Chapter: 172
Lian floated in the water with a dazed expression, wondering,
“How did things end up like this?”
As he lazily looked around, he noticed the pure white steam clouding the space. The bathroom, reserved only for the Demon King, was elegant and luxurious.
The crystal candle holder shimmered with magically created light, while a statue of a woman pouring from a large jug spilled hot water. The sound of the flowing water made Lian’s already fuzzy brain even fuzzier.
The ceiling of the bathroom was adorned with lavish paintings that, even to someone like him, who wasn’t well-versed in art, seemed extraordinary.
The bathtub sat in the center, carved with delicate patterns that seemed fit only for those of noble lineage. Floating inside was a Black Slime.
“I just wanted to help a little…” Lian, who had transformed into Slime, thought blankly about his past.
The first memory that came to mind was the chaotic Meeting Room, filled with sprawled-out figures in black robes and the Demon King’s dazed face.
At that moment, Lian had wanted to convey to the Demon King that he wasn’t an enemy.
While Lian simply raised a metal ladle to help the Demon King, from the Demon King’s perspective, it must have looked like an invisible being was launching unseen attacks, sweeping away allies. Naturally, she’d feel fear or anger at this strange intruder.
Unlike when he was attacking, his weakened spiritual power meant he couldn’t write words to convey his thoughts.
Desperate, he dropped a white flower from a nearby vase in front of the Demon King to show he meant no harm.
Though it was akin to waving a white flag, it seemed to mean something entirely different to the Demon King, who took the fallen flower in her hands, tears streaming down her face.
Seeing her like that reminded him of Iris and Jess he had left back home, deepening his emotional attachment.
From that day forward, Lian began to drift around the Demon King, dealing with anyone who dared to bully her using his metal ladle. You might think, “Who could possibly bully the Demon King?” but after spending all day keeping a close eye, he started noticing things he hadn’t before.
What he initially thought were “accidental” actions by the servants turned out to be intentional. Little things, like purposely handing the Demon King a chipped cup, forcing her to drink bitter tea, or providing her with slightly damp towels — low-quality harassment that was now all too clear.
[ “Are they just begging to die…?” ]
At first, he just thought they were foolish servants flailing around to meet their end. But the Demon King neither scolded nor punished them, simply letting it all happen as if it were entirely normal.
Curious, Lian followed the servants and discovered they were connected to the group in black robes.
They were endlessly tormenting the Demon King from the shadows.
[ Oh ho… Looks like they need a little more pressure. ]
This was more than enough reason for Lian to wield his ladle again.
Strangely, every time he aimed to help the Demon King, his powers grew stronger, making it easy to smack the heads of those jester-like figures in black.
The tremendous power he gained while struggling to flip through books became addictive, and he started not only feeling sympathy, but also the thrill of whacking heads for his own enjoyment.
After about a week of this, the servants stopped touching the Demon King’s belongings or acting like pests out of fear, even distancing themselves.
At some point, the black-robed figures mistook Lian for “That Person,” burying their heads in shame and apologizing repeatedly.
By this time, the Demon King had also become aware that there was a guardian angel-like presence floating around her.
“…Is anyone there?”
A trembling voice echoed in the air. Lian had no intention of revealing himself. He thought there was a final boss out there, and given that they could easily become enemies, he preferred to keep things low-key.
“Daddy…?”
With just these words, the Demon King lightly shook Lian’s heart. Reflecting on his affectionately fatherly thoughts toward Iris, it was clear to see something.
He had never married or had children, yet he was overflowing with paternal instinct. Having spent so long sustaining his mother in the comedic world, he was particularly soft on fragile beings, especially if they were beautiful.
[ Ugh… I shouldn’t be feeling this way..! ]
Lian couldn’t ignore the Demon King’s pleading gaze filled with hope as she desperately searched for her father.
Ultimately, he took the white flower the Demon King had brought back from the Meeting Room and placed it before her.
