The Little Demon King is Too Bothered by Her Brave Dads - Chapter 99

***

A dark night without even the moon rising.

Under a dimmed nightstand, a woman was leaning on the bed, reading a letter.

<The High Priest has arrived in Carlo.>

“Ah, really.”

The letter in the woman’s hand was crumpled.

“Of all times, for the High Priest to go down now…”

The woman, the Empress, bit her lip.

It’s already been 5 years since Lakius, a thorn in her side, was appointed as the lord of Carlo.

Contrary to expectations his reputation would be tarnished due to various mistakes.

Lakius was governing Carlo admirably.

‘If this continues, Lakius will truly threaten Rudolph’s succession to the throne.’

So the Empress had been plotting for a long time to undermine Lakius’s reputation.

Lakius’s high reputation stemmed from his recovery of Carlo.

So to trample that reputation,

‘We need to deal a huge blow to Carlo.’

The Empress smiled coldly.

‘A blow so great that not only Carlo, but all the imperial citizens will resent Lakius and hold him responsible.’

And so, after much effort, she had finally planted her carefully chosen pawn within the temple.

She had succeeded in dispatching that pawn to Carlo.

Moreover, there was only one chance to use that pawn.

It couldn’t be used twice.

Which means.

“I must make the most of this opportunity somehow.”

As the Empress was biting her lip, unable to hide her impatience.

Suddenly, a languid voice echoed in her ear.

“You want your son to become emperor, and I, as a representative of the demon race, want to build a rapport with the mother of the future emperor.”

For a moment, the Empress froze.

The voice whispered seductively again.

“Don’t you think we could maintain quite a good relationship?”

It was still vivid before her eyes.

The sight of Rudolph collapsing like a puppet with cut strings right in front of her.

The blood staining the floor, and Rudolph’s blank eyes staring into space.

Even knowing it was all an illusion, that night the Empress paced in front of her son’s bedroom, staying up all night with her eyes wide open.

That’s how vivid the image was.

‘…But.’

The Empress firmly grasped her trembling wrist with her other hand.

‘There’s nowhere else to ask for help.’

After a moment.

The Empress nodded heavily.

‘I have no choice… but to ask for help.’

For her son, Rudolph.

And for the Empress’s position that would be firmly maintained through Rudolph, and for the glory that the Philomel Marquis family would gain.

The Empress could do anything.

***

Cesar began to seriously discipline the temple.

Not only the ordinary priests but even the deputy priests started running around with sweat on their feet.

Well, it’s a situation where even the High Priest himself is working directly.

The deputy priests couldn’t possibly slack off…

Thus, the temple seemed to gradually get back on track.

Meanwhile, I was engrossed in preparing for Lakius’s coming-of-age ceremony.

However, I couldn’t prepare anything grand.

‘W-Well, since it’s his birthday, he should at least have cake, right?’

…So I just baked a cake.

But as soon as he saw that cake, Cesar’s expression immediately became as if the world had collapsed.

“Don’t tell me Miss Tati baked the cake herself?”

Um, well.

What’s with this atmosphere that makes me feel like I’ve committed some terrible mistake…?

I just rolled my eyes and trailed off timidly.

“W-Well. I just put fruit and chocolate decorations on top…”

I didn’t even know how to spread the whipped cream evenly, so I got help from the kitchen staff…

Can I even say that I prepared the cake?

Suddenly, my conscience starts to hurt.

Meanwhile, at those words, Cesar’s eyes narrowed, and then.

“So you did prepare the cake yourself, is that what you’re saying?”

He asked with a disappointed face.

“Um, Third Dad?”

“I would have liked to receive a cake with fruit and chocolate decorations made by Miss Tati too.”

“…”

At that wistful mutter, I was at a loss for words.

Hand on my heart, I’ve always done my best for my Dads’ birthdays.

I can confidently say I put in much more effort than for Lakius.

How many times did Nora and I rack our brains trying to choose gifts that the Dads would like!

“There’s no use in raising a daughter after all.”

