DSB 98

“When I fainted, how did Father react?”

“He was much the same as I was. A demon had targeted you, after all.”

[Lord Lebel, I also want to regain my strength!]

Karon suddenly clung to Lebel’s leg as he spoke.

[That day, I was by your side, Lord Lebel, so I should have been the one to drive that bastard away. But I lacked the strength and couldn’t deal with him. That’s when I realized I can’t stay like this either!]

“Yutis will be obtaining a holy sword, so there’s no need for you to go that far….”

[I need to become a retainer who isn’t an embarrassment to you, Lord Lebel, but that’s impossible with this body! I can’t just let that guy be the only one accomplishing things!]

Karon abruptly turned his head and glared at Yutis to keep him in check.

Karon couldn’t even defeat the current Yutis. Once that human obtained a holy sword, he would grow even stronger, and as someone who wielded a holy sword, he would hold an even greater advantage over Karon, who was a demonic beast.

“Ah….”

Is that what you’re thinking about?

“Even if you say that, the Demon God won’t be able to grant power to you as well. And since you’re a demonic beast, you’ll grow stronger the more you mature. A human body and a demonic beast’s body are different….”

As proof, unlike Lebel, Karon was able to use the power of his true form even with the body of a young demonic beast. However, it seemed that wasn’t enough to comfort him.

Karon stared ahead with his mouth hanging open, as if he had received a massive shock.

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

Yutis spoke in a calm voice, which only seemed to irritate Karon further.

“Karon, you did more than enough. You were the one who bought time before Yutis arrived.”

[Lord Lebel…!]

Karon energetically wagged his tail. Lebel responded with a casual “Alright, alright,” and patted his head. It wasn’t a particularly attentive touch, but Karon seemed satisfied with just that and began panting happily.

Lebel then looked at Yutis and spoke.

“I’ll speak to Father tomorrow. If I suddenly tell him that a revelation came down and that you’re going to obtain a holy sword, he’ll be startled. And since we’re family, it’s better for him to know about my true identity.”

“Yes, understood. I’ll make the arrangements.”

“Good. Then let’s sleep. You couldn’t have slept properly while nursing me.”

“No….”

‘No’ my foot. Lebel interrupted him, seemingly asking him not to say something so ridiculous.

“I ended up taking the bed of the only person who actually has a room.”

Lebel’s room had been completely ruined by the aftermath of the fight. Furniture had been broken, and the terrace windows shattered. It was obvious that Yutis, who had given up his own room, had slept somewhere else.

“This isn’t my room. I laid you down in an empty room suitable for accommodating my wife. Was the bed uncomfortable?”

“It’s not your room…?”

Lebel had assumed this was Yutis’s room. If his room had been damaged, then naturally he should be brought to his husband’s room. That was what he thought.

No wonder he couldn’t find any trace of Yutis’s body scent.

“While the room is being repaired, the surroundings will be noisy. Wouldn’t it be better for you to rest somewhere quiet?”

“What about you? Your room was right next to mine.”

“I’m fine. I’m used to it.”

Lebel immediately frowned in dissatisfaction.

At first, he hadn’t noticed anything strange, but even though they were married, was it really right for them to live like distant guests and sleep in separate rooms? It wasn’t as if their relationship was bad.

At the beginning, having separate rooms was convenient. But now they had gone through a rut and heat together, and he knew Lebel’s true identity. There was no longer any reason to insist on separate rooms.

And Lebel slept perfectly well even when it was noisy.

“Guide me to your room.”

“…Pardon?”

Ignoring Yutis’s perplexed look, Lebel abruptly stood up from the bed. Claiming that the bed had been uncomfortable after all, he headed out of the room.

Even when Yutis hesitated to guide him, and even when Karon tried to stop him by saying that if they went there, there was only one bed and it would be cramped so they shouldn’t sleep together, Lebel remained stubborn.

Using walks as an excuse, Yutis had often taken Lebel around the castle, so Lebel knew roughly where they were and where Yutis’s room was.

Why was he so determined to block his wife from going to his husband’s room?

Just as Yutis had said, the area was under heavy repair. Lebel’s door was wide open, and materials for restoration were piled up inside. All the windows were shattered, so as soon as he stood at the doorway, a chilly breeze blew against his skin.

“Let’s go back. If you stay here, you’ll catch a cold. There’s no way to block out the cold air, so my room is rather chilly as well. It isn’t a place for you to stay.”

“That applies to you too.”

“I’m fine….”

“I’ll go and cast a warming spell. Have you forgotten who I am? I have a duty to look after my husband’s health, too.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lebel opened the door to Yutis’s room without hesitation. And the moment he did, he understood why Yutis had tried to stop him.

“…Did you fight here?”

