Category: I Became a Villainess in an Anticlimactic Novel

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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“Hmm~? Seems like my little brother must have chosen ‘power’ then.”

Hiding me in his arms, as if to protect me from Frody, Lecht glared at him. “You don’t seem to have understood that I haven’t chosen either of them.” He retorted, but Frody merely hummed leisurely. 

At his appearance that seemed to head in Song Ara’s direction again, I hurriedly went in that direction first. However, there was someone who moved faster than me. 

“You should leave now, Sir Frody.” The butler, who had moved to next to the rose in an instant, brought Song Ara into his arms first and shot a cold look at Frody. 

Muso joined him by his side in an instant, threateningly whipping up the winter wind surrounding them. It was clear how much of his own feelings he had put into it as the wind blew away not only the scent of roses around us but also the scent of Frody’s gold osmanthus.

Frody let out a snort at Muso and Tanma’s sharp reaction, “The mongrel of this house is always impatient since they can’t devour me.”

He had only simplified his words, meaning to deprecate both Tanma and Muso. In particular, I knew that Frody enjoyed calling Muso, the half demon, something that insinuated at his status of a ‘half blood’. He knew that being half human had been a complex for Muso, so he deliberately clung onto that part. 

Sure enough, Muso’s face turned red when he heard the word ‘mongrel’.

“You bast…!”

“Muso!”

I quickly stopped Muso before he made a mistake and talked to Frody. Since Frody stimulating Muso was clearly to build up what he needed to do.

“It seems like you’ve finished confirming what you wanted to confirm, so why don’t you go back now? Next time you want to see me or Song Ara, make sure to make an appointment first instead of coming so rudely.”

“…”

“Do you have anything else to say?”

In response to my question, Frody glanced at me and Lecht, then let out an expressionless ‘hmm’, shaking his head.

“Seems like you didn’t listen to my warning either, Saintess.”

“It’s because you tend to spill things that aren’t worth listening to.”

Frody smiled as if to hide his emotions and started to draw a teleportation circle under his feet, “Who knows if you’ll regret it later?”

It was something along the same lines as what he had said to me when we had met at the Great Temple the other day. 

I snorted a little in amusement as I watched Frody being consumed by the light of the teleportation circle and disappearing.

“He acts like he knows everything, and if he doesn’t provoke the other person, it’s like he’ll develop a rash or something. It’s seriously so absurd.”

Lecht chuckled at what I said in a huff, “It’s because he’s someone who’s unable to accept the fact that he’s now under someone in hierarchy.”

“I’m sure one day he’ll get caught up in that arrogance.”

“Maybe he will,” Lecht spoke in a voice that showed he wasn’t very interested in the topic and brushed his hand through my hair.

Meanwhile, Muso and Tanma approached us.

“Is Ara alright?”

“Yes, it looks like she really just fell asleep.”

There was a slight glow in Butler Tanma’s pink eye on his right side as he checked on Song Ara. Come to think of it, apparently the butler’s ability was something like x-ray vision.

“Mmm…”

When I saw Ara talking in her sleep while in Tanma’s arms, I felt relieved. It was amazing that she could sleep amidst all this commotion.

Just when I thought that we should hurry up and put her to bed, Muso came up to me with a grin, “Your Majesty! Why was the rose like that?”

“Who knows. I’m not sure, but… could it be that Frody tampered with it?”

No matter how much I mulled over it, I couldn’t pinpoint when exactly Frody had touched it. However, due to his confidence and ease, many of my doubts did not go away easily.

Just when, where, and how had you tampered with the rose?

“Muso, would you mind running one errand for me?”

“Yes! Please just order me to do anything!”

“What you saw here today… could you please go to the Great Temple of the Moon God and inform Lydia?”

“Tell Lydia noona?”

I looked at the rose, which was glowing faintly, and Song Ara, who was sleeping in Tanma’s arms. 

“Like whether it’s possible for something that was made from a piece of someone’s soul to react to other people’s souls, or if it was possible for someone to manipulate the rose, et cetera. Please ask Lydia to investigate this.”

I also planned to investigate on my own in the demon realm. However, if we used the Lunar religion’s information power as well, the investigation could reach a wider scope as well.

“Aha! Yes, I will relay that to her!”

“You can also help Lydia if it’s needed.”

“Yes!”

Muso, who had answered bravely, immediately strode away with an excited look on his face.

Not long after he left the rose garden, a wyvern flew out of the garden.

“I’m not sure if he’ll encounter any discerning human eyes when he goes.”

Tanma had cast illusion magic at the last moment, but I was still nervous since that brat was always so clumsy. Nevertheless, he was still someone capable who was guaranteed by both Tanma and Lecht, so I just trusted him and left it up to him.

“Then, shall we go back as well?”

As I spoke while holding Lecht’s hand tightly, he pulled that hand closer to him and spoke in a whisper that Tanma couldn’t hear, “To our room?”

Seeing him acting so sneakily due to his treacherous intentions, I laughed and shook my head, “Next time. If I’m so worried about the current situation, how can I focus all of my attention on you?”

“…Sure enough, I shouldn’t have kept that guy alive 100 years ago.”

At Lecht’s murmurs that were full of sincerity, I became shocked despite the fact that it wasn’t directed at me. 

However, I hugged his waist tightly, since the only thing that would be good to be angry about here was Frody, and said, “Then, shall we at least hold hands and sleep?”

“…Sometimes, you are even crueller.”

Lecht’s tone that was full of sincere resentment caused me to burst into laughter.

“Next time, I will actually allow Lecht to do whatever he wants, so let’s just go back and sleep for today.”

Perhaps because those words soothed him internally, the corners of Lecht’s mouth rose. 

“Let’s go,” he said in a calm voice and embraced me.

We returned to the Demon King’s Palace with Butler Tanma, who was looking at us with inexplicable joy.

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pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

Even if the investigation was done secretly, I thought the case with Frody could be closed just like that. 

However, if there was one thing that I had overlooked, then it was the rumours that were bound to spread.

“You know that child that appeared next to Her Majesty? The child named ‘Song Ara’. Did you hear about how that child is actually Her Majesty’s reincarnation?”

“Heok. Did you hear about that too? But isn’t that just a rumour that’s going around since her hair is black?”

Recently, whenever a group of three or more people gathered together, the Demon King’s Palace would be filled with that topic only.

Solte tried desperately to keep these conversations from my ears, but it was all to no avail. 

When I opened the window, the knights passing by below would be talking about it, and when I took a break in the garden, the maids who were passing by without knowing I was there would also talk about it. They would quickly shut their mouths upon catching sight of me, but nothing could hide the curiosity that was shining in their eyes.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just nonsense that will disappear quickly.”

“Woof! Woof!”

Tanma, who was concerned about me, would offer me comfort, while Kelber also never left my side. Although he had bandages all over him since he had gotten injured in the fight with Frody’s pet snake, he still persisted in following me around.

“It’s simply the passing sound of those who like spreading nonsense with their mouths.”

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

“Butler, I’m alright,” I comforted Tanma, who was clearly feeling apologetic at the fact that he wasn’t able to punish them all. “It’s obvious that Frody’s spies who were planted in various areas were the ones who blew wind into the ears of those who like gossip.”

The garden had been completely turned upside down due to the fight between Kelber and Frody’s snake, so everyone knew that something had happened. But in reality, there was no possibility of anyone overhearing what had happened.

Nevertheless, the only accurate rumour that was going around were the words that Frody had deliberately let slip. Although it bothered me a little, I hadn’t thought it was anything for me to worry about.

“Eonnie!”

Moreover, there was nothing to worry about since Song Ara herself didn’t seem to pay attention to any of the gossip.

“How are you feeling? Is it alright for you to go outside already?”

“After taking the medicine that eonnie prepared for me and sleeping well for a few days, I’m completely fine now!”

Song Ara had suffered from body aches since that day. 

No matter how I thought about it, it seemed like Frody had used his ability on her… there was no doubt about it in my heart. It was an inevitable suspicion since my trust in Frody was at an all-time low.

“I’ve been dying to do something after staying in my room all the time and finally couldn’t stand it any longer. I ended up coming out since I wanted to take a walk with eonnie.”

According to Song Ara’s words, she had wanted to take a walk, but she was sitting with me and laughing instead.

“I’m glad you slept well,” I said to Song Ara while I straightened out her messy hair. “Muso and Lecht are currently looking into all possible ways for you to return.”

“I know. Eonnie and everyone else are working so hard. That’s why I’m so thankful to you all.” Song Ara leaned her forehead against my shoulder and nuzzled into it, ignoring the fact that I had just tidied up her bangs, “But I’ll miss you when I go back, eonnie. I have three older brothers, so I’ve always really wanted to have an older sister.”

“You older brothers must be extremely worried about you now.”

“Mm… My older brothers are all extremely overbearing, so it might be a big problem now. I don’t know whether they’ve turned my school and tutoring academy upside down or not.”

While she grumbled about her family, Song Ara accepted the juice that Tanma had prepared for us with both hands.

“Thank you! Oh, that’s right, Butler. I wanted to ask you.” After taking a sip of the juice, Song Ara licked her lips with her tongue and asked, “Do you not use your eyepatch anymore? Did you throw it away?”

“You’re asking about… the eyepatch?”

“Yes. Even if you wear an eyepatch, it should have no effect on the Butler’s ability to ‘see’.”

At the words she had added while deliciously gulping down the juice, Tanma glanced at me for a moment before saying, “I decided to take it off after hearing that my uniqueness will bring good luck. The eyepatch I used to use… is probably somewhere on my table.”

“Oh, that’s true. An odd eye is rather unique.”

Saying it was cool, Song Ara gave him a thumbs up and continued to gulp down the juice. 

I was also about to laugh at the conversation between the two adorable people and drink juice when I stopped. There was something doubtful about Song Ara’s question.

“Ara. How did you know that the butler used to wear an eyepatch?”

According to Muso, the butler began to wear a monocle instead of an eyepatch 100 years ago after listening to what I told him. Since then, he had never taken out his eyepatch. 

So there was no opportunity for Song Ara to see the butler with an eyepatch on. 

It was the same for me too.

But when she asked about the whereabouts of the eyepatch, I couldn’t help but have questions. 

Although it was a question I had just asked out of curiosity, Song Ara’s eyes wavered for a moment, “Pardon? Oh, you used to wear one… that’s something that I heard.”

Who would dare to grab Song Ara and suddenly tell her, ‘The butler used to wear an eyepatch’?

“Well, Muso oppa told me that. Muso oppa tells me a lot of different things!” Song Ara added, “Muso oppa also told me how eonnie and the Demon King were in love 100 years ago… that’s when I heard about it!”

“Oh, Muso did…”

That’s believable. Muso would have been so excited he would’ve told all sorts of stories. He was a guy who could talk extremely well, so why did the situation send a chill down my spine? 

“That punk really does talk a lot.”

“He talked about a lot of things! And even though he pretends to be extremely tough, isn’t he inwardly quite delicate?”

“Mm, yes he is.”

At my response, Song Ara’s shoulders relaxed. It was the appearance of an innocent student who was nervous about being caught in a lie and then being relieved they weren’t. 

The feeling that had poked my heart began to spread throughout my entire body. I had been in a state of disarray due to the incident with the rose, so I couldn’t just pretend I didn’t know. 

“But Ara.”

“Yes!”

“Are you hiding something from me?”

“Pardon…?”

The child’s shoulders, which had relaxed at my question suddenly tensed up again, her pupils trembling as she faced me. She was a child that was so pure she wasn’t even able to lie.

“Do you perhaps… have memories of your past life?” 

It was merely one of my guesses.

“Oh, t-that’s…”

However, Song Ara became flustered and her gaze wavered. She only uttered exclamations that weren’t words such as ‘ah, uh’.

Seeing that, I became certain of it.

“You really do have them, those memories.”

“Eonnie, that’s…”

“And… in those memories, Lecht is by your side.”

“…”

“The Saintess ‘Ara’ from 100 years ago… turned out to be you.”

The expression on Song Ara’s changed to one that was akin to her crying, and my heart proceeded to sink with a thud, since that look was enough for an answer.

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sorry for taking so long to update this series but i finally knocked one out !! now getting a sense of crisis since the manhwa is moving at such a fast pace GHSLFKJD

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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I had heard the account of having black hair and black eyes several times. However, I too, had looked like that in my previous life as well. So I had never thought of making such an association when I first saw Song Ara.

“Because Your Majesty is the one who saved us!”

The bright appearance of Song Ara flashed through my mind. She quickly adapted to a place that she was seeing for the first time and gained the favorability of those around her. Her bright personality and her pretty way of speaking also matched with the saintess from a hundred years ago that they talked about.

“Seems like every one of us is living with precious memories, one by one.”

I was plunged into confusion in an instant when I thought it might be Song Ara. I felt chilled down to my fingertips.

Lecht pulled me, whose tongue was stiff and was unable to reply, over to his side. He wrapped his arm firmly around my shoulder and pulled me into his embrace, shooting back sharply at Frody, “Do you think that I can’t even recognise my own woman?”

Lecht’s furious voice erased the anxiety that had risen to the tips of my fingers.

“You’re the soul I’ve been waiting for a hundred years for.”

That’s right. Lecht would know better than anyone else, so there was no way. I had no reason to be anxious as long as the rose, which contained a piece of my soul, shone.

“Don’t tell me, that woman’s claiming to be the reincarnation of the saintess from a hundred years ago?” Frody asked, as if he were dumbfounded.

“There’s no reason for me not to.”

“But that woman had this sort of thick black hair and eyes though:?” Frody said, glancing down at Song Ara at my words.

Lecht was the one who responded to that. “You must be stupid for you to assume that she would look the same as she did a hundred years ago in the first place.”

At Lecht’s growl, Frody openly scanned me up and down slowly with narrowed eyes. “No. You’re not that woman from back then.”

Frody shook his head. As soon as I caught sight of his deepening smile, it became clear that he was only here to pick a fight.

“Back then, that saintess was not as polite toward me.”

Dumbfounded by his evidence that proved it wasn’t me, I let out a sigh that was close to a laugh and said, “Then will you believe me if I treat you impolitely?”

Frody’s expression became rather bitter at my unintentionally provocative tone. Nevertheless, he quickly muttered with a meaningful smile, “I thought so before as well, but the saintess this time is really exploding with charm. To the point where even I covet it.”

Lecht’s arm around me tightened at the words that he had added with blazing eyes, while I pasted on a forced smile. “If you’re done spouting nonsense, would you please let go of Song Ara and disappear now?”

I also wanted to ask him to take responsibility for causing the ruckus he had here. However, Kelber also seemed to have had no smaller part in the property damage that had taken place, so we just ended up brushing over it.

