DSB 18

“Ma-Madam? What brings you here?”

Mahan immediately bowed his head and asked, and Damian approached Lebel.

Lebel didn’t get up and looked up at him while munching the sandwich to the end.

Damian was dumbfounded at Lebel looking at him blankly while moving his mouth.

He’s a guest, at least when he came, Lebel should get up and greet!

“What are you doing without moving in the room?

After swallowing the sandwich, Lebel said.

“Father has come.”

“….Father?”

“Since you’re my husband’s father….No, his dad, so I thought calling you that would be good. If there’s a different title you prefer, tell me.”

He had no intention of using honorifics with humans, but since he accepted Yutis as a mate, he thought he should show corresponding courtesy to his family.

“Father my foot! I absolutely won’t acknowledge you as my Yutis’s wife!”

“Is that so.”

Lebel picked up a new sandwich. It suited his taste more than expected, and his stomach was hungrier than anticipated.

“You’re eating now?”

“Ah, um.”

Damian was flustered when Lebel put down the sandwich abruptly and told Mahan to clear it.

“It means eat later!”

The one who approached Damian was Mahan. If he missed this moment, he didn’t know when Lebel would eat.

Moreover, it was today’s first meal, and it had been exactly 18 hours. Mahan stepped forward for him, though he found his own appearance ridiculous, but he had to say it.

“It’s his first meal. So….”

“First meal? It’s afternoon now!”

“…Your Highness eats when he wakes up.”

“Did he just wake up?”

Mahan fell silent. Instead of Mahan, Lebel nodded nonchalantly, letting Damian know his words were true.

“Is it bad to wake up now?”

“How lazy can you be…….Get out right now!”

Damian eventually yelled at Lebel. He slammed the door and left, but soon opened the door again.

“You can come after eating that!”

What Damian pointed to was the sandwich. Lebel intended to eat it all even if he didn’t say that. He leisurely finished the sandwich. As soon as he emptied the plate, Mahan hurriedly prepared Lebel.

Preparation meant brushing off bread crumbs, combing his hair, and tidying his clothes.

Then, Mahan realized he had made a big mistake.

“Ah, the clothes……”

“I’ll just go like this.”

“But it’s pajamas.”

“It’s fine as long as it’s covered. Ah, since it’s cold, can I go covered with a blanket?”

“No!”

Mahan ran out somewhere and hurriedly brought a coat. The moderately warm-looking coat was too big for Lebel.

The coat that should cover only the upper body came down to the thighs, of course, and was so big it covered his hands too.

When Lebel came out in that appearance, Damian frowned.

“What is that appearance….”

Iol also looked at Lebel in surprise. Seeing Mahan hesitating beside him, he realized something and hurriedly said to Damian.

“I’m sorry. I ordered clothes from the dressing room, but they haven’t arrived yet.”

“What? Not yet?”

“It seems there was a mistake. I’ll check immediately.”

“When he came to the north, didn’t he have luggage?”

“I checked His Highness’s luggage, but there were no clothes suitable to wear in the north at all. The south doesn’t know the north’s cold. The quality wasn’t good either.”

That would be so. The pajamas given saying it’s what a servant wears suited him better.

“I’m sorry. I should have checked.”

“It’s fine. You must have been busy with the sudden incident.”

The reason Yutis and Edmund hurriedly went on expedition was because of the demonic beast raid, and because of that, the castle was busy.

Not only one village was overturned, but news that it was moving toward another village, so they had to send Edmund and Yutis hurriedly.

After that, they had to count support for the village and additional warriors to send, and send workers for restoration and priests to treat injured villagers.

“Follow me.”

Lebel followed behind Damian. He looked around. People were busily carrying something.

In the large boxes, there were things that looked like demonic beast horns, claws or skins. The ones carrying luggage greeted Damian.

“Madam, what brings you here?”

“Is this the last?”

“Yes.”

“What about Edmund and Yutis?”

“The head and young master said they’ll return after more patrol around.”

“Yutis was due to return soon anyway, and they finished well just in time. Understood.”

