“Xion….”
Not knowing what to say, Reinhild hemmed and hawed, watched for a cue, and finally managed to call Xion’s name.
Was he angry that Reinhild had discovered a secret space on his own?
Or because he’d broken a plate?
Or else…
Don’t tell me he found out I’m the Demon King!
The only reason a Hero would come all the way to such a tiny village is to find the Demon King.
The only suspicious being to appear in this village these past few months was Reinhil. Even Xion, dull as he was, might have guessed that Reinhild was that very Demon King.
If so, being scolded or thrown out wasn’t the issue.
He might be dragged off to the Hero just like this.
Reinhild looked at Xion reaching a hand toward him and squeezed his eyes shut.
Xion gently cupped Reinhild’s cheek.
“Are you hurt, Rein?”
For someone who had just slammed the door he was holding, Xion’s tone was impossibly gentle.
When Reinhild cracked his eyes open, Xion was smiling as softly as he spoke.
It didn’t seem his identity as the Demon King had been discovered. Then why had he slammed the door like that?
Never having seen Xion like this, Reinhild had no idea how to respond.
“Uh, uh….”
Blinking, Reinhild tried to read Xion’s face.
Perhaps sensing that, Xion carefully drew Reinhild into an embrace.
“You must not go down there.”
“What’s down there?”
In answer to Reinhild’s question, Xion smiled.
His lips were smiling, yet his expression looked so pitiful it made you want to comfort him.
It was the first time Reinhild had seen Xion make such a face.
“There’s a curse down there.”
“A curse?”
“Yes. A curse that shatters all happiness.”
Xion was uneasy.
As his pounding heart settled, Reinhild could assess the situation a bit more calmly.
Xion was worried.
Worried that he might lose Reinhild.
Just as Reinhild, moments ago, had worried about losing Xion.
So there’s something dangerous in the cellar.
Why a fearsome curse would be beneath a country farmer’s house wasn’t important.
What mattered now was that Xion was afraid.
Xion, who had always seemed unshakably reliable.
He’s anxious that if he loses me, his happiness will break.
At the thought, Reinhild found himself smiling.
Why did it feel so good?
Was it fun to make the human Xion uneasy?
It had been five hundred years since he’d made a human tremble with fear.
Apart from the pleasure of bestowing misfortune upon a human, he wanted to comfort Xion.
The Demon King does not comfort humans, but just this once would be an exception.
Because Xion had helped keep Reinhild from getting hurt.
Even a Demon King knows how to be grateful.
Reinhild took Xion’s cheeks in both hands.
Just as Xion always did to him.
It felt nicer than he’d expected.
Reinhild carefully pressed his lips to the tip of Xion’s nose.
Smooch.
So brief it barely counted as a kiss.
But Xion distinctly felt the soft touch on his nose.
Xion stared at Reinhild with a dazed look.
He even seemed somehow moved.
It was the first time Reinhild had seen Xion look so vacant.
Lots of firsts today.
Getting to know Xion’s different looks somehow wasn’t unpleasant.
Why is he making that face?
With the fine attitude of a Demon King who never ceased his research into humans, Reinhild tried to parse the meaning of Xion’s behavior.
Ah!
Come to think of it, it was the first time Reinhild had kissed Xion first.
If this was a “greeting,” as Xion called it, then Xion had received Reinhild’s greeting for the first time.
Reinhild beamed at Xion.
“Haa….”
Xion let out a long sigh.
Why?
Did he not like the greeting?
Xion drew the puzzled Reinhild into his arms and held him there.
As if hugging a fragile glass doll—gentle and cautious, yet so tight that even if Reinhild tried with all his might, he couldn’t slip free.
He could feel Xion’s heartbeat, twice as fast as usual.
Reinhild smiled contentedly and stroked Xion, who had rested his head on Reinhild’s shoulder.
As Xion always did for him.
❖ ❖ ❖
Thanks to Xion, not going down into the cursed basement was a relief, but the fundamental problem remained.
Reinhild was still a feeble Demon King. And the Hero was chasing Reinhild right on the doorstep.
‘I’m out of options now.’
If there was nowhere to hide in the house, only one option remained.
