Chapter 55: A Bruised Knight and a Curious Demon Lord

Thus, before returning to his bedroom, Wade decided to allow Lamia a little more time to arrive.

He genuinely needed a moment to recover, for this blow was no less impactful than the time he had physically collided with a carriage.

Truth be told, even if he had to repeat that carriage collision, it wouldn’t be an issue; a brief rest would suffice.

But to be swatted away by Lamia’s sword… it was because he had been momentarily stunned by her inner thoughts, allowing her to seize the perfect opportunity. Had he been more vigilant, she surely wouldn’t have been able to injure him…

No… never mind. Lamia must have had some particular reason for acting that way.

While her thoughts sometimes leaped erratically, she wouldn’t strike with such force without cause. Something must have certainly transpired…

Who was that ‘he’ in her inner monologue?

Was he someone from the Demon Lord’s Castle?

Who in the Demon Lord’s Castle could possibly outrank the Demon Lord, evoking such tension in Lamia?

And then there was her mention of ‘plan termination’… Wade had been momentarily dumbfounded by those words.

If the plan were truly terminated, Wade feared Lamia would no longer remain his wife. After a whirlwind of meeting for three seconds, revealing her identity, and proposing within three sentences, was he now to face divorce just three days after their marriage certificate?

This was unacceptable! Was the Demon Lord’s Castle merely toying with people?

Their marriage certificate bore the Knights’ Order’s official seal! This was a military marriage, and its dissolution would lead to a military tribunal!

The more Wade pondered the matter, the angrier he became. He pursed his lips and mumbled a few curses under his breath. Was he cursing Lamia? No, he couldn’t bring himself to do that. Venting was one thing, but outright cursing her was out of the question.

He was, of course, cursing the ‘saint’ who controlled the Demon Lord. Who was this figure, so influential that even the Demon Lord had to defer to him?

Wade limped towards his front door, gingerly patting his aching waist.

Naturally, he preferred to keep his late-night ‘special services’—his work as a superhero, saving humanity and serving society—a secret. Thus, he deftly climbed through the window, just as he always did, only to find Lamia already lying on the bed, seemingly in the exact same position as when he had departed.

“……”

Seeing Lamia’s return, Wade inexplicably felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Upon his return, he had genuinely worried. What if Lamia didn’t come back? What if some formidable individual, more powerful than himself, had taken her away?

What then?

What *then*?!

He would, of course, find a way to bring his wife back!

She was his legitimate wife; there was no way he would allow anyone to simply take her!

Still, upon reflection, things wouldn’t escalate to such an extent. Lamia had, after all, returned safely.

****

—Wade?

Hearing Wade’s footsteps, Lamia stirred awake—or rather, she feigned waking. In truth, she hadn’t slept a wink, merely awaiting his return.

—Ah, Lamia.

Wade paused, then offered a slight smile.

—Did I wake you?

—No.

Lamia spoke, a peculiar hesitation in her voice.

—Where did you go just now? When I woke up, you weren’t here.

‘[*You’re asking me? I went to beat up the one who hit you, you brute!*]’

—I… just had to go out for something. You know how it is for us with official appointments; we’re on call whenever duty calls.

Noticing Lamia’s feigned ignorance, Wade tacitly played along, offering a flimsy excuse without much thought for its plausibility. Both of them, after all, understood the unspoken truth.

—Your footsteps sound unsteady. Are you injured?

Lamia rose and switched on the bedside lamp, her gaze falling upon Wade, who was still subconsciously rubbing his waist.

Her earlier words held little true meaning; Lamia’s sole intention was to ascertain Wade’s injuries.

She had merely feigned turning on the lamp, as her night vision was acute enough to discern every minute detail on Wade’s body, even the faint bruises blossoming across his back.

—Hm? Oh.

Hearing Lamia’s words, Wade immediately understood her concern. Despite the excruciating pain in his waist, her sudden attentiveness filled him with a peculiar sense of pride.

—It’s nothing, really. I just went out for a bit, didn’t I? On the way back, I ran into a wild boar that was pulling a carriage. It sent me flying several meters! —Ouch! Hiss…!

Wade’s words were abruptly cut short as Lamia delivered a sharp, forceful punch to his lower back. He gasped, sucking in a cold breath, and instinctively flinched away.

[Hmph! Who are you calling a wild boar?! Hmph!]

—Oh, come on, my esteemed lady! I can hardly tell you I was swatted away by *your* sword, can I? You wouldn’t like to hear it, and you’d like it even less if I didn’t say anything at all!

—Sigh…

—Sit still. I’ll apply the medicine for you. Where do you keep your bruise remedies?

—Hm?

Hearing Lamia, Wade shook his head. ‘No need, these are just minor injuries, these are—Hiss… Ah, fine, fine, use it! It’s in the second drawer on the left!’

Wade stubbornly insisted he was fine, but before he could utter much more, Lamia’s probing fingers made him wince, forcing a few cries of pain. He then promptly revealed the medicine box’s location.

Lamia rummaged through the cabinet until she found a box. Seeing the various bottles and jars within, she correctly assumed they were medicinal potions. She carried the box over and settled beside Wade.