If we tried to pursue it right now, it would become troublesome since it would even involve those who had allowed him to enter the Demon King’s Palace in the first place. Even though Frody continuously picked fights with Lecht, he still wasn’t someone who was banned from entering the Palace.

And above all, Song Ara’s safety was still the top priority.

“There’s still no guarantee that this child isn’t that woman from a hundred years ago, right? Then I don’t really want to let go of her.”

“…”

“Since I’m curious. Just what will my little brother choose; his past relationship, or power?”

He insisted that I wasn’t the woman from a hundred years ago to the very end. He was just provoking me. There was no reason for me to fall for it, so just as I was about to tell him to keep his hands off Song Ara, Lecht said in a low voice, “I’ll show you that there won’t be a need for me to choose.”

A huge teleportation circle began to form throughout the garden. Not a short distance teleportation circle, but an ultra long distance one. Large enough for it to connect from the human realm to the demon realm.

“Lecht?”

“Hold on tight.”

I was going to ask why he would fall for such an obvious taunt, but Lecht simply hugged me tightly with a look that asked how on earth he was meant to endure that. At the light that burst forth from the teleportation circle on the floor and engulfed us, I clung onto Lecht tightly first.

It may have been more difficult than usual to teleport, especially after Song Ara had appeared and numerous additional barriers had been set up. Nevertheless, Lecht carried on doing so as if he had no qualms. Furthermore, it was more sophisticated than other space travel portals since there was no sensation of motion sickness.

After waiting with our eyes closed for a while, a cool breeze enveloped us. The place we had arrived in was the garden of the Grand Duchy.

“Geez.”

When I turned my head at the sly sigh, Frody was with us too. With Song Ara still in his arms.

Even when she slept in the same bed as me, once she fell asleep, she’d sleep so deeply it was like she was a log… Nevertheless, it still made me anxious when she didn’t wake up in this situation. But even if that was the case, I was still cautious since I thought I’d startle her if I called out to her to wake up.

Still worried, I made eye contact with Frody. His eyes crinkled as he smiled, as if he had read my thoughts. At any rate, he was a hateful fellow.

“Will this be enough for an answer?”

The black rose, which was made with a piece of my soul, emitted a pretty glow toward me today as well.

“Hmm~?” Frody snorted as if he found it interesting. Then he added, “Are you sure that can be proof?”

“What more do you want?”

At my question, Frody flicked his fingers while hugging Ara in his arms. “Move.”

“How dare that bastard to…!”

“Muso.”

Muso, who had come with us, was furious, but I raised a hand to block him.

“But, Your Majesty…!”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but go ahead and try.” Despite Muso’s protests, I replied calmly and took a step back without taking my eyes off Frody.

It was obvious what he was up to, but I didn’t have a clue on ‘what’ he was going to do. And there was no way he was going to ruin the rose all of a sudden in this situation.

To be honest, I was actually a little curious. What had he prepared for him to be so confident? It was clear that if I tried to block him, he’d only become more energetic and say more unnecessary nonsense.

“Nothing will change anyway.”

No matter what it was, I wanted to nip it in the bud right here. Lecht followed my lead.

When I stepped away from the black rose, the black rose, which had been shining with excitement, became silent again.

All of Frody’s actions in holding Song Ara and moving in the direction of the rose entered my vision. But it was then.

“Huh…? Why is it shining? Shouldn’t that only react to Her Majesty?” The rose began to shine accordingly to Muso’s words as Frody approached it.

“See? It’s the same. So how can this be proof?” Frody said triumphantly in a voice that had a mixture of ridicule in it.

Why did it shine?

When I became flustered and couldn’t find the words to reply, the angry voice of Lecht suddenly came out. “What sort of trickery are you trying to pull?”

“What did I do? That’s just what that child’s existence is.” Frody said aggrievedly as he placed Song Ara on the ground. With such light steps that felt as if the soles of his feet hadn’t touched the garden floor, he retreated. The rose’s light remained, even after he withdrew.

“As you both know, isn’t this the first time I’ve seen this child? Does it make sense for me to do something?” Frody raised his hands and smiled. Although he had a smile that was so hateful it made one’s teeth ache, there was still nothing wrong with what he said.

Song Ara had fallen into this world during my welcoming banquet. Frody hadn’t participated in the event. We had even spent every waking moment together ever since she had fallen here. So how could you explain this situation…? It was confusing.

‘Does it perhaps… react like that to every soul that’s from earth…?’

At that time, when absurd doubts were sprouting in my mind, I felt the strength of the hand that was wrapped around my shoulder. Lecht’s expression, which I had turned to take a glance at, made my heart drop. Eyes that were wide open and slightly parted lips.

Lecht wasn’t the type to reveal his emotions in his expressions. That’s why this was also the first time I had seen such a shocked expression of his.

I seemed to be shrouded in an even greater confusion than when I had seen the rose shining toward Song Ara. I took a step back instinctively.

Lecht turned his head in surprise at my movement. “Ara.” He called out to me calmly, as if he had returned to his senses. “In any case, something seems to have gone wrong.”

“Gone wrong?”

“Something… so…”

However, unlike what he said, he wasn’t able to find a way to explain it. I was already so flustered, so just how flustered was he?

“Lecht. The woman you’ve been waiting for… is it me?”

“What…?” A clearly bewildered Lecht.

“You said you knew because the rose was shining.”

“…”

Lecht alternated his gaze between me and the rose with a look of uncertainty on what he should do on his face. There was no explanation or clarification that came out from those slightly parted lips either.

Instead, he grabbed my shoulder and said, “There’s no way I wouldn’t recognise you. It’s not anyone else, but you. I don’t know what’s gone wrong with that. No, it doesn’t even matter now.” Words and sentences mingling between the gap of his mouth came gushing out. “What use is a piece of a soul when you’re right here with me? You’re already back in my arms.”

I was able to sense his urgent feelings since I knew that him uttering gibberish was a habit that came out whenever he was flustered.

“I know. You’re the one I’ve been waiting for.”

Then, his lips, which had inched closer for a kiss, stopped just short before reaching me and paused in the air.

“I’m sure.” He looked at me with eyes that seemed to appeal for me to believe him.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

To be honest, I was still confused. Now that the rose that had given me confidence in the first place had now erased all my existing confidence, I felt as if everything I had believed in had now turned upside down. However…

“Ara.” Lecht’s desperate gaze that was cast toward me extinguished all such confusion.

Yeah, who cares if the rose is a bit weird? Quite some confusion had probably sprung up after a hundred years. Or maybe it just shone toward anyone that was from earth. Who cares?

I tiptoed slightly and pasted my lips against his. When my lips descended on his with a chuu sound, he drew me into his arms, as if he had only been waiting. And proceeded to pour out kisses onto me. The heat that rose so intensely was so hot that it was to the extent where we couldn’t even feel the winter wind that was lashing at us so sharply.

Our deeply intertwined breaths didn’t even give me any time to think of my anxiety and confusion. He swallowed all my breath and senses, as if he were scolding me for being shaken for even a moment.

“Haa…”

The scorching breath that flowed out from our lips that had barely parted turned the cold air white. Amidst the cold of the early winter, the only ones who were burning up were us.

“The rose was never meant to convince me of you. I already had confidence in you.” Lecht’s tender voice gently permeated my ears. “I’ve loved you for more than a hundred years, so how could I not recognise you?”

His voice was sulky, to the point where you could even detect a hint of blame. At his extreme cuteness, I was able to relieve myself of my anxiety.

“That’s true. All I needed to do was trust you, Lecht. I’m the one who was wrong.” I whispered and stroked the top of his head.

Leaving himself to my hands, he nodded. The arm that was wrapped around my waist tightened slightly.

The time that only belonged to us was soon broken by Frody’s voice.

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this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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“Apparently they found no sign of a modified teleportation circle.”

Frody was lying face down on his bed and browsing through a report that his subordinate had brought back. From the beginning to the end, it talked about a woman who had broken into the venue.

“That’s how the punks in the Demon King’s Palace work.” Frody got out of bed with a smug smile on his face. His pet snake followed after him by itself. The long gown that he wore which was still dragging along the edge of the bed left a scent of gold osmanthus in every place he passed by.

“Then, shall we get going then?”

“Will it be alright? They might get suspicious if you go now for no reason…”

“Rather, it’d be more suspicious if I don’t go.” Frody stepped lightly, readjusting the gown that had slipped off his shoulder again. “What would my little brother think if I didn’t show up when such an amusing story was circulating throughout the demon realm? Right?”

“I see. It was me whose thoughts were lacking.” The subordinate who gave the report retreated and lowered his head. “Have a safe trip.”

“Hehe~. I’m already thrilled just imagining it—just what sort of reaction will my little brother have?”

“…”

“And the reaction of the saintess who believes in my little brother without end.”

Frody hummed in a happy mood and slowly headed toward the Demon King’s Palace.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

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I shouldn’t have said that I’d try this on unnecessarily… I think this was the first time in my life I had worn something so embarrassing. I hadn’t even worn hot pants during my university days since it was uncomfortable…

‘As expected, a person really does become weirder when they start dating…’

It’s precisely dating, because even while being aware of the fact, you still get weirder, right?

“Is this really how you wear it…?” I flushed as I checked the clothes wrapped up underneath my gown.

“Of course.”

I had already asked several times, yet Solte had only given me the same answer with a gentle smile on her face.

“Uhh… I don’t think this is right…”

Knock, knock.

I was about to say that it would be better for me to take it off since it looked so awkward when a knock sounded at the door. I hurriedly rearranged my gown that had been partially taken off and wrapped it around my torso.

“Ara.”

Although I heard Lecht’s incomparably sweet voice, I couldn’t breathe. My heart felt as if it were about to jump out of my mouth with its pounding.

‘Why did he come over so quickly…?!’

It was after my desire to show Lecht and see his reaction had already disappeared. I mean, I didn’t look like a person who should be wearing something like this when I tried it on in the end!

However, Solte greeted Lecht with an excited expression on her face. “Miss is inside.”

Solte left the room as Lecht entered. “Have a good time.”

Although it was a courteous voice, there was still happiness that emanated from it.

Entering the room, Lecht was just as puzzled as I was. Holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand, he was in his polymorphed appearance since Song Ara seemed to have frozen and gone into shock when she saw his demon king appearance. Thus, I had asked him to maintain his human form only while the child was still here. And in precisely Lecht fashion, Lecht took that into consideration everyday.

“The child from the other world that I encountered in the garden earlier told me that I had to go and see you today.” He slowly approached me. Although it was the same behaviour as any other day, my heart started to beat faster and faster. “I heard you decided to sleep separately now.”

I guess Song Ara had already tipped Lecht off. I couldn’t figure out how much she had already told him, so I glanced at him with an uneasy heart. Nevertheless, he seemed to have heard nothing except that Song Ara had now decided to sleep separately.

“You said that you’d continue to stay by my side no matter what, so… why are you doing that?” Coming closer toward me, he had a worried expression on his face as he saw me wrap my gown tighter around myself and stiffen up.

“Are you cold?” He set down the bouquet he was holding onto the bedside table and clasped my shoulders with his large hands. Looking around the room, he stroked my shoulders with his long thumbs. “Why didn’t you wear something warmer?”

“It’s not that, but…”

“Or were you waiting for me to warm you up?”

“!”

My face flushed red at Lecht’s mischievous words.

Lecht smiled and kissed me briefly on my forehead at my reaction. “I’m joking.”

He seemed to be joking more often these days.

Ever since I had confessed to him, coupled with the fact that he was more at ease as well now that I had returned to the demon realm as well, Lecht seemed to be more enthusiastic and aggressive in his actions as well. Although he spoke quite bluntly, the joke clearly still contained some amount of sincerity. It was obvious that he had taken a step back and was waiting until I allowed him to come closer.

“I’ll feel quite troubled if you’re only joking.”

That’s why I felt like I had to take the initiative to approach him first.

Lecht, who was moving toward the heating equipment on one side of the room, suddenly stopped in his tracks. “What…?”

“That… it’s true that I was waiting for Lecht to personally give me a warm hug, so it’ll be troubling if you were only joking.” I spoke each word carefully to Lecht, who was wondering if he had heard correctly and asked me to repeat it once more.

Lecht stiffened for a moment. Staring at me with his eyes trembling violently, he spat out with bated breath, “Asking for a hug…”

Lecht cautiously asked once more, just in case he had misheard.

Instead of answering him with my words, I unwrapped my gown. When the cord was loosened, the gown naturally fell open, and the clothes I was wearing inside were soon revealed.

Lecht’s eyes widened slightly, his pupils shaking harder than a candle in front of a harsh gale.

As I watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down naturally, I allowed the gown to slowly slip off my shoulder. “I’m cold… Are you just going to keep looking at me like that?”

As soon as I asked sullenly with an expression that was not at all sullen, the distance between Lecht and I quickly disappeared. One hand that was cupping the nape of my neck quickly dug into my hair. His other large hand swept up my waist, causing the gown to slip off even further.

Without even giving me any time to be surprised, Lecht quickly swallowed my lips. The whole sensation made my heart pound to the point where even the air seemed to have become sweet. It felt as if this time and space only existed for us.

My body was pushed back by the force of Lecht, who was holding me tightly. As I was pushed back a step or two, my body hit the dressing table behind me, and he naturally sat me on top of it. As our eye levels had now become more similar to each other, he became even more unhesitating in his advances.

“Haa, mmph.”

Even the little sighs that I let out for a bit from between my lips were all swallowed up by him again as he held my lips in his mouth. A piece of flesh penetrated through that momentary gap and pushed its way into my mouth roughly.

It was much more intense than the kiss we had shared in the sky with the demon realm at our feet. He was always so sweet, but now I could finally see just how strongly he desired me and how much he had already endured. I could feel the desire of him waiting for a hundred years, and even after that, how much he had endured and restrained himself after that, in all its totality.

I grabbed onto his collar and pushed him away slightly at his sweeping kiss that was so intense it took my breath away. I thought he might have already lost all reason, but he managed to notice the strength I had put into my hand and parted from me momentarily.

“Haa, Lecht…” I was exhilarated at his heated eyes that stared at me from right in front of my nose as he leaned his forehead against mine.

Amidst all of this, my heart was filled with the affection and tenderness of him, who had cupped the back of my head with his hand so that it wouldn’t bump into the mirror. I couldn’t believe that someone could cherish me to this extent. Wasn’t it just one’s great fortune to be able to meet a person who could give this sort of love in their life? And the fact that it was Lecht also caused me to be happy beyond belief.

I raised the hand that was holding onto his collar and cupped his cheeks. I stroked his loveable face that was hotter than mine, and whispered, “I love you.”

Lecht’s breath, which had still been flowing out lightly, suddenly stopped. There was no expression of shock or fluster. On the contrary, he had just simply frozen out of shock.

