Don't Tire of Me
“Why didn’t you come yesterday?”
As expected, the moment I arrived at the study, she voiced her displeasure at my absence the day before. She still held 137 Days in the Demon King’s Castle in one hand, its pages far from finished, clearly anticipating the next installment.
“I did mention last time that circumstances might make it difficult.”
“Even so, you could have at least stopped by to say something.”
Her tone was relatively calm and emotionless, yet that very composure only made me more tense. She kept her palm facing upward, as if to remind me that flames could erupt at any moment.
“There are sudden situations that can’t be helped in advance……”
“You couldn’t even spare a moment to tell me? Even though you knew I’d be waiting?”
No, Lady Rofena. While such things might be simple for demons or Demon Commanders, a human suddenly vanishing and reappearing is anything but natural.
“Anyway, I came today, didn’t I?”
In that instant, her figure disappeared, only to reappear right in front of me.
“You haven’t forgotten already, have you? I’m no longer trapped here.”
She pressed close in a somewhat threatening manner, extending an arm to seize my shoulder the moment I tried to step back, cutting off any retreat.
“You remember, right?”
“Of course. I was the one who released you.”
“And yet you still treat me like this? Just because I like you, you think you can do whatever you want now?”
Her eyes met mine directly, her voice low and faintly trembling. My heart pounded, heat rising to my face, but I somehow managed to keep my wits about me. Thanks to that, I noticed something off about her phrasing and manner of speech. It didn’t sound like her.
“…Did you read another strange book again?”
“You think I’m joking right now?”
She summoned flames above her palm with a serious expression, but as expected, she had no talent for acting. Her awkward gaze and delivery were far too clumsy to fool anyone who knew her, yet she stubbornly continued the performance.
“Don’t tell me you’ve already lost interest in me? To you, I’m……!”
She suddenly stopped mid-sentence. From the forced flow and atmosphere, it was clear she hadn’t been overcome by emotion—she had simply forgotten the next word.
“……”
Still, her ability to remain composed without panicking was commendable. The way she met my eyes the moment she faltered, and the way she maintained the angry silence instead of fumbling to continue, wasn’t bad at all. Anyone unfamiliar with her would have been fooled.
“Lady Rofena, the expression ‘losing interest’ doesn’t always carry only one meaning, but when a woman says it to a man in that way, it usually implies……”
I struggled to find the right words. I knew little about demonic views on marriage or romance, and explaining it now felt impossible.
“……”
She pretended otherwise, but it was obvious she was listening intently. She feigned nonchalance while barely concealing her anxiety, anticipation, and curiosity. Watching her like that stirred a mischievous impulse in me as well.
“…What would you do if that were the case?”
I should have said it with a smile, playfully rather than stiffly or calmly. The moment her body went rigid, I realized how dangerous a game I had just played, but it was already too late to take the words back.
“……”
She stood there, staring blankly at my face. It seemed she couldn’t think of what to say or how to react—she simply looked at me in silence.
“…What… what did you just say?”
When she finally spoke, her voice trembled faintly. The act was gone. She was barely holding onto her reason, and the thread looked ready to snap at any moment as she questioned me. Her hand, which had been gripping my shoulder, had loosened—not from a loss of strength, but as if preparing to strike with everything she had.
“I said ‘if.’ Lady Rofena. I said ‘if.’”
I added the clarification in a rush, but that too seemed to have been a mistake. I should have just said it was a joke because she kept joking around.
“You could get tired of me? You really would? You’d tire of me?”
Her questions spilled out as if she had been struck by shock, carrying a fear reminiscent of a child terrified of being abandoned by their parents.
I reached out and took her arm. I tried to pull her into an embrace, but the thought that she might resist made me hesitate, resulting in an awkward, delayed hug.
She didn’t react much, but the endless questions thankfully stopped. Even while held, however, her anxious gaze remained fixed on my face, silently demanding an answer.
“That’s impossible. You kept acting, so I decided to tease you back for once. As expected, I have no talent for jokes.”
At my reply, complete with an awkward laugh, she finally relaxed and wrapped both arms tightly around me. I had meant to comfort her gently, like soothing a child, but our height difference reversed the roles—I ended up being the one embraced.
