Chapter 251: Orders and Tears

Having sealed off any possible escape routes, the Demon King leaned back, letting out a sigh of relief. He crossed his legs and looked at Oel.

“There’s no need to bring the corpse all the way to me,”

“It’ll stink of blood, and I have no intention of bringing such things into my office.”

“Nor do I plan to move myself to confirm something so insignificant.”

“However, I do need to confirm it…”

“I’ll have to get someone else to do it.”

Who should I assign? His reverse-pupiled eyes lowered languidly, as if lost in thought.

“Someone with a lower rank than Oel might succumb to pressure, so that won’t do. It needs to be someone of at least equal standing, someone who can’t be swayed.”

His pupils shifted smoothly, settling on Trober, who was standing to one side.

“Trober, as the informant, can confirm the corpse. That works.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Trober grinned. In stark contrast, Oel’s face twisted in agony.

‘…At least one thing is for sure: the confirmation will be thorough.’

‘If the emotional rift between them is deeper than I thought, Trober might not just confirm but also frame Oel. Though, judging by her reaction, Oel might make a move before that.’

‘Perhaps this is exactly what Deon wants to see happen.’

Whatever the outcome, it’s bound to be interesting… The Demon King stared directly at Trober. The gaze felt binding, making Trober flinch and straighten his posture.

“When you report your confirmation, bring a mana stone with multi-angle photos of the corpse.”

“…Understood.”

“Even though I ‘ordered’ a ‘confirmation,’ reporting falsehoods as truth is unacceptable. That would be taking the Demon King for a fool.”

“However, interpreted differently, it means ‘as long as the report on the corpse confirmation order isn’t a lie, anything else goes.’ Whether Trober or Oel will notice and exploit this, I don’t know… But whether they realize it or not, the result will be interesting, so either way is fine.”

The Demon King tossed the handkerchief he had used to wipe his fingers into the fireplace and spoke.

“Now, everyone, leave.”

“…”

“Ah, and before you go, leave the window open.”

He disliked the uniquely soft and delicate scent of a human baby, which was completely out of place in the Demon Realm.

***

Derniban, who had been waiting for his superior in front of the Demon King’s office, turned his head sharply at the sound of the door opening… then froze. His body, which had been about to approach, had long since stopped moving.

“…Lady Oel?”

Something that should not be here was cradled in her arms.

He briefly wondered if it was a hallucination, but the unique, unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar scent brushed the tip of his nose.

Moreover, even objectively considering it, Derniban quickly accepted reality because he wasn’t concerned about babies to the extent of creating such elaborate hallucinations.

With that, he grasped the situation.

Lady Oel, summoned suddenly by Lord Demon King, and now emerging with a baby in her arms. Seeing his lover’s dazed expression, as if in shock, Derniban strode forward and reached out to take the baby.

Oel, who had been meekly offering the baby, flinched—and swiftly pulled the baby back.

“What… What are you doing!”

Derniban’s hand had transformed into that of a wolf without him realizing it.

The sharply pointed claws gleamed in the moonlight streaming through the window. Derniban replied expressionlessly.

“It must be killed to prevent harm from coming to Lady Oel.”

“…”

“You know this.”

“The fact that you came out alive means Lord Demon King has given you a chance.”

“If he had permitted you to raise the baby, your expression wouldn’t be filled with such unconscious despair. So, there must have been an order to kill it. Judging by the fact that you came out with the baby alive, a grace period has probably been granted.”

Derniban knew. This was the Demon King’s ultimate consideration and mercy, and at the same time, a final chance. If even this was rejected, Oel would die.

“I cannot allow a legion commander to die for the sake of a mere human baby.”

Therefore, based on rational calculation, he chose to abandon the baby.

“…”

Oel silently looked down at the baby.

As if sensing her gaze, the baby lifted its head and beamed a smile as their eyes met. The pure, innocent smile made the hands holding the baby tremble reflexively.

Trober, who had been observing the situation, interjected with a sneer.

“Offering to bloody your hands for her, you truly have an excellent adjutant.”

“…Shut up, you.”

“From now on, I have to watch you to make sure you don’t pull any tricks, right?”

“No, that’s not right. Lord Demon King’s order wasn’t about monitoring your tricks, but ‘corpse confirmation.’ So why don’t you just lock yourself in your room and kill time until the seventh day, then come to confirm? Whether the corpse is there or not, you just shut up and report.”

“Who do you think you are, trying to monitor me?”

Sharp words flew like arrows. Usually, she spoke with a childish tone, but only at times like these did she become sharp and articulate. Trober’s expression hardened for a moment, then he shrugged once and turned away.

“Please, make an interesting choice.”

Casting a curse disguised in pleasantries to the very end.

Oel seemed about to retort, but then stopped as if belatedly realizing the baby in her arms. In that gap, Trober disappeared, and Derniban approached her side.

“Please hand over the baby.”

“…No.”

“Please, hand it over.”

“You’re going to kill it.”

Oel shook her head vehemently, hugged the baby tightly, and backed away. Even at her childish behavior, Derniban didn’t even nod.

“It must be killed.”

“I received a week’s time from Lord Demon King.”

“That’s time granted for you to sever your attachment.”

“It’s not time given for you to indulge in affection.”

“In that case, it would be better to kill it here and now and spend the given week composing yourself.”

“Either way, we have a week.”

“But.”

“Are you going to be like this too?”

“…”

Meeting her sorrowful eyes, he paused.

His outstretched hand slowly lowered. Faced with his superior’s appearance, which he had never seen before, Derniban fell silent, as if pondering how to respond.

Oel patted the back of the baby, who was whimpering in discomfort, and said.

