Chapter 29: Unexpected Visitors and a Demon King’s Rest

“Your special coffee is here! I made sure to cater to your taste, so I added a bit of demon stone powder.”

“The woman with long black hair, her pink eyes twinkling, placed the coffee—adorned with a heart-shaped latte art—before the man with reddish-brown short hair.”

“Do you usually serve this to humans as well?”

“Apparently, the man had no appreciation for such artistry. The moment the coffee reached his hand, he immediately began stirring it with a small spoon.”

“The latte art, along with the sparkling specks on the coffee that resembled white sugar, swirled together, turning the carefully crafted design into a murky, indistinct puddle.”

“…”

“Hmph…”

The woman let out a soft huff, clearly displeased by the man’s actions, though her irritation ultimately manifested as nothing more than a disgruntled murmur.

“At least humans appreciate my latte art, Kaze. This was a labor of love.”

“…”

“Kaze, as the man was called, paused his stirring. He glanced up at the woman’s pink eyes, then looked back down at the coffee he had reduced to a mere mix of brown and white.”

“Oh, and there were still those sparkling specks—a substance known as demon stone powder.”

“To demons, this was merely a common seasoning. Human food, after all, tasted bland to them.”

“Unless infused with magical substances to ‘enhance’ the flavor, most dishes were likely as unappetizing as chewing wax for a demon.”

“Take Lamia, for instance; she couldn’t accustomed to human cuisine. Despite the chef’s diligent efforts, to Lamia, anything devoid of magic simply held no flavor.”

“Yet, during that kiss, Lamia had tasted the sweetness of blueberry cake. This was, of course, because Wade, as an individual possessing potent magic, naturally carried the ‘freshness’ of magic within his body.”

“The close contact during their kiss intensified that blueberry flavor significantly, making it strong enough for Lamia to truly savor.”

“In a sense, the demonic principle of ‘the strong prey on the weak’ was quite literal. Weaker demons, exuding the delicious scent of magic, could indeed become food for more powerful ones.”

“However, our great Demon King had always forbidden such practices. She consistently prohibited excessive infighting among demons, viewing her subjects as her children, and would never allow such atrocities to occur.”

“It might be hard to believe, but the Demon King was, surprisingly, a pacifist.”

“It’s beautiful. Thank you for the coffee.”

“Kaze pondered for a moment before offering a polite reply.”

“Facing the woman’s expectant gaze, Kaze genuinely responded in kind.”

“Haha.”

“His demeanor drew a laugh from the woman, who playfully patted his shoulder.”

“You know, you should have come to the human world sooner, or visited more often. A man like you would be quite popular. Care to stay a little longer?”

“No, I’m afraid not. I only came for a quick look, nothing special. I’m heading back to the Demon King’s City. Your coffee shop…”

“As Kaze spoke, he surveyed the room, his gaze finally resting on the name tag pinned to the woman’s chest, which read ‘Lilith’.”

“…doesn’t seem like a reputable establishment.”

“Indeed. A coffee shop run by a Greater Succubus hardly seemed like a respectable place, no matter how one looked at it.”

“This woman was the leader of the entire Succubus lineage. Kaze didn’t care what her reasons were for opening a coffee shop here; he simply didn’t consider it a good place.”

“Hey, hey, watch what you say! I was just praising you. What do you mean my place isn’t ‘reputable’? I could just as easily say that an Infernal Demon like you, coming to the human world, is either here to kill or to set fires.”

“Lilith chuckled as she settled beside Kaze, then reached out and rubbed the tips of his reddish-brown short hair. With a soft ‘pop,’ the hair tips flared with a tiny spark, like ignited fireworks.”

“Hmph…”

“Kaze shook his head, brushing Lilith’s hand away.”

“Didn’t you say I should come as the Demon King’s temporary family? You as the older sister, me as the younger brother, and the Great General as the uncle… Wait, why is the Great General involved?”

“Lamia, being here, naturally had her own identity. She had meticulously fabricated her family: her siblings and her uncle, a respected elder.”

“Fearing that too many family members would complicate relationships or even create vulnerabilities, Lamia’s ‘family’ was limited to Lilith as her older sister, Kaze as her younger brother, and Great General Orlan disguised as her uncle.”

“That old geezer always enjoys feeling like he’s in control of everything, after all,” Lilith shrugged.

“…”

“Hearing this, Kaze’s expression darkened.”

