Son, This Is Your Chance!
"Son, this is your chance!"
“Here, perfect. It’s grilled just right.”
“Thanks. Good work.”
I handed Ilena a skewer with a perfectly grilled piece of meat. Without a hint of fear, she pressed her tongue against the steaming hot meat only to flinch back in surprise.
“Ow, it’s hot!”
“Of course it is. It just came off the fire. I forgot to warn you and you burned yourself right away.”
“Hng……”
Ilena stuck her slightly scorched tongue out and tried to cool it down.
“Pfft……”
“Don’t laugh!”
“How can I not? That sulky face of yours is a whole spectacle.”
“Uuu……!”
“Dipe should have seen this. I only chuckle a little, but she would have burst out laughing.”
It was her own fault for not being careful. Ilena narrowed her eyes and glared at me, but she didn’t actually get angry. Soon the sting on her tongue seemed to subside. She puckered her lips and blew on the meat with soft huffing sounds. Then, wearing a solemn expression as if she had made up her mind, she declared to me.
“I’m eating it now?”
“Yeah, yeah. It should be at the perfect temperature right about now.”
“Okay!”
Ilena finally took a big bite. She chewed with a mysterious look, savoring the flavor, and it didn’t take long for her eyes to sparkle.
“It’s delicious!”
“I’m glad it suits your taste.”
“You tricked me! You told me not to expect much!”
Fortunately, Ilena seemed to like the meat quite a lot. Even while speaking, her mouth was still packed full of it. Seeing her cheeks bulging with food reminded me of a small, adorable exotic pet I had seen in Crownland. A hamster… I think that was what they called it.
“How did you do it? This is meat we just caught in the forest, yet it barely has any gamey smell.”
“It’s because of this.”
I shook the small jar of seasoning in front of her.
“Isn’t that the most expensive seasoning we bought today? I told you not to get it, but you insisted.”
“Yeah. It’s called pepper. A rare spice from the distant east. It’s unbelievably good at masking the smell of meat.”
Because of its rarity and high price, it was a spice only the fairly wealthy in Crownland could enjoy. Still, a market was a market; I snatched up the single bottle they had without hesitation.
“Money really does its job, huh.”
“You even know sayings like that? But you’re right. As long as you don’t get scammed, that’s usually how it goes.”
A contented smile slipped out before I could stop it. It had been a long time since I’d prepared a meal outdoors like this, or cooked meat by hand for someone else to eat. Back when I was a mercenary it had been a chore I did for those ranked higher than me, but later I had gladly done it for my companions in the hero party.
When Ilena noticed me simply watching her eat with relish, she nodded at me impatiently.
“You eat too! Hurry!”
“Right. I’ll eat as well. I should take the rest off first or they’ll burn.”
The well-grilled meat gave off a rustic, savory aroma. It was fresh, unaged meat seasoned with nothing but salt and pepper. The moment I bit into it, a long-forgotten taste filled my mouth. I felt it anew—the realization that my life as a hero was truly over.
“You look somehow sad.”
“Sad? Me?”
“Yeah.”
Ilena picked up the water bottle and held it out to me.
“Cheer up.”
Maybe it was the gentle moonlight, but her slender wrist as she offered me the bottle looked incredibly beautiful.
“……Thank you.”
I accepted the bottle with gratitude. While I drank, Ilena continued sharing her thoughts about my expression.
“Still, it’s a relief. Your face does look sad right now, but at the same time you seem refreshed.”
“You saw it exactly. I was just thinking that all of it is in the past now.”
“Anyway!”
Ilena suddenly thrust her hand toward me.
“What does this mean?”
“Give me one more. It’s delicious.”
“You have to ask me specifically? I laid them all out right there. You can just grab one……”
“Hurry!”
There was a distinct spoiled, whiny note in her voice. Sensing she would sulk if I didn’t hand it to her myself, I quickly picked up a skewer and passed it over.
“Hehe, thank you. I like it better when you give it to me.”
“Isn’t it the same meat?”
“It’s different. I could pick it up myself, but when it’s passed from hand to hand, I feel some warm something.”
“Is that thing called affection?”
