[CHAPTER 85]
As soon as I returned home, Sian barged straight into my room.
I thought he would either change his clothes first, or tell me to change and come to him afterward.
But seeing him still wearing the clothes from the party, he must have been in quite a hurry.
He even asked a mage to use teleportation magic on the way back… Is it really that urgent?
Standing inside the guest room, Sian dismissed the servants inside and even called the butler, firmly instructing him to make sure no one came near this room.
Once all signs of people disappeared, silence settled in all directions.
Seeing that serious expression on his face made me feel tense for no reason at all.
…I think I more or less know what he wants to say.
The conversation Sian and I had been having before Karin brought the party invitation.
Is there a reason why the demons of the demon realm must find me and take me back?
I still had not answered that question.
Or rather, it would be more accurate to say I could not answer it.
After Karin showed up and cut the conversation short, we never got the chance to talk about it again, so Sian must have been feeling frustrated in his own way.
On top of that, another demon showed up today.
The fact that it specifically targeted the party made it highly likely that its purpose was to find me.
I did not know which demon it was, but if it was Sian who faced it directly, he might have learned at least its objective during their confrontation.
“Jerena.”
“Y, yes?”
Sian suddenly broke the silence and called my name.
Lost deep in thought, I flinched and ended up stammering.
There was no reason to be this startled.
I really looked like someone with a guilty conscience.
As I awkwardly tried to compose my expression, I noticed Sian giving an equally awkward smile.
Ah, this atmosphere is really…
It was rare for things to feel like this when I was with Sian.
Feeling uncomfortable, I cleared my throat and opened my mouth.
“You said you had something to tell me, right?”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Do you remember the conversation we had before?”
“Yes.”
“…The demon who came today said that if I just let them take you, nothing else would happen.”
I lowered my gaze and quietly waited for his next words.
Sian seemed to study my expression for a moment before continuing.
“Of course, I refused.”
“I see.”
It was exactly what I had expected from the moment I heard the story.
If Sian had not refused and had chosen to hand me over, there was no way I would be standing here perfectly fine right now.
“I judged that further conversation was pointless and defeated him in battle, but something he said before he vanished keeps bothering me.”
“What did he say?”
“…‘I will not be the end.’”
“What?”
“He said that if I refused, a demon stronger than himself would come, and if I refused again, an even stronger one would come after that.”
“He said that anyone who wanted to become the next Demon King would come for you.”
I froze.
The casual motion of brushing my hair back stopped completely.
Ah, it was already too late.
At that moment, only one thought filled my mind.
So it’s finally come.
I still could not find the right answer to give Sian.
Logically, the best thing for me was to whisper the lies I had been telling him all along.
I knew far too well that it was the safest option for me.
But still…
I don’t want to lie anymore.
When did I start wanting to be honest with Sian?
When I prepared myself to die?
When I asked him to smile even in the next life?
Maybe it was even earlier than that.
“This time, please give me a proper answer.”
Sian was unusually firm.
It meant that he did not seem willing to let me brush this off vaguely.
“Jerena, if you were simply a human who became a demon, as I believed, the other demons would not be searching for you this desperately.”
Even without a response from me, Sian continued speaking in a calm voice.
“Who are you, exactly?”
“Who are you that the demons are so obsessed with dragging you back to the demon realm?”
My lips trembled.
I opened my mouth again and again, trying to say something, but not a single word came out.
“Jerena.”
Sian called my name once more.
I flinched, thinking he was pressing me, but at the same time, a warm sensation reached my hand.
“No matter what you are, I will protect you.”
“I swore that I would.”
“So please do not be so tense.”
At some point, my clenched fist had turned deathly pale.
Perhaps because the blood was not circulating, my fingertips were ice cold.
Sian seemed to be trying to share his warmth with me to warm my hand.
“Please tell me honestly.”
“Only then—”
Dragging out his words, he stepped closer and placed my hand against his chest.
Thump, thump.
The pleasant pounding of his heartbeat was clearly felt even through the fabric of his clothes.
Lowering his voice, Sian spoke again.
“Only then can I protect you, no matter what happens.”
Sian’s gaze sank low.
His deep black eyes were steadfast, without a trace of falsehood.
“I am…”
“I am the Demon King.”
My voice shook miserably as the words left my mouth.
I had to put tremendous effort into forcing out each word.
“I never intended to deceive you from the beginning.”
“I just… I just didn’t have bad intentions.”
“Ah…”
I lowered my head completely.
I did not have the courage to look Sian in the face.
What kind of expression was he making right now?
Was he shocked, or angry?
Did he despise me?
Was he trembling with betrayal because I had deceived him?
Either way, choosing honesty without finding a proper excuse already felt like the end.
I thought that I might never be able to face Sian again in this lifetime.
Once that thought reached me, I almost regretted being honest at all.
I could feel the hand Sian was holding trembling.
At least he had not let go, which was something, I supposed.
I was terrified.
“I’m sorry.”
“It probably sounds like an excuse, but I really didn’t mean to.”
“It’s just that the situation… my situation…”
“Jerena.”
My rambling voice was shaking uncontrollably, even to my own ears, until Sian finally spoke again.
Like a frightened child who had done something wrong.
“Jerena, calm down.”
“I really…”
Panicking, my mouth would not stop pouring out excuses.
Even across all my past iterations, I had never babbled like this before.
I was surprised by myself.
My nonstop rambling only stopped when Sian pulled me into his arms.
“It’s okay.”
“So calm down.”
“Take a deep breath.”
…
That familiar scent washed over me.
The same comforting scent Sian always had.
Only then did I manage to pull myself together and truly hear his voice.
Sian’s voice was no different from when he had asked me for an answer earlier.
It was full of gentleness.
I cautiously lifted my head from where it was buried against his chest and looked at Sian.
Judging by his voice, I thought that even if he was not angry, he must have been at least surprised.
However, Sian’s face was unbelievably calm.
He even looked a little dazed, like someone who had just woken up from sleep.
How could he look that calm after learning that the person he was protecting was the Demon King?
Not even shocked?
It felt impossible…
With a hesitant heart, I carefully asked him.
“Sian, did you… know?”
“I did not.”
“Then why…”
Why are you not shocked or angry?
I deceived you.
My reflection was visible in his black eyes.
I look like a mess.
A terrified expression, on the verge of tears.
It was a face I had never seen even once since possessing this body.
Why did I look like this?
Was I really that afraid of Sian being angry at me?
Pretending not to be the Demon King, pretending to be human.
This was not the first time I had lied like that.
There were more timelines where I deceived others than ones where I did not.
So why, this time…
“I’m sorry.”
Sian’s eyes trembled slightly.
Tears were flowing down the face reflected in his eyes.
“It’s okay, Jerena.”
Sian wrapped me fully in his arms.
I closed my eyes.
The pleasant sound of his heartbeat continued to echo by my ear.