“……”
She murmured something while holding me. I couldn’t make out the words, and asking would have been tactless. But the moment passed quickly—she suddenly pushed me away and struck my shoulder with her fist.
“……!”
The blow was strong enough to trigger Janus’s talisman. Once it confirmed the activation, an even fiercer barrage of punches followed, far more powerful than the first.
Thanks to the barrier, I felt no impact, but the sound and the sight before me made my body go stiff.
“L-Lady Rofena?”
She continued striking until the barrier’s duration was nearly exhausted, only stopping once it vanished.
“Kuh!”
She hadn’t completely stopped. Compared to before, the strikes were weaker, but still strong enough to knock the wind out of me and darken my vision.
“Why… why are you doing this?”
“You’re asking because you don’t know?! Why would you play such a tasteless joke?!”
“No, you were the one who started it, Lady Rofena……!”
The moment I saw strength return to her hand, I shut my mouth. It was better than flames, but it still hurt.
“It’s your fault for not coming in the first place! And when I said that, you……”
She trailed off and turned her head away. The half-visible cheek was flushed red with embarrassment, and she avoided meeting my eyes.
“I……?”
I took a step to follow her gaze, but she turned further to avoid me. After several rotations around our original spot, she finally faced me again, her blush somewhat faded.
“You’re too persistent!”
“Please tell me. What reaction were you hoping for?”
I genuinely wanted to know. She had clearly imitated something from a book or something she had seen or heard before. But what response she had expected from me was a sincere mystery.
“Did you want to see me panic and beg on my knees? Or were you hoping for some promise or reward?”
If her acting had been more convincing, it might have been plausible. If she had truly been angry, my options would have been limited.
“…I thought you would……”
Her face reddened as she muttered in a barely audible voice.
“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t hear you.”
Pressing her when she was this embarrassed felt cruel, but I truly hadn’t heard. After a brief silence, she shouted.
“I thought you’d say you still like me! That you love me!”
Her face was completely crimson, as if it might burst into flames. Perhaps it already had—my own face felt just as hot.
“…Pardon?”
I understood the words. Yes, I had heard them clearly and comprehended them. I was simply stalling for time. Even with understanding, I needed a moment to fully accept it—and to cool the heat.
“When a woman says something like that, the man is supposed to say there’s no way he’d tire of her, that he still likes her, that he loves her! But you said you’d gotten tired of me, so how could I not……!”
Strength returned to her hand once more. No, it wasn’t just strength—this time, actual flames flickered into existence.
“No, Lady Rofena, there’s no rule that says that’s the only possible response in every situation.”
“Every book I read said that’s what happens!”
When exactly had she read all these books? Was there a stash of romance novels hidden somewhere in here? Had that bony Denatel been concealing a taste for girlish novels in addition to his laughable musician act?
“All the books Georges gave me were like that!”
She cried out defensively under my skeptical gaze.
“G-Georges, sir?”
It was an unexpected name, but somehow it made a strange amount of sense. Given his slightly excessive aesthetic sensibilities, a touch of girlish sentimentality wasn’t particularly surprising.
“Yeah! When I said I didn’t understand humans well, he gave them to me, saying this level would be good for me. They were much thinner than the books he gave the others, but I still read them all.”
…Georges, sir. He had clearly anticipated she wouldn’t read anything too heavy and recommended only light novels. Considering she was a woman, he had probably chosen romance stories and other girlish fare. I had always thought her understanding of humans was oddly skewed—this explained why.
“…Be honest. Did you really read them all? Every single word?”
At my question, she averted her eyes. Just as I thought.
“You skipped the parts that were boring or hard to understand, didn’t you?”
She looked embarrassed, then reluctantly nodded.
“There weren’t any scenes about war or battle. Just love, romance, half-siblings, hidden children, love rivals—nothing but that stuff. I didn’t think it would be useful at the time.”
Right. Even if the novels were filled with considerable distortion and exaggeration, someone of her intellect would have noticed the overstatements if she had read them properly. Instead, she had skimmed them and accepted everything at face value, assuming it had nothing to do with her.
‘I’ll have to set aside some time to correct that knowledge one day.’
“Anyway, it’s all your fault!”
Like a child throwing a tantrum, she looked up at me. Her expression—petulant, apologetic, faintly disappointed, and embarrassed—was so adorable and beautiful that I couldn’t look away.