ぴしり、と何か音がした気がした。クロードが顔を半分覆って、後ずさる。その手がびっしり鱗に覆われ始めていた。
やっとアイリーンは何が起こっているのか自覚する。
(魔王の覚醒イベント! 回避したはずでしょう、どうして......え、わたくし!?)
大事な女だ、というベルゼビュートの言葉が蘇った。それはつまり――。
「セドリック! ひょっとして......」
「リリア! 聖剣を早く! 魔物になるぞ、やった......!」
半壊した壁からやってきたリリアに、セドリックがすがる。状況を把握して呆然としていたアイリーンははっと我に返った。
(クロード様が怒って魔物になったら、あの三人には良いことずくめなんだわ......!)
魔王を斃せば、リリアは押しも押されぬ救国の聖女。皇妃に相応しくないなどと、誰も言わない。むしろ女帝と皆がかしずくだろう。
「んー! んー!」
アイリーンは旋風に巻き込まれて必死に踏ん張っているアーモンドに向けて声を上げた。
それに気づいたアーモンドがやってきて、まず手かせをつつく。そんなくちばしでと思ったが、さすが魔物だった。勢いよく振り下ろした一撃で、ばりんと打ち砕く。
自由になった手で、猿ぐつわになっているハンカチをほどく。
「アイリーンに、何を、した」
その間にもぴしりぴしりと、硝子を一枚ずつ割っていくような音と一緒に、クロードの変化が続いていた。まるで人間という存在をはぎおとしていくように、腕に鱗が広がり、爪が伸び、手が前脚に変化していく。
「クロード様! わたくしは無事ですから、落ち着いてください!」
目が合った。大きく赤い瞳を見開いたクロードが、一歩下がる。
「見る、な」
足が、止まってしまった。その、自分を恥じるような仕草に。
「......見ないで、く、レ。僕は、君を、助けようと、なのに」
「魔王」
その声は魔を打ち払う、聖なる鐘のように響いた。
そして光が輝く。聖剣の輝きだ。魔王を断罪する、聖女の剣。
「可哀想に。辛いでしょう、感情を殺して生きていくことは。大切な女性を傷つけられて、思うまま怒ることもできないなんてそんなの、人間ではないわ」
高潔さと残酷さをもって、聖女が微笑む。その剣先めがけて、アイリーンは迷わず走った。
「あなたの悲しみを止めてあげる――!」
その光は、朝日だったのか、魔王を斃す聖なる光だったのか。
アイリーンの目の前で、リリアが大きく目を見開いた。
その手には、聖剣。そしてその聖剣は、半分ほどアイリーンの体に埋まっている。
「――あなた達を侮っていて悪かったわ。わたくしは鈍感ね。自分が狙われていることに気づかなかったなんて。キース様を笑えないじゃないの」
「は......は、はなしなさい!」
アイリーンの体から聖剣を引き抜こうとリリアがその手を動かそうとする。だがアイリーンはその手首をつかんで、離さない。
「な、何を考えているの、聖剣がいくら人間にきかないからって......!」
「なに、言ってるの......ものすごく、痛いわよ......!! きかないって本当、なんでしょうね」
腹を刺されたらこんな痛みがするのだろうか。血でも吐けば楽になるのか。
だが笑え。相手にしてやったなどという優越感をかけらも与えるな。徹頭徹尾、自分の方針は変わらない。
「ねえ。......聖剣が人間に刺さったら、どうなるのかしら」
「はあ!? ど、どうなるって、そんなの」
「人間に聖剣を刺す聖女なんて、聖剣の乙女失格、じゃないかしら。――そして刺した相手が、聖剣の乙女の血を引く、人間、だったら?」
聖剣はアイリーンの体に刺さっている――のではない。埋まっている。
リリアが両目を開いた。やっぱりこの女、馬鹿じゃない。
「――クロード様は殺させない。聖剣はわたくしがもらう」
両足を踏ん張って、リリアの両手を自分の方へ引き寄せる。
光が炸裂した。ずぷずぷと聖剣が自分の体に埋まっていく。だがその先は決して背中から出ない。アイリーンの体に入っていくのだ、激痛と共に。
「セ、セドリック! マークス! アイリーン様をどうにかして!」
「アーモンド!」
名前を呼ぶだけで、アーモンドとその仲間達がセドリックとマークスを阻むべく、飛んできた。決して傷つけず、だが視界を防ぐように動き回るその姿に、笑みがこぼれる。
「しょ、正気じゃないわ、こんな......っ!」
柄部分まで埋めたせいで、リリアと体が密着する。その鼻先で、脂汗をかきながらアイリーンは笑ってみせた。
「この物語の主役は、わたくしなの」
息を呑んだリリアの体を突き飛ばし、自分の手で聖剣を埋める。悲鳴を押し殺して激痛を飲みこむ――それが、ふっと消えた。
聖剣をなくしたリリアが脅えたように首を振りながら、後ずさる。だがアイリーンはかまわず、振り向いた。
薄闇の空の下に、巨大な漆黒の竜がいる。綺麗な赤い瞳が、呆然と見開かれていた。その宝石みたいな目の中で、アイリーンはころりと笑う。
「あら......クロード様、なかなかかっこいいですわね」
「......」
「そのままわたくしが飼って差し上げてもいいですけれど、ねえ。やっぱり夫婦生活が大変そうじゃありません?」
そう言って、その硬い鱗に覆われた胸元にそっと体を預ける。目を伏せた。
「助けに来てくれて有り難う御座います。安心して泣いてしまいました。悪い人。わたくしをまんまと泣かせましたわね? 責任をとって頂かないと」
大丈夫。確信があった。ゲームのリリアにできた程度のことが、自分にできないわけがない。
「さあ、わたくしを愛してるなら戻ってくださいな」
恐ろしい夜が明けて、魔法がとけるように、鱗が光になって、砕け散る。
ゆっくりと目を開くと、黒い髪に赤い目をした、憎らしいほど美しい魔性の王が、自分を抱き締めた。
With a snap, she had a feeling something just made a sound. Claude covered half of his face and took a step back from her. That hand had started to be covered by closely packed scales.
Irene finally realized what's happening.
(The Demon King awakening event!We should have managed to avoid it, right? Why......Eh, me!?)
She recalled that Beelzebub called her as the precious woman. That was, in other words----. 