The truth was, I still couldn’t quite believe it. That the hero party once welcomed and praised by everyone had ended up like that, and that I was now spending the night with the Demon King.
Huh? Wait. Spending the night with the Demon King… It came up again.
Mother really is meddlesome. Of course, it’s not as if those thoughts never cross my mind. If they didn’t, I’d be a man who can’t even fulfill his role as one. What man in this world wouldn’t waver when a pretty, family-oriented, good-natured woman treats him so kindly?
The problem is that the woman before me isn’t human—she’s from the demon race. But even taking that into account…
They say lighting plays a huge part in setting the mood. Ilena smiling happily beneath the soft moonlight really was quite beautiful.
“Eat quickly, will you? The hot meat is going to get cold!”
“Ah, right.”
Ilena urged me on as I quietly stared at her.
“Roen.”
I blinked my eyes open. Ilena was looking down at me with a gentle smile.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Uh……”
After finishing the meal and savoring the full feeling, I must have dozed off without realizing it.
“Sorry. I nodded off.”
“It’s fine. You worked hard hunting and preparing everything, didn’t you? I’m the one who should apologize for waking you.”
“No need to apologize……”
When I tried to sit up, I noticed a blanket had been draped over me.
“Did you cover me with a blanket while I was sleeping?”
“Yes. Even though we’re by the fire, the night air is quite chilly. I didn’t want you catching a cold.”
“Why didn’t you just wake me?”
“You were sleeping so deeply. It felt wrong to disturb you. Still,” Ilena pointed toward the wagon’s cargo compartment. “Wouldn’t it be better to sleep comfortably inside?”
“I suppose so. Then first I’ll put out the fire……”
“No need.”
With a light wave of her hand, the campfire was extinguished in an instant.
“Whoa, you completely put it out.”
“Why? Isn’t cleaning up supposed to mean putting out the fire?”
“I was planning to keep it burning. To ward off any wild beasts that might approach.”
“If that’s what you’re worried about, it’s fine. You should be able to sense it, right?”
Now that she mentioned it, the flow of mana around us had changed. It felt as if a circular wall had been drawn with us at its center.
“You already took care of it.”
“I put up a barrier. So no one can disturb us. Even if wild beasts or people pass by, they won’t even notice our presence.”
“Then I can rest easy. With a full stomach, all that’s left is a good night’s sleep.”
“Yes. Let’s sleep now. Thank you so much. Thanks to you, it was a really special dinner!”
Ilena thanked me once again. Once had been enough, but hearing it a second time still warmed my heart.
Ilena climbed into the cargo compartment first and used magic to warm the air. Dipe was already fast asleep on one of the chairs, so I yielded the other to Ilena. There was fluffy bedding, and the floor was perfectly fine for me.
“It feels somehow strange.”
Lying in her spot, Ilena looked at me and murmured.
“That the day would come when I look down at you like this.”
“True. From this angle, it does look that way.”
After all, she was lying on the chair while I lay on the floor.
“It feels like I won against you!”
“Are you satisfied with that?”
“I’m not sure. But I can definitely feel how considerate you’re being.”
“What consideration is this much? By the way, are you okay?”
“Okay? With what?”
It seemed Ilena truly wasn’t conscious of it; she looked completely unconcerned.
“Sleeping with a man right in front of you.”
“……Ugh!”
Instead of answering, Ilena let out a small groan as her face flushed bright red. She glanced at me, then abruptly rolled over to face the other way.
“It’s not just any man. It’s you. What’s the problem?”
“Does that mean I don’t have enough charm to be seen as a man? I’m a little hurt.”
“Ah, no! You’re different from those shameless bastards, aren’t you? And……”
Ilena slowly rolled back toward me.
“I’m the Demon King. I won’t just take it lying down.”
“I only asked if it was okay to sleep with a man nearby. I never said I’d touch you.”
“What? Ah…… Argh……!”
This time Ilena turned away sharply.
“I don’t know! Just go to sleep already!”
“Okay, okay. Good night.”
“Yeah. You too. Sweet dreams.”
That was the end of it. It was truly fortunate that she stopped there and turned away to sleep. If Ilena had stayed facing me, showing such a defenseless side… the shameless guy inside me might have come out after all.