The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 409: It’s never too late to build a family, even if it takes two lifetimes

Chapter 409: It’s never too late to build a family, even if it takes two lifetimes

The best way of waking up, as expected, was by that familiar cold temperature on my body. Feeling Natha’s presence even when my eyes were still closed, and then opened them to the sight of his handsome face.

What a blessing.

It’s even better because he was in his original form, and not in disguise. He would have to change again when we came down, so I used the time to enjoy it as much as I could, trailing his patterns with my fingers.

[Why Master do that? Is it fun?] a fluffy green head peeked out of my blanket and Jade rolled between me and Natha. The little bird jumped to Natha’s chest and poked the pattern on his slightly exposed chest with its wings. [Oh! It’s...fun?]

Jade continued to trace Natha’s patterns with its wings and even foot. It looked so adorable that I couldn’t help but giggle. Naturally, with the noise we made and all the touching, Natha couldn’t keep on sleeping. He opened his eyes and looked down at me and Jade probing his skin while grinning.

"Should I take it as being loved so much that you can’t help but want to touch me all the time?" he raised his brow.

"...sure?"

I mean...that was the case for me, but...obviously the other one wouldn’t agree to it. [J-Jade only do it because it’s interesting!]

Natha tilted his head. "Curious?"

"Interesting," I corrected him. "Jade thought your pattern was interesting because I kept touching it."

"And the verdict?"

[...it’s fun?]

"It’s fun."

Natha laughed and patted the green head. Just this once, he didn’t tease the little bird--probably because it was morning and his leftover cheekiness from his youth was still sleeping.

"I think...this is the first time Jade slept with us after...awhile."

After we started having...naughty times, to be exact. But there was no way I could say it in front of my little baby bird.

"It’s because Jade is not a child anymore, isn’t it?" Natha replied wittingly, smirking at the flinching little bird.

[T-that’s right...but--but! They don’t give Jade room, so Jade must sleep with Master!] Jade argued. [Even if Nightmare here to protect Master now!]

Natha chuckled and got up while scooping Jade in his hand so the little bird wouldn’t roll down his chest. "Seems like you get better at making excuses. That’s a sign of growing up."

[R-right?!]

Pfft--I wasn’t sure that was a compliment, Jade--but whatever makes you happy, I guess.

[Mm...Master...Master...] suddenly, the little bird tugged on my hair.

"Hmm? What is it, Jade?"

[Nightmare is here now so...can Jade be human again?] the beady eyes looked up nervously while a pair of wings fidgeted in front of the chubby white belly. [Jade want to ride horses with human body like that knight Jade see in books...]

Oh my...what is this adorable reasoning?

I looked at Natha and told him what Jade wanted. Just like how I didn’t want to take Shwa out, I didn’t want Jade to be exposed while in a weakened state when we were away from proper protection. I didn’t know what might happen if elementalists of church fanatics found out after all.

But with Natha, even in emergencies, we could just teleport back together.

"Sure," Natha nodded. "Let’s treat this as a vacation and let the brat do what it wants."

[Jade no--Jade can turn?] the little bird gasped. It was funny that Jade didn’t want to be called a child when the little bird would turn into a human child.

But the mind of a child is a mysterious system--almost as mysterious as a teenager’s.

The moment I gave Jade a nod, the little bird let out a loud chirping cheer that I was sure woke up the whole manor. But well...they said it had been a long time since they heard a cheerful sound of birds chirping, right?

With a loud chirp, Jade hovered in front of us and twirled in the air like some magical girl about to change into their battle gear--even complete with the blinding white light.

"All we need now is a suitable BGM," I muttered, and Natha tilted his head in confusion. Ah, I guessed his two-month excursion did not include watching Sunday morning cartoons for kids, huh?

The light subsided and Jade fell to the mattress with stretched-out arms. "Tadaaa!"

Is this bird-boy going to use that phrase every time?

With the convenient clothing artifact, Jade was already clad in a nice blue outfit as always. He climbed onto my lap and hugged me. "Hehe~it’s nice to hug Master with arms!"

I laughed and hugged the child back. Indeed, in the little bord form, Jade’s wing span would only be able to hug my wrist at most.

"Master! Master! Can we wear same clothes today?"

"You mean...using the clothing artifact too?" I touched my right earring, the one with the blue gem.

"Yes!"

"Just do it," Natha said while getting out of the bed. "You’ve never tried it before anyway, so it’s a good chance to check if it’s working. Also..." he glanced at Jade, "It’ll be a hassle if the brat throws a tantrum."

Jade jumped off and chased Natha to kick his leg. "Jade not a brat!"

