The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 549: One day, friends will have to take their own path and grows

Chapter 549: One day, friends will have to take their own path and grows

[Is she alright?] Aleena asked worriedly when I returned to Natha’s study.

"Izzi is calming her," I let out a relieved sigh as I took a seat on the sofa again--this time, Natha came to sit with me. "She’s still going with it, just with more confidence this time."

Mara had provided us with refreshments while I was kidnapping Zia, and I appreciated the warm cocoa before lunch. While sipping on the steaming sweet goodness--I liked them a bit scalding, you see--I could hear Aleena’s complicated sigh.

She must have been conflicted between feeling glad that she gained additional power by her side as well as appeasing Natha, and having her beloved little sister taking unwanted responsibility--unlike her, who had always that ambition to take up power.

"She’ll be fine as long as she has her...emotional support," I glanced at the basket of pastries that had never looked so appealing as now. The afternoon tea felt so far away, but Natha wouldn’t let me have a snack right before lunch.

Tsk--what am I, a kid?

[By emotional support...]

"Oh, just let her boyfriend go with her," I shrugged. "His debt with Natha is already cleared, so he has no obligation to stay here anymore as long as he still reports his invention progress."

We didn’t have urgent projects anymore after the mana transfusion, and Neel would be enough for maintenance. Aside from that, Izzi still had a lot of things to take care of outside of this place, so it might be a good time for him to start. After the wedding, he probably only stayed here for Zia anyway.

I exchanged glances with Arta, and we chuckled at the development that we had kind of seen from a long time ago. We had just been waiting silently in front of them, and gossiping behind their back. Fun times, really.

[I never thought she would fall for an elf] Aleena sounded dazed.

"Why? She fell for a friend," I grinned. "It’s very fitting for someone who always tried to find a true love."

[You’re right, of course. It’s just...]

Aleena’s voice faltered and stopped in hesitation. I, who was waiting curiously without any answer, turned to Natha for one. "Lust demons never mixed with elves," he said.

"Really?"

Color me surprised--I thought they mixed with everyone. My confusion must have been so apparent because Arta was averting her eyes and Natha’s reply came with underlying laughter.

"Elves are a proud race after all; they wouldn’t want to have a relationship with someone they thought...loose," he said the last word with a whisper.

"Ooh..." I clasped my hand and exclaimed--also in a whisper. "But...isn’t it poetic that both of them are like...the exemption of their respective race?"

"If you put it that way..."

I looked at Arta and we giggled again, dissipating the tension that filled this room earlier.

Ahh...it was always fun seeing a love sprouting and budding until it was blossoming in all its beautiful glory. Especially between two people who liked to deny it so much at the start--and they would probably continue doing that if it wasn’t for Jade’s innocent outburst that one time.

[Well, I guess this is it for the meeting] Aleena, sounded tired, let out a soft sigh. [Please tell Zia to call me later. I’ll be taking care of things from here--ah, Lady Nezja, please send your official sealed endorsement by mail]

"Bye, Aleena," I waved my hand even though she obviously couldn’t see me--hmm...we should try enabling video call next time. Maybe Aina can think of something...

[Good day, Valen] I could feel the smile in Aleena’s voice. [Please stay healthy]

"I’ll try!" I replied with a laugh, and the connection ended. When I turned my head, I saw a pair of silver eyes narrowed at me. "What? It’s not like I got sick because I deliberately want to."

I shrugged and gave him a toothy grin, which got him to roll his eyes in exasperation. In an effort to appease him, I poked his cheeks and climbed to his lap--funnily enough, I found myself becoming more comfortable about this after getting married; weird, huh?

As long as Jade wasn’t in the room.

"Hmm...we don’t know when those two will be done so...should we end the meeting?" I tilted my head shamelessly. Perhaps because I felt all mellow for my succubus friend, I wanted to cling to my husband too.

"Yes, let’s," Natha finally stopped narrowing his eyes at me, and shifted his gaze to the La sisters. "You two--let’s meet again after lunch."

Malta bowed politely, and Arta winked at me. "By your command," they said as usual before leaving the room.

"I’ll write that endorsement letter," Aunt Nezja said with a smile and followed the sisters out, leaving us alone.

I stretched my arms and circled them around Natha’s neck. "Ahh...I’m glad it ends relatively well," I laid my head on his shoulder and savored his soothing cold. "Zia seems to be fine too in the end."

Sure, she was crying--wailing, even--but that was like...letting out the suffocating baggage so she could move forward with a lighter step. Somehow, this whole ’becoming the clan head’ had shaded the matter of Zir’Kal, as if those criminals were just an afterthought.

Eh.

I shuffled to a more comfortable position and Natha stroked my back soothingly in return. His low voice swept my twitching earlobe. "What about you?"

"What about me?" I glanced up in confusion.

He stroked my cheek, thumb fleeting below my eyes. "Are you alright with her leaving?"

Oh...

"She would have to stay there for the succession and the trial--it’ll probably take months just for that," he continued when I just stared at him blankly without answering. "And she’ll become a Head Clan after such a long absence, so she’ll need time to learn everything and consolidate the internal power."

My palm was sweating and my fingers unconsciously gripped his coat tightly.

"You might not be able to see her for years," he stroked my cheek again, which I belatedly realized had been trembling. "It won’t be like before, where you can just go through a single portal to see each other."

I know...I know that much.

"Wasn’t that why you pulled her aside earlier?" Natha asked softly. "You want to keep her here."

Honestly? Yeah...

Zia was my first friend in this world. She was as important as Ceci was in my life; someone I could run and whine to if I got annoyed with Natha. She was someone who would cry with me and scold me without hesitation if I did something wrong.

All this time, she was always there. We might not have met that often when I lived in the Castle, but anytime we missed each other, she would just cross the portal and come to me, or I would just visit the Lair as if we were just living next to each other.

It might not be as big as Natha’s, but her existence in my life--the short life I had been having in this world--was enormous.

Of course, I didn’t want her to leave--just as much as she hated me to leave the Lair in the past.

Even more so when I knew she was leaving for a place she had been hating. I acted calm and said all those things about her having emotional support and being alright with Izzi by her side, but...honestly, I knew Zia had to face everything alone.

I knew firsthand how uncomfortable it was facing a bunch of elders. And I knew firsthand how annoying it was facing relatives who had always seen me as a tool. Zia might be respected for her bloodline, but she had a clashing view with how the lust demon society lived their life.

How much...oh, how much she would have to suffer to change them. And while I knew her decision was the best course for the future of the realm--and ours too--it still made me want to slap Zir’Kal a few times before we returned him to the Realm of Lust.

But in the end, I just let out a long, heavy sigh.

"...I can’t just tell her to stay behind for me when she’s trying to move forward and overcome something," I pressed my head back to Natha’s shoulder.

She might be my friend, but she wasn’t my property.

Just like how I wouldn’t be able to prevent Shwa from leaving our nest one day after they grew up.

"Good job," Natha whispered softly while caressing my head. "I’ll make sure you won’t feel lonely."

I glanced up and saw his handsome gentle smile which was no one’s but my own. "Hehehe..." I let out a giggle that lessened the sadness in my heart.

"It comes at the right time then," Natha smirked, prompting me to raise my head in curiosity.

"Huh? What is?"

The silver eyes flashed. "The portal to the human realm."