Chapter 35: To be a Demon King, part 6
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
Seeing that it was only a mistake on Lyla’s part, I breathed a sigh of relief.
「I’m glad it was nothing serious.」
「Actually, that was our dinner two days ago.」
「Huh. I’m perfectly fine though.」
「I don’t understand what happened. We both ate the same thing but only I fell sick… did I accidentally create something that only wrecks demons’ stomachs…?」
「I don’t think so. I intentionally developed immunity to a reasonable amount of poison. That’s all.」
「Oh, I see! That’s great, then!」, Lyla laughed before suddenly becoming serious. 「My food was poisonous…!」, she exclaimed, trembling.
「Your dishes are nutritious, so I have no complaints. But I certainly got lucky — if it had been anyone without poison immunity, they would’ve died.」
Thank goodness she hadn’t tried to cook those specific dishes when Milia and the branch chief came over.
Lyla punched me in the gut with all her strength…
「Ow –!」
…but it was her fist that got hurt.
「Were you afraid that I would hate you because of this?」
She nodded wordlessly.
「Not even I am perfect… I’m sure to screw up some of my dishes even after this…」
I was well aware of Lyla’s trial-and-error culinary ventures. When she went shopping, she would ask the vendors for advice on how to use certain ingredients. Unbeknownst to her, I also knew that she kept a notebook on her culinary endeavours.
Unfortunately, her efforts had yet to bear fruit. She had claimed that cooking was simply a pastime at first, but recently began to seek my opinion on her dishes.
Her efforts won’t go unrewarded.
「I’m immune to poison after all, so don’t worry. If you want to continue cooking, then by all means, go ahead.」
「Mm…」
Her expression matched her feelings. Bringing my face closer to hers, our lips brushed together. She placed her hand on my neck, as if to indicate that she wanted more.
「What the…」
Rodje was peeking in from a crack in the door. Her eyes were expressionless, but the gnashing of her teeth gave her true feelings away.
「Her Majesty’s hand-cooked meals are poisonous for that human… and yet, they’re kissing!? For the exceedingly charismatic, beautiful and intelligent Demon King, nicknamed the ‘Rose of the Demon Realm’ and almighty commander of an entire army, to be doing such a thing… I can’t believe it! No way no way no way no way!!」
One sentence was clear among her furious muttering —
「I’ll kill that human even if it costs me my life…」
Rodje’s death would sadden the compassionate Lyla, but it’s not like she can kill me, so it’s fine.
Just as I was wondering where she had disappeared to, the door flew open and she barged into the room wielding a blunt, dirty hatchet.
「To call her Majesty’s cooking poison, do you have no shame? How do her Majesty’s lips taste, human…?」
「Ro-Rodje, stop it.」
「Please don’t hold me back, your Majesty. That human sullied your beautiful lips with his own!」
「Th-That was me!」
Indeed, it was. Rodje halted for a moment, while Lyla covered her face with her hands.
「I wanted it, so I asked for it, as always. Like an animal in h — wait, what am I saying? Anyway, cu-cut it out.」
「As far as I remember, her lust has always been profound」, I added while thinking about it.
「Sh-Shut up, d-don’t tell her that!」
「Her sex drive can be likened to that of a ‘Demon King’.」
「I told you to shut up in front of her! You’re putting me in a tight spot here!!」, wailed Lyla, hitting me again and again.
Rodje dropped her hatchet with a clang. Covering her eyes, she took a few steps backward.
「An aura of bliss — my eyes, they’re…!」
At that moment, the doctor returned. She told us she gathered herbs that could only be found in our realm and made them into medicine, and that we could return anytime. We also received homemade digestives from her.
「Thank goodness your Majesty is well. When I came to escort you, I was so concerned about your stomach…」
「Eh!? Ye-Yes, indeed!」
「But your Majesty has become a woman… wh-what came over you…!?」, cried Rodje, weeping with both hands on the floor even though they had been covering her eyes only a second ago.
Leaving the dark elf to wallow in her self-imposed misery, Lyla and I left the infirmary.
「So even you were concerned about me. I see, I see…」
Lyla smiled, then grinned, then laughed, making many amusing expressions.
Despite returning to the demon realm periodically, it seemed that the medic mainly brewed medicine on the island. Setting up a ‘Gate’ at the entrance, I linked it up to the area where I had defeated Deracles. After that, we went home, where I established another ‘Gate’ that led straight to the barracks.
