Chapter 16
Chapter 16
I willingly let those words pass in one ear and out the other again. There was no need to pay attention since they would present their decisions with a dramatic ta-da once everything was already set.
It was, in a way, inevitable that Lucifer and Regnator dismissed my baby steps as trivial or referred to humans as an inferior race.
After all, demons do not experience ‘growth.’
From the moment they open their eyes upon birth from the Demon Tree, they are already complete beings. They are fully capable of living their lives independently. So, to demons, the concept of ‘growth’ is an unfamiliar one.
And that’s not all. Words like ‘child-rearing’ or ‘baby’ are also quite foreign in the Demon Realm. Demons are a race that enjoys physical pleasure and is extraordinarily liberal about it. While a rare few form lifelong bonds with partners, the institution of ‘marriage’ does not exist.
Demons can have children, but because their bodies can control reproduction, none have ever bothered with the inconvenience. In a world governed by survival of the fittest, bearing young is seen as a vulnerability. It weakens one’s strength or, worse, risks sharing it with the offspring.
Furthermore, carrying children is considered something only the lowest-ranking demonic beasts do, so it’s looked down upon.
This is the biggest reason why Lucifer and Regnator find me both fascinating and difficult to understand because in the Demon Realm, there are no ‘babies.’
‘Although lately, they seem to be enjoying it somewhat…’
The only reason I, once entirely ignorant of demon customs, know any of this is thanks to Regnator’s excessive meddling. One day, while I was glaring daggers at the books he owned, contemplating how to burn them all, he suddenly sat down next to me with a cheerful grin and began reading out loud from a book about Demon Realm knowledge.
“I never expected Lady Bella to show such interest in books. I’ve heard that reading to babies helps with emotional development. Perhaps this is what they call ‘early education’ in the human world.”
The books he read were titled things like ‘Basic Demon Realm Knowledge Even Beasts Can Understand’ and ‘Essential Demon Realm Facts That Make Demonic Beasts Scoff.’ It was absurd but admittedly helpful.
Regnator may have chosen random books under the vague idea of aiding my ‘emotional development,’ but for someone like me, who had known nothing about the Demon Realm, it offered valuable insights. On top of that, Regnator had a surprisingly loose tongue for someone who held the esteemed title of the Demon King’s right-hand man. He would often narrate his daily routine to me as if giving a personal report.
Ninety percent of it was useless nonsense, but the remaining ten percent held useful information, so despite my annoyance, I listened closely.
For example, he once told me about nobles who opposed my adoption and voiced frequent complaints.
[“Can you believe they had the audacity to call you a half-blood, Lady Bella? They said there are already many qualified candidates in the Demon Realm. Why choose a hybrid as the Demon King’s daughter?”]
[“Aawwu.”]
[“They’re simply upset that their favored candidates were eliminated. Pathetic, really. Yet Lucifer listened to their rotten words with such composure… which only encouraged them.”]
[“Aaawu!”]
[“Of course, he was only listening to identify and weed out dissenters. Do you really think he’d let those who look down on you live? Fortunately, Morus, under Lucifer’s command, swiftly took care of them all.”]
[“……”]
[“I wanted to handle it myself, but I’m currently working on controlling my strength… Still, hastening the day I get to hold Lady Bella in my arms is far more precious than spilling the blood of petty fools.”]
Those who refused to accept my presence and dared to protest met a clean, fatal end. And watching Regnator slump his shoulders, disappointed that he couldn’t do the killing himself, made me realize— No matter what happens, I must never truly anger these people.
I had grown accustomed to their daily absurdities and foolish delusions and had momentarily forgotten that Lucifel, with just a flick of his finger, could commit genocide, and Regnator was the second most powerful being in the entire Demon Realm.
[“Lady Bella is the daughter of the Demon King. Even in a realm where survival of the fittest reigns supreme, there is one being no one dares challenge Lucifer. He is the absolute monarch of this world.”]
That’s why the Demon King doesn’t participate in dominance battles. He’s simply on another level. The reason the Demon Realm’s hierarchy remains stable is because of this unchallenged supreme ruler. Although he never joins the battles himself, the bloodshed for dominance often begins with the Demon King’s moods.
They say the Demon Realm’s entire system and direction can change based on Lucifer’s whims. Yet I wonder, why blame the Demon King for that? Regnator could have explained further, but he didn’t.
