The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 389: My kids are adorable, even if they were snitches

Chapter 389: My kids are adorable, even if they were snitches

I could see the brewing anger, and all I could do at this point was drag him out of the drawing room. I didn’t care if the others looked at us weirdly--I needed to extinguish the cold fire first.

Entering a random empty bedroom, I pushed Natha to the nearest armchair while Ignis lit the fireplace to warm the room and gave us a bit of light. I stood in front of him and held my waist. My initial purpose of taking him here was to quell his anger, but on the way, I got quite annoyed.

"What did you mean back then?" I frowned slightly in confusion. "Are you saying that J--the Hero likes me?"

"Seems like I truly have to spell it for you to realize," Natha threw his gaze away like a petulant child.

Which only got me more annoyed. "What are you talking about? How could he like me? It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since we met!"

Again, he let out a sigh. He tilted his head and propped his cheek against the armrest. "And what makes you think he couldn’t fall for you in that amount of time?"

"What?"

"I know him well--more than you, even. I know for a fact that he likes people who are pretty and innocent; both in look and personality," Natha said with a tone as if it was obvious. "That’s why that Princess acted like a pure Saintess."

...was that how it was? I had no idea since I hadn’t read the novel in detail, and Valmeier had no interest in knowing too much about the Hero’s companion.

That being said...

"What’s that got to do with me?"

"Sweetheart..." Natha looked at me as if I was dumb. And if that wasn’t insulting enough, Jade voiced it out.

[Master is dumb-dumb] the little bird let out a rare sigh. It even moved to perched on Natha’s backrest, just like how Ignis perched on his shoulder.

It was as if they were ganging up on me!

[Master is pretty!]

"Valen is pretty."

"You are the prettiest thing in the world."

I had to clasp my cheek because I was getting embarrassed by their bombardment.

"The fact you don’t know that is proof enough that you’re also helplessly innocent," Natha added. "Or should I say naive? No--you are both innocent and naive."

[Yes!]

"Yes."

I had no idea if they were complimenting me or insulting me.

"B-but...that doesn’t mean he likes me...right?"

Instead of answering me, Natha looked at Ignis. "Does he?"

"He does," the Salamander said. "He looked at Valen the way you look at Valen."

[...Jade didn’t watch...]

It’s okay, baby--you shouldn’t spend your time spying on people. But ugh...did he really? I mean...I didn’t even realize Natha might like me back then until the very end, and before I could confirm it, the doctor disappeared, so...

Let’s just say I didn’t really have any credibility in this matter.

"Ugh..."

I was at a loss for words, so I just habitually took a seat on Natha’s lap, pondering. I felt Natha’s cold hands around my waist and his head pressing on my shoulder.

"You know now, so don’t just go around saying his first name casually like that," he muttered.

"But that’s the only name he used!" I argued. "I couldn’t go around calling him ’Hero’ could I?"

I turned around to look at his face, but it was a mistake because now I had to see him scowling as if my words hurt him.

Ah...was this the disparity in cultural understanding? Calling someone by ’only’ their first name was a truly intimate thing in the demon realm--at any rate, it wasn’t something you do with people you only met yesterday. I recalled that he even frowned when I first called Zia by her nickname. Perhaps I would never understand the full sentiment this custom carried, but...

"Fine," I sighed. I’d just think of something later.

But still...this did not mean my annoyance subsided. I slipped out of his embrace and stood up again, looking at him with pursed lips. "Alright, let’s say he really is...liking me," it felt weird to admit it myself. "But so what? We’re going to get married in a month! Are you that incapable of trusting my feelings? I’m going to get angry if you do!"

For the first time, he let out a smile--although it was a bitter one. "That’s not something I could help, sweetheart," he said. "Jealousy and insecurity are inevitable in the face of love."

Why? Why did he have to spout some poetic bullshit that got me blushing? I was trying to stay angry, for Mother’s sake!

