Kidnapped Princess C40

Chapter 40

“Oh, right—come to think of it, one of the demons who went scouting said something strange.”

“…Something strange?”

“Yes. He said that when the hero swung the Holy Sword, he felt a familiar energy.”

“Maybe because it’s the sword I used long ago?”

The current wielder might be the hero, but once, that sword had belonged to me. Countless demons had idolized me for it.

“If that were the case, he would have mentioned you directly! There’s no way any of us could forget what the Demon King felt like back then!”

“R-right…”

“Then perhaps he was referring to someone else entirely.”

Someone else? The hero I remembered from long ago had been small, and so was the sword he wielded. It was true that the hero was blessed by the gods—but the Holy Sword I had once held looked nothing like the one he now carried.

That meant one thing—the Holy Sword must change form depending on its wielder. I didn’t know what it looked like now, but back then, that tiny toy-like blade had carried no aura I could sense.

So what presence could that demon have possibly felt from the sword?

Even as I recalled the past, nothing stood out as suspicious.

“Maybe I should go meet him…”

“You’re going to meet the hero?”

Luminas tilted her head, resting her chin on my desk, the light catching her golden hair. It was like she’d spent hours perfecting the art of looking adorable.

“I told you not to bother me while I’m working.”

“Technically,” I said, “I just want to confirm something about the Holy Sword. Are you interested?”

“No. I couldn’t care less about the hero or that sword. But… what if you get hurt? I’ve heard the Holy Sword is a very dangerous weapon for the Demon King.”

“Thanks for worrying. The Holy Sword is dangerous—but only if it actually touches me.”

A sword that doesn’t reach its target is nothing to fear.

“Exactly! There’s no way a mere human could hurt you! The Holy Sword belonged to you first, after all. A blade that doesn’t even recognize its true master is worthless!”

“Then why not just kill the hero and take it back? I heard from the demons that it used to be your weapon.”

“Oh? That’s actually a good idea. Well said.”

“Who said I wanted your approval, advisor?”

“What?!”

The two of them—Luminas and Elvin—were like a dog and a cat, constantly at each other’s throats. I couldn’t help shaking my head. Still… the hero was Luminas’s brother. To hear her so casually suggest killing him—it left me slightly uneasy. Yet, since she’d said it out of concern for me, I let it go.

“Maybe I should give it as a gift…”

“Huh? To whom? Most demons can’t even touch the Holy Sword. Other than you, there’s no one who could possibly wield it—”

Elvin trailed off, his gaze shifting to Luminas. She blinked, confused, as both our eyes landed on her.

When I thought about it carefully, the condition for wielding the Holy Sword was quite simple:

One who is loved by God.

And I knew exactly who fit that description. I couldn’t believe it hadn’t occurred to me sooner.

“You said demons bullied you, didn’t you?”

When Albreto had asked for help, she’d admitted as much.

“With the Holy Sword, no demon would dare lay a hand on you,” I said. “Do you know how to use one? If not, I can teach you the basics.”

“My lord, no demon would dare harm the princess in the first place! And swords are dangerous—urk!”

“I don’t know how!”

“Hmm?”

Elvin suddenly went flying across the room. Luminas leaned forward with bright, expectant eyes.

“You’ll teach me personally?”

“Well… if you want?”

“I’d love that!”

She looked so excited.

“I’ll show you the basics myself, but for the finer points, ask Elvin. He knows the technical side better than I do. I learned through experience, after all.”

In our old party, Elvin had mostly fought from range, but he wasn’t bad with a sword. He favored daggers and twin blades, but the fundamentals were the same.

“Can’t we start today?”

I hadn’t expected her to be this eager. Was it her constant desire to grow stronger? Or just curiosity?

I’d always been overprotective of Luminas, never letting her touch a weapon. A sword was dangerous—too dangerous.

But now… maybe it was time.

“Luminas, don’t you want to see how humans live?”

“Humans?” she echoed.

She had grown up so much. She could live on her own now, even outside the Demon King’s Castle.

I wanted to show her the world. If things stayed the way they were, she’d never stop insisting on becoming my bride. I wanted her to have another choice—a life among humans, not demons. I wanted her to know that not all humans were cruel.

“Yeah,” I said. “I’m planning to visit the human world for a bit. Do you want to come with me?”

