Chapter 64: The Devil King’s Burden and a White Knight’s Affection

The Devil King, of course, had her own fears.

Unattainable public support, unequal distribution of rewards, unquellable internal strife, resource depletion under external invasion, and… unfulfilled responsibilities.

Responsibility.

Responsibility.

Responsibility.

As a monarch, these two words constantly echoed in her ears.

Orlan seemed to embody the culmination of all these concerns.

He represented not just an individual, nor merely himself, but the very core power structure of the entire Devil King’s City.

He had served as an advisor to the previous generation, and arguably several generations, of Devil Kings. His standing within the Devil King’s City was thus self-evident.

He was like an ancient tree, its roots firmly entrenched for centuries, spreading throughout every corner of the Devil King’s City.

Conversely, the so-called Devil King, Kares Lux—or rather, Lamia Talia—found that the power she wielded and the choices she could make were far more limited than she had ever imagined.

****

Wade gently lowered the hand he had been kissing, yet he did not release it.

He pulled her slightly, settling her hand securely on his thigh. His large palm enveloped Lamia’s, and the rough feel of his calloused skin inexplicably brought her a sense of peace.

Humans lived for mere decades, while demons endured for centuries.

What did that matter?

But then—what did it truly matter?

Even if demons possessed an immensely longer lifespan, what difference did it make?

Humans, precisely because their lives were so brief, often understood much and contributed greatly to others even at a young age.

Just like now—’Ah, look, if she were to say this aloud, she would surely be ridiculed.’

‘Here she was, a centuries-old being, yet she found a moment of inexplicable comfort from a young human in his twenties holding her hand.’

****

It was then that Wade finally heard a sound, the voice of Lamia’s heart.

‘Information about Orlan? No, not this time either.’

[…Wade…]

It was a summons.

[…Wade…]

It was his name.

It was a sigh.

It was… a hint of serenity.

Perhaps the atmosphere had been tense, and Orlan’s words had somewhat displeased Wade, causing his eyes to remain narrowed. Yet, upon hearing Lamia’s call, those two simple words alone made Wade’s eyes widen.

What was the reason?

Disbelief? Surprise? A flicker of… happiness and… what else? Why was his heart thumping so wildly? Could it still be shyness?

****

Across from them, Orlan’s face displayed a subtle expression.

He crossed his arms, his fingers tapping his bicep.

From Wade’s recent expression and tone, Orlan sensed a deliberate provocation, however fleeting. It was undeniably intentional.

Now… it had faded somewhat, because for these past few seconds, Wade’s attention was indeed not on him.

There was no ‘private group chat’ between Orlan and Lamia, unlike the one Lamia shared with Lilith and Kaze. Thus, Orlan could not hear her thoughts, forced to deduce their actions solely from their expressions.

Wade was surprised. What surprised him? Orlan meticulously analyzed Wade’s micro-expressions.

A moment ago, it had certainly been anger, displeasure. But then, he had abruptly turned to Lamia, a look of surprise on his face… ‘What had happened? Had their identities been exposed? Had the Devil King’s identity been revealed?’

‘If so, it might even be opportune. With the exposure, he could now take the Devil King and leave. Later, once the opportunity arose, he would deal with the White Knight and those humans in a far more decisive manner.’

‘But… why were this White Knight’s ears suddenly red? What part of him was this? What did it mean? Did human ears also turn red when they were angry, in addition to their faces and necks flushing with surging blood?’

Orlan sat opposite them, tempted to pick up his teacup to remind them of his presence. But recalling the tasteless tea in the cup he had pushed aside earlier, he frowned again.

‘What exactly is the atmosphere between these two?’

“—You seem to cherish her greatly,” Orlan stated, his voice a low rumble, as he flexed his arms. If anyone else had uttered those words, they might have carried a hint of envy or blessing. But coming from Orlan, they were laced with an unmistakable sarcasm.

“Of course,” Wade replied promptly. He released the hand he was holding, yet his actions did not cease.

He reached around Lamia from behind, then, with a soft ‘thump,’ he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her directly into his embrace, allowing her head to rest against his shoulder.

He, in turn, tilted his head, gently nuzzling the top of Lamia’s head with his cheek. This rather forceful gesture startled their proud, arrogant, powerful, tall, handsome, strong, wise, and highly confident Devil King, whose neck shifted from side to side with Wade’s affectionate rub.

“She is my wife, my only and most beloved wife. As my lifelong companion, of course I must cherish her.”

As Wade spoke, he even intensified his affection with another kiss on Lamia’s head, a sight that made Orlan’s teeth ache.

‘Of course, this was all Wade pretending not to know that he and Lamia had fought several times before he’d given her a backflip. He certainly couldn’t afford to be branded a domestic abuser.’

Orlan wanted to say more, but this time, he met Lamia’s gaze.

Lamia simply looked at him, saying nothing, doing nothing, yet Orlan understood perfectly: it was a clear ‘do not disturb’ message.

Although Orlan could have been more forceful—he knew the Devil King was usually compliant, and a little pressure or a few accusations would make her do anything—seeing her displeasure, he couldn’t press further.

After all, in theory, the Devil King’s City still belonged to the Devil King.

“By the looks of it, I seem to have interrupted your… enjoyment?”

Finally, Orlan said no more. He merely stood, sighing with a hint of annoyance, yet he couldn’t resist one last bitter remark.

Upon hearing the words “enjoyment,” Wade tightened his embrace around Lamia even further. Their heartbeats pressed together, causing Lamia’s own heart to pound incessantly.

“That’s right, Uncle,” Wade replied, “After all, we are newlyweds. There are many things we usually need to do.”

‘Things to do?’ Hearing Wade’s exasperated reply, Orlan let out a cold laugh, glancing at Wade.

“Well, for instance—” Wade intentionally drew out his words, glancing at Lamia, a subtle, mischievous grin suddenly appearing on his face.

“For instance—’love’~ right?” Wade said, then even flashed a smile at Orlan.

“?”

Yet, it was clear that neither Orlan nor Lamia seemed to grasp his tasteless joke. It was hard to imagine that Wade, who had been antagonizing the Great General for so long, would suddenly feel a sense of frustration over something like this.

“Anyway… Uncle—we have things to attend to, so we won’t see you out.”

Wade clapped his hands twice. Immediately, the attendants outside obeyed the command and opened the room door.

Seeing that Wade’s intention was clearly to dismiss him, Orlan, though displeased, did not want to escalate matters at that moment.

He turned his head, intending to cast a glance at Lamia, as if to convey some instruction with his eyes. However, Wade’s figure perfectly obscured the space between Lamia and Orlan, preventing that final gaze from reaching Lamia.

“…”

In the end, there was only a silent sigh. Orlan turned and left. With a soft click, the door closed, leaving only the two of them in the room once more.

“…”

Wade held Lamia without speaking. Lamia, meanwhile, slid further down from her previous leaning position, eventually burrowing into Wade’s embrace as if seeking refuge.

“…”

“…Wade.”

Lamia broke her silence after a moment, opening her mouth. Her whispered breath clearly feathered against Wade’s chest.

“…Thank you, Wade.”