After a moment, his pupils slowly began to waver, and his face gradually started to contort. It was an expression that appeared due to a happiness that was so great he couldn’t handle it anymore. It was a happiness that seemed to bring tears to his eyes, yet he didn’t want to cry, and made him want to smile, yet smiling didn’t seem to be able to express all the emotions he was feeling right now.

I knew that feeling all too well. Because I was feeling that same exact happiness right now.

“I love you, Ara.” He whispered with a scorching breath. He slid up his hands that had brushed my back and waist, cupping my cheeks affectionately, and whispered continuously, “More than you could ever imagine… I love you so much that I can’t even express it all with these words.”

“I know.” I kept stroking his face and smiling.

My nose kept scrunching up by itself, so perhaps my face even looked ridiculous right now since I was smiling slightly as well. Nevertheless, Lecht still looked at me with a gaze that seemed to think even that expression was so adorable it made him go crazy.

“I will try my hardest to love you as much as you love me.”

“…That’ll be tough. If you know just how much I love you.”

“That’s hard to say, since I think I’ll be able to.” Staring into his golden eyes that aroused me, I said, “Just how much you love and cherish me.”

“…”

“I think it’ll be too easy for me to love, and continue to love such a you, even more in the future.”

“Ara.”

“I love you.”

With all my heart.

He carefully kissed me again. It was a kiss filled with the utmost care, that was completely different from the one earlier, which had raged on continuously as if there was no tomorrow.

The hand that had been cupping my jaw swept past my neck and back and wrapped itself tightly around my back, dragging it towards him. I also wrapped my legs tightly around his waist.

It was the moment he held me so tightly it seemed as if the sound of our heartbeats had merged into one.

Crash!! Boom—!

The building shook slightly with the large explosion.

Surprised, I clung onto Lecht tightly and turned my head toward the sound while Lecht also hugged me, as if to protect me.

Soon after, a few sharp voices intersected one another.

“Sir Frody! Just what are you doing right now?!”

“You white, peeled potato bastard!”

It was the voices of Tanma, who would never normally raise his voice, and Muso, whose voice was filled with anger.

Awoo—! Woof! Woof!

Kiiik—!

With Kelber’s howling and the fierce hissing of snakes, the cause of the disturbance was easy to understand.

Krrrk—!

I heard the sound of teeth grinding from beside me. It sounded so loud to the point where I was worried their teeth would break, so I turned my head back in surprise. “Calm down, Lecht.”

Patting a tendon that was protruding from out of his jaw, I said, “I’m sure they’re having another meaningless argument again. Let’s go check it out together.” I picked up my clothes that were in the dress room next to the dressing table and pushed Lecht slightly. “Just wait a moment. I’ll be right back after changing.”

“Haa…”

Doing a once over on how I looked, Lecht sighed deeply. He rubbed his angular face that had an annoyed expression that was rare for me to see on his face. Although I’m not sure if it was intentional, the black mana that curled up from his feet to his waist was quite a frightening situation as well.

“Don’t go down by yourself. Don’t you dare. Since I’m scared.”

To say that I was scared was a lie. But I thought he’d probably break Frody’s neck straight away if I let him go down alone like this.

Perhaps because my lie worked, Lecht nodded and took a few steps back.

“I’ll wait.”

Although he said those words as calmly as he could, it was a voice that emanated a deep rage.

* * *

By the time I changed my clothes and went down outside with Lecht, the situation had already turned chaotic.

Kelber, who had already inflated himself to the size of a house, and Frody’s five-headed snake, whose size wasn’t any less either. Neither of them could hide their agitation and were in a state where they were littered all over with injuries, perhaps because they had already had a major fight.

Muso’s sharp wind was also circling around the garden. Even Tanma, the butler, was carrying a weapon – a crossbow. His pink eye that was hidden behind his monocle shone in a particular light.

Frody stood in front of him. With Song Ara in his arms.

“I’m just here to greet the protagonist of the rumours who I’ve been so curious about, so isn’t this reaction from everyone just too overexaggerated?” he whispered in a tingly voice, as if asking what he had done wrong.

“You’ve stirred up too much of a racket for this just to be a greeting.”

“Oh, Saintess? So you were with my little brother?” Frody smiled at me, pretending to be innocent as soon as I interrupted. He clearly would’ve been able to sense Lecht and I, yet he pretended to be unaware.

I gripped onto Lecht’s hand tightly at the sight of the black haze that was emanating from Lecht’s body becoming thicker. I tried to convey with my fingertips to ask if he was alright and if he could calm down while looking at Frody.

“Why is that child in your arms?”

Frody was hugging Song Ara lightly in his arms with a princess carry. Seeing that she didn’t seem to wake up with this disturbance and how it didn’t seem like she had simply fallen asleep, a thought flashed through my mind as I frowned.

“What have you done to such a young child?”

Taking Frody’s ability into consideration, I was immediately concerned about the child’s condition. Friday’s ‘enchantment’, which robbed one of all their senses and eventually eroded their mind, would simply be too powerful for an ordinary child to shake off.

“What do you mean what have you done? Just what kind of person do you see me as?”

A bastard who could even use a young child for their own amusement?

“Regardless of what you think, I’d never use my ability on a kid like this.” Perhaps because my expression had revealed my true thoughts, he said in a voice that seemed to have been wronged, “I had just arrived but then found the child sleeping in the garden. That’s why I was just trying to take her to your room.”

Song Ara liked to look at flowers, so that didn’t seem to be complete nonsense. Nevertheless, I didn’t believe it entirely either.

“I understand, so I’ll take the child now.”

“But since seeing this rumoured kid, I suddenly had a thought.” I stretched out my hand, but Frody ignored it and brought up another story. “An unidentifiable way of appearing. Black hair… and apparently even black eyes? Hearing all of this, doesn’t it remind you of someone?”

I frowned once again since I couldn’t understand all of his words at once. However, Tanma and Muso flinched, as if they knew what he was talking about. Their flusteredness could be seen in the wind and the direction in which the crossbow was aimed in.

With a smile that raised the corner of his mouth, Frody said, “Little Brother, it seems like your lover from a hundred years ago has returned again. What are your thoughts on that?”

Only then did a small sigh flow out from between my teeth.

Come to think of it, why had I never thought of that? A child who suddenly appeared out of the blue. Black hair and black eyes like that of the woman a hundred years ago. An immense amount of sociability that captured the hearts of many people. And… the name, ‘Ara’.

A sliver of anxiety that I had never felt before suddenly swept through my heart.

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this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

From there, the welcoming banquet fizzled out. 

Since a woman had suddenly dropped into the venue, everything had descended into chaos. And to top it all off, the atmosphere had become even more awkward since I had stopped the guards who had thought she was an intruder and tried to punish her. 

Nevertheless, the child who was crying out of fear seemed like a high school student, no matter how many times I looked at it. So I couldn’t just leave her to herself. 

I finally managed to persuade the knights, who tried to follow me as an escort, claiming that she was suspicious, and eventually brought the child to my room by myself. Obviously, that included Lecht and Kelber as well.

“So, to summarise it all, you suddenly lost your senses on your way to the internet cafe after sneaking out of self-study, and when you opened your eyes, you found yourself in that place earlier.”

“Huhuuu, yes…” Song Ara blew her nose and sipped on the warm tea that the maids had prepared. Compared to her teary appearance when we first met, this seemed to be a much more genuine appearance.

“A senior in Daehan High School…” 

I rubbed my forehead at the student ID that was found in the child’s belongings. Daehan Private High School was often talked about a lot and was involved in many scandals since it was a place where the children of the cream of the country’s richest families and conglomerates gathered.

‘It’s the media that keeps inflating the news—looking at it right now, they’re no different to ordinary high school students.’

She was ‘on the way to the internet cafe after skipping self-study’. It was such a normal sentence that I ended up feeling a little sour. 

“It’s not like there was an accident either. You didn’t fall into a manhole or anything, right?”

“No way, no matter how much I walk while looking at my phone, there’s still no way that I’d fall into a manhole.” Song Ara, who was saying that, then shouted ‘Ah!’, placing down her mug and fumbled. “My phone!”

There wasn’t a pocket in her uniform jacket, nor in her skirt. Song Ara flipped her bag upside down and shook it, but there was no phone that dropped out. 

“I must have dropped it when I lost my senses… Hing… I just bought it last month though…”

“It wouldn’t have worked here anyway.”

“Where exactly is this place?” Song Ara quickly gave up her thoughts about her phone and looked at me upon hearing my words. 

Although the tip of her nose had slightly reddened since she had cried for so long, she was still extremely cute since her face was the type that was round, and her eyes were also large due to her double eyelids. The beauty spot at her jawline also made her young face even cuter.

“Hey, that mister… is his horn real?” Song Ara hid behind me and pointed at Lecht while talking. 

The sound of her using ‘mister’ to describe him made me laugh. I quickly put away my expression and said, “Yes, the horns are real, and like I said earlier, this isn’t Korea, nor is it Planet Earth, but rather, it’s a completely different world.”

“Wow… so it’s something like a fantasy world, right?”

“That’s right. Did you not read <A Divine Retribution> that was serialised on Series?”

Song Ara shook her head. “I don’t normally read webtoons or webnovels…”

That’s what I had also suspected, seeing as she hadn’t even heard of the title before. It had even topped the rankings for several months, so if you had even a smidge of interest in it, there would’ve been no way you had never heard of the name before.

“Anyway, it’s a world that’s similar to that of the novel. To be more exact, what happens in the novel occurs in the ‘human realm’, while this is the ‘demon realm’.”

As I was speaking to her, I had the thought that it wouldn’t have been of any help to know about the novel anyway. Since this was the demon realm anyway.

“So eonnie is either a reincarnator or a transmigrator… and this is the demon realm… so that mister is the demon king, right? So is that puppy over there Cerberus or something…? No, that would be at the gates of hell…”

 t/n:  언니 is used by younger females to address older females. can be translated literally to ‘older sister’ as well, but i think i’ll just stick with the korean term.

“Woof!” 

“Ahhhh!”

But somehow as she was talking, Kelber’s three heads suddenly barked simultaneously, causing Song Ara to scream and cling onto me. 

“Hing… I normally like dogs… but he just looks too scary…”

At her sniffling appearance and body that seemed to cling to my arm, I laughed while calling out to Kelber. “Good boy. He’s no different from other dogs. Go on and pet him.”

Kelber, who ran over quickly, placed his head on the end of the bed where we were sitting and wagged his tail gently. I stroked Kelber first, and after looking over at him cautiously, Song Ara also hesitantly placed her hand on Kelber’s head. 

“So soft…!”

Since Kelber had closed his eyes and stayed still at her touch, Song Ara gained more confidence as she started to pet him more proactively.

“There’s nothing to be scared of. Although the guys here may look different, they’re all still exactly the same in the end.”

Whether it’s earth, the empire, or the demon realm. The way people lived was all the same. I had felt it while I was in the Grand Duchy, but even more so when I came over to the demon realm. 

“But that mister over there is a ‘king’—the king of this world, right?” Song Ara removed her hand from Kelber and shifted closer toward me. 

“That’s right.”

“Wow… then is eonnie the queen then?”

My breath became stifled when the child asked me such an innocent question. 

“No, well, we aren’t married…”

“But everyone calls you ‘Your Majesty’, so isn’t that like, ‘Your Majesty the Queen’?”

“That’s…”

Ah, how was I meant to tell her about the complicated story from a hundred years ago that I had become entangled with?

“Aha! So you’re not married yet, so you’re both engaged then?”

I mean, that’s kind of… it’s true that Lecht and I were in a relationship, but we had never actually talked about marriage. So we weren’t engaged. But a hundred years ago, we were married or did something similar to that, and it wasn’t like I would say no if asked to do it again… Even I got confused trying to explain our relationship!

“Anyway, eonnie is the top figure in the hierarchy in this world, right?”

“No, the top figure is Lecht…”

“No way, I can tell who’s in the higher position just from the way that mister is looking at you eonnie.” Song Ara snickered and hugged my waist tighter. “Then I’ll just stick right next to you eonnie. Since this is the safest place to be, isn’t it?” She nestled her face against my chest and looked up at me with her eyes shining. “Eonnie’s name is also ‘Ara’, right? Hehe, please take care of me, eonnie.”

Was it a survival instinct, or was she just normally this adorable? I didn’t know which one it was, but I laughed anyway at the appearance of Song Ara who was smiling brightly and clinging stickily to me. It was a smile that was so bright, it was to the extent that it even made the viewer feel better. Let alone feel burdened at the appearance of a person I had only met for the first time today approaching me so unhesitatingly, I even took a liking to her. 

“Okay. Just stay safely by my side. I’ll find a way to send you back.”

“Alright! Eonnie is the best!” 

Song Ara squealed happily and dove into my arms. Sensing the bright atmosphere, Kelber also barked a few times and wagged his tail, trying to squeeze himself in between me and Song Ara. 

Lecht was the only one who didn’t like this situation. He was staring at us with an expression full of dissatisfaction. 

“Just for the time being.” If there really was no way for me to send them back, then I thought that I would just protect the child until she became an adult and found a place to stay. 

Lecht let out a sigh at my apologetic expression. “How could I stop you if you want to do it? Then just do that,” he said in a resigned voice. 

After hearing that, Song Ara laughed quietly and buried her head into my arms, whispering, “Just look how much that mister is into you, eonnie…! How romantic—!”

It was a sentiment that made me even more embarrassed than her, who had said those words.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

* * *

A thorough investigation was conducted on how Song Ara had gotten here, and why she had suddenly fallen into the venue. However, no matter how much was investigated, there was nothing that came out of it. 

It was impossible for us to know the identity of the light that had covered the venue in the first place. I had wondered if she had been teleported, but they had said it wasn’t that. It had felt similar, yet different, so the guards and the researchers related to it were reportedly agonising over the investigation. 

What was fortunate was Song Ara’s ability to adapt to the situation. 

“Eonnie, eonnie! What is this? It’s really tasty!”

“This is a fruit that’s native to the demon realm. It looks similar to a raspberry.”

At first, she felt uneasy about leaving my side in case those ‘scary misters’ would come and point their spears at her again. But as she lived closely with me, eating together and sleeping on the same bed, she actually adapted to the demon realm faster than I thought she would. 

“Oh, right. The gatekeeper mister from earlier did say that as well. Apparently demonic creatures aren’t particularly divided by species! They’re all just ‘demonic creatures’!”

Was it because everyone in the Demon King’s Palace treated her kindly due to the way I took care of her like a younger sibling?

“Just like how sparrows and pigeons are both birds, yet don’t mate, I thought demonic creatures were also like that, but apparently they aren’t!”

