Volume 7 Chapter 2 Part 12
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Translation by burnt.marshmallows
Editing by Team Foxsunes
「Please do not say that. It is not like I am asking him to stay with us for the rest of eternity. I would just like to return the favour for the child who made the effort to help me……」
「I never had the intention to look out for him for the rest of eternity to begin with. I would never. There’s a problem even before that. You say that it won’t be an eternity, but if so then when? What would you do if we weren’t able to care for him and had to get rid of him halfway through? Do we just throw him out? 」
「I would never do that. Even without your worrying, I already planned to take care of him myself, with all future expectations in mind.」
「You can say anything when its just lip-service.」
「I don’t intend for it to be just lip-service.」
As of now, I could already predict one of the people who would become one of the「future expectations」that I’d have to face……., no. Putting that aside, for some reason this conversation reminded me of that. It resembled how a parent would scold a child when a child would pick up a stray dog, asking them to 「Put it back where it came from!」. Although, we weren’t supposed to be parent and child, but husband and wife. But maybe that was just my own misunderstanding. I would think that being treated like a child, while our child was in my belly was a bit too terrible.
In the first place, Noct wasn’t a puppy, but an individual person. Noct had a mind of his own, so we didn’t have the right to argue as if we were talking about a dog or cat. That man had the right to make the final decision, but Noct still had the right to choose whether he wanted to stay.
「We haven’t heard what that child intends to do. He might even turn me down. But if that child says that he wants to stay in this mansion, I would like to reciprocate his feelings. Edi, is there really no way for us to do that?」
I glanced up, staring right up at that man’s outrageously handsome face. As I continued to stare straight at him, his left eye started to squint. One could see the scar that was drawn below his eye, but that man’s beauty was not the least bit tainted.
「Why are you so fixated on a child you’ve just met?」
He spoke in a voice that was far more troubled than I had expected. He placed his hand on my cheek as I gulped. He bent his neck, and placed his forehead on mine, before continuing.
「If you just want a child, you already have one in your belly. What are you trying to do, making trouble for yourself taking care of someone else. Moreover, it might have been fine if it were a normal child. But that is a being of demon descent. Especially at a time like this, there shouldn’t be a reason for you to be involved in troublesome stuff like this.」
He came close and stared straight into my eyes, as if to tell me how he really couldn’t comprehend my actions. Those warm hands of his traced the lines of my cheeks. I placed my own hand on top of his and softly whisper: 「Because」
「I know that you’ll hate it even more if I say this. But that child kind of resembles you from the past. 」
When I tried saying it out loud, I yet again convinced myself that that really was the case. Noct had reminded me of that man when we had just met a countless number of times. It wasn’t just their beautiful looks despite being too skinny or their unchanging expressions. It was that strong glow of loneliness that they harboured in their eyes, despite rejecting everyone around them.
It was that man’s turn to take a gulp. He opened his eyes wide and took a step away from me. Still bewildered, he pressed his forehead back on mine and let out a deep sigh. Even his unpleasant habits were picturesque. He really was a thoroughly unpleasant man.
「…….Are you planning to pick up and take care of anyone who’s similar to me?」
「I don’t mean that…….」
「Think about our positions. If those around us find out that we were sheltering a demon, it’ll cause an unimaginably big commotion you know.」
「That’s, true, but」
It was painfully true. I had no way to argue back. If rumor spreads that the Royal Palace’s Head Magician, one of the heroes who saved the world by defeating the Demon Lord, had begun living with a demon, one couldn’t begin to imagine what would happen. But, even so, I just couldn’t come to terms with it.
「Why is it bad to shelter a demon?」
The moment I asked the question, that man opened his sunrise colored eyes wide, something he seldom did. I continued to stare at his face, with an expression that almost seemed to say that I had just said something he never expected to hear.
If we say that what we think of as terrifying might not always be what really is terrifying, then doesn’t it mean that Noct, even if he is a demon, might not truly be something terrifying? We should exclude him just because he’s a demon. I refuse to acknowledge a reason like that. It’s the same as how I refuse to acknowledge that we should avoid someone just because he is Pure Black.
「…….Demons, are beings that bring harm to humans. You also understand that that’s the unspoken understanding too right?」
「Yes, you’re right. I know that demons are beings that are perceived that way. But, but Edi」
「What」
Demons are the enemies of humanity. I’ve repeated myself a countless number of times, but that is the absolute, unspoken law that has endured since ancient times. So if we were to shelter Noct, a demon, then would that man too become an enemy of humanity? If so, then he would truly become an existence befitting of being called the second demon lord, just as His HIghness Prince Klanven once said. Will I accidentally make this man a demon lord? That was no joke. But even so.
「Even so, I just cannot see that child being someone who would hurt anyone.」
Being greedy despite the circumstances, I was hung up on not only that man, but also Young Noct. For some mysterious reason, I just could not imagine that young boy hurting anyone. If not, how would I dare to say that he resembled this man?
Filled with those emotions, I first trembled. As he slowly closed his eyes, with his long, thick, pitch black eyelashes, he sighed three times.
「That’s enough. All that’s left is to ask the person in question directly.」
The moment that man said that, the door opened from behind him opened with a bang. That man looked over his shoulder, and I followed suit by facing the same direction. Seeing the person who stood there, I forgot all the internal conflict that I had felt, and I could feel myself break into a smile.
Unable to contain my energy, I went past that man and jogged towards Noct, who had entered the room, accompanying my wet nurse.
「Oh my! It fits you perfectly. It really does suit you well. It’s great that there seems to be no problem with your tail. Thank you Suzette.」
You could barely recognize Noct. His hairstyle remained the same as how I arranged it just now, tied up nicely with the golden yellow ribbon. But what changed dramatically was his clothing.
Noct had shed those ragged clothes, and was instead wearing a white shirt with a light-colored vest over it. Be it the vest, or those pants made of the same material, both suit him very well. The cravat [1. TL Note: A “cravat” is any cloth that you tie around your neck for decorative purposes] that wrapped around his neck also really did its job by concealing the collar-like choker that he wore around his neck. With this, he looked just like the son of a well-to-do family, if only he lost those ears and tails. Actually, those beast-like ears and tail were also part of his charm. Cute. Very adorable.
Although the person-in-question was expressionless, one could somehow see that he was emitting an aura of stiffness. But at the same time, the vibe he gave was as if he were playing the role of a handsome, yet depressed man. I guess if I had to sum it up in a single phrase, it would just be that it was an amazing sight. There was no doubt that it would become perfect if only he put on some more weight.
「It is very nice. You look just like a prince.」
「Yes, Young Madam. Even I feel like giving myself a pat on the back for putting this together. But anyway, I will be taking my leave now, please take your time talking to each other. 」
Take as much time as you want. Leaving us with that, my wet nurse left with a single bow and left the three of us in that room. That man turned around. Noct’s shoulders trembled in shock.
「You’re Noct right. Do you want to stay in this mansion?」
As that man asked in a low voice, Noct started shivering again in fear. Nervously, Noct’s yellow eyes shifted left and right. Even so, he somehow managed to nod. In a terribly soft voice, rather hesitantly, he managed to spout out:「I would like, to stay here.」
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