Natha smirked and picked up the struggling Jade, pinching the pinkish nose. "Kicking someone when you don’t agree with them is a brat behavior."

Jade blinked while covering his nose as Natha brought him to the bath chamber. "...is...is that true?"

"Mm. You have to explain to them why you disagree with their words first. Who knows? Maybe they’ll agree with you then."

"What if it don’t work?"

"Then you can hit them."

Hey--what are you teaching my child, you demon?

* * *

"...you really have a child?!"

I looked at the people’s widened eyes and parted lips, as well as the sound of clattering utensils as we walked into the dining room--and sighed. Yeah, I know this would happen, especially since we wore matching outfits. Even Natha, who was carrying Jade on his arm.

Yeah. My disguised Demon Lord thought it would be funny to wear a blue outfit too, although it wasn’t exactly the same. I don’t usually wear blue because of my skin color, so might as well--or so he said. And how I could say no to that?

"This is Jade!"

Of course, the little boy announces it himself with a hand raised high in the air.

"Jade?!" Zarfa clasped her cheeks, Aina clapped her hands with an amused expression, the Hero strangely let out a relief breath, the Mayor and his wife were flabbergasted, and the two elementalists--Fatia and the Regent--looked like...they were just witnessing a miracle or something.

"Yes, Jade!" the little boy giggled, always happy with people’s surprised reaction.

"Oh, my Goddess! I didn’t know they could do that," Fatia spoke breathlessly.

Umm...should I secure Jade from her first before anyone?

"Fatia, don’t be rude..." the Regent warned her daughter, although her voice was shaking slightly.

"Jade is special! Only Jade can do this!" the little boy bragged proudly. It was more like no elemental birds ever thought of doing it, though--but...whatever made my child happy.

"Is...is that true?" Fatia looked at me this time.

"Yes," I glanced at the Regent and the Mayor, wasn’t sure how much I could say. "His ’teacher’ taught him."

That should be enough, right? Fatia should be able to figure out who I was talking about because I mentioned it in Tsainade’s tower--wait, that should be my tower now. Anyway...from how loud she gasped, it was safe to say that Fatia got it.

Naturally, she knew it wasn’t something that could be mentioned in front of other humans. Whether or not she would convey it to her mother, well...that was another test.

We took a seat at the dining table, and Jade sat on Natha’s lap because he wanted me to eat calmly--and of course, the good boy agreed. Might be because he cared for me, or because Natha promised to give him more cocoa jelly during breakfast.

Zarfa looked at me with a pair of soft eyes. "You look like a family," she said. Strangely enough, I couldn’t feel any trace of teasing in her lighthearted tone and wide smile.

Which made me blush heavily. It would be better if it was just teasing, but this...this genuine sentiment was affecting me even more.

"We are family!" Jade announced with a wide grin. "Because Jade and Nigh--tan...Jade and Na-than belong to Master!"

Oh, thank Mother! I already told Jade not to call Natha by ’Nightmare’ anymore and used his disguise name since people can hear him now.

"That’s right," Natha--ahem, Nathan--nodded in agreement, feeding Jade a cocoa jelly he fished out of nowhere as praise.

"But Jade..." Zarfa tilted her head. "Are you going to call Valen ’Master’ even in this form?"

The green eyes blinked in surprise. "Why? Master is Master?"

"For Jade, ’Master’ is a term of endearment, just like darling or sweetheart," Natha said, and tell me why I was blushing when I heard him say ’sweetheart’? He smiled and continued. "It’s not a term of subservient."

Jade gasped hearing Natha call him by name and not ’brat’. But the little boy did not forget to give affirmation. "Master is Master. Master love Jade, and Jade love Master very much."

"Well, I get that," Zarfa nodded while stifling her laugh. "But don’t you think people will misunderstand? They might think Valen enslave a child or something. A child that looks like his clone, no less."

"But Jade is not Master’s slave!" the little boy slammed his little fist on the table. "Jade is Master’s child!"

"Of course you are," I held the tiny fists and brought them down from the hard table, before looking at Zarfa. What was this girl even planning? I knew people might see us weirdly, but we wouldn’t be here for long, and--

"Why don’t you call him something else, then?" Zarfa smiled. Oh, I knew that smile. That mischievous smile.

"Something else?" Jade tilted his head.

"You can call him Valen like I do," Ignis offered from my shoulder.

"But...it’s weird..." Jade fiddled with my hand. Huh...I didn’t know Jade would feel weird calling me by my name. This was new.

"Then..." Zarfa curled her lips. "What about ’father’?"

Someone coughed, someone sprayed water from their mouth, and someone whistled. Jade turned to look at me, still fiddling with my fingers.

"Father?"

Uhh...what should I do about this?

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