[What kind of medicine is this? Hmm, this one seems to be for stopping bleeding. And this? Hmm… perhaps for digestion? And… what is this “egg ointment”? What is this? Human medicine is so… complicated! Is there no single compound potion that treats all injuries? Haha! It was the same with bathing earlier; all those separate shampoos… Is there no all-in-one maintenance fluid that works for everything and only requires one bottle?]

As Lamia rummaged through the box, she inwardly grumbled about humanity’s tedious categorization of medicinal products.

For demons, this was never an issue; their robust physiques allowed them to remain spry even after ingesting the wrong concoction. Humans, however, were delicate; any mistake in dosage or consumption would lead to complications, hence the meticulous subdivisions.

As for those shampoos and the like… Wade deeply sympathized. An all-in-one product would indeed be far more convenient. Ideally, it could also… serve as lubricant for cabinet wheels, and the bottle itself should be sturdier, eliminating the need to buy a separate hammer for bed repairs.

[I heard Lilith say… that among humans, there are medicines specifically for childbirth. Does Wade not have any here? Should I take this opportunity to pour one or two bottles down him?]

—Hm?

Lamia’s train of thought was, once again, a step too fast for Wade.

Just moments ago, he had been contemplating how to promote blood circulation and dispel bruising; now, where had her mind wandered off to?

And, pouring one or two bottles down him at once? ‘If you want to kill me, just say so directly! Don’t use this method to drain me dry; it truly strips me of all dignity.’

[Hmm, where is the childbirth medicine…]

—Lamia, the bruise medicine is here.

Hearing that Lamia was genuinely searching for such a fantastical item, Wade quickly sat upright, terrified she might simply grab any concoction and force two bottles down his throat.

—Ah, alright.

Lamia took the medicine bottle Wade offered, scanning its listed effects. A faint hint of disappointment crossed her face upon realizing it possessed no childbirth-inducing properties.

Nevertheless, seeing Wade already seated on the bed with his back to her, patiently waiting, she promptly uncapped the medicine bottle.

Theoretically, such medicine was typically applied with cotton swabs, and Wade’s kit indeed contained them. However, Lamia was utterly oblivious to such human customs.

Instead, she poured the liquid directly onto her palm, then began to gently caress every bruised area on Wade’s back with her hand.

…

Wade had somewhat anticipated Lamia might apply the medicine directly by hand. He had braced himself for pain, yet he was utterly unprepared for the sensation of her delicate palms and fingers caressing his skin.

Lamia, aware of Wade’s pain, applied the medicine without much force. Consequently, her hand glided across his back in an almost ethereal dance, a touch that felt less like medicinal application and more like a subtle, teasing caress.

The medicinal liquid was cool, yet Lamia’s hand was warm.

As the cool medicine spread across his back, Wade shivered. Then, Lamia’s warm palm gently covered the area, and for a fleeting moment, a wave of pain momentarily encompassed his nerves, yet it swiftly faded.

It was like a stranger’s touch, offering warmth for a brief moment before turning away. When her hand covered him, pain and warmth coexisted; when it left, the lingering medicine, though not overtly painful, felt icy cold.

Some of the liquid pooled into drops, sliding down his back, a coolness trailing from top to bottom. Meanwhile, Lamia’s fingers continued their gentle exploration across his back.

[Phew… I’ve applied the medicine for him. He should feel a bit better now, right? Oh, my touch might have looked painful… but I am the Demon Lord, and I am me. I must appear as a gentle and virtuous wife now~ Oh, let me take good care of you~]

Lamia seemed entirely oblivious to the subtle, complex expression on Wade’s face, or the barely perceptible flush creeping up his ears.

She had struck Wade hard out of necessity, initially intending it as a form of comfort, but…

[Anyway, the foolish knight doesn’t know I hit him. I’ll just keep treating him well, so he needs me more and more~]

No… actually, I know perfectly well. And I’m not a foolish knight.

[Ah, right, besides his back, I also forcefully smacked his front abdomen when he was sitting. I should apply medicine there too. If you’re going to do a good deed, do the whole thing~]

With this thought, Lamia poured more medicine onto her hand. As a diligent wife, she certainly wouldn’t trouble Wade by having him turn around.

Instead, she leaned her entire body forward against Wade, wrapping her arm around him, reaching forward to cover his entire torso.

Wade’s upper clothing had, of course, been removed to facilitate the application of medicine, and Lamia was wearing only a thin nightgown.

Concerned about touching Wade’s tender spots, Lamia didn’t lean too heavily against him, subtly controlling the distance.

However, it was genuinely a bit troublesome for Lamia’s small hands to maintain distance while reaching around the sturdy man’s physique, so she occasionally stretched forward.

This meant that on Wade’s back, while Lamia’s direct touch was gone, that sensation of being both near and far persisted.

Sometimes, it was the thin nightgown brushing against his back; at other times, it was Lamia’s nightgown lightly touching him like a dragonfly skimming water. When she went too far, she would press her entire body against him.

Wade could even imagine in his head the shape that ‘dough’ was currently being pressed into.

Not only that, Lamia’s small hands, of course, didn’t stop. She remembered hitting his front abdomen, so her hands primarily focused on applying the bruise medicine there, but—

[…Hm?]

In an instant, Lamia seemed to touch something, and Wade immediately stiffened, gripping Lamia’s arm tightly to prevent her from reaching further down.

[Oh!]

Feeling this reaction, Lamia suddenly understood.

[It’s Wade’s source of magic!]