Chapter 47: A Demon Lord’s Romantic Gestures

Lamia went to take a bath. Wade, meanwhile, headed to his office.

Although he had returned, it was primarily to keep an eye on Lamia, not because he had completely set aside his work.

In fact, he had already drafted plans for the upcoming Knight Order team-building activities.

The Knight Order typically only held a few events each year, many of which were training-related. They were all quite similar, differing mostly in their rewards, which ranged from tangible items to honorary accolades.

Once these rewards were allocated, the planning was largely complete.

What truly weighed on Wade now, however, was everything concerning his wedding to Lamia.

Even when Jeffrey asked him to attend a meeting that evening, he didn’t forget to remind Wade to carefully consider the wedding preparations.

After all, they were already legally married, and it wouldn’t look good to delay the ceremony indefinitely. Jeffrey primarily considered the matter from the bride’s perspective, Lamia’s.

He felt that without a formal wedding, it would seem as though the groom’s side wasn’t taking it seriously.

Generally, a wedding served as a public announcement to friends and family. To not hold a grand celebration would make it seem like some kind of clandestine affair, hidden from the world.

Jeffrey had even remarked that Lamia was a good girl, and it wouldn’t do to make her feel unrecognized or without status over such a trivial matter.

“…A good girl… Hah…”

Recalling that description, his mind echoed with Zelin’s earlier comment about Lamia being “clearly a gentle woman.”

‘What kind of filter were they looking through when they saw Lamia—a good girl, a gentle woman?’

‘To describe a Demon Lord with such words? It was utterly impossible.’

‘It was fortunate he possessed mind-reading abilities and wasn’t deceived. Otherwise, he truly would be a blissfully happy husband, convinced he had a gentle, good wife.’

“…”

‘Hah—what contradictory thoughts! Never mind!’

The more he pondered, the more convoluted his thoughts became. Wade simply gave up trying to think.

When unable to think clearly, it was best to abandon the attempt; otherwise, it would only lead to greater vexation.

****

Meanwhile, Lamia was comfortably soaking in the bathtub. ‘Ah, blissful.’

She leaned back against the tub, her long hair draped out as her maids helped her wash and comb it.

Lamia had never before experienced such a thing. In fact, she had never even conceived of the possibility of soaking herself in hot water.

She had seen foods that required boiling or steaming. Some demon beast meat, for instance, needed to be boiled until cooked to become palatable.

Thus, in her mind, such hot water was solely for cooking. How could one possibly climb into a pot?

However, after arriving here and observing that the other humans around her showed no aversion, Lamia, wrapped in a towel, bravely chose to trust.

Indeed, her trust was well-placed; the sensation of being enveloped by the hot water was truly marvelous.

‘When I return to the Demon Lord’s castle, I’ll prepare a huge pot like this for myself! I’ll heat the water, and whenever I’m tired, I’ll just plop myself right in!’

“Madam, did you have a pleasant day?”

Engaging in light conversation was likely part of the bathing service. The maid, tidying Lamia’s hair, asked about her day with genuine concern, assuring her that any needs would be promptly addressed by the manor staff.

“Of course, *huhu*, of course.”

Listening to the maid, Lamia smiled, appearing quite pleased with her actions that day, even a little proud.

“It seems Master Wade also made you very happy then.”

Seeing Lamia happy, the maids in the mansion shared in her joy. After all, nothing was more important than their mistress’s happiness.

The master’s mood influenced many things, from the basic work atmosphere, which was inextricably linked to their disposition, to the more crucial aspect of their wages.

If the master was pleased, everything ran smoothly, perhaps even earning them a bonus. But if they were displeased—well, it was over; they’d be lucky not to be accused of something and forced to pay compensation.

Fortunately, Wade was a relatively gentle person who rarely punished his subordinates. As long as the staff worked diligently and behaved themselves, he would say little.

However, this created a virtuous cycle. They worked well, and their master treated them kindly. Their master’s kindness, in turn, inspired them to work even more conscientiously.

Therefore, the staff’s concern for Wade and Lamia stemmed more from their respect and approval, hoping the couple would live a happy life together.

“Indeed! Wade, he actually said, ‘I like you,’ right there in the church!”

Possessing such a sweet memory, Lamia couldn’t resist sharing it. It was almost as if she were showing off, proudly recounting the moment to the young women.

‘Well, what do you think? Your master keeps saying he likes me! Now I can truly secure my position as mistress, right? Now you all can see how much he likes me!’

‘To become a perfect wife, one must first win her husband’s love. I’ve already taken a huge step forward!’

“Wow—”

“…We’re truly envious, Madam!”

“Ooh~”

Upon hearing Lamia’s words, the maids let out surprised exclamations, typical of young women. Though there were no more than four women in the entire bathroom, it suddenly became as lively as a flock of a dozen sparrows.

“So, Madam, how did you respond?”

“Yes, Madam, did you embrace him?”

“Or perhaps… *hehe*, did you give him a little kiss?”

The maids chattered excitedly about what had happened between her and Wade at the church, wondering if some special encounter might have unfolded in the church’s secluded woods.

