The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 310: When your glib actually meant something

Chapter 310: When your glib actually meant something

We ended up playing with the elf children until Jade said he was sleepy--which was a sign of losing the energy to keep the boy’s appearance.

So we bid goodbye to the children, who were whining and tugging on our clothes, asking if we were going to be there tomorrow as well.

"Jade go to forest tomorrow," the little boy in my arms replied drowsily.

"Oh, you’re going home?" they sighed, sounding so sad that it actually made me happy. I guess...it was the kind of comfortable feeling of being instantly welcomed and accepted in a new society.

Jade seemed to be happy too, recounting his feelings while snuggling inside my embrace in the carriage home. "Jade have fun," the little boy said, calm and quiet from feeling sleepy. "Going to new place is fun, Master...Jade have lots of new friends..."

"I see..." I patted his side with a smile. "Then let’s go to lots of places from now on."

"Mm..." he murmured for the last time, and it was steady breath after. I continued to pat the little boy for a few minutes until Jade began to glow and turned back into a little bird inside the heap of children’s clothes.

Both elves stared at the little bird in fascination, and the rest of our journey home was filled with the story of how the elemental bird could gain the ability to transform into a child--or rather, the child version of me. It helped ease the awkwardness and the slight tension I felt at the end of our conversation regarding Izzi’s punishment. Thanks to that, I could face them as usual after we arrived in front of the cabin.

"I apologize if I seem to be impertinent, my Lady," holding Jade in my arms, I bowed my head a little bit. While I didn’t feel guilty about what I said, I was also being harsh and accusatory, so I wanted to apologize for that at least. "The elf in question is a dear friend of mine, and I wish for him to be as free as the other elves. Of course, I don’t mean he shouldn’t pay for the damage he caused, but--"

"I understand, Your Excellency," fortunately, Issa received it with grace. She paused for a bit and stroked her chin while shaking his head slightly. "Unfortunately, the decision is not one I could make on my own. That being said, all I have to do is talk to the person in charge. I will make sure to...deliver what you said earlier."

Well, I expected that already. Issa was a high-ranking court member, but it wasn’t like she could decide on every policy made in the kingdom. In the first place, I talked to her only with the hope that she would do just that; talking to the one in charge. "That is enough, thank you."

Issa smiled and bowed her head too. "I should thank you too, Your Excellency, for giving me such insight and opening my eyes."

"Me?" I blinked in surprise, feeling like my conscience was struck because there wasn’t really any profound meaning in what I said before. "I’m just talking out of self-interest, but...I’d be glad if you see it that way."

The golden eyes gazed in the direction of the city. To be precise, toward the park where we had the conversation earlier. "Yes, talking with Your Excellency while gazing upon Lord Ivraeass is giving me a lot to think about," she said, referring to the First Elf.

"The teaching of the First...is something we took as it was, and had been carried for hundreds--almost two thousand--of years without questioning it," her gaze seemed to dim a little bit. "But ages changed, and we might fail to change with it."

I was rather surprised at this turn, because honestly, I only wanted to make her see that Izzi’s mistake did not warrant a blasphemous stamp. It wasn’t such a grave crime like trying to assassinate the Lord’s betrothed, for example.

So...to think she took my reasoning to such a degree was...

Well...it wasn’t exactly a bad feeling.

"Had we changed, perhaps..."

Issa looked at me and stopped, pausing with a soft sigh which intrigued me. "Perhaps?"

The golden eyes gazed upon me forlornly before continuing her unfinished words. "Perhaps you wouldn’t be a prince without a kingdom."

Ah...

Right--I did criticize the elves for not helping the druid kingdom during the war and the invasion of the humans.

"Well, I won’t pretend that I don’t care about it, because it breaks my heart every time I think about the homeland I couldn’t even see," I stroked the sleeping bird in my arms, looking up at the sky which the other druids would have seen too. "But I’ve learned to see the future after taking a lesson from the past, so..." I shrugged and smiled. "I guess it’ll be nice if you do that too."

"I understand," the golden eyes closed briefly as a smile bloomed on the beautiful face. "I hope...this won’t mar your experience of the Elvendom, Your Excellency."

"Oh, no!" I shook my head swiftly, sweeping my gaze all around; the cabin, the garden, the palace. "This is such a beautiful place, my Lady, I could barely think of a more beautiful one," I told her sincerely because I did think so.

It was a beautiful place, not only because of the scenery but also the very air that I breathed and infused into my body. Everything about this realm was calling me home, and I was only a half-druid. What would it be for those who were fully children of nature?

"And that is exactly why I feel sad about my friend, to think he was robbed of such a beautiful home just because of a mistake he never intended to make..."

Issa touched my hand softly, a gentle smile spread on her lips. "I’ll try to give you some good news before you depart tomorrow."

"Really? That would be great. Thank you, Issa!" My eyes widened and I was so stoked that I didn’t even realize I was using the nickname I used in my head. "Oh--I mean...thank you, Lady Issaelmier," I immediately corrected myself, smiling sheepishly.

"That is fine," Issa said, which made me widen my eyes even more, "If you want to call me that."

"...Issa?" I tried hesitatingly.

"Yes," she nodded and laughed softly. "Perhaps not in a normal setting, but..."

I felt my lips stretched wider, and my appreciation for this elf had just risen. "Thank you, Issa!"

And then, Irra chimed in from behind me. "What about me? What will you call me, Your Excellency?"

Oh...I almost forgot she was here too. "Mm...Irra?"

She covered her slight giggle as the pale golden eyes curled. "Fufu, I like that."

With that cheery note, Issa nodded and bid her goodbye. "Then, I’ll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, thank you, Issa. Have a good rest," I waved to her, and Ignis flicked its tail slightly to do the same.

"And you, Your Excellency."

Irra told me she would walk Issa back to the palace for a bit, so I skipped back to the cabin under the dimming light of the evening. The cabin itself was already bright, and the first thing I saw was Natha leaning casually on the lazy chair under the hanging leaves and flowers of the patio.

A beautiful scene, I must say.

"I almost thought you were going to ditch me," was his greeting.

He said that as if he were sulking, but his aloof tone and casual gesture told me he was actually enjoying the alone time without anyone to disturb him--much like the time in his teacher’s abode.

"There’s no way," I chuckled and kissed his forehead, before taking a seat on the armrest of his chair. "I will never reject a date."

"Give the bird here," Ignis patted my cheek with its tail and jumped to my lap, turning twice bigger as I put Jade on its back. "Leave Jade to me, and..." the bright blue eyes glanced and me and Natha before crawling inside the cabin with Jade. "Do whatever you want to do."

I couldn’t help but laugh at the ’big sibling’ consideration. "Thank you Ignis."

"What an understanding contract beast you have," Natha chuckled and raised his upper body to pull me into his lap and another bout of a deeper kiss.

"Mm, all of my children are good," I stroked his jaw and kissed it lightly before jumping off his lap. "Shall we go now?"

"Now? Are you not going to rest?" he tilted his head, but still got up to his feet.

"Well, it’s already dark," I swept my gaze to the garden and shrugged, "and my talk went smoothly, so I’m overflowing with stamina now!"

"My, my," he smirked and pulled my waist closer, enveloping us in a flurry of black feathers as the silver eyes gleamed in the dim evening like a pair of moonlight. "How lucky am I."