I need to ask Xion for help.
If it was Xion, he could help Reinhild.
Xion had always brought a solution to every problem.
Of course, that was only if Xion took his side.
I should reveal that I’m demonkin.
No matter how kind-hearted, Xion wouldn’t take the Demon King’s side.
But demonkin was different.
If he pretended to be a pitiful demonkin, pitiful enough to sway soft-hearted Xion, perhaps Xion would take his hand over the Hero’s.
I’ll say I’m a demonkin so weak I was persecuted by other demons and fled. A pitiful demonkin with nowhere to go and nothing to his name.
On second thought, that wasn’t entirely untrue.
Reinhild had been demonkin before being the Demon King, and it was true he’d been attacked and driven out for being too weak.
If I tell him I’ll burn to death in holy fire if I run into the Hero, beg him to help, Xion won’t ignore me.
To do that, he first had to look pitiful.
How was he supposed to look pitiful and forlorn?
Maybe make a tearful face?
Reinhild put on the most pitiable expression he could and looked at Xion.
“Why are you making such an adorable face, Rein?”
With a bright smile, Xion stroked Reinhild’s cheek.
If it only looked adorable, this expression was a failure.
Love. A word as distasteful as peace.
Being told he looked adorable was certainly dreadful.
Reinhild gave up pretending to be pitiful and decided to divulge a truth laced with 0.5% lie.
“Xion, the truth is I’m a de—”
Smooch.
Xion pecked him on the lips.
That was definitely the “don’t be sick” greeting.
So “adorable” must mean he looked unwell.
“…—mon….”
Ah, hell.
Lost in thought, he’d blurted out “Demon King.”
“A— a ki~ng-size bread. I want to eat that.”
“A king-size bread?”
“Yeah, an enormously big bread.”
“Very well. Shall we have bread for dinner?”
Unbelievable. Of all things, he’d blurted out “king-size bread.”
Reinhild wanted to run—Hero or no Hero. Unable to bear the shame, he covered his flaming face with both hands.
Xion didn’t leave him be. He kissed Reinhild once more, this time on his fingertips.
Wicked Xion.
He was clearly trying to bewitch the Demon King like this.
He was so embarrassed… if only he’d disappear just for today.
And take the Hero with him while he was at it.
Right, the Hero.
This wasn’t the time to wallow in shame.
Now was the time to ask for Xion’s cooperation.
He had to tell Xion the truth and leave the village before the Hero arrived.
Still covering his face with both hands, Reinhild spread his index and middle fingers and peered through the gap.
In the meantime, Xion was heading toward the kitchen.
No doubt to bake that blasted king-size bread.
What if, once he learns I’m demonkin, Xion stops clinging to me?
It would be nice if he stopped pestering me.
No more constant greetings at all hours.
And he wouldn’t stick to me when I’m dying of heat.
However…
I won’t get to eat king-size bread either.
For some reason, that made him sad.
Not that he was sad about the bread, precisely…
Anyway, he was just very sad.
Do I really have to tell him?
If he simply endured this situation, surely a solution would… no, of course not.
There was no other way right now.
He had to tell the truth before the Hero arrived.
“Xion, there’s something I want to—”
Bang, bang, bang!
“Pardon the intrusion.”
Reinhild, who’d been hurrying after Xion, stopped dead.
At the very sound of the voice from beyond the door, his body went rigid as if frozen.
His shoulders even trembled.
Instinctively, he knew who stood at the door.
The Hero.
No.
He wasn’t ready for this yet.
If Xion opened that door, it would be over.
He’d be run through by the Hero’s sword without even a chance to explain to Xion.
And then…
Xion will be disappointed in me.
He hated that.
Even if it came out that he was the Demon King, he wanted it told by his own mouth, not someone else’s.
If possible, he never wanted it known at all. But if it had to be told, he wanted it to be through him.
Reinhild cried out in a rush.
“Xion, I—”
Too late.
He’d been about to reveal himself even now.
He’d wanted to say it himself before the Hero said it.
Xion had already opened the door and was greeting the Hero.
Creeeeak—
The thick door creaked open as usual. To Reinhild, that sound might as well have been a death sentence being read.
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