A day of gentle breeze and radiant sunshine, with just the right amount of light filtered through the shade of the trees, casting dappled patterns on the ground. Hakim Sig would never encounter Emilia, who favored the suppression of gravity.
It was unfortunate, but the two still met atop the highest peak of the Demon King’s Castle. As his words fell, they silently exchanged a glance.
Neither of them was surprised by the wind-tousled state of the other; their lips curled into slight smiles, filled only with joy. After all, seeing each other frequently, it was natural to run into one another.
At this moment, the silver-haired girl continued to smile without choosing to say anything. Instead, she showed a gentle and obedient demeanor, every movement radiating feminine charm.
She reached out her slender, delicate hand to softly tap the bench beside her.
By issuing this unspoken duel challenge, Sig naturally wouldn’t refuse. Expressionless, he sat down beside the girl, stretching lazily before his sharp eyes quickly snatched the newspaper and began to savor it carefully.
“Most likely true. Good news.”
After confirming the reliability of the information, he nodded with nothing more to say and genuinely breathed a sigh of relief.
Gerard at full strength was still overwhelmingly oppressive.
Moving his gaze away from the newspaper to look out at the Demon King’s Castle, he felt the weight of the empire he had conquered, sinking into it with no escape. Yet, beside him, she spoke at an ill-timed moment.
“That Sig, I have to ask—are you confident you can defeat Gerard at full strength? Of course, if you can’t, it’s fine to say so……”
Whether she was asking knowingly or had other intentions, her blood-red eyes were serious, not joking or mocking in the slightest.
Seeing this, he generously laid out the full truth—there was no point hiding anything. Right now, his strength was barely a tenth of his usual; how could he fight? Should he try headbutting? Even then, it wouldn’t work.
Raising both hands above his head, he performed a French military salute.
“Can’t beat him. Just can’t. I have no chance against the current Gerard. If he doesn’t finish me in five minutes, it means he’s holding back. If he attacks, I’ll definitely surrender with one raised hand, holding a white flag high.”
Lowering his hands, he casually pulled out a flag he had prepared earlier from his pants. The spotless white flag was perfect for surrender, and as he waved it lightly, a wave of pathetic sentiment welled up, probably foreseeing what was to come.
Emilia leaned closer, deliberately closing the distance. She lifted her hands and grabbed his, refusing to let go. Seeing those slender hands subtly tighten their grip on his calloused ones.
“Is there really no other way, Sig?”
“There is. There are brothers, just like I have two hands, and you happen to have two cheeks—it’s a perfect match.” But whether he had grown accustomed or just didn’t care, he didn’t resist the girl’s flirtatious actions. Instead, he kept spouting his cheeky remarks.
“For example, we could just wait here……”
But before he finished, she interrupted with newfound courage, gripping tighter. Her eyes revealed determination, though her body and mind resisted, and her lips trembled. Yet for him, she was willing to sacrifice everything.
“If there’s no other way, I can go back—return to the Empire. After all, Gerard’s target is me. Once I’m gone, he’d have no reason to come here anymore. But that means we’ll probably never see each other again, so I won’t be able to help you atone.”
It was clear she was reluctant, struggling greatly, and the outcome of going back was predictable. After hearing this, Sig thought seriously, stroked his chin, and without hesitation agreed, even offering approval.
He gave a thumbs-up.
“You’re right, Emilia. That makes sense. It’s the safest plan for now, avoiding unnecessary conflict and the risk of the Demon King’s Castle’s destruction. That guy Gerard will definitely bring devastation if he comes here—given his current approach and obsession with you, there’s no doubt. If that happens, I’ll probably cosplay as the strongest sorcerer, my backside hanging from a tree, because I won’t give up. This is my only hope to go home. I won’t choose to run away again.”
She looked pained, especially after hearing those words from the one she cared for, as if pushed into an abyss. Her blood-red eyes narrowed in discomfort, but seeing him actually agree and thoughtfully weigh the pros and cons made her wonder if she might have felt better if he had refused or tried to keep her.
She realized she was being too dramatic and showed no sign of atonement.
Nodding, she agreed. Her delicate hand wiped away the tears hidden in the corner of her eyes, making one final request.
She started inching closer and closer.
“Sig, you’re right. We have no other choice now. I have no reason to refuse. Our atonement ends here. I’m sorry for leaving halfway through. Thank you, Sig, for giving me the chance to atone.”
Her voice choked, but she forced herself calm, making one last plea.
“But if it can’t go all the way, I still feel so regretful. Before that, can we be husband and wife for just one night? I want my first time to be with you.”
……
“You haven’t finished speaking yet. Don’t rush, alright? Tch, a verbal ‘no’ is one of my favorite things to say to self-righteous people like you, Emilia.”
Suddenly, Sig’s expression changed. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, then smiled meaningfully, full of confidence. He broke free from her grip and stood up smoothly, stroking her silver hair.
The texture still felt perfect; this woman truly suited his tastes.
He patted her gently a few times to stop her from overthinking.
Lowering his eyes with a serious look, he seemed to reveal his deepest thoughts—or maybe he was just going through the motions. Truly a stubborn Hakimi Demon King.
“Emilia, you still have your uses for me. Sometimes, the best solution isn’t the most effective one. I… I still need you. There are many things I need you to do for me, so I hope you’ll stay by my side. As for Gerard, leave him to me. Don’t worry—I’m the Demon King of all Demon Kings, the man among men, the alpha male, the prophesied one with great expectations. I’ll definitely find a way to deal with him.”
At the moment, the only way he could think of to handle Gerard was to go all out physically, resulting in mutual destruction. What else could be done? That was the last trump card; the ace had already been used up. Who would’ve thought even I’d hit my limit.
“Alright, I understand.”
Feeling his gentle touch, she lowered her head obediently and nodded. Happiness radiated from her, warmth replacing the heaviness and burden she’d felt moments ago. Some strange feelings seemed ready to burst forth.
Her rosy lips gasped lightly, blood-red eyes flickering with a hint of love. Her fragile body warmed, and her slender legs instinctively clung together, trembling softly.
But Sig brought up the awkward topic again—he hadn’t caught the last thing she wanted to say, distracted by his own posturing. Out of curiosity, he casually asked, even if he didn’t get an answer.
“What did you just say, Emilia?”
Her response was still unexpected. She lowered her head, her breathtakingly beautiful face showing determination. Though her lashes cast shadows, they couldn’t hide the surging turmoil in her blood-red eyes.
It was a fullness of happiness, as if she wished to realize these things immediately.
“It’s just… I want to love you for a lifetime, to make sure you can never get rid of me, to make your eyes see only me, then have a whole bunch of children here in the Demon King’s Castle. I promise I’ll make it happen, Sig. I promise.”
The atmosphere unintentionally grew heavy. Even Sig wanted to step back from it. He smiled, retreating a few steps—not a polite smile, but one that said, you’re terrifying.
Raising a hand, he pointed at her with a teasing tone.
“You little troublemaker.”