So I Married the Heroine's Mom and Became Her Stepdad

Hmph! Such paltry attack magic has no effect on me!

I puffed out my chest and took the flame magic straight on.

Sure, I took some damage and it did hurt . . . but I couldn't afford to show weakness.

What?! Even Selene's attack magic doesn't work on him?!

The hero Angelica was stunned. Selene had struck me at full power, but it was nothing more than child's play to me.

This was Angelica the heroine. She was only about sixteen years old, I believe.

I had to give her credit for making it this far as a hero at such a young age.

But in the end, she was just a novice—nowhere near strong enough to defeat me, the Demon King.

My name was Gartor Ryuzen.

I was the Demon King who ruled over the continent of Masgenia.

That said, there were apparently many other Demon Kings on other continents, and human nations fought amongst themselves as well, so things weren't as simple as "defeat me to save the human world and everyone would live happily ever after" . . . but there was no doubt that I was an enemy of the nation these heroines were from.

Now for my counterattack, Selene.

I hurled a fireball at the magic user.

Aghhhhh!

She screamed as she collapsed.

Now only the heroine remained.

I turned my attention to Angelica.

Angelica. You're still just a child. I'll give you one chance—flee now and go home.

Hmph! I'm a hero! There's no way I can turn my back on the Demon King!

Her spirit was admirable, at least.

But I really didn't want to fight her . . . for personal reasons . . .

The heroine Angelica bore some resemblance to my late wife . . .

My wife, Sasaya, died about three hundred years ago.

One of my Four Generals staged a rebellion and tried to kill me.

But I wasn't at the castle when they attacked—I was out on an inspection tour. Unfortunately, my wife was the only one there.

Of course, I rushed back the moment I heard about the rebellion and tore the traitor to pieces, but my wife, Sasaya, had fought desperately to defend the castle and was left barely clinging to life. She died a few days later . . .

Ever since I held her as she took her final breath, I'd remained single. I was now middle-aged, even by demon standards.

Marriage proposals had come my way countless times over the years, but I'd turned them all down.

There was no other woman like Sasaya. She was gentle, yet she had an unwavering strength of character.

Even if I did remarry, my new wife would surely be unhappy if she was constantly compared to her predecessor.

But to think this heroine bore a slight resemblance to Sasaya!

Well, it really was only slight . . .

Perhaps this too was fate. In any case, I didn't want to harm her.

Besides, there had been growing pressure lately—in both human nations and my own territory—to show mercy to children and women, even if they were enemies.

For all these reasons, I wanted Angelica to go home safely.

I won't lose! If I give up here, everything I've worked for will be meaningless!

Angelica was somehow managing to stand, using her sword as a crutch.

Damn, she had no intention of retreating . . .

Hold on, hold on. Saying everything will be "meaningless" is a bit dramatic, don't you think? Your life experiences won't go to waste, so come back and try again when you're stronger. You're all still so young . . . you look like you're barely out of your teens. Your lives have only just begun. Even setbacks can become the foundation for something magnificent.

Why is the Demon King lecturing me like some old teacher?! And what's with that ridiculous beard!

Hey, I'm middle-aged now, so of course I have a beard. I'd rather you didn't insult it.

Prepare yourself, Demon King Gartor Ryuzen!

The heroine charged at me with her sword.

I swept her aside with my right arm.

Waaaaah!

Angelica's scream rang in my ears. She collapsed with a thud. Since I held back, she probably wasn't dead, but she was at least unconscious.

Judging by that reckless attack, her fatigue and injuries must have prevented her from focusing properly.

Grit alone didn't bring good results.

Now then . . . if I leave them here, they'll become Hellhound food . . . I suppose I should take them home . . .

I cast Spatial Transfer.

Using this magic was child's play for me due to being the Demon King.

◇

I had transported myself to the magic user's hometown.

Spatial Transfer could only take someone to places that remained strongly in a person's memory, such as locations they've visited before. Normally, I couldn't visit human towns, but these heroines were an exception.

When my spies reported on the Hero Party, I had personally visited this town to scout them out.

After all, they were prime examples of people trying to kill me . . .

There was a man sitting at a table in the garden, drinking tea. From his appearance, he was probably Selene's brother.

Um, excuse me. She collapsed in battle in demon territory, so I brought her back.

Ah . . . Selene, Selene!

She has some minor burns, but her life isn't in danger. Don't worry.

Thank you for going out of your way. So the rumors are true about how demons show mercy to women these days.

Somehow I ended up being thanked.

