Kidnapped Princess C36

Chapter 36

“What do you mean by ‘help,’ exactly?”

At that, Albreto smiled. Perhaps Luminas didn’t like the look of that smile, because her grip around my arm tightened. My arm was now completely trapped in her embrace.

Looking straight at me, Albreto spoke calmly.

“I’ve heard plants don’t grow well in the demon realm. It may sound boastful, but I’ve been blessed by nature’s love—I can make small plants grow.”

“You think the Demon King can’t perform such simple magic?”

“I’ve also heard that even if you use magic to make something bloom in the demon realm, it doesn’t last long.”

He wasn’t wrong. Because of the miasma-rich demonic energy, even magically nurtured plants withered quickly.

“The method I speak of isn’t magic. Where the World Tree grows, nature flourishes—pure water, lush sprouts everywhere. I can call upon fairies, and every fairy obeys my command.”

“Spirits…?”

My eyes gleamed with interest.

Elves were known for their deep bond with nature. Humans called them spirits, but elves claimed they merely lived alongside and borrowed strength from fairies.

“Wait—really? You can summon them here?”

“It takes effort, but yes. I can.”

And he was of royal blood. That meant he could command high-ranking fairies.

Fairies were beings that hid within nature, and their existence was nearly impossible to detect in the demon realm. They could only survive in untainted environments.

Here, however, demonic energy saturated the air. Fairies that lingered too long became corrupted, transforming into demons themselves.

Such beings lost their purity, and even if they retained some of their old powers, they could only grow twisted, demonic flora—never the gentle plants of the human realm.

In short, the human world was pure, while the demon realm was tainted.

Dark elves were a prime example. The spirits they summoned were corrupted ones—spirits that had lost their names and forms. They were vastly different from the pure spirits raised under sunlight in the human realm.

Then, I noticed the small flower pot Albreto was holding. A beautiful flower had bloomed there—where a toothy, carnivorous bloom should have been dancing instead.

“I found a strange flower in this pot, so I removed it and planted a new one.”

That—was exactly the flower I’d wanted!

I’d placed flower vases in guest rooms to make the atmosphere pleasant, but those flowers had always turned monstrous over time.

“This is like a totem that purifies demonic energy, isn’t it?!”

“…Totem?”

The flower he’d grown showed no signs of corruption. Whether it was due to the fairies tending it, I couldn’t say—but even the miasma leaking from me didn’t affect it.

This man was a talent worth hiring immediately!

Marriage? Heir? Whatever he’d been pestering me about before no longer mattered. In this barren, hellish realm, he was a beam of light.

In the human world, you could plant a seed, water it, and watch it grow beneath the sun. But here, in the demon realm, those same plants transformed into monstrous, flesh-eating aberrations.

I’d once begged the gods for fertile land, and they’d granted me a small area—but it was barely enough to feed the royal castle, much less the entire demon realm.

And when I’d asked for more, they’d only sighed, claiming it was beyond their power. They even suggested cooperating with humans.

That had been shortly after I’d become Demon King. Had I shared that proposal back then, my subjects would have eagerly marched out to slaughter humans and seize their land.

I pulled my arm free from Luminas and clasped Albreto’s hand tightly.

“Come live in the Demon King’s Castle with us!”

At that moment, a sharp, murderous intent flared from behind me. There was no one else there but Luminas. I tilted my head.

Elvin?

No—Luminas was glaring at our joined hands, her gaze burning holes through them. Then, she looked up at me, smiled faintly, and walked over, skirts fluttering. She grabbed my collar and yanked—hard enough to nearly knock me backward.

“Why are you interfering?” Albreto asked, his tone mild.

Then came the grinding sound of teeth. It was loud, grating, and furious.

The sound came from Luminas.

“Demon King…”

“Mm?”

When I turned, Luminas was gazing up at me with tearful, pleading eyes.

“Is his power… really something we can’t do without?”

“Think about it, Luminas. With Albreto here, the demon realm could become rich and fertile.”

