Chapter 9
“I’ll sleep. No.”
I’ll step out, so the couple can have a deep conversation.
‘I should sleep before I see anything unpleasant.’
Neriuwen looked flustered for a moment, muttering something to Beryl before walking over to me.
“I’ll put you to sleep.”
“No. I don’t wannna.”
“You can’t climb into the baby crib.”
“I’ll skeep in da big bed.”
In my room there were two beds: a baby crib and a king-sized bed.
It seemed Neriuwen had placed the larger bed there for when I grew up.
Even if I couldn’t climb into the crib, I could still get onto the adult bed now that I had more strength.
“Sleeeep.”
It had become a habit to say goodnight to each other at some point, so when I said that, Neriuwen paused as if momentarily at a loss for words, then smiled softly and replied.
“See you tomorrow, Lili. Sleep well.”
I casually waved my hand and quickly went into the room.
They said not to get involved in lovers’ quarrels.
Mmm.
I felt someone’s gaze on my face.
‘Has this demon been quiet for a year or two and started doing weird things again?’
My eyes snapped open.
‘Hey! I told you not to! How long has it been and you forgot already? I could’ve slept more, and you’re disturbing a baby’s sleep!’
—I was about to say that, but froze.
Because a man who looked like a statue, or rather like a god incarnate, was staring down at me.
‘This handsome guy… he looks familiar…?’
White skin, long eyelashes, golden eyes that shimmered like gold, jet-black hair, and strong facial features—he was undeniably handsome.
‘So demons are all good-looking, huh.’
Maybe it helps them lure humans more easily?
As I tried to stay alert, Neriuwen’s voice came from outside.
“If she’s awake, bring her out. She’s the type to whine about being hungry the moment she opens her eyes.”
Ah. I remembered now.
This was that demon who had that ridiculous drama with Neriuwen yesterday.
‘And seriously, this demon has no filter in front of others.’
Feeling oddly embarrassed, I suddenly sat up in bed, and the man flinched and stepped back.
‘What? By size and height and everything, I should be the one backing away.’
Instead, his golden eyes trembled faintly.
Almost as if he was afraid of me.
“……I’m nooo.”
Since he was here, it seemed things had been resolved with Neriuwen, so I should probably greet him.
But this demon flinched again and silently looked down at me.
‘Excuse me, your height is giving me neck pain. If you’re leaving, please just leave.’
…I wanted to say that, but it was too hard to speak, so I started clumsily crawling down from the bed.
If the man hadn’t panicked and quickly knelt on one knee to catch me.
“You caaan…”
I’m fine.
If you block me like that, I can’t even step down.
He tried not to show it, but he was clearly flustered.
‘Has this demon never handled a baby before?’
Thanks to dealing with Neriuwen, I wasn’t even surprised.
“Moveee.”
I waved my hands to tell him to move aside. Confusion flickered across his expression.
‘Ah. He doesn’t understand me.’
I eventually gave up and reached my hand out to him.
“Hel me.”
Only then did he seem to understand, hesitantly extending a gloved hand.
His fingertips were trembling slightly, and I almost regretted it—but unexpectedly, he lifted me very smoothly into his arms.
‘Huh? What is this stability?’
He carried me without the slightest shake and walked toward the kitchen.
Without even being taught, he placed me at the table, tied a bib on me, fed me soup at just the right timing, and even prepared a handkerchief in case I spilled.
‘What a capable demon.’
But why were his fingertips still trembling and his eyes wandering?
I tilted my head, then quickly forgot about it.
I had no choice.
‘This soup… what is this incredible taste?’
It wasn’t just different in consistency from what I usually ate—it was on a completely different level.
I accepted everything he fed me with a shocked expression.
‘No way this demon made this…’
I looked suspiciously between Neriuwen and the man sitting beside me.
“Good?”
“Yea.”
“He’ll be our cook from now on.”
This guy?
‘Not just handsome, but also a great cook?’
How could such a perfect demon suddenly fall into our house?
I glared at Neriuwen.
‘If you had someone this talented—no, this demon talent—you should’ve brought him earlier!’
Keeping him all to yourself…
I had been worried about how I’d survive eating food made by that cooking-terrible demon, but I guess I should be relieved now?