She showed a tremendous amount of sociability, and before I knew it, most of the employees had already met her. Rather, I could also see that Song Ara had an easy to approach appearance, while for me, it was harder since I possessed the image of the ‘Demon King’s woman’.

“Apparently, if they just mate with someone they like, they’ll end up giving birth to a demonic creature that’s never been seen before.”

It was also cute to see the child fascinated by the things that I had once heard and been fascinated about. Did Lecht feel like this when he looked at me? Although the fact that she had a natural cuteness to her also played a part, she was fundamentally just a child who was filled with innocence and naivety.

“Right, right! There were a couple of larger demonic creatures that were picking on a tiny baby, so I went and scolded them. I did good, right?”

Her cheerful nature and character that was unable to endure injustice was also one of the reasons that made me like her even more. 

Although I had guessed to some extent upon seeing she was a Daehan High School student, it was clear that she was also a child from a formidable household when she started to talk more about her family. And even the youngest daughter of a household that any Korean would have heard of before. 

Perhaps because she had grown up receiving only an enormous amount of love, she also had a tendency to be stubborn, but it was to the point where it was loveable since she seemed used to giving love to others as well. The reason she was able to be brave also seemed to be because she still didn’t know to be scared of the world, and didn’t think that anyone could hate her either. It was probably also thanks to this somewhat reckless personality of hers that she was able to adapt so quickly to the demon realm as well.

“Right, eonnie! I asked Solte eonnie earlier and she said that she’s done preparing my room! I can sleep separately tonight!”

“Hmm? You said that you were scared and that we should continue sleeping together though.”

“Come on~. Still, how could I keep taking up the time of a person who has a fiance every night?” 

Song Ara squirmed with an even more embarrassed look on her face than I had as she used the word, ‘fiance’. 

To me, who couldn’t find the words to reply because I didn’t know what her words meant, she added, “I’ll take Kelber and sleep somewhere else today! Don’t keep kicking out Mister Demon King because of me, so today, the two of you… hehe.” Song Ara covered her mouth with a napkin and sprang up from her seat with an indecent smile.

“You’re really sleeping by yourself? Will you be okay?”

Just as I was going to ask why she was suddenly doing this when she was a child who normally didn’t like being away from me even for a moment, Song Ara then said coyly, “Of course! I’ll have Kelber with me too anyway.”

Having spoken bravely, Song Ara sprang up from her seat and gestured to Solte to come over. Solte then approached us with a box that she had been holding, as if she had only been waiting for the signal. 

“I feel really sorry for Mister Demon King because I feel like I’ve been hogging you too much… so I prepared a present!”

“Present?”

I smiled, finding it praiseworthy that she had the time to prepare a present, as Song Ara said with a face full of excitement. “It’s sleepwear! I painstakingly chose it out for you!”

Then she burst into happy giggles and disappeared with Kelber.

Wondering, ‘Why is she being like that?’ I opened the box and immediately knew why.

“Heok.”

It was a present that I couldn’t help dropping my jaw at. 

At me, who was so flustered by the contents of the present that I couldn’t find the words to say, Solte asked, “Then, would you like to return to your room and have me help you try it on?”

“W-What do you mean help?! I won’t wear it!” I slammed the lid on the box with a completely red face. 

It was sleepwear alright. Yeah, it was sleepwear, but…

“H-Hurry up and take it away!”

How could I wear that piece of string, where not even a single piece of cotton could be found? Shameful!

I pushed the box containing the wild clothes (?) in Solte’s direction. But as Solte slowly put away the box, my eyes still continued to dart there. 

Hmm… it’s an extremely embarrassing looking outfit, but… 

‘No matter how I think about it, I’m just not used to it—there isn’t actually anything strange about it though…?’

Yeah, it’s a little sly and promiscuous, but…

‘What’s wrong with being perverted between lovers…?’

I began to rationalise without end in my head. And most of all, there was only one thing that I was really curious about. 

‘What sort of expression would Lecht have if I wore that…?’

The curiosity that was rising from my heart was even more powerful than the shame that wrapped around my body. 

“S-Solte!” 

Solte, who had reached the door at a pace that was even slower than a sloth’s, turned her head sharply like a weasel at my call. 

“Ahem. Bring it here. No, to the room…” 

The words that I would try it on at least once didn’t seem to want to come out of my throat. My face turned red instead.  

“I-It’s because it’s rude to throw away a present without even using it! That’s why!” After throwing out an excuse that no one would ever believe, I jumped out of my seat and rushed toward my room. 

Solte followed after me with the box in question.

---

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

The maids showed off their skills today as well for my welcoming party. It seemed to take much more time and technique than when the priests had put in their utmost effort for the proclamation ceremony. 

“Just how in the world did they twist my hair up like this?”

It was so fascinating since they hadn’t even used hairspray. 

“The venue itself will be warm, but you’re going to take a walk outside, then please call for us and ask for a shawl.”

“Okay, then I’ll do that.”

I had deliberately chosen a dress that revealed my shoulders and arms so that I could show off the pattern on my shoulder blade. So it was natural for the maids to worry about me feeling cold. 

“I matched the earrings with the necklace… Then, what would you like me to do for your bracelet?”

The bracelet I was wearing was the one that Lecht had given me. Although it was a pretty and delicate bracelet that suited my preferences, it was slightly monotonous and too plain compared to my current outfit. 

“This will be enough.”

Nevertheless, I didn’t want to replace this with another bracelet, nor did I want to layer it with anything else either. 

I was fiddling with that precious bracelet when Solte bowed her head toward the entrance of the dressing room. “You’ve come, Your Majesty?”

“Woof!”

When I turned my head, the sight of a joyful Kelber wagging his tail happily greeted me, and Lecht, as expected, was there as well. 

“Lecht!”

Lecht, whose horns and long hair remained unconcealed, was leaning against the dressing room’s entrance. 

“What about your wings?”

“Tanma nagged at me and said that my clothes don’t have any holes for it.”

“Ahaha.”

The wings showed off the authority of the demon king, so they weren’t revealed unless necessary. But seeing as I liked his wings, Lecht often took them out to show me in my presence. That’s probably how he got nagged at by Tanma.

“But you’re still able to have your horns and long hair?”

“Because I think you like this appearance of mine more.”

I laughed at his words and ran toward him. Wrapped up in his warm embrace, I whispered, “That’s not true. I’ll like it all, as long as it’s Lecht.”

Lecht widened his eyes slightly, then smirked soon after, brushing my cheek with the knuckle of his finger. “If you continue to keep provoking me like that, then we might not be able to go to the welcoming ceremony.”

“That would be troublesome! Everyone had worked so hard to prepare for this already!” I loosened my arm that was holding onto his waist and clutched his hand tightly instead. “I’m not going to let go of this hand today.”

“I had no intention of letting go either.”

Lecht led me toward the venue of the banquet. While matching my non-committal pace that was the result of not having worn such high heels in a long while.

When we arrived in front of the venue, the gatekeeper looked at me with his eyes wide open. It was an expression as if his whole soul had flown away. 

Judging by the demonic creature that was standing beside him, it seemed like they were the gatekeeper and demonic creature that had been guarding the main gates the day I had arrived. The demonic creature whose name was ‘Zibik’, looked at me today as well and wagged its huge tail.

“Woof!” 

Kelber, who didn’t like me smiling at other demonic creatures, enlarged himself and barked at it, causing the gatekeeper to finally come to his senses.  

“Please enjoy your time today.”

“His Majesty and the Saintess are now entering!” Another gatekeeper came from inside and announced the arrival of Lecht and I as the other gatekeeper opened the door for us. 

The venue, which had been buzzing until the door opened, quickly became quiet. All of their eyes were now on me and Lecht. The place we had stepped into was a balcony on the second floor that was overlooking the entire venue, so it was even easier for us to draw their attention.

‘So you made us enter through the second floor on purpose.’

Here, in the demon realm that valued hierarchy highly, he had made them look up at us as the demon king and the saintess. 

The only sound that echoed throughout the event hall with no music was my heels as I descended the stairs. I felt burdened by their stares and nervous at the same time, so my legs kept losing their strength. 

But Lecht, who was familiar with all this, just held my arm tightly. Relying on that reassurance of his, I was finally able to arrive at the seat of honour that was all the way across the silent event hall.

“You’ve all done well in coming all the way here to welcome the saintess.” Lecht’s heavy voice resonated throughout the hall. Whether or not it was because it now contained magic as well, his voice seemed to feel even more magnificent and weighty. “I won’t dampen the mood by giving a speech, so let’s start the banquet right away.”

As he finished curtly and waved his hand, the waiting band immediately began to play the music they had prepared in advance. The silence, which seemed to breathe its last breath with the music, soon disappeared, as the sound of people’s voices soon filled that void back up.

“Huu, I almost couldn’t breathe—that would’ve been a big problem.”

Holding onto Lecht’s hand tightly, I leaned against him as he smiled at me, brushing my cheek with his thumb.

“You’ll get used to it. Since you’ll be living like this for the rest of your life.”

“Oh my, are you saying that I should stick to your side for the rest of my life, Lecht?”

“Even if you aren’t by my side, it’s only natural for you, who is the saintess of Lunar, to be treated like this.” And with an expression that seemed to say that he had left some words out, he added, “Though of course, apart from that, it’s true that I want you to stand by my side for the rest of your life.”

Thanks to him, who was trying to appeal to me without missing a beat, I was able to relieve the accumulated tension that I had gained when I entered the hall. 

“You’re so beautiful today, Your Majesty!”

“Thank you, Muso.”

Muso’s eyes shone as he brought us to the seats that had been prepared for Lecht and I. 

“Woof! Woof!”

Even Kelber seemed rather excited and stuck around my feet, pushing his head onto my lap. Unlike when we were in the human realm, Kelber stood guard by my side with the size of a tiger instead of a large dog. In my eyes, Kelber at this size seemed just as cute to me as ever, since I knew that he could probably enlarge himself to the size of a seven storey building if he wanted to. 

“There are many people who would like to greet you, my lady. If it’s fine with you, would I be able to start sending them up one by one?”

I nodded as Tanma asked me while I sat next to Lecht in my seat. 

Ever since I had arrived in the demon realm, there had been a torrent of requests and letters to meet me in the Demon King’s Palace. Nevertheless, Tanma and Muso made the collective decision to refuse them all on my behalf, stating that they would all see me at the welcoming banquet. 

Thus, maybe that was why the nobles who greeted me were largely divided into two categories. 

“Greetings, Saintess. You don’t know just how long I’ve been waiting for the day I finally meet you, Saintess…!”

Those who were thrilled by the fact that they had met me and seemed to be at a loss of what to do with themselves.

“I am ‘Robla’, the one who is in charge of managing the lush continent in the west. I was here a few days ago to meet you, but it seemed like it was really hard for you to make the time.”

And those whose pride was scratched by the fact that I didn’t meet them.

It was difficult to judge who was right and who was wrong. Although saintesses were necessary and important existences to the demons, demons were also a species that were the type to risk both their life and honour on their pride at the same time as well.

One thing that such a diverse group of people had in common was that they had all brought gifts. Was it because I always brought Kelber everywhere, or because they had all been made aware of my love for animals that included demonic creatures?

“This is a sky ray. They’re extremely docile and gentle creatures. The dots that you see now will glow blue at night.”

“White fire foxes are creatures who deeply assimilate with their owner’s feelings, so they are particularly good at distinguishing between who is an ally and an enemy. Although the flame by its tail is rather weak since it’s still a baby, it’ll easily be able to destroy an entire village when it becomes an adult.”

There were a lot of them who gave me adorable demonic creatures which I had never seen before as a gift. A fox that resembled a weasel and lightly shook its tail which had a white flame at the end of it, and a bat bird that seemed like a stingray and flew in the air instead of in the water. As if what I had seen when I had come to the palace hadn’t been all the demon realm had to offer, unique looking kids kept constantly coming out. 

It was also Kelber, who was naturally the most displeased whenever a new demonic creature was presented. 

“Grrrr…”

“Shh. It’s okay, you’re the prettiest, Kelber.” I had to keep patting his head since it seemed like he was seconds away from mauling the baby demonic creatures.

The gifts that I had seen were so diverse, it was to the point where even the accessories and jewellery that were occasionally mixed in between them seemed a bit too plain.

“What sort of fruit is this?”

The thing that was as fascinating as a demonic creature was a specialty product that they had brought. 

“This isn’t a fruit, but a herb called ‘Alcant’! It’s a specialty that’s only grown on our Mindoongmori Mountain, and can be eaten just as it is as well—however, the best way to consume it is to boil it like tea and mix in a little honey with it.”

t/n: 민둥머리 can also be translated as ‘bare/bald head’ but idk if that’s actually the mountain’s name so imma just leave it in korean form HGSDLFKJDS

Its colour resembled a grape, but it looked exactly like a ginger. It also seemed easy to eat, since its size was only that of a cherry. 

“To be honest, even though it’s a gift for the saintess, the one who should actually eat it is His Majesty instead!”

“Pfft.”

“Cough!”

Tanma almost burst into laughter while Muso choked at the noble’s words that had been said with a grin.

“Why? Can I not eat it?”

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

“Ah… You can still eat it, Saintess, but it’ll be more effective if His Majesty eats it.”

“Effective…?”

At the tilt of my head, the woman mustered up her courage to reply, “Because it’s the most recognised male aphrodisiac in the demon realm!”

“!!”

I widened my eyes and turned my head away, blushing as if I couldn’t hear all the dirty thoughts the demons around us were thinking. Some tried to hold back their laughter while others simply turned red as well. 

At the effect that I never could have imagined, I froze and wasn’t able to shut my jaw that had dropped. The only one who was smiling was the noble who had presented it. 

“W-Wait, why did you, such a present…” I had to thank her for the gift, but I was too flustered and wasn’t able to speak properly. 

Lecht, who was sitting by my side, leaned over slightly and turned his head to look at my face when I ended up only being able to utter some odd noises. And asked a question that added even more fire to this already flustering situation. “Should I try eating it?”

“E-Eat, what do you mean eat?!” I shrieked in surprise and slapped his shoulder. “Do you have a problem?! Even if you don’t eat it, it’s enou…!”

I was once again rendered speechless upon reflexively replying to his playful question. 

“No, I mean…! Lecht!” I glared at him with a crimson face when I realised that I had fallen into his trap. 

But he just looked at me with a pleased look on his face and smiled. “Then, should we just try and check it out once?” He grabbed me by the waist and got up from his seat. 

“Wh-Wh-What…!”

What do you mean check…?!

As I pushed at his chest with a face that had turned the colour of a pomegranate, he whispered with a cheeky smile on his face, “Let’s go and dance.”

Then, he led me to the centre of the hall. It would be more accurate to say that he simply held my waist and moved me there. Moving me to the centre of the floor, he stood facing me. “You like to dance.”

