The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 87: We’re just such a dramatic bunch

Chapter 87: We’re just such a dramatic bunch

"Shit—Caba?" Lesta hissed when the loud voice echoed inside the library. "Why is he here?"

His eyes darted to the young human, who was suddenly frozen stiff with widened eyes. The excited voice and sparkling green eyes were now shaking and nowhere to be seen.

"Lesta, where are you?!"

Immediately after the loud yell, the young human fled behind the bookshelf and crouched down before they could do anything. Eruha was swiftly trying to call out to the young human, but Lesta could see the way he was trembling, and knew the young master probably wouldn’t be able to hear anything for a while.

"Oh, there you are!" the bald head finally showed up from at the pathway leading to the bookshelf’s rows. "Why didn’t you ans—"

"Shut your mouth for a bit!" Lesta glared at the demon, prompting Caba to halt his step in confusion.

"Wha—"

Lesta swept his hair and let out a sigh, before talking to the surprised demon more calmly. "This is not a good time, Caba. If you want to talk, let’s do it later. Why don’t you just go for now?"

The bald demon got even more confused and walked forward while frowning. "What are you getting so angsty for..."

Before he could walk far, however, he finally saw Eruha kneeling on the floor, lowering his head and talking soothingly to someone behind a bookshelf.

"Take a deep breath, Young Master—yes, like that," the tall demon caressed a trembling shoulder—the only thing Caba could see from his position. "It’s alright, nobody could hurt you in this place. It’s okay..."

"...’m sorry..." a soft, quiet voice could be heard coming from behind the bookshelf.

"No, don’t apologize," Eruha continued softly, gently, as if pacifying a crying child. "You’ve done nothing wrong, Young Master."

It was then that Caba finally recognize the swirling energy of natural force, and realized who was there and made Lesta panic.

"Is that..." Caba stiffened at Lesta’s long sigh. "Because of...me?"

"Haa...what do you think?" Lesta let out yet another sigh and walked forward to take the demon out of there. "Come on, let’s just go—hey!"

Before Lesta could take Caba’s arm to drag him out of the library, however, the bald demon had already stepped forward toward the bookshelf where the young human was. Swiftly, Lesta yanked the demon’s elbow, but Caba was generally stronger than him, so he couldn’t stop the bald demon from approaching the panicking young master.

"Shit!" Lesta cursed as he ended up as the one getting dragged instead. "Eru!" he let out a warning and saw that Eruha had positioned himself between Caba and the young human.

"What are you doing?" the tall demon asked with a stern warning in his low voice. He was still kneeling on the floor, one arm stretched to cover the human from sight. But the glare he gave Caba from below was as menacing as someone on the cusp of war.

Despite being well covered by the bigger demon, they could still glimpse at the figure crouching on the floor. The emerald eyes were shaking, and despite clenching so tight on the book in his hand, his arms were still trembling. The human looked fragile and vulnerable, like prey in the middle of a predator’s den.

Perhaps because essentially, he was.

"I asked you a question, Dal Caba!" once again, Eruha hissed, and Lesta almost thought they would end up fighting there and the Librarian and the Lord would get pissed and...his usually calm and cool face suddenly crumbled.

Until Caba lowered his body and went down on his knees too.

As the other two demons stared at him dumbfoundedly, Caba spoke, in a surprisingly soft tone that was far from his usual image. "Young Master," he called out, and he could see the young human flinching at his voice. "Would you...allow me to apologize to you properly?"

Lesta and Eruha got even more flabbergasted. What was this? The temperament mad hound of the Lord spoke so gently and politely? Not to mention to a human he despised so much before.

And what—apologizing?

"Hey, I don’t think this is the right moment to do that..."

"No," Caba shook his head at Lesta’s words. "It’s exactly because he’s afraid now that I have to do this."

When the young human was still in a state where it might be hard to forgive, Caba thought. "Also, I don’t know if I’ll ever have a chance of meeting him again."

Lesta fell into silence for a bit. That was true—for all he knew, the Lord was still selective about who was allowed to see his sweetheart. If he knew how much the young human trembled at a mere voice, he would probably ban Caba from approaching the human altogether.