“How disgusting. He always knows how to oppress the Demon King—Gulp…!”

“—Oh, oh, my dear little brother, just keep those thoughts to yourself. What if that old geezer has a peeping fetish?”

“Kaze’s words were cut short as Lilith forcibly fed him a mouthful of coffee, nearly making him choke and spit it out.”

“Hah—cough, cough, then let him listen! It’s unbearable, damn it. The Demon King’s City has been under our Demon King’s rule for so many years, what business does Orlan have—”

“Enough! Enough, enough, enough, enough!”

“Mmmph—!”

“Seeing that Kaze was unstoppable once he started talking about the Demon King, Lilith quickly reached out and rubbed his head.”

“After a crackling cascade of sparks, guided by her magic and emanating from his hair, Kaze finally ceased his complaints, almost as if in surrender.”

“Alright… alright!”

“He shook his head, urging Lilith’s hand away from him.”

“Those skilled at drawing out the magic of others—be they human or demon—were truly the most annoying. Normally, touching him posed no issue.”

“However, a demon like Lilith could effortlessly extract the magic from his body at any moment, causing his fiery form to crackle and spark uncontrollably.”

“Alright, Kaze, listen to me. Do you want to go see the Demon King?”

“Hmm?”

“Watching Lilith rest her chin in her hand as she looked at him, Kaze inexplicably felt a shiver run down his spine.”

“Go see the Demon King?”

“Of course! We’re her family now. She married a human; what’s wrong with us, as her family, going to visit the newlyweds?”

“…”

“Those words actually piqued Kaze’s interest. He furrowed his brows and drank the remaining half-cup of coffee.”

“That might not be so bad. I’ll go see. I want to see what kind of person that White Knight is. If he dares to treat the Demon King poorly, I’ll burn his house down.”

“Alright, then stop making such a grim face. When meeting others, you need to look more amiable. Come on, let’s pick out some gifts as a housewarming present.”

“With that, Lilith stood up, grabbed Kaze’s wrist, hung a ‘Closed Today’ sign, and led him out.”

‘Oh, my…’

“Lilith chuckled to herself, sighing contentedly.”

‘Going to see the Demon King… now that will be interesting! 😙~🎶’

****

“Meanwhile, in a carriage elsewhere, two young people took a deep breath.”

“Alright, let’s go over our story. You’re Senia, I’m Ragnar, and we’re a married couple. We’d had our eyes on a house in this neighborhood for a while and managed to save up enough to buy it during our recent career advancements—right?”

“The young man with short, dark blue hair looked at the equally nervous blonde girl across from him. They checked their details with each other, continuously taking deep breaths.”

“Yes… that’s right. We’re the excellent married couple, good neighbors, entrusted by the Pope—ah, the former Pope—to oversee Sir Wade’s marital status… Hah—Good heavens, why is a knight’s graduation assessment this kind of mission? Did Sir Wade marry some extraordinary wife?”

“The girl, named Senia, patted her chest, as if she were so nervous she couldn’t catch her breath within the confines of the carriage.”

“Perhaps… but the former Pope said it wasn’t a difficult task, just to be mindful not to let the couple argue or develop any emotional rifts…”

“Ragnar, equally nervous, twirled his fingers, muttering about the probationary graduation assessment they had suddenly been assigned.”

“So, should we visit these new neighbors in a bit…? We need to at least get a sense of their temperaments… I’ve heard of Sir Wade; he even signed my probationary certificate when I was in the Knight Order. But his wife… who exactly is she, that we’re needed to prevent marital disputes?”

“Recalling Wade’s amiable demeanor, Senia relaxed slightly.”

“Within the Knight Order, Wade was considered the most approachable. Even the scar at the corner of his mouth couldn’t conceal his kind and gentle disposition; he smiled warmly at everyone.”

“In an order brimming with strict rules, his office was perhaps the most relaxing place one could find.”

“I don’t know, but I heard his wife visited the Knight Order today and even handed out cakes to everyone. She must be a gentle woman too… I wonder why the Pope wants us to keep an eye on this couple…”

“Their conversation gradually eased the tension between them; they were no longer as nervous as before. After hearing this, Senia grew thoughtful and then spoke:”

“Could Sir Wade and his wife be becoming the Knight Order’s model couple ambassadors or something similar…? After all, I heard the Order’s marriage and birth rates have been alarmingly low lately, and the Grand Commander is worried about the future of the young knights.”