“No, but how could you say such a thing in that sort of situation…!”

“Why?”

“They’ll all think of something weird…”

He lowered his head when I jutted out my lip and complained. He stuck his face close to my cheek, as if his lips were seemingly about to touch them, and asked, “Is that why you don’t want to dance?”

“Who said I didn’t want to…” Although my heart felt like it was doing backflips due to the misunderstanding and my face had already turned beet red, dancing together would still be good. 

“But I don’t know how to dance…” I had never learned how to waltz or tango.

“Unlike human balls, there’s no need for formality.” Lecht said affectionately at my concern and lifted my arms to hook around his neck. Lecht and I just swung our bodies leisurely in time with the calm music. 

“Do we look like penguins with our waddling?”

“If you’re a penguin, then I’m a penguin too.”

“No way, where in the world would I find a penguin this good looking?” I leaned against his body. It felt good since his arm that was supporting my waist felt firm. 

“Do you really think I don’t need to take alcant?”

“Tch, stop playing around!” 

He enveloped my fist in his hand after I hit his chest painlessly. 

“Just why did that woman give me that as a gift…” I grumbled in vain and leaned my head against Lecht’s chest. 

Lecht smiled as well, resting his chin against my head. His deep laughter was even sweeter than the music that echoed throughout the hall.

“Lecht, you know…” Perhaps because I had hit him for playing a joke on me over the aphrodisiacs, I suddenly remembered his desolate room. As expected, I kept being bothered about leaving him to sleep in there by himself. “I’ve been thinking about it, and we…”

“Ahhhhh!”

When I was about to say, ‘Why don’t we just share one room’, a sharp scream suddenly pierced the atmosphere in the hall. The sudden scream caused both mine and Lecht’s heads to turn at the same time. 

And unidentified light was surging from the ground where the disturbance was coming from. Had one of the demons gotten out of control and gone on a rampage? But to say that was the case, the light that could be seen seemed to be far too ominous and foreboding. 

Lecht and I rushed over immediately. Walking past the nobles that had huddled together and were murmuring with each other, the guards had raised their weapons and surrounded something. 

‘An intruder?’

How was that possible in such a heavily guarded place? Although I was also curious about the method they had used to do so, I was even more curious about who it was. 

“Huh…? I’m bleeding… Then, i-is this a real spear? This isn’t a film set?” The bewildered voice of a girl was heard from amongst the guards. “W-Where is this? Is this really not a hidden camera prank?”

Although I was familiar with the things she was talking about, they were all words that the demons in this place would never say. A strange feeling rushed up my spine. Pressing down my pounding heart, I pushed aside the guards that had formed a tight wall around them. 

Sitting on the floor was a girl who was trapped at the ends of a sword and a spear. The moment I saw the cute appearance of a girl with half of her long straight hair tied up, my breath stopped. Contrary to the intensely coloured striped tie, the ambiguous grey jacket was undoubtedly part of a school uniform, no matter how much I looked at it. To top it all off, the prestigious high school emblem on the chest of the jacket further proved my guess.

“A high school student…?”

The child, who had been shakily hugging their backpack tightly, soon burst into tears at my murmur. “I’m sorry I skipped self-study…! I’ll never skip school anymore, so please send me back home…! Huuuuu…”

There was a name tag stuck under the high school emblem on the jacket. It was a name tag with the name ‘Song Ara’ clearly embroidered on it. 

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sorry for not updating for a while HAGLKDSJFDSFJ uni hit me like a truck so i’m just gonna upload dump the remaining chapters i’ve alr tled! might have some time in my mid sem uni break to tl but idk mane,,, QAQ

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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Although I was momentarily embarrassed, unable to find the right reply in the end, I still ended up continuing to look around the Demon King’s Palace. The messy situation was soon forgotten due to the amount of beautiful treasures that were hidden in every corner of the palace.

It wasn’t until evening when it came up in my mind once again. Upon seeing the maids who came in to help me prepare for bed, I sent them out once again with a strange ‘uwah’ sound. I endured without changing out of my clothes since I thought I should have an in depth conversation with Lecht about this situation first.

Standing at the end of the wide balcony that was outside the window, I rearranged my thoughts while enjoying the cool night breeze. Though of course, my complex thoughts all disappeared like the melting snow upon witnessing the palace’s appearance at night. “Wow, it’s even shining.”

The sentries that were standing guard had taken along one demonic creature between the two of them. Just looking at them was fun since their appearances and sizes all varied drastically. If most of them were large and stuck to the ground during the day, then there were even more of those smaller demonic creatures that flew in the skies at night.

In order for the sentries to look around better, most of the demonic creatures that were with them were those that could illuminate themselves. Seeing flashes of blue, yellow, and pink lights flying all over the place, the whole situation even felt somewhat dreamlike.

I was watching that exact scene as if I was possessed when a large coat suddenly enveloped me.

“No matter how warm the winter of the demon realm is, it’ll still be cold.” A voice that melted my eardrums whispered to me. I could feel his solid chest against my back. Enveloped in his coat, he hugged me tightly.

“When did you get here? You surprised me.”

To be honest, I wasn’t actually that surprised because the scent of his body immediately covered me the moment his coat was wrapped around me. Nevertheless, I still complained for no reason in particular since I was flustered at the fact that I had been so absorbed in watching the view that I hadn’t noticed he had come so close.

“From when you saw the lantern sparrow.”

“Huh? It’s already been a long time since that one!”

That was the kid that looked like a plump sparrow and emitted a green light as it flew; that was the one I was watching fifteen minutes ago!

“I just continued to watch¹ since you, who was just watching the view, was just so beautiful.”

“!”

I told you to turn on the indicator when you’re changing lanes²…!

“Then I interrupted since the wind had gotten chillier. Keep watching.” He whispered, hugging me securely in his arms. It was a spirit that seemed as if he’d even stay up all night like this if I wanted to.

“No, I can finish sightseeing after a little while. I had something I wanted to ask you.”

“Go on.”

I had intended to speak with him face to face, but he didn’t move with me in his arms at all. Did you perhaps want to talk in this position, or… well, it’s not like I can’t, but…

“Are we getting married?” Clueless on how else to phrase it, I just asked him directly as it was.

He, who was holding me in his arms, flinched greatly when I said that. To the extent where I had ended up flinching as well.

I felt his arm that was wrapped around me loosening, so I turned around quickly. I sat perched on the balcony as I looked up at him. “Solte thinks we are, and so does everyone else—they all think we’re getting married.”

“…”

“And to add onto that, we’re even sharing the same room together. Did you know about that too, Lecht?”

Though according to Solte, it may not have been Lecht’s order, since she had said that ‘the butler specifically ordered’ for her to do so. But I doubt that Lecht wouldn’t have known… After all, which sort of butler would arrange such a room without informing their master beforehand?

“The room…” He seemed to be choosing his words for a moment, then took my hand instead of speaking soon after. “I’ll show you.”

He led me into a room. Walking across a room that was larger than my own room back in the Grand Duchy, he opened the door to his dress room and entered. Brushing past various tailcoats and suits, he opened the door on the other side of the dress room.

There, a room appeared with a very different atmosphere from the room we had just passed. Although the size of the room was similar, this place was a little colder and less friendly.

“There’s… another room?”

“This is my room.”

“Huh…? But Solte said…”

Lecht let out a little groan at my confused voice. It was a groan that seemed like a sigh. “Although we decided to start afresh and leave out what happened between us a hundred years ago, most of the guys here still think of me and you with our relationship from a hundred years ago.”

“Oh…”

“Even if I explain that it’s different to them, they still won’t be able to understand. Like Muso for example.”

I immediately understood upon hearing him say they were like Muso. That’s true. Since Muso still smiles when he sees me and calls me, ‘Your Majesty’, even now.

“That’s why I deliberately told them to prepare it like this.”

If we used a separate room now, there was a high possibility that unnecessary discord would suddenly arise. Lecht seemed to be worried about that.

“It was my mistake for not informing you in advance.”

“No, I completely understand.” I shook my head with a smile. “But even if it is a room that has been prepared in secret… isn’t it too dreary?”

It’s a bit too much for him not to even have a single plant in the room. He should at least put a sofa in there, even if he wasn’t going to use it anyway. I felt cold just looking around the room that lacked warmth.

“Well… I’m used to this anyway.” But Lecht scanned the room roughly and said that, as if he didn’t know what I was talking about. “For me, this is enough since it’s only for me to get a good night’s sleep, but I get how it could feel dreary to you.”

“If you sleep in a place like this by yourself…”

There would also be an unavoidable loneliness. I swallowed the words that I couldn’t bear to finish. I became distressed for no reason at the thought of putting him to sleep by himself in a place like this.

Rather than this, he could just sleep in my room instead. The bed was big enough as well. I shocked myself at the thoughts that naturally continued to flow.

‘Thoughts that will get you in big trouble!’

At times like this, you need to be strong-minded! There will be no end to it if you start letting down your guard!

Nevertheless, those thoughts only lasted for a moment. My thoughts soon flowed to how firm and cosy his arms were every time he hugged me.

‘No! Pure thoughts, pure thoughts!’

I shook my head and quickly shook off those evil thoughts.

“Then, shall we go and see the rest?”

“Pardon?! S-See what?”

No way, don’t tell me, your abs? In any case, I had already been thinking about his solid chest, so his words suddenly threw me to take it the wrong way.

“Since we resolved your question about the room, I was wondering if you wanted to see the rest of the palace. Though if you’re tired, we can just do it tomorrow as well.”

“Oh… Seeing the rest of the palace…”

I kicked the lustful devil that kept filling my thoughts with the colour of flesh out of my head before it could cause any trouble and moved my legs stiffly.

“R-Right! Seeing the rest of the palace, alright!” I thought I’d be able to calm down my heart if I got more of the night breeze.

Lecht followed in silence after me, who scurried back through the dress room toward the balcony.

The moon, which hadn’t been in the sky earlier, was floating in an aloof manner. Long after the proclamation ceremony, the day which a red moon had risen into the sky, the moon was now cut in half, yet it still looked as beautiful as ever.

“Perhaps because I’m the saintess of a moon god, but I think the moon is truly great, as expected.”

“Do you want me to show it to you at a closer view?” Approaching my side, Lecht leaned against the balcony and looked at me. Covering me with his own coat so I wouldn’t be cold was simply a bonus.

“Closer?”

Lecht extended his index finger and pointed at the sky at my question.

“Don’t tell me… in the sky?”

There was a faint smile on Lecht’s lips. It was a smile that suited the moonlight extremely well. “You said you wanted to see my true appearance. And that you looked forward to my horns and wings.”

“That’s true, but…” Although I trailed off, my heart began to race as I naturally began to imagine his appearance.

Irregardless of that, I also happened to meet several demons today. It was an amount that was incomparable to the number I had met in the Grand Duchy. Although all of them had their own unique charm, the only one who had wings was Lecht. Since wings were a privilege that was only given to the demon king.

Just what would Lecht look like in his complete demon king appearance? My heart started to race.

“Are you… really going to show me?”

My fingertips down to the toes of my feet began to itch due to the overflowing anticipation that was about to burst out. Lecht stretched out his hand to grab my hands, which were twisting together bashfully. Both of my hands flopped into his large hand.

“You’re asking something that’s obvious again.” Sitting on the balcony, he leaned over slightly and whispered to me. “Didn’t I say that I’d show you whenever you wanted?” The deep smile on his face made my heart tremble once again.

Rising from his seat, Lecht released my hand and retreated a few steps back. A tranquil breeze began to billow around us after a while. Although the wind was rather lacking, it was still charged with light.

The moonlight wind, that was quite similar to my divine power, began to surround him and spun at a gradually increasing pace, blocking my view.

The moment I thought he had been completely engulfed in the wind…

Flap—!

Those enchanting black wings that I had seen before spread to reveal its full glory and suddenly burst into light. And the appearance of Lecht, which was finally revealed, showcased the perfect demon king’s appearance.

“Woah!”

It was more than I could’ve ever imagined. His short silver hair had elongated to become as long as my hair and gave off a mysterious glow, while the tips of his ears had stretched out into sharp points. His elegantly curved horns carried an even heavier dignity than any of the ones I had seen today.

His eyes were the most conspicuous of them all. Although they were the same gold as when he was polymorphed, they carried a profound and mysterious light in them that couldn’t be explained in words.

“Huh…?!”

I was staring into his eyes, as if I was possessed as Lecht approached me. And before I could even react, he hugged me and lifted me into a princess carry.

“Hold on tight.” He whispered languidly in a low voice, spreading his black wings to their full length. He stepped onto the balcony railing on his tiptoes.

“Oh my go—!”

Shocked at the sudden sensation of the ground getting further and further away from me, I closed my eyes and clung on tightly to his neck. Although his coat fell off in the process, I couldn’t care less. Either way, I didn’t find it cold at all thanks to his body temperature.

He hugged me even tighter than how tightly I was holding onto him. With the sound of us cutting through the wind, we continued to climb even higher and higher.

At some point, he stopped and said, “Open your eyes.”

I slightly opened my tightly shut eyes.

“Woah!”

Unlike my fears that it would be frightening, my eyes widened at the world that was presented before my eyes. The demon realm was spread before my feet. It was a dazzling sight that I couldn’t have ever seen even once for as long as I lived. The scene that I had seen for the first time since arriving in the demon realm as well as the evening view of the Demon King’s Palace from the balcony of my room were both incomparable to the brilliance of what was in front of me.

Lecht turned around slowly on the spot with me in his arms. The land in front of the Demon King’s Palace, the village lights that could be seen off in the distance, as well as the towering and rugged mountain range. From the steep cliffs behind the palace to the refreshing sea below it that started at the horizon line. There wasn’t a single corner that wasn’t breathtakingly beautiful.

“Ara.”

Watching the spectacle as if I was possessed, I turned to Lecht with a dazed expression on my face. His face that was in front of my very eyes right now was even more perfect than the view I had just witnessed.

Oh. I now understood why the light in his eyes was different. The eyes of a human that I was familiar with were different to those of a demon king. They were like the pained eyes of a dragon that lived deep within the mountains.

As I stared at him with shaky eyes, he asked me quietly, “Do you like it?”

I nodded with a stunned face. He then smiled deeply, as if he liked my answer.

Badump, badump, badump, badump, badump.

My heart reacted frankly, and he, unaware of it, continued to add on with a strange voice. “It’s yours.” Seeing my eyes widen, he reaffirmed it once again. “Everything that you see right now—all of it is yours.”

They were somehow the most cheesy words I had ever heard in this world. But at the same time, they were also the most enrapturing words.

The demon king, who had given me the demon realm as a present, then quietly added, as if even that weren’t enough, “That includes me as well.”

My heart stopped beating and my breath hitched in my throat.

