CHAPTER 07……………………………………………
As mentioned before, Xenia was a subordinate who earned considerable trust from the Demon King due to her professional abilities. Because of that, she rarely faced reprimands from either the Demon King or Eligos for most tasks.
“This matter is completely different,”
she thought.
This wasn’t just an ordinary human. Taking in the hero who had defeated the Demon King went far beyond ordinary responsibility.
It had been three days since the hero had awakened, and Xenia was gradually getting used to taking care of him.
After drying her hair neatly and stepping out of the bathroom, she asked the hero, who was staring at the pocket watch.
“Has it been an hour yet?”
The hero set the watch down and looked back at her.
She knew it was odd to make a schedule out of something as simple as showering—but this was entirely because of the hero’s anxiety-driven, almost clingy behavior.
She no longer allowed herself to be fooled by the hero’s gentle expression. She should have noticed it the moment he snatched the pocket watch.
Swallowing her frustration, Xenia emphasized again to the hero, who was now quietly listening.
“This will continue from now on. Whatever time I say, you must follow it. You are not to break the door or run out of the room under any circumstances.”
This happened a few days ago.
The day the hero woke up, Xenia, who had been trying to talk to him, went to the bathroom without a word.
She had already spent a long time explaining the room’s layout to him so they could continue their conversation. Since he’d gone to the bathroom shortly after drinking tea, anyone observing would assume he just had a natural need to go.
It didn’t take long for her to realize that her assumption was wrong.
Bang!
She had only taken three steps after closing the bathroom door when it exploded with a massive crash. Not just a hole or a broken doorknob—the entire door was obliterated.
“What the….”
Seeing the hero emerge through the shattered doorway, Xenia thought: Is he trying to kill me now? I already told him I’m human, and that I possess holy power!
But the hero, who had smashed the door, merely stood there at the threshold, staring blankly at her.
What was she supposed to do?
Xenia, a mixture of outrage, disbelief, and anger on her face, asked the hero impatiently:
“What are you doing?”
The hero merely blinked. Frustrated, Xenia ruffled her hair and said:
“Coming to use the bathroom is no reason to break the door!”
Then the hero took the pocket watch from his chest.
Frowning in confusion, she watched as he tapped it lightly.
So he just wants to know the time? And he destroyed the door for that?
She couldn’t help but curse under her breath. But she took a deep breath and answered calmly:
“Five minutes.”
Apparently satisfied, the hero turned away.
Xenia alternated her gaze between the retreating hero and the broken door, then shouted:
“Cover your ears!”
She didn’t just shout; she walked to the door to make sure he was actually covering his ears.
Somewhat reluctantly, the hero returned to the bed and tightly covered his ears with both hands.
Through the absurdity, she thought he looked a little cute—though she knew that effect was amplified simply because he was the hero.
From then on, before doing anything, Xenia would always tell him the time in advance. The same applied whenever she asked him to do something.
Pointing to the bathroom, Xenia said to the hero, who was staring at her after she had washed up:
“Go in and finish your bath. Fifteen minutes, okay?”
Too short, you say? Letting him wait motionless in a corner until told to come out was frustrating enough for one day.
The time had been set based on when the water supply had been cut off, which was plenty for him.
This man has no flexibility.
Whether it was always like this or a side effect of the incident, the hero was passive and seemed very accustomed to being given orders.
Xenia caught him after precisely fifteen minutes and sat him at the vanity. Using a pre-prepared towel, she dried his hair while lamenting:
The Demon King knows how to use magic to dry hair…
But her hero didn’t even know how to dry his own hair.
When she first handed him a towel as he approached the bed, dripping wet, she could never have imagined this situation.
He batted at his hair with the towel a few times, then handed it back as if done. The way he alternated his gaze between her and the towel when she told him to dry it completely… truly, no matter how much she thought about it, this hero was worse than the Demon King.
Xenia smoothed his nearly dry, dazzling blond hair and used a comb to untangle it. She felt a little self-mocking for fussing over him, but what could she do? She was the one who’d offered to help, and he might remember that.
With his hair finally tidy, she looked at his eyes in the mirror. Dry, brittle, almost lifeless eyes.
How do I bring light back to those eyes?
As he was soon to be her benefactor, she wanted to give her best—but didn’t know how.
Meeting his blue gaze without looking away, she reached for his upper garment and handed it to him.
