Chapter 10: The Saintess’s Secret and the Demon King’s Embrace

Approximately ten years ago, the legend of the Hero began to circulate across this continent.

It was a heroic tale of an unknown Hero, unchosen and with no one knowing their true identity, journeying alone to the Demon King’s castle.

They traversed various lands, slaying fiends and banishing evil, liberating people from the constant threat of monsters. Yet, back then, no one knew they were the Hero, and they themselves never claimed the title.

“I am merely a passing traveler.”

Leaving these words behind, they would depart, continuing their journey to the next destination.

Ultimately, the Hero successfully vanquished the Demon King, razed the Demon King’s castle, and liberated the lands once occupied by the Demon King. Standing amidst the ruins of the castle, they addressed the human army that had arrived.

“From today forward, this land shall be jointly governed by the Kingdom of Faal and the Kingdom of Mulan!”

Following this declaration, they vanished from the eyes of the world, their whereabouts unknown ever since.

A delicate maiden with white hair and crimson eyes—such was the impression the Hero left upon the people.

Thereafter, the deeds they had accomplished across various regions were pieced together. Though no one knew where their journey began, every place they touched was left with a heartwarming story.

Their identity as the Hero gradually gained recognition, eventually solidifying their status as a hero in the hearts of the people.

Humanity was finally free from the Demon King’s menace, and the activities of monsters gradually subsided. The Hero’s immense power began to be lauded, yet people still had no idea who they truly were.

The Saintess of Salvation—this was how people extolled the Hero.

From that time onward, many began to search for traces of the Saintess: her hometown, her journey, her true identity. To this day, their efforts have yielded no results.

***

‘Isn’t that obvious? How could I possibly let others know my true identity!’

Indeed, that ‘Saintess of Salvation’ was me—a genuine male. And this male is currently being pinned down by the Demon King!

“No.”

I firmly rejected Bella’s request. There was absolutely no way I would revert to my original appearance for her.

To clarify, my current body, that of a short-haired young man, isn’t my original form. It’s a disguise created by ‘Prism,’ which consumes two units of energy, hence the two illuminated bars on the consumption indicator.

Originally, I was a fair-skinned, petite young man with long white hair and an appearance that was very… very adorable. Being mistaken for a girl was a common occurrence.

But that wasn’t the issue. The critical point was that I believed I was facing certain death back then.

No one outside the royal palace had seen my true form, so I figured I might as well face death in my natural state; at least people would know what I looked like.

Who knew I would actually punch Bella to death and then end up raising the Demon King’s daughter?

There was no way I could let people know that ‘the Saintess of Salvation became the Demon King’s daughter’s adoptive father.’ For Nina’s sake, I had no choice but to use the body ‘Prism’ bestowed upon me, thus becoming the ‘Ken’ I am today.

As for why I refuse to change back, it’s not just for Nina. More importantly, I absolutely detest that appearance.

Always being protected, a magic-less waste—just seeing that weak form infuriates me. And to be called a Saintess? How could I, a proud man, ever accept that!

However, the Demon King before me seems quite fond of that appearance of mine.

“Why? It’s just you and me now. There’s no danger in changing back, is there?”

“No.”

“No, huh~” Bella smirked, licking her lips. “Then~ what if we both take off our clothes right now, and then I forcibly wake Nina up~?”

“?!”

Such an unexpected threat! I stared at Bella in horror, my face paling with fright.

“You… what are you trying to do?! Don’t mess around using Nina’s body!”

“I won’t. I merely want to see what the consequences would be if Nina were to mistake you for a perverted father. While I can guarantee Nina wouldn’t leave you, living with such a deviant would surely be agonizing, wouldn’t it? Ah~ my poor obedient daughter, to be… by her own father…”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait! Don’t you dare falsely accuse me! How could I possibly do such a thing?! Besides, Nina would be the one hurt!”

“No, she wouldn’t. With me inside Nina, I’ll figure out a way to deal with any psychological trauma. As for any harm that befalls you, I couldn’t care less.”

“Ugh…”

Indeed, this individual is a thorough and utter fiend, threatening me with her own daughter.

The crucial point is that Nina’s body also possesses powerful magic, which Bella can freely control. If she were to get serious, I doubt I could win, and I certainly cannot harm my daughter’s body.

This means I am utterly helpless, entirely at her mercy.

“Well? I can give you a choice, my~ dea~rest~.”

“I already told you, I’m not your husband.”

Currently, Bella wore an expression of glee, one typically seen when a succubus successfully captures its prey. Licking her lips, her smile looked utterly terrifying, as if she would devour me in the next second—in every sense of the word.

The most critical thing was that the body before me was Nina’s, which gave me a strange… excitement? Like I was about to be pushed down by my own daughter.

“Three… two… if you don’t hurry, I’ll…”

“Alright! I get it!”

In the end, I succumbed.

“Hiss—hoo—”

I took a deep breath, concentrating, and transmitted the command to deactivate ‘Prism’ from a distance.

Soon after, my current body dissolved, including my clothes. My form was enveloped in a milky white light, gradually shrinking, and then…

“Oh my~ This appearance truly is the best!”

“Ugh…”

Faced with Bella’s overjoyed smile, I averted my gaze, my face flushed.

I had the same snow-white long hair as Nina, a childlike, tender face like a loli, moist cherry lips, slender limbs, and fair skin.

My height was only slightly taller than my daughter’s, and the only fabric covering my body was… a pure white short nightgown.

Pinned beneath her, I now resembled a delicate young girl waiting to be bullied—Bella probably thought so, too.