“Do you like it?”
“Yea.”
“Good. Actually, Beryl said he wanted to apologize because he misunderstood you.”
He thought I was Neriuwen’s illegitimate child?
“Kayaa.”
So the cook had misunderstood something, but it’s been resolved now?
“Is it really okay to forgive him so easily?”
Neriuwen asked while putting something into my mouth.
It looked like the same hard vegetables I usually ate, but somehow it felt completely different.
How is it this soft?
“Tasty.”
“Just because something tastes good doesn’t mean you should forgive everything.”
At Neriuwen’s words, I glanced at the man, who stiffened nervously and spoke.
“I’m sor…”
“Kayaa. It’s tasty.”
I cut him off before he could finish.
Food is serious business.
“This is bad, our Lili… you’re getting plump like a little pig…”
What!
Is that something you say to a child?!
I already thought they were raising me like livestock!
‘Why do they keep calling me a pig? Am I emergency food or something? Protein?’
I lost my appetite and closed my mouth tightly. Neriuwen, trying not to laugh, tapped my cheek with her finger.
“You’re so obsessed with food, you’d probably follow anyone who offers you snacks.”
What…? Is that true?
I stayed cautious and said confidently.
“I won’t!”
Neriuwen burst out laughing.
“Then who would? You’re the baby here. Acting all grown up already?”
“I’m not a babby.”
“Alright, alright. Our Lili is a grown-up then. A short little grown-up.”
This demon…
Even if I can’t properly use a fork and shout “I’m not a baby!!”, it would just sound like a baby whining anyway, so I didn’t bother arguing further.
They always think I’m joking no matter how many times I say it.
“It seems like… you two can understand each other.”
The man who had been quietly listening to us asked in confusion.
“We actually can. She just speaks less clearly than she thinks.”
“Less clearly…”
The demon named Beryl looked at me curiously.
‘I don’t think he believes it.’
Fair enough.
I was only four years old, after all.
“Well, you’ll understand once you spend more time with her.”
Neriuwen smiled, and I nodded along.
The new demon could do everything—cooking, housework, cleaning, even childcare.
At some point, I even started wondering why someone like him was dating a demon who was always glued to the sofa doing nothing.
‘Is it really just looks?’
Even when he was just standing still, he had that kind of deep, thoughtful beauty.
But the other one was just as good-looking in her own way.
‘I’m overthinking this. Why am I even analyzing demon relationships?’
Not my business.
Especially not demon relationships.
‘Anyway, where is my apology?’
It had already been a week since I made that promise with the youngest guy.
Thanks to the cook, I was eating three proper meals a day with all sorts of new dishes, but that was a separate issue.
‘He scammed me!’
Just as I was thinking that I should really confront him when he called…
One day, a very exhausted-looking handsome man arrived at our house.
“…Why did you do that?”
A neatly dressed man with brown hair and green eyes stood at the door after Neriuwen opened it, looking deeply depressed as he spoke.
“What are you talking about the moment you show up?”
Neriuwen let him in casually, clearly familiar with him.
“I was on vacation! I was on vacation! All the Royal Guards got vacation, even Beryl got vacation!”
Beryl, who had been quietly preparing lunch, was pointed at, but he ignored it calmly.
“Who said it’s vacation?”
“I heard it from the people themselves!”
Neriuwen gritted her teeth while smiling.
“So they’ve been slacking off… looks like they got suspended and went off to play.”
“Suspended? Why?!”
“What is the Royal Guard’s job?”
“To protect the Demon King…”
“Right. And they failed at the most important duty, so they’re punished.”
The man looked confused.
“But the Demon King usually disappears often, and nothing was ever said…”
“That was before I inherited full power.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“All the family power has been passed to me. It’s not like my father is easy to handle without it, but the disappearance of information is a different issue.”
Neriuwen frowned, clearly troubled, though there was worry in her expression.
The man looked embarrassed.
“I should’ve asked sooner… I didn’t know… then does that mean Beryl is also suspended…”
“Why Beryl? He’s on vacation because I assigned him other work.”
Neriuwen replied casually, and the man, flustered, stammered again.
“T-then what about me? I was also doing other work!”
