Vol 3 Chapter 49 – When You Lose the Will to Live

I had a nostalgic dream. Though as is typical with dreams, I don’t remember what it was about.

Christela woke up before her maids came to rouse her, a rare occurrence.

Sitting up and stretching, she brushed her extended arms against the soft silk of the canopy as the fabric pleasantly caressed her skin.

It had been a long time since she had such a refreshing awakening.

When it came to dreams of the past, they were usually like a projector—a lost technology that endlessly showed uninteresting things. But today she felt unusually good.

If I could wake up like this every day, I could lead a much happier life.

I could give it my all every day.

Leaving that kind of blame-shifting—typical of those who claim their inability to try hard is someone else’s fault—in the corner of her mind, the Demon Lord rang the bell on her bedside table to call her attendants.

“Good morning, Maou-sama.”

“Mhm. Bring my breakfast here.”

“Yes, right away.”

Rubbing her sleep-heavy eyes, she smoothed down the hair that bounced in defiance of gravity and let out a single yawn.

The season was already winter.

The temptation of the warm blanket was unbearable, and she found herself slipping her newly-roused body right back under it.

This couldn’t be helped.

This bedding developed by those pesky humans must have been created with the core concept of making demons lazy.

This is a human attack.

To devise countermeasures I must put my own body on the line and experience the sheer power of this weapon for myself.

“Jeez, Maou-sama. Sleepy time is over.”

“Nngh, ten more minutes…”

“No can do, sleepyhead. Come on, I’ll wash your face for you, so time to get up, okay?”

“Nnnghhh.”

Reluctantly, she poked only her face out from the blankets.

Then, feeling a gentle hand supporting the back of her head, the corners of her eyes were lightly dabbed with a perfectly warmed towel. The heat soaking slowly through her eyelids felt incredibly pleasant.

“Today’s breakfast is rolled omelet, kiwi yogurt, and honey toast.”

“Mhm, good. You know my tastes well…”

“Come on, at least sit up for me. If you don’t say ‘ahh’, you can’t eat your food, you know?”

“Nn. Heave-ho………… Ahhh.”

“Good girl. Here, enjoy.”

With that, a bite-sized piece of rolled omelet was popped into my open mouth.

This seasoning… is Selphi-san in charge today?

It’s loaded with sugar, sweet and delicious.

Apparently there are fools who claim to like salty rolled omelets, but such a thing is sheer blasphemy against eggs.

It is entirely beyond my comprehension.

Munch, munch.

“Maou-sama is so cute. Look, here’s some yogurt, open wide?”

“Ahhh.”

Opening my mouth, the perfect amount was slipped in at exactly the right time.

Nice. This attendant is quite capable.

I should remember her name.

Thinking that, I slightly opened my eyelids that were finally starting to listen to me.

“Yes, all done, aren’t we? Munchy-munchies are all gone now, yes?”

It was that mountain monkey.

Speaking in a coaxing tone, in a falsetto, using baby talk—the sheer repulsiveness of it had reached a level beyond what pen or tongue could describe.

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

This is the worst.

The most horrifying thing in this world must surely be something like this.

I have never experienced such a terrible start to a day in my entire life.

Did I do something wrong?

Otou-sama, Okaa-sama.

Am I truly such a wicked, irredeemable existence that I deserve to suffer this kind of humiliation?

“Why the hell are you here?!”

“Well, I bumped into Selphi-san while she was bringing your breakfast over. She seemed really busy, so I offered to do it instead. I happened to wake up early and had some free time, so I just figured…”

Uwaaaaaah, Selphi, you idiot!

I can’t trust vampires ever again!

This is exactly why they’re going extinct, those inferior species!

Sorry, I went too far with that one!

“…I see. Good work. You may leave.”

I know. I really do.

Having exposed such an unsightly side of myself, I know it’s not a good idea to try and gloss over it now.

However, it is also a fact that I have no other cards to play.

I am Christela, the Demon Lord.

Now that I am awake and my consciousness is clear, I have no choice but to act like a monarch.

Even if it makes me look ridiculous.

“Understood. Ah, by the way.”

“What is it? Did my sleeping form arouse you? What a pity, a lowly creature like you shouldn’t even dare to lay a finger on me.”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that.”

“…Then what is it?”

“Is it true that you can’t sleep without that stuffed animal?”

“Minus three points! Go die, you idioooooooooot!”

Even I have a limit to the humiliation I can take.

“Hey, Aroma! What in the world is going on with our security system?!”

“Even if you ask me that. Selphi is doubling as the head of security, so…”

“She’s fired! Why was that mountain monkey able to enter my room so easily?!”

“Oh my.”

“Don’t ‘oh my’ me! What a disaster, what a tragedy, ah jeez…”

I exposed an unprecedented level of shame right from the crack of dawn.

What the hell was that ‘ahhh’ anyway, that absolute fool.