He took my hand and rubbed it; rubbing the mark circling the base of my ring fingers.

"With anyone else, the moment they knew you are my lover, they would have curbed their feelings even if they fall for you," he said. "But that boy--he saw me as a challenge."

There was a clear disdain in his voice, but when he looked at me again, his gaze was already softened. "It’s not that I don’t trust you, sweetheart. If that’s the case, I would never let you meet them alone, would I?"

Well...that’s true. He was rather permissible, letting me play host in his lair. And he did tell the other to watch Ji--the Hero, not me.

"But...I mean...I don’t think he would do anything...would he?" I bit my lips and fiddled with his necklace nervously.

"He asked to be your friend," he replied curtly.

I shot a glance at Ignis, who was only scoffing in return. Ugh, this snitch!

"But that’s the extent of it, right? It’s no like..." I looked at his dubious face and let go of the green necklace--perhaps a bit harshly. "Ah, what? Do you want me to march there and tell him that I can’t be friends with him because you don’t like it and I love you too much? Fine, I’ll tell him! You happy?"

I clicked my tongue and pulled my hand away from his--or at least I tried, because he pulled me back into his lap instead, and pressed his face on my shoulder. I could tell that his lips were stretching in a smile.

"No, you don’t have to," he murmured, before raising his face and pressing his lips into my neck, making me shudder from the cold. "I just want to hear those words, you don’t need to tell him that."

Those words? That I’d forsake friendship for the sake of my feelings for him?

Did he...want me to show that I also had a possessive side?

"You’re acting ridiculous," I bonked his head softly, just enough to make him laugh. "Does becoming the Lord of Greed come with possessiveness?"

"It does," he said, making me arch my brow in surprise. "That’s the price that comes with the authority. As long as I hold into the key, I would stay greedy like this, and you..." he pulled back so he could look at me properly, stroking my cheek, "...are my most precious treasure."

"...damn you."

He laughed again and gave my burning cheek a light peck--probably because the kids were still here with us. I clicked my tongue and laid my head on his shoulder to get rid of the rest of my annoyance.

"You know..." I fiddled with the green necklace again--one of the signs of our bond. "Even if I meet him before you, I would never fall for him."

"...are you sure?"

"Hmm...his physique is not as big as yours," I said teasingly, but Natha smirked in an adorable triumph.

Well, he knew I had a thing for a big man with firefighter build--you know, the kind that could carry me easily with one hand? I mean...one of the reasons I was crushing on him was because he carried me when I fainted on the rooftop.

"But..." I added, looking up to stare at his silver eyes. "Appearance aside, I wouldn’t want to be with someone who might leave me one day."

It was hard for me, trying to not fall for Natha while I was still thinking he might throw me away when he knew I wasn’t Valmeier back then. But in the end, even if I did love him, I couldn’t bring myself to say it until I knew for sure that the one he loved was me.

"He wants to go home, you know, back to Earth," I told Natha. "But I couldn’t do that, because Valen is dead back there."

"Ah..."

I raised my head and smiled, poking his dazed cheek. "And he should know this. Didn’t Ignis tell you what I told him?"

"That you’ll die if you’re with him?"

"Uh-huh," I pressed my palms on his cheek and squeezed his firm jaw. "Ah, I didn’t mean that I’m only with you because I want to live," I said. "But anyway, even if his righteous persona is face, I don’t think he’ll take things further than trying to be friends. If he does, I promise I’ll tell him that."

"That?"

"That I love you too much so I won’t be his friend anymore."

This time, he kissed me on the lips. Still a light peck and family-friendly. "I love you," he said, with as much sincerity as all of his I-love-yous.

"Mm, I love you too."

[Jade love Master too!]

"Hmm...well, I guess I like Valen too in a normal amount."

Pfft--these adorable kids. Even though they were snitches!

"But I’m still going to follow you on the third day," Natha said in a low tone, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

Oh, well. He was the Lord of Greed after all.