Chapter 10
“Someone to help the youngest is needed.”
In other words, neither of them was actually being punished. One was given a vacation, and the other was assigned work because someone had to be on duty—so the implication was that they just didn’t give one of them time off.
‘As expected, the perfect example of hypocrisy.’
What’s more, Neriuwen was shameless about it.
“And well, you can just use your vacation after you die anyway, right?”
Her brazen answer made the man’s face flush red. He shouted in great frustration.
“How can you say something like that! Why don’t you say that to Baron Beryl as well!”
The man pointed at Beryl, but without even a moment’s hesitation, Beryl replied.
“If Lady Riwenn told me to pretend to be dead, I would do it.”
This is exactly why you don’t get involved in couples…
The man, trembling all over, looked genuinely pitiful.
“This time, I’m definitely submitting my resignation.”
His voice carried a resolute determination.
But Neriuwen didn’t even care. She flicked her fingers and summoned a cup, handing it to him.
“You know your resignation will just turn to ashes, right? Stop wasting your energy and let’s talk work.”
“Do you know the one thing my father did wrong to me in my entire life?”
Neriuwen smiled as if she already knew the answer he expected.
“If the count hadn’t taken our side, you wouldn’t have died from overwork—you would’ve died as our enemy at my hands.”
“No! It’s about how he threw me into the Demon Castle, telling me to become close with Lady Riwenn! I should’ve lived like I didn’t exist!”
“How unfortunate. I, however, am glad I got a competent friend.”
At that, the man flinched and stared at Neriuwen.
A wave of emotion—almost admiration—seemed to flicker in his green eyes.
But then he checked the cup again and started trembling all over.
“You’ve known me for years, and you still don’t even know my preferences!”
“…Was it not cocoa?”
“It’s coconut! Coconut! Coconut milk!”
That’s completely different…?
Even I thought that was unfair.
And it looked like this wasn’t the first or second time something like this had happened.
“Oh. Sorry. I got it wrong.”
“……”
The man looked completely deflated as he stared at Neriuwen, then let out a deep sigh.
“Baron Beryl is really amazing.”
“If that was an insult, stop it.”
Beryl answered firmly again.
The man looked even more dejected. He seemed to think, there’s no one on my side here.
Then suddenly, his eyes met mine. His green eyes widened in surprise.
“So the rumors were true.”
“What rumors?”
“That Lady Riwenn has a baby. It was consensual, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought eventually Lady Riwenn would end up taking Baron Beryl in…”
Isn’t it usually the other way around?
Ah, but come to think of it, Beryl was really good at housework. You absolutely couldn’t let him go.
“You’re misunderstanding something. It’s not our child.”
“Oh. No wonder. The baby looks so lovable.”
“Our Riri is cute, yes, but do you have a death wish?”
The man, startled, quickly changed the topic and pulled stacks of documents from his subspace.
“Anyway, since Baron Beryl will take care of the baby, get to work.”
“The urgent stuff is already done. And I’m the primary caregiver.”
At Neriuwen’s words, the man looked genuinely shocked.
“…My goodness. So that’s why the baby is so small.”
Adding another demon who knows nothing about human development.
“Human babies just grow slowly.”
“Are you sure Lady Riwenn didn’t just fail to take proper care of it?”
“There’s no way I couldn’t feed something this small properly.”
“You can’t even take care of yourself, though.”
“……”
Wow. So they really are close friends.
He was verbally demolishing her so calmly.
I suddenly found myself rooting for the new demon.
“Do you even know how to play with a baby?”
“Hmm. Probably. I’ve been trying to find hobbies with it lately.”
So that strange early education was just “finding hobbies”?
Shocking revelation.
“A baby is playing with you… this is serious.”
“No, I’m the one playing and teaching the kid.”
“Does the baby even like it?”
“Probably?”
Both of their gazes turned to me.
Annoyed, I just waved a hand lazily.
“So it doesn’t, then.”
“So it does.”
Both are wrong.
“You’re annoying.”
“You’re annoying.”
No, both of you are annoying.
“Lady Riwenn really doesn’t understand babies.”
“You’ve never raised one either.”
Neriuwen snorted as if she had just heard something ridiculous.