「Now we can access her services anytime. If there’s anything wrong with you, just say so」, I said, knowing that the magic-less Lyla couldn’t make the jump herself.
「That’s great, thanks.」
Having gone missing from work for an entire day, I had to apologise to Iris later on.
「The doctor’s diagnosis was completely different from what I expected…」
「…Hm?」
Lyla couldn’t stop fidgeting. She trailed off, despite having started the dialogue.
「So what did you think it was?」
「It involves our future…」
I decided not to rush her, and patiently waited for her to continue.
「If I got p-pregnant… what would you do…?」
「Huh?」
I had not seen that coming.
「Yes… what if I came to bear your child? What do yo-you think…?」
「Pregnant? Bearing my child?」
She quickly nodded multiple times, then hugged me tightly.
「Y-You’re the only one I’ve ever… d-done it with…」
Right, I said. I suddenly thought of Milia’s family — the ‘normal family’ I had envisioned myself having.
Her father had raised her, and so had her mother, after giving birth to her. To have children and raise them seems like ‘normal’ business for a family.
To achieve that for myself, I would have to cross that bridge sooner or later.
Since we had sex frequently, it was only a matter of time before we had to confront this issue, even if it surprised me.
「I’m still a long way from what others might consider to be ‘normal’… but when the time comes, we’ll walk down the road to a ‘normal’ life together.」
Lyla nodded in understanding. This might be why Rodje had been so concerned about — she’d probably mistaken Lyla’s stomachache, fever and lethargy as signs of pregnancy.
A certain feeling welled up in me when I looked at Lyla — not ‘warmth’, but close to it. I’ll ask Milia about it tomorrow.
「How about you, Lyla? What do you think?」
She went beet red.
「I thought about it while lying in bed… and I was happy. Thinking of having your child inside me… I don’t know why, but it made me tear up…」
Fresh tears welled up in her bloodshot eyes.
Embracing her delicate figure, I noticed the light aroma of her hair. As she rested a hand on my neck as she had done in the infirmary, we kissed for a long, long time.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the ‘Gate’ glow. Rodje stepped out with a subordinate she had probably used to make the jump for her.
「Your Majesty ♪」
Once again, her eyes were devoid of expression.
「Where did you think you could go… after leaving me…?」
Making a cat-like shriek, Lyla jumped away from me.
「You again… snuffing out the radiance of her Majesty’s lips with your filthy mouth…」
「Uh… ahem. Rodje, are you not going back?」
「I will, but I plan to check on your Majesty once in a while!」
In stark contrast to the revitalised elf, Lyla looked rather troubled.
「I apologise for my impudence, your Majesty, but I, Rodje Sandsong, wish to try your cooking as well!」, Rodje said, with her eyes full of determination.
「Oh, I see! Is that what you came to say, Rodje…?」
「Your Majesty…!」
What a nice exchange between master and servant. No deaths involved too.
「I don’t mind you coming to visit, but dark elves like you stand out more than demons, you know?」
「Dark elf…? Fufu, ahahaha, oh yeah. Rodje’s a dark elf, right」, she laughed.
「What’s wrong?」, asked Lyla.
「That habit of yours will cause more trouble than it’s worth, Rodje.」
「Fine.」
From head to toe, including her irises and her skin tone, the elf changed in colour, essentially becoming a shiny Rodje. Her hair became bright green, her pupils the colour of honey and her skin white as snow.
「Look, a regular elf.」
「Mm. Yeah. Rodje’s a strange one. Using magic, she made her appearance match that of a dark elf’s in order to not be looked down upon in my army.」
「Indeed. I’ll show her Majesty my real appearance once in a while, and she’ll take care of me.」
「Suit yourself.」
「Rodje, I’m no longer the Demon King.」
「Hmm… may I call you Lylael-sama, then?」
「Mm, I’m fine with that.」
And that’s how our life went back to normal.
— Just so you know, Rodje almost died after trying Lyla’s cooking.
She lay there, just barely hanging on.
「Don’t force yourself.」
「Leave me be…! This is proof of my loyalty…!」
Her bravado exhausted, she peacefully drifted off into unconsciousness.
…This happened as she was about to take her second bite.
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