Chapter 7: Letâs Celebrate the Kingâs Return, Part 2
Melizand thought that it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Every day, she listened closely to the girls who spend their day with Aur.
That defenseless declaration of his, had enough power in it to reawaken Melizandâs former ambitions.
She was not dissatisfied with her current life by any means. She knew that it was a fragile and foolish hope. And that should her plan fail, sheâs going to lose everything.
But she could not bring herself to throw it away just like that.
She had to remain very cautious not to get caught by the cunning Demon Lord. It was too late for second guessing and backing down. So she carefully gathered all the necessary informationâŚ
⌠Until her time to spend the day alone with Aur came at last.
When he heard what Melizandâs wish was, Aur had a confused expression on his face.
She was perfectly aware that his reluctance to talk with her about what happened on the New Continent was a kind of a countermeasure against information leakage. In his eyes, the less people knew, the better. But he promised to do anything, so he didnât really had much of a choice.
Putting the teacup next to his lips and swallowing its contents, Aur nodded, deep in thought.
In response to Melizandâs laughter, Aur made a tight face.
So far they had a nice friendly banter. But it was just an act, a cunning deceit to hide her real aim.
Figlia was the kingdom that Aur first took control of, and the princesses of that kingdom both bore his children. They have nothing to do with the operation of the Dungeon, so it really wouldnât be much of a problem if Aur chose to get rid of all of them. But since their daughters, unlike Sofia, had his blood coursing through their veins, it was highly unlikely to happen.
He probably wonât be able to do it, both from personal and moral reasons.
Aur said nothing in response to her teasing, but he was not angry either.
He shook his head with a difficult expression.
Melizand thought that his concerns were misplaced. When he returned from his trip to the New Continent the other day, his daughters greeted him happily, and they seemed to be longing to see him.
What escaped Melizandâs lips were not exactly the words of comfort.
She spoke such words.
Why did she say such a thing?!
She was held in Aurâs arms and on his knees, and he clumsily rubbed her head with his shaky fingers.
How did this happen? She asked herself that question time and time again.
Melizand shivered when she suddenly heard his voice, as she was deeply immersed in her own thoughts.
This whole situation was a result of their half-joking conversation in which she proposed such a thing, to which Aur replied that [It might be worth a try.] [Well⌠this is not bad, I guess.] [Whatâs with that half-assed answer, say it with more confidence!]
Even though it is embarrassing, this position was rather comfy, Melizand thought. The feeling of Aurâs strong muscles on her back gave her an inexplicable feeling of safety. Plus, she quite enjoyed him stroking her hair with the palm of his hand, despite the fact that he didnât know how much force he was supposed to put into it.
She could hear the calming sound of his regular breathing right next to her ear.
It felt awesome!
No no no, now is not the time to think about things like that, she chastised herself.
Where and when did she make such a mistake?! The plan that she was carefully devising broke down in an instant!
Her perfect plan to dress Aur up in kidâs clothing and make him act like a little girl!!!!
Aurâs hand stops and his voice gets slightly irritated.
Melizand was relieved, but also a little disappointed.
She could not believe what she just heard. For a second, she thought that her ears were playing tricks on her. But he was dead serious, and it made her, Melizand, a saint who lived for a thousand years, panic like a little girl.
For all that is holy HE IS SERIOUS!
Feeling that she could die of shame if someone saw them right now, she muttered after struggling for a good while.
She finally said that. But the truth is, she also did not remember her parents, just like Aur.
He asks, a satisfied smug painted all over his face.
This is just practice. This is just practice. THIS. IS JUST. PRACTICE!
Muttering that in her mind, Melizand opened her mouth again.
She immediately regretted saying those words.
Come to think about it, she was mimicking Mariâs behavior when she was younger. She often wanted someone to take and raise her high into the air, where she pretended she was flying.
She mimicked her manner of speech and asked for the same, just like a little baby.
He took Melizand onto his hands and raised her high into the air, just like she requested.
Aurâs arms let go of her, making Melizandâs body literally fly into the air.
But that was only for a moment.
Just when she thought that sheâs going to hit the ground, she slid right back into Aurâs arms. It was due to the invisible slope created by the labyrinth, similar to the one Mari used in the final battle against the God of Fortune.
She waved her hands at the mischievous Demon Lord.
He noticed that her fists were unusually small.
Melizand rested her forehead on Aurâs chest and closed her eyes.
She whispered as she felt that her entire face was burning with shame. It was a good thing that Aur was unable to see it right now.
Honoring her request, the two of them shared a quiet and peaceful moment together.