When I reached that point in my thoughts, a shiver ran through me. I had been so lost in thought, I didn’t realize their conversation had ended. I looked up at the hand gently patting my head and saw Lucifer tilting his head, peering down at me.
“What are you thinking about?”
I hadn’t been listening at all and had no idea what he meant. As I blinked cluelessly, Regnator quietly repeated himself.
“Lady Bella, I was thinking of giving you a comfort doll as a gift. Would that be acceptable?”
He winked as he said it. I frowned immediately. Lucifer’s previous comment about that doll being ‘an eyesore’ flashed through my mind. There was no denying that Regnator was incredibly handsome – almost unnaturally so – but he spouted such nonsense that I was starting to question whether I could still call him good-looking.
Whether I agreed or not didn’t matter. His expression already made it clear the decision had been made. Regnator, misinterpreting my distasteful expression however he pleased, simply beamed with joy.
Then Lucifer, who had been leaning against the sofa armrest, tapping my head, straightened up.
“A gift, hmm…”
He lifted me and placed me gently on the sofa where he had been sitting, then stood up and pulled back the sleeve of his robe.
His wrist, with veins prominently visible, appeared, flexing slightly with muscle that looked sculpted to perfection. Even his wrist was handsome, apparently.
As I had that thought, Lucifer dragged a finger across his wrist in a slicing motion. It was clearly just a gesture but a wound appeared as if slashed by a sharp blade, and blood immediately welled up and began to drip onto the floor.
“Gasp!”
Startled, I clapped my small hands over my mouth. In the middle of thinking about a gift, he suddenly resorted to self-harm. Lucifer truly looked like a lunatic this time.
‘What the hell are you doing, you crazy dad?!’
I stared wide-eyed, but he calmly gazed at his bleeding wrist.
“Ugh…”
The pain felt almost mine and I couldn’t help groaning. Blood was gushing out so rapidly it soaked the floor. Alarmed, I jumped up from the soft sofa. ‘Death by blood loss’ echoed ominously in my mind.
My heart pounded violently, and Lucifer’s usually pale complexion looked even more ghostly today.
“A-Appua!” (Dad)
Determined to stop the bleeding, I rushed toward him. But my legs, already tired from walking practice, gave way the moment I tried stepping off the soft sofa. I stumbled forward and fell straight toward the hard floor.
The fear that Lucifer might die from blood loss completely consumed my mind.
“Lady Bella!”
Regnator’s panicked shout rang out as I tumbled from the high sofa.
Just before I hit the floor, I saw Lucifer’s eyes widened, he was truly shocked this time.
Thud!
A sharp pain radiated from my nose. Of all things, I had landed face-first. My head buzzed painfully. The place I had been practicing my walking was cushioned with carpet, unlike here, which had none.
Given the marble flooring and the height of the sofa, I was lucky I hadn’t lost consciousness.
I shivered, trying to get up…
“Ah!”
A strong hand suddenly scooped me up under the arms, lifting me so abruptly I let out a pained cry. The hands holding me flinched.
Assuming it was Regnator, I looked up, only to see Lucifer.
“Abua?”
His face looked neutral as always, but I could feel he was deeply shaken. His red eyes, usually steady, now trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Without saying a word, Lucifer examined my face intently, as if silently checking whether I had been hurt.
“A-Are you alright?! Are you injured? You landed headfirst. What if your brain, w-what should I…”
“……”
“Forgive me! I should have stopped her sooner, I was so shocked…”
“……”
Unlike the silent Lucifer, Regnator was clearly panicking with his entire body. He rambled on in guilt, blaming himself for not catching me and hesitating to even reach out.
‘This is… a little embarrassing.’
As ridiculous as he could be, the concern they showed made my toes curl bashfully.
“Bella.”
At the weighty sound of my name, I looked back at Lucifer. His voice tickled my heart and that feeling wasn’t unpleasant at all. I witnessed how both of them looked more shocked than I did, I decided to give them a reassuring smile to show that I was okay.
A fall from this height wasn’t enough to make me, mentally an adult, cry.
Well… it did hurt a little.
Drip.
As I smiled widely, something dripped from under my nose into my mouth. And judging by the way Lucifer’s face went terrifyingly still, I had a good idea of what it was.
(TN: What do you guys think about this chapter? I loved it haha)
