The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 589: Family should stay together

Chapter 589: Family should stay together

Inside the supposedly eerie and dark forest that trapped unwanted visitors before devouring them, I felt so much at ease that I wouldn’t refute anyone who told me this was paradise.

My husband, my love, my Natha--simply staying in his arms and breathing his coldness shed the fear taking hold of me all day. Of course, I still had a massive concern about what I should do once we departed for the Sanctuary in three months. For now, however, I just let myself savor Natha’s presence.

[Papa!]

"Jade!" I gasped. "Oh, I’m sorry for leaving you behind!"

This reunion with Natha had left me forgetting everything else, including Jade and the fairies who came with me. I didn’t even realize fairies were circling above us, glowing and buzzing like an excited spectator.

No wonder the forest didn’t seem so eerie and dark--it was because of these high-level fireflies.

[Natha...] Jade stopped advancing toward us and hovered on the spot, staring at Natha with complicated emotions. The bird didn’t sound aggressive though, perhaps because it could sense my relief.

I reached out my hand apologetically so the bird could come to me, but Jade hovered back slightly and enveloped itself in a gust of wind instead. A soft glow came out in the middle, and I let out a relieved sigh. A few seconds later, a little boy with a blue tunic jumped to the ground and ran toward us.

"Natha is back?" Jade stopped beside me and gripped my sleeve, but his eyes were on Natha, scrutinizing carefully. "He is our Natha again?"

I looked at the steady silver eyes and nodded, feeling my lips start to stretch into a smile that had disappeared after the Demon King’s appearance. "Yeah," I replied while holding Natha’s hand tightly.

I would not let him slip away again; this time, even if I had to hit his head.

"Okay," Jade nodded, and my lips were about to stretch wider when suddenly--

Splash!

--a water ball shot out of Jade’s palm and burst in Natha’s face.

I blinked in surprise as I got sprayed by the stray droplets, but Natha was completely soaked. Water dripped from his hair, horns, and face into his clothes.

"J-Jade?!" I turned around to grab the boy, but Jade was already throwing more water balls before I could stop him.

Splash! Splash!

With that much water, Natha’s whole body was getting drenched. Jade scrunched his face and kept throwing the spell as if expelling all of his frustration. "Wait, Jade--"

"It’s fine," Natha wiped the water off his eyes and smiled wryly. "I deserve it."

"Natha bad! Natha stupid!" the water balls stopped, but a pair of small fists replaced the attack instead. Just like me, Jade rushed forward and hit the demon’s shoulder. "Natha made Papa sad and cry!"

"J-Jade..."

Ah, of course--there was no way Jade would not be made since he could sense all of my emotions before. Even if I was more or less fine afterward, the sweet boy wouldn’t just let it be.

But Natha didn’t look offended--he let Jade hit him over and over while stroking the boy’s back. "Yes, I was stupid," he even gave an agreement.

The hitting didn’t happen for long, however. It was late at night, and Jade was visibly tired. Besides, the boy just wanted to vent, so he stopped after around three minutes. With pursed lips and a lowered gaze, he clutched Natha’s upper arm.

"Jade...Jade don’t like it when Papa and Natha fight..."

"I’m sorry," Natha replied softly, still stroking the boy’s back. "It won’t happen again."

"P-promise?"

"I promise," Natha nodded firmly, looking at the saddened green eyes. "You can hit me with a much stronger spell if it does happen so I can come to my sense."

The little boy frowned and stomped his feet, screaming. "But Jade don’t want to hit Natha with a stronger spell!"

"Of course, I’ll work hard so you won’t have to."

Jade’s lips trembled, and his face scrunched up even more. The clutching hands gripped tighter, and, to my shock, Jade started to cry loudly. Tears, which I knew came from relief instead of sadness, came out. When Natha gently pulled him closer, Jade hugged his neck tightly while wailing harder.

"Natha stupid!" Jade clung to the demon who gently stroked his back and hair soothingly. "Stupid Natha!"

Well, in the end, Natha was also Jade’s family. Of course, there was no kid who liked their family members fighting and getting estranged. It seemed like no matter how much they messed around with each other, Jade still loved Natha just as much as Natha loved him.

