----------------------------------------

Late that night

Ray paced around his room, biting his nails. He was already through with his thumb and was now chewing on his index finger.

“Issac’s a fucking 『Demon Lord』! How the fuck can a human be a 『Demon Lord』!? That retard, Ethan!” Ray stomped in anger, “It won’t be all sunshine and rainbows. Does he really think the Queen will just fucking accept it? No, she won’t. She’ll fucking kill him. And once she’s done, won’t she suspect us of hiding a 『Demon Lord』? She won’t dare kill us, no; the human side’s morale will take a dive if she does that. But she’s the queen. She has no end to the amount of shit she can do to make our life difficult.”

Ray stopped walking around and sat down on the sofa. His head felt hot like he had overused it. He wanted to stop thinking, but the mountain of worries did not let him. He wanted to sleep, but the bleak future kept him awake.

As his mind raced again, he hunched over, “We need to make Issac leave. Or else he’ll get killed or worse I’ll….” His thoughts were interrupted by a series of knocks on the door.

Ray looked up at the door and said, “Come in.” The door opened quietly, and a figure slipped in. There she was. Beryl had come, in a different negligee but with wine again. But this time- Ray was neither shocked nor was he in the mood.

“Hello, Ray. This time you’re awake.” Beryl spoke softly.

Ray greeted her curtly, “Beryl.”

“Why so cold?” Beryl walked over and took a seat next to him. Her alluring scent tickled his nose. It was a calmer scent, like the mild aroma of a flower.

Ray said nothing and only looked at the bottle of wine in her hand. He needed one right now to calm his nerves.

Beryl followed his gaze and giggled, “You’re eager!” She uncorked the wine and poured the wine into two wine glasses and handed one to Ray. And under her shocked gaze, he downed the wine in one swing.

Raising the glass towards her, he asked, “Got more?” Beryl’s expression couldn’t hide her shock, but she regained her composure and smiled charmingly.

She poured him another glass and saw him down it immediately. However, as impressed as she was, her expression carried worry when he leaned his head on the sofa's backrest and closed his eyes with a sigh. The strong scent of the alcohol and the fruitiness of the wine came out of his mouth.

Beryl took a sip from her own glass and set it down. She put a hand on his thigh and asked, “What’s the matter, Ray?”

Ray kept quiet. Beryl did not push him. She refilled his glass and waited patiently. She knew that Ray would tell her sooner or later.

Ray took slowly opened his eyes and looked at the glass full of wine in front of him. His face had already started reddening, yet he still decided to gulp down the wine. He wanted the wine to make him fall asleep as soon as she could.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

“You look worried about something, Ray,” Beryl spoke calmly, “Would you like to talk about it?”

Her words, tone, and worried look stirred something in him. He found words spilling out from his mouth unwillingly, “I…It’s just- I feel like it could all come crashing down on us.”

“What could?”

Ray hesitated. He struggled to string his words together, “W-What if…one of us is something…something they’re not supposed to be?”

“I don’t understand, Ray. But-” she held her chin and put on a thoughtful expression, “-if someone’s not something they’re supposed to be then…wouldn’t they be culled?”

Her calm and feminine voice sent shivers down his spine. Those words held no malice in them, but they were much more menacing. He looked at her- her half-open eyes, soft breath, and flushed cheeks made her nothing less than a temptress. Her negligee was loose, giving way for him to see a pair of things he had a good experience with.

“So, what’s the matter? What can be so stressful to make our Ray like this?” she spoke in a cutesy tone, but it didn’t feel out of place.

Ray swallowed his saliva and looked into her eyes. Her pink irises seemed to glow softly. Like fireflies dancing in the night, they looked captivating.

“Issac, he…is a 『Demon Lord』,” the words he swore to take to his grave this morning flowed out like water from his lips. Perhaps, he never really wanted to keep this secret anymore. He wanted an out. Ray knew the feeling of being buried under a mountain of worries all too well. And he didn’t want to experience it again, not in this world. An inkling of doubt rose in his mind asking him what he was doing and whether it was right or not. However, Beryl’s gentle hand caressed his thighs and then went up to his groin. The warmth eased him as well as slowly but surely lit a fire in him. He once again felt entranced by her every gesture.

Despite hearing such astonishing news, Beryl’s expression remained unchanged. She put a finger on his lips and tugged at it before asking, “Is that so…?”

“…you’re not freaked out?”

“Well, you’re freaked out enough for the both of us, so, me doing it would be redundant,” she smiled plainly. “But you should really tell her highness.”

Ray tensed up when the Queen was mentioned. Beryl sighed and placed a hands on her lap, “Her majesty is…not someone who would like a Demon living under her roof. She hates 『Demon Lords』 with a burning passion. However-” seeing Ray become more and more crestfallen, she offered him a way out, “-there’s a way for Issac to not get killed and you and your friends to not live under the suspecting eyes of her highness.”

“There is?” a slight twinkle of hope flashed in Ray’s eyes.

Beryl nodded and said, “You have to tell her majesty first thing tomorrow morning. And if she offers to kill Issac, you have to disagree. All four of you must oppose her decisions. You guys are 『Heroes』. You guys have great influence even if you’re just fledglings. It’s more than likely her majesty would give in. After all, no ruler would want to be on the bad side of the people saving their kingdom.”

Ray thought for a while, and he began to like the idea more and more. “Y-Yeah, I mean it’s a goo- a great idea! Issac doesn’t die, and we don’t get on the Queen’s bad side. A-And it’s not like I have a choice anymore.” He secretly glanced at Beryl, “Now that she knows- the Queen’s bound to find out sooner or later. So, I should tell her myself.”

Ray exhaled deeply. With resolute eyes, he said, “I’ll do as you say. I just hope the Queen doesn’t punish Issac too much.”

“Don’t worry; her highness is quite the lenient woman.” She came in close and gently blew in his ear.

“Stop,” Ray moved his ear away with a smile on his face.

“My, I didn’t know you were so ticklish.”

“Well-” Ray inched closer to her, “-you’ll know more about me pretty soon.”

----------------------------------------