The shopkeeper, who was looking at her with a shocked expression.
Even though she had seen her since childhood, the person before her still had the same youthful appearance that had never changed.
Now, a demon, Mari…
She couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
“How have you been, ma’am?”
“…Mari… is it really… you?”
“…Yes. It’s me, Mari. Though I’ve become like this…”
Mari spoke in a somber voice.
Though she had never regretted the decision that led her to become a demon,
at this very moment, she felt the weight of that choice more than ever.
The owner of the spaghetti shop.
Karen.
In this vast capital, she had been the only one to offer a hand when Mari was going through the hardest and most difficult times.
For Mari, who had grown up without a family, Karen was the closest thing to a mother.
But now, she was a demon, a Demon Lord.
Looking at herself in front of Karen, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy about how Karen would react.
Would she show anger at seeing her as a demon?
Or would she be happy to see her return?
While Mari secretly hoped for the latter, she knew deep down that the chances of that happening were slim.
Karen likely had strong negative feelings toward demons.
With that uncertainty in her heart, Mari couldn’t shake the unease, wondering if a plate would be thrown at her.
In silence, she began to carefully observe Karen’s reaction.
And then…
“…Haa.”
The long silence was broken by a sigh.
Mari’s eyes then followed Karen, who had turned to head into the kitchen.
And then…
‘…This sound…’
The familiar sound in her ears.
Mari knew exactly what it meant after all these years.
The sound of spaghetti being made.
The sound that had always greeted her when she returned home, weary.
A warm sound.
Mari, knowing what the sound meant, felt tears begin to well up in her eyes without realizing it.
And then…
“Eat.”
“Ah…”
A steaming plate of spaghetti was placed in front of her.
For the past year, more than any other dish, this was the one that had constantly lingered in her mind.
Looking at it, Mari lifted her fork with trembling hands.
“…Hey…”
“Eat before it gets cold. We can talk about everything after.”
“Ugh…”
The voice was calm, yet within it, Mari could feel a gentle kindness.
Unable to hold back any longer, she started to cry.
As her sobs filled the air, she struggled to put the spaghetti into her mouth.
Watching her, Karen slowly lifted her head.
When she raised her head, her eyes were…wet with tears.
“…That’s what happened, ma’am.”
After hearing the story, Karen remained silent for a moment.
The tale Mari had shared, the events of the past year and several months, contained things that were hard to believe, but Karen’s conclusion was simple and clear.
“You must’ve had a tough time.”
“Yes… it really wasn’t easy.”
“But still, you’ve come back. I’m so glad you’ve come back.”
“Are you alright with this? With how I’ve turned out…”
“What does that matter? Whether you’ve become a demon or a devil, you’re still Mari.”
“…Thank you. Really…”
As she spoke, Mari felt the tears welling up again.
In the calmer atmosphere, Karen spoke quietly.
“So, what are you planning to do from now on?”
“So, are you planning to quietly forget the past and end things here? Or… are you thinking of taking revenge?”
“What do you think, ma’am? If you were in my place…”
“Of course, I’d take revenge.”
“…Ha.”
Karen spoke firmly.
Her answer, one that didn’t involve any hint of pity, made Mari smile lightly, as though she had expected it.
Even if she hadn’t heard Mari’s story directly, Karen, who knew well how much Mari had suffered, wouldn’t have found it strange for her to take revenge on the people in this capital.
No…
In fact, if anything, it was surprising that Mari had endured for so long.
“Honestly, there’s been plenty to be angry about. Even after becoming the Great Witch, seeing you stay quiet all this time made me feel frustrated. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to finally let out all that pent-up emotion.”
“I knew you’d say that.”
Mari smiled brightly.
Karen also smiled, with a matching grin, as though they were a mother and daughter.
“So, do you have a particular method in mind?”
“Of course. I have the perfect plan… I’ll make sure they suffer a pain that makes their lives feel worse than death. So subtle, yet so definite, they won’t even realize it.”
“Heh…”
Just hearing about it was interesting.
