TSMFTDG 19

TSMFTDG

Posted by george, Released on October 26, 2025

Episode 19

After a quick shower, I headed to the dining room, where Lian was already waiting for me.

The adorable image from this morning was gone, and he was back to his usual self—which was a little disappointing.

…Wait, something’s different.

Even after sitting down, I kept studying him until I finally figured it out—and burst out laughing.

He usually wore white, but today he was dressed entirely in black.
Was it because I mentioned his white clothes earlier?

“What am I going to do with you?” I said, laughing.

Lian blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I really like you. More and more with every passing second.”

“… Cough!”

He choked on his water, almost spitting it out, and dabbed his mouth with a napkin. Even that was cute.

“You should be used to it by now, shouldn’t you? We’ve already slept together, after all.”

Lian’s head snapped around, checking to make sure no one was listening.
“Stop saying things that people might misunderstand.”

“What if they misunderstand? The person involved is you.”

“…”

He didn’t even try to reply this time. His silence just made me smile wider as I picked up my utensils.

Even though I’d slept well and felt great today, my appetite still hadn’t returned.

But skipping meals completely might actually kill me.

…Since when was eating this difficult?

It was frustrating not knowing what was wrong.

Nibbling on some greens, I glanced at him.
“Is the five-meter rule flexible? Like last time—if I ask permission?”

“Only if it’s truly unavoidable.”

“Hmm…”

How could I make an ‘unavoidable situation’? Maybe like last time, when he got hurt and I treated him?

If it wasn’t something like that, he gave me no opening to get close at all.

“But even with permission, if you keep this distance, I can’t touch you.”

“…”

“Don’t you think that’s unfair to me?”

Honestly, a one-meter distance would at least let me hold his hand—or see his face up close.

I held my fork, giving him a mischievous, sparkling look.
“Can I sit next to you?”

“No.”

The refusal was instantaneous. He didn’t even glance at me, just kept eating calmly.

“Then can I visit your room tonight?”

“No.”

Again, not a second of hesitation. I slammed my fork down in irritation.

“Fine, forget sitting next to you. But I can’t even visit your room? What about us sleeping together this morning, then?!”

“Keep your voice down…! And don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning.”

“W–what plan?”

I stammered slightly—how uncharacteristic of me.

…He couldn’t have figured me out already, could he?

“You’ll pretend to be drunk and sleepy again, then sneak into my bed. I can see right through you.”

“…Wow, you’re sharp.”

Sharp, my ass. Did he really think I’d just sleep beside him?
I was planning to act drunk and pounce on him like a beast.

Guess he’d already forgotten how he was the one who pounced earlier. Otherwise, how could he believe I’d just quietly sleep next to him?

“It was nice though, sleeping beside you. I slept really well.”

“That’s enough. Just finish your meal.”

Unbelievable. Does he really see me as some innocent saint?

Blinking, I picked my fork back up and shoved another leaf into my mouth.

“Come to think of it,” he said, watching me, “you always eat just vegetables. Are you vegetarian?”

“Are you insane? How could anyone live on greens alone? I love greasy, meaty food that fills my body—and flour and I are soulmates!”

I exploded, venting all my pent-up frustration about food at him without meaning to.

Given that I’d half stood up while yelling, I must have been really stressed.

“…Sorry.”

I muttered and awkwardly sat back down. He looked slightly startled, eyes wide.

“Is there a reason you’re not eating properly?”

“No… I just don’t have an appetite. Haven’t had one lately.”

Because of that, the royal chef had been going wild, making all kinds of elaborate dishes to tempt me.

The table was filled with rare delicacies I’d never even heard of before.

It felt nice watching Lian enjoy them, but… the problem was, I couldn’t.

“You eat a lot, though. That’s enough for me.”

“…”

I smiled softly and took another bite of my tasteless greens.

God, this is awful.

❖ ❖ ❖

As soon as breakfast ended, Lian went to the training grounds.
How could he practice every single day without fail?

When I tried to follow to watch him train, he strongly refused.

If I came, he said, he wouldn’t even look at me.
Such a cute little threat.

