The Little Demon King is Too Bothered by Her Brave Dads - Chapter 56

But the manager was shameless.

“Crying and clinging, saying that he has to feed his younger sister, so I extended my grace and gave him a chance!” The manager spat out saliva from his mouth and shouted recklessly. “Shouldn’t you rather be grateful to me?! Because if it weren’t for me, not only would that bastard have starved to death, but also his little sister……!”

Younger sister. Complex emotions flickered in the boy’s eyes at the mention of those words.

I recalled Nicholas Moore’s family relationship described in the original work.

‘He definitely mentioned having a younger sister.’

They were precious siblings who relied on each other during difficult times since childhood. But that younger sister…

Married to the man she loved, when she thought she would finally be happy…. She was killed by demons.

‘Ah, I really hate that.’

I pulled my lips into a tight line.

In the nearly ten years I’ve lived in this world, I’ve come to realize one thing.

That is, even if this world is a novel, at least the people living their lives faithfully here are all real.

I am selfish, and to me, my own life is the most important.

It is true that I built relationships with my dads, Lakius, and the servants of the dukedom for my own benefit.

‘But.’

I raised my head slightly.

‘Since things have escalated to this point, it wouldn’t hurt to say a few words that would benefit Nicholas, right?’

With that in mind, I opened my mouth.

“I, um, I have a question.”

Instantly, everyone’s gaze focused on me.

I fixed my gaze on the skinny boy sitting on the ground.

“Is that Nicholas Moore by any chance?”

Nicholas Moore. As soon as he heard that name, the boy’s head shot up.

Looking at him, I was certain.

“It seems to be him.”

“Th-That’s a mistake, Lady Orleans. You must have seen it wrong. That guy is…” The manager tried to stammer out an excuse.

But I cut him off mid-sentence.

“Isn’t it strange? The manager clearly said he showed kindness to that person.”

“…….”

“Imprisoning someone and preventing them from meeting anyone.” I looked straight at the manager. “How is that an act of kindness?”

His mouth snapped shut like a clam.

“Honestly,” I continued bluntly, “You know it too, don’t you? Ignoring someone who is so emaciated, not even bothering to properly credit someone’s work…”

Ah, damn. I suddenly felt a bitter tingle at the tip of my nose.

Does it remind me of the time when I was oppressed and locked up in the Demon Castle?

Maybe that’s why.

My voice was slightly choked.

“…It’s not kindness, it’s exploitation.” I cleared my throat with a brief cough.

‘No, I shouldn’t show any weakness.’

The more I let my emotions get the better of me, the more I’d be dismissed as a child.

Especially now that I’m under the protection of my dads.

So…….

‘I don’t have to be afraid anymore.’

At the thought of them, my heart calmed down like my voice on the verge of tears had been a lie.

“Moreover,” I continued calmly, “Threatening and complaining about his younger sister, honestly, isn’t it despicable?”

“Despicable?!” The boss shouted in exasperation. “You call it despicable to take in such lowly creatures? I am the victim here!”

But then.

“…… But.”

A small voice called out. It was Nicholas.

“You’ve never paid me for a single painting.”

“Hey!!!” The manager shouted in protest.

Nicholas’s shoulders stiffened for a moment, but he didn’t stop speaking.

“You said it was the cost of renting the warehouse, or the cost of materials for my illustrations.”

“W-What nonsense are you talking about?!”

“Furthermore, you only allowed me to see my younger sister once a week.”

Tears welled up in Nicholas’s eyes.

“My younger sister, you promised to take good care of her….”

Nicholas raised his head abruptly.

The hesitant and intimidated look he had shown all along disappeared completely. In his tear-filled eyes, anger and resentment burned like flames.

“So why do my younger sister’s cheeks keep getting more hollow?” 

“What are you talking about? How well did I take care of you siblings?!”

The CEO pushed his luck to the end.

Watching that scene, Kirios clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers.

“Ah, I’ve never met a bastard noisier than the brats from the magic tower.”

Snap!

At the same time, the CEO’s mouth shut tightly as if it had been glued together.

“Um, umph!”