I couldn’t even reply. Because he had stolen my senses away and swallowed my lips.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

[1] the word 구경하다 that they use is usually used in tourism and sightseeing contexts where [sb] is watching a beautiful view or landscape, so ara is lecht’s landscape (AWWWW)

[2] 깜빡이 좀 켜고 들어와라 to say something surprising/shocking without any prior context

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FIRST KISS !!!!

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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Although it was rather embarrassing for me to say, honestly speaking, I seemed to have the wrong preconception in my head of what the demon realm would be like. I had imagined an almost stereotypical red land, a black palace, et cetera. But all such preconceptions flew away as soon as the light from the teleportation circle dissipated and the world unfolded before my very eyes.

“Welcome to the Demon King’s Palace.”

“Wow!” I held nothing but admiration now. 

I was right about it being a vast expanse of land. But on the contrary, it wasn’t the gloominess or red that I couldn’t see an end to, but the greenery. The endless sky seemed refreshing and the floating clouds seemed fluffy like wool. The scenery was so picturesque that one could even paint a picture out of it. 

However, the most awe-inspiring thing there was the towering castle. Unlike my preconceived notion that it would be crude and unsophisticated, it seemed to be even more refreshing and clean than the imperial palace. Although it was luxurious and grand, it didn’t go over the top and didn’t feel heavy either, not the slightest bit gloomy at all.

“Welcome, my lady.” Tanma, the butler, greeted me at the main gates. It wasn’t his human appearance that I usually saw, but his appearance as a demon, his horns blatantly out in the open too. He had his usual smile on his face, but it somehow felt different from usual.

“It’s been a while, Butler.”

I hadn’t been able to meet him for a while after he took Frody away, perhaps because he was getting things ready at the Demon King’s Palace so he could welcome me properly.

The butler nodded slightly and led me inside. 

“You said that the Grand Duchy is like a mini version of the Demon King’s Palace… Is the Demon King’s Palace really that much better?”

The density of the splendour was in two completely different realms, even in this garden that we had just walked past. It was a place where every single petal hadn’t been left untouched by the gardener. The level stone path and even the lighting that would illuminate it the pathway at night had been perfectly maintained. 

“Everyone seems to have paid more attention since the lady was coming.” Tanma said, letting out a laugh when I couldn’t hide my awe at the surroundings. 

No, was this really something that was possible simply because they ‘paid more attention’?

That’s how we arrived in front of the castle gate.

The eyes of the gatekeeper seemed to sparkle as they looked at me. Their affection that was openly directed toward me was to the extent where it felt slightly burdensome. 

Although the thing standing guard with the gatekeeper seemed like a demonic creature, it was also the first time I had seen that sort of species before. It seemed like a sable, but its stripes looked like a skunk’s, and its large tusks were reminiscent of wild boars. Although it seemed like a kid that was cute in various ways, it made one nervous for no reason, perhaps because it was bigger than a brown bear. 

I shifted closer toward Lecht as I saw it wave a tail that was thicker than an elephant’s trunk at me. I wanted to hug it at least once and shower it with affection, but I thought that my ribs would definitely break if it hugged me, even once. 

“We’ve prepared something small to welcome you, my lady.” Tanma said as he opened the door with the gatekeeper. 

And the moment the door swung open, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted.

“Welcome, Your Majesty!”

“Ahhh! Her Majesty has come!”

“Wow! Welcome!”

Voices that were unexpectedly filled with joy and welcome. Lecht entered with his arm wrapped around the shoulders of me, who had stiffened and froze on the spot. 

Vibrantly coloured petals were scattered over my head as I walked on a path that had been covered by a red carpet. Long ropes on either side of it were preventing the crowd from rushing onto the red carpet. There were also guards stationed to control them, who were screaming like crazy. Even those guards seemed to be unable to stop glancing at me, unable to focus on the task at hand. It was too obvious that everyone here welcomed me.

“Those bastards who are still waiting anxiously for Your Highness in the demon realm must be so jealous that I’ve become Your Highness’ exclusive errand boy!”

“Everyone will just be happy to hear that Miss Ara is coming back.”

Muso and Lydia’s words suddenly flashed in my mind. So what they had said hadn’t just been said to make me feel better, but it was actually the truth. There had actually been this many people waiting for me. 

It seemed like the tears would burst from my eyes at any second now, so I tried my hardest to put on a smile. Although they were tears of joy, the only thing I wanted to show them, who were watching me, was a happy smile. 

“The butler’s standard of ‘something small’ seems to differ greatly from mine.”

“This must have seemed too small when compared with my lady’s standards.” Tanma said playfully, despite knowing exactly what I meant. “Don’t fret. A grand-scale welcoming party has also been prepared separately.”

Just how large of an event were they planning to hold? However, I suddenly had the thought that by receiving their welcome, reducing the size of the event would also seem as if they were reducing the love they gave me. Letting them show their affection toward me to their hearts content was also a precious act in itself.

“Then I’ll look forward to it.” As I whispered while smiling, the cheers around me grew even louder. I thought that it was a good idea for me to follow Lydia’s advice and choose the most splendid dress amongst the clothes I had been given. 

“Ara.” Lecht called my name amidst the shouts that were even more formidable than the ones during the proclamation ceremony. I turned my head toward him without concealing any of my overwhelming emotions. 

It happened in a flash.

Lecht’s lips brushed against my forehead, then left just as quickly.

“L-Lecht?!”

“Kyaaaaa!”

“Wooooooo!”

The cheers which I hadn’t thought would be able to grow any louder, became even rowdier to the extent where I wondered if the Demon King’s Palace would be able to stand it without collapsing like this.

“Why all of a sudden…!” In any case, my heart that had already felt overwhelmed with emotions, raced so fast it felt like it was about to explode. I felt as if it were about to jump out of my mouth with its thumping.

“I’m making sure that no bastard here has forgotten. That you’re my woman.”

“!”

Lecht smiled smugly at my face that was now burning red. At that smile that seemed like the smile of a wolf who was pleased at catching a mouthwateringly appetising piece of prey, my heart couldn’t stand it any longer. 

I buried my face into Lecht’s arms with a strange groan. I had to hold onto something because it felt as if my legs were about to lose their strength at any moment now. 

As if he knew somehow, Lecht lifted me up into his arms and walked to the end with the endlessly growing cheers at his back.

It was a blessed moment that was mixed with happiness and embarrassment. 

* * *

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

“I heard that they’ve arrived.” A demon with a single horn in the middle of their forehead said as he finished contacting his old friend that worked in the Demon King’s Palace.

“Hmmm~” The person who received their report let out a long nasally sound. It was just a sound, yet the shoulders of the demon who had just delivered the report started to tremble slightly. It was due to the powerful force of enchantment that had engulfed his whole body for a moment. 

“Saintess, my saintess. You really have no sense of fear.” Frody murmured as he looked down at the forget-me-nots that were blooming before him, despite it not being the season for it. “It would’ve been safer for you to continue staying in the human realm… I wonder just how many people are after you in the demon realm, Saintess.”

Frody uprooted the forget-me-nots. He examined the sensitive flowers from a few angles before lifting the corners of his mouth. “Just like me.” 

Murmuring softly, he dropped the forget-me-nots onto the floor. The heavy scent of gold osmanthus began to spread simultaneously as he trampled the flowers underfoot. Since the scent wasn’t able to completely devour the remaining scent of the forget me nots, it simply absorbed the flowers’ vitality instead. The scent of the gold osmanthus became even stronger the longer it continued to do so, and the forget-me-nots that had bloomed eventually all withered. 

“And the thing I told you to prepare?”

“…Though they’re still trying, there hasn’t been a definite response either.” The subordinate standing by his side replied, trying his best not to breathe in the scent as much as possible. The difference in ability between him and Frody were evident, so if he so much as inhaled that scent even once by accident, his rationality would be eaten away by it.

“Oh… that’s quite troublesome. I only got it after breaking the rules and playing a joke on the Grand Duchy.” Frody smiled at his subordinate. It was a smile that was expressed with his eyes so charmingly that it would’ve been able to captivate men and women of all ages without fail. “Don’t you think?”

“…Yes.”

“If there’s any possibility of me having no choice but to make the saintess disappointed, then…” 

He walked lightly toward his subordinate. His mischievous aura that could be seen when he was facing Ara and Lecht had completely disappeared, now only replaced by a bleak energy. 

“I would be very upset, right?” Standing before his subordinate, he whispered, leaning down and looking into his eyes while doing so. A tiny light shone in his blue eyes, poking his subordinate’s soul. 

“I’ll make sure it’s ready within the time frame!” He shouted, already pale with fright, as Frody stood back up from his bent back. 

“Then. You should do so. After all, it’s none other than a present for our precious saintess.”

Humming to himself, Frody brushed past him. Only after he disappeared into the darkness and the sound of his footsteps couldn’t be heard anymore did his subordinate finally let out a breath.

And with Frody’s disappearance, the scent of gold osmanthus also disappeared along with him like it had never existed in the first place. 

* * *

Lecht disappeared soon after, seemingly having been dragged away by Tanma, who had nagged at him about having all his work pushed back. 

After leaving me with the words that he would come and see me in the evening, as expected, the one that came to see me was none other than Solte, who had come on behalf of him. Apparently she had come over to the demon realm even earlier than Tanma in order to prepare my room for my arrival. 

Both glad and relieved to see a face I knew, I allowed myself to be guided leisurely to the floor that I would stay on.

“Hold on!” But as I was listening to her explanation, I suddenly discovered an embarrassing part. “Who… the dress room?”

“This is your dress room, my lady, and that is His Majesty’s dress room. In any case, I thought it would be better for them to be separated rather than all lumped together so that it would be more convenient when you’re selecting what clothes to wear, so I made it like so.” Thinking that I didn’t understand her reasoning, Solte calmly added an explanation. Even though I was just flustered by what she had said.

“No, why is Lecht’s dress room in this room…”

Solte tilted her head at my question. “I thought it would be inconvenient for the dress room to be far away from the room, so I arranged it like this. It was like this in the Grand Duchy as well… are you perhaps uncomfortable with this?”

No, why does the conversation between Solte and I always seem like it’s one wavelength apart? I wasn’t curious about that part.

“I mean, why is ‘Lecht’s’ dress room in ‘my’ room…” I felt like I knew the reason why after I phrased the sentence like this.

“Aha.” Solte smiled, finally understanding my meaning behind the question. “Because this room is my lady and His Majesty’s room.”

“H-Huh…? Why? How, why?” I was so flustered that I even lost the ability to speak properly. 

Solte, who finally managed to understand me, tilted her head again and said, “The aide… so I arranged it like that since the butler, Tanma, specifically ordered me to do so. Did he not inform you beforehand?”

No…! This is my first time hearing about such a thing! 

At my face that was full of embarrassment, Solte let out a ‘hmm…’ as if she were contemplating over something before smiling. “I didn’t think there would be a problem for the two of you to share rooms a little quickly since the two of you will be married soon anyway.”

“Whatttt?!”

“Oh, though of course, there are many people here who call you, ‘Her Majesty’ already since they’ve already promised to pledge the rest of their life to you a hundred years ago…”

No, wait. So you’re saying that the reason why Muso calls me, ‘Her Majesty’ is because he already sees me as Lecht’s wife?! I thought he was just calling me, ‘Her Majesty’ because he couldn’t find a way to over exaggerate and call me, ‘my lady’ in a very Muso-like way!

“Back then, there weren’t many people who could celebrate it with the two of you together, so the truth is that everyone is expecting for the two of you to hold a ceremony this time.”

Huh…?!

“Naturally, I am also looking forward to your wedding, my lady. Since according to His Majesty’s character, he will definitely make it grander than any other demon king’s wedding.”

So how did it become that my own wedding ceremony had already been settled without me even knowing? I felt so aggrieved, yet I couldn’t even find the words to retort when I saw that even Solte was smiling with her eyes full of anticipation.

---

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

Though I had thought it would turn out like this, but still…

“You’ll basically be leaving your string that’s tying you to life with me; is that really alright with you? Even if I might suddenly change my mind and decide to kill you?”

“Then I’ll just accept it.”

Although my eyes were round, he smiled rather faintly. “If that happens, although the Duchy might be worried, at least I’ll be able to walk hand in hand with my younger sister on her final road.”

“…”

“I couldn’t even be by that child’s side and hold her hand as she took her first step because I drowned in grief over that selfish reason. I even made her attend her debutante by herself since I had mistakenly placed my trust in the crown prince.”

“…”

“I thought that I’d at least be able to walk by your side at your wedding, but now, even that’s impossible. So if I could walk hand in hand with that child, even if it’s her final road in this life, wouldn’t that be a death I’d be content with?”

It was pure sincerity. Just why would such a person leave their younger sister to be lonely by herself for such a long time? The more I got to know him, the more I felt that the situation was regrettable. 

I let out a sigh and handed him the poison. “Still, you should at least sign a waiver before drinking it. Since I’d hate to have the blame be shifted on the Lunar religion.”

“Gladly.” 

He unhesitatingly wrote a waiver and signed it at my light words and gulped down the poison. 

“Keurgh!” He vomited blood not even a minute after he had drank it, perhaps going to show just how lethal the poison was. 

—B-Brother…

His younger sister, Meliara, began to pace around beside him with a restless look on her face. 

I kneeled beside him, who was breathing heavily and seizing intermittently. I covered his eyes with my hands and whispered, “Go and have a good meeting.”

At that moment, his soul escaped from his body like a lie. Though I was momentarily surprised, I slowly began to infuse my divine power into his body.

t/n: alion’s dialogue as a soul will now be in bold

—This…

“I won’t be able to hold this for more than five minutes.”

Alion, who was looking down in bewilderment at his own body, quickly came back to his senses at my words. 

—So you really can see souls.

“I don’t think this is the right time for you to admire me.” I pointed with my chin at the area next to him. 

Turning around, he spotted his crying younger sister. Then he stiffened on the spot. His eyes that were looking at her shook violently. Though it was an absurd story, his gaze was different from the way he had looked at me when I had told him that I was occupying his younger sister’s body.

—Mel…iara.

He called out awkwardly, as if he had never said her name before. A faint smile spread across the lips of Meliara, who was looking at him.

* * *

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

Alion was filled with complicated emotions upon seeing the appearance of his younger sister, who was smiling at him. Turns out his little sister had become this skinny… He felt as if his heart was about to be torn apart.

—Meliara, I…

He opened his mouth once again, but couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

Staring at Alion, who only bit his lips for a long time, Meliara opened her mouth instead. 

—I’m sorry, Brother.

—…What?

What she had said was so shocking that Alion’s whole face stiffened up.

—Why are you…

—Just because I wanted to marry His Highness the Crown Prince… I never knew that you had been pushed to the front lines of the subjugation in order to satisfy my greed.

