Even Though I Defeated the Demon Lord, My Wife and Daughter Treat Me Like Trash ~ I Found Out My Wife's Child Isn't Mine, and When I Confronted Her, She Got Mad and I Was Exiled. The Country's in Trouble Because the Demon Lord Came Back? Sorry, I'm Getting Remarried to a Princess, So I Can't Help. - Chapter 34: The Demon Lord's Revival

Chapter 34: The Demon Lord’s Revival

As Mariabelle held a dress against her chest, she asked me:

“Lord Van, how about this dress?”

For the record, this was the fourth one.

My answer was the same as it had been for the first three, but…

“Yeah, it looks great on you.”

“My goodness, Van, you keep saying the same thing.”

“I can’t help it. Every dress looks good on you.”

“Nfuh.”

Mariabelle’s birthday party was fast approaching.

According to Karnak, rumors were already swirling in the capital that her engagement to Albert had been broken off. 

People were also speculating that a new fiancé would be announced at the party. 

Well, that would be me, but it still didn’t feel quite real yet.

Of course, I was happy with her feelings, and it wasn’t like she wasn’t enough—if anything, I kept wondering, Am I really worthy of her?

But marriage, huh? 

I never thought I’d go through it twice. 

I did feel a little like I was being swept along by circumstances, though…

“Um, Lord Van?”

“Hm?”

“I was wondering… Are you bored?”

“No, not at all. Why?”

“I’m glad, then… I thought men might find it boring to help a woman pick out dresses.”

“I just don’t know enough to say much. But seeing you enjoy yourself makes it fun for me too.”

“Mou, Lord Van, you’re too smooth.”

Mariabelle smiled brightly, clearly happy. 

Though, in the back of my mind, I couldn’t shake the slight guilt that came with this peaceful moment. Was it okay to be so relaxed? 

After all, I’d been working non-stop for so long.

Then there was the other nagging thought—was my desire to marry Mariabelle partly driven by a need for revenge? Was this all a way to get back at those two?

I had been imprisoned because of Camilla and Albert, and now, somehow, I was about to marry a princess. 

My life had taken some strange turns, and I was well aware of it, but it still felt surreal.

Camilla had never loved me, it seemed. 

And recently, even my daughter, who used to say “I love you, Daddy!” as a child, had started to find me annoying.

That’s why being needed by Mariabelle felt like it was filling a void inside me.

Camilla chose Albert over me. 

And now Mariabelle chose me over Albert.

Was part of me thinking, You took my woman, so now I’ll take yours?

Was that why I was starting to feel these emotions for Mariabelle? Maybe what I was feeling wasn’t real. 

It was a concern I couldn’t entirely dismiss, though perhaps I was overthinking it.

Just as Mariabelle asked for my opinion on her eighth dress, a butler entered the room, carrying a message from the emperor.

“Lord Van, Lady Mariabelle, a messenger from the kingdom has arrived. His Majesty requests your presence as well.”

Mariabelle and I exchanged glances. 

It was probably something to do with the broken engagement, but our relationship hadn’t been made public yet.

“Are you sure I should attend as well?”

“Yes, in fact… it seems the matter concerns you, Lord Van.”

“Me…?”

I wasn’t sure what this was about, but perhaps the king had learned of Albert’s actions and had something to say.

“Understood. In any case, we can’t keep His Majesty waiting.”

We hurried to the castle and followed the guide. 

When we arrived at the meeting room, the atmosphere was more tense than I had expected.

“My apologies for the delay.”

“Ah, Van, thank you for coming. It seems… something serious has happened.”

“And what would that be?”

“Messenger, please explain again.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The messenger was a member of the kingdom’s knightly order. 

I didn’t know his name, but his face seemed familiar.

“Lord Van… the Demon Lord has been resurrected.”

“What?!”

“Three days ago… the Demon Lord, accompanied by Lady Camilla, launched an assault on the royal castle.”

“Camilla? What… how could this be… wait, don’t tell me…”

“Yes. It seems Lady Camilla was the one who revived the Demon Lord.”

“What on earth… is she thinking…”

“By royal order, I was sent immediately to inform you. I don’t know the current state of the royal castle, but the king is requesting your help, Lord Van.”

The king had always treated me well, and I felt a strong sense of duty to repay that kindness. 

But…

“It’s impossible.”

The emperor answered in my place.

“We don’t have enough information. I can’t allow Van to go into such a situation alone. Without going into too much detail, Van has become indispensable to the empire. And if I’m not mistaken, Prince Albert forced Van into a vow contract, promising that he would never step foot in the kingdom again. If Van returns, he’ll die—at least that’s what I’ve heard.”

…Well, I could technically ignore that, thanks to my curse immunity.

But revealing that would expose my unique ability. I intended to deal with the Demon Lord’s resurrection, of course, but there was no reason to reveal all my cards just yet.

The emperor pressed further.

“If the Demon Lord’s resurrection is a mere ruse, and this is just a ploy to harm Van out of spite for the broken engagement, that’s how much distrust I hold toward your kingdom.”

The emperor continued pressing, and the knight responded cautiously.

“Regarding those two points… I cannot speak to the first matter, as I am unaware of the full details. However, I do have a report on the second matter.”

“What is it?”

“Prince Albert… has already… well…”