Yes, cruel punishments and torture were now forbidden, even when dealing with captured enemies.

The conflict between humans and demons seemed to be entering a new phase. Both sides were beginning to consider a ceasefire. Though adventurers not affiliated with any nation ignored all that and still came to exterminate me.

Well then, I'll be off now. I still need to deliver the other party members.

Thank you so much for going to all this trouble!

That was the first one done. I decided to continue sending them back peacefully like this.

I could certainly have my subordinates handle this, but since these were people who made it all the way to the Demon King, I'd show them respect by returning them personally.

I continued delivering the Hero Party members one by one after that.

Finally, only the heroine, Angelica, remained.

When she's unconscious, the resemblance is even stronger . . .

Of course I knew she had no relation to my late wife, Sasaya. After all, Sasaya had horns.

Even so, her resemblance was strong enough to remind me of Sasaya.

I'd better not develop any strange attachments.

I took Angelica in my arms and cast Spatial Transfer.

The farming village the heroine hailed from was well-known, so I knew of it too. The village became famous simply because the heroine came from there.

I recalled hearing that the heroine's father died young and she was raised by her mother alone. If that was the case, she should stay by her mother's side instead of pursuing such dangerous work as an adventurer. Perhaps this was just a middle-aged man's meddling.

I saw a woman sweeping in front of what appeared to be the heroine's residence. I should ask her.

Excuse me, is this the heroine's residence? She collapsed in demon territory, so I brought her home. Her life is not in danger.

My goodness, how kind of you. Thank you so very much.

The woman who was sweeping looked up.

In that moment, I felt as if I'd been struck by lightning magic.

She looked far too much like my late wife!

She had her slightly drooping eyes.

She had her gentle way of speaking.

But most of all, she had her aura.

Um . . . forgive me for asking, but are you Angelica's . . . older sister?

Oh my, you flatter me. I'm her mother.

Her mother?! She should've been an ordinary human—a species not known for being long-lived—and she didn't look nearly old enough . . . But if she had Angelica as a teenager, it wouldn't be strange for her to still look this young . . .

Ah, that's right—even Angelica had something that was very Sasaya about her.

Naturally, if you stripped away her youthful elements and added maturity, the resemblance would have been even stronger.

With that impressive stature of yours, might you be the Demon King?

She said this while peering at me closely.

Y-yes . . . I am the Demon King. My name is Gartor Ryuzen . . .

I gave such an ordinary self-introduction despite being the Demon King. I must have looked undignified.

Would you like to come in for some tea? I was just thinking of making herbal tea.

She didn't put up walls with strangers either—just like Sasaya.

Then I'd be happy to have a cup . . .

I entered Angelica's house without hesitation.

Excuse me, but may I ask your name?

Me? My name is Leitia.

Leitia . . .

I etched that name into my memory.

Leitia laid the unconscious Angelica on the bed.

Heroes were remarkably resilient by nature, so she should recover eventually. Since I only knocked her out, it wasn't a fatal blow.

Then Leitia brought the herbal tea.

Here you are. Oh, should I test it for poison first to put you at ease?

She giggled—she was clearly joking.

No need. As the Demon King, I won't die from mere poison.

Of course. Some people still speak ill of demons, but your work as Demon King must be quite difficult.

Yes . . . Especially lately with administrative reforms and various other matters . . . Um . . . I attacked your daughter—doesn't that concern you?

Well, you're a demon king and she's a hero, after all. Besides, you brought her back so courteously. You're far more dependable than those untrustworthy human men.

She didn't judge people based on whether they were demon or human.

That was also similar to Sasaya—No, I should stop making comparisons.

Leitia was Leitia.

I was drawn to this woman for who she was.

Angelica is a name my husband and I chose hoping she would receive an angel's blessing, but my husband died of illness. That made her feel she needed to become even stronger, so she decided to become an adventurer.

I'm sure your daughter didn't want to burden you.

I meant what I said.

I, too, grew up watching my parents struggle.

My father, the previous Demon King, devoted all his time solely to work, while my mother handled all the child-rearing.

Even though it was still an era when women were expected to protect the home, she was the Demon King's wife. She shouldered quite a lot of political duties as well. Even with all that, she raised me without a single complaint.

Now she was retired and living peacefully in the depths of demon territory, but I hoped that she could truly rest to make up for all the hardship in her earlier years.

That might be true. She's definitely a gentle child.

When Leitia thought of her daughter, she gave a soft laugh.

I noticed she had a mole beside her lips. Quite alluring.

Um, Demon King, may I ask you one question?