The CEO scratched his lips with his nails, looking astonished as if he were about to faint. But his lips showed no sign of budging.

Kirios shrugged his shoulders and added a comment.

“Whether that brat’s testimony is true or your testimony, CEO, will be revealed in court.”

“Umph! Umph umph!”

“However, judging by the way things are going, it seems like the charge of withholding a minor’s wages might be added, doesn’t it?”

Kirios smiled. It was a wicked smile, oddly unlike that of a hero.

* * * 

The publishing company was thoroughly investigated, down to every little speck of dust.

The ducal and imperial tax bureaus and the magistrate’s office began to investigate in earnest. Numerous internal reports and accusations followed.

‘As it turns out, even the employees were victims.’

There were recurring wage defaults and violence based on the company’s hierarchy.

Honestly, it was amazing how that publishing company managed to get away with everything until now…

For now, Nicholas and his younger sister decided to gather evidence for Orleans Duchy.

It seems like the situation has become much bigger than we initially thought.

‘But I guess it all worked out for the most part, right?’

However, although I felt somewhat relieved, my heart wasn’t completely at ease.

“Phew…….” I let out a sigh.

The scenery of the Demon Castle kept flashing through my mind. 

The small, cramped room where I was confined. The five demons who mocked and ridiculed me. And myself, smiling and playing along with the demons’ whims, just to survive each day.

‘No.’

I gritted my teeth. I’m no longer the helpless little child trapped in that room.

So…….

“……ana.”

“…….”

“Tatiana.”

“Eh, what?!”

Startled, I looked up.

Not only Siegfried, but Cesar and Kirios were looking down at me with worried expressions.

“I heard you skipped lunch today?”

“Oh, I just wasn’t hungry.”

“But you shouldn’t skip meals.”

Siegfried held out a mug to me.

I accepted it almost instinctively, and inside was a rich cocoa topped with marshmallows. It happened to be my favorite snack.

“For now, drink this at least. Don’t skip dinner, understand?”

“…….Yes”

I absentmindedly toyed with the mug in my hands. The warm sensation against my fingertips felt pleasant.

Kirios casually interjected into the conversation.

“But why do you always put a big marshmallow on top of your cocoa, little kid? Does it taste better that way?”

Wait, how did he know that?

I blinked in surprise, resembling a startled rabbit.

“How did you know, Dad?”

“You’re asking the obvious, aren’t you?” Kirios playfully tousled my hair. “You’re our daughter, after all.”

“…….”

“Naturally, fathers are curious about what their children like, dislike, and how they’re feeling right now.”

I stared blankly at Kirios.

Father and daughter.

I wondered why.

Why, at this moment, those ordinary words hit me so hard.

“Kirios, Miss Tati’s hair is all messy.” 

Meanwhile, Cesar reprimanded Kirios and reached out his hand towards me.

As he gently fixed my disheveled hair, Cesar kindly asked, “So why does our Miss Tati look so depressed?”

“…….”

For a moment I felt something stirring deep in my chest. I wondered if I could tell them a little bit.

Because these people consider me their daughter. Because they called themselves my father…….

“……I’m a half-breed of a demon and a human.”

I opened my mouth impulsively.

“So what if my dads hate me one day?”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

A moment of silence fell upon us.

I wondered if I had said something wrong.

Carefully observing the expressions of my three dads, I suddenly felt my heart sink. No wonder, their expressions were…

Gloomy.

“Miss Tati.”

Cesar kneeled down, bringing himself to eye level with me. He looked me straight in the eye and asked me a question.

“Why did you suddenly have such thoughts?”

“Well, um…,” I trailed off.

In the original story, Nicholas lost his sister to the demons. And in truth, I am the final boss of this world, the Demon King, whom the male protagonist is supposed to defeat.

And you are the heroes who protect humanity.

If my true identity were to be revealed someday, you would come to despise me… I couldn’t bring myself to say that out loud.

“Is it because of Nicholas, by any chance?”

“…….”

I flinched.

‘It’s as if he could see right through my heart.’

And Cesar seemed to take my silence as affirmation.