Chapter 96
I felt strange.
It was suspicious yet unavoidably ticklish on the soles of my feet that the Demon King was speaking in such a human-like way.
But at the same time, I became wary, wondering if he had some ulterior motive.
“Oh my…! How heartbroken you must have been!”
Lilian covered her mouth with both hands and was moved.
She spoke kindly to the Demon King.
“Don’t blame yourself too much, Damian. We’ve gotten to see Marion grown up so splendidly like this. And there are many days ahead for us to be together.”
Days ahead to be together…
I narrowed my eyes and shook my head inwardly when the Demon King spoke to me.
“Did you hear that?”
I slightly averted my gaze and thought.
‘This is so burdensome I could die.’
[The Demon King must have missed your face so much to act like that. You didn’t reply to his letters for 10 months and didn’t show your face either.]
Bled spoke to me in my mind.
I narrowed my eyes into triangles and glared at him for taking the Demon King’s side.
‘What should I have replied to those letters?’
[Just tell him to come! The Demon King would have come straight to the Archduke’s castle if you had given permission.]
‘What would we do if we met? There’s nothing to do anyway…’
At that moment, Lilian hesitated and expressed her doubt.
“But… how old are you? If you’re Marion’s father, you should be at least over forty, but you look too…”
Young.
Even though Lilian didn’t finish her words, I could tell what she was trying to say.
The Demon King’s appearance looked far too young to have a 24-year-old daughter.
The tension rose vertically again.
After the wedding, it seemed there would be no occasion for Kaiden’s parents and the Demon King to meet, but still, I had to get through this moment well.
I slowly opened my mouth.
“Th-that, De-mon, no, fa…”
Damn, I tried to say something to smooth things over, but I got stuck on the title first.
I couldn’t call him Demon King, and I didn’t want to call him father.
In a momentary panic, I looked at Kaiden, but he just avoided my gaze.
Seeing that, I was slightly dumbfounded.
‘You’re not helping me?’
When I shot him a silent glare, Kaiden signaled with his eyes.
‘Wait a bit.’
Just then, Bastian put down his knife and fork with a clink, making quite a loud sound that drew people’s attention to him.
He picked up his napkin, elegantly wiped his mouth with a graceful gesture, and then glared at the Demon King with a fierce look.
“You there.”
I alternated between looking at the Demon King and Bastian with a tense face, thinking the atmosphere was flowing strangely…
“How do you manage your skin?”
I looked at him with a blank expression for a moment.
What did he just say…? Skin care? Suddenly, what is that…
While I was flustered, the Demon King answered.
“Why would I manage my skin?”
…It was a very Demon King-like response.
Even using informal speech.
I fidgeted and watched Bastian’s reaction.
No matter what, the Demon King looked younger than him and was merely a mercenary in status, so speaking informally could be unpleasant to him.
But Bastian exceeded my expectations.
“You’re saying that’s skin without any management…? Don’t lie.
What do you mainly eat?
What do you apply to your skin?
Not having a single fine wrinkle clearly means there’s some special secret…”
“Dear. Stop it, it’s embarrassing.”
Lilian quickly whispered.
Her cheeks were flushed red.
But Bastian did not stop.
“To look good to my wife, even a lifetime of management isn’t enough.
I will learn that secret for my Damian.”
Bastian looked at Lilian with a pleading face and said.
My mouth slightly opened at this indescribable sight.
Lilian whispered with a shy face.
“But I… like it because the fine wrinkles around your eyes let me know the years we’ve spent together.”
“Lilian…!”
Bastian looked at Lilian with a touched expression.
Lilian smiled shyly, covering her mouth with her hand.
And the face of the previous Archduke watching that scene was truly distorted like a demon.
The knife in his hand trembled as if he wanted to throw it at someone.
I stealthily looked at the Demon King.
When our eyes met, he muttered.
“Live like that couple.”
“……”
I avoided his red eyes after meeting them for 3 seconds.
I still didn’t know what to talk about with him.
An uncomfortable feeling lingered in my chest.
As I forcibly suppressed my confused feelings and raised my gaze, I noticed that everyone sitting around the table was looking at me.
“…Why, why are you all staring at me like that?”
Unable to hide my embarrassment, the previous Archduke sighed and smiled.
“Yes. Live beautifully like that pair of lovebi…, no, lovebird couple.
If Kaiden makes it hard for you, tell this grandfather.”
“Ah…. Thank you.”
I nodded slightly with an awkward face.
This time, Marquis Fernandi spoke.
“If you ever fight as a couple, don’t forget that Fernandi is behind you.”
“Uh…”
“You can pack your things and come anytime.
Live long with this grandfather.”
As I hesitated, finding it hard to respond, Kaiden countered.
“I will not create any reason for Marion to be upset.
And since I will always be with Marion wherever she goes, I will visit often.”
It sounded like he would come to catch me if I left home, so I tilted my head for a moment.
The Marquis narrowed his eyes, looked at Kaiden, and nodded.
“Hmm. I’ll trust you.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Then Bastian added a word.
“Kaiden. Always manage yourself.
You’re already five years older than Marion, so you especially need to pay a lot of attention to your skin.”
“…I’ll take care of it myself.”
Kaiden glanced at Bastian as if displeased.
It was an impolite look to send to his father.
This time, Lilian said with a smile.
“You two have both suffered a lot until now.
Build a happy life from now on.
I’ll cheer for you.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
“Thank you.”
Kaiden and I bowed in turn.
Finally, Bled flapped his wings and flew up, then stood facing me right in front of my nose.
He put his small hands on his waist and said with his cute mouth.
[Marion, bless my friend’s marriage.
Kaiden is a man close to perfect, missing only one thing from the ideal type conditions you’ve worn out your mouth talking about, so live happily for a long, long time.]
Flustered, I ventriloquized while watching Kaiden and the family’s reactions.
“Why say unnecessary things!”
[Why? It’s true.
Kaiden is handsome, tall, capable, good personality, and even matches values and humor code.]
Then Lilian burst out with a “Pfft!” laugh.
Marquis Fernandi, the previous Archduke, and Bastian also chuckled and looked at me and Bled.
“What is the one thing that doesn’t match?”
The Demon King asked from the side.
I shook my head slightly and signaled Bled to be quiet, but as the Demon King’s subordinate, he quickly moved his mouth.
[She said only up to 4 years age difference top and bottom is good!]
Then people burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Kaiden, there’s one thing you can never narrow! Manage yourself!”
“Indeed. What to do with our son?”
“What to do, he has to do well.”
“Hehe, did they say they’re 5 years apart?”
The flustered me grabbed Bled’s body with my hand.
I couldn’t let this tiny dragon chatter more.
Bled shouted to let go immediately, but it wasn’t heard amid the people’s laughter.
I was so embarrassed that my head was spinning.
“Marion.”
At Kaiden’s voice, I raised my head, and he said with a forced smile.
“So that the age difference isn’t felt… I’ll try.”
He somehow looked bitter.
I didn’t know what to do with my apologetic feelings.
The adults’ laughter didn’t seem to make the atmosphere bad, but…
‘Ugh, embarrassing!’
I couldn’t bring myself to lift my face.
Like that… the meeting with the in-laws ended with the family’s warm blessings and laughter, Kaiden’s resolution, and my embarrassed appearance.
