CHAPTER 42
As Long As You’re Not the Demon King
Several hours earlier.
As soon as Rek and Herond returned, Ehilie spoke.
“Rek, I have something to tell you.”
His eyes wavered in confusion when he saw how red and swollen Ehilie’s eyes were from crying.
“Ehilie? Did something happen?”
“……Let’s go inside first.”
Once inside the room, Ehilie sat across from him.
Rek fidgeted and stared only at her lips.
Ehilie began calmly.
“I met your fiancée yesterday.”
Ehilie chose to confront the matter head on.
The reason was simple.
‘If I ever transmigrated into a romance fantasy, I swore I would never feed readers frustrating misunderstandings!’
She had made that vow in her previous life.
A female lead overhearing a strange conversation and then running away after leaving a single letter was the classic cliché of regret stories.
The male lead stumbling around while readers lost their minds.
A problem that could be solved with a few words, yet the heroine stays silent and suffers alone.
She did not hate such angsty narratives.
But if she had to choose, she preferred romance comedies she could read lightly without stress.
‘Bottling things up is not my style!’
So.
“Explain what happened.”
Ehilie decided to confirm the facts directly with Rek.
“…Fiancée?”
Rek frowned.
“What do you mean?”
At his response, which seemed as if he truly knew nothing, Ehilie’s barely steadied heart began to crumble.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I already confirmed it with Lucy.”
“What did Lucy say?”
Rek appeared genuinely startled.
Now Ehilie began to feel confused.
‘Does Rek really not know? But that woman clearly……’
‘Wait, from the beginning that woman seemed a little unstable. Wasn’t it all her delusion?’
‘But if it was all her delusion, then why did Lucy react like that?’
Just then.
Bang.
Herond rushed in from outside and opened the door.
Rek showed clear displeasure at being interrupted.
“Herond, what is the meaning of this?”
“Your Highness, forgive me for interrupting! It seemed you did not remember, so I came to inform you.”
“What?”
“Do you not recall? Bella Adeline.”
“Bella Adeline?”
Rek tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes, yet still seemed unable to remember.
“You know! Red hair, eyes like a venomous snake,”
Herond pulled up the corners of his eyes with his fingers as he explained fervently.
“‘Rek~ our Rek~’ whining in that syrupy tone while clinging to you, that wretched woman!”
“You told her, did you not! That if she ever bothered you again, you would not let her off with just tearing one winged dress!”
“That does sound familiar.”
“Yes, yes! Since you do not remember what is not worth remembering, you must have erased that so called fiancée arbitrarily chosen by the former Queen from your mind. But that woman is still obsessing over you unilaterally!”
“Was that so.”
“It seems that woman came here and spouted nonsense, causing Lady Ehilie to misunderstand. Though the entire world knows you love only Lady Ehilie, it would be best to explain properly so no unnecessary misunderstanding remains.”
‘So that is what happened!’
Thanks to Herond’s passionate explanation, Ehilie’s misunderstanding cleared instantly.
It was a fiancée chosen arbitrarily by Rek’s mother.
‘Wait, did Rek not say his mother died giving birth to him?’
A faint doubt surfaced, but she soon understood.
Rek had said he was an illegitimate child.
So it was not his birth mother, but his stepmother, the Queen, who had chosen his fiancée.
Rek had never even considered her his fiancée and thus had not remembered her at all.
Ehilie finally relaxed, her expression brightening.
“Phew.”
Herond also sighed in relief and bowed deeply.
“Then I shall take my leave. I apologize for the intrusion!”
Herond exited the room.
Rek lowered his shoulders and apologized.
“Ehilie, I am sorry. Because I failed to tell you sooner, you were hurt.”
“No, Rek. I understand the situation now.”
“What exactly did she say to you?”
Rek’s eyes flashed sharply.
For a moment, his ruby like eyes seemed as though they were soaked in blood.
“Rek, wait. Calm down.”
“Ah, forgive me. When I think of how hurt you must have been, I cannot help but feel furious.”
“I am fine now. Thanks to Herond, the misunderstanding is cleared.”
It was the right choice to speak up.
Ehilie recounted her conversation with Bella and mentioned Gabriel’s disappearance.
“I think Bella kidnapped Gabriel. I asked Lucy to get me a newspaper just in case and checked.”
“Ehilie, I will handle this matter. Do not worry.”
“How?”
“Leave it to me.”
Ehilie frowned at his firm answer.
“No. I am involved in this too.”
“That is precisely why I do not wish to involve you in something dangerous.”
“Rek.”
“I know you are worried about me. But I do not want to wait blindly for things to be resolved. Just as you wish to protect me, I want to protect you as well.”
“……Ehilie.”
“I told you everything because I trust you. So please trust me too.”
After a moment of contemplation, Rek nodded.
“Very well. Before that, there is something I must tell you.”
His voice turned solemn.
“What is it?”
Rek reached out and gently took her hand.
“I sincerely love you, Ehilie. There is not a single lie in this feeling. Please believe that.”
“W why so suddenly.”
“Even if you come to hate me, my feelings will not change.”
Her heart dropped at his sorrowful expression.
“I am…… a demon.”
Ehilie doubted her ears.
A demon.
Rek?
“My mother was not a noble. Therefore, I was not acknowledged as royalty.”
“Are you… of mixed blood?”
“……Yes.”
Rek lowered his head like a sinner.
“I am sorry. I was afraid you would despise me. I feared you would leave me.”
His trembling voice conveyed his fear clearly.
“If you despise me, that is fine. If you hate me…… you may cast aside this hand at any time.”
His hand trembled faintly.
‘How much must this gentle man have suffered alone?’
“Come here.”
Ehilie pulled her hand free and embraced him.
“It is alright.”
“There is no way I would hate you for something like that. Thank you for telling me honestly.”
“Ehilie…”
“I love you, Rek.”
It was a sweet and heartfelt moment.
Redemberg Lu Edeltein was overwhelmed with joy.
‘I had intended to act pitiful to win her sympathy.’
‘But at some point, my fear became real.’
He was the Demon King.
Yet he trembled at the thought of being abandoned by the one he loved.
After a while, their conversation resumed.
“Actually, I do not hate demons.”
“……Truly?”
“Yes. Not all demons are bad.”
Her smile melted his heart.
He was about to confess the final truth.
“Well, as long as you are not the Demon King.”