And he also happened to think if they missed this opportunity, Caba might end up changing his mind about apologizing again.

But ultimately, it was up to the individual involved to decide.

"How about it, Young Master?" Eruha asked the young human with a gentle voice. "You don’t have to if you’re uncomfortable with it," the tall demon said softly, and then they waited for the Lord’s bride to respond.

Oh, how small and vulnerable he looked with eyes staring wide at the floor and lips drew tight. And yet the condensed power of nature’s force and the Lord’s mana enveloped him like a cocoon. How could this human feel so afraid when truly, no one in this castle would be able to scratch him without expending all of their power?

It showed how much the reaction came from deep within, from a place where senses overthrew logic. They could see the way he was struggling to keep calm and overpowered his own feeling, with scrunched face and balled fist.

Eventually, however, the young human nodded. "...okay," he muttered in a weak voice. And then, after a few seconds, repeated in a firmer one. "Okay."

* * *

Eruha proceeded to take me to one of those rooms for group discussion; the one with a soundproofing formation in it. It was fashioned like a casual seating area, with couches and armchairs surrounding a large table—perhaps to make the discussion go more comfortably.

The intention was well received, as I feel my heart becoming calmer once I sat down on one of the armchairs. Eruha sat on another chair to my left, while Lesta said he preferred to stand. I got the feeling he did it to prevent anything unsavory from happening, though.

Which I prayed wouldn’t happen.

That demon, the bald one from the festival memory, was keeping his distance. He stood near the entrance, with the table between us, and had been trying not to look at me—perhaps so I wouldn’t get frozen again.

Honestly, it felt a bit—no, really awkward. When he said he wanted to apologize, I thought it would be a simple ’sorry, my bad, please don’t be afraid anymore’ kind of thing. And then we’d parted ways and be done with it.

I didn’t think we’d go to a secluded place and face each other in this solemn atmosphere. It made me feel embarrassed as the seconds ticked by in silence. Especially when suddenly, the bald demon got down on his knees and bowed his head deeply.

"I’m terribly sorry!"

"Hiek!" It was so swift and surprising that I let out a hiccup unconsciously. His voice, which was already big and loud originally, was getting even louder. "W-wa..."

"Please forgive me! I was wrong!" he proceeded to get even louder, and I pressed my back to the chair even more, blinking at the volume. I had this thought that the soundproof formation might not be able to contain his voice. "I shouldn’t act so rashly! Please forgive—no, even if you don’t forgive me, it’s okay! But I’m terribly sorry, Young Master! Please received this stupid demon’s apology!"

Now, he even slammed his head on the floor and prostrate in front of me. Gods, this was so embarrassing! I could feel my face getting hotter from the embarrassment, and I shoot Lesta a desperate look.

Please, please, just stop that demon!

In a tacit understanding—or probably just because he wanted to—Lesta moved toward Caba and smacked the bald head.

That...wasn’t what I requested, though—I swear!

"Are you apologizing or scolding?" Lesta clicked his tongue as Caba lifted his head, in a daze from the smacking. "Can’t you do it more calmly? Can’t you see our Young Master getting even more scared?"

Caba looked at me then, who was sinking on the couch from his volume attack. "Oh, I...I’m sorry..."

The big demon, who looked like a fierce gangster from mafia movies, was looking lost and guilty on the floor, like a naughty child getting scolded by a caretaker. The demon looked kind of pathetic and adorable at the same time, like a tamed dire wolf acting like a clueless puppy.

If I was still skeptical about the demon suddenly apologizing before, I was pretty sure he was sincere about it now. At any rate, I don’t think a proud demon like him would willingly let himself look pitiful just to pretend in front of me.

Lesta was scolding Caba again, telling him not to be so dramatic, and somehow, it felt funny. The vast difference between what transpired on that festival night and what happening now was staggering, and it got me feeling a bit at ease.

Feeling silly for reacting so dramatically myself, if I could say so.

And so, feeling my tightened chest lightening slightly, I laughed.