Kidnapped Princess C30

Chapter 30

“You’re late…—urk!”

“Demon King! It’s been so long! How could you not call for me even once? Do you know how long I’ve waited?”

Just as I was about to greet Lenya, who must’ve worked hard, a woman came running at me. She looked similar to Lenya, her silver hair fluttering as she wrapped one arm around my neck and locked me in a chokehold. My neck bent awkwardly to the right.

To anyone else watching, it might’ve looked like she was strangling me out of vengeance for not contacting her all this time, but this was just how she was. She’d always been rough by nature.

Her excitement made her grip tighten, and my breathing started to cut off. I tapped her arm, signaling for her to let go. Lenya and Elvin quickly stepped in to pull her away.

“Big sister, the Demon King is asking you to let go. He’s going to suffocate.”

“Rain! Let go this instant!”

“Huh? Oh, sorry.”

“…It’s fine.”

I rolled my stiff neck. I’d nearly gotten a slipped disc from that. She wasn’t a bad person—just tended to act before she thought. And she was ridiculously strong. The troublemaker of our party.

Luckily, she still had enough reason to listen when spoken to. Like now.

“I only needed Lenya for the report…”

“That’s so mean! Didn’t you miss me at all?”

Her eyes shimmered with a wounded look, and I averted my gaze.

“Hmm… you’re dangerous.”

“What do you mean?”

“You like small and cute things too, don’t you?”

“I do, obviously.”

There was a reason I hadn’t called Rain to the Demon Castle until now. What if she, without thinking, saw cute little Luminas and impulsively hugged her—then something terrible happened?

If she couldn’t control her strength while hugging Luminas…

I was reminded of something from long ago—during our journey to kill Halstel. A beast-type monster had blocked our way. While everyone prepared to attack, Rain had suddenly rushed forward, saying it was cute. The monster had frozen in confusion.

Rain had only wrapped her arms around its neck because it looked adorable. But… she’d squeezed too hard and snapped its neck. We could only stare blankly.

A shudder ran down my spine. Rain often failed to control her strength, and Luminas was unbearably cute—so cute it could drive someone insane. If Rain ever went wild around her… just imagining it was terrifying.

Rain called it “playing,” but anyone joining her games risked their lives. Monsters and demons alike only barely managed to keep up.

“I have a duty to protect Luminas.”

Rain tilted her head, not remembering who Luminas was. Lenya quietly whispered beside her.

“He means the princess.”

Rain’s eyes immediately lit up. Luminas’ reputation had spread even to remote villages—everyone knew of the precious princess living in the Demon Castle.

Rain slammed the table. I quickly saved the documents before they were crushed. As expected, the table split clean in half. Unaware, Rain continued pleading passionately about wanting to meet Luminas.

“I want to meet the princess too! I heard she’s super cute! Everyone knows how much you brag about her! It’s unfair that I’m the only one who hasn’t seen her! I can take care of her just as well as Lenya does! You know I look after all the monsters in the forest too! They all love me!”

A heavy silence followed—no one agreed with her. The atmosphere turned icy. Lenya quietly stepped forward to block Rain.

“You can ignore what my sister says. I’ll take her back soon.”

“Yeah, that would be best.”

Rain protested furiously, unwilling to accept it, but I ignored her firmly.

“Anyway, you both did well. So it’s confirmed—the migration to the Demon Realm will proceed?”

“Yes. Everyone seems resolved… but…”

Lenya’s expression shifted slightly. A sense of foreboding crept over me. Suddenly, Lenya grabbed Rain’s head and made her bow deeply.

“I apologize. It’s my mistake. I lost focus for just a moment…”

“Why? What happened?”

“They agreed to migrate to the Demon Realm—but they want to be treated as royalty.”

That was within expectations. They were a royal bloodline that had preserved its lineage for generations. Naturally, they might make unreasonable demands. Lenya often described them as old fogeys obsessed with tradition.

So I had planned to grant noble status to the royal family at least. That way, it’d be easier to gather the elves together and promote exchanges with demons.

And bestowing a noble title wasn’t difficult. But would those who once ruled as kings be satisfied with mere nobility?

“I even offered them high-ranking titles and a seat on the Elder Council, and they refused?”

“That’s… not the issue.”

Lenya subtly avoided my gaze.

“Then what is it?”

