The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 474: Marriage does not stop someone from getting suspicious

Chapter 474: Marriage does not stop someone from getting suspicious

[Jade is coming this time!]

The little bird circled the living room excitedly, turning the Lord’s quarters into a park with a loud chirping sound. Well, there was no way I could leave Jade behind again after leaving it for a week before.

"What about you, Ignis?" I asked the visiting Salamander, who was curling on my shoulder after days of absence.

One of the light blue eyes opened to peek at me. "Will you be visiting caves or volcanoes?"

"Ignis will not be coming then!" I laughed and asked Jade to come down before it got dizzy.

The Salamander scoffed and flicked its tail against my neck. "If you end up visiting a cave or a volcano, you have to summon me," the flame on its head flickered. "...but you can summon me if you’re in trouble too."

"Thank you, Ignis!" I stroked the flaming jaw in gratitude, and Jade followed by rubbing its wing on the flaming head.

"Ugh--" our little gecko was grumbling, but did not move away to avoid the touch. How cute.

And then, for the last attendance.

"Is it really alright with you to go away again so soon?" I asked Natha, peeking at the demon who was buried behind papers. The table and the couch were filled with the documents he brought from his office.

Which was why Ignis chose to attach itself to me and avoid accidental fire.

"What?" the silver eyes flicked at me sharply. "Do you want to go alone again?"

"...no?" I grinned at the rarely sensitive Demon Lord. "I just feel bad seeing you working too much to make up time."

"It’s fine," he replied briefly before getting back to his documents. "I rather forgo sleep than let you meet that person alone."

I grinned sheepishly and refrained from making any more comments. Maybe it was my fault for telling him about my conversation with the Hero at that time--you know, the one we had when the others were riding Vrida?

But I felt guilty not telling him about it after we got married, so it just came out. The conversation, in my opinion, was rather harmless, but...well, as you can see, he was agitated. What did he say again?

’If he could try to get closer to you when you were engaged, who’s to say he wouldn’t try it again after you’re married?’

...was what Natha said.

Personally, I felt like I already made it clear for the Hero before, but why fight about it? I loved it anyway, that Natha came with me. Besides, I literally had no relationship experience prior to Natha so...who was I to say anything?

But anyway, we’d be visiting the Human Realm again. I informed Zarfa about it, as well as confirming that she was still in the Hero’s party. It seemed that I was just in time, since they were planning to move soon. Since the kingdom had stabilized after my purification, the Hero party had decided to do their next hero-ing activity.

Exposing and purging the kingdom who ’sacrificed’ virgins to the ’Goddess’ when in reality, they were sucking on the poor girls’ life force to extend the royal family’s life.

You know--the kingdom who made me think that Natha might do the same to me?

Anyway, it seemed that the Hero also told Zarfa that he wanted to ’talk’ to me, which made Natha this sensitive. I was sure he only wanted to talk about the Goddess and quite probably my father, but...

A jealous husband sees no reason.

Who cares? I got another date with Natha!

We had no idea how long this search for Valmeier’s birthday would take, so Natha wanted to free up as many days as he could. Between the work piling up during the wedding and honeymoon, the journey for a birthday, and the future absence for--ahem--making a baby, he had to work extra hard to make up for the lost time.

My poor husband...but I was proud that he had such dedication to his work. I used to think that Lords and royal families only spent their time lounging around and wasting taxpayers’ money. But then, I only knew the aristocrats and royal family from Lenaar, so...not exactly a good example. Seeing how hard Fatia worked for her kingdom, it seemed that Natha wasn’t an anomaly.

Although he sure was working harder than he should--too hard that he barely had time for a date excursion.

Alright--enough bragging about him! Or whining!

With an admirable effort that made him skip several teatimes with me (hmph!) we could finally depart three days later. Well, any longer and we would have to try finding them in the wild as they moved toward the accursed kingdom.

To be honest, I wanted to see that particular kingdom’s downfall, but by that time, I would have a flower bud to tend.

"Wear this," before we departed, Natha suddenly took my hand and put a ring on my ring finger. There was already the moonstone ring there, but he put another one that clicked with the other ring right away as if they were a set to begin with.

"Why?" I raised my hand to observe the ring closer. It had a bigger stone, in brilliant blue color, and kind of looked like...a diamond?

