Elvenheim begins to regain its peaceful appearance.
The queen and soldiers are busily searching for the injured, as well as any leftover monsters that might still be lurking around.
As the situation slowly wraps up, Hailey, however, is sweating bullets with a heart far from peaceful.
“….Where did you go…?”
Athena stares at Hailey with a cold expression.
“Say it again, Hailey.”
Lily asks with equally sticky eyes.
Their intense energy weighs heavily on the small elf, making her quite frightened.
“I… went on a date… with the Demon King…”
Hailey forces the words out, feeling trapped in her throat.
It was the last message left by Hera before she left with the Demon King.
– Hailey. If Athena and Lily come back, please tell them I’m on a date with the Demon King. Everything’s going fine, so tell them not to worry!
She was undoubtedly a precious hero who saved the nation, but Hailey couldn’t shake the feeling that Hera had left a ticking time bomb in her hands.
Just look in front of you.
Are those two not staring at her with burning eyes, as if they could incinerate her at any moment?
“….What about Mari?”
“She… said she was going to follow…”
“That’s a relief.”
Athena lets out a short sigh at Hailey’s words.
“You’re going to follow, right?”
Lily, with a wrinkled face, addresses Athena.
Looking at her, Athena responds with a serious gaze.
“Of course.”
With that, they both vanish from Hailey’s sight in the blink of an eye.
Thus, the four heroes who saved Elvenheim left without leaving a single trace behind.
*
Hmm. What should I say about this situation?
Yeah. I have no idea whether food is going into my mouth or my nose.
“How bold of you.”
The Demon King raises an eyebrow, looking at me as if I were an alien life form.
The candlelight creating an ambiance around us, the large table spread with a multitude of food.
Here I am, dining with the Demon King, the source of all evil, the root of calamity, the worst murderer known.
Fortunately, it seems the restaurant resembles a dining room, allowing me to eat without worrying too much about the surroundings.
Of course, I should have covered the Demon King’s horns with a tent when I entered… but surprisingly, that didn’t become an issue.
“To think you’d dare dine with the one everyone fears… I would love to open your head and see what’s inside.”
The Demon King speaks with a frighteningly casual tone while popping a piece of meat into her mouth.
It’s hard for me to adapt to this bizarre situation as well.
Having dinner alone with the Demon King?
Who would ever dare to imagine that?
If this were a novel, people would throw all sorts of criticism and complaints over such a ridiculous plot twist.
But this is my only path, having no power to stop her or the brilliant mind to restore peace.
I must win the Demon King’s favor somehow on this date.
[Seems like you’re doing well, my disciple.]
At the sound of my teacher’s comforting voice in my head, my eyes opened wide involuntarily.
‘S-Teacher. It seems things are going according to plan.’
[Yes. The atmosphere is nice, and the music is good. You’ve found quite a charming place. Truly my disciple.]
Her praise eased my anxiety a bit. At least it meant I hadn’t messed up so far.
‘Will it really turn out well..?’
[That depends on you. But don’t worry too much. I have never failed to charm anyone once. You will surely succeed too.]
Reassured by my teacher’s comforting words, my tense mind calmed down somewhat.
I hope things go just as my teacher said.
“Uhm. Are you daring to think about someone else while in front of me?”
“Y-Yes?!”
A sharp comment from the Demon King jolts me.
Even while talking to my teacher, I had been smiling on my face… how did she know?
[…I think you should stop the chatter and focus on her.]
‘…Okay.’
[You know what to do next, right?]
‘Of course. Just leave it to me.’
With my teacher’s words, I hardened my resolve again.
That’s right. The Demon King is my opponent.
The worst being that puts fear into everyone.
What I say will clearly have no effect at all.
“Is this all you called me for? I’m quite disappointed.”
The Demon King grumbles, looking at the piece of meat on her fork with indifference.
Before her mood could change, I hurriedly replied.
“Is the food not to your taste..?”
“To begin with, I don’t have a hobby for such trivial food.”
As the Demon King coldly states, I furrow my brow and put on the most sorrowful face I can muster.
“I… I’m sorry…! I worked hard to find something I thought you’d like…”
“…..Well. It’s not tasteless. But utterly boring.”
Of course.
I didn’t expect someone who only took pleasure in slaughtering every day to suddenly find interest in a meal.
This place is solely for me and her to spend some time together.
Calmly brushing my hair back behind my ear, I stood up and moved to sit beside the Demon King.