“I…”

She hesitated—strange, given how much she loved being with me. Then someone appeared, gliding down from the sky on the wings of bats.

Lilith.

Her eyes flicked around the room, searching.

“I heard the elves were staying at the castle,” she said.

“They left ages ago.”

“Oh, I must’ve missed the show, then. I thought I’d arrived early.”

“There’s nothing to see here.”

“My, my, Demon King. The rumors are everywhere. They say you’ve finally taken an interest in men.”

That absurd claim nearly made me laugh out loud.

“Or perhaps,” she added slyly, “the theory about you liking golden-haired beauties was true after all?”

I sighed. This kind of gossip spreading around the demon realm was never a good thing.

“That’s not true. And why would I like men? My tastes are perfectly normal.”

“…A shame,” Lilith said with mock disappointment. “I expected you’d finally confess, since your bride has been so forward lately. I guess you’re more cautious than I thought.”

I had no idea what she was talking about.

“Elvin, do you understand anything she’s saying?”

“Not at all, my lord. But one thing is clear—she’s insulting you!”

“…You always jump to that conclusion. Never mind.”

Lilith showing up unannounced and spouting nonsense was nothing new. Neither was Elvin’s temper. I was stuck in the middle, as usual.

“There’ll be more demons chasing after you now,” Lilith teased. “Your bride must be exhausted, having to guard you from so many rivals.”

Luminas smiled sweetly. “That’s fine.”

“Of course. You’ll be the one who wins in the end,” Lilith replied with a wink.

She wasn’t wrong. Plenty of demons already considered Luminas the Demon King’s future bride.

But those words—they carried weight. Dangerous weight. They boxed her into a single path when she should’ve had many.

Still, one thing she said caught my attention.

“What do you mean ‘more rivals’? If anything, they’ve decreased. I can’t even remember the last time someone tried to bother me while I slept.”

Everyone stared at me then. Both Lilith and Elvin turned their gazes toward Luminas.

…What was this strange tension?

“I knew you weren’t the most alert while sleeping,” Elvin sighed, “but still…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked warily.

“Let’s just say you have… guard dogs,” Lilith said lightly.

“Guard dogs?”

I did have one—the Cerberus that lived in my shadow. But he only attacked real threats, not demons from the castle.

“So what if they’ve increased? Why?”

“It’s a last-ditch effort,” Lilith said. “Even though the bride has already been chosen, the High Elf dared to challenge that position. The ones too intimidated before might now think they have a chance. And since that elf was a man, well… it only fueled their imagination.”

“All because of that?” I muttered.

“Dreamers always give too much meaning to things,” she said with a shrug.

Apparently everyone but me already knew.

“The princess was personally brought here by the Demon King, but that High Elf wasn’t. For a moment, even I thought I was rejected because I wasn’t charming enough.”

Her eyes gleamed dangerously, and I flinched. Lilith was the kind of woman who believed there wasn’t a man alive she couldn’t seduce—and with her beauty and poise, it wasn’t an empty boast.

“There was a reason,” I said quickly.

“And that reason,” she replied, smirking, “is what drives all this wild speculation. For a moment, I even thought I might try again.”

“Please don’t.”

“I hope that was a joke, Lady Lilith,” Elvin said dryly.

“It was merely a passing thought,” she said innocently. “How could I betray the bride, when I’m the one who’s joined hands with her? Why, I came here for her today.”

She sent Luminas a playful wink. Lilith looked amused, but Luminas’s expression twisted faintly. Something unspoken passed between them—something secret.

“I knew the bride would win,” Lilith said at last. “I wouldn’t let some random pebble who crawled out of nowhere steal the Demon King away. Though honestly, I was hoping the bride might finally take the initiative and… pounce.”

“Cough—!”

I choked, nearly inhaling air the wrong way.

“Please,” I managed between coughs, “don’t say things like that while I’m here… Say whatever you want when I’m not around.”

At this point, I didn’t even stop Luminas from taking Lilith’s lessons anymore—despite knowing exactly what kind of “lessons” they were.

Her determination to become the perfect bride didn’t bother me. If anything, it was… endearing.

But—

“Wait. You said you came here because of Luminas? Not because you finished the task I gave you?”

At my question, Lilith’s lips curled into a secretive smile. Luminas looked tense beside her. She was always a little wary of Lilith.

They were both women—and apparently shared something they couldn’t tell me.