“Let’s go back to the room, Derniban. I want to rest for a bit.”

“…Yes.”

***

The path back was filled only with silence.

Originally, Derniban was taciturn, so conversations were usually unilateral, initiated by Oel, but now she was busy pondering and thinking.

Derniban kept glancing at her, seemingly suspicious of her unusual silence, but whether he looked or not, Oel was lost in thought.

‘What should I do?’

It seemed she really had become attached.

She didn’t know why, but whenever she thought of the baby’s corpse, her heart felt constricted. It must be related to this attachment. Could she really sever this bond within a week?

“Uhm—”

“…?”

“Mom—”

“…”

“Mom.”

She had been listening to the baby’s voice without much thought when she received an unexpected attack. Oel’s body stiffened.

It was as if she had been doused with cold water. This time, she hadn’t been thinking about anything in particular, but her heart inexplicably constricted.

Her feet had already reached the door, but Oel couldn’t even think of opening it, frozen in place as if rooted to the spot.

“…Lady Oel.”

“Uh-huh… Let’s go in.”

The moment she heard the baby’s words, she realized.

I can’t abandon this baby. In other words, I can’t turn a blind eye and pretend not to notice its impending death.

I have to save it. I still don’t know why, but I know for sure that if this baby dies, I will regret it for the rest of my life.

She opened the door. Derniban’s gaze fixed on her sharply, as if sensing something, but she ignored it, went inside, and first put the baby down.

The baby, who had been quiet all along, finally started toddling around the spacious room. Watching its precarious gait, something suddenly dawned on her.

“…It’s just a baby who’s just started walking.”

“…”

The words burst out reflexively.

“It’s too young.” Even though he must have heard her added words, Derniban remained silent.

Oel hadn’t expected an answer, so she sat down without another word and pondered. She had decided to save it, so she needed to think.

—How can I smuggle the baby out?

‘The easiest way would be to get an accomplice, but is there anyone I can ask for help…?’

“…No one.”

The humans in Demon King’s castle, her last resort, had all gone on an expedition with Sir Deon. Even if they hadn’t gone and she could have gotten help, Sir Deon wouldn’t have stood idly by.

He was very sensitive to his subordinates being in danger. It would be fortunate if he just tried to smooth things over, or if he didn’t get angry and try to harm the baby himself.

‘In that case, it seems I’ll have to handle this alone…’

“…No, wait. Thinking about it, I’m not entirely alone.”

She lifted her eyes. Her gaze met Derniban’s, who was still standing silently and looking at her.

“Derniban.”

“Yes, Lady Oel.”

“…”

He is a loyal ally on my side. My adjutant, and my lover. Others might say he follows me so faithfully because I’m his superior, but my instincts as a legion commander tell me that’s not it.

I dare to be certain. If he were forced to choose between me and Lord Demon King, he would choose me.

‘But that’s precisely why he won’t support my current choice.’

Because I’m deliberately choosing a dangerous path when there’s a safer option.

Instinct told her. I mustn’t ask for help directly. If I do, that man will mercilessly kill the baby, even if it earns him my resentment.

So, I have to take a roundabout approach.

To make it impossible for him to refuse, to lay the groundwork in advance. To slowly tighten the encirclement.

“About the baby. It seems Trober found it, confirmed its connection to me, and took it to Lord Demon King, right?”

“…”

“How did he find out, I wonder?”

“Let me reiterate.”

Oel was curious, but she wasn’t stupid.

***

Her adjutant spoke. He said it was probably his fault. That his tail had been caught, so to speak. That when they came out after seeing the baby, he had felt a gaze.

He confessed even to having dismissed it as his imagination and apologized. He said he had nothing to say even if he died.

As his lover, she said. It’s okay. I’m not going to kill you. I’m not even angry with you, let alone going to punish you, so please raise your head.

“Instead.”

“I have a favor to ask.”

She cupped her lover’s cheeks with both hands, made him lift his head, and smiled as she met his eyes.

“You’ll grant it, won’t you?”

Having committed a sin, it would be difficult to refuse.

Derniban, realizing that where he stood was a sticky swamp, fell silent. His eyes, which always seemed unwavering, seemed to waver slightly.

***

“No.”

“It’s a request.”

“Still, no.”

Even if he had sinned, this was too much.

It wasn’t for his own sake. This was the worst choice for his superior, Oel, so unusually, a lengthy explanation followed.

“Do you realize what you’re saying right now? Asking me to hide the baby—that’s a direct defiance of Lord Demon King’s orders.”

“I’m not asking you to hide it. I’m asking you to abandon it in the Human Realm.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

As if sensing the unusual atmosphere, the baby whimpered and snuggled into her arms. Oel patted the baby’s back and said.

“I’ll take responsibility.”

“Do I look like I’m worried about my own safety right now?”

“Then are you worried about me?”

“…”

If worrying about the inefficient situation of losing a legion commander because of a single baby is included, then you could say I’m worried.

Derniban, who had been silently watching her with an unwavering demeanor, opened his mouth again. As if dismissing her previous statement as unheard, he naturally skipped over it and returned to the initial topic.

“In any case, no.”

“But.”

“No.”

“…”

At his iron-wall attitude, Oel hung her head low.

A flicker of bewilderment crossed Derniban’s eyes at the reaction, which was completely different from what he had expected—that she would insist. A brief silence came and went, and just as it was about to leave again, she lifted her head.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Really, no?”

“…”

“Even though this is the price for your carelessness?”

If this request was the price for not getting angry and not being punished, she was about to ask him to punish her instead. If it were normally, she would have said so without hesitation.

However, Derniban froze at Oel’s tears, which he was seeing for the first time in his life.