For a moment, Lebel thought he had walked into the wrong room. His own room was right next to Yutis’s, and he had seen the destroyed room with his own eyes.

So why did Yutis’s room look like this?

This wasn’t where the fight with the demon had taken place, but the inside of Yutis’s room was in complete disarray. The curtains were covered in scorched patches, and black marks stained the wallpaper, as if electricity had run through it.

As a definitive proof, Lebel saw one human and one demonic beast standing on either side of him sweating profusely.

The cause of the fight was obvious.

It must have been because of me.

“…As long as you aren’t hurt, that’s enough. But there’s one thing I have to ask. Why does the room look so bare? It hasn’t changed since last time.”

This was only the second time Lebel had come to Yutis’s room. Yutis was always the one who went to see him, so there had never been a reason to come here.

The first time he had seen this room was during Yutis’ rut, and even then it hadn’t been in good condition. Perhaps it was because Yutis had gone berserk while transforming into a monster, claw marks were scattered everywhere. Now, they were even covered in black marks.

Back when Lebel lived in the Demon Realm, he hadn’t cared what condition his own room was in. After sleeping continuously for three years, dust had piled up because they couldn’t clean the room without waking him up.

“I’m certain I said this place needed interior repairs back then. You renovate my room and the garden, but you leave the most important one, your own room, like a doghouse?”

“…It is not a doghouse…”

“It is.”

Lebel massaged his brow and sighed. He could feel Yutis watching him cautiously from the side.

It wasn’t unlivable. It just didn’t look like the room of the heir of a great family, and that irritated him.

If anything, the spare room Yutis had given up, the room Lebel had been staying in, was far more lavish. That was why Lebel had mistaken it for Yutis’s room.

“From now on, we’ll use the same room. We’re married. So it doesn’t make sense for us to be using separate rooms.”

“It’s dangerous. Normally it’s fine, but when I transform during rut…!”

“That’s why we decided to receive Michael’s blessing.”

Lebel spoke with a slightly sulky tone.

“We still don’t know whether the blessing will truly suppress it. If I let my guard down and hurt you again…!”

“You? Hurt me? That wouldn’t happen. And have you forgotten what I am?”

Are you still afraid of becoming a monster? Afraid you’ll harm me?

Lebel conjured a large fireball. Yutis gaped as he watched the flames warming his skin. Seeing his startled expression, Lebel spoke confidently.

“I’m a demon. Who is the dangerous one here, me or you?”

“I understand. So please put this away…!”

It wasn’t the reaction he had hoped for, but Yutis seemed to understand well enough.

“That’s enough, then.”

Lebel smiled contentedly and put out the fireball.

I have one more reason to meet Father tomorrow.

At this rate, the entire place would need major renovations. Or maybe it would be better to move residences altogether.

If this annex existed to isolate Yutis, there was no need to stay here anymore. As long as Lebel was with him, Yutis wouldn’t turn into a monster. Michael had promised his blessing as well.

“For now… it’s late. Let’s sleep. Humans need sleep.”

Rubbing his drowsy eyes, Lebel lay down on Yutis’s bed without hesitation. Seeing Yutis standing ramrod, frozen in place, Lebel lifted the blanket and motioned to him with his eyes.

“What are you waiting for? I’m tired.”

At that moment, Karon calmly jumped onto the bed and curled up. Karon had lived together with Lebel in his room before and had slept alongside him many times, so this was familiar to him.

But Karon’s body was lifted into the air. He felt a hand on the back of his neck and turned around. It was Yutis who grabbed him.

“…Sleeping in the same bed as a beast isn’t appropriate. And it isn’t even an ordinary demonic beast. Didn’t you say he’s a demon?”

“Mm?”

[What did you say?!]

Before, Yutis could understand a beast following after someone it liked. But now that he knew Karon was a subordinate who served Lebel, he couldn’t allow that.

[I’ve slept with Lord Lebel all this time! Let go of me!]

“Did you sleep together even when you were a demon?”

“That’s not it.”

Karon had tried to wake him, but they had never slept in the same bed.

“Whether demon or human, don’t sleep with anyone other than me.”

Strictly speaking, to Yutis, Karon was no different from another man. Karon barked furiously, but Yutis threw him out of the room. He didn’t budge even as Karon whined and scratched at the door from outside.

“…Should I let him back in?”

“No.”

Lebel laughed at Yutis, who coldly chased Karon away and then glanced back to check his reaction

“Karon is several times older than you. He’ll sleep just fine on his own.”

“…Are you really going to sleep with me?”

“Why? Are you going to keep acting like strangers?”

“No.”

Yutis undressed to prepare properly. Lebel, who had been watching intently, blurted out a remark.

“…Come to think of it, this is the first time we’ve slept together without having sex.”

Lebel watched Yutis’s earlobes turn red.