DSB 54

Lebel had thought the same thing once before. But the taste had improved far more than at first. If he said that, Karon would only get angrier.

He even lectured that poisoning was common among humans and that Lebel must stay alert.

Even after days of tasting food first and confirming it was safe, Karon still sampled every meal before Lebel ate.

Hmm, come to think of it, maybe the food Yutis had given him had ended up with Karon instead.

[My body is perfectly fine, so there’s no need to worry. Surely you don’t think I can’t digest human food!]

“Karon, you have to live a long life with me.”

Lebel had felt the gap between being a demon and living as a human. He thought it best to be cautious.

[You’re worried about me…!]

Karon had meant to complain, but Lebel’s words moved him instead. When Yutis heard them, he stared at Karon.

Mahan felt the tension, he tried to take Karon away, but he fiercely resisted.

[I won’t eat, but I won’t leave Lord Lebel’s side!]

Then Lebel thought, since Karon’s meal was prepared, it would be fine to have it brought here.

“Mahan, bring the meal.”

“Are you going to eat with Karon on your lap? The portion prepared is large, it’ll be heavy.”

What exactly had they prepared for Karon?

Karon poked his head above the table and glared at Yutis.

[I won’t leave Lord Lebel! Don’t you dare try to take my place!]

Lebel hesitated.

After hearing Yutis’s earlier words, he realized that Karon’s chatter must have made him neglect his own meal. And even though Karon was small, he ate a lot like any beast would.

He had sometimes fed Karon so much that his arm had gone numb, and Yutis must have seen it all.

He could imagine how Yutis had felt, watching him barely eat and then hand over the food he gave to Karon, unable to feed Lebel properly no matter how much he wanted to.

Yutis had held back his irritation until now.

Without saying a word, Lebel lifted Karon. When Karon turned around in surprise, his paws were already on the floor.

“Stay beside me. Mahan, bring Karon’s meal.”

Mahan brought the bowl. He had seen Karon’s appetite before, so the large bowl, nearly the size of his body, was piled with fresh meat.

When he saw it, Lebel realized Yutis had been right.

He couldn’t keep feeding Karon that much food by hand each time.

And it wasn’t cooked food, it was raw meat. Karon’s reaction was intense. Unlike his demonic soul, the beast’s body was honest.

Human food and beast food were different.

Lebel turned his head slightly, but Karon’s eyes didn’t move from the bowl. So why had he wanted the food on the table earlier?

“I hope it suits your taste.”

When Mahan placed the bowl down, Karon started to eat fiercely. Seeing the meat disappear so fast, Lebel could tell he must have been very hungry.

As a demon, Karon must have felt his body’s hunger too.

Lebel stroked Karon’s head.

“My wife, please eat as well.”

The sound cutlery filled the room. Below the table, Karon tore the meat apart with his teeth and chewed noisily.

[The meat is fresh and good. Lord Lebel should eat food like this to grow stronger.]

[Karon, I’m human. I can’t eat that.]

[It seems to be animal meat. I don’t recall any beast meat tasting like this.]

[Have you eaten beasts before?]

[The demon realm’s forests are full of beasts. I hunted some while taking walks. Sometimes I even brought back trophies.]

Ah, now that he mentioned it, Karon had brought him gifts before, pushing random things into his arms as presents.

The two had many similarities indeed.

Yutis, too, had once been restless because he couldn’t find something to give Lebel. It hadn’t changed even now.

He would hand something to Lebel that he didn’t need and then look happier than the one receiving it.

They might get along well, but since they showed no sign of that, Lebel could only hope they would grow closer, since they would be seeing each other often.

“…My wife, aren’t you eating? Have you lost your appetite?”

“Hmm? No.”

He had been lost in thought again. No wonder Yutis thought he couldn’t focus on eating.

Lebel belatedly picked up the food Yutis offered him. Yutis’s eyes moved between Lebel and Karon.

Even though things had gone the way he wanted, he couldn’t relax.

‘What’s so lovely about that beast that he even said he wants to live with it for a long time?’

Yutis’s feelings toward Karon were complicated. The more he saw how Lebel treated Karon, the more he realized how important that beast was to Lebel.

Yutis’s grip on his utensils tightened.

Lebel knew much about beasts, handled magic, and acted like someone well acquainted with young beasts. All of it made Yutis uneasy.