Naturally, he handed it back. Apparently, she had spoiled him with her help.
Shower alone, trousers alone—should she be relieved or annoyed that he respected limits she hadn’t set?
She smoothed the static-frizzed hair and buttoned the garment, and the hero, after sitting at the vanity, stood and returned to the bed.
He never left the bed unless washing or changing clothes.
The bed.
Looking at it reminded her of several nights of uncomfortable sleeping arrangements.
She could not have him sleep on the floor, nor did she want to keep sleeping on the chair, so she had awkwardly lain apart from him, trying to rest.
Xenia quickly pushed those memories away. Even if she erased them, tonight would repeat the same events.
She wanted another bed, but buying such a large item would inevitably spark rumors—ranging from trivial tales of her “romantic disputes” to absurd speculations about the bed breaking.
For now, sharing the bed like this was the only option.
Shaking her head, Xenia checked the time. It was almost time to fetch the meal.
She had planned to eat in her room anyway because of the hero, but the rumors had clearly spread more than expected. Beef had already suggested she eat in the room for a while, without her asking.
It was convenient she didn’t have to say anything herself, but she still needed to prevent the gossip from growing. Above all:
It’s about time to give a proper warning.
She first needed to deflate the servants’ overexcited moods.
The kitchen was unusually quiet.
No servant was fleeing, and everyone was diligently attending to their duties, yet Beef’s stern expression didn’t soften.
Today, it was unusually hard to focus on cooking. Focus, let alone composure, eluded him.
Had it been a mistake to explain the whole situation to Eligos?
I said I’d keep things quiet, and then they blabbed anyway.
Rumors had already spread throughout the castle. Even if not for Beef, they would have reached Eligos quickly.
Still, Xenia felt uneasy for breaking her promise to him.
“It’s good that it’s been resolved… but…”
The problem was how extreme the resolution had been.
Half a day after hearing the story from Beef, Eligos gathered all the servants except Xenia in the first-floor hall.
“Those who wag their tongues brazenly are of no use to the castle.”
From that cold, cautionary opening, the matter was swiftly handled. Servants who had spread false rumors simply had their salaries cut. But…
“Not even worth keeping alive.”
Those who spread lewd rumors or harassed Xenia were instantly executed. Not figuratively—they were literally beheaded.
Seeing the heads hit the floor, the previously excited servants snapped back to reality as if doused with ice water.
“I thought of her as just a competent subordinate, that’s all…”
It was good that Eligos cared about Xenia—but perhaps excessively so.
Beef, who knew Eligos from before he became a steward, felt a sudden unease.
Of course, as long as Xenia was the Demon King’s, there was no real problem…
“Beef?”
Startled by the sudden call, Beef turned.
“Xenia?”
Raising an eyebrow, Xenia looked into the pot he was tending.
“The soup’s burning.”
Seriously? After all that thinking, you’re burning food?
Feeling a twinge of self-reproach, Beef replied as normally as he could:
“I was distracted by other thoughts.”
“Was that you, Beef?”
A skeptical gaze met him—a natural reaction for anyone familiar with Beef.
He blocked the pot with his body.
“Hahaha. Just a bit tired lately. But you came for lunch, right?”
At that moment, a mangled ladle fell to the floor with a clatter. He kicked it gently and cleared his throat.
Before doing anything more suspicious, he decided to relay only the essential fact to Xenia.
“From now on, no one will talk behind your back about that. Eligos found out. He took care of it.”
“Eligos?”
The uneasy feeling she had was merely Xenia’s perception. There was no reason to view the situation negatively.
The rumors were neatly handled, and Xenia would have no reason to feel uncomfortable.
It was somewhat surprising, but wasn’t it good that Eligos cared for Xenia more than expected?
Xenia’s expression showed mild embarrassment.
“Sounds like it was really noisy.”
“Indeed.”
“And he didn’t say much?”
“Not particularly.”
Worried she might vocalize her discomfort, he quickly handed her the lunchbox.
“By the way, His Majesty seems to be returning tomorrow.”
As he passed her the lunchbox and informed her of the Demon King’s return, Xenia immediately lost interest in Eligos.
“Coming back earlier than expected.”
Beef soothed her a few more times afterward. Her grumbling about not wanting to work made her seem like a child of her age.
Patting her head gently, Beef waved as she left the kitchen.
As she walked away, he murmured as if casting a spell:
“Nothing will happen.”
Certainly.
