Kidnapped Princess C8

Chapter 8

With a fearsome energy, Elvin burst through the door and began his furious tirade.

“Your Majesty! I witnessed everything! Those insolent humans—how dare they disregard your mercy! And that wretched brat! The so-called Hero? To think he dared leave a scar upon Your Majesty’s noble face! He must die immediately!”

Elvin’s crimson eyes burned with rage as he inspected the small wound on my cheek. His teeth clenched audibly, as though he would kill the Hero himself that very instant.

Feeling uneasy under his glare, I pushed his face away. His sharp tone frightened the small child beside me, who tugged gently at my sleeve.

“Stay over there,” I said quietly. “And lower your voice. I’m not alone here, and you’re scaring the kid.”

Sometimes, I suspected that this overzealous subordinate was actually the president of my so-called fan club. The “princess” I brought back didn’t even exist in his world—his mind was fully occupied with vengeance.

“I shall personally tear the Hero’s head from his shoulders and offer it to you!”

“…Are you even listening to me? Ease your face a little, you look terrifying.”

“This is my normal face!”

“No, it’s not. Relax.”

I turned to comfort the trembling child.

“Sorry about that. The scary-looking man was just shouting a bit too loud. He’s not a bad person—just… a little intense.”

He might have the heart of a sheep, but his temper was closer to that of a wild boar. Not that anyone in this place could be called gentle.

Elvin, half-listening at best, still fumed about humans.

“This is for the best! I wanted war from the beginning anyway!”

Ignoring his ranting, I looked back at the girl. “This is my room. I’ll have one prepared for you close by—some of the folks here can be dangerous. For now, stick close to me. We’ve got time—want to take a little tour of the castle?”

Elvin could keep shouting all he wanted. I wasn’t listening. Taking the princess’s small hand, I smiled.

She nodded her little head enthusiastically. The sight made me grin. Bringing her here had been the right choice—but this wasn’t exactly the easiest environment for a human to live in. Especially not the Demon King’s castle, where magia hung heavy in the air.

Still, she had been blessed by the gods. Ordinary magic in the air wouldn’t harm her. Only the kind infused with demonic hostility could.

Better she get used to it early.

The real concern was that passing demons might take too much interest in her—she’d stand out as an “exotic delicacy.” The Demon King’s castle might be my home, but it was also a hub for demons of every kind.

Elvin himself was proof enough—demons viewed humans as inferior. They rarely interacted only because they considered it beneath them. Even I, as their ruler, wasn’t entirely exempt from that mindset.

Calling her my bride had been part of the plan—to make her untouchable. If even I thought she was pretty, then to other demons, she’d be stunning. You know the saying—“a good-looking rice cake tastes better.”

Demons were a race of charmers, after all—they bound others with contracts and took what they desired through temptation. Their beauty was unmatched. So if even I, a demon, found her beautiful, that spoke volumes.

But even as the ruler of all demons, I knew they were unpredictable. One might still risk my wrath to devour her, so I’d have to make my warning perfectly clear. And while I was at it, it wouldn’t hurt to remind Elvin—my war-hungry subordinate—of his place.

“Your Majesty, what are your orders? Shall we strike first?”

“War is fine,” I said. “But don’t attack. They’ll come to us soon enough. All we need to do is defend our territory.”

The spark of war had already been lit, and I’d failed to extinguish it. Now, the humans would surely invade—I’d provoked them too well for them not to.

Elvin puffed out his chest proudly. “Leave it to me!”

“But remember,” I said sharply, “anyone who uses this war as an excuse to consume human souls—no exceptions. They’ll be executed.”

“……!”

Even Elvin, ever eager for conflict, flinched. No one, not even him, was above suspicion. I fixed him with a cold, piercing stare, and he trembled under it. My tone dropped, dark and dangerous.

“Elvin. You’re not planning to go after human souls… are you?”

I growled the words low, stepping slightly forward to block the girl behind me. I remembered how, when I’d first met him, Elvin had seen humans as mere prey. I’d had to beat that habit out of him—literally.

“Ah! It’s been a hundred years since I’ve seen Your Majesty this angry!” Elvin’s eyes glimmered strangely. “How nostalgic! Truly moving!”

Ugh.

I stepped back in mild horror. He wasn’t scared—he was thrilled. Apparently, my fury reminded him of the good old days of battle.

“…You really are strange,” I muttered. “I’m not joining the war.”

“What?! Why not, my lord?!”

