Chapter 104: The Name on His Lips

Wade didn’t believe this was jealousy. How could it be jealousy when he wanted his days to echo with her name?

It felt more like an inherent right, didn’t it? After all, he was her husband, theoretically the person closest to her. Only then could he truly be—

“Call my name, Lamia, quickly.”

Despite his internal justifications, he found himself urging her aloud.

His fingers were intertwined with Lamia’s, as if they were engaged in a formal ballroom dance. Yet, this was no banquet, no dance; they were simply kneeling on the grass.

Still, Wade desperately wanted her to focus entirely on him.

‘Forget that pesky cat; look at me.’

****

Lamia seemed to freeze for a moment, blinking as she gazed at Wade. A hint of impatience flickered in his blue eyes.

She looked up at him, her head slightly tilted, an unspoken invitation to draw closer.

“Wade.”

She whispered his name, so softly that the two syllables felt like they could be swept away by a breeze.

“Call it again…”

“Wade.”

Apparently dissatisfied with Lamia’s soft murmur, Wade pressed closer, watching her lean tightly against the large tree, with no room left to retreat.

Originally, Lamia had been sitting a short distance in front of the tree. While her position hadn’t changed, her body had leaned back. This shift meant that if only her upper body retreated, her entire posture would change. She ended up half-reclining against the tree, allowing Wade’s shadow to completely envelop her.

It seemed Wade was trying to create a space—a quiet haven for them, where Lamia’s soft whispers could be heard. He pressed down even more intensely, as if to compress the distance between them and make their voices clearer.

“Once more… Lamia.”

It was just a name, yet Wade’s Adam’s apple bobbed for some inexplicable reason. Perhaps it was because he could distinctly hear Lamia’s breathing.

Or perhaps it was the realization that Lamia could also hear his.

Having read many novels, Wade had encountered all sorts of stories. Even in adventure tales, the romance between the hero and heroine was often an inevitable part of the plot, sometimes with subtle, suggestive scenes.

For some reason, a particular book suddenly came to mind. In it, when the hero and heroine spent a passionate night together, the hero would caress and kiss her, leaving scorching breaths on her neck and deep hickeys as proof of his presence.

He would plant wet kisses while murmuring beside her ear, his voice warm with desire—

–Call my name.

–Yes, just like that, louder.

–Keep calling me… don’t stop. I’m here. I love you.

–Call my name, darling. Let them all know you belong to me—

As this strange scene flashed through his mind, he didn’t know why it had suddenly appeared, nor why, in that fleeting moment of fantasy, the object of his imagination was Lamia.

‘No, no, that’s not right, is it?’

‘Ah, yes, yes—isn’t she my wife?’

‘Theoretically, that’s correct, isn’t it?’

‘Right… right?’

Wade, utterly inexperienced in matters of the heart, had now managed to crash his own system. He leaned in closer to Lamia, a faint mist coating his bluish neck. Their breaths seemed to form a visible white fog, vaguely drifting between their hearts.

“…Wade, Wade, Wade.”

Lamia, however, didn’t stop. Unaware of Wade’s tumultuous thoughts, she continued to obey his request, repeating his name. With each call, she leaned forward a little.

The hand they held tightly together served as support, while Lamia’s other hand, as if drawing strength, hooked her index finger into Wade’s collar.

Wade’s knight uniform shirt collar was pulled loose by Lamia, but she didn’t let go, nor did he make her. A thin layer of sweat beaded on his forehead, and his neck flushed with heat.

Finally, Lamia used Wade’s strength to lift herself slightly. Her hand still hooked in his collar, her cheek rested beside his. Then, with the warmth of her breath and the slight catch in her voice, she whispered into his ear—

“Wa-de~”

And then, a soft kiss, precisely placed on his ear, left a distinct ‘pop’ sound.

“—?!”

Wade instantly bristled. He abruptly lifted his body and clapped a hand over his ear—the half of his ear that Lamia had just kissed.

He was thoroughly startled, his heavy breathing drowning out the sound of his own heartbeat. His mind replayed the sound of that kiss, along with the echoes of those ‘Wade’s.

“La… Lamia…”

He opened his mouth, only managing to utter her name after a long pause. His face was as red as an apple, like a sunset, like Lamia’s own eyes.

He truly hadn’t expected such an intense reaction—after all, he was still a poor, inexperienced soul.

His ear felt as if it had been set on fire, and the heat in his palms steadily climbed.

“What’s wrong?”

Lamia blinked, appearing equally surprised. She seemed not to have anticipated such a devastating impact. Her eyes held both the triumph of a successful prank and a hint of innocent bewilderment, as if to say, ‘I didn’t expect such a big reaction.’

‘Nothing.’

He couldn’t even explain, couldn’t explain his reaction just now. He couldn’t even bring himself to say, ‘Don’t do that again.’

‘Why say it? There’s no reason to, is there? Aren’t they legally married? Such things are perfectly natural!’

‘Right… right?’

So, in the end, Wade chose silence, internally processing the sounds and sensations. His gaze, seeking escape, drifted towards the children playing in the distance, as if hoping their presence could divert his attention.

Those children were full of life, lively, joyful, and brimming with hope for the future.

They were so… happy.

“Wade.”

“—Mm?”

Unbeknownst to him, Lamia had moved closer again. She shifted her body and eventually rested her head on Wade’s shoulder, watching the children in the distance with him.

“They look so content, those children.”

“Ah… mm.”

He nodded numbly, as if still reeling from the recent shock.

“Let’s have just as many children in the future, too. That way, they can play together just as happily.”

“Mm… mm?”

Wade’s first ‘mm’ was an automatic response; the second was a sharp, questioning turn of his head.

If he hadn’t misremembered, there had been at least seven children playing together just now, hadn’t there?

‘How many did you say you wanted to have?!’

‘You’re a Demon Lord, and your body is resilient, that’s true, but—I’m just a human?!’