“Sister…”

“The Elf King said he wants to bear a child with the Demon King.”

“Cough!!”

Thanks to Rain, I was getting shocked repeatedly today. I stared blankly between Rain and Lenya.

“They said it wouldn’t suit their dignity as royalty. Or maybe they couldn’t face their own people. Anyway, they said being nobles wasn’t enough. They wanted to be related by marriage—like in-laws. Since you don’t have an heir, they offered to have a child with you.”

Rain reported the High Elf’s words with an utterly calm face. Lenya bowed her head in embarrassment, while Elvin erupted in outrage, demanding to know how such a conversation could even happen.

Logically, I understood.

For the Elven royal family, becoming the Demon King’s consort and bearing a child to share his bloodline was far better than bowing to demons as mere subordinates.

It was an old political tactic. When you wanted to bring another faction under your wing, you’d propose marriage alliances—becoming family was the fastest way to integrate them.

Clatter—

I shot up to my feet. I hadn’t even noticed the office door opening. From beyond it, I saw Luminas’s tearful eyes, filled with hurt.

“Luminas?!”

Drip, drip—

Luminas, who hadn’t cried since she was little, was crying now.

The teacup she’d brewed for me had shattered on the floor, the spilled tea soaking into the carpet, and tears dropped onto it. The broken glass sparkled like her heart shattering.

“It’s—it’s a misunderstanding!”

I raised both hands, pleading my innocence, but Luminas turned and bolted out of the room, overwhelmed by emotion.

It felt like a rock had fallen on my head.

Did I just make Luminas cry…?

Rain, beside me, commented casually, making my blood boil even more.

“Wow, that’s the princess? She’s gorgeous! You’re amazing, Demon King!”

Rain gave a big thumbs-up, completely ignoring the mood. If Lenya hadn’t quietly grabbed her and leapt out the window with her, I might’ve lost my temper.

“Ugh, seriously. She’s been acting strange lately…”

I ruffled my hair roughly, frustrated with myself. My demonic energy stirred restlessly.

The little girl who once sought affection had vanished—or had she? Maybe she’d just learned to hide it better as she grew up. I couldn’t say what exactly was wrong, but she seemed anxious, as if concealing something.

No one stopped me as I walked forward.

Creak—

I gently opened the door to Luminas’s room. Inside, countless dolls filled the space—all gifts from me.

Luminas was hugging the very first one I’d ever given her, curled up under a blanket.

“Luminas… why is my princess crying?”

“I’m your bride… So why is there talk of marriage proposals?”

She’d heard everything from the start. My mind went blank. Feeling like a sinner, I knelt before her and took her hand.

“There’s no such thing as a proposal. They’re the ones making unreasonable demands.”

“Why? Why would they do that? I’m here, aren’t I? Are they saying I’m not good enough?”

“Of course not.”

“But… lately, you haven’t smiled at me like before. You don’t call me your perfect bride anymore either.”

“Ugh…”

She wasn’t wrong. I averted my gaze. The truth was, I’d been trying to make her give up on becoming my bride. But if I told her that, she wouldn’t understand.

“Do you… not find me cute anymore?”

Luminas tilted her head, resting her chin on her teddy bear, and the sight made my lips twitch into a helpless smile. I could face anyone bravely as the Demon King, but in front of Luminas, I was powerless.

“Of course not!”

Somewhere along the line, her tears had stopped.

“And as a bride?”

“…”

To me, she was the most adorable being in the world—a feeling closer to a father’s affection than a lover’s. But how could I say that? This was a tangled knot that could never be easily unraveled.

When I couldn’t answer, Luminas’s eyes dimmed.

“Never mind. I don’t want to hear it.”

“Luminas…”

“I know. You didn’t take me in because you wanted a bride. You just pitied me.”

Luminas was sharp. She could easily deduce that I had no real reason to bring her here otherwise. She smiled faintly.

“But if you keep loving me, that’s enough. I can wait forever. I know we’re getting closer.”

She let the blanket fall and reached out, gently cupping my face, her expression melting into a soft smile.

“If it’s not me, it can’t be anyone else. Got that? You don’t like that High Elf more than me, do you?”

The crying girl from earlier was gone, replaced by someone mischievous, narrowing her eyes playfully as if demanding an answer.

Wait, what? How did I end up getting swept into this…?