“Why’s he gotta threaten me like that…?” I grumbled. “Guess I’ll just let him have his way.”

After watching the tall ice barrier for a moment, I decided to move my body a bit and went for a walk.

Before I knew it, I’d ended up in front of the annex.

“So this is the annex.”

In the game, Rehel never once showed himself here.
Even though he personally took in the children, he never visited them.

The reason was simple—he was afraid they’d be scared of him.

“Your Majesty! What brings you here?”
One of the monsters managing the annex bowed politely, holding a basin of water.

“I just came to look around for a bit. Don’t mind me—go on with your work.”

“Would you like to go inside? The children would be delighted to know the Demon Lord came to visit.”

I hesitated, then shook my head.

“No. I’d rather be alone for now. You may go.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Once the creature went inside, I exhaled and looked up at the building.

It was much larger and cleaner than I expected—almost new-looking.

…You were such a coward, weren’t you?

That was meant for the Rehel in the game.

He wanted to be kind to the children he’d taken in,
but he was too afraid of frightening them with his appearance—so this was all he could do.

“Maybe I’m a coward too…”

Why did Rehel think the children would fear him?

Even now, I found myself hesitating to go see them.
That’s why I’d refused the suggestion and stood here, watching from afar.

Guess when you possess someone, you inherit their habits too.
That’s the only explanation.

“…I should go.”

If I stayed here longer, I’d just be in the way.

The children would probably take a long time to wake up.
Or maybe some of them, their small bodies too weak, might never wake up at all.

The annex, which must once have been filled with their laughter, was now utterly silent.
The quiet left a bitter taste in my chest.

Just as I was about to leave—

“Teacher Felix! One of the children woke up!”

The shout was clear even from outside.

…Woke up?

I didn’t even remember deciding to move—by the time I came to, I was already in the infirmary inside the annex.

“…Your Majesty?”

A young girl, newly awakened from sleep, blinked at me.
The attendants, startled, slowly stepped aside.

I carefully approached and cupped her small, cool cheek with my hand.

The girl’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, then she smiled.

“Did you sleep well?” I asked softly—the kindest tone I’d ever used.

“Yes. I had a very long dream.”

“A dream?”

“I dreamed I’d grown up and was protecting Your Majesty’s side.”

Ah… so Rehel and I had both been worrying for nothing.

“I knew it was a dream, so when I woke up, I was a little sad… but when I saw you, I thought maybe I was still dreaming.”

The children weren’t afraid of me at all.
They’d actually been waiting, hoping I’d appear and speak to them someday.

“But it’s not a dream, is it? Your hand is cold, my lord.”

My chest tightened.
There were still many who hadn’t woken yet, but just knowing one had was enough to make my hands tremble.

“Your Majesty… I’m so sleepy again. Can I go back to sleep…?”

Her voice trailed off. I smiled faintly and brushed her cheek with my thumb.

“Sleep well.”

At that, the child closed her eyes and drifted into deep slumber.
I lowered my hand, feeling the warmth still lingering on my palm, and clenched my fist.

“Ah…”

Now I understood—why Rehel had wanted immortality so desperately.

It wasn’t because he wanted to live forever himself.

It was because he couldn’t bear watching the people he cherished die.
He wanted to live long enough to ensure they could live happily for a long, long time.

❖ ❖ ❖

After Felix said he’d examine the awakened child, I returned to my office.
My heart was pounding faster than usual, refusing to calm.

“…So that’s how it was, huh?”

In the game, I’d thought Rehel was just a man obsessed with living forever—an unremarkable character with no real appeal.

Sure, he cared for his subordinates, the demons under him.
But beyond that, nothing about him had ever moved me.

Yet the more I lived as him, the more I realized—
Rehel was profoundly human.

Maybe that’s why we fit so well.

“You really did have the will to do something, didn’t you?”

When I lost someone precious, I’d become an empty shell.
I spent my days regretting, blaming myself for my weakness.

“You’re strong,” I murmured.

Compared to him, I was painfully weak.

I let out a hollow laugh and moved to sit down—
when suddenly, a sharp pain surged from deep inside me.