Chapter 58: The Demon King’s Awakening and Wedding Preparations

Lamia yearned to lie in bed forever. Yet, as her drowsiness completely vanished and her spirit fully revived, she sat upright.

The hazy warmth that had lingered in her consciousness faded the moment her fingertips brushed through her long hair, leaving only an empty bed and herself. Everything felt as unreal as a dream.

She gazed down at her palms, blinking slowly. For a moment, she imagined seeing hands clad in black armor.

She sat enthroned, with demons bowing before her.

In the span of another breath, she was back. Before her was the quiet, simple room, her palms empty.

Yet, even with nothing there, Lamia chose to clench her hands, desperately holding onto that last lingering warmth.

Her palms tightened, as if this action could somehow seize the illusory warmth of the previous night—the brief tranquility that had belonged solely to ‘Lamia’—and hold it fast.

But everything felt like a tasteless joke. Even Lamia herself couldn’t find humor in her own ridiculous appearance.

An incomprehensible emotion spread within her. When was the last time she had felt such a yearning?

–No, never.

There was no ‘last time’.

Lamia had never experienced such a thing, for she was born the Demon King.

The Demon King had no need for these seven emotions and six desires. All she possessed were ‘boons’ and ‘punishments’.

She scorned valiant generals and condemned errant subordinates.

Reliance or longing?

No—she had never experienced them.

“…What did it feel like when Wade held me?”

She sat up, tilting her head back. Her long hair, disheveled from her grip, fanned out over her shoulders and across the bed.

“Hmph hmph.”

After a few seconds of stunned silence, she closed her eyes, arching her back as if stretching languidly.

‘He must have been captivated by my charm, too.’

A single phrase, a faint smile. There was joy in her emotions, yet also a hint of complexity.

She felt as though she might be able to grow closer to Wade.

‘Ah, what exactly is this somewhat complicated feeling in my heart?’

Raising her hand, she saw the light.

Several rays of sunlight, sneaking through the gaps in the curtains, landed perfectly on her hand. Lamia stared at the spots of light, unmoving.

‘A new day has begun.’

Then, she spoke these words, lowering her hand and returning from her stretched posture to a normal sitting position.

*Slap!*

With a sharp clap, she patted her cheeks, as if to rouse herself.

“Today, I shall continue to be the perfect wife!”

A rallying cry, accompanied by a confident smile.

Only with such composure could she achieve her goals.

[Now, I should be one step closer, right?]

Lamia was never quite accustomed to her long hair, so she often ran her hands through it, hoping to find a comfortable style.

Had it not been for humans’ demands regarding appearance, she probably wouldn’t have kept her hair so long. Yet, she had learned from Lilith that most humans preferred women with flowing long hair.

Tall and slender, yet curvaceous and incredibly seductive, her facial features were the optimal combination Lilith had meticulously chosen. ‘At least in terms of appearance, I am the most perfect, right?’

However…

[What does Wade like?]

As she instinctively glanced at the mirror, this question suddenly surfaced in Lamia’s mind.

Her own appearance, her persona, her identity as Lamia Talia—it all seemed to have been forged by herself, with some help from Lilith, of course.

But what about Wade?

Her goal was clearly to make Wade like her, yet it seemed she had always unilaterally transformed herself into this current form.

‘Does he like this version of me? After all, humans are creatures who judge by looks.’

—’In truth, I don’t really know Wade, do I?’

If it concerned combat, she knew him well.

Every move Wade made, his defense and offense, his habitual routes, and all his combat quirks—Lamia understood them all.

This was a battle fought with everything on the line, and such mutual understanding was a form of respect.

—’All of this was her understanding as the Demon King, and his as Kares Lux.’

But what about other things?

His favorite foods, his preferred colors, what he liked to do in his free time—these were things Lamia Talia, as his wife, should know.

[I have no idea at all…]

‘What a derelict wife, not even knowing her husband’s preferences.’

‘This simply won’t do…!’

Fortunately, this was Wade’s mansion. She had already infiltrated enemy territory, so gathering such intelligence should be easy, shouldn’t it?

‘Hmph… I’ll get to know him, understand Wade, his preferences, his habits—that way, dealing with him will surely become even simpler, right?’

“I think he really has fallen for me, hasn’t he? After all, I believe I’ve done quite well lately.”

The Demon King’s emotions, quick to arrive, were just as quick to depart.

She had to be this way; she was the Demon King, she couldn’t even possess emotions. But after arriving here, she had relaxed a little—or rather, indulged herself.

One could even say that only in Wade’s presence did she truly reveal her original self.

“Alright—Wade must have just gone out. I’ll use this opportunity to explore the mansion and learn about him!”

Lamia’s first stop was Wade’s study, which also served as his office.

His office and study were combined, a place he occasionally used for quiet contemplation. Learning about a person through the books they enjoyed was her simplest and most fundamental method. Previously, she had found the type of knight stories Wade liked in his study.

However… she still didn’t know what role she played in Wade’s life.

‘I’m the Demon King, right? Theoretically, I am the Demon King, right?’

‘But… as Lamia, I should still be his wife.’

‘No, forget it. It doesn’t matter either way.’

‘Human lifespans are only a few decades; they pass in a flash. Why should I care about the thoughts of such short-lived creatures… Hmph, I don’t care at all.’

She stepped into the study, met by the familiar scent of ink and paper. Even demons used such basic materials.

She approached Wade’s desk.

Having heard previously that Wade rarely came here, she hadn’t closely examined his desk during her first two days in the house. This time, however, determined to understand him better, Lamia walked over to his desk.

“…”

Immediately, her eyes fell upon a sheet of paper with several words written on it.

“*Wade Nairt and Wife Lamia Talia’s Wedding Preparations and Materials List*”…?

Seeing this, Lamia froze for a second, but she quickly caught the word “Wedding” in the long title.

“…Oh.”

Then, she suddenly remembered Wade’s casual remark, made to avoid a topic, about “wanting to procreate, but only after the wedding.”

“…Oh~”

[I knew it! He wants to have children with me!]

[Come on, let’s have a hundred or eighty in one go!]