The man shook his head.
“You always treat babies like that?”
“More gently than I treat you.”
“That’s not the point! With babies, you should speak in a brighter tone, exaggerate your expressions, your gestures! And praise everything like it’s the greatest thing in the world! Got it?”
Neriuwen looked at him like he was doing something absurd.
The man sighed and stepped toward me.
“Watch carefully.”
He knelt down so he could meet my eyes and covered his face with his hands, shouting confidently:
“Wrrr~ peekaboo!”
“……”
“……”
“Orolo~ peekaboo!”
“……”
“……”
A suffocating silence fell instantly, like cold water had been poured over everything.
…What am I supposed to do with this atmosphere?
Uh… hey, unknown demon guy. I’m technically a baby, but also not really a baby…
I smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to do.
His method wasn’t entirely wrong—just aimed at the wrong target.
“Ehehe…”
Stop it. I get it already.
Why is the embarrassment always mine?!
“Stop.”
“……Pfft. Puhaha…”
My weak protest and Neriuwen’s laughter happened at almost the same time.
“Lowell, you—ahahaha!”
“I, I swear this usually works on kids…”
“Pff, who?”
“My nieces! It’s a bit old-fashioned, but they always laughed! Don’t laugh!”
Even Beryl was laughing? That expressionless guy?
I looked—and of course, he was still expressionless.
‘Where exactly is the laughter supposed to be?’
When I looked back at Lowell, he was now bright red and bowing his head.
So he did realize it was embarrassing.
‘Kind of feel bad.’
He was trying his best for my sake in his own way.
“Yeah, keep insisting.”
Neriuwen laughed again.
“Riri said you were funny. Good kid, comforting grown demons like that.”
“Tha-that’s not what I said…”
The man gave Neriuwen a disbelieving look.
Then he looked at me again, as if trying to confirm something.
“Sorry, kid. That wasn’t your taste? I’ll find something you like next time. Ah, right—do you like apples?”
What apples?
I wasn’t sure what he meant.
Then Neriuwen spoke for me.
“Oh right. Hugo said he’d send apples.”
“Yes. They’re outside.”
Huh? Really? Actual apples?
That guy actually kept his promise?
I rushed outside excitedly.
And then I froze.
‘What… is this?’
“…What… is this…?”
Neriuwen’s voice echoed what I was thinking.
The garden was completely filled with wooden crates. Stacked four, five layers high.
Inside them—of course—were apples.
“Is our youngest… incapable of moderation?”
“They said it was a quantity a baby could comfortably eat.”
“That’s not ‘comfortable,’ that’s ‘enough to be buried with for life.’”
“If we’re talking about human babies… with their lifespan, maybe it’s possible…”
You insane demon!
This is definitely messing with me!
This is absolutely saying “eat so many apples you never want to see them again!”
‘What a spiteful demon.’
He said it was a gift!
I declared the apples “returned” and stormed back into the house.
‘I’m never trusting that guy again.’
Later
I ignored the shining bracelet placed between us and turned my head away.
The man on the other side of the connection stayed silent for a while too.
Neriuwen had set up the connection for us to reconcile, but neither of us spoke.
[Ha…]
Eventually, he spoke first.
[What’s your problem.]
What? What’s my problem?
Do you seriously not know?!
He looked genuinely confused.
[I sorted the apples by origin and sent you the best ones. What’s wrong with that?]
“Not moderat enough.”
[I sent a reasonable amount! Did I send rotten apples?]
This guy…
He’s as shameless as Neriuwen. No wonder they’re friends.
But he was even worse—his sense of “reasonable” was completely off.
“What even is thaaat. Do you think I can eat that much? Or live with that much?”
[They don’t spoil in subspace. Just pick the tastiest ones. You’ll finish them quickly.]
“You’re insane.”
[Then throw them away or give them to someone else. I sent them with good intentions. And you didn’t even try one?]
“……”
Wait, did he genuinely think that was a gift?
Not something meant to mess with me?
His reaction made me genuinely confused.
[Whatever. I sent them so you could eat them over time. Seems like you don’t plan to live long anyway.]
And then the screen cut off.
“…What?”
How did he even arrive at that conclusion?
