Chapter 43
Chapter 43 - For me, The Demon King is Murder
"Is this... the Demon King?"
I carefully examined the woman who emerged from the egg.
A naked woman. She looks slightly younger than me. With an appearance of early twenties, her dazzling silver hair not only reached her feet but dragged on the floor.
Through her flowing hair, her clear red eyes spread both a strange charm and sinister energy.
'She looks human... no, not quite.'
I was momentarily confused, but looking closely, there were many features arguing she wasn't human.
Skin so white it was pale, three cute horns protruding from her forehead. Small membrane wings twitching between her bushy hair.
And a tail. A thin black tail like an electrical wire attached above her buttocks.
By the way.
Her figure is incredible. Oh my.
"Um... Sir Jeong-yong, you seem to be staring too intently at certain areas."
"N-no way."
I barely managed to look away when Seolbaek warned me with a cold expression.
While avoiding Seolbaek's reproachful gaze for a while, I suddenly locked eyes with the Demon King looking down at me.
"... Huhu."
Making such a sound, the Demon King smirked.
Her eyes drew seductive curves. Her bright red eyes gleamed ominously. Eventually, she walked proudly before me.
Planting one foot firmly on the bed, she spoke to me in an overbearing tone.
"So you are my guardian. You must have worked hard protecting me until now, my loyal servant! I shall personally commend your efforts."
"... What now?"
It was condescension.
She was even treating me like a servant to be ordered around, calling me her attendant.
Despite my raised eyebrow, the Demon King continued rambling while shrugging her shoulders.
"Haha. To think I would die like that... It took all of 30 years to revive, 30 years! Those heroes were quite something to make it take so long! Ahaha!"
"Hey."
"But I have revived like this! I, the immortal Demon King Rustica Asmodeus! I solemnly declare that I am completely reborn here, at this moment, to once again bring the world of Paraiso under my control! Ahahaha!"
"... Are you deaf?"
How should I put this?
Seeing her overbearing, arrogant, and completely shameless attitude.
I was in a state of anger unprecedented since coming to this world.
"Hmm? Wait! This, this smell..."
Adding insult to injury, the Demon King suddenly started sniffing my body.
Then taking a step back, she began looking at me with disgusted eyes.
"The filthy smell of the heavenly gods... You, could you be a hero?"
"... Well, I suppose so."
At those words, the Demon King's smirking expression changed dramatically.
She looked at me like an abandoned puppy.
"This cannot be! To think my guardian for this lifetime would be of such filthy birth. Could it be that my hatching place was discovered by those hero bastards? So those Second Realm bastards interfered..."
Filthy birth, she says. Such lovely words you use, Demon King.
Making this filthy-born one quite angry.
While I was seething inside, the Demon King grabbed my chin and fixed my gaze towards her.
"Listen here. What exactly is going on? Explain quickly, servant!"
"Hehehehe..."
"Stop laughing and explain! Quickly!"
I kept letting out hollow laughs.
Filthy my ass. I'm the one who should be disgusted.
Here I was, going through unprecedented hardships repeatedly because of you. And the first thing I hear when you appear is this explosion of nonsense.
Servant?
What bullshit. Why would I be your servant?
Come to think of it, this is infuriating. First Leila, and now this crazy woman.
Why?
Should I.
Have to take this kind of treatment.
From weird women like you.
"... No. This won't do."
I muttered while shaking my head. Then slowly got up.
Sensing something from my lowered voice, Seolbaek flinched and called out to me.
"Um... Jeong-yong nim? Are you alright?"
"I'm going ahead first, Seolbaek."
"Oh, yes?"
"Keep what you saw today absolutely secret from others. It's our secret, just between you and me. Got it?"
"Ah, just between us... Y-yes!"
Seolbaek nodded bewilderedly and covered herself with the blanket.
The Demon King watched me quietly with blinking eyes as I slowly walked ahead. I called out to her.
"You, come with me for a moment."
"What? How insolent. How dare a mere servant order me..."
"Shut your mouth. To the Room of Truth."
When I glanced at the Demon King with piercing eyes, the head she had arrogantly held high slightly lowered.
But soon she glared back with a face full of sudden defiance.
"Y-you servant... Have you gone mad in the meantime?"
"Yeah. My head's creaking because of you right now. Let's go oil it up."