When Leitia straightened her posture slightly, I tensed up as well.

Yes, anything at all.

Does my child have talent as a hero?

It was an even more direct question than I'd expected.

As a mother, that would naturally be her greatest concern.

Since she made it all the way to the Demon King, she might be doing reasonably well, but when I look at you, you seem perfectly fine and energetic . . .

I'll tell you honestly what I think. Is that all right with you?

Yes, of course. I won't get angry no matter what you say.

I think she has promising talent. I can sense her own unique qualities as well. However—she's rough around the edges. Her fundamentals have been neglected, and she seems to fight on instinct alone.

I sounded like I was giving a personnel evaluation in a business meeting, but I supposed that was fine.

The Demon King was also the head administrator, so this tendency was inevitable.

Natural ability can only take you so far, but you'll hit a ceiling at some point. Those who continue growing beyond that point are the ones who've studied the fundamentals with almost obsessive dedication. Most famous adventurers of the past practiced far more than average.

You're right. Since we live in the countryside, that child hasn't really had much opportunity to train at proper dojos or anything like that.

Leitia seemed to recognize some truth in this as well.

She was fortunate to reach me this time, but I think that was about all she could manage. She needs to take time to rebuild her skills from the ground up, or her growth will stagnate.

I wondered why I was speaking so seriously about this.

These weren't just empty words. I was trying to be completely sincere with her.

Actually, while she did reach me, according to my subordinates' reports, she tried to avoid combat as much as possible and aimed to defeat me without fighting any other executives or officers.

Occasionally there were those who tried to defeat the Demon King quickly to make a name for themselves.

They either wanted an easy path, or they were desperate about something.

At this rate, she could end up seriously injured. Now is the time for her to learn from someone with solid fundamentals. Please, tell your daughter this!

I leaned forward earnestly.

After all, Angelica might come to challenge me again.

Having to kill her would leave such a bitter taste in my mouth. Far too bitter.

Well, I intended to send her back when I won . . . I did want to see Leitia again, after all.

But since it would have still been combat, there could have been times when I couldn't hold back, or she could have taken a hit in a vital spot—anything could have happened . . .

Leitia laughed softly with gentle amusement.

Demon King, you talk like you're that child's teacher or something.

Ah, how embarrassing . . . You've seen me in quite an undignified state . . .

I felt awkward as well.

This is my first time having tea at a hero's house, so . . .

I took a sip of the herbal tea Leitia had made for me. I was more used to the spicier drinks from demon territory and preferred those, but this was quite delicious in its own way.

This is the first time I've met someone who thinks so seriously about my daughter's welfare—other than my husband.

Those words lingered in the air: other than her husband.

For some reason, those words hit me right in the chest.

Something seemed to trigger inside me, and words rose up from deep within.

That's . . . because it's my fate to fight her . . . If I get hurt, I can handle that since it's just me, but . . .

I couldn't say what came next.

Suddenly, I saw the face of my late wife, Sasaya, in my mind.

She smiled gently and spoke to me.

You don't need to live only for my sake anymore, dear. You're still young enough to start over. Live to protect the living, not me.

Her face was so vivid, so real. It truly felt as if she were actually speaking to me.

It was impossible . . . There was no magic that could allow the dead to perform such miracles.

Ah.

I remembered.

Those were the words my wife spoke at the very end, on her deathbed. That was why they came back to me so clearly.

Back then, I never imagined that I would feel this way again.

I can't bear the thought of that child getting hurt and causing you pain, Leitia . . . So if possible, I want to avoid fighting her for the rest of my life . . . And that's why . . . that's why . . .

Then I leaned forward once more.

Leitia, would you marry me?

I could tell that Leitia was stunned.

Of course she was. It was far too sudden, and coming from the Demon King, no less. Anyone would be stunned.

But silence was more frightening than rejection, so I continued speaking.

I mean . . . I mean . . . if we married, then Angelica would become my daughter, so there'd be no more fighting . . . And that way, the battles with the Demon King's army would surely be suspended, so I think it would be good for peace in the kingdom as well . . .

No. These were all just excuses. None of it came from my heart.

I gazed intently into Leitia's eyes.

I love you! I fell in love at first sight!

I wanted to dedicate my life to making this woman happy. I couldn't rationalize it beyond that.

Leitia blinked repeatedly.

For a brief moment, an uncomfortable silence stretched between us.

But then she gave me a gentle smile.

It resembled Sasaya's—no, it was Leitia's very own smile.

If you'll have me.