With those final words.

Cesar walked away with quick, prim steps.

“Um, wait?”

I watched Cesar’s retreating back in confusion.

…Anyway, after all these various events.

Finally, all the preparations to celebrate Lakius’s coming of age were complete.

If I had to celebrate coming of age twice, I feel like I might end up with a chronic illness…

***

Lakius slowly lifted his eyelids.

It was early dawn before the sun had fully risen.

The surroundings were steeped in a bluish darkness.

Lakius, who was about to get up out of habit and head to his office, paused.

‘Ah, that’s right.’

Today was Lakius’s birthday, marking his coming of age.

However, it wasn’t a situation where he could throw a lavish party, nor did he particularly want to.

Lakius chose a morning of rest as a gift to himself for once.

At the same time, he also gave the administrative staff a holiday.

Although the deadline was until 1 PM today, with orders to return to work in the afternoon.

‘Really? You really won’t call us until 1 PM tomorrow?’

‘I’m going to sleep in! Sleep in!’

Even with just that much, the administrative staff were almost in tears with joy…

‘…Was I really that harsh?’

The slightly embarrassed expression lasted only for a moment.

His red eyes sank coolly.

‘But… I had no choice, did I?’

It’s already been 5 years since he was appointed as the lord of Carlo.

When he first arrived, Carlo was in utter chaos.

Nothing was in order.

If his masters hadn’t helped him in various ways, he probably wouldn’t have been able to endure alone.

His efforts were not in vain, and Carlo, unlike before, had become quite city-like.

It was true that he felt proud every time he saw Carlo developing step by step.

‘But there’s still a lot lacking.’

Lakius felt an anxiety that seemed to choke him.

‘So, I need to work a little harder…’

But then.

“Aren’t you overdoing it?”

A pouting voice suddenly came to mind.

At the same time, Lakius’s view caught the curtain by the window, puffed up round with the wind.

It seemed he hadn’t properly secured the window after ventilating.

“Oh my.”

Lakius clicked his tongue briefly and approached to close the window.

Swoosh-

As he pulled back the curtain, the garden of the lord’s mansion spread out beyond.

Lakius unconsciously fixed his gaze on that scenery.

Carlo was located at the northernmost part of the empire.

Perhaps that’s why spring was just beginning to bloom fully in the garden.

The frozen ground was covered with soft green.

Clusters of light pink peach blossoms bloomed on branches that had been dry all winter.

“…”

For a moment, his red eyes held a complex light.

Since the demon invasion, Carlo had become a land that was difficult for humans to live in in many ways.

To the extent that even the flowering trees planted for ornamental purposes in the lord’s mansion were mostly fruit trees that could be eaten.

But.

‘It’s beautiful.’

He thought anew.

Lakius impulsively pushed open the window.

The wind rushing into the room was no longer cold or dry.

It was a moist spring breeze full of the energy of spring.

Then.

‘Ah.’

Lakius unconsciously caught something carried by the wind.

When he opened his hand, it was a peach blossom petal.

Was it because the pink petal, soaked in the bluish dawn light, somehow reminded him of Tatiana’s spring flower-like hair?

…Somehow his heart fluttered.

‘Come to think of it… why did Tati come all the way to Carlo?’

Like a dam bursting and water flowing.

Once he thought of Tatiana, all his thoughts kept turning to her.

‘It makes sense for Master Cesar to come to handle temple affairs, but Tati doesn’t really have a reason to come.’

‘I wonder if she’s uncomfortable with life here?’

‘Still, it’s a bit disappointing that I can’t see her face often, even though we met after 5 years.’

And at the end of all those thoughts.

‘Maybe Tati, just a little bit.’

There was an unreasonable hope.

‘Could it be that she came all this way because she wanted to see me?’

Lakius unconsciously clenched the flower petal.

‘No, that’s a useless thought.’

And then.

Knock knock.

There was a knock at the door.

When he came to his senses, bright sunlight was shining through the window.

The morning had come without him realizing it.