“What are you trying to do?”
The Demon King raises an eyebrow, intrigued by my unusual action.
With a slight blush on my face, I picked up my fork and pointed to her lips.
“Demon King. Open wide~”
“….What?”
The Demon King furrows her brows, clearly not understanding my actions.
“Because I want to feed you directly…”
Seeing her expression hardened, I lowered my gaze and spoke in a sweet voice.
“Is it unpleasant for you to spend time with me like this…?”
“…..You.”
The Demon King simply stares at me with a calm look, a single word escaping her lips.
In the brief silence that follows, the Demon King, who had been looking at me for some time, clicks her tongue and slightly parts her lips.
Taking my chance, I promptly shoved the meat into her mouth, and she closed it again to chew.
“Hehe… Please feed me too, Demon King.”
“…..Open your mouth.”
When I shyly opened my mouth, this time food entered my mouth.
I smiled brightly at the startled expression on the Demon King’s face, holding her hand tightly.
“It’s delicious, Demon King..! Thank you.”
“…..”
“This time I’ll feed you again..!”
And so we shared another bite together.
To anyone else, it might look like an affectionate couple feeding each other, right?
But for me, it was a terrifying time where I couldn’t afford to make even one mistake.
Even while feeding the Demon King now, I am so frightened she might grow tired of this and leave to start another massacre.
But I kept that fear completely hidden.
Smiling, I pressed even closer to the Demon King.
*
After finishing this terrifying yet somehow sweet meal date, I held the Demon King’s hand as we arrived at our next destination.
“Is this a play this time?”
“Yes!”
“Truly only silly things.”
“Hehe.. It’s the most popular play right now.”
Indeed.
Now I’m quietly watching a play with the Demon King.
This was an idea I proposed to my teacher, who thought it was a good idea as well.
A play. Comparable to a movie back on Earth.
It was one of the essential courses for a date that couldn’t be missed.
A lavish play unfolding in front of us, the lights completely dimmed, and my heart grows fonder in the darkness.
This might be the core of today’s operation.
I didn’t disclose the theme of the play for fun, so I don’t know the details exactly, but…
I heard it’s about a grand adventure where love sprouts between two individuals.
With rumors of it being fun spreading widely… success is highly likely.
“Demon King..! You need to hide your horns properly!”
As I noticed her horns starting to show, I hurriedly adjusted her hair to cover them.
This brought our faces quite close together.
I gave a bashful smile to the Demon King, who was staring at me intensely, and took her hand leading her into the theater.
And then, as time passed, the play began.
The final light illuminating the theater goes out, plunging the place into complete darkness as the stage curtain began to rise.
“Demon King. You need to listen closely and let me know afterward.”
As I warmly held the Demon King’s hand, who wore a nonchalant expression beside me, she shifted her gaze to the stage, not understanding my words.
Following her gaze, a spotlight lit the stage to reveal a girl with ash-colored hair stepping in.
‘….Hmm?’
There was a familiar feeling emanating from the girl.
Her physique, and most importantly, that too-familiar hair color.
As the girl climbed onto the stage, magical equipment glued to the ceiling started announcing.
– The final battle for peace. Can the girl Liliyana, who has staked her life, secure the peace of this world once and for all?
‘..Liliyana?’
Not to mention, the name of this character is incredibly familiar.
The girl drew her sword from its sheath and pointed it forward, shouting.
“Today, I will definitely kill you and bring peace to the Empire!”
From the direction her ash-colored hair was pointing, another figure emerged.
A woman who appeared quite mature. That woman, with red hair and protruding horns, loomed ominously.
Instinctively, I felt something was terribly wrong.
‘Wait… is this play really…’
“Are you daring to challenge me?”
The red-haired woman on stage spoke, prompting the ash-haired girl to smile back challengingly.
“Prepare yourself, Demon King. I, the holy sword’s warrior, Liliyana, will defeat you!”
Thud
My heart dropped to my feet.
As I desperately tried to turn my head, there she was—looking at the stage with an expression that was quite different, showing quite the interest.
The woman who had just appeared on stage, with the same hair color, but a far grander set of horns—my true Demon King.
‘No… wait, they said it was an adventurous tale of love sprouting between a man and a woman?’
The Demon King, grinning wickedly while watching the play, turned to me and spoke.
“I’ll correct that. This seems quite interesting.”
‘This… this is bad.’
I could only gaze at her with trembling eyes.
Teacher.
Please save me.
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