T-thank you! I look forward to our life together!

I bowed my head deeply.

I was also too embarrassed to keep looking at her face.

Yes. I look forward to our life together as well.

Leitia extended her hand toward me.

I grasped that hand tightly.

For now, I returned to the Demon King's castle using Spatial Transfer.

When I returned to the administrative office, my secretary, Truarina, was doing paperwork.

Truarina was a black-haired female demon who wore glasses. She apparently served as class representative during her school days. Because of that, subordinates still sometimes called her "Class Rep" even now, and she usually got angry when they did.

My Lord, you were out far too long. You really should contact us in advance in cases like that.

Truarina said this while pushing her glasses up her nose. It was sarcastic, but I was used to it. If it really bothered me, I'd fire her.

Sorry about that. Something urgent came up. I need to make some personnel changes. First, the guards who watch over me while I sleep—transfer them to other departments. They're no longer needed.

Huh . . . But why?

Well, of course she'd ask for a reason.

I'm remarrying and will be living somewhere else.

What?!

Her reaction was sharp and cut through the air.

Well, I can understand the remarriage part. In fact, since you have no children, there have been concerns about potential succession disputes in the future, so you've been pressured to remarry from all sides. But—

Truarina's expression was terrifying.

Why wouldn't you live in the Demon King's castle? Considering your position as the Demon King, moving in with your new wife seems highly inappropriate.

I knew that. I was well aware.

But you know . . . it would be problematic to have a human live in this castle . . .

Huh?! Huhhh?!

Her voice was even shriller than before!

Besides, if it looks like the hero betrayed them, they might send another hero to the castle . . .

Hero . . . What do you mean?! Explain this properly! Are you drunk or something?

I haven't been drinking. I'm stone sober.

Then Truarina looked at me like I was trash.

That was disrespectful no matter how you looked at it.

Um, I really hate to ask this, but did you fall for the heroine who came today? She's just some kid who's only lived for fifteen or sixteen years, right? My Lord, that would make you look terrible. If you appeared to be a twenty-year-old human, that would be one thing, but you're obviously much older.

In other words, she was saying it would look criminal. I got her point. But I thought it was only natural for a man to find fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls endearing, so I hope she'd at least forgive me that sentiment.

No. The one I'm marrying . . . it's not the heroine . . .

Oh, thank goodness. I'm sorry, I take back that disgusted look from before.

So she was aware of it.

I'm marrying the heroine's mother.

I laid out the facts, but she then gave me a look that said "What the hell is this guy talking about?"

Are you out of your mind . . . ? Did someone cast a confusion spell on you . . . ? But My Lord should normally be immune to instant-death and mental confusion magic . . .

She started patting my shoulders and back all over.

Hey, if a man did this to a woman, it would have definitely been considered sexual harassment.

I'm perfectly sane . . . And for the record, I've already proposed and she accepted.

It's already decided?!

So anyway, I'm counting on you.

I can't support this! This is absolutely unacceptable . . . Even though relations between demons and humans have been improving lately, this is unprecedented! We're still technically at war with humans . . .

As expected, I couldn't get her to understand.

But I couldn't give up here.

Well, here's the thing—you can overcome age differences and species barriers wherever there's love. There have always been stories like that, right? There must have been plenty of tales about Demon Kings and heroes falling in love . . .

In this case, the hero becomes your stepdaughter, so the situation is completely different!

Either way, I'll keep doing my job as the Demon King! I'll commute to work using Spatial Transfer, so it'll be fine! Besides, I'm the Demon King, so I make the rules!

Since my secretary Truarina looked like she had more to say, I made my escape using Spatial Transfer.

◇

Once again, I arrived in front of the heroine's house—no, Leitia's house. Even that simple fact made me restless. The problem with Spatial Transfer was that you'd arrive so suddenly that there was no time to mentally prepare yourself.

I knocked gently on the door.

Excuse me.

I called out before entering. Though honestly, this wasn't how someone should act in the house they're supposed to live in . . .

I could see steam rising from a pot in the kitchen.

It looked like Leitia was in the middle of cooking. Would we be having stew tonight?

Oh, Demon King, welcome home.

Leitia turned toward me with a bright smile.

The sight of Leitia in her apron hit me like a freight train. What is this . . . ? A goddess . . . ?

I-I'm home . . . Leitia . . .

It still felt awkward to use her name so casually. We'd only met a few hours ago.

Come to think of it, was it really okay to start living together immediately?

Perhaps I should have taken more time before doing this.