“Karon, eat slowly. If you eat too fast, you’ll get sick.”

“Woof!”

The distance between them was what bothered Yutis the most. His gaze was filled with jealousy.

In the Demon Realm, Lebel had slept for three years straight. He had ignored Karon’s shouting to wake up and had stubbornly stayed in bed.

This was the first time in a long while that he was spending his days awake with Karon.

He told Karon about what had happened after becoming human, and Karon, who enjoyed being able to talk with Lebel again, often started conversations. Because of that, Lebel sometimes stopped paying attention to his surroundings.

Until Karon appeared, Yutis had completely monopolized Lebel’s time. He vividly felt the loss.

Lebel felt a heated stare from somewhere and lifted his head. Not knowing why, he tilted it slightly, then noticed that the food on Yutis’s plate had barely decreased.

“…Yutis? You’re not eating?”

“I’ve finished.”

He usually ate large portions that suited his size.

‘…Is he sick?’

He didn’t look unwell.

Then Lebel saw Yutis taking a suppressant pill and opened his eyes wide.

After their agreement, Yutis had been cutting back on the suppressants. But today, he was acting strangely and had taken one again.

‘So what’s urgent isn’t hunger for food but something else?’

His demonic energy seemed fine. But pheromones didn’t always surge only when something was wrong.

“Yutis, do you need pheromones?”

“…What?”

“You’re eating less than usual. When hunger in one sense grows stronger, you might stop feeling hunger in the other.”

[Lord Lebel, what are you saying?! You can’t possibly mean you’ll do that with that human again?! No! Even if my eyes are ripped out, I’ll never see it!]

Lebel pressed his hand down on Karon’s head as he barked noisily. At that moment, Yutis shook his head.

“I’m fine. I’m just not hungry today.”

“Hmm, really? Tell me if you ever need it.”

“Yes.”

Yutis smiled.

That moment made Lebel realize how long it had been since he had seen Yutis smile like that.

Since Karon’s arrival, the time he spent with Yutis had decreased a lot. Strictly speaking, Yutis was still beside him, but their conversations had dwindled.

Even when all three took walks, Lebel mostly talked with Karon. Maybe today he should go with Yutis alone.

“Yutis, let’s go for a walk.”

“Yes.”

Walking after meals to aid digestion had become part of their daily routine.

When Karon finished eating and started licking around his mouth, ready to follow them, Lebel spoke.

“Mahan, take care of Karon.”

Karon looked up at him in shock, and Yutis also looked confused.

[W-wait! Lord Lebel, you’re leaving me behind?!]

“Don’t cause trouble.”

Without minding his protest, Lebel handed Karon to Mahan. Yutis, watching the situation unfold, quickly stood up and followed him, still confused.

“Don’t you want to go today?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Oh, Karon? I want to go with you alone today.”

By now Karon had gotten used to life in the human world, so he should be fine on his own.

Karon had no intention of leaving Lebel’s side, but Lebel didn’t plan to keep taking him everywhere either.

Even in the Demon Realm, it had always been Karon who followed Lebel, not the other way around.

Karon shouted that he wanted to go too, but Mahan held him tight so he couldn’t escape.

Mahan’s eyes sparkled as he spoke briskly to them.

“I’ll take care of Karon, so you two go and enjoy some quiet time together.”

[Lord Lebel! Lord Lebel!!]

Mahan quickly disappeared from sight.

“The weather is warm today. A good day for a walk.”

The sunlight had grown bright, showing that winter was retreating.

“Winter may end soon. Let’s go, my wife.”

Yutis extended his hand to Lebel. Lebel didn’t refuse it.

He had wanted a peaceful walk with Yutis, but as they started out, he remembered that Karon wasn’t the only problem.

He felt the stares from the passing servants. Their looks were different now.

In their hushed whispers, he heard them mention the events that had taken place in the village.

“I’ll make sure they restrain themselves later.”

Yutis spoke carefully, worried that Lebel might feel burdened. Despite his words, he was glaring at the servants, ordering them to leave with his eyes.

Lebel noticed it and smiled.

“Isn’t it already too late?”

“…Perhaps.”

“They’re young and curious.”

Lebel hadn’t expected the power he showed to cause such a stir. Yet the story had spread so widely that by now, there was hardly anyone who hadn’t heard.

“You must be curious too.”

Yutis only laughed.