Kidnapped Princess C22

Chapter 22

So it was quiet… a little too quiet.

I immediately assumed that some brainless demon had picked a fight, saying something to upset Luminas. After all, she’d been doing so well lately—too well.

“Luminas, tell me honestly. Did some demon talk nonsense to you again? Or did someone bother you?”

Even though most demons had learned to hold their tongues after the last incident, there were always a few fools who forgot their place. But Luminas shook her head quickly. No, she hadn’t been bullied.

Then what was it? My brow furrowed as I turned to see Renya and Nyx standing behind her.

“Nyx,” I said slowly, “what did you do this time?”

“Do I look like some troublemaker to you? I didn’t do anything! I just told her about true names, that’s all.”

“True names?”

That stopped me. How could something like that have made Luminas upset?

True names—literally one’s “real name.” Among demons, they carried sacred weight. A true name represented the essence of one’s being, one’s origin. It wasn’t something freely given or spoken without permission. There were names that could be used publicly, and those that could never be uttered.

Of course, not all demons held the same beliefs. The importance of a true name was mostly a tradition among the old noble bloodlines who clung to their heritage.

Even my name was known by only a handful. In the three hundred years since I became Demon King, only two people had ever used it freely: Dylan and Rain.

Then it hit me.

Had I ever told Luminas my name?

She had always called me “Uncle.” Lately, thanks to Elvin’s constant lessons on etiquette, she’d switched to “Your Majesty.”

And then, as if confirming my suspicions, she looked up at me with tearful eyes and said, voice trembling—

“Everyone else knows the Demon King’s name… but I don’t…”

I sighed. Of course. She wasn’t crying because someone hurt her—she was sad because she didn’t know my name.

“That’s easily fixed,” I said lightly. “I can just tell you.”

Nyx immediately frowned. “You can’t just tell someone your true name.”

He would know—he’d once been blessed with a divine name by the gods themselves before casting it aside. Even so, he still revered the concept; after all, it was the name given to him by a god.

Renya added coolly, “It would be improper to reveal His Majesty’s name so casually.”

Renya, being a dark elf, had long since shed her original elven nature, but her old-world manners still lingered. Elves didn’t distinguish between true and false names, yet she still insisted on addressing me formally as the Demon King.

Elvin was the same. Once, we’d traveled as friends—but even he refused to speak my name aloud. Only Dylan did, usually when furious.

Ah, and the gods too, I supposed. The list of those permitted to say my name was exceedingly short.

“Well, since you want to know, I’ll tell you. It’s Do Suhyeon.”

“Do… Suhyeon?” she repeated softly.

“Right. My name’s Suhyeon, and my family name is Do. You can just call me Suhyeon if you’d like. It’s a bit unusual, isn’t it?”

The sound of it was unlike any name in this world. Its very structure was reversed from the names here, where given names came before family names.

“It’s a beautiful name,” Renya said smoothly. “A fitting name for someone as extraordinary as the Demon King.”

Luminas murmured my name over and over, as though engraving it into her memory.

“If you’d like to call me by it, you can,” I told her. “I don’t mind.”

I had no interest in flaunting my title, and barely anyone used my real name anyway. If Luminas did, I would actually find it rather nice.

“Your Majesty!” Elvin’s voice rang from behind us, scandalized. “You mustn’t allow anyone to speak your name so freely!”

I ignored him. “What, is my name made of gold or something?”

“Of course!” Elvin said gravely. “If anyone dares to speak it carelessly, I will not forgive them!”

“Just ignore him,” I said to Luminas. “Do whatever you want.”

But instead of taking the invitation, Luminas shook her head firmly.

“When I become someone worthy of Your Majesty,” she said softly, “then I’ll call you by your name.”

“…You’re growing up too fast. It’s kind of sad,” I murmured.

There was no “standard” for someone who suited me. This castle just happened to be full of people who worshipped me—and it was rubbing off on her.

“So, what did you do today?”

“Yes! Today…”

Her face brightened as she began to list everything she’d done. But the more she spoke, the more my smile stiffened. It was all about studying.

Was it really right to let a child live like this—buried in books and lessons? When I was her age, I’d gone out of my way to avoid studying at all!

Luminas’s daily routine went something like this: a light morning exercise under Renya’s supervision, lessons in divine energy with Nyx, then ancient history with Lilith whenever she appeared.

If any time remained, she spent it buried in books in the library or practicing etiquette when Nyx felt like teaching. Other than mealtimes, her entire day was filled with study. In the evenings, Elvin taught her reading and writing.

That was her daily life.