I'll make some for you too. You don't have any foods you can't eat, do you?

She acted like it was completely natural that I'd be eating here.

Ah, yes . . . I'm fine with anything as long as it's not holy water . . .

Demons and humans basically had the same body structure. We were vulnerable to things that dispelled magic, but demons had stronger resistance to things like poison.

I made stew since I don't know when Angelica will wake up. This way it can be reheated quickly even if it gets cold. I hope it suits your taste, Demon King.

I see! By the way . . . could you stop calling me “Demon King” . . . ?

Honestly, I'd love for her to call me “dear,” but I didn't have the courage to ask that. She'd probably think I was being too forward right away, and I supposed that I really would have been that way.

My name is Gartor Ryuzen, so . . . could you please just call me “Gartor”?

Of course, Gartor. Gartor . . . that's such a handsome name.

She said it was a handsome name. My retainers had told me that many times, but it never really resonated with me. They had to say it whether they thought it was true or not.

Now it resonated deeply. I could honestly take pride in my own name.

I also noticed that she tied her hair back in a single ponytail while cooking. She looked beautiful with her hair like that, too.

Oh, that's right.

Was it really okay to let her do all the cooking by herself?

Wouldn't it be problematic these days to have that old-fashioned view that women should naturally do the cooking? She might become disillusioned with me. She might think that demons really were barbaric after all.

After all, I was the one who proposed to her. I felt like I shouldn't make her cook our first meal all by herself.

Let me help out too. I can probably manage peeling vegetables at least.

You can just take it easy if you'd like!

No, I insist on helping!

In that case, could you prep the carrots and onions? I was only planning for two people, so if I add more to the stew, there won't be enough for the other dishes.

Leave it to me!

I threw myself into the task with complete dedication.

Working together with my beloved . . . How wonderful.

I suppose this was work too, but it was completely different from my usual duties. I was experiencing a different kind of happiness.

Oh my, you're quite skilled at peeling!

Demons aren't bothered by something like onions. Please, let me keep going.

I'd been the Demon King for a long time, but I hadn't felt this fulfilled in ages.

The simple peace of home life—I'd forgotten about it for so long.

When I'd forgotten it, I didn't feel like I was missing anything, but now that I remembered what it was like, I didn't think I could go back to living while doing nothing but work and sleep, work and sleep.

I had a personal chef, but sitting alone at a table eating lavish meals felt bland and took too long, so I stopped doing that quite a while ago. Before I knew it, my life had become either eating at restaurants or having boxed meals delivered.

That was delicious too, of course, but it was a completely different kind of deliciousness.

I was already happy before even eating the food.

Oh my, Gartor, I thought onions didn't bother you?

Apparently, I was crying.

Haha, these aren't tears from the onions—I'm just moved.

When was the last time I cooked with someone? It must have been hundreds of years.

Leitia and I ended up eating the meal together.

This was a typical rural area of the human kingdom, so there weren't any particularly rare ingredients.

It was the kind of spread you'd expect—simple country cooking.

Even so, it looked quite vibrant. Perhaps that was because steam was rising from all the dishes.

When I brought the stew to my mouth, the flavor slowly spread.

It has such a mellow flavor. Are you using good salt?

If it's delicious, it's because you helped me make it!

Leitia truly never stopped smiling. That alone made me feel cheerful too.

Leitia, you're very strong. Just what you'd expect from the heroine's mother.

I was genuinely impressed.

Oh my, how silly. Strong? I'm not an adventurer—you're the one who's overwhelmingly strong, Gartor!

Leitia laughed, clearly amused. Maybe smiles really were good for your health—she didn't look anywhere near old enough to be a hero's mother. I wasn't just flattering her; when I first saw her, I honestly thought she was her older sister.

That's a different kind of strength. Your strength, Leitia, is more like . . . resilient strength.

I'm sorry. That's too complicated—I don't understand what you mean, Gartor.

Oh no. Maybe I made it sound like some abstract philosophical discussion! She'll think I'm a pretentious bore!

What I mean is that staying cheerful all the time like you do, Leitia, is far more difficult than staying strong in battle.

I tried to explain it as simply as possible.

In my case, I could hardly remember truly laughing from the heart since my wife, Sasaya, passed away.

It wasn't that I was always scowling, but I thought that my ability to relax just . . . disappeared.

Ah, Angelica might say something similar to me too. Though in Angelica's case, she gets a little angry saying I'm too laid-back.

Leitia clapped her hands together.

But I don't make any effort or anything. This is just my personality. I'm absent-minded. So there's nothing praiseworthy about me.