The place they came to following Damian was a place that looked like an office. There were many documents piled on his desk.

“Sit.”

Lebel sat on the sofa. Then Iol brought tea.

“I still don’t like you.”

“Yes. Whatever.”

‘I know even without you saying.’

Lebel touched the teacup.

“That attitude, that attitude bothers me the most!”

“Damian.”

Iol looked embarrassed and tried to calm him down. Lebel looked at Damian.

Is he a hothead? Ah, Michael was exactly like that. He seemed taciturn but got heated quickly and yelled.

Lebel still didn’t know it applied only to him.

“Ha, if you’ve become a northerner, act accordingly. Especially refrain from actions that tarnish Yutis’s reputation. The talk that you eat and sleep in the room without moving has spread to the main castle!”

He heard that if he’s quiet, he’ll be out of trouble, but that’s not the case.

“Winter in the north is busy. In the midst of that, don’t you feel anything about coming to the north suddenly and staying comfortably? Moreover, you’re legally married to Yutis!!”

“I’m grateful for the comfortable bed you provided. So I stayed as much out of sight as possible, didn’t I?”

“Was that for us?”

“Hm.”

Lebel closed his mouth. Damian noticed. He was doing this because it’s convenient for him. Damian pressed his forehead.

A marriage without a ceremony. But according to empire law, they’re legally husband and wife.

That means Lebel is the one with high authority in place of Damian when Edmund and Yutis are on expedition.

Of course, Damian had no intention of handing over authority to Lebel even a little.

However, whether that would continue to the future, he didn’t know well. Marriage in the north had great meaning.

Because of the harsh environment, the choice to form a family was a vow to protect the other with life for a lifetime, and it meant living together without letting go no matter what hardship. Moreover, the north is monogamous.

Different from empire people who secretly play with lovers and keep concubines in the main house.

In Damian’s eyes, Yutis’s determination seemed firm. To the point his head spun hearing that Lebel’s room was prepared in advance.

What exactly did he like?

Even among the servants, the talk that Yutis fell in love at first sight with Lebel was circulating.

Damian widened his eyes and looked at Lebel. He was leaning against the sofa, checking the fluffiness.

“Hah….”

The sight made him sigh. When Edmund steps down and Yutis becomes the head of the household, Edmund and Damian will leave the lord’s castle and go far away.

To hand over the castle to the new head. The Hestro family always did that.

At that time, the one to guard the castle in place of Yutis was Lebel.

Not only that. The Hestro family, said to carry demon bloodline, changes appearance during rut. Yutis’s rut is coming soon.

Can that prince endure it well? I don’t think so.

That’s why he opposed more. He didn’t think the small and slender one who looked so fragile could endure it. In the worst case, he could die.

Damian’s warning to him was sincere.

While the rut is important, there’s still time. First, he needs to educate him about his role as the castle’s mistress, teach him what he should do.

“While Edmund or Yutis risk their lives fighting demonic beasts to protect the territory, we take care of internal affairs. We must check if the territory people are uncomfortable, if no big problems arise.”

It’s not like Lebel didn’t have a territory in the demon realm.

“Moreover, how to process the demonic beast materials subjugated by the expedition, how to use them to develop and lead the north, how to distribute food during winter, we must think about all of that.”

Lebel looked up at Damian’s serious face. He could tell he worked hard for the territory.

Lebel also worked hard in his own way in the Demon Reall. It’s just that a capable subordinate nearby lightened the load.

He missed Karon a little. Karon handled everything.

“Isn’t it something to entrust to capable people?”

“Now, you want to just play and eat….?”

Is that so?

Lebel pondered for a moment. He wanted to help, but what could he do with this human body?

Lebel was a great demon ruling a large territory, but his role was dealing with intruders. But now he’s weak.

“While living here, have you felt nothing? You know how everyone thinks of you? Yet you won’t move from the room?”

Damian also heard the rumors circulating in the castle. Some believed he was a spy sent by the emperor, not the Foolish Prince.