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—Shut.\n
I parted with Shal, and he walked away with Ulysse. Even though I was reluctant to do so, I managed to step inside the room that I use whenever I do inspections around here and went inside.\n
The spacious room was neatly lined with high-quality furnishings, tables and wooden chairs. Beyond the curtains that were flowing from the ceiling, there was a soft bed large enough for three grown men to sleep in.\n
I flopped onto it.\n
“……”\n\n
When I had become alone, my chest felt heavy and my head was pounding, even though I hadn’t finished my dinner yet.\n
Being in silence for a while, Shal’s bashful face flashed in my mind.\n
“……I’ll go on a date… with Shal… tomorrow…… Uwaaa~!”\n
I couldn’t help but feel happy as those words of promise left a sweet taste in my mouth. An excited voice that escaped from me danced in the air.\n
I reflexively rolled around the bed, spinning out screams of unspeakable joy inside my head.\n
A date. It’s a date. It’s a date!\n
An occasion considered as memorable by the common folks: an outing for two people to enjoy.\n
We weren’t really a couple, but wouldn’t that mean we were getting along really well?\n
I could understand that much. I’m an adult, after all.\n
Shal was a kind and gentle man, who basically never refuses anyone. So, it wasn’t as if he liked me in that way.\n
That dream of mine was simply just a dream – an impossible dream.\n
I was well aware of that. I would never use that fact to my advantage.\n
I just wanted to get along with him and spend our days in peace as much as possible.\n
However, as someone who had been sneaking around, reading and studying the peach-colored magazines circulating around the town near the castle, I couldn’t help but to be swept away by hearing the word ‘date’.\n
It just rolled over to me naturally. I also rolled around on the bed.\n
“—…Let’s go on a date.”\n
“Uu… Grrrrrr…!”\n
Oh, no. I’m really losing a lot of my vocabulary.\n
I was only able to growl around like I did a long time ago, damn it! Shal is so cute!\n
Moreover, at that time, our foreheads touched…! They touched…!\n
His face was quite flushed. Was it because of the sunset?! Or am I just being conceited?! Either way, it’s the best!\n
Haa. Whenever I thought of how adorable he was when he asked me out on a date, I…! He was the only person in the world who could make me fall with just a single word.\n
His forehead against mine, even with his hair sticking to it due to a little sweat, and his deep sea-colored eyes which seemed to draw me at a closer range, also had a sensational expression that tempted my whole heart and being.\n
That alone instantly colored my consciousness which had sunk in despair, wondering why we couldn’t arrive at the base sooner, why weren’t we allowed to run in the corridors, and why the day was so short… to the point where I could see a field of flowers in full bloom around Shal.\n
Aah, Shal. He’s the kindest. The most wonderful person!\n
The two of us jumped on the deck railing and ate sandwiches while watching the sunset in bliss.\n
I had no idea what it tasted like, but it must’ve been great. Whatever I eat together with Shal is sure to be delicious!\n
I thought over the memory, giggling and burying my face in the soft sheets. If the officials from the castle saw me, they would think that I was crazy and cast a recovery spell on me.\n
Today was a wonderful day.\n
I woke up in the middle of the night rather than early in the morning and hummed around as I looked for clothes in the dressing room.\n
I looked in front of the mirror, trying to see which fits better. Once I realized my hair got wrinkled, difficult to fix just like its owner, I combed my hair and placed perfumed oil on it.\n
I felt so impatient, so I went in front of his room and waited, even though we were supposed to meet outside.\n
Despite all that, Shal woke up early and greeted me good morning, while rubbing his slightly sleepy eyes, then made his preparations without reluctance.\n
He’s too much of a godsend… A kindness incarnate… He’s so affectionate that I couldn’t see the bottom of it…\n
I was being drowned by Shal endlessly, though. But I would rather drown, if that was the case. Don’t judge me.\n
Everything that happened when we were on our way here had also been perfect.\n
Shal took a liking to my third form, fluffing me on the back, so I got excited and went faster. He complimented me, saying how amazing it was. I felt self-satisfied and ran in high spirits.\n
It was so fun and delightful to give Shal a ride and travel with him, to the point where I even wished the naval base was farther away.\n
The inspection that followed that wasn’t fun at all. It was just something of a side trip. It was probably more fitting to call it a prelude. It was my job, so there was no helping it.\n
But the only thing I would like to inspect was the lovely angelic Shal shopping at Svenmarina! Just the two of us… walking around the city… holding h-h-hands…!\n
Leave everything to me, Reisen. I will make sure that I accomplish tomorrow the mission you asked me to do: walking along the seaside together with Shal.\n
“……”\n
I gave a thumbs up deep inside my head to my confidant who had been waiting back in the castle. Then, my body that had been squirming around with delight, suddenly stopped moving.\n
When I closed my eyes, I immediately saw Shal inside my mind.My cheeks flushed and I bit my lip gently.\n
“I want to see him…”\n
It was quiet, being alone in the room, and the yearning that rushed out from my mouth sounded more earnest than I thought it would.\n
I had yet to drink a drop of Shal’s blood today. We wouldn’t really die if we didn’t drink blood since it was just a matter of preference as a species. But when we do, it strengthens us.\n
My body wouldn’t feel tired, and above all, my desire – my fierce desire to make him mine – would be satisfied.\n
There was no way I could tell him that, however. Calling him as a property of mine or livestock was just something out of convenience. I never really had the intention of making him act as such, but I had no idea why I was having those kinds of thoughts.\n
It seemed to be something what you’d call… possessiveness.\n
“……”\n
I couldn’t even try to feign ignorance.\n
Unable to bear that stirring feeling in my heart, I placed my hand on my chest and clenched my fist.\n
When we were in my castle, Shal said he had no intention of escaping, and in fact, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to leave on his own, so I never really thought about it.\n
However, this place wasn’t really under my control.\n
If someone snatches him, a man with such a beautiful soul… I would probably kill them.\n
As the gentlest and most rational demon lord in history, slaying my own people was a rare occurrence these days.\n
Those weren’t lies, you know. I never killed my opponents whenever I fought them to get them to obey me.\n
It was natural for demons to kill each other if they had to fight for their own will.\n
Leaving the weak ones aside, the only reason why the stronger demons die was their long lifespan had run out, or they lost a fight.\n
Nevertheless, I try not to kill as much as possible, and if there was something I was displeased with, I try not to kill them too much. I even try not to kill humans and start a war.\n
I never did massacres nor terrorism! I was definitely a gentle demon lord.\n
Even with such a benevolent man like me, if someone snatches Shal away from me, I wouldn’t ever hesitate to kill them. I mean, it’s a serious crime, isn’t it? They must be punished.\n
I thought it was just perfectly reasonable. And that I wouldn’t have any choice but to do so. I nodded at myself.\n
I didn’t want anyone to steal anything away from me. If there was a person who might steal from me, there was no way I could just let them go even if they returned whatever they stole from me.\n
In order to make sure that they wouldn’t steal again, I have to kill them.\n
—The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to see him. At the same time, I felt a little uneasy and abruptly got up.\n
Yeah, I should go see him.\n
I loosened the power of the magic sealing choker, so if I followed the scent of the magic in my third form, I would be able to find the room where Shal is staying, even in the spacious quarters where several soldiers sleep.\n
It would be rude to go and see him out of the blue, but Shal was Shal, so he probably wouldn’t scold me. He would just say, ‘There’s no helping it.’ He would then open the door and let me in.\n
Once had I settled on what to do…\n
I opened the window and jumped off, while humming a cheerful tune.