CH 112

Kyle stood in front of the Emperor, who was sitting on the bed in a white silk pajama. Behind him, the two priests of Elium stood side by side with their heads bowed.

Kyle handed the Emperor a silver cup of medicine.

“Have you sent the gifts to the Saintess?”

The Emperor took the medicine Kyle gave him and gulped it down.

“Yes. I have.”

A priest came and took an empty cup from the Emperor.

“How is her reaction?”

“I think she likes it.”

The Emperor furrowed his eyebrows at Kyle’s words.

“Didn’t I tell you to go by yourself?”

At that, Kyle let out a small sigh.

“Your Imperial Majesty has been bedridden for a long time and there is a lot of work for me to take care of. So please get well quickly and set me free.”

At those words, the Emperor clicked his tongue.

“When I was your age, I worked more than that, but I met your mother and fell in love with her.”

“It wasn’t like what I heard from His Imperial Majesty the Former Emperor…”

Kyle’s words were interrupted by the Emperor.

“Ahem, ahem! Anyway, now you’re well over twenty.”

“Twenty one.”

“Isn’t it twenty-two if you do it in the style of Privato Kingdom?

Kyle was dumbfounded inwardly by the Emperor’s logic.

The age system of the Illide Empire was a little different from other kingdoms.

The nine months after birth were said to be protected by the Gods, so the age wasn’t counted, and it started from the tenth month. So, compared to some kingdoms, the age of the people of the Illide Empire was one or two years less.

However, the Emperor was now counting Kyle’s age in the Privato Kingdom style and the consensual age for marriage in the Empire style. To urge his marriage.

“Isn’t this the Illide Empire, Your Imperial Majesty?”

‘Moreover, didn’t Your Imperial Majesty marry one more time even after turning 40?’ were the words Kyle swallowed.

“Anyway, I’ll have to hurry up with the national marriage.”

Kyle’s eyebrows twitched at the Emperor’s words.

“Your Imperial Majesty, it’s okay to proceed with the marriage gradually. Besides, I don’t have an engaged partner, so who are you going to push me with?”

The Emperor continued.

“Since the Saintess has passed the adulthood, isn’t old enough to get married?”

“…”

“If you hesitate, and a certain family’s son steals the heart of the Saintess… Hmm, anyway, I’ve always thought that the Saintess would be the right match for you.”

Among the saintesses of the past, most of them who got married had been married to noble families rather than to the Imperial Family. The previous saintess had also married the Rockford family.

“Even though I woke up from the bed, you never know when I might get sick again.”

As if the Emperor was having a hard time, he grabbed his waist and frowned.

“As expected, seeing you get married will put my mind at ease.”

Kyle rubbed his forehead. Then he said to the Emperor.

“It’s time for my swordsmanship training, then I’ll be going.”

The Emperor’s scolding was heard in the back of his head as he turned around.

“Kyle! It’s your duty as an heir to the Empire to marry and succeed the descendants. Think carefully about the reputation you will gain from marrying the Saintess.”

After leaving the Emperor’s room, Shane hurriedly removed his ear from the other side of the door and followed Kyle. Then he started talking.

“As soon as His Imperial Majesty wakes up, he’s pressuring Your Highness and the Saintess to pursue a national marriage.”

Kyle walked silently.

“Especially after hearing that she bravely defeated even a fake saintess this time… We need a wise crown princess to hold on to the Crown Prince.”

“…”

“Hasn’t the Saintess gained a lot of fame from the people? If she becomes the crown princess, that honor will go to the Imperial Family too…”

“How annoying.”

At Kyle’s words, Shane sighed and hit himself in the chest.

“Anyway, if you need help winning the Saintess’ heart, please let me know. I’m good at dating, am I not?”

Kyle, who was walking, looked at Shane with a pitiful look and said,

“I know you’re no different from me when it comes to dating experience.”

At those words, Shane jumped up.

“Such nonsense. How popular I am with the young ladies. Unlike Your Highness, who sees women like stones…”

“As expected, it’s going to be a long talk because it’s getting to the point.”

Shane stared blankly at Kyle’s back as he said one word and walked away.

Then he hurried after Kyle.

“Your Highness! If you listen to my advice, it’s not even a huge job to captivate the Saintess!”

Kyle ignored Shane’s words and walked away.

As he walked through the long corridor, a vast garden appeared and the moonlight shone through. The cold blue moonlight reminded him of the color of certain eyes.

His lips softened slightly.

“…A duty.”

He had a subtle bitterness in his eyes.

It was in the middle of the night.

I flinched at the sound of thunder and lightning. What I saw in front of me was the familiar ceiling of my room and the chat windows that suddenly popped up.

