several wives split between the legal wife and concubines is commonplace for nobles. THEREFORE! Kehma-sama, its alright so long as you marry me and become a noble!

Oh? So that is to say that Lord-sama has concubines as well?

Yes, though they didnt come to yesterdays dinner.

Is that so~ So that means theres people other than Mai ODoll who are qualified to manage the Godly Pillow?

Von ODoll, assuming you didnt lie, you never said that Mai ODoll was the manager. You didnt break your vow Well well. How many people are there that have the qualifications?

A-also, Kehma-sama, do you prefer dressing up as a woman? If so, although I cant become a man, I can cross dress as one while you dress up as a woman!

Oh. Kuro isnt the person I was talking about. I was talking about a woman, she stayed back in Golen Village.

I was trying to figure out what she was talking about for a moment there, but I figured it out after a second. She probably heard that [Meat is a man] from Von ODoll.

Rather, whats with that double cross dressing? It is a situation that pops up here and there in manga and games, I guess.

In that case, isnt Kuro-cha Kuroinu-sama already similar to being your concubine, Kehma-sama? Wouldnt it be no problem at all to include just one more personmeas well?

It looks like shes confused about a number of things

Well, she is just a ten year old girl, so I guess her being so confused after quickly replacing her fiance-to-be like that is natural.

Its like suddenly being told [You must like this person from now on] and having your fiance decided for you. Much less a child that doesnt know too much, shes at a sensitive age. Her age right now is basically when shell be the most confused.

But thanks to that, I got some valuable information. I wonder if Von ODoll would know this would happen?

Well, whatever. Hes the one that tripped up first.

Well, your current fiance is this Meat Kuroinu right here.

I said, if its not Kehma-sama current?

Whoops, that a slip of the tongue. What I said was confidential between Lord-sama and I.

Mai ODoll appeared to have picked up on the hidden meaning there. How excellent these aristocratic educations are.

Mai ODoll settled down quickly.

Well, umm. Kuroinu-sama is gentle, much stronger than appearances suggest, and umm, is excellent enough to be bestowed with the title of ventulier at the age of ten, so I cant say that theres nothing better to wish for in a fiance other than the dressing up as a female part and the name. Ah, perhaps being a beastkin, too?

Those are trivial matters.

Trivial?

Yes, trivial. For appearances, using different clothes and using the name Kuroinu solves them. Concerning the point about being a beastkin, well, the racists can bark all they want.

With that, I felt a tug on my clothes. When I looked down, Meat was looking at me with puppy dog eyes.

Uhh, whats wrong?

I dont want to change my name.

Y-yeah, you dont have to change it if you dont want~. Then just use the name when youre with outside people.

Nn.

Meat nodded. Looks like I got her consent.

Is that name so important, Kuroinu-sama?

Nn, important.

I-is that so? But Kuroinu-sama, no matter how I look at you, I can only see you as a girl.

Yeah, well.

She is a girl after all. Shes not just dressing up as one.

I wonder if I can leave the rest to these two youngsters and get some sleep till dinner?

Even though thats what I wanted, it somehow turned into me telling her adventure stories again.

It went to the point that I even had to start fabricating adventure stories so I wanted to stopbut it wasnt just Mai ODoll who looked so happy listening to them, but Meat too.

Like that, its said that Mr. Gold defeated, tamed, and mounted the brown bear while carrying his favorite axe over his shoulder.

Umm, why was it a bear and not the horse?

Ive never heard it told with him mounting the horse and it playing an active role in the end [2]

Rather, wouldnt it have been better if the bear was his mount from the start?

Well, I dont too much about kintarous fable in detail, theres even a possibility that that bear was actually a human. I dont know, though.

Ah, Kehma-sama. Its about time for dinner.

Oh, should we get going then?

Yes, please be my escort.

With that, Mai ODoll held her hand out toward me.

I stood aside, placing Meat where I was.

Shall we go?

Yeah

Hahaha, cheer up! Thats your fiance after all.

*

And thats why, through Kehma-donos express recommendation, that Kuroinu-dono became Mais fiance.

Von ODoll gave the announcement about the fiance matter before the meal began. He didnt say that it was fake, though.

The lineup of people was the same as yesterday, but the lady of the house, supposedly hearing about it before this, didnt miss a beat and kept her smile up the entire time. The eldest son, Waltz, looked somewhat bitter, while Gierb stood up and struck the table.

Hold up, that ones a slave! And a girl at that! Theres no reason for someone with such an idiotic name as Meat to be Mais fiance!

Gierb. Kuroinu is a man.

Thats even worse! I wont acknowledge someone I can only see as a weak woman!

I wonder who he decided to tell that this was a fake betrothal well, at the very least, it doesnt look like he told Gierb. Waltz looks a bit doubtful, but maybe he told him since hes the next family head?

Haah, how troublesome. Really, Dungeon Masters should only have to think about dungeon stuff. Seriously.

Oh? Gier Nii-sama, Kuroinu-sama is powerful. He was able to easily run all the way from the central district to here. Wouldnt that be impossible for you?

E-even so, doesnt he look weaker than me?

Haah Kehma-dono, could you have Kuroinu-dono display some of his skill?

I dont mind, but Kuro is hungry. Can it wait for after dinner?

Meat kept having to wait despite the food right in front of her, staring at it the whole time.

Todays meal was boar steak. Aaah, the fragrance of that roasted fat drifting up and the salt and pepper it looks tasty with just a glance. Can Meat endure such a great sight?

Nope. Please wipe off your drool.

Oh, Meat, you know how to use a fork and knife, right? Eh, youre fine with chopsticks?

Ah, right. The food would get cold, shall we eat?

Lets do the mock fight in the garden after were done. Perhaps you may be an opponent for me?

And so we did the fight after the meat. It wasnt just the second son, but even the eldest son that loved fighting.

The result? Yeah, Meats overwhelming victory.

Footnotes:

Person here is written as woman, spoken as person. Kehmas implying female, but Mai, well Return

I myself have never read/listened/etc the kintarou fable, so I may be misunderstanding Keima here my apologies.