The Demon King's Special Friend
The Demon King’s declaration that I could ask for anything. In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through my mind, yet the choice I was fated to make had already been decided.
The Demon King had called me her “precious person.” Regrettably, I could tell the meaning behind those words fell somewhat short of clearly conveying deep affection. As the sovereign of an entire nation, a being who stood above countless others, she naturally had many precious people—starting with her closest aides. Perhaps when she spoke of someone “precious,” she simply saw me as one among that great multitude.
There was no negative emotion in it, but neither did it imply a bond intimate enough to call each other lovers. Of course, the interpretation was open, yet I harbored a strong desire to use this chance to clearly define the relationship between myself and the Demon King. A way to become a truly special existence in her heart—something beyond a single kiss or a fleeting physical encounter—and, at the same time, a method to preemptively remove any potential “competitors.”
After careful consideration, I resolved to take the clearest, most decisive path. The moment that decision crystallized, I spoke to the Demon King. I confessed my wish to begin by becoming lovers.
“…L-lovers…?”
The Demon King froze for a brief moment at my words. She had told me to say anything I wanted, yet even for her the word “lovers” carried considerable weight. Had my favorability toward her not crossed a certain threshold, the answer would have been an immediate rejection. Even if she felt some affection, the burden of dating someone while seated upon the throne of a nation’s ruler might have made her hesitate.
Depending on the situation, she could easily have replied that such a request was rather difficult. However, to minimize any chance of failure, I gave her no time to think deeply and quickly continued.
“Of course, I’m not asking Your Majesty to enter a serious relationship with me right this moment. To be exact, I mean getting to know each other lightly… You could think of it as a somewhat special sort of friend.”
“A special… friend…? Ah. I-I see. So among humans, ‘lovers’ carries that kind of meaning?”
The Demon King asked with a trace of confusion. I put on a light, easy expression that said Being lovers isn’t all that serious and answered the woman before me.
“Yes. Of course, sometimes it develops into something more serious later on. But the beginning is usually just two people becoming lovers so they can rely on each other lightly, like friends. That’s quite common among humans. While getting to know each other, if a better person appears or the feelings don’t match, it’s also common to part ways lightly.”
“Hmm…”
In this world, free love was as ordinary among commoners as it was in modern times—even if the nobility still clung to more classical customs. That very background was what allowed those wretched pairs to commit open NTR in the first place. There was no need to bring up the highborn nobles’ rigid courtship practices here.
By draining the word “lovers” of as much intensity as possible—or at least making it appear that way—I began to watch the Demon King’s reaction with careful attention.
“Special friends… Still, a lover is a lover… Hmm…”
It was obvious at a glance that she was struggling with the gap between her existing common sense and my explanation. I considered adding a few more words to nudge her forward, but ultimately decided to let her think it over. Pushing too hard while her judgment was clouded could easily provoke resistance.
I kept silent, observing her expression while wrapped in thick tension. Then, after a short moment that felt like hours, the Demon King looked at me and answered in a cautious voice.
“A… All right. Since you desire it, it is only proper that I accept.”
“Ah…!”
“Th-then, from today onward, you are my lover. …Please take good care of me from now on.”
“Y-yes! Though I am unworthy, I will do my best to serve you well, Your Majesty!”
The sight of the Demon King speaking with flushed cheeks and a trembling voice sent a fierce impulse surging through me—an overwhelming urge to pull the beautiful, adorable woman before me into a tight embrace. I bit my tongue lightly, forcing the feeling down, and struggled to contain the joy that made me want to leap into the air.
Right now we’ve only just washed the rice and set it in the pot. We can’t lift the lid already. There’s no need to rush. I’ll slowly, carefully build our relationship at my own pace.
Although I had emphasized the “friend” aspect, the boundary marked by the word “lovers” still carried enormous significance. From this moment forward, a completely legitimate path to approach the Demon King had opened before me. Thinking of how I would polish and perfect that path with everything I had, a deep smile rose unbidden to my lips. No matter what, I would claim her heart.
“So… you really let the hero’s smooth words sweep you off your feet and accepted his confession just like that?”
Belzebeuty’s face grew increasingly complicated as she stared at the Demon King. The latter, looking like a child expecting a scolding from her mother, glanced nervously at her subordinate.
“U-um… It couldn’t be helped. After all, I was the one who told him to ask for anything he wanted.”
“Sigh…”
“B-but isn’t that much fine? We only became lovers in the sense of special friends. It’s definitely not what you’re imagining, Belzebeuty.”
“…Even so, a lover is still a lover, isn’t it? At this rate, no one could object even if the hero walked hand-in-hand with Your Majesty.”
“W-well… that’s true, but…”
The Demon King’s face turned scarlet at Belzebeuty’s words. Watching her realize—rather late—what she had done, Belzebeuty spoke in a blunt tone.
“Before long you’ll be hugging, kissing, and later… ahem. Anyway. Now that you’re lovers, he’ll surely try to do those things. Will Your Majesty be able to handle it?”
“Th-that’s… Well… I can simply refuse when the time comes…”
“And if the hero takes that rejection to heart and goes berserk? Exactly as Your Majesty feared from the beginning.”
“…Mmm…”
Under Belzebeuty’s relentless barrage of facts, the Demon King looked unusually flustered. Seeing the strongest demon alive in such a state, Belzebeuty felt utterly lost about where to even begin educating her friend.
In many areas the Demon King was undeniably competent—standing at the very pinnacle. Yet when it came to romance, she had almost no experience whatsoever. Facing a hero who had confessed in the style of Let’s start lightly, like friends might have been an impossible task from the outset.
Still… the Demon King isn’t a fool. How on earth did she fall for such a shallow trick?
Something about that thought felt strangely familiar, but Belzebeuty reflexively pushed it aside. What mattered now was that the Demon King and the hero had officially become “lovers.” Even if the relationship wore the mask of “special friends,” Belzebeuty understood that its implications were anything but light.
Still, trying to separate Your Majesty and the hero at this point would only backfire…
Had there been no relationship at all, it might have been different. But now that they were formally lovers, forcibly tearing them apart would clearly cause severe repercussions. If the relationship between the hero—the Demon Kingdom’s current greatest asset—and the Demon King were to deteriorate, they could lose the hard-won momentum entirely.
In that case, we have no choice but to make full use of this situation. Considering our original plan, this could actually be an opportunity…
Ultimately, the final objective was for the Demon King to completely capture the hero’s heart and gain firm control over him. Depending on how one viewed it, this incident could prove enormously helpful in achieving that goal. Belzebeuty’s mind began turning rapidly.
Although we were taken by surprise… just wait. In the end, I will definitely put a collar around your neck.
While she busily plotted ways to repay the wicked hero for his cunning ploy, Belzebeuty failed to notice one crucial detail: the Demon King before her was desperately trying to suppress the smile that kept threatening to lift the corners of her mouth.