There was no need to be so modest.

I was slowly losing the ability to tell the difference between Leitia and a goddess.

Her complete lack of arrogance—it reminded me of the ancient saints.

I'd build a happy home with Leitia.

She was everything I was missing!

Gartor, are you satisfied with cooking like this?

Oh no. Did I make her anxious by not telling her it was delicious enough times?

You know, I was thinking that you probably ate fancy court cuisine and things like that, so I wondered if you could really be satisfied with something so simple.

Everything is delicious. I'm completely satisfied! This stew has wonderful chicken flavor coming through.

But it's not even good chicken or anything special. I'm embarrassed.

There might have been some misunderstanding here.

Not at all! Sure, I do have formal dinners with other executives from time to time, but otherwise I just rush through my meals. Today is far more luxurious.

I see. You do have a lot of work.

That's true . . . There are many tasks that simply can't be postponed. Battling heroes is only part of it.

Occasionally there were humans who thought the Demon King's only job was fighting heroes, but that wasn't the case. As the leader of demonfolk, I had mountains of political matters to handle.

Honestly, it was annoying how humans always seemed to attack during busy periods like the end of term.

Though it would be tough if they came during vacation, too.

Actually, the reason the heroine was able to get in this time was that the guards at the castle gates hadn't used up their paid leave, so I let them all go on vacation at once.

There were two gates, so normally there should have been two battles at mid-boss level.

Guards worked in pairs, but having only one person take time off looked rather awkward. So I decided to let all four guards from both gates take leave at the same time.

Oh my, I'm sorry. I should tell Angelica to give you advance notice next time.

If we coordinate too closely, we'd be criticized for collusion between the kingdom and demonfolk, so we can't go that far.

It was a kind of conspiracy theory concern, but we couldn't make all information public either, so it was a difficult situation.

Ideally, we should establish reliable communication to prevent situations where the Demon King was away on an extended vacation when the heroes attacked . . .

Oh, but you're going to be Angelica's dad, so there won't be any problems like that!

Leitia beamed cheerfully. Yes, that would be wonderful if it happened, but . . .

That depends on how she reacts . . .

Right, there was still the incredibly daunting task of explaining this whole situation to the heroine.

For example, imagine that you were the heroine and you suddenly realized that the Demon King you were just fighting had become your stepfather.

It was such a bizarre situation that I couldn't even wrap my head around it properly . . .

Would she think it was a joke?

Would she think her mother was brainwashed?

Would she think it was a bad dream and pinch her cheeks?

She could pinch all she wanted, but it wasn't a dream so she wouldn't wake up . . .

I honestly had no idea what would happen . . .

Well, just to be safe, I should return to the castle after dinner today.

I'd explain everything to the heroine another day. I needed time to prepare mentally too.

Just then, the door at the back of the dining room opened and out came the heroine, Angelica.

Mom, I finally made it all the way to the Demon King! Though I lost pretty quickly . . . Next time I'll do better!

Oh, Angelica, dinner's ready if you want to eat right away! I can warm it up for you, if you'd like!

Yes, please. Also, something to drink—Huh?

Angelica's gaze turned toward me.

Her eyes went completely dead and her smile vanished . . . Honestly, that stare was terrifying.

Why is the Demon King in our house . . . ? Sorry, but honestly, I can't comprehend this situation at all . . . Was the kingdom conquered while I was unconscious or something . . . ? Come to think of it, how did I even get back here from the Demon King's castle . . .

Ah, Angelica, about that . . .

No, I'll be the one to explain!

I couldn't run away. If the heroine found out that her father was the type of person who avoided difficult conversations, she'd feel even worse and lose all respect for me.

Heroine—no, Angelica, listen carefully. What I'm about to tell you doesn't contain any lies or deception. It's all true.

I realized I was still holding a spoon and that I was still sitting in my chair.

I screwed that up. I should have put down the spoon and stood up before starting to speak.

Fine. Say it then . . . Unfortunately, I just woke up and I'm completely unarmed, and I never imagined the Demon King would be in my own home. I have to admire such a brilliant surprise attack from an enemy . . .

I see. If she thought about it logically, she'd assume this was my strategy. I said it wasn't a scheme, but that alone wouldn't make her believe me.

Angelica, I . . . I married Leitia.

The heroine Angelica froze solid.

It was as if she had been hit with Petrify.

Her rational mind was refusing to accept what I just said.

If I bombarded her with too many words at once, it'd probably confuse her even more, so I should stay quiet for a while.