The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 497: His very own Paradise

Chapter 497: His very own Paradise

Valen’s eyes couldn’t get any wider if he tried. But he wished they could, since he wanted to take everything all at once in his vision.

When was it, the first time he saw an amusement park?

Ah, yes--it was in a family movie. It was sparkling, and colorful, and for a child like him, it looked like a paradise. When he saw how happy the child in that movie was, going with his parents and siblings, Valen was even more convinced that it was a paradise.

Because the old man in that tall building where people went to pray every week told him he’d get what he couldn’t get in this world in paradise.

As he watched the movie alone in an empty hospital room, Valen thought it wasn’t bad then, even if he died. Death wouldn’t be so bad if he could spend it with his family in an amusement park, would it? And it became his spell every time the pain in his wrecked body became unbearable.

It’s okay, it’s fine, it’s not bad.

You’ll be able to see the paradise.

But as he grew up, that notion of paradise slowly dwindled. Did he still believe in paradise, even? Valen wasn’t so sure, since his mind was getting number and number and he didn’t even know if he was in his right mind when he died.

But he still visited that memory from time to time, because it was nice and fun and colorful and dreamy and...

And everything he saw in front of him on that beautiful afternoon.

It was a burst of color that was different from the festival. Tall, big, wide structures filled a huge field in front of him. Big statues and mascots decorated the structures, and flower beds flanked the walkway. Ribbons and balloons adorned the gate, and garlands hung around the fence. Colorful flying lanterns filled the sky, holding banners with celebratory messages. Stalls bearing all kinds of street food and drinks caught his gaze, and Valen almost cried.

They weren’t even the healthy kind!

He turned toward his smiling husband, and threw himself inside the cold embrace. "For me?"

"Always for you," Natha whispered and kissed the twitching cheeks that had been stretched so wide ever since those green eyes saw the park. "Do you forgive me now?"

It wasn’t like Valen got upset in the first place, but he still nodded repeatedly, laughing. The sound rang beautifully like a clear bell, bringing even more festivities at the end of the demon realm’s spring.

"Phew--that’s worth the sleepless nights," Izzi wiped his nonexistent sweat on his forehead, letting out a relieved sigh.

"Why didn’t you tell me that you’ve been busy with this?" Zia pursed her lips and gave the elf a nasty side-eye. "How could you leave me out of Valen’s surprise birthday event?"

"Hey, I’m not the boss, okay?" Izzi argued. "The boss told me to keep it a secret, so what can I do? He holds my paycheck."

"Did you not trust me?"

"Did you trust yourself?" the elf raised his brow. "You’d have spilled it the moment you see Valen’s sad face."

Zia hissed and pinched the elf’s side, who retaliated by catching the succubus’s hand and grinning. "What? Have self-awareness; you are weak against him."

"Shuddup!"

Zia hissed and continued to grumble, although she did not pull away her hand from the elf’s hold, even long after, as the belated birthday event unfolded, while the half-naga watching them from behind rolled her eyes beneath her hood.

At that time, Valen finally realized why there were a lot of people there. The vassals, his friends, his closest servants, and even though faint, he could feel the presence of Great Aunt Nezja somewhere--probably in one of the flying carriages up there.

How could he not realize anything before?

"Phew--it’s good that I’m busy with the logistics," Arta clapped her hands and grinned at the flabbergasted Valen. "I wouldn’t be able to maintain a straight face in front of Young Master."

"So that’s why!" Valen wiped his face and shook his head in disbelief. "I can’t believe I didn’t realize anything!"

"It’s because you don’t usually get in other people’s business, sweetheart," Natha stroked the flustered cheeks with a triumphant smile on his face. "And I worked hard so you wouldn’t find out."

Working hard was one thing--but the Lord literally told people they’d face a wage cut if Valen was to find out about it. That was why Izzi could not tell Zia--because the succubus wasn’t in the payroll club. Naturally, no one dared to even bring it up, and just enjoyed the way their Lord looked so happy when he successfully made his husband happy.