“That being said, didn’t you say it yourself? That you would take care of that human personally.”

“I don’t think I phrased it like I was talking about a pet…”

“It’s basically the same thing. I was against taking him in. Since you pushed it through, you should at least look after him. Besides, he’s just an insect who couldn’t put a single scratch on you anyway.”

…I feel like the topic is being derailed.

“But he saw my negli… my negle…”

“Negligee.”

“Right, he saw me in my negligee. This is a very serious situation. My defenseless form, the absolute culmination of beauty, is completely wasted on that mountain monkey.”

“I suppose so.”

“He’s getting a little too carried away. Therefore I believe I should personally deliver some punishment. What do you think?”

“Indeed.”

“Do you have any good ideas?”

“Lovely weather we’re having.”

Listen to me!

Why is Aroma being so cold?

My childhood friend was never this heartless.

Where did my sweet, honest Mar-chin go?

The flow of time is far too cruel.

“My dear Prime Minister, could you please listen to me a little more seriously?”

“…I’m actually a bit busy right now. The situation in Rille Mar is acting up.”

“What was that?”

Perhaps sensing my tone shift to a serious hue, Aroma finally looked up from the documents in her hands and met my gaze.

“I’ve already told you that the pro-human faction over there has been gaining power, right?”

“Yeah. It seems they have someone highly skilled in propaganda. Easily swayed by rumors… as expected, those beastkin in Rille Mar just can’t be trusted.”

“Regarding that matter, their methods were far too efficient so I did a little digging. It turned out just as I expected: it looks like some ‘Apostle’ is operating behind the scenes.”

“A servant of the Hero. Hmph, nothing to fear.”

“Your bravery is all well and good, but we can’t afford to be so dismissive. At this rate, even if we bring down Tiamaria and capture Ista, we won’t be able to receive support from Rille Mar. If that happens, it’ll be a bit inconvenient for us.”

Besides, I’m also worried about Alice’s family.

She’s been so unstable lately as it is.

Muttering a soliloquy I couldn’t quite follow, Aroma clearly had no intention of showing me a reliable form to solve my immediate dilemma. Therefore a need arose for me to seek out an entirely different confidant.

Throwing a parting shot at my unreliable Prime Minister, I decided to call upon the fiercely loyal Vermillion.

“G-Garon. You won’t abandon me, right?”

“What’s wrong, Ojou? Please don’t start spouting such weak-hearted things all of a sudden.”

“Ah, sorry. Aroma was just far too unreliable, so I came to ask for a consultation, or rather, to get your opinion… Also, I’ve told you countless times not to call me ‘Ojou’…”

“That is an honor. I can definitely offer way more constructive opinions than that blockhead!”

Ask me anything, Garon said, thumping her chest.

Seeing her display, I breathed a sigh of relief that Diabolo would be safe as long as she was around, while simultaneously feeling a fleeting moment of anxiety that what I was about to confess might be far too vulgar.

Should I really bother someone who devotes such immense loyalty to me with a trivial personal matter like this?

Such innate cowardice—oh, I’m well aware of it, I can’t avert my eyes any longer—crept slowly from the corner of my heart. However, the Captain of the Royal Guard standing before me, who had recently started to acquire a sort of encompassing tolerance, smiled radiantly as if to blow all those doubts away.

Mmm, placing Garon at the head of the Royal Guard wasn’t a mistake after all.

Though she might be a little slow on the uptake sometimes, there is no one more dependable than her.

That smile, which protects both my body and soul, is easily worth its weight in gold.

Feeling at ease, I opened my mouth.

“The truth is, that mountain monkey…”

“It’s Nine.”

“Hweh?”

“That guy has a name, and it’s Nine. Please call him that.”

“L-Look here, Garon. That guy…”

“…………”

“…N-Nine, or whatever, sneaked into my bedroom and…”

“Understood perfectly. Leave it to me.”

“I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“Rest assured, Maou-sama. I will be sure to discipline him thoroughly.”

“N-No, I’m going to do that.”

“Please leave it to me, Maou-sama. This Garon will properly educate such a lowly mountain monkey.”

Hey, I know I kept telling you not to call me ‘Ojou’, but could you not just suddenly switch it up on me?

And ‘mountain monkey’?

You’re being incredibly scary right now.

Why are you talking while grinding your teeth like that?

It’s quite dexterous of you.

“Well, calm down for a second. Anyway, talking with you has helped cool my head… First off, his demerit points have exceeded ten, so I suppose I should give him an appropriate penalty.”

“…………”

…Hey, Garon.

You, no, not just you—everyone who bears the name of Vermillion has built a reputation on their profound loyalty, haven’t they?

Why is it like this? It’s different, isn’t it?

Like, how do I put it… I don’t mind you directing negative emotions at the guy, but I feel like the vector is completely off.

Why are you looking at me with the eyes of an ant watching a grasshopper that successfully survived the winter?