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, urgently tells you to wake up.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, strikes lightning to wake you up.]

What is it?

I jumped out of bed.

There was a long shadow cast over me from the window side. A silver-haired man with the flash of lightning behind him. It was Diego Vester.

He stood there looking at me with his big purple eyes.

I threw a pillow at him. Then, he gathered the holy power in his hand.

“I’m not here to eat you, so don’t panic.”

I heard Diego’s relaxed voice.

“…”

I glared at him with wary eyes. In the hamster’s cage, Kyuu was immobilized and stiff as if it was under a spell.

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, blesses you.]

A tiger’s aura quickly surged through my body.

He was looking at me with interest.

“I just came to thank you, so there is no need for you to react so drastically.”

“How can I trust demons?”

“We were once colleagues, how disappointing.”

“Who are you saying is your colleague?!”

“If we help each other, we’re allies, aren’t we?”

He calmly sat down on a chair at the table, as if my room were his own home.

“I’ve also come to tell you the good news that the contract has ended, but don’t you want to hear it?”

I guessed that Diego would have dealt with Leto, who had lost his divine power and was weakened.

“That sounds like good news.”

“Thanks to the statue…”

A purple demon rose above his hand. A stronger force than before was felt in his body.

“I also ate away the mana inside. Father had accumulated a lot.”

“Have the taboos in your mouth been lifted now?”

Diego said that Leto had put a taboo curse on his mouth.

That’s why he couldn’t directly say that Leto was Raid and Camilla was Leto’s daughter.

‘Thanks to that, I also had a lot of trouble figuring out Camilla’s identity.’

“That’s right. It was so terrible to marry my sister or something like that, and it was obvious that Leto would tie even Camilla, a stupid puppet, to my hands and feet.”

Diego wrinkled his brows and shook his head. He didn’t seem to have any intention of attacking me.

A little relieved, I walked over to the table across from him and stood.

“I understand. Unfortunately…”

Of course, without completely loosening the guard, my hand was full of holy power.

“Camilla was taken by the God of Lies. She was completely out of my control.”

“I know. But I don’t think you need to worry too much.”

“If she ever come back with her strength back, she might be a nuisance.”

“The curse on Camilla’s heart is beyond the power of the God of Lies. She’s likely dead by now.”

Raid is a higher-ranking god than Bellatrix, and Diego’s curse is said to have been handed down from his father’s power.

‘Like Diego said, she may have already died.’

Still, I couldn’t be completely at ease.

I opened my mouth again.

“Anyway, now you have completely destroyed Leto and ascended to the position of the Demon King.”

Demon King. Hearing that word didn’t feel real. Is it because I just woke up? I don’t know if it’s because I don’t realize that the Demon King is in front of me.

“I hope you become a good demon king, more than Leto.”

I opened my mouth and said with an uninterested expression.

“A good demon king.”

Diego twitched his lips and smiled.

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, swallows his saliva, staring at Diego’s silver hair, red lips, and Adam’s apple.]

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, shakes Oman’s shoulders, telling him to come to his senses.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, is finally coming to his senses.]

“Yes. You have to become a good demon king. A good demon king… who peacefully rules the Demon Realm.”

For some reason, Diego’s eyes were creepy. To the point where I wonder if there is another meaning to ‘good’.

I remembered the arrows Diego had on his back the other day.

He must have had many enemies.

And while destroying the Demon King Leto, he pierced the hearts of countless enemies and returned them.

“Anyway, thanks to you, Leto lost his divinity  and I was able to defeat him more easily. That’s why I’m thinking of giving you a present.”

Then Diego looked at me and said.

“A gift?”

I tilted my head and looked at him.

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, lowers his guard a little at the word ‘gift’.]

[The God of Art, Mond, is curious about the ‘gift’.]

“Is it gold? Jewels?”

Treasures will be better…

“It’s nothing compared to that.”

Diego’s confident words made me wonder what gift he was talking about.

Soon he opened his mouth again.

“Through the bats that watched over Camilla, I watched you save the corrupt High Priest from prison.”

Were there bats?

Suddenly, an ominous feeling crossed my mind.

“The way you wielded the whip was nothing compared to that of any female noble in the world. It was just amazing.”

At his words, I jumped up from my seat.

“That confident attitude, and was it, ‘Obey the Queen’… The arrogant look made my heart skip a beat.”

My face soon became hot.

Shit.

“Why did you see that? It’s crazy!”

Regardless of my heated reaction, Diego made Magi float in his hand and pulled something out of it.

“I think that’s what you like. I prepared a gift with a powerful function called ‘The First Demon King’s Binding Tool’. My subordinates said you would probably like it.”

With a click, the handcuffs dangled from his hands.

Damn it, what is this!