[Cedric!By any chance......] (Max)
[Lilia!Bring out the Holy Sword, quickly!He's becoming a monster, we did it......!] (Cedric)
Cedric screamed those words at Lilia who just turned up from the partially destroyed wall. Irene was dumbfounded after she managed to grasp the current situation. Then,  she immediately came to her senses.
(If Claude-sama gets mad and turns into a monster, those three will hit the d.a.m.n lottery......!)
If Lilia were to defeat the Demon King, she would be the Saint who had devoted herself for the salvation of her Empire. At that point, not even the authority could pressure her. No one could tell her that she was unsuitable to be the Empress and so forth. Rather, I think that everyone would be clamoring to serve upon the Empress.
[Nnn-!Nnn-!] (Irene)
Dragged into the whirlwind, Irene frantically trying to free herself from the bed and raised her voice towards Almond.
When he noticed that, Almond turned up to where she was, and the first thing he did was repeatedly pecking on the handcuffs. She didn't think that his beak would be useful in this situation, but as expected from a monster. Almond vigorously swung his beak downwards, and with a poke, he successfully crushed the handcuffs.
With her freed hands, Irene untied the handkerchief gagging her mouth.
[What have, you done, towards Irene] (Claude)
Meanwhile, with the sound of gla.s.s shattering, Claude transformation continued. As if his existence as a human being was being eradicated, the scale on his arm was spreading; his nails were growing, and his hand was transforming into a forelimb.
[Claude-sama!I'm fine, so please calm down!] (Irene)
Their eyes met. Claude's big red eyes were wide open, and he took a step back.
[Don't, look] (Claude)
Claude's feet stopped. He made that gesture as if he was ashamed of himself.
[......Please don't, look at, me. I want, to save, you, and yet] (Claude)
[Demon King] (Lilia)
That voice reverberated like a sacred bell to repel the demons.
And then, a light was s.h.i.+ning. It was the radiance of the Holy Sword. The Saint's sword that would condemn the Demon King.
[How pitiful. It feels painful, isn't it? To live by suppressing your emotions. You can't even get mad to your heart's content when your precious woman was being hurt... That sort of thing isn't a human thing to do] 
The Saint's smile was filled with both purity and cruelty. When Lilia aimed the tip of the sword towards Claude, Irene ran towards him without hesitation.
[I'll end your sorrow----!] 
Perhaps, the light came from the morning sun or it could also be the sacred light that would defeat the Demon King.
Before Irene's eyes, Lilia's big eyes further widened.
In Lilia's hand, there was a Holy Sword. And then, about half of that Holy Sword was currently buried inside Irene's body.
