Chapter 32: A Duel for Affection

“Ah, well, Mr. Nairt, we merely came to pay our respects today. As a small token of our regard, we prepared some confections for you and entrusted them to your maid. Seeing as you already have guests to entertain, we wouldn’t want to intrude. Our own residence is still unsettled, and we must attend to it.”

Even the two junior knights sensed Kaze’s sudden surge of hostility. Ragnar swiftly tugged at Senia’s sleeve, rising to his feet, and offered Nairt an apologetic smile.

“Ah, very well then. Since you still have matters to attend to at home, I won’t detain you further. Perhaps another time, when circumstances allow, you could join us for a meal and we can converse properly.”

With the two knights preparing to depart, Wade, of course, had no intention of keeping them. In fact, he wished they would leave even sooner, fearing the male demon might do something untoward and implicate these two innocent individuals.

“Understood! We shall certainly call upon you again in the future! For today, we’ll take our leave!”

With those words, Ragnar practically dragged Senia out the door. Sensing the tense atmosphere, they fled the reception room as if escaping a fire.

“……”

As he heard their footsteps descend the stairs, Wade let out a faint sigh of relief. His gaze then shifted to Kaze and Lilith, who stood nearby.

“My apologies, I was unexpectedly interrupted by guests and haven’t had the chance to properly attend to either of you.”

Wade hastily put on a genial smile, turning towards Kaze. Kaze, however, appeared utterly displeased by Lamia’s earlier remarks. He raised an eyebrow, then slowly rose to his full height.

“Have you, in these past two days, dared to bully my sister?”

As a demon, Kaze possessed a formidable stature. Standing with a frigid expression, he exuded an undeniable aura of oppression.

Wade, however, was no pushover. Though ostensibly a civil servant, he was frequently teased with remarks like, “How can a man with such a well-built physique possibly be a mere bureaucrat?” Thus, as he too rose to his feet, apart from his less menacing expression, he matched Kaze, the Flame Demon, in imposing presence.

“Bully? By no means… A few minor disagreements are simply part of any marital relationship…”

Yet, on this particular subject, Wade did feel a certain degree of culpability. Consequently, his words lacked any real force or conviction.

“Hm? So you’re admitting—”

“—Kaze.”

Noticing Kaze’s escalating demeanor, Lamia swiftly rose as well, positioning herself between Kaze and Wade. Her slender frame made her appear a small lamb caught between two imposing men, yet a single glance from her was enough to instantly quell Kaze.

“Kaze, there’s no need for such ferocity. My husband and I have been getting along splendidly these past two days.”

Lamia thought, ‘I can’t let Kaze frighten Wade away. Nor can I risk him revealing anything else.’ Thus, she quickly intervened to preserve their facade.

“Splendidly…?”

Kaze shot a skeptical glance at Wade, a frown deepening on his brow.

“Indeed, our relationship is wonderful! Why, just yesterday, I shared his bed! This morning, as I departed for the Knight Order, he kissed me beneath the tree—a most passionate and forceful kiss! And not only that, I even sat upon his lap in his office! Just moments before your arrival, I was embracing him, my head nestled against his chest!”

—Agh, no, no, no…!!😩

‘Stop talking, Lamia! Please, just stop! There’s absolutely no need to recount every single detail with such precision! Even an explanation only required a simple “our relationship is good”…!!’

As he listened to Lamia’s increasingly vivid descriptions, Wade felt himself crumbling halfway through. By the latter half, he was biting his lip so hard it was only through years of knightly perseverance that he managed to remain standing, rather than diving headfirst into the sofa cushions, wishing to simply cease existing.

“—Isn’t that right, my dear husband—!”

But Lamia seemed utterly unfazed by such social mortification. She even turned her head, drawing all conversational focus directly onto Wade.

“Ah… ah…”

As he realized all three pairs of eyes were now fixated on him, he longed to simply close his eyes in utter humiliation.

‘But—I’m all in now! After all, today’s quota for social death has already been thoroughly met—!’

“Ah! Indeed!”

As Wade declared this, he boldly pulled Lamia into his embrace, holding her close to his chest!

“My wife and I… are profoundly in love!”

Heehee…

Unlike Kaze, who stood utterly dumbfounded, Lilith burst into outright laughter, observing the two of them with an expression of pure, unadulterated delight.

‘Ugh, no, please…! I can’t take this anymore… Is there truly no other human being here? Ah, it seems that way. Around me—there are no humans at all!’