‘But to do such a thing in a church would be far too audacious.’

“No.”

Lamia listened to their various imaginings and replied calmly with those three words.

“Nothing happened between Wade and me. I simply said I liked him too, and that was it.”

“Ah, nooo~”

“Oh, heavens… Madam, that’s such a missed opportunity.”

“You didn’t take advantage of the moment…”

“…?”

Lamia looked at the girls’ sudden expressions of disappointment, feeling a little bewildered.

These young women were at an age where they devoured romantic stage plays and were old enough to go out to eat with boys they liked. Thus, when faced with a newlywed couple, they naturally harbored certain fantasies.

Listening to the girls’ excited chatter, the Demon Lord, who had been diligently studying human romantic customs, felt utterly confused. Lilith hadn’t taught her any of this, only simple, easy-to-understand ways to interact with men.

‘What? Isn’t responding with ‘I like you’ enough?’

“Then… what should I have done?”

****

*Click.*

Wade capped his fountain pen, then sighed as he stared at the proposal in his hand—it was completely blank!

Despite picking up the pen, he hadn’t written a single word.

His mind was in utter disarray.

He had laid out a work plan for himself: first, organize the proposal, then research the wedding.

The proposal wasn’t difficult; he could simply “copy” from past examples. Yet, even with previous work directly at hand, Wade found himself unable to concentrate.

The blank sheet before him was covered in countless haphazard lines, circles, and triangles, drawn idly with his pen.

He was like a student distracted in class, an employee daydreaming during a meeting. He had held the fountain pen for half an hour, yet not a single useful word had emerged.

“Hah…”

“The wedding… the wedding…”

He held a proposal in his hands, but his lips murmured only of the wedding.

If Lamia’s purpose in coming here was to disrupt Wade’s thoughts, then it seemed she had, at least partially, succeeded.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

Just as Wade crumpled another sheet of paper, intending to toss it into the wastebasket, a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.”

Wade didn’t think much of it. He merely aimed for the wastebasket, raising his hand, ready to flick his wrist downward—

“Husband~?”

—And with a *thwack*, the paper ball flew, landing miles away from the wastebasket.

“…?”

The paper ball had already been thrown, but his mind seemed to lag behind. Wade gazed at Lamia, clad in loose-fitting pajamas, carrying the damp scent of a fresh bath.

He could faintly detect the lingering fragrance of her shower gel.

“Ahem, Husband.”

“…Is something wrong?”

It wasn’t until Lamia cleared her throat that Wade snapped out of his daze, retracting his rather impolite gaze.

“Hmph—*phew*.”

Lamia took a deep breath, then smiled at Wade. She raised her hands and began to gesture as she spoke.

“Husband, I—👉😊👈”

“Also—✌🏻️😉”

“Love~~~❤️🥰”

“You! 💕☺️👉”

“…?! 😧”

Lamia came in and performed a series of gestures, pausing after each word to position her hands. When she said “I,” she pointed to herself.

For “also,” she inexplicably made a V-sign. Then, for “love,” she brought both hands together to form a heart shape, extending it forward.

Finally, as she pronounced “you,” she broke the heart apart, pointing two fingers directly at Wade.

‘…What was she doing?’

‘This… what was this?’

Wade was momentarily stunned. He subconsciously swallowed, the room so quiet he could hear the distinct *gulp* in his throat.

Lamia, having completed her sequence of actions, simply turned and left, even politely closing the door behind her.

“…😟??”

Wade was left alone, staring blankly at the spot where Lamia had vanished.

“—Ah, right, one more thing.”

But then, Lamia returned. She opened the door just a crack, poked her head in from outside, and smiled at Wade once more.

Then, she pressed two fingers to her lips—

“Mwah~”

—And blew Wade a kiss.

“Love you~”

After a wink, Lamia finally closed the door. Wade waited a full minute, and only when it was clear she wouldn’t make a second reappearance did he dare to let out a breath.

‘…What was she… what did she mean by that?’

The room was eerily silent, a terrifying calm before a storm.

Though she had left the room, Lamia’s voice, her actions, that blown kiss, and the way she poked her head in—everything remained etched in Wade’s mind.

He had been so utterly stunned that he’d even overlooked whether Lamia had any inner thoughts just now.

‘Inner thoughts… inner thoughts…’

*Thump.*

*Thump, thump, thump, thumpthumpthumpthump—*

The sound of a heart emerged.

This was the true sound of a heart, originating from his own inner voice.

After the calm, the storm had finally arrived.

His breathing, his heartbeat—these sounds mingled, instantly filling the room with a clamor.

“Hah… hah…?”

He took deep, involuntary breaths. There had been no special physical contact, yet now, even his ears were flushed red.

‘This… what was this all about?’

He still hadn’t figured it out himself, but his heart was already pounding incessantly.

‘There was no close contact, just a few seemingly nonsensical gestures, but why… me…’

‘Was she… responding to me?’

‘Responding to what I’d said to her at noon?’

‘I don’t know… I’m not clear… I don’t understand…!’

‘But…’

‘Hah…’

‘Zelin, and Grandfather… I… I suddenly feel invigorated again…!’