—That’s…

It hadn’t been for her. It had been a selfish step that he had taken in an effort to make up for the past mistakes he had committed. 

—Brother had been taking such good care of me, yet all this time, I thought that you hated me… Yet you were such a good older brother…

—Stop. Please, just stop.

Alion’s face distorted, as if he couldn’t bear to hear anymore.

—I wasn’t a good older brother.

—But…

—I hated you. Because I thought Mother had died because of you.

He spoke honestly about his feelings.

—But… you…

His face twisted up once again as he winced. It hurt so much it felt as if his heart was being split in two whenever he recalled the thought of his younger sister, who at the age of nine years old, regretted ever being born into this world.

—You didn’t take Mother away—rather, it was Mother who risked her life to bring you into this world.

—…

—I realised that too late.

The relationship between the two of them had already become estranged. And Alion, who had never learned how to love, didn’t even know how to correct it. He didn’t know how to apologise, nor did he know that he had to apologise. Since he was also young, and no one had ever taught him to. He just wanted to hide from his feelings of remorse every time he saw her increasingly uncomfortable and wary gaze. So he simply avoided her.

—But Brother, you were young back then as well…

—You were even younger though.

—…

—I…

Alion’s throat started to close up as he choked out. 

—I should’ve let you know that you were never alone.

He always only thought by himself. He did whatever the empress and crown prince wanted since she seemed eager to marry the crown prince. Always obtaining a losing hand. 

On the premise that the marriage had already been set in stone, he even departed on a subjugation expedition. Not even knowing that when he returned, his younger sister’s engagement had been annulled and she had been kicked out of their family. If he had known that she would be in such pain and loneliness, then he would never have gone on the subjugation expedition in the first place.  

—Everything became ruined because I made a cowardly choice and acted foolishly. 

It all went wrong. And it became too late for him to fix it. 

—Meliara. I know that words alone won’t be enough, but…

He let out a long sigh.

—For making you feel lonely… and for pushing you away because of my own pain, I am truly sor…

Alion, who had been sincerely trying to apologise, suddenly had his words stuck in his throat.

—…!

It was because of the sudden warmth that had dashed into his arms. His younger sister, who was in tears, had run into his embrace. And hugged him with all her might. 

—Thank you, Brother. Thank you for letting me know that I was also loved.

Alion’s eyes became as round as saucers. He froze, as if he were genuinely filled with shock. His pupils trembled violently as his face gradually scrunched up. He seemed as if he were in more pain now than when he had consumed the poison earlier. 

—I think I can finally leave happily now. Thank you so much, Brother. 

As if to prove what she had said was true, her appearance was becoming even fainter than before.

—Meliara.

Alion called out her name urgently, but Meliara only donned an even prettier smile for him.

—I’m truly happy now. So don’t worry about me too much as well, Brother.

—Meliara, please.

He spoke urgently, as if he instinctively knew what would happen next, but Meliara was more knowledgeable about this space than he was. She slipped away from him before he could say anything or react properly. 

—You’ll have to live a healthy life and live out my share as well, alright?

Smiling beautifully, she pushed him back by his chest. It was obviously only a weak push since she herself also had a small stature, yet Alion, who was a knight, stumbled backwards.

—Wait…!

—Goodbye, Brother.

His younger sister’s happiest and most radiant looking smile that he was seeing for the first time was also the last thing he saw before Alion’s world was turned upside down.

“Melia…! Keurgh!”

He hurriedly stood up and shouted as soon as he came to his senses, but it was blood that came out instead. 

“Your body has been wrecked by the poison.” It was a voice he had just heard, yet a voice filled with completely different emotions reached his ears instead. 

Clutching at his sore chest, he turned his head to see a woman sitting down with the same face as his younger sister.

“Although I’ve finished neutralising the poison, you’ll still need to recuperate and take some medicine in order to repair your ruined body.” She was quite expressionless, but she wasn’t able to conceal the worry and pity in her eyes…

“It’s definitely… different.”

It wasn’t his younger sister. He could see it clearly after meeting his younger sister. It was the same face, yet two different people. 

Saintess Ara smiled painfully at his words. “You can see it because it’s you. Because you truly love your younger sister.”

“…”

Unable to say anything, Alion turned to where Meliara had been standing. “I couldn’t say anything in the end.”

Saying he was sorry, as well as saying that he loved her. His tolerant younger sister didn’t bother to listen to him and left after receiving an understanding of it. As if she understood his true feelings, she left after embracing him. 

“I thought it’d be better if I told her my true feelings before she left, but… I still have my own regrets.” He laughed at himself in self-mocking. Because of the poison, his anguish came with it, his smile twisting.

“Every death leaves lingering regrets. From the one who is leaving, to the one who is sending them off.” Ara said quietly. 

There was a brief silence afterwards.

Getting up shakily, Alion wiped the blood from around his mouth with a handkerchief and asked, “Have you heard that Father is going to proceed with the engagement between you, the saintess, and Prince Linden?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have any intention to?”

“No.”

“Alright. Then I’ll proceed with that in mind. I thought you wouldn’t, but I just wanted to make sure.” Alion bowed his head toward Meliara, who was looking up at him from where she was kneeling. “Then I’ll take my leave now. Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.”

“No, all I did was give you the power to do what you already had in mind.”

It was Alion who decided to take the poison in order to meet his younger sister. Ara seriously didn’t think she had done much herself. 

“No, that power made that invaluable time possible.” But on the contrary, Alion thought that Ara had done everything. “Thank you.”

“Alright. Take care of yourself too.”

Alion said his farewells and left. As he opened the door and left, the sound of the knights who were waiting outside making a fuss at the bloodstains on his clothes sounded. But the door soon slammed shut as silence returned to the prayer room once more.

“Is it really fine to leave it like this?”

—Yes, this is more than enough.

Ara raised her head and turned her gaze toward Meliara, who was smiling. She had already become visibly fainter to the eyes. The light along the faint outline was getting brighter and brighter. 

Both Ara and Meliara knew what that meant.

—Don’t be sorry. You’ve done more than enough. 

Meliara said after reading Ara’s expression.

—You cleared me of all my false accusations and prejudices. You helped me feel my older brother’s love for me, and even got me the revenge that I never once could’ve imagined getting.

“But…”

I couldn’t help but think of the thought, ‘If only I hadn’t taken over your body in the first place’.

Meliara thought differently.

—I don’t blame you. The one who gave up first was me anyway.

The one who had given up her body first was her after all. This was the result of her own choice while she had only been the one that got caught up in it. 

—Rather, you are a person who has bloomed beautifully, and brought life to what I had given up on.

Meliara squatted in front of Ara. She smiled as she tapped her heart with her index finger. Though she naturally couldn’t feel it, Ara felt it somehow and thought she had been mistaken. 

—The person sitting here isn’t Ara, who became Meliara, but rather, wholly you, just Ara.

This place no longer had a ‘Meliara’ remaining.

—That’s why you should live. Beautifully, boldly, and exactly like you would.

“Meliara…” A faint smile hung from Ara’s mouth. It was a smile full of gratitude. “Thank you.”

—I should be the one saying thank you.

The two smiled at each other. And in that manner, Meliara’s body was also enveloped in light and disappeared. With the only thing she left behind her being a gust of warm air. 

“Goodbye.”

It was a final greeting that would be eternal.

* * *

“Goodbye then.” Lydia sent us off with a smile.

“I’ll trust in the words of Lydia and come back safely.”

“Yes.”

I also responded with a bright smile, turning my head to see Lecht standing on top of the teleportation circle that was departing to the demon realm. The teleportation circle was glowing softly, as if declaring that it was ready to go. 

I placed my hand in his outstretched hand as he grabbed it, enveloping it in his large hands. I was pulled helplessly into his arms. His refreshing scent made my heart race. 

“It’ll be troublesome if you fall behind in the middle, so hold on tightly.”

No, to think that I could fall behind in a teleportation circle with a fixed departure and destination. I laughed at Lecht, who was hugging me tightly under the excuse of such a ridiculous reason. I hugged his waist, pretending not to know either.

“Let’s go!”

To your world. 

I closed my eyes and buried my face in Lecht’s arms as the bright light from the teleportation circle engulfed me.

---

this whole chapter was super bittersweet. although i’m glad alion and meliara both got at least some sort of closure, i still wish her story hadn’t ended here — i wanted her to get her own happy ending too QAQ

i cried a ton translating this chapter – as i do whenever it involves these two siblings ;-;

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

A stormy few days had passed since the proclamation ceremony had ended. The entire empire had been turned upside down by what had occurred that day, but the Great Temple, where it had all started, was still peaceful.

“Wow, I can’t even file a claim to Lunar.” I clicked my tongue at the priests that were struggling to fill in the holes in the floor and the ceiling.

“Isn’t it enough that they cooperated nicely with you on that day?” Lydia comforted me, telling me not to worry about the cost.

A day after the full moon had passed, Lunar’s voice also naturally disappeared along with it. Although I was relieved that the rowdy voice that had been filling my head the whole day had disappeared, it was also a little disappointing when it actually did.

“Whether it’s to thank them or to file a complaint, I’ll have to wait until next month anyway.”

Though there was nothing to be sad about since we could still meet again, as long as I came to the temple on the day of a full moon.

“You’ll come to meet Lunar again next month?” But the man by my side suddenly interrupted me. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of staying up all night every time the full moon rises?” Although those words were filled with concern, he still couldn’t hide his brusque expression.

“Don’t get jealous of Lunar. Isn’t she someone who always only calls me, ‘daughter, daughter’?”

“I don’t like it.” Lecht sneakily hugged me from behind. With his face resting against my hair, he murmured, “Lunar is your family and I’m not, so it feels like there’s a line dividing us.”

Wow, so you can even think of it like that. His jealousy seemed to have no limits and exceeded common sense.

I just patted his arm that was wrapped around me silently, knowing that no matter what I said now, it would all stimulate his jealousy even further regardless. I simply changed the subject instead.

“I’m sorry for causing so many incidents before we could leave.” I said to Lydia, who was looking at Lecht and I with a smug expression on her face.

Being able to feel comfortable in the Great Temple, even after the situation burst out of control, was all thanks to Lydia.

“Don’t worry too much about what’s happening on this side and spend as much time as you need over there.”

“And if you do need to, it’s easy for the Great Temple in the demon realm to contact the Great Temple here as well!” Muso added another comment on top of Lydia’s reassurance.

“Like Muso said, please come and find me whenever you need to. In any case, the place that will suit the saintess of the Lunar religion more than the human realm would be the demon realm.” They were words that relieved the sense of obligation to visit them often.

As I smiled smugly, I suddenly spotted a grinning Muso, who was looking at Lydia with an expression that said, ‘I did a good job, right?’.

“But when did the two of you get so close?” I’m pretty sure the only time they spent together was when they went to the Grand Duchy together last time.

“Aha. Seems like you don’t remember, Ara. We met a hundred years ago.”

“Heok, really? How?”

When asked again in shock, Muso replied with a smile, “We met when you took me in, Your Majesty! You gave me food and blankets back then.”

“So that’s how you guys connected… no, wait a minute. So you also met me a hundred years ago, Lydia?”

“Yes. Back then, you had black hair, didn’t you?”

“Wait, why didn’t you tell me?” I was completely unaware of it, as if I was someone who was meeting her for the first time.

“You didn’t remember anyway, so I thought that I didn’t need to insist on you being aware of it. Since it’s a memory, we can just make new ones from now on.”

So there wasn’t anyone around me that wouldn’t talk about a hundred years ago, huh? The woman that was me from a hundred years ago, you sure lived your life diligently.

“When you go to the demon realm, there will also be many people apart from me that still remember you, Ara. Seems like every one of us is living with precious memories, one by one.

“I’m starting to feel apologetic again. I can’t remember though.”

“I’m telling you in advance that you don’t have to. Since everyone will just be happy that you’re back, Ara.”

As soon as Lydia finished speaking, Lecht’s arm that was wrapped around my waist tightened. Embracing me tightly, he whispered in my ear, “Don’t you know when you look at me? Remembering isn’t important. What’s more important is that you’re by my side.”

My face turned red at the uselessly sweet words that he uttered.

“Woof! Woof!” As if agreeing with Lecht, Kelber wagged his tail and rubbed his head against me, making me even more flustered.

When I was just wiggling my toes since I didn’t know what to say, Lydia looked behind me and said, “We have a visitor.”

The place she was staring at was where Alion Darchez, who had just opened the temple door and entered,was standing.

“Oh.”

As soon as I spotted him, I immediately extricated myself from Lecht’s arms and looked around me. Meliara was nowhere to be found.

“She must be beside the teddy bear again.” She would always be there whenever I couldn’t find her. Just what are you thinking about so much while you look at that teddy bear? Nevertheless, I never asked for the particular reason, since she always seemed to be in a good mood when I went to find her.

“Saintess. Your Excellency.” Alion nodded to both me and Lecht. “Greetings, High Priestess.”

After greeting everyone lightly, Alion immediately turned toward me. “Saintess, I’d like to talk to you for a moment. Do you have time? It’s in regards to clearing up the recent rumours that have been floating around about your engagement.”

“Is that really the reason?”

The engagement he was talking about was none other than the one between Linden and I. When Ziken merely became a discarded card of his and Linden popped into his mind, the Duke of Darchez sneakily brought up how close Linden and I were to the emperor and suggested that we be engaged. And constantly brought it up here and there as if it were already a done deed.

However, being aware of the relationship between Lecht and I, the emperor’s reaction was lukewarm, and above all, Linden was also clearly expressing his refusal. With that as the root source, rumours began spreading about internal conflict within the Darchez Duchy. Though of course, the Darchez Duchy also had a horde of other problems besides that. But that isn’t likely to be the reason why Alion came to see me.

“That’s… the external reason.”

I laughed at his honest answer. “Why do you need to make up an external reason when it’s just an older brother coming to visit his younger sister?” I started to walk forward. “You can just come. I even gave you a gift at the proclamation ceremony in order for you to do so.”

Alion’s shoulders flinched at my words. This was our first conversation since the proclamation ceremony, so he seemed to have a lot to ask about.

“This way.”

I led Alion to a room that Meliara might be in. Although Lecht had a dissatisfied expression on his face, he still diligently left with Kelber in tow.

Just as I suspected, Meliara was in the room where the teddy bear was kept.

—Oh! Ara. You’ve co… with Older Brother.

Meliara, who smiled brightly upon seeing me, paused when she spotted Alion following behind me.

“Is… she here?” Alion asked upon seeing the teddy bear being beautifully displayed on the table when he entered.

“Yes.”

“How did you know that I came here because I wanted to meet her?”

