Chapter 108: A Simple Bouquet

As they walked back, Lamia held a bouquet of flowers in her hand.

It wasn’t a bouquet of romantic roses or any flower laden with symbolic meaning. Instead, it was a simple arrangement, vibrant with various colors.

“Is today some special occasion?”

When the bouquet was presented to Lamia, she paused, a flicker of surprise crossing her features.

Truthfully, she didn’t quite grasp the full implication of ‘giving flowers.’ Such romantic gestures were unheard of within demon society. All she understood was that it was a ‘gift.’

[Oh… he actually gave me a gift.]

Having received the gift, Lamia’s lips curved into an irrepressible smile. She was not some old, stubborn demon who would accept a favor and then sternly declare, “What good are these things?”

To receive a gift signified recognition from another, proving that her role as a ‘wife’ was, in fact, quite satisfactory.

****

Meanwhile, Wade appeared somewhat shy as the bouquet was placed in Lamia’s hands. Indeed, Wade often displayed this bashful demeanor around Lamia, much like any adolescent experiencing their first interactions with the opposite s*x.

However, Wade consistently suppressed his shyness.

He always tried to feign indifference, though in Lamia’s presence, this pretense sometimes proved ineffective.

Lamia would often curve her lips into a mischievous smile. On the surface, she seemed calm, but inwardly, she accurately ridiculed Wade’s embarrassment.

Perhaps it was all due to her mind-reading ability. If Wade hadn’t heard the sharp remarks echoing in Lamia’s mind, he might have genuinely managed to control his expressions better.

“I saw… the trimmed flowers were quite pretty, so I arranged a bouquet for you.”

Wade cleared his throat, attempting to regain his composure.

“You mean the flowers that old man was trimming just now?”

“Mm.”

Wade instinctively glanced back, though they had already walked a fair distance, and the gates to the orphanage’s inner courtyard were no longer visible.

While Lamia had been playing with the children, Wade had gone to the flowerbeds and cut some blooms. He didn’t need any tools for this; he simply miniaturized his White Knight armor’s gauntlet and pinched the stems with his fingers, ensuring a clean, aesthetically pleasing cut.

As for the decorations, he resorted to a rather ‘clumsy method.’

After selecting a few beautiful flowers, Wade realized he couldn’t simply hand them to Lamia bare. He decided he needed some kind of embellishment.

However, at the orphanage entrance, there was no wrapping paper available. So, with the old man’s permission, he tore a sheet of paper used for notes, ripped it into a long strip, and then quickly colored the entire strip with a red marker, transforming it into a ‘red ribbon’ for decoration. Finally, he tied it into a bow around the flowers.

Compared to roses, Wade’s bouquet looked incredibly simple, almost zero-cost. He had even hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should present it.

But as Lamia approached, bathed in the sunlight, his hand, which had been about to hide his imperfect creation, froze. Before he fully registered what was happening, he had already handed the bouquet over.

“This isn’t quite…”

Wade walked beside Lamia, trying to formulate the right words.

“Not as… ornate, precious, or exquisite…”

As a civil official in the Knight Order, his speeches were well-practiced. He was often required to speak or present his views in various settings, and years of training had enabled him to face such situations with ease.

Yet, facing Lamia, he sometimes found himself speechless, relying only on the instinctive urge to utter the next word within two seconds of a pause. So, he simply cast all those words aside, walking quietly beside Lamia, offering only his silent companionship.

Why had he simply blurted out all those modifying words, hoping at least one would fit?

“Thank you, it’s very pretty.”

Lamia’s response was straightforward. She gently traced the petals of the fresh flowers, following the veins downwards.

Then, she touched the ‘ribbon’ Wade had hastily made, leaving a smudge of still-wet red ink on her fingertip.

“…”

Wade looked at the fading red on her finger, awkwardly shifting his gaze. He glanced at his own hand, noticing the same red smudged on his fingers.

“Hahaha.”

Lamia couldn’t help but laugh as she looked at Wade.

“You’ve got red on your face too.”

“Ah, me?”

Hearing Lamia’s words, Wade rubbed his face with the back of his hand, but it was no use.

“Yes, your face is as red as my finger.”

Lamia smiled, raising her hand to show Wade her finger. The red on it was just like the blush of shyness.

“…”

He had been pranked.

He should have known just by seeing the mischievous smile on Lamia’s face.

Though a blush still lingered on Wade’s face, his eyebrows had already arched upwards.

Then, he chose to raise his hand, retaliating.

He rubbed his red-stained finger against Lamia’s cheek, as if to transfer all the color from his finger onto her face.

“Now, you’re the same color.”

This time, it was Wade’s turn to grin mischievously.

The esteemed White Knight, the embodiment of justice, a hero of humanity, was now wearing a sly smirk after playing a childish prank on the Demon Lord.

“—Ngh…”

Lamia wiped her cheek, looking at her hand, but she couldn’t quite tell if any red remained on her face.

However, in Wade’s vision, he saw red.

Perhaps her cheek was a little red from him rubbing it a bit too hard?

Perhaps the red from his hand really did transfer to Lamia’s face?

Or perhaps it was…

‘Are you like me, Lamia?’

‘Even if I can hear your thoughts, I always wonder if you are like this.’

‘Do you want this kind of life? A simple life like this?’

****

Wade watched Lamia’s expression gradually shift from a mischievous grin to a gentle smile, and finally, a somewhat helpless smile.

“Lamia.”

“Hm?”

Lamia was still holding the flowers and wiping her face.

“Could you stay by my side a little longer?”

…

Lamia paused, looking at Wade, and blinked.

“Stay a little longer…? That’s no problem, but do you usually work? Do you want me to live in your office? To keep you company there for a while?”

Lamia’s eyes sparkled, and her words were filled with sincerity.

“—That’s not what I meant… I—”

Wade opened his mouth, on the verge of tears, but ultimately sighed with a smile.

…

“Just pretend I didn’t say anything…”

He realized he truly didn’t know how to explain the sudden words that had escaped him. It had been nothing more than an impulsive thought.

“I can bring my pillow to your office.”

“No need…”

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