Chapter 34: A Knight’s Troubled Rest

If Wade, as the White Knight, had a wish, it would surely be—to have a peaceful night.

Indeed, the White Knight’s wish was this unassuming, seeking nothing more than a chance for quiet rest.

Fortunately, he possessed a private office, allowing him to lock the door and sleep soundly, his clothes still on.

It was also a blessing that, as a high-ranking member of the Knights, he could assign himself field missions.

Once his duties were completed, he would simply find an inn or head directly to the church to sleep at his grandfather’s place, replenishing his strength and spirit.

Yet, Wade was still a normal human, not some demon that only emerged at midnight.

Even if he could catch up on sleep during the day, he still yearned to sleep soundly through the night, until dawn broke.

‘When did sleeping soundly until morning become such a luxury?’

Lamia had her own private room, which Wade had specifically arranged.

He had even instructed the butler to accommodate any style Lamia desired, ensuring anything reasonable and legitimate she needed was purchased for her.

However, for the past two nights, Lamia hadn’t gone to her own room.

That room seemed to serve merely as her dressing room, while her true place of rest was Wade’s chamber.

“…”

Having finished some of the Knights’ more mundane tasks, Wade returned to his bedroom, where Lamia lying on his bed seemed almost expected.

Though this was only their second day of cohabitation, Wade, with his extraordinary adaptability, had already grown accustomed to Lamia showing up in his room.

“…”

“Are you sleeping here again tonight?”

“I’m sleeping here again tonight~”

‘[Nighttime is a prime opportunity for intimate contact. I must seize this chance to leave a lasting impression on him!]’

“…”

While her presence in his bed was anticipated, hearing Lamia’s thoughts still sent a chill down Wade’s spine.

What was she planning?

‘Leave a lasting impression on me tonight?’

Hah… last night certainly left an impression; even now, recalling it, he could still feel the ache in his lower back.

What grand scheme did she have in mind for tonight?

‘It couldn’t be… *that* thing, could it? Just… *that* thing…’

Wade pursed his lips, his usually resolute expression now subtly complex.

He gazed at Lamia, clad in her nightclothes, clutching a pillow as she waited for him.

Perhaps it was his utter lack of romantic experience, but truthfully, he found himself utterly defenseless against a beautiful girl who called him her husband.

While Lamia’s plan of “simply becoming the White Knight’s wife” didn’t stand up to close scrutiny, it seemed surprisingly effective for the White Knight himself.

“Come on, hubby, let’s sleep together~”

She hugged her pillow, patted the empty space beside her, and then flopped down with a soft “thump,” her light purple hair fanning out across the white sheets.

Concurrently, her smile also made a sound—a Demon Lord, a majestic ruler, yet she smiled so often?

Whether it was a mischievous grin, a gentle smile, a triumphant smirk, or the worried expression she now wore for an unknown reason—in just two days, Wade had witnessed countless smiles from Lamia.

It felt as though she had smiled more than he, the White Knight, had in a lifetime.

Aside from the occasional work-related flattery and necessary agreements, genuine smiles rarely graced Wade’s face.

It wasn’t that he possessed a dark heart; on the contrary, he was a beacon of light.

Having served the old Pope for so many years, his character was naturally impeccable, and he harbored no dark, twisted psychological ailments.

He simply felt like a weary laborer, tired of smiling.

“Haaah…”

With a helpless sigh, though exhausted from smiling, he still offered Lamia another smile.

He removed his shirt, hanging it on the clothes rack by the door, then sat on the edge of the bed and gently brushed a hand through Lamia’s spread-out long hair.

“You…”

“Lie down and talk!”

“—Ugh!”

Wade had been about to speak, gazing at Lamia’s expression as she lay there, but before he could utter another word, she abruptly pulled him onto the bed.

He instinctively turned his head, his eyes meeting Lamia’s vivid red ones.

They were red, and strikingly beautiful.

When people associated demons with the color red, their minds often conjured images of gore and bloodshed.

Yet, looking at Lamia’s red eyes up close, one would discover her pupils were as translucent as a pair of crimson jewels—the most precious kind, worthy of being the star exhibit at an auction.

And now, these two ruby-like gems reflected his own image.

Ahem…!

‘What was he thinking?’

“You didn’t eat much tonight, are you hungry?”

Lamia’s eyes were captivating enough to make anyone lose themselves, and even though Wade knew they held no actual charm ability, he found himself staring, momentarily lost.

It wasn’t until he snapped out of his daze and hastily found a topic to distract himself that he managed to break free from their spell.

“No, I had plenty of snacks, so I’m not hungry.”

“Ah… alright then, that’s fine.”

‘[It seems he cares about me quite a bit, actually worrying if I’ve eaten enough.]’

“…”

Lamia’s thoughts left Wade speechless, unable to refute them.

He had indeed asked the question instinctively because Lamia hadn’t eaten much that evening, a detail he had noticed.

He had initially wanted to urge Lamia to eat more at the dinner table, but upon hearing her inner thoughts grumbling about how “this stuff has no taste at all,” he hadn’t pressed her, deciding that if she didn’t like it, so be it.

As for what she *did* like to eat… it was probably those pastries the succubus had brought.

Seeing that Lamia ate them without any ill effects, Wade had also plucked up the courage to try one.

Though this act was highly imprudent—who knew if something harmless to a Demon Lord would be safe for a human—Wade still took a piece to taste, curious about what this Demon Lord, who couldn’t stomach human food, actually enjoyed.

The answer was simple enough: the items contained magic stone powder, which Wade could discern.

Magic stones weren’t particularly rare or expensive; they were a special mineral.

Some magic artifacts utilized magic stones as their core, and even convenient household appliances were often magic stone-powered.

Wade had never consumed magic stone powder, yet he could sense its inherent magic.

His White Knight armor, a high-grade magic stone artifact, was a prime example.

Initially, it had been a tangible, complete set of armor, but with prolonged use, his own magic and the armor’s magic had resonated, causing it to merge directly into his magic circuit, becoming a part of his own magical essence.

Lamia couldn’t comprehend humans who ate tasteless food, and Wade, in turn, didn’t understand why demons added magic stone powder to their meals.

Nevertheless, he made a mental note: Lamia enjoyed things infused with magic stone powder.

It wouldn’t be difficult to procure some for her if he passed by a magic market someday, as it wasn’t a rare or unobtainable item.

Of course—this was merely research, simply an investigation, nothing more.

Absolutely nothing else.

‘Absolutely not.’

Thinking this, Wade, lying on the bed, pursed his lips.

He ultimately chose to turn away from her, his back to Lamia, avoiding her red eyes that reflected his image.

Lamia, however, seemed to have no intention of yielding.

She embraced Wade’s waist from behind, resting her forehead against his back, her nose brushing lightly against his lower back, sending shivers of ticklishness through him.

‘[Hmph… even though he’s that annoying White Knight, the scent of his magic isn’t bad at all… *hiss*—*sigh*… Hmm, this magic scent, it’s like a high-grade product, definitely gets a high score.]’

‘[Hehe, for tonight, I’ll just hold him like this while we sleep. Loving couples surely sleep this way, and I can also enjoy the scent of this high-grade product a little longer… *sigh*… So nice… I want to take a bite…]’

Ah, this Demon Lord, honestly…!