Rest for an Old Love
Meryl was nowhere to be found in the castle. Thinking she might have returned to the house in the mountains, Yuria headed for Tyrat’s audience chamber. There he was, still silently reading a book. With a complicated heart, Yuria approached him.
“Did you meet Margaret?”
“Y-yes, I did…”
“Judging by your expression, you couldn’t even bring up the word ‘persuasion.’ You must have felt it too. That Margaret doesn’t want to return to being human.”
Tyrat, who still read her mind so easily. It stung her pride. She had stormed out so confidently, only to return completely deflated. Yuria clenched her teeth for a moment, trembling, then changed the subject.
“Where is Meryl?”
“Why ask me for that child’s location?”
“You’re the Demon King. You should at least know where a monster is, right?”
“I do not possess such omniscience. She is probably at her house. Meryl secretly practices cooking at night, so wait until then.”
The mountains were outside the permitted outing range. She had no choice but to wait obediently. Yuria nodded and was about to return to her room when she suddenly remembered what Tyrat had said a few days ago. That Meryl was a pitiful child, so he should treat her well. At the same time, she recalled that Meryl’s parents had died two years ago.
“Why did Meryl’s parents pass away? Were they eaten by another monster?”
“They were killed by humans.”
At those words, Yuria’s body began to shake violently.
“Pushing a child who still needs to grow into such danger… you terrible bastard…”
“You are misunderstanding. I only gave Meryl’s parents the order to take good care of her. I forbade them from participating in battle. Just as you said, Meryl is still a growing child.”
“…Then why…”
“First, apologize for jumping to conclusions on your own.”
“…..”
It was true… she had lashed out at Tyrat while holding preconceptions. Just like the prejudice against monsters she had carried when she first met Meryl. Apologizing felt awkward, but… she wanted to hear about Meryl’s past, so she would swallow her shame and endure the embarrassment.
“I-I’m sorry…”
“Well done.”
“For what?”
“It is not easy to admit one’s own mistake. Even more so for those with power. I gratefully accept your polite apology.”
At Tyrat’s suddenly gentle tone, the turmoil that had plagued Yuria’s heart since meeting Margaret began to settle a little. Being praised like this made her feel strangely happy. But she didn’t show it outwardly.
“Now tell me. Why did Meryl’s parents die?”
Tyrat closed the book with a clap and spoke.
“The Magic Realm is a place of perpetual polar night. Meryl’s parents always felt sorrowful that she could not see the sun. Meryl would also whine that she wanted to see the sun.”
Meryl had said she had never seen the sun even once. That meant her parents had met with disaster while trying to…
“Meryl’s parents went to find a good sunrise spot in the Middle Realm for her sake, and were killed by humans there.”
It was exactly as she had expected.
“Then… does Meryl know that humans killed her parents?”
“She knows.”
Even so, she still followed someone like her, who was also human? She really was a kind and pure child. No matter how deeply monsters understood the law of the jungle, it couldn’t be easy to do that. The more time Yuria spent here, the more she felt her own values being overturned.
Just as there were many kinds of humans, the same was true for monsters. They had emotions too. They could love, get angry, and feel sadness. Beyond those basic feelings, they experienced a wide variety of emotions. And because those with power here gave absolute orders, there was almost no room for problems to arise. She had agreed last time when he said monsters were better than humans, and now she found herself agreeing again.
“Thank you for telling me… I’ll be going now.”
“Very well.”
Tyrat opened his book again and began to focus on the text. Yet Yuria, who had said she was leaving, lingered in front of the steps to the throne, fidgeting with her hands.
Tyrat glanced at her and asked, “Do you have more to say?”
“Huh…?”
“Did you not say you were leaving?”
Yuria flinched. She had been staring blankly because Tyrat’s focused appearance resembled Jihyeok’s cool figure… Her face flushed red in an instant, and she quickly came up with an excuse.
“Ah, um… I want to see Meryl.”
“So you wish for me to expand the outing range all the way to the mountains?”
“Y-yes… Can you do that?”
“I forbid it.”
Yuria’s eyebrows shot up. She had been listening to him so well until now—shouldn’t he at least give her a reward? Well, strictly speaking, she hadn’t gone to the forbidden places, but she had caused him plenty of headaches every time. Still, she didn’t feel bad, just a little disappointed. It seemed he still thought of her as a troublemaker. A rebellious spirit flared up, and Yuria turned around, deliberately stomping loudly as she left the audience chamber.
Back in her room, Yuria kicked off her shoes irritably and threw them aside. She flopped onto the bed and thought, ‘This is so annoying… I threw away my pride and asked him, but he still won’t listen?’
Grumbling inwardly, Yuria let out a sigh. Her emotions were swinging wildly on their own. She wondered if this was really okay. After lying in bed for a long time, wrestling with all sorts of worries, Yuria’s face lit up at the sound of someone knocking on her door. She ran over and flung it open.
Bang!
The moment the door opened, a strange scream rang out. Looking down, she saw Meryl had fallen flat on her bottom, looking terrified. Startled, Yuria quickly scooped her up and brought her into the room.
“Sorry. Did I scare you?”
“Yeees… I got scared…”
“I missed you so much…”
Meryl, who was being held in Yuria’s arms with her own arms spread wide, opened her eyes wide and sparkling.
“You missed me? Really?”
“Yeah. I missed you so much I was waiting with my neck stretched out.”
“Hehe…”
Meryl broke into a bright, innocent smile. It seemed she was happy that someone had come looking for her. Yuria set Meryl down on the bed, took out a comb, and began brushing her tail. The three tails swayed gently. They were incredibly cute.
“Where were you?”
“At the house in the mountains. I was cleaning, so I was a little late.”