“Because there’s no need to slaughter all humans. And a true leader doesn’t go charging into battle first, does he? At least let them be strong enough to face me.”

“Ah…! Forgive my shortsightedness!”

He dropped to one knee immediately.

“Enough.”

I gestured for him to rise. Finally, his attention drifted to the small figure behind me. The girl had peeked out shyly from my cloak. Elvin frowned, pointing at her.

“And what… is that?”

Crack.

Oh, he didn’t just—

Calling the abandoned princess a that made my smile twitch dangerously.

“Weren’t you watching through your crystal orb?” I asked.

“I lost control when that worthless Hero dared harm Your Majesty’s sacred body.”

“So you broke it, then.”

He said it with a bright smile, like he’d done something admirable. I sighed and pushed the princess forward slightly.

“Anyway. Meet my bride—and the princess of the royal castle.”

“Y-your… bride?!”

“Mm-hm.”

His wide eyes darted between me and the child. I could already guess what he was thinking.

Yes, yes, I know. Calling a little girl a “bride” sounds bad. Jail-worthy, even.

“To take such a pitiful human as your bride? There are countless demons who would gladly serve you! And this one—this fragile little thing looks as if she’ll die any second!”

“Oh? So that’s the part you object to?”

“She doesn’t suit you at all, my lord!”

He jabbed his finger toward me, practically shouting in protest.

“Hey—ow! That hurts, Your Majesty!”

“Mind your tone. And lower that finger. Now.”

When he refused, I reached out and bent it back myself. At that moment, someone tugged gently at my sleeve.

“I… I’m your bride?”

Ah, right. I hadn’t really explained that part to her. She hadn’t asked, so I just… didn’t.

“Well, remember how I said I needed you?”

She nodded.

“Technically, I was the one who needed a bride. Or rather, needed you. But—uh—it’s complicated. It’s just something I said for now. These things take time to think about.”

I was speaking too quickly, trying to avoid reminding her of her father’s mistake—the one that had led to her birth in the first place.

“I see…” she murmured softly.

I wasn’t sure she really understood, but then she looked up again and asked, “So… what’s a bride?”

Ah. Of course. She didn’t even know what the word meant. How was I supposed to explain that to a child? “A bride is someone you marry out of love…” No, no, no—that definitely didn’t sound right.

“It means being together,” I said at last. “Don’t worry about the title too much. I did call you my bride, but… when you’re older, you can decide for yourself. I’ll respect your choice.”

The whole “bride and peace treaty” thing wasn’t that important anyway. It just gave me an excuse to bring her here—and maybe a convenient political cover.

I ruffled her hair gently, and her cheeks flushed pink.

“If it means being together, then I like it! You said you’d stay with me, right? Then I’ll be your bride!”

So this was what having a daughter might feel like.

Whether she understood the meaning or not, her bright declaration filled me with warmth. My heart melted, soft and sweet as clouds. Behind me, Elvin erupted again.

“How dare you speak informally to His Majesty!”

“She’s a child,” I said flatly.

“Unacceptable! Even if she is to be your future bride, proper hierarchy must be established! This insolent human—”

Apparently, he didn’t approve of my sudden engagement. He grumbled under his breath, but one glare from me shut him up fast.

“Not allowed to speak casually?” the princess asked.

“Of course not!” Elvin barked. “This man is far too noble for the likes of you!”

Grab.

“But… I can hold his hand,” she said innocently, gripping mine.

Elvin’s face turned bright red. “That’s not what I meant!”

“Then what did you mean?”

Oh, she was clever.

Despite Elvin’s fierce glare, she didn’t flinch. Her wide, steady eyes met his unblinking. The timid child who once shook like a leaf was gone.

Elvin clenched his fists, visibly restraining himself. He couldn’t lash out—she was, after all, my declared bride. For all his bluster, he was loyal.

“Elvin,” I said calmly, “as you can see, she’s fragile and doesn’t know much of the world. I’ll be counting on you to help her.”

I patted his shoulder. He was still my most trusted aide, after all.

“Me? You’re leaving that filthy thing in my care?”

I clicked my tongue. “She’s my bride, Elvin. I trust you—that’s why I’m asking you.”

And just like that—whoosh—his expression brightened instantly.

“Ahem. If it is Your Majesty’s will… Very well! Princess, I shall make you a lady worthy of standing beside the Demon King!”

Good. He wasn’t trying to kill her, nor was he losing control of his magia out of anger. That alone was progress. And despite the golden light faintly surrounding her, he didn’t say a word about it.

See? I knew they’d get along just fine.