“Is there any other reason for Alion Darchez to pay a visit to the Lunar religion?” Coming here under the pretext of talking about the engagement that was about to be annulled was too flimsy of an excuse.

Alion, who had been silent for a while, asked cautiously, “Where is she?”

At his question, I went and stood next to Meliara. Alion looked over when I showed him she was right next to me. Though it would only look like an empty space to him anyway.

He pressed his fingers against his furrowed brows with a complex expression on his face once again. “I’ve come to the realisation of it every time, but humans really are just animals with a weaker visual perception.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Since in this scenario, your sight, hearing, and touch, all of it should be excluded.”

Though it’s better if you can hear, even if you can’t see. Like how I can hear Lunar’s voice. But in Alion’s case, there was nothing. So even if he came with a huge resolution, it was more likely for him to overthink when facing the situation in reality.

“Is there really no way…?” He asked me in the end, unable to overcome the wall that was a human’s five senses.

Although I had shaken my head firmly last time, I couldn’t confidently do so this time. Ah… this seriously doesn’t seem right.

Alion’s eyes were particularly conspicuous as I pressed my lips tightly together. “Saintess.”

“Haa…”

He naturally noticed that I was acting differently this time.

With a long sigh, I began to speak heavily. “It’s not that there isn’t a way.”

“Is that true? As long as you tell me, I’ll do it.”

His enthusiastic appearance made my heart feel even heavier as Meliara bit her lips as well. It was because I had already told her.

“It isn’t easy either.” I hesitantly started to tell him the way. “The Little Duke… will have to die and come back to life.”

“Pardon…?”

As expected, Alion looked at me with an expression that seemed as if he must have misheard me.

“Haa…”

*

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

I had also been pondering laboriously over this part on the day Lunar had first appeared as well.

‘So there’s no other way?’

[There’s a way. But it’s a rather awkward method.]

At my question, Lunar spoke in a worried tone.

[Although you can see her and talk to her because you’re my daughter, you still would’ve been able to see her, even if you weren’t my daughter.]

‘How come?’

[Because you’ve experienced death before. Because of that, your soul has been suspended over both the realms of the living and the dead. Well, since that’s also something that’s closer to me, I don’t really have a problem with it.]

So being alive wasn’t something that was an obstacle. It’s just that the only ones that could be seen were those who had died ambiguously and couldn’t cross over to death like Meliara.

[So there’s only one way if her brother wants to meet her. And that’s for him to die and come back to life.]

‘Die and come back to life… Did I hear you correctly?’

[Yes, that’s right. Dying and coming back to life.]

How could you say such a thing so easily?

[It can’t be helped. Since it’s impossible for her to come back to life. Even I can’t do something like turn back time for the whole world just to save one particular dead person, regardless of how much authority I have over time.]

Even Lunar couldn’t get too involved in the lives and deaths of each individual. So even if a natural disaster like a landslide occurred, they still weren’t able to kill a specific person that way.

‘So the Little Duke has to die…’

[It’s not dying, but dying and coming back to life.]

‘Is it really as easy as how you make it sound? It’s not like he can open his eyes in another body like me!’

[My daughter, don’t you have the ability to neutralise poisons?]

Lunar said lightly, as if asking if there was a need for me to think so deeply about this.

‘What does neutralising poison have to do with any of this?’

[You can drag him to the point where he’s about to die with poison and then bring him back to life. Although it’ll only be a short while, it’ll still be enough time for the two siblings to meet, right?]

‘But if I fail to get the timing right, then he’ll die.’

[Yep.]

Is the weight of people’s life and death different to them because they’re a god? Lunar spouted crazy nonsense quite carefreely.

‘Haa… that will definitely be difficult.’

[Because miracles don’t happen easily.]

*

Recalling my memories of that time, I explained to Alion, “There’s no guarantee that it will definitely succeed. There’s probably a higher chance of failure since I’ve never done it before.”

No matter how, I had to stop him from dying. However, that didn’t guarantee that he would be able to safely meet Meliara either. Though Lunar had also said, ‘I guess he would?’, they never said that they were certain either. And what about the pain that would come from taking poison in the first place as well?

“So irregardless, it’s all up to you.”

I placed the poison that I had prepared on the table with the teddy bear. I had prepared it in case he came back and made such a request. To be honest, I didn’t actually want to use it, but…

“If you want to take that risk and give it a try, then…”

“I’ll do it.”

He answered before I could even finish speaking.

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get ready for the next chapter bc it’s a real tear jerker

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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“…Ara.” I could sense the complex emotions in Linden’s voice that was calling out my name.

“Lecht. Could you wait here for a moment?”

Lecht had a dissatisfied expression on his face at my request, but he nevertheless still quietly retreated without any hesitation. I took Linden to a nearby room where there were no people.

Linden opened his mouth as soon as the door closed. “Why did you do that?”

“…Did it make you feel bad?”

“I told you not to do anything dangerous…!”

“Linden.” I quietly cut off his words that were said in a choked voice. I smiled slightly at him, who was looking at me with an inexplicable emotion on his face. “I’m Lunar’s child, who is called to be a saintess. In front of me, I have the Lunar religion, and by my side, I have Lecht guarding me. And although it will take some time, I will also have the Little Duke of Darchez, who will become the influential Duke of Darchez, watching my back.”

“…”

“Moreover, it wasn’t me that came forward first. It was her and Ziken who broke into the temple and ruined the proclamation ceremony first, and it was also them who aimed their sword at me first. All I did was respond to them accordingly.”

As if it wasn’t enough for them to break into the temple armed, they even tried to attack the saintess. It was a perfectly normal reaction for the Lunar religion to regard them as their enemy and designate them as their number one target to guard against.

“On top of that, the emperor has now turned his back on the crown prince.” He had tried so hard to remove the crown prince from the situation. Yet Ziken simply kicked all of the emperor’s hard efforts away.

“Now, neither the empress, nor anyone else in power, can touch you recklessly.” Even if they did try and touch him in the first place, they wouldn’t have a way to suppress the Lunar religion or Lecht.

Linden remained silent. He understood everything I was saying, so there was no reason for him to refute it; thus, he just looked at me quietly.

“Haa…” It was a sigh that was finally uttered after a long period of silence.

He covered his distorted face with one hand. Only his blue eyes were revealed through the gaps of his fingers.

“My life… it was like I was walking in a very long tunnel.” He slowly began to tell his own story. “Ever since I was very young, I had never seen my mother smiling happily, even when she was alive. Even when I lost my mother and went to live with my grandfather, that long tunnel continued onwards.”

“…”

“Although it felt like my grandfather was walking with me now as well, it was still extremely dark, it seemed hopeless. But then, the tunnel that I had thought had become desolate after my grandfather’s death… for the first time, I could feel a warm breeze gushing in.”

His eyes were fixed on me. With the light in his eyes filling with affection and pain. “The warmth that I had finally experienced for the first time was really… it could drive people crazy.” Linden stretched out his hand toward me cautiously. Nevertheless, it stopped before it could touch my face. It hung around that space, as if he couldn’t bear to touch it.

“But do you know what drove me even crazier?” Clenching his fist that was still suspended in the air, he spat out painfully, “The moment that warmth appeared, for the first time in my life, it was like I had begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“…”

“The tunnel that I thought had no end… it seemed to be letting me know that the tunnel where I couldn’t even see an inch ahead of me in the dark—it had an end to it.”

Linden let out a huff that was close to a sigh. It was a sigh that seemed to release all the stuffy feelings blocking his heart, as well as his suffocated breath, all at once. He took a deep breath and released all the air in his lungs. After breathing deeply for a while, he met my eyes.

“I’m going to check what’s at the end of it. So…”

“…”

“Walk with me.”

Oh.

I let out an inconcealable sigh.

“You were the one who gave me that light in the darkness and imbued warmth into that desolation. If you just keep walking by my side, I think I’d be able to keep going without losing hope, no matter what happens.”

“…Linden.”

“I want to see my future with you, who healed my past and made my present reality radiant.” He kept going on heartrendingly, as if he was a person who knew what I was going to say.

He cautiously stretched out his hand again to hold my hand instead of my face. Holding onto my two small hands with his large ones, he pleaded with me. “Is that not possible?”

My heart felt heavy. My chest seemed to be choked up.

I didn’t think that it would turn out like this with such a straightforward tactic. Since he was someone who would always gather information first, instigate a situation, and then gently scheme in secret. However, that’s also why I could see how serious he was right now.

So… rather, I’d also have to firmly convey my feelings as well.

“I’m sorry.”

Linden lowered his frowning face. His hand that was wrapped around mine tightened slightly.

“As expected… you can’t.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Did you know that word is really cruel?”

He was right. The words, ‘I’m sorry’, were probably the cruellest words in the world. All I could say in response to this person’s loss and pain was ‘I’m sorry’, just these two words. Even though I couldn’t help but say it, it was an extremely cruel sentence.

“To be honest… I overheard your conversation with Lydia and Grand Duke Arvis. About going back to the demon realm after the proclamation ceremony is over.”

“…”

“At first, I even thought of abandoning everything that I had lived for here and following you to the demon realm.”

This was completely outside of my expectations. I didn’t know you were having thoughts like that.

Raising his head, Linden smiled awkwardly and added, “But for you to seal it like this, saying that this is the place where I should be.”

I had ousted the crown prince as well as the power of his faction. At this rate, rather than Ziken being reinstated as crown prince again, Linden had a bigger chance at becoming the new crown prince instead.

“Giving me a gift like this is clearly telling me not to follow after you.”

“I didn’t mean it like that…”

Linden grinned at my words. “I’m meant to say that I’m thanking you.”

“…”

“Since this opportunity is the last gift you’ll give me. So I’ll handle it preciously and make it so that it will bloom beautifully.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“I really don’t like those words.”

“…”

“I’m thinking of seriously doing it properly. I want to take the position of crown prince and become an emperor that will go down in history. So that when we meet next time, only the words, ‘Great job, you’ve done well, you’ve worked hard’, will come out.”

Next time. He was promising me a next time.

“So if that bastard makes you cry, come back anytime you want. I’ll scold him harshly as the person who won the struggle for the throne in the human realm.”

Linden, the future emperor, who scolds the demon king. You care about how I’m feeling apologetic toward you, even in this situation. He prioritised soothing my pain more importantly than protecting his own wounds. Just like a fool.

Being fully aware of his efforts, all I could do for him right now was just smile at him, just so that his efforts wouldn’t amount to nothing. “Yeah, thank you.”

Only then did he let go of my hand and then reach out to my face. But instead of cupping my face with his large hand, he only lightly mussed up my hair. “If you know, then smile a bit. They say that smiling makes one happier.”

“Mm, you too.”

“Even though I’m going to be busy soon thanks to a certain gift from someone?” Linden said jokingly as he burst into laughter.

He took a step first. However, as he turned the doorknob, just before he left, he stopped and stared at me. “It feels unfair somehow.”

“Huh?”

“This is the only image of you that I know, yet Grand Duke Arvis also knows what you were like a hundred years ago.”

How did he find out about a hundred years ago? To be honest, it wasn’t too shocking that he knew. Since now that he knew Lecht’s true identity, it wouldn’t have been too hard for him to find out about our relationship.

“This appearance that I’ve seen of yours is already insanely lovable, yet when I think about how pretty you were a hundred years ago… I feel like it’s really unfair somehow.”

“It was just normal.”

“You? Normal?” As if he had heard something ridiculous, Linden added with a grin, “Like that makes sense.”

He vanished out of the door after that softly added murmur.

* * *

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

Coming out of the temple, Linden left without looking back. Though there were many eyes that were stuck on him, he ignored them all.

“Your Highness, Marquis Rothschild would like to speak to you…”

“Next time.”

A subordinate came and reported to him about this and that, but he cleared them all out.

“I’m tired. Next time for all of them.”

That’s how he got out of that place, as if he were running away. He almost ran back to his house.

Occupying the top floor of the Ezzarson residence was Linden’s own space. It was a space that had been occupied by him ever since his grandpa was still alive.

Closing the door with a bang, Linden roughly exhaled a breath that he had been holding in this whole time. “Haa.”

As he leaned against the door, the strength in his legs disappeared as he collapsed. When he leaned his head against the door, the appearance of Ara flickered before his eyes. Although he closed his eyes, he could picture her face even clearer in his head.

“Haa…”

She naturally popped into his head whenever he was alone. It was at the level of it being a chronic disease.

‘I knew from the beginning where her gaze was directed.’

There was no way he couldn’t be aware of it, since the way she looked at Grand Duke Arvis became the exact same way he looked at her. He had already expected a rejection from the time he had started to confess his feelings. Nevertheless, his reason for confessing to her was simple.

‘Still… at least you can leave comfortably now.’

If it was her, then she wouldn’t have been able to take a step with peace of mind since she would still be worried about leaving him behind. She must have been troubled thinking about how to vaguely end things with him, who she liked, yet was unable to whisper about love to. Since she was such a gentle and affectionate woman.

So he had no choice but to come forward himself. So that she could completely reject him and be comfortable.

‘How pathetic.’

Linden let out a chuckle. As soon as he had let her go, he felt as if his appearance of wanting her to be comfortable was extremely insignificant. Insignificant and pathetic. But he had no regrets. So he kept laughing, because that was even more pathetic.

“Linden, you don’t have to put so much effort in front of me.”

She was the most comfortable existence to him since he never had to package himself in a certain way. But at the same time, did she know that he had to put in double the effort to keep that smile on her face?

“You already know. I’m a pushover when it comes to you.”

No matter how much he thought about it, the pushover wasn’t her, but rather, himself.

“I’m not sure if you know, but I genuinely wish for your peace and happiness.”

Even though she didn’t accept him as her man, he knew that those words of hers contained unrivaled sincerity.

“In front of me, I have the Lunar religion, and by my side, I have Lecht guarding me.”

And because it was her, even her explanation at how she would be safe was simple, as she let him know that that man would be by her side. It was even crazier because she was such an innocent and candidly honest woman.

“Seriously… she takes first place for driving people crazy.”

The fact that she didn’t know what she was doing was the craziest part.

A bitter smile hung from Linden’s lips. His affection for her that he was unable to hide. The futility of having no choice but to give up.

And in the midst of all that, this ‘crown prince’ position that she had left behind for him became exceedingly precious. Yet if he could return it in exchange for her, then he would be more than happy to do so.

His opposing feelings had mixed in several places and penetrated his mind. But there was nothing he could do to make it better, so all Linden could do was let out a dejected smile.

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glad this love triangle between ara and linden didn’t drag out for too long and that she was direct with it too—easier to rip a bandaid off fast than slowly ya feel
i’m glad it ended quickly bc i always did think linden was projecting his lack of affection and trying to seek that from ara but yeah, i have hope that the author will give linden someone that only loves him <3