[----It's my fault for underestimating you lots. I'm so stupid. To think that I didn't realize that I've been the target all this time.... And, this isn't something that Keith-sama can laugh at] 
[Let......L-let go!] (Lilia)
Lilia tried to pull the Holy Sword out of Irene's body, but Irene had Lilia's wrists firmly grabbed by her hands. Irene had no intention of letting her go.
[Wh, what are you thinking? The Holy Sword won't be effective to any humans......!] (Lilia)
[What on earth, are you saying?......This feels horribly painful......!! Are they even telling us the truth when they said this sword is not going to hurt humans at all?] 
She wondered if people were to be stabbed by this sword, will they be hurting this much? If she were to spit blood, would it be easier for her to breathe?
However, she needs to smile. Don't give the enemy even an ounce of sense of superiority by making them think they got her and so forth. Her policy didn't change thoroughly.
[Hey. ......I wonder what will happen if the Holy Sword stabs a human being?] (Irene)
[Huh!? Wh-what would happen you asked? That kind of thing...] (Lilia)
[And, I wonder will the Saint who stabbed another human being with the Holy Sword be disqualified as the Maiden of Holy Sword?----And then, what would happen, if, the enemy who was stabbed, was related, to the Maiden of Holy Sword by blood?] (Irene)
Irene's body wasn't actually stabbed by the Holy Sword----Rather, the sword was half buried inside of her body.
Both of Lilia's eyes widened. As expected, this woman isn't stupid.
[----I won't let you kill Claude-sama. And, I will take the Holy Sword] (Irene)
Irene planted both of her feet on the ground, then she pulled both of Lilia's arms towards herself.
There was an explosion of light. The Holy Sword was slowly being buried in Irene's body. However, she won't be drawing the sword out of her body after this. The reason was the intense pain Irene felt from when the sword entered her body.
[Ce-Cedric!Max!Do something about Irene-sama!] (Lilia)
[Almond!] (Irene)
At the sound of his name being called out, Almond and his comrades immediately flew towards Cedric and Max. Almond and the others were not attacking both Max and Cedric by all means, but Irene couldn't help smiling at the monsters' effort to cover the two men's field of vision.
[You're insane, doing something like this......!] (Lilia)
Irene's body was still glued to Lilia when almost all but the handle of the sword was buried into the former's body. Irene was smiling while a cold sweat was residing at the tip of her nose.
[The main character in this story... is me] (Irene)
Gasping, Irene thrust away Lilia's body from her.  With her own hands, Irene completely buried the Holy Sword into her own body. Irene stifled her scream and swallowed the intense pain----then suddenly, the pain faded away.
Lilia who had lost the Holy Sword, as if frightened, shook her head while taking a step back. But, Irene chose to ignore her. She then turned around to look at Claude.
There was a gigantic jet black dragon underneath the dimly lit sky. His beautiful red eyes were widened in blank amazement. Inside that jeweled like eyes, Irene's figure who was laughing easily was reflected in it.
[Oh my......Claude-sama, you look quite das.h.i.+ng] (Irene)
[......] (Dragon Claude)
[I think it's better if I offer to keep you as my pet with the way you look right now. After all, it seems like married life is going to be difficult this way, isn't it?] 
As she said that, she softly leaned her body on the chest covered with hard scales. Irene looked down.
[Thank you very much for coming to save me. I ended up crying because I was relieved. Bad person. You have successfully made me cry, right?So, you must take the responsibility now] 
It's alright. She had the self-confidence. There's no reason she can't do what Lilia in the game can do.
[Now, please change back to your human form if you love me] 
It was a startling break of dawn; as if the magic was being broken, the scales were smashed up, then turned into a light.
Opening her eyes slowly, Irene realized that the King with black hair, red eyes, and his devilishly beautiful features she hated to some degree was embracing her closely.
Villainous Daughter Aims for the Last Boss
悪役令嬢なのでラスボスを飼ってみました
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/villainous-daughter-aims-for-the-last-boss/
Drama Fantasy Romance School Life Shoujo
Adapted to Anime Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Beautiful Female Lead Bloodlines Broken Engagement Business Management Businessmen Calm Protagonist Demon Lord Demons Female Protagonist Handsome Male Lead Hated Protagonist Kuudere Multiple Reincarnated Individuals Nobles Otome Game Politics Reincarnated in a Game World Royalty Saints Sword And Magic Villainess Noble Girls
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2766dz/
永瀬さらさ