However, even if suppressed, I absolutely refused to acknowledge this weak body. Even if this was my true form, I would never like it! I am Nina’s father, a proud man who has always presented a reliable image to my daughter.

How could I accept the bizarre identity of the ‘Saintess of Salvation’? And why, oh why, after more than ten years, has my body not grown even an inch?!’

“Eek! Ugh!”

“Hoho~”

Bella suddenly pressed her hips gently against my lower abdomen, making me emit an undignified sound.

I covered my mouth with my hand, glaring angrily at the fiendish Demon King who was smirking at me.

“Ah~ Exactly! That expression of utter regret you can’t vent at me, those enslaved eyes wanting to resist your master but unable to be ruthless, a husband wanting to push down his wife but only able to be pinned beneath her—it’s truly wonderful!”

“What in the world are you talking about?! You perverted Demon King!”

“Hmph~ What are you saying~? If you insult me like that, do you want me to wake Nina up immediately? If she sees you like this, how will you explain it?”

“Ugh…”

I was completely unable to resist; all the initiative lay in Bella’s hands.

‘How unwilling I am… Why?! I, the (formerly nameless) Hero, am being bullied by this female fiend! This is completely illogical!’

“What exactly do you want to do!”

“What do I want to do~ Hehe~”

Bella merely chuckled mischievously, shifting lower, adjusting her position, and leaning down again. She naturally nestled against me and said,

“Hold me tight.”

Such an unexpectedly simple request. I was momentarily stunned.

I had expected her to try every possible way to tease me, never imagining such a simple request—though perhaps this was merely a prelude to further teasing.

“You’re…”

“Hold me tight… please.”

Her tone suddenly changed, sounding genuinely pleading, which left me somewhat flustered. I unconsciously raised my arms, yet hesitated whether to embrace her.

“Zero…”

Seeing my indecision, Bella looked up, her watery eyes staring intently into mine, silently conveying her longing.

“I… I know…”

Looking at Nina’s appearance and receiving Bella’s plea felt like a mother and daughter were simultaneously imploring me.

I simply couldn’t refuse. Moreover, she had abandoned her earlier domineering demeanor, transforming into a delicate young girl. Perhaps… largely… I was also moved?

I lowered my arms, wrapped them around her body, and gently held her, letting her press close against me—a soft sensation expanded across my chest.

“Mm, thank you, Zero.”

She whispered her thanks. Her tone seemed to convey a sense of relief, and I, too, inexplicably felt a sense of calm.

“Bella, what exactly do you want?”

“I just wanted to be held by you, not in a disguised form, but as your true self.”

“So, why?”

“Does being embraced by the one you love require a special reason?”

“Love… Don’t tease me.”

“No, I’m not. I truly, truly love you, as a girl named Bella, I love you, a boy named Zero.”

“!!”

Such a sudden confession! I was even more bewildered. I had lived for so long, and this was the first time anyone had confessed to me. Having dedicated myself entirely to Nina’s care, I had absolutely no experience with romance.

“Why… so why? You’re saying this so suddenly… I… I don’t know how to respond…”

Shyly, I turned my head, my face surely crimson by now.

“Why? Would you believe in love at first sight?”

“That… that’s impossible! That time, I was the Hero, coming to kill you!”

“Hehe~ You’re right, it wasn’t like that. But, I just fell in love. Being inside Nina’s body, watching your diligent efforts, your care for Nina, that tenderness, and your manliness—I gradually fell in love. This is true.”

“Bella… you…”

“Hey, Zero.”

Bella pushed against my chest, slightly raising herself, then shifted a little closer. Cupping my face, she gazed deeply into my eyes.

“I know it’s impossible for me to love you. I’m just a soul now, reliant on my daughter’s body. In this state, I can’t give you happiness; I’m very aware of that.”

“…”

Bella’s tone sounded sad, and her eyes reflected it, but I couldn’t comfort her because it was the truth.

Although I felt a stirring, it was merely a man’s instinctive reaction. While I didn’t dislike her, it was far from loving her. Therefore, I couldn’t reciprocate her feelings.

“Bella, I…”

“No, you can’t.”

Bella raised her index finger and gently touched my lips, preventing me from speaking.

“Promise me, Zero, you must take good care of Nina and make her happy. This is my greatest wish as a mother, I beg you.”

“…You don’t need to tell me; I will. She’s the good daughter I personally raised!” I replied without hesitation.

“Hehe~ You truly are a reliable father.” Bella sat up, her hands resting on my chest, looking down at me. “Then, I’ll leave Nina to you. Good night, Zero, and… Nina.”

After saying goodbye, Nina’s body lay down, gently held in my arms.

“Mm… good night… huh?”

Immersed in the slightly melancholic atmosphere of the confession, I very naturally bid Bella good night. It wasn’t until the words left my mouth that I sensed something amiss.

‘Good night,’ meaning Bella was returning to the depths of Nina’s body, which meant giving the body back to Nina, which meant… Nina might be waking up, and right now, I…

“Damn it!”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, I thought of going to the workbench to retrieve ‘Prism’ from the drawer and revert to my previous appearance.

However…

“Ugh… Dad… dy?”

Before I could move, Nina woke up, lifting her head to look at my face.

In her eyes, it was probably the face of a cute, unfamiliar girl?

“Huh… who… are you?”

Finally realizing that she wasn’t holding Daddy, my daughter displayed a confused expression.

‘Alright, what now? How do I explain this? Without pressing the command, I can’t change back.’

‘Sure enough, from beginning to end, Bella was truly a Demon King.’