“Cleaning?”
“There were traces of someone sleeping there.”
At that, Yuria’s face filled with worry.
“Who? Did they steal anything?”
“No, they didn’t. It looks like they just slept. It was a smell I’ve never smelled before… It was really awful.”
“Could it have been a wandering monster?”
“I don’t know.”
Even though she had found signs of an intruder, Meryl remained carefree. Yuria really didn’t want anything bad to happen to this innocent child.
“Just live here. With me.”
“The Demon King wouldn’t like that.”
“I’ll talk to him. Like last time…”
Meryl crossed her short legs and fell into deep thought.
“Umm… I have to protect the house…”
An intruder would love it if Meryl was guarding the house. After all, Meryl was incredibly weak. They would probably kill her, take the place, and make it their own nest. Yuria put on a deeply sad expression and asked,
“Do you hate me?”
“No! I like you a lot!”
“Then why don’t you want to stay with me? I’m so sad…”
Meryl fidgeted anxiously at Yuria’s expression. She nodded her head frantically, trying to comfort her.
“I’ll stay with you, Lady Yuria! Let’s play hide-and-seek! We can cook together too… so please don’t cry!”
“You promise?”
“Yes! Promise…”
Meryl held out her pinky finger. Yuria smiled brightly and hooked her own finger around it.
The two pinkies intertwined. A small, warm vow was made between the fox-girl and the fallen Valkyrie.
The two of them turned the entire castle upside down. Using “cooking practice” as an excuse, they ransacked the kitchen. After producing all sorts of food, they moved to the dining table to taste their creations. Yuria had plenty of experience practicing various dishes for Jihyeok back on Earth, and Meryl had talent, so the food actually tasted pretty decent.
They were chatting and giggling when Meryl’s ears suddenly perked up. It meant she had sensed someone of the same race. The identity was obviously Tyrat.
Creak…
The dining room door opened, and just as expected, Tyrat appeared. Meryl jumped down from her chair and ran to him, bowing her head politely.
“Demon King! Hello!”
Tyrat answered by gently stroking Meryl’s head once. Meryl beamed and pointed at the food on the table.
“Lady Yuria and I made all this!”
“I know.”
“How?”
“It was noisy. I could hear every single kitchen utensil falling.”
Meryl’s face fell. She seemed sad at the thought that she had disturbed the Demon King. Yuria shot up, furious.
“Noisy? She’s a child who dreams of becoming a chef, and you gave her permission to practice here!”
“If something is noisy, one calls it noisy. What else would one call it?”
“You should consider a child’s feelings too!”
“Hmm…”
Tyrat stroked his chin once, then nodded.
“That is a fair point. I apologize, Meryl.”
Meryl’s face brightened considerably. Yuria was quite surprised that Tyrat had immediately acknowledged her words and apologized. For a man so full of self-esteem to say he was sorry… It felt refreshing. Was this the mercy only an absolute being could show? Her heart fluttered. She wanted to learn that composure of his…
‘Should I ask him now?’
The current Tyrat seemed somewhat gentle. If so… there was a good chance he would grant her request.
“Um…”
“Yes?”
“Meryl said someone broke into her house. It would be dangerous for her to go alone… and I can’t go to the mountains… so can she stay here with me?”
“An intruder? What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. It seems they slept there for one night and ran away. I’m worried, so please let her stay with me for a few days.”
Tyrat pondered for a moment. Yuria waited anxiously for his answer.
“I permit it.”
At those words, Yuria breathed a sigh of relief while Meryl let out a cheer.
“Waaah!”
At their differing reactions, Tyrat gave a small chuckle. He used his magic to bring a spoon over and tried to taste the soup. Meryl panicked and stopped him.
“Demon King! I’ll get you a new one!”
“It is troublesome. This is fine.”
“But… it’s cold now…”
Ignoring Meryl’s concern, Tyrat brought the soup to his mouth. After savoring the taste, he nodded twice.
“It is delicious.”
At that, Meryl jumped around in excitement. A faint smile appeared on Yuria’s face. She thought the current situation felt just like a family’s daily life. Tyrat as the father, herself as the wife, and the adorable daughter Meryl. Even though she told herself this shouldn’t be, a warm feeling pushed that thought away.
While she was lost in those fresh thoughts, Tyrat, who had taken another spoonful of soup, spoke to Meryl.
“If an intruder came, I should send my subordinates tomorrow to investigate.”
“Umm… I don’t like other people coming to our house… Ah, but the Demon King and Lady Yuria can come!”
“In that case…”
Tyrat looked at Yuria. She responded with sparkling eyes, clearly expressing her desire to go. Yuria pulled Meryl close, folded her ears, and spoke quickly.
“We’ll just check the house and come right back. I absolutely won’t try to run away. I still haven’t convinced Mom yet.”
“If that is truly the case, I will permit you to go as far as the mountains.”
“R-really…?”
She hadn’t expected him to agree. What a lucky break.
“Yes. Go with Meryl. If anything dangerous happens, report it immediately.”
Yuria swallowed her joy and nodded, then asked,
“Okay… Aren’t you coming?”
“I will trust you.”
Thump!
Yuria’s heart beat with a pleasant feeling. Being trusted made her feel proud. Suddenly, she didn’t want to waver anymore. She wanted a clear answer from Tyrat. She wanted to know if what she was expecting was correct. Holding the struggling Meryl, whose ears were still folded, Yuria gathered her courage.
“I want to know… the truth.”
Even though she had left out the context, Tyrat understood her question perfectly.
“Not yet.”
“…..”
She wanted to protest, but that might make Tyrat angry. In the end, Yuria could only answer that she understood.