What kind of child spends every waking moment studying? Children should be playing outside, running around with toys—not sitting through endless lessons! Sure, she wasn’t exactly human, but this was too much.

Too diligent! Even a prince of the royal city wouldn’t study this hard!

“So…” she said, holding out something with her small hands.

It was a letter—clumsily written, the letters uneven and shaky. It was a thank-you letter to me, filled with gratitude for taking her as my bride, and joy for every day she spent here.

At the very end, she’d written a small wish: I’m sad that I can’t see you more often.

My hands trembled as I held the letter.

No. This was all my fault.

Because I never made time for her, Luminas had buried herself in study instead. She’d had nothing else to do.

“This won’t do…” I muttered.

“Your Majesty?”

“Luminas, I’m sorry,” I said. “I’ve been so busy that I haven’t spent any real time with you, have I?”

“It’s okay,” she said with a smile. “You’re amazing and very busy, I understand.”

That was exactly the problem—no child should be saying things like that!

My gaze fell on her dress, and an idea sparked. Why not just make a reason to go out?

“Luminas, don’t you want to go outside?”

“Outside?” she repeated, startled.

“Yes. How about we take a little outing?”

She’d been cooped up inside the Demon King’s Castle every day. It was time to show her the world beyond its walls—and besides, there were necessities she still needed.

Choosing Renya as her maid had been a wise move. Somehow, she always found dresses that suited Luminas perfectly, making her look radiant in every color.

Luminas rarely spoke first, but she trusted me more than anyone. She was, after all, the child I had brought here myself.

No way was I letting Nyx spend more time with her than I did. Renya could stay by her side all she wanted—but not Nyx.

And it was about time the world outside the castle saw Luminas too. Most demons had heard of her through rumor or paper—but meeting her in person was different. I needed to make it clear she was mine.

“Your Majesty! You still have much work left to do!” Elvin protested.

I’d been expecting that. I placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Elvin, I have a very important mission for you. The priests have joined the human army, right? Dylan said there might be demons among them. You’ve already assembled our forces—I’m putting you in charge. Go measure the humans’ strength.”

“Me, Your Majesty?”

“Yes. I’ll need a high-ranking demon for this, and among my subordinates, you’re the strongest and most reliable.”

The flattery worked beautifully. His eyes shone with pride, his mouth twitching as he tried to hide a smile.

“O-of course! I am Your Majesty’s most loyal servant, after all!”

Renya remained silent, though the corner of her mouth twitched. Nyx actually snorted in disbelief.

“I’ll bring you reports of our glorious victory!” Elvin declared and promptly vanished.

I had a fleeting moment of worry about what kind of chaos he might cause, but quickly brushed it off. He knew my intentions well enough.

“Alright,” I said with satisfaction, “now that the nuisance is gone—shall we go out?”

Luminas tilted her head, clearly not understanding, while I was already grinning like a child at the thought of an officially sanctioned day off.

“Your Majesty, are you truly going out with your bride alone?” Renya asked carefully.

“I don’t plan to take an escort or a parade,” I said. “We’ll just look around, buy a few things Luminas needs—clothes, supplies, that sort of thing.”

“That’s true,” Renya mused. “A child requires far more than one might expect.”

“Exactly. So don’t interfere. It’s a date between me and Luminas.”

“No guards, then?”

“I’m going. What more do we need? Besides, Kero will keep watch. If anything urgent happens, send word to me. Hand the paperwork over to my secretary.”

Renya glanced at the towering mountain of documents on my desk.

“…He’ll be groaning for days.”

“Ah, Nyx,” I called. “Don’t even think about running off. You’ll be handling my paperwork while I’m gone.”

I caught him mid-step as he tried to sneak away.

“Why me?!” he exclaimed.

“Because I feed you and give you a place to sleep. Letting you loaf around is inefficient. You’ve got nowhere else to go anyway. Renya, keep an eye on him.”

I left the aftermath in her capable hands.

Soon after, Luminas appeared, now dressed and ready. A cardigan draped over her shoulders, her little hands clutching the hem nervously.

“I’m ready… but are we really going outside? I’ve never gone before…”

So that was it—she was scared.

“I’ll be with you,” I said gently. “Are you afraid?”

She shook her head quickly. “No! If I’m with you, I’m not afraid of anywhere!”

“Good. It might feel dizzy for a moment—remember how it felt last time? Your body will float, and then the scenery will change.”

I set a small hat atop her head. Perfect. She looked adorable. Taking her hand, I waved to those who would remain behind.

“We’ll be back soon.”

And with that, we left the Demon King’s Castle together.