“That’s right, my husband and I are very much in love, you see.”

Lamia, not one to miss a beat, placed her hands on her hips, perfectly playing along with Wade.

“Indeed, as long as you’re in love, that’s what matters.”

Bypassing the silently sighing Kaze, Lilith gracefully approached Wade, offering him a charming smile.

“Continue to be so affectionate in the future, my brother-in-law.”

Perhaps it was a professional habit of a succubus; as she spoke, she extended a slender finger and lightly grazed Wade’s shoulder. The provocative gesture made Wade shiver with distinct displeasure.

Though both were mere touches, the sensation was utterly unlike anything Lamia evoked. He could fully accept, even reciprocate, Lamia’s touch, but Lilith’s filled him only with resistance, even a profound sense of revulsion.

“You mustn’t allow yourself to be lured away by other women. Men, you see, are always so fickle… Why, I myself have encountered several such unfaithful men~❤️”

As Lilith spoke, she playfully flicked her tongue, letting its tip trace her lips. To others, such an expression might appear utterly captivating, but it merely made Wade’s stomach churn with a sickening sensation.

“Therefore—”

“Lilith.”

Before Lilith could complete her thought, Lamia, who was standing beside her, leaned in and fixed her gaze upon Lilith.

“Are you attempting to seduce my husband?”

“…?”

At her words, both Wade and Lilith froze.

“You once told me that such intimate contact is reserved solely for spouses.”

Lamia even demonstrated her point as she spoke, poking Wade in the stomach with her hand. His expression, which had been a frown moments before, twisted into a peculiar smile from being poked in his soft spot.

“Ah… indeed, I did say that…”

Wade wasn’t merely laughing because he’d been tickled, but also, after seeing Lilith’s momentary pause, because she had so spectacularly shot herself in the foot.

“So—are you challenging me for my husband?”

“Hm? Oh, dear… how could you suggest such a thing…”

Hearing this, Lilith hastily withdrew her restless hand, which had been acting out of professional habit, and offered Lamia an awkward, strained smile.

“If one wishes to contend for a spouse, then according to human customs, a duel is absolutely necessary!”

—?!

At this, Wade snapped his head around again, staring at Lamia, who had already taken a challenging half-step forward.

‘What? A duel? When did this become a thing?’

In the next instant, he suddenly recalled the morning at the Knight Order, when he had performed an over-the-shoulder throw on Lamia. His flimsy excuse at the time had indeed been misinterpreted by Lamia as a form of courtship duel.

‘So *this* was the payoff for that earlier foreshadowing?’

“—Therefore—”

No sooner had the words left her lips than it happened. By the time Wade registered what was happening, Lamia had already extended her hand, seizing Lilith’s previously restless fingers.

“—You must—defeat me in combat before you can flirt with my husband!”

Ugh—!

Everything seemed to unfold in a single, fluid instant. Lamia, mirroring Wade’s earlier technique, gripped Lilith tightly, and with a remarkably clean over-the-shoulder throw, she flung Lilith directly out of the conveniently open window. The mischievous woman, who had been smirking inside the room a second prior, was now plummeting outside the building.

—Wahhh!!

Listening to the commotion from downstairs, it seemed Lamia had even startled the two apprentice knights who were making their way home.

…Hmph.

After dispatching Lilith, Lamia dusted her hands together, then turned her head to face Kaze once more.

“Kaze, are you, too, interested in my husband?”

“—No, Sister, absolutely not.”

Kaze reluctantly raised his hands in surrender. Though he had no idea where this human custom originated, or why it was as brutal as a demonic ritual, he wisely chose to yield.

“Hmph… serves her right.”

He even cast a glance towards the spot where Lilith had been ejected, letting out a sigh.

“In that case, I shall no longer intrude. I’ll head down to ascertain if she still breathes.”

With those words, Kaze cast one last look at the spirited Demon King, confirming she was indeed unharmed, before turning and departing.

Phew…

With the room now clear and her peculiar rival for affection summarily ejected, Lamia let out a breath and leaned against Wade.

“…Haha.”

Observing Lamia’s triumphant expression and recalling Lilith’s dramatic exit, Wade took a moment to compose himself, but ultimately couldn’t suppress his laughter.

“Should any other woman dare to approach you in the future, you must inform me immediately. I shall challenge her to a duel.”

Lamia leaned against Wade, looking up at his downward-turned face. Hearing her words, Wade laughed even harder.

“Haha—haha… All right, my dear wife—haha…!”