Though she wasn’t one to enjoy the suffering of others, this time, she was curious about how Mari, like a daughter, would handle things.
As she thought this, Karen slowly began to clean up the empty plates.
“The Elven Kingdom has agreed to the peace treaty…”
“Yes, Great Demon King.”
“I told you not to call me that.”
“My apologies, Teriya.”
“Leave the ‘Sir’ out too. For now, I’m just a mere witch from the Magic Tower.”
“Hmm…”
The Great Demon King Kaya spoke calmly, sipping her tea with a smile on her lips.
She looked unusually content, especially after their private meeting.
Whether it was simply the Demon King enjoying the leisure of a victor, or for some other reason, I couldn’t say, but from my perspective, this situation was far from comfortable.
After all, one-on-one meetings with a superior could never be without pressure.
Whether the Demon King knew this or not, she set her teacup down with a smile and continued speaking.
“You want to know what I wrote? What could possibly have made those arrogant Elves agree to a peace treaty?”
The Elves, who had never hidden their hostility toward the Demon Kingdom and its people, had always been at odds with the demons.
And yet, in the wake of the Leaf Empire’s fall, the fact that they remained so calm was nothing short of surprising.
“I didn’t write anything special. I simply told them that this war was only a retaliation against the Leaf Empire, which initiated the attack, and that we do not wish for any further conflict.”
“That alone… made the Elves lower their tails?”
“Yes, it was likely the only option for them.”
“Why?”
The Demon King, curious and confused, asked.
I answered, providing the explanation she wanted.
“We’ve successfully fully conquered the Leaf Empire. However, the Elves did nothing while the empire was falling apart. They didn’t send reinforcements, and there was no clear response to our declaration of war. This means that the Elves likely gave up on getting involved in the affairs of the Leaf Empire.”
“…Why?”
“The detailed reasons are beyond my knowledge. However, if I had to guess, there might be something happening internally, or perhaps there is a strong sentiment among the Elves that they don’t want to shed blood for humans. As you know, the Elves suffered greatly in the past Great War.”
“That’s right. Despite sending considerable forces, they didn’t even get decent compensation.”
“Exactly. While I can’t be certain, I believe these factors made the Elves wary of getting involved in this matter. When we presented them with a reasonable justification and asked for peace, they had no reason to refuse.”
Of course, looking at the future, their decision could be seen as foolish.
They surely knew that after the fall of the Leaf Empire, they would be next.
But living beings, by nature, often turn a blind eye to such obvious facts in exchange for present comfort and gain.
It was no different from what happened in Europe in the early stages of World War II.
It wasn’t particularly surprising that something similar had happened in this world as well.
“I’ve been feeling this for some time, but truly, you’ve surprised me more than I expected.”
“You flatter me, Your Majesty.”
“Thanks to you, we were able to achieve the long-held wish of our demon kin. As the ruler of the demons, I must reward you fittingly.”
The Great Demon King spoke with a deep smile.
Watching her, I felt a strange sense of discomfort, but I responded with as much humility as I could.
“I only did what I had to do as a Demon Lord. I didn’t do it for a reward, so please, Your Majesty, reconsider.”
“That’s not possible. Rewards and punishments are the natural law of this world. To set an example for future generations, it is only right that you receive a fitting reward.”
“Hmm. If that’s the case…”
Though it was uncomfortable, I couldn’t exactly refuse after she had gone this far.
Moreover, a part of me was curious about the “fitting reward” the Demon King intended to give.
After all, I had just conquered an entire nation.
Not just any small nation, but the Leaf Empire, which had fought against the demons for centuries.
What kind of grand reward would the Demon King give me for such a feat?
“You’ve made a good decision. Now, come closer.”
“Yes.”
Following the Demon King’s command, I respectfully knelt down.
I was curious about what kind of gift she would give.
Then, as she looked at me, the Demon King smiled and slowly caressed my cheek…
“Huh… Your Majesty? What are you doing…”
“Didn’t I say? I’m giving you a reward.”
“T-that’s true, but… what is this…?”
“The reward is… me.”
“…What?”