And now, Valen knew why diverting his ’birthday fund’ could give a significant boost to building Shwa’s sanctuary. Natha must have planned to give this surprise on his birthday, but the plan had to be postponed indefinitely because none of them knew when Valen would be able to move around.

At that moment, Valen felt so thankful that he didn’t have to be bedridden after conceiving.

[Papa! Papa! Look--it’s Vrida!]

The dramatic and emotional reveal was broken by the loud, energetic chirping of a rainbow-colored bird that had been flying around. Of course, the bird was not pointing at an actual wyvern, but a wyvern-like pod with seats on its back.

Valen clasped his cheeks and gasped. "A roller coaster? With a wyvern-shaped seat?"

"Well, you did say riding Vrida might feel like riding a roller coaster," Natha held the astonished half-druid and led him inside the park. "So it’s only right to make it as such."

Valen couldn’t keep his mouth closed as he stepped inside. There were decorated open carriages that could be used to move around the park, but he chose to walk instead, so he could see everything carefully at his own pace.

"Can I...can I really eat those?" he pointed at the food stalls with workers already manning the booth, looking up at the demon lord with sparkling eyes. After all, his husband had been very strict about his diet recently, making sure everything was rich in nutrients and mana.

"Of course," Natha generously nodded. "It’s your birthday, after all."

Valen covered his parted mouth and called out his little bird. "Jade, look! Cotton candy!"

[Candy?!]

Of course, the little bird wouldn’t ignore the call of the sweets. It swooped down, almost straight to the machine that Neel painstakingly built in secret--thankfully, there was a glass partition between them.

With colorful cotton candy in hand--and a mini one between colorful wings--Valen continued his journey to tour the park. The wyvern roller coaster was only the beginning--although it was the biggest one, and absorbed the attention right away. There was also a big ship swaying back and forth like a pendulum, and a tunnel ride through fake mountains with mythical beasts and ghosts made of illusion magic, with salamander-shaped carriages.

But it wasn’t only scary rides that were available. There were cute flying elemental birds in every color they could ride on, which got Jade jumping out in a frenzy, almost dropping its cotton candy.

[It’s Jade’s Seniors!]

"It’s fake, but they do look like real elemental birds," Valen laughed as he stroked the flowing long tail.

[But not in Jade’s color!]

"Of course, not! Jade is only one!" Valen poked the bird’s cheek, who gasped in surprise.

[That’s right! Jade only one!] the bird chirped cheerfully and swallowed the rest of its cotton candy before taking off to observe the elemental birds ride from above. Valen didn’t even have the time to wipe the melted sugar off the bird’s beak.

Oh, well--it was the day of freedom, after all!

Valen also saw what he thought was a merry-go-round, but there were only three horses there, and the horses were not horses, but mounted beasts. Rather than going round and at the same time, each mounted beast could be moved forward by clicking some buttons and at the end of the day, it was a racecar instead of a merry-go-round.

For the more relaxing ride, there were spinning flowers that could accommodate both adults and children, surrounded by beautiful real flower gardens. A caterpillar train for the little ones was also available, and Izzi was sneaking in a flying catbus in place of carriages.

At the end of the park, there was a building that made Valen gasp even louder. "An aquarium? You build another one?!"

"It will have a different entrance later when this place is open to the public, but for now," Natha turned Valen around. "This place is exclusively for you," he lifted his dear husband’s hand and planted his lips there. "My most precious sweetheart."

The tour ended in the park’s plaza, where a huge fountain with a cascading waterfall and all the guests had been waiting. Confetti was thrown and flower petals were scattered to welcome the birthday man--even though it was a month late already.

But that didn’t matter.

Because Valen was surrounded by his friends and family, in the middle of the amusement park of his childhood dream, and this time, he couldn’t hold back his tears.

Because...this must be the paradise that the old man talking about. Because he died once, and he got everything he couldn’t have in his life before.

Yes. This is his paradise.

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