With an apologetic smile, Natha looked at me and pulled me along into the hug. Biting my lips to stop myself from crying again, I hugged them both, nuzzling Jade’s sobbing head.

Right. This was what being a family meant--you fought and you made up. But even when you were at odds with each other, you longed to be together and made peace with each other.

Yeah, family should be together.

"L-let’s go back," I raised my head and looked at Natha. "Let’s go back to Shwa."

* * *

We called Vrida and left the forest right away. Flying during the night was quite dangerous, but the diligent girl rushed swiftly through the realm of nature, taking the fastest route even if she had to go through several acrobatic movements between the stone mountains.

It couldn’t be helped--using more teleportation spells would be detrimental to our body. No matter how hard Vrida worked, however, the journey still took the whole night. It was already past breakfast time when we arrived at Vrida’s nest, and Natha immediately teleported us inside the Lord’s Quarter to avoid attention.

Apparently, aside from the guards in the yard that day, only a handful of people knew about my--well, ours--disappearance; the seven vassals, Mara and Panne, and of course, Aunt Nezja and Zia--which automatically extended to Izzi and Neel.

Well, it wasn’t a lot by any means, and everyone kept mum about it. Natha told me that the children of nature had been sent home by Amarein, and Lesta personally escorted Zarfa and Aina back through the portal. Everything was done in hush-hush, so there was no uproar even though none of us was attending the banquet--which was still being held the day before, turned out.

The La siblings had decided it was best to continue with the banquet, telling the guests that we were too overwhelmed with the King’s appearance and the summoning order that we needed to rest--which wasn’t a lie, I guess, except for the ’rest’ part.

It was very believable because Aunt Nezja was the one who announced it. In place of our presence, Izzi and Neel worked hard to edit the recorded footage quickly and showed the naming ceremony through the screens placed around the halls.

Thanks to that, I came back to a calm home as if all I did was merely take a walk in the garden.

Well, it wasn’t bad. There was no need to incite worry and sow panic, especially because it was a sensitive matter tied to the entities the demons worshiped.

More importantly--

"Shwa!"

I didn’t have time to worry about keeping the peace. Immediately after my feet landed on the second-floor hallway, I bolted toward the nursery. One of the nannies gasped when I abruptly flung the nursery door open and ran toward the bassinet.

Angwi looked up from the bassinet and widened her eyes for a second, before smiling as I rushed over. She stepped back, allowing me to hoard the bassinet for myself.

I felt sorry for my startled baby, but I missed him too much. The moment I touched his skin and felt his warmth, the moment I heard his steady heartbeat, the hole in my heart was being filled. The puzzle fit into place and made me whole again. The stuffiness I felt all the way home vanished when my lips touched his pink cheek.

And oh...when those tiny hands touched my face, when that tiny mouth let out the most adorable giggling sound, I burst into tears again.

"I missed you," I whispered while showering my son’s face with kisses. "Oh, I’ve missed you so much, my baby."

I knew it was just a day and a night, but Mother--I couldn’t imagine leaving him again.

Although...I probably would have to shortly.

"S-sweetheart," Natha hovered his hand carefully near the baby. The tip of his fingers trembled, and his breath was heavy, restrained. "Can I...can I hold him too?"

It was a weak request uttered in a vulnerable voice, and I realized that I wasn’t the only one who longed to embrace our son. He must have been worried--I might have forgiven him, but there was no guarantee I would let him touch Shwa before he proved himself in the Sanctuary.

But I had no plan to continue punishing a repenting husband.

"Yeah," I moved the wiggling baby to Natha’s trembling arms, carefully. There was no need for concern, however, since those arms were immediately turned sturdy, safely cradling the giggling baby.

"Shwa is happy!" Jade jumped while throwing his arms up, giggling together with the baby.

"Of course he is, since his family is finally back together," D’Ara chuckled. "Do you know how fussy he was last night, realizing both his fathers weren’t there to kiss him goodnight?"

I had no idea when, but she was already leaning against the door frame, with Aunt Nezja standing beside her and Zia peeking worriedly behind her. Ugh...I felt rather ashamed now. Not guilty, just thinking that I should leave more calmly yesterday.

The demon’s dramatic tendency must have been infecting me.

"Well, since you seemed to make up already, shall we go and talk about yesterday?"

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