Reincarnated in a Shounen Manga

I woke up to the sound of sad anime music playing in the background, and the crinkling of a junk food packet. Wis sat in a chair beside my bed, tears streaming down her face as she watched a melancholic anime. Her reaction was both surprising and predictable somehow.

I had planned various ways to reveal my true identity to Wis, but all those plans went out the window. Nevertheless, I needed to take the lead in the conversation.

As I stood up, my body ached, telling me that I had been unconscious for at least a couple of days. It seemed like a professional had been taking care of me. "Hey. How are you holding up?"

Wis turned towards me, her eyes bloodshot as she wiped away her tears. "Not so bad.”

She appeared calm, not as angry as I had feared. She continued, "You know, for someone who has been lied to for months, I'm surprisingly okay."

Okay, so maybe she wasn’t really that calm.

Attempting to explain myself, I said, "If it's any consolation, it wasn’t just you I was hiding it from. I just wanted some peace and quiet out here."

She remained cautious, her face blank of expression.

“Of course," she responded curtly.

Normally, I could read her thoughts like a book, as they usually revolved around anime-related matters. She usually fretted about delays in her next anime or whether or not a manga would be getting an adaptation. But as someone who had spent practically all of her life hiding her true self from the world, she was good when she wanted to hide something.

"Would you like to take a walk to clear our heads?" I suggested, hoping to buy some time to figure out how to proceed.

"Sure," she agreed.

She left my room after turning the TV off, and I hurriedly got dressed. Surprisingly, I had been bedridden in her house, in a room I recognized. As we walked, the atmosphere felt strange, empty of our usual banter. Our dynamic had been completely disrupted.

Wis broke the silence first. "Just to clarify, I'm not angry. After all, I owe you—you've saved my life more than once. I can even understand why you did it—you have no idea how often I’ve wished I could do the same. How did you even manage to pull it off? Vanishing at the peak of your fame?"

I smiled, saying, "Let's just say that having my level of power tends to make people more open-minded."

She allowed a small chuckle and nodded, followed by an uncomfortable silence. After a few seconds, she confessed softly, "It feels so strange knowing that you're my fiancé. I heard so much about you that I expected someone more… imposing? Someone cold-hearted and callous, you know?"

"Hey, life isn't an anime," I retorted jokingly. "Aren't the cold-hearted guys the ones that girls swoon over? All confident and self-assured?"

"Maybe in anime, but in real life, it's a different story," she shrugged. Then realization dawned on her. "Wait—that's why you never so much as batted an eye when I threatened you with my monstrous fiancé!"

"Yeah, I figured such a wise and powerful man wouldn't harm an equal," I smiled. She lightly elbowed me and winced at the impact. My body was harder than rocks.

Since I was taller, I placed my hand on her head and ruffled her hair. "Also, you should know better than to hit someone capable of crushing rocks with their fists."

"Next time, I'll use a knife," she grumbled.

We reached the corner of the town and climbed up the wall, revealing a vast grassland and my wooden cabin in the distance.

It was undeniably strange, almost like we were on a date. Perhaps this arranged marriage thing could actually work out?

"So, are you keeping any more secrets from me?" she asked.

Of course, I was hiding a lot. But I still gave her the choice and asked. “Do you want the truth or a lie?”

"I don’t mind a little lie," she replied with a mischievous smirk, not changing her mind even after noticing my surprise.

She was definitely an odd girl, and I wasn't referring to her anime obsession. Despite my constant teasing her about it, I didn't mind her eccentricities. "No, of course not. After all, you're my fiancée, and I would never deceive you."

Wis snorted at that, attempting to stifle her laughter as she lay down on the wall’s edge and gazed up at the sky. Concerned she might fall, I stayed close, within arm's reach.

For some reason, she turned to me and gave me a pleasant smile. "You know, I always thought that I'd end up having to marry some fat old man to secure a political alliance of some kind. In the end, I’m glad it turned out to be someone decent."

"We'll all grow old eventually, so that nightmare might one day come true.," I said, and she chuckled at my remark.

"Tell me the truth. What do you intend to do with me?" Wis asked, her crimson red hair hiding her eyes and expression. But I felt her gaze sharpen, signaling the end of our lighthearted banter.

"... I have to warn you, the truth might change how you see me," I cautioned.

"I still want to know—for the sake of the friendship that we shared, please tell me. For the first time, I want to hear the truth about where others will lead my life.," she said with determination in her voice.

I contemplated the temptation to lie, to sweet-talk her into staying by my side. But I desired an ally, not a puppet, whether as a close friend or a partner.

"With recent events, I've contemplated the benefits of having someone receptive to my suggestions on the throne," I confessed honestly.

"By suggestions, you mean orders, don't you?" she retorted.

"No, I genuinely mean suggestions. I need someone..." I trailed off, realizing I had divulged too much. Her piercing gaze confirmed she knew it too. She played the part of the fool during our banters that for a second, I had forgotten she was an intelligent young woman who grew up in a place of schemers and cutthroats.

"I will pave your path to the royal seat," I decided to say.

"Tell me why," she interrupted brusquely. "I might not know you as well as I had thought, but I never saw you as one to sacrifice lives for power."

My mind whizzed between various options and possible alternatives. Weighing the cons and pros of what I should do. I was acting as if I were using Perfect Me, but in the end, I decided to cut out the overthinking. This was a battle with no perfect answer. Ultimately, I decided to be truthful.

"When I was fifteen, the Demonic Exorcist attacked. To survive against him and whatever calamities the future held, I decided to risk it all and wagered my entire lifespan. I made a bet that I could turn a carp into a dragon within two years," I revealed.

Her eyes widened as her lip quivered with unease. Startled by the revelation, she rose and locked her gaze against mine. "How much time do you have left?"

"Approximately five months," I replied.

She stood motionless, her mind seemingly elsewhere. Eventually, she slumped against my chest and whispered, "Alright, I'll help you."

I couldn't deny the flutter in my heart upon hearing those words. It wasn't every day a person found someone willing to ride-or-die with them. Whether our relationship remained that of friends or developed further, it didn’t matter. "Thank you. That means the world to me."

Unspoken but understood was the fact that I would have to eliminate her siblings. We both silently acknowledged the inevitability that her path to the throne will be paved in corpses.

"You idiot! Did you think I would let you die just like that?" she cried out suddenly, slamming her hand against my chest. She winced at the impact but continued her rant nonetheless. "I’ve had siblings try to assassinate me, Ialways knew it would end up this way; in a vicious and bloody royal battle as per tradition. I might not have hated some of them, but we were never very close. Just make sure not to die."

Unable to resist, a teasing smirk made its way onto my face. "What are you talking about? I am your monstrously strong and talented fiancé, after all."

"No, I'm serious. If you die, I will kill you," she pointed her finger at me.

"Did you hear that from an anime?"

"... Maybe," she admitted, looking at the ground shamefully.

I used one arm to pull her into a hug and declared, "I promise to create a world where you and I can relax and watch anime without worry, my little princess."

The hug served another purpose: to shield her from the look in my eyes that I doubted I could hide from her.

I was done being passive and trying to convince everyone to get along. I wouldn't play by the world’s rules anymore.

From now on, I will force the world to play by my rules!

Fuck… that was lame! Since when did I start thinking like that? Have I been spending too much time with Chuuni Weeb Princess?