During the past few months at Starlight Mansion, I have seen many people.
And those people relentlessly shattered my understanding and values about humanity.
The Duchess, the head of the Starlight family and Frey's mother. Her husband, Abraham, and Frey's sister, Aria.
And even the kind servants.
Except for a few servants, everyone was as kind as Frey.
To the point where I misunderstood that humans might actually be kind.
Of course, that misunderstanding was quickly dispelled when I accidentally went out to the streets with Frey and saw the true nature of the nobles.
Those bastards… I should have beaten them more.
Still, from that incident, I learned that Frey was in the highest class among humans. Even the Emperor of the humans couldn't treat his family lightly.
Anyway, despite seeing so many people, so left the strongest impression on my mind.
They were none other than Frey's friends.
Coincidentally, they were all 'female' friends.
"Y-Young Master. It's ti for breakfast."
"Thank you!"
"If there's anything else you need..."
"It's fine. I'm satisfied as long as Kania is by my side."
Kania, the family's butler, was characterized by her black hair and suit.
She was a sly cat with a slightly shady side.
"... Still, could you please order ?"
"Huh?"
Since the day I hinted to Kania that Frey was sharing his life force with her, she has been blushing and trying to serve him excessively.
Well, since he saved her life and forgave her, it was sowhat understandable.
For now, it was still cute because she was young, but later on, it would obviously beco an obsession.
She was a shady kid, after all.
Should I just stop the life-support research I'm doing with Frey?
"Frey! Today... Oh."
"...I-I feel an evil presence!"
Anyway, it was already surprising that Frey had the strongest warlock in history as his friend and butler, but even more remarkable beings appeared.
"That’s rude! Miss Ruby is my benefactor!"
"..."
The Third Princess of the Empire, Clana, and the Second Saintess, Ferloche.
Those two girls, who look exactly like the ones who harassed my father a thousand years ago, also showed deep affection for Frey.
"Frey... this place is uncomfortable. Let's go to the secret hideout and catch so fish..."
"Irina! Say hello! This is my benefactor, Ruby!"
"...Hick."
But the most shocking of all was the little mage nad Irina, whom Frey brought to the mansion one day, claiming she was his childhood friend.
"D-D-D-D-D-Demon... And a pureblood..."
- Kid, be quiet.
"Eeeeekkk!"
I never imagined he would even befriend such a being. Just what was Frey's true identity?
- If you reveal my identity, I will reveal yours too, kid.
"...!"
- Behave yourself.
She tried to reveal my identity in front of the servants, so I silenced her with ntal transmission.
- Y-you're a descendant of the Demon King, right?
"Hmm."
Seeing her instantly copying my telepathic magic, it seed my guess was correct. They really were troubleso beings.
"Ruby...! When I grow up, I want to marry Ruby!"
"Hmm..."
Anyway, among all the people I t, Irina was the most unexpected, but the most troubleso person was soone else.
"Don't talk nonsense..."
"You...?"
It was none other than…
"What did you just say...?"
"...Serena? Are you visiting again today?"
It was Serena, who, after witnessing him sticking close to a few days ago, began to occasionally monitor both and him.
.
.
.
.
.
"If I didn't mishear, you definitely said..."
"I will marry Ruby when I grow up!"
"...!"
Serena, who had been pressuring Frey with a gloomy expression, looked dumbfounded at Frey's cheerful words.
I had figured out the type of girl Serena was from the beginning.
A typical black-hearted scher and strategist.
In the Starlight Mansion, where it seed all the good people of the Empire gathered, she was the only type I felt I understood the most.
“Y-You can’t do that!”
"Why?"
"Y-You have to marry !"
And seeing such a dark-hearted girl being swayed by an innocent kitten was quite a rare sight.
"Do you not like ?"
"No! I like Serena too!"
"Who is your fiancée?"
"It's Serena!"
"So, you have to marry , right? Marrying soone else would be cowardly, you know?"
"...Huh."
Frey, who had been cuddling up to as usual, opened his mouth in shock at those words.
Maybe his parents hadn't explained it to him in detail because he was still young. Or was it because the engagent was politically motivated?
In any case, it was clear that he was too young to get engaged or even understand it properly.
"And Ruby doesn't like your actions either."
"D-Does she dislikes it?"
But, that was just Frey's perspective.
Serena, who was glaring at with her face partially covered by a fan, clearly understood what an engagent ant and seed to be sincere about it.
This brat seed to have good fortune with won.
"Yes! I've been stalkin– I an, observing for a few days now, and Ruby keeps saying she doesn't like it."
"U-Ugh..."
But why am I starting to get a bit heated at those words?
It was not like I liked Frey or anything, and it has nothing to do with anyway...
"Showing affection to soone who dislikes it is bad. So apologize quickly."
"...S-Sorry, Ruby. I-I didn't know."
Pressed by Serena, Frey looked at apologetically and bowed his head in apology.
"Hmm."