"This...! If you beg forgiveness now, I might show mercy with my ocean-like heart."
The Demon King stared at me blankly, unable to grasp the situation. A forced smile hung precariously on her lips.
Nevertheless, I stared straight at the Demon King with an unwavering expression.
She started trying to persuade me with an increasingly 'Wait, what the fuck, this isn't right' kind of expression.
"Um... Well, I... I am the immortal Demon King. Your master. You are, well, my servant... right? Ah, even if you are a hero, and have the merit of protecting me as a guardian... such an insolent tone is a bit hard for me to permit..."
"To the Room of Truth."
I grasped the wrist of the Demon King who was standing awkwardly.
Their body temperature was extremely cold. I realized this anew.
They're not really human. Neither biologically nor in character.
Now, let's go become human together.
"Huh? What?!"
The Demon King, whose arm I had grabbed, let out a shrill sound and stared at me intently, their previously arrogant attitude seeming like a lie. Their expression said the world couldn't do this to them.
"Y-you insolent fool! If you don't let go right now, I'll turn you to ashes...!"
And the Demon King stretched their arm toward my hand.
In that moment, a chilling sensation rushed in as dark energy gathered in the Demon King's grasp.
'This is...?!'
I also held my breath at that tremendous presence. While countless times considering whether to pull my arm away in that brief moment.
Soon, with a deflating sound, the gathered power dispersed like a lie.
The Demon King stared at their own hand with a dumbfounded expression.
"H-how can this be... My power... won't work? Is it because I've awakened after too long?"
The Demon King kept shaking their head while feeling their body.
I watched this sight and smiled wickedly.
"... Things in life really never go as planned, do they? How ironic, how ironic."
"Eek?!"
When I spoke mockingly, the Demon King suddenly fixed their gaze on me.
Her eyes looking at me carried emotions that weren't there before. Anger. Humiliation. Anxiety. Things like that.
I agree. I was thinking exactly the same things while looking at you. I guess immortals think alike?
Yeah. The world... It wouldn't do if you treated me like this.
Let's go fix your manners now. You newborn Demon King girl.
"Let's go. To the Room of Truth."
"W-wait! Wait a moment! Let me know what this is! What exactly is this Room of Truth?!"
"It's a dreamland that will make you face the truth of the world."
"L-let go! Eek! E-even though I'm weakened right after my revival, this... Ouch! Ow, ow! Be gentler...!"
The Demon King now clung to me while resisting frantically.
Pulling my arm then pushing it away. Repeatedly hitting my shoulder. Shouting, and even biting.
But I remained unmoved.
We left Seolbaek's room and moved to my room right next door.
As we got closer to my room door, the Demon King's voice began to tremble.
"Um, that... If I've offended you somehow, I apologize... No, I'll apologize. I'll apologize! I'm sorry! What are you planning to do?!"
Though the Demon King finally sobbed and repeatedly apologized, I eventually entered my room with her.
Creeak, clunk.
The lantern in my dark room lit up. The door closed.
My face slowly approaching was reflected in the Demon King's bright red eyes.
"Kyaaaaaah!"
The Demon King's long scream filled the room.
.......
....
... Please don't misunderstand. I didn't do anything improper.
I just gave a lecture.
Of course, not an ordinary lecture.
I unleashed some old-fashioned scolding that I had personally learned from moving between the military and manual labor sites.
"The world's really gotten better. Back in my day, there's a 20-year age gap? We couldn't even sit at the same table. But what about you? How old are you?"
"W-well, I am in my 142nd year since revival..."
"Is that what's important right now? Hah, this is what's wrong with kids these days."
"Then what exactly is impor... No, nevermind. I understand so please stop! I was wrong, so stop! I won't even call you servant anymore! Lord Hero! Is that good enough?!"
"You were wrong? What was wrong? Is that the attitude of someone who's reflecting? Just talking back is all you know... Hey, why are you quiet? Not answering? Going to ignore me completely? This would have been unimaginable in my day. So young yet talking back and now ignoring... Do you even know what you did wrong? You don't, that's why you're acting like this. You need to be disciplined to come to your senses. Your mindset is all wrong. Back in my day, if someone acted as rudely as you are now... I would have just gathered everyone above you and below me and just..."
"Oh just stop already! Gyaaaah!!"
My heated night with the Demon King continued quite long.
About 5 hours.