2 — Chapter 2

The unconscious Female Hero was laid in bed by Leitia.

If Heroes had one saving grace, it was that they were remarkably sturdy; she would likely recover before long. I had only blown her away, so it wasn’t a fatal wound.

After that, Leitia actually brought out the herbal tea.

“Here you go~. Oh, I suppose you won’t feel safe unless I taste it for poison first?”

She giggled, so it seemed she was joking.

“No, as a Demon King, I won’t die from something like poison.”

“That’s true. There are still people who speak ill of demons, but being a Demon King is hard work, isn’t it?”

“Yes… especially lately with the administrative reforms and various other things… Um… I’m the man who attacked your daughter, does that not bother you?”

“That’s just how it is between a Hero and a Demon King~. Besides, you brought her back in such a gentlemanly manner. You’re far more reliable than some untrustworthy human men.”

Ah, so she was the kind of person whose heart did not discriminate between demons and humans.

In that regard, she was just like Sasaya—no, I should stop comparing them.

Leitia was Leitia.

I felt she was charming because she herself was a charming person.

“Angelica was the name my husband and I gave her so she would be blessed by angels, but my husband died of an illness. Because of that, her desire to become strong grew even larger, and she decided to become an adventurer.”

“I’m sure your daughter, in her own way, didn’t want to cause you any hardship.”

I didn’t say that just to flatter her. It was because I also grew up watching my parents struggle.

My father, the previous Demon King, devoted all his time to work, while my mother handled my upbringing entirely on her own.

Even though it was an era where women were expected to stay home and protect the household, she was the wife of the Demon King. She was forced to handle quite a lot of government affairs too. Even amidst all that, she raised me without a single word of complaint.

Now she’s retired and living peacefully deep within the demon lands, and after all the hardships of the first half of her life, I want her to rest her bones to her heart’s content.

“That might be true. There’s no doubt she’s a kind girl.”

Leitia let out a soft “fufufu” laugh as she thought of her daughter.

Just then, I noticed a mole next to her lips. It was quite… alluring.

“Um, Mr. Demon King, may I ask you a question?”

Leitia straightened her posture slightly, which gave me a bit of a start.

“Yes, anything you like.”

“Does my child have the potential to be a Hero?”

It was a more direct question than I had imagined.

I suppose as a mother, that would be her biggest concern.

“Since she made it all the way to the Demon King’s place, I thought she might be doing reasonably well, but seeing you looking so healthy and full of vigor…”

“Yes, I shall tell you frankly what I felt. Is that alright?”

“Yes, of course. I won’t be angry no matter what you say.”

“I believe her potential has a certain brilliance to it. I can sense her own unique personality. However, she is unpolished. Her fundamentals have been neglected, and it seems she fights on talent alone.”

I sounded like I was at a meeting regarding promotional personnel, but well, it didn’t matter. The Demon King is also the top-ranking official, so I tended to drift into that tone.

“Up to a certain point, one can climb higher on talent alone. However, you eventually hit a ceiling. From there, those who grow further are the ones who have studied the basics with single-minded honesty. Most famous adventurers of the past seem to have had a practice volume far higher than the average.”

“That’s true. Part of it is because this is the countryside; she hasn’t really had much training at a dojo or anything.”

It seemed Leitia had some inkling of this as well.

“This time, she luckily made it to my location, but I think she only just managed to reach it. If she doesn’t take the time to retrain from the ground up, her growth will likely stall.”

Even I found it strange that I was speaking so seriously.

These weren’t just empty words. I was trying to interact with her with the utmost sincerity.

“Actually, while she did make it all the way to my chambers, according to my subordinates’ reports, she went out of her way to avoid combat. She aimed to take me down without fighting the other executives.”

Occasionally, there are those who try to make a name for themselves by defeating the Demon King in such a short time. They are either people looking for an easy way out or people who are impatient for some reason.

“If she continues like this, she could suffer a major injury sooner or later. Now is the time she should relearn from someone who has mastered solid fundamentals. Please tell your daughter that!”

I leaned forward as I spoke.

After all, that Female Hero, Angelica, might come for me again.

The thought of ending up killing her then left a bad taste in my mouth. A far too bitter one.

Leitia let out a soft, melodic giggle.

“Mr. Demon King, you talk just like that girl’s mentor or something.”

“Ah, I’ve shown you something embarrassing…”

I felt awkward as well.

“This is the first time I’ve ever had tea in a Hero’s home like this…”

I took a sip of the herbal tea Leitia had poured. I was more accustomed to the spicier blends of the demon lands, which were more to my taste, but this was delicious in its own way.

“Aside from my husband, this is the first time I’ve met someone who thinks so seriously about my daughter’s well-being.”

Aside from her husband.

For some reason, those words pierced my chest.

As if triggered by that, words began to well up from the bottom of my heart.

“That is… because it is my destiny to fight her… If I am the one being hurt, I can endure it since it’s my own body, but…”

I couldn’t say anything beyond that.

—Just then, the face of my late wife, Sasaya, flickered into my mind.

My late wife gave a faint smile and spoke to me.

(Dear, you don’t need to live only for my sake anymore. You’re still at an age where you can start over. Live not for me, but to protect those who are still living.)

I remembered now.

Those were the final words my wife spoke on her deathbed.

I never thought I would experience these kinds of emotions ever again…

“It pains me to think of that girl getting hurt and you being saddened, Leitia… That’s why, if possible, I’d rather she never have to fight for the rest of her life… and so, and so…”

Then, leaning forward once more, I said this:

“Leitia, won’t you remarry and become my wife?”

I could see Leitia looking completely blank.

Well, of course. It was far too abrupt, and more importantly, it was a proposal from the Demon King. It was only natural for her to be stunned.

However, the silence that followed was scarier than the thought of being rejected, so I kept talking.

“Look, look… if that happens, Angelica will be my daughter, so there will be no more need to fight… Since there’s no doubt the war with the Demon King’s army would be suspended, I think it would be good for the Kingdom’s peace as well…”

No. Those were all just excuses. My true feelings weren’t in them.

“I like you! I fell for you at first sight!”

I had decided I wanted to spend my life making this woman happy. I couldn’t provide any logic beyond that.

Leitia blinked her eyes rapidly.

A heavy, unpleasant silence lingered for a short while.

But then, she flashed a bright smile at me.

It was a smile that resembled Sasaya’s—no, it was a smile that belonged only to Leitia.

“If someone like me is alright with you.”

“Th-thank you! I look forward to being with you!”

I bowed my head right then and there. Part of it was because I was too embarrassed to look Leitia directly in the face.

“Yes. I look forward to being with you as well.”

Leitia reached out her hand.

I squeezed that hand tightly.