“Could become…?” she muttered under her breath, voice low and sharp. I didn’t catch it. My mind was already racing, calculating how best to use Albreto’s ability.

Just yesterday, I’d been ready to throw him out. Now, he’d become a guest of honor.

If the High Elf felt insulted by my sudden change in attitude, he’d have to get over it. The demon realm—especially the castle—was in desperate need of his power.

Flowers refused to bloom here. The gardens were choked with hideous thorns. Even the vegetables Luminas ate were hard to obtain—she needed organic, untreated produce, and I couldn’t trust anything sold by humans. But growing them ourselves had been impossible.

Sometimes, she craved fruit out of season, and while humans were bound by weather, we weren’t.

We had demons made of magma and others of ice—living air conditioners and heaters. Perfect for agriculture.

He could be our farmer!

If the elves knew I planned to reduce their king to a glorified gardener, they’d probably declare war. Fortunately, no one could read my mind.

And best of all—we could finally grow cacao trees for Luminas. Chocolate was a luxury even in the human world. Buying it in bulk would attract unwanted attention; it was a delicacy reserved for nobles.

These days, I couldn’t even visit the human realm freely. My face was too well known.

After declaring war on their king, too many humans had seen me.

Now, I had to send shapeshifting demons or humans working under me instead. Usually, I left such errands to Dylan, who was known in the human realm as a “Count with a sweet tooth”—though in truth, he couldn’t stand sweets.

“A useful totem—no, a perfect man to grow cacao trees!” I declared.

“Cacao trees?”

“Luminas loves chocolate. Don’t you?”

Her head hung low, hiding her face. Curious, I leaned down to glimpse her expression—just as she spoke.

“I hate it. It’s horrible.”

Her voice dripped with disgust, and I froze. Then, she snapped her head up.

“I hate the thought of someone taking you away from me.”

“It’s not like he’s taking me away.”

I only wanted to hire him. But Luminas shook her head stubbornly.

“I just wanted to be helpful to you too, Demon King… but all I can do is this.”

She gestured toward the tray of sweets she’d brought.

“Even if it’s only for a month, I hate it! I don’t want to share you with anyone! I know you’d never betray me—but what if… what if you took even a small interest in him…”

She squeezed her eyes shut, as if she couldn’t bear the thought. The realization that there was now someone who could threaten her place beside me clearly distressed her deeply.

Tears welled in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. I silently watched her wipe them away with trembling hands.

“Demon King, I’m stronger than that elf! What good is talent if you can’t fight? People only respect strength. I’m the one who’s proven myself to the demons. So, please…”

I’d seen her hard work since childhood. I’d told her many times that she didn’t need to be stronger—that she was fine as she was—but she kept pushing herself to become a bride worthy of standing beside the Demon King.

“What a spoiled child,” Albreto murmured quietly behind me.

“Come here.”

I opened my arms, wordless. Luminas stepped forward and buried herself in my embrace.

Who could resist a crying beauty, after all?

“Who said you’re not helpful? Just being here gives me strength. If you hate it, then I won’t do it. So don’t cry anymore.”

“The Demon King… is rather weak against the princess,” Albreto muttered softly.

I had no defense against that observation. I was literally holding her, wiping away her tears.

That was when Rain, who had been guiding Albreto, suddenly burst out from behind him as if she couldn’t hold back any longer. She dashed past Albreto and stopped in front of me and Luminas.

Luminas looked at her with confusion.

“You’re the princess, right?”

Rain’s eyes sparkled like a puppy spotting a new toy. Alarmed, I stepped forward and blocked her.

She wasn’t charging like a boar, but she definitely looked ready to tackle Luminas in a hug.

“I wanna hug the princess too!”

“You’ll crush her. Step back.”

Rain’s interruption shattered the mood completely.

I sighed and told Albreto we’d continue our discussion later.

Luminas’s gaze drifted toward the flowerpot Albreto had left behind. Her eyes narrowed with thinly veiled hostility, like she was glaring at a sworn enemy.

I could only give a sheepish smile.

She really could be terrifying sometimes. Was this what they called the heart of a girl in her rebellious phase?