Everything in the Demon King’s Castle was once again back on track. The slaves—no, the citizens of the Demon King’s Castle—were working hard to rebuild the place. After all, they had nowhere else to return to, and the treatment here wasn’t bad at all.
Emilia, the girl who arrived late at the lake, wore a look of contentment. As long as Sieg was by her side, all difficulties and obstacles seemed like mere clouds passing by.
After all, the two of them together were invincible. She walked with light steps, humming a little tune as she approached the small cabin by the lake. Her blood-red eyes reflected a familiar figure.
It was Sieg, leisurely basking in the sun. His recent workload had been heavy, so whenever he found a bit of free time, he instinctively sought out a comfortable spot to rest.
Closing his eyes and lying sprawled on the grass, he looked almost like he was dead.
That was his current state.
“Sieg, I’m here.”
Though Sieg was almost asleep, hearing his lover’s voice echoed in his ear made him blink in confusion as he sat up. Still drowsy, he looked at her—more beautiful than a goddess.
He silently nodded, stretched lazily, and even startled himself awake from his nap.
He liked to set up barriers around himself to avoid being disturbed during sleep, except he never set one against Emilia, because there was simply no need. And so, this situation happened.
“Oh, you’re here. Wait, what was that just now?”
Sieg wobbled as he stood up from the grass, nearly falling again. His brain hadn’t fully caught up with his body. He went on to ask about what had just happened—the strange way she suddenly came over, then left, speaking in riddles.
“It’s… just weird.”
He hadn’t asked earlier, but now he had to.
Emilia, the silver-haired girl, tilted her head gently. She looked puzzled, getting up as if she didn’t understand her lover’s meaning. After a moment’s thought, she chose to ask him directly.
“What do you mean, Sieg?”
“You weren’t just here a moment ago?”
Her reaction stunned Sieg. He sighed and calmly repeated what had just happened, a helpless smile appearing on his face.
There was no way she could have forgotten what just happened, right?
But to his surprise, Emilia remained calm. She didn’t seem to be lying, only a faint confusion showed on her face. Her blood-red eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to recall.
“I think I was discussing something with Orla just now.”
She sounded a little unsure of herself. Wanting to figure out what had happened, she asked more questions.
But Sieg abruptly cut her off. It was clear he didn’t want to dig deeper—he’d treat it as a joke. After all, there were too many matters in the Demon King’s Castle to waste time on trivial things.
Besides, this kind of thing was inconsequential. Better to just let it slide.
“Alright, alright. I don’t mind either way. Let’s go back. It’s getting late, and my rest won’t be delayed much.”
“Mm, there’s one more thing I need to tell you. I refused Duke Orla’s invitation. I hope you won’t be mad, Sieg… Because I want to stay by your side. If I go to the Empire, a lot of things will change.”
At that moment, she nodded and didn’t continue down that topic. Instead, she spoke softly about the results of the recent meeting, cautiously voicing her thoughts. Her blood-red eyes never left Sieg’s expression, watching carefully for any change.
Feeling a bit nervous, she swallowed hard. Sieg responded with a slight smile.
He looked pleased and clearly liked this side of her.
“Alright. It’s your decision; you don’t need to ask me. Honestly, I hope you stay by my side. I’m kind of dependent on you now.”
Probably to avoid being taken as a joke or teased, Sieg deliberately stressed seriously,
“I’m serious. Truly serious.”
“Yeah, I know, Sieg.”
Emilia, caught off guard by this scene, suddenly became shy and fidgety. She was only this way in front of her lover—her little devoted wife.
Overcome with emotion, she reached out with slender hands to embrace him. He didn’t resist, and their bodies pressed tightly together, feeling each other’s warmth. Her hands were anything but innocent.
She began to instinctively remove her clothes, preparing for some untimely behavior. After all, there was no one else around, and it was a mutual feeling.
They had just gotten halfway when the bed was ready.
But Sieg firmly refused, his voice resolute as he felt her hands pull and tug at his clothes. It was the familiar routine and scent that caused a dull ache in his lower back. Hastily, he turned around and took a few steps back.
Eighteen times in one night—no one could possibly handle that, not even a newborn.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t capable. A man can’t say he’s incapable, but there is a limit to everything.
Right now, his haggard complexion and lack of spirit said it all. He had been completely drained, with nothing left, still not fully recovered.
Naturally, he had to refuse—his life was at stake. But he needed a decent excuse, a delaying tactic.
He placed a hand on her shoulder, looking serious.
“Emilia, later, alright? There are other things to do right now. Don’t let desire get in the way of important matters.”
“You’re right, I was shallow. Sieg, you’re right. I’ll be more careful next time, avoid this kind of thing. Let’s go back to the Demon King’s Castle; there’s still work to be done.”
Emilia, who was trying to dissuade him, clearly listened and even found his words reasonable. Indulging in desire was the most shameful thing, especially at a time of life and death.
She bit her lip lightly, apologizing silently for her foolishness. Switching into work mode, she became serious. The desire in her eyes vanished as if everything just now had been a beautiful dream.
As they talked about work, she paused to think. Her delicate hand brushed aside the tangled bangs from her forehead. Naturally, she spoke about the most serious and urgent problem in the Demon King’s Castle, her tone tinged with helplessness.
“The thing is, our Demon King’s Castle is short on funds—in other words, we have no money. There’s nothing we can do about it. Sigh.”
“Looks like I’m the one who’ll have to go ‘buy some butts.’”
Unexpectedly, Sieg spoke out shockingly, as if he had made up his mind about something. But he just shrugged it off, pretending to be casual, joking.
“Just kidding, just kidding. Leave it to me. In five days, I’ll get the money. Don’t worry, it’ll be legitimate, reasonable, and harmless.”
He had come up with a plan—an all-in-one solution. It was a bit risky and could possibly be fatal, but as long as he came out alive, they wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore. It was worth a try… If it were the old him, he wouldn’t even consider such a thing.
But for the sake of going home, for her not to wear that worried look anymore, for the Demon King’s Castle, for everything that had been…
He would risk it one more time.
“I understand. I trust you, Sieg.”
It was clear Emilia chose not to ask more. She chose to trust him. There was no why—just trust. That was the bond between them, the tacit understanding. Since they had bared their hearts to each other, their feelings and love only grew stronger.
Her blood-red eyes reflected Sieg’s confident smile. He promised solemnly,
“Mm, I might be out for a few days starting tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’ll come back as soon as I can. I promise, Emilia.”