The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 425: Grandmas always know how to one-upped you

Chapter 425: Grandmas always know how to one-upped you

"Judging by your face, it seems like your endeavor went well," Amarein said as we climbed down the steps on the side of the waterfall.

My heart skipped a bit just then, which made me reply with an awkward smile while scratching my neck. I didn’t tell her anything about going to the Human Realm--much less about Tsalinade. I had no idea how a druid would react to the magician if even I got that angry back then.

Later, once I received my ’payment’, I would tell her. I would tell her, the chiefs, everyone. But for now...I felt like it would be better for me to keep it a secret. I didn’t want to give them unnecessary anger or hope.

"Why are you looking flustered?" she narrowed her eyes, and I averted her eyes like the bad actor that I was. Where was all the composure I held when I was facing Tsalinade?!

But then, she chuckled and pinched my cheek lightly. "I get it, the wedding business is complicated."

O-oh! I grinned widely in relief. Yup! Let’s just roll with that!

"I--I bring invitations for everyone!" I told her.

"Oh?"

"Umm...I mean, for you and the Chiefs...if they want," I fiddled with my fingers. "The invitations are different, however. Would it be okay?"

It was rather awkward after all, for me to say that ’Oh, the only one who can come to my wedding ceremony is Amarein’ in front of the Chiefs. It was like telling them I wasn’t comfortable enough to have them on my most important day.

"You can leave those invitations with me," she said. "I’ll give it to them later, when you’re already back."

She would do that? I looked at her with glittering eyes, and I hugged her arm in relief, leaning my head on her shoulder.

While I didn’t tell her about the Human Realm, I did tell her that I was doing purification, and told her all the details about the process. After all, I wanted to brag a little, and I got praised at the end of it.

"Self-preservation is the most important," she nodded. "It was good that you could pace yourself."

"Hehe...it felt rather nauseating, though. Is it normal to feel that during purification?"

"It is if the pollution is too thick. After all, you ingested something vile in nature."

"I see..."

She smiled and ruffled my hair. "You’ve done a good job, Valen. Using Alveitya is a smart thing to do," she said, and I couldn’t help but giggle happily. "For now, let’s reward you with Letaruen’s cooking, shall we?"

* * *

It was a good decision to just go through with flying rather than spending the night at the outpost. Thanks for arriving here by the night, no one was outside to greet me except for Amarein. Also, people thought I would only be here tomorrow at the earliest, so...

Grandma Letta hadn’t even prepared ’anything’, according to her. She quickly whipped up something for me and Halurean the moment Amarein told her we arrived. That was why she couldn’t prepare ’much’.

And by that, she meant she could only make a simple three main dishes and all kinds of sides enough to fill Amarein’s dining table.

She would do well in Gluttony, I think.

I ate well and slept even better after a short inter-realm call with Natha before going to bed. I could proudly say that I wasn’t crying that night--although it might also be because I was exhausted from the flight. But anyway, I slept in! How embarrassing...

The sun was already high when I opened my eyes, and my hungry state told me it was past breakfast already. But even Jade and Ignis were still asleep, so I guessed it was just a side effect of a journey.

When I woke up, an herbal drink was already on the nightstand, placed on top of a heating stone that kept it warm. Ah, it was nice to have something familiar--I missed this while I was in the Human Realm.

As I drank the herbal drink and got ready to go down, I could hear voices from downstairs. They woke up my little bird, filling the room with startled chirps. From the sound of it, seemed like the Elders had come; the Chief and the Scribe.

"You’ll disturb him," I heard Amarein’s voice from the living room when I peeked out of the bedroom door. "He’s exhausted from the journey."

Her voice was stern, and it brought a weird feeling, to hear the Chief of the tribe being scolded by her own daughter. But then again, the High Shaman had an equal position with the Council of Elders as a whole.

"We’ll be quiet," Chief Tiralein said while grumbling. "It’s your fault for not even telling me when Valen was here last night."

"Should he endure your fawning while he relished his dinner?"