“Sir Wade and his wife met at a social gathering and have become a celebrated couple. Perhaps, considering their quick marriage, they’re worried a divorce later would reflect poorly, so they sent us?”

“Senia had found an explanation that both she and Ragnar could accept, allowing them both to relax a little.”

“Th-that’s possible, huh? Phew—we should be at Sir Wade’s doorstep soon, right? The welcome gifts are ready… We can’t give ourselves away later!”

“Ragnar took a deep breath, casting a resolute gaze at Senia, his temporary wife. In response, Senia pursed her lips and nodded.”

“The carriage traveled swiftly. Before they could ponder anything further, they had already arrived at Wade’s mansion gates.”

“At the same moment, another carriage conveniently pulled up beside theirs.”

“Ragnar focused his eyes and saw a man and a woman disembark. One was a woman with long black hair, like the darkest night, and the other was a man whose reddish-brown hair always brought to mind burning flames.”

“Click. Within seconds, all four pairs of feet touched the ground. The two men and two women stood, staring at each other.”

****

“Meanwhile, Lamia was still embracing Wade.”

“How long does an embrace last?”

“Perhaps it’s a fleeting moment of greeting, or a few lingering seconds of farewell. It could be the duration of a tearful cry, or the eternity of an irreversible separation.”

“Wade didn’t know how long he had been held, but by the time he realized it, his own arms were already wrapped around Lamia.”

“Initially, it had been a one-sided embrace from Lamia, yet within mere breaths, Wade’s hands had encircled her, even holding her with a slight pressure.”

‘Actually… I was a little curious just now.’

‘Lamia, who always investigates everything I do, didn’t come to bathe with me just now?’

‘Ah, ah—of course, I wasn’t *expecting* that to happen! It’s just… I’d even prepared my refusal, so why didn’t she come?’

‘Did she encounter something or see something? Was there anything unusual at the Knight Order?’

‘Let me hear… what exactly are you thinking?’

[Hah… that little maid said hugging can relieve fatigue. Is it true?]

[I’m so tired… As the Demon King, it’s been almost a year since I last lay down to rest, hasn’t it…? Ah, no, I did rest a bit last night… Hmm… Counting the sleep after fighting the White Knight, I think I got about four hours. That’s enough; it’s practically my entire year’s worth of rest combined.]

“…?”

“Listening to Lamia’s thoughts, Wade froze completely.”

‘What?’

‘How long?’

‘You, a Demon King, only sleep four hours a year, combined?’

‘Even if demons have special ways to recover stamina, if you never rest, your body will eventually give out… And what about your mind? Doesn’t it need rest?’

‘What kind of labor abuse is this? Aren’t you the Demon King? How can you live like this?’

‘As the King of Demons, shouldn’t you be indulging in debauchery, committing all sorts of evil, and harassing human society whenever you’re bored?’

[Phew… it’s all because of this White Knight, constantly bothering Demon King’s City for no reason. Several times, the precious rest I finally managed to get was spent fending off his harassment…]

“…😧😨😰”

‘Me… me?’

‘I’m involved in this too…?’

‘W-well… it’s not that bad, is it…? I only… hmm… go once every two or three days…?’

[Ugh, so annoying. I’ll get him back this time. I’ll just hug him and rest like this, so he can’t do anything! Hmph… just be a good human pillow…]

“…”

“Lamia’s inner thoughts inexplicably filled Wade with a sense of guilt—how many times had this happened? Although he didn’t want to feel this way towards the Demon King, being fundamentally a normal person with a conscience, he felt, to some extent, a certain…”

‘A little… sympathy?’

‘I—I’m feeling sympathy for the Demon King? This won’t do! I’m the White Knight! I’m the Demon King’s sworn enemy! How can I… I—’

‘I… sigh…’

‘Forget it. A human pillow is a human pillow.’

‘Anyway… it’s not really a bother…’

“—My lord, my lady, are you two in the room?”

“Just as Wade’s heart softened and he resigned himself to being Lamia’s human pillow for the day, a servant’s voice suddenly came from the door.”

“What is it?”

“Wade responded, but his arms remained wrapped around Lamia.”

“Ah, two pairs of guests have arrived outside the mansion. One pair claims to be the lady’s family, and the other says they are your neighbors. Should I admit them?”

“…?”

“Wade paused, taken aback.”

‘My neighbors?’

‘And—Lamia’s family?’

‘She has family?’