A diamond with thick mana swirling inside.

I stared at him, blinking. "Are you giving me a wedding ring?"

"Yes," he said shortly.

My eyes darted to his hand, where another ring with an identical gemstone circled the base of his ring finger. I peeked at his face, who looked as cool and nonchalant as usual. For some reason, it only made all his actions even more adorable. I grasped his face and kissed him hard on the lips.

"You know I only love you, don’t you?" I laughed and gave him more kisses on his face.

"I know," he replied softly, with a tender hold on my waist. "And I would like it if everyone knows too."

Pfft--this cheeky, petty demon.

"Don’t leave Jade alone!" my transformed child stomped his feet on the floor and grabbed both of my and Natha’s coats.

Natha smirked and carried Jade in his arms. "Why? Do you want a kiss too?"

"Not from Natha!"

I laughed and kissed the chubby cheek--which somehow got chubbier even though Jade had no concept of physical metabolism. Was he able to get plumper from consuming mana stones? Like...astral metabolism?

"Alright, let’s go now," Natha unfurled his wings and covered the three of us. Jade and I waved to Arta and Zia, as well as the other servants, before the black feather encased us fully.

Another long, long teleport this time--even longer than the island. But naturally, it was way more comfortable than using a teleportation scroll, or even Lesta’s warp stone--an opinion that was supported by Natha’s most vocal critics.

"Oh--oh! This is not not-comfortable!" Jade clapped his hand, before tapping Natha in the cheek. "Natha is good!"

"Thanks for the review," Natha shrugged, already in his human disguise--tan skin, no horn, grey eyes, short hair...

Haa...

"Where is this?" I looked around the place, and was greeted with a tackling hug.

"Welcooome!!" Zarfa hugged me tightly for a second and pulled away immediately to squeeze my cheeks. "Welcome, dear newlyweds fresh out of honeymoon."

"It’s already two weeks..."

"Fresh!" she clasped her hand with a cheeky smile before turning toward my little boy. "Jade, my nephew!"

"Zarfa!" Jade stretched his arms and moved to be carried by...his new auntie, I guess?

"They left you behind, huh? Poor you...you should have stayed with me!"

Nuh-uh. I had no idea what kind of things you’d teach my child.

She proceeded to walk away with my little boy in her hands gossiping about...us, apparently, who was following behind her. Natha was teleporting us to the garden of Goldbel Manor, not far from the Midas Guild branch office. I had no idea how Natha knew the coordinate to this place, but...well, he’s Natha.

"But isn’t this like walking to your competitor’s house?" I glanced at him. I mean, he also had a merchant guild over here.

"Hmm, right," he nodded, taking my hand as we followed Zarfa and Jade inside the mansion. "Going into the heart of the enemy camp is the basic of infiltration, isn’t it?"

Pfft--whatever you said, my Lord. I was just glad he didn’t look as sensitive as he did these past few days. I knew we were here for something serious, but there was nothing wrong with treating it half as a vacation and having fun while at it!

"Ah, I prepare a separate room for Jade--or would he be staying with you?" Zarfa turned to look at us with a teasing grin, and I knew very well what she implied by that.

Not that I would turn down a free babysitter.

"He can sleep with you if you want," I shrugged.

"Oh? Would you?" Zarfa looked at Jade expectantly.

Jade glanced at Natha and me, before whispering in Zarfa’s ear--although I could still hear him just fine. "Is there a candy in Zarfa’s room?"

Heh--look at this child. My eyes narrowed at this blatant effort to dance around my candy restriction. But I let him be--it was a small holiday, and I reckoned we could give Jade a little treat for giving us some alone time. So I nodded when Zarfa glanced at me.

"Of course there are," Zarfa whispered back to Jade with a grin. "Cookies too, if you want."

"What about jelly?"

"Who do you think I am?"

Jade giggled, and as if suddenly remembering something, Zarfa exclaimed slightly before looking at me again. "Oh, another guest is waiting for you inside."

"Hmm? Who..."

Without needing for Zarfa to answer, I already saw the guest in question. Standing in front of the door leading to a sunroom was Tsalinade.

"Hoo...is this that magician?" Natha smirked.

Well, well...this trip turned out to be more fruitful than I thought.