At Amarein’s sharp tone, the Grandmas were quiet, and I could hear Letta laughing from the kitchen. "Why don’t you eat first while waiting for the little Prince, Chief?"

"Yes, stuff your mouth so you won’t be noisy."

"This unfilial daughter..."

I almost couldn’t stifle a giggle. Hearing them like this, instead of the dignified conversation I always witnessed the last time I was here, made them feel more like a family. I couldn’t feel that they were mother and daughter before, perhaps because they kept their position as a Chief and a High Priestess in mind in public--even if the public was their own tribe.

Strict, indeed.

But uhh...let’s not make them tip-toeing around someone who already woke up. I patted my cheek lightly and got down the stairs. "Good morning, Aunty, Grandma--"

"Valen!"

Tiralein, who was about to take a seat around the dining table, stood up and walked over to greet me with a full, tight hug. It was warm, and she smelled like the garden behind Amarein’s house; of herbs, blooming flowers, and sunshine. Curiously enough, Amarein didn’t smell like her garden, but of grass and morning dew--perhaps because she kept going around?

Anyway, it was always a nice feeling to be welcomed with a hug. Reminded me of Grandma. No one else hugged me but her in my previous life, and Grandpa was too awkward to show his affection outwardly--even though he had a lot inside his heart.

She cupped my cheek and asked softly. "Have you been well, my little prince?"

It was awkward when they called me ’prince’ in reverence, but when they did it with endearment, in an affectionate tone, it just felt like a pet name--like sweetheart or cupcake or moonpie or something--and it made my heart warm, so I didn’t tell them to stop.

"Of course, I am. Do you not get any update from Aunty, Grandma?"

"Hmph--what update?" Tiralein grumbled as we walked to the dining table. "She’s so proud of teaching you and kept everything to herself."

"Don’t exaggerate; I always tell you that he’s healthy," Amarein nonchalantly replied before drinking her tea.

"And do you think that’s enough? You should tell me more--you don’t even tell me what you’ve been teaching him!"

"Isn’t the most important thing is the fact that he’s healthy?"

"This woman..."

"Now, now--stop arguing, you’ll make him uncomfortable," the Scribe Grandma patted the dinner table to scold this mother-daughter pair, and all I could do was just laugh awkwardly while I took a seat.

Immediately, Letta placed a tray of food in front of me, with everything that I said I liked when I was here the last time. Some of them needed a long time to cook, which told me this was what she meant by ’preparing’ the food properly.

"Thank you, Letta!"

"And for the little one," she placed another plate on the table, filled with green jellies.

Jade gasped and chirped loudly. [For Jade?! Grandma Cook make jelly for Jade?]

The beady green eyes stared at Letta in amazement, and honestly, I was amazed too. To think she would even make something for Jade...

[...Papa!] Jade nudged the back of my hand on the table, and looked at me with sparkling eyes.

"Sure," I nodded, sensing what Jade wanted to do through our bond.

The little bird chirped and giggled, flying to the empty seat next to mine, and drowned itself in a flood of light. When we were resting yesterday, I had fed Jade with a bit of ’yummy ball’, but since it was the realm of nature, even just a bit of it was enough to feed Jade.

Enough for another transformation.

Having witnessed it before, the druids’ faces lit up as they waited for Jade--or my childhood face--to appear from the light. They even clapped when Jade emerged--with full clothes this time. Jade’s priority, however, was Letta.

"Co--Letta, Jade want to say thank you!" he stretched his arms toward the surprised cook, who immediately laughed and received the offered hug.

"What a sweet child--let me get you some cushion so you can reach the table, mm?" Letta ruffled the soft green-and-rainbow hair, before fetching the cushion Jade would use to sit on top of the chairs.

"Ah...it’s always nice seeing this cute face," Tiralein sighed with a big smile, and I had a sudden urge to tease her.

"Am I not cute now that I’ve grown up?" I tilted my head with a sad face.

"That’s right," Tiralein nodded--regrettably not even fazed by my question. "Because you’ve grown up to be so pretty."

...damn it! Now I’m the one who got flustered!