I’d Rather Be Healed by a Pure-Hearted, Beautiful Demon Lord Than by a Yandere Saintess! ~Even if I Run Away, the Yandere Saintess Keeps Coming After Me. If I Get Caught, It Seems Like I’ll Be Forced Into an Engagement!?~ - Chapter 5

Nightmare and Clumsy Warmth

A few days had passed since I began serving meals in the Demon King’s castle as the “strategist (provisional).”

The castle’s dining table had transformed completely from its previous eerie atmosphere, now filled every day with harmonious laughter.

“Uwooo! Yukina’s carbonara noodle dish is the best!”

“Oh, this tiramisu sweet… It has such an adult flavor—right up my alley. ♡”

“Hmm, the molecular structure of this pudding is truly fascinating…”

…Their comments remained as unique as ever, but I was honestly glad that the executives enjoyed mealtime.

Above all, Lucilphia always stuffed her cheeks with my cooking while her eyes sparkled. Just seeing her like that made me feel as if the wounds on my heart from the Saintess were healing little by little.

This place was safe.

The terrifying Saintess’s hand could no longer reach me.

I had begun to believe that, on a peaceful night.

—Yukina.

From somewhere, I heard a voice like tinkling bells, yet as cold as ice.

I realized with a start that I stood on the familiar stone pavement of the royal capital. This was bad; I could not be here. I had to escape quickly.

—Where are you going?

A voice came from behind me. I could not turn around.

If I did, I would see that “she” was there.

I tried to move my feet, but they would not budge, as if I were paralyzed.

—Hide-and-seek is over now. ♡

Along with a sweet fragrance, Saintess Erixia appeared soundlessly before me, clad in her pure white dress. She wore a beautiful smile full of benevolence.

But in the depths of her eyes spread an endless darkness.

“I finally found you, my Yukina. You ran quite far, did you not? Such a naughty boy.”

“Hii…!”

“But it’s all right. This time, I will chain you properly so you can never escape again. Your legs, your arms, your heart—everything, all of it, I will make it all mine. ♡”

She reached out her white hand. The moment her fingers nearly touched my cheek—

“Stop it!”

I bolted upright in bed with a scream.

“Hah, hah, hah…!”

My heart pounded with an unpleasant rhythm, and cold sweat poured from my entire body.

The sheets clung to my skin, feeling disgusting.

“It was… a dream…”

Yes, a dream.

This was the guest room in the Demon King’s castle, and the Saintess was not here.

But the sensation of terror lingering on my fingertips felt too real, and the trembling in my body would not stop.

At that moment, the room’s door burst open.

“Yukina! What happened—that scream! Is it an enemy attack!?”

Who burst in was Lucilphia in her cute frilled nightgown.

Her silver twin tails were a bit disheveled, and for some reason, she gripped a massive morning star in her hand. It was far too dangerous.

“L-Lucilphia… Sorry, it’s nothing. Just a bad dream…”

When I answered like that, she blinked in confusion and lowered the morning star to the floor. It clanged with an enormous sound, but she seemed unconcerned.

…Was not the floor dented?

“A dream…? But your face is deathly pale. And you are shaking terribly…”

I tried to tell her worried, furrowed brow that I was fine. But my voice would not come out properly.

My body, rigid with fear, had still not escaped the nightmare.

Seeing my unusual state, Lucilphia floundered in bewilderment, not knowing what to do.

“U-Um… R-Right, humans tremble from bad dreams, do they…? Er, in cases like this…”

As if remembering something, she approached me hesitantly.

Then, like before, she tried to stroke my head with her small hand… but stopped. Perhaps she sensed that it was not enough for me right now.

Lucilphia pressed her lips together tightly once, then, as if resolving herself, sat on the edge of the bed with her face bright red.

…Huh?

With awkward movements, she gently leaned her body against my back.

“…………!”

Her slender frame. Her soft sensation. And the warmth emanating from her.

As I froze in surprise, Lucilphia began gently patting my back with her small hands, as if soothing a child—pat, pat.

“…I do not truly know, in the real sense, how terrifying the Saintess is. But you are this frightened. You must have suffered something awful.”

Her usual haughty tone was nowhere to be heard.

It was her quiet, gentle, true voice.

“…But you are safe now. This is the Demon King’s domain, my castle. And I am here. So… you are safe now.”

The steady rhythm of pat, pat, and the warmth from her against my back.

In that clumsy but utterly pure kindness, I felt the nightmare’s terror clinging to my heart slowly melt away like ice dissolving.

The Saintess’s love had been a cage that bound me and suffocated my breath.

But this small Demon King’s kindness was like a sunlit patch that warmed my frozen heart and put it at ease.

“…Thank you, Lucilphia.”

With my trembling subsided, I voiced my heartfelt gratitude. At that, she jolted and hastily reverted to her usual tone.

“N-Not at all! You were making noise in the middle of the night, disturbing my sleep—that is why! Do not misunderstand!”

Her ears were bright red. She really was not honest at all.

In the end, she stayed by my side until I had completely calmed down.

Reassured by that warmth, I drifted off into a gentle sleep before I knew it.

Just before falling asleep, I thought I heard a small voice by my ear.

“…I will definitely protect you.”

That voice granted me a deep, peaceful slumber undisturbed by any more nightmares.