“…”
The Demon King stared silently at the flower before her, tears falling silently that made the viewer’s heart ache even more.
Once she was confident that this unknown presence was around her, she stopped crying and harming herself.
Instead, she began to check every day to see if Lian was by her side.
“Are you here?”
“Are you beside me?”
Despite her indifferent expression, Lian couldn’t ignore the loneliness seeping from her voice. He would animate an old doll rolling around in her room to snuggle with her, or would offer her a handkerchief whenever she looked like she might cry, subtly letting her know that he was with her.
At first, he worried that she might mistake him for her father, but given that she called him “Angel” it seemed she understood he wasn’t the dad type.
[ “But calling the Demon King an angel… Isn’t that an insult?” ]
Lian was becoming so accustomed to the Demon King that whimsical thoughts began to race through his mind.
As the Demon King’s mental state stabilized, Lian started to feel more anxious. He worried about his companions in the Empire and felt uneasy due to the lack of information regarding the final boss.
But whenever he considered leaving the Demon King’s side to focus on gathering information, he hesitated; each time he departed, the Demon King displayed extreme anxiety, making it hard for him to leave.
[ “What on earth happened to you?” ]
It was a being that naturally commanded superiority, born a predator, with an aura of arrogance and charisma.
That was just the type of existence she was; her personality was neither weak nor shy.
As time spent with her grew, Lian began collecting all sorts of questions about who she truly was.
What kind of past had led her to the point of self-harm?
Those questions became clearer just a few days later.
With no choice but to remain by her side, he often rummaged through the Demon King’s stuff piling up in the room. Reading books or picking items up and putting them back became Lian’s normal activities, bringing the Demon King some reassurance as he busied himself.
[ Wow, there’s so much interesting stuff around. ]
The things Lian rummaged through were, in fact, bribes disguised as gifts given to the Demon King by the Demon Race. The demons thought that she was too proud to even glance at anything that wasn’t valuable.
And this resulted in a horde of various items piling up.
While exploring the many treasures, Lian discovered an object that resembled a Communication Device.
[ …! ]
He thought it might actually be a real communication device and lifted it up. However, his weak powers caused it to slip from his grip, rolling down to the Demon King’s feet.
Chasing after it like a cat after a ball of yarn, Lian reached out instinctively as the Demon King picked it up.
Buzz…
[ …Gah! ]
In that moment, his vision spun, and he found himself in an unusual scene.
A red carpet sprawled on the floor, a lavish throne up the stairs — the King’s Hall he’d seen multiple times while following the Demon King lay right before his eyes.
Panicking, Lian tried to look around; however, no matter how hard he tried to move, his head wouldn’t turn.
“Ha, ha ha! Hahaha!”
At that moment, a crazed laugh echoed throughout the hall. His fixed gaze landed on the figure standing before the throne.
“Gah…! Isn’t that the original Demon King?”
Someone had painted their face black as if covered in paint, but their outfit was so distinctive he recognized them immediately.
“What on earth…?”
Just at that moment, a familiar voice of the Demon King pierced his ears, freezing him in place. In no time, he realized she was the one standing before him.
“Then this must be… the Demon King’s memory?”
Before he could fully grasp the situation, the trembling voice of the Demon King rang out.
“You said you wanted to speak with the Hero to create a world where demons and humans no longer fight. So why…?”
A white hand momentarily blocked his view, as if she was trying to wipe away an unfathomable situation.
“Why did you kill the Hero!?”
With a mix of anger and betrayal, her voice addressed the insane laughter of the previous Demon King. The previous Demon King, who was chuckling, turned to her and spoke.
“It was a necessary action to break free from the restraints.”
“What do you mean…”
Clack, clack.
Slowly descending the stairs, the previous Demon King grabbed her shoulder and said,
“Alright, it’s time to tell you why the battle between the Hero and the Demon King repeats endlessly — … cough!”
He couldn’t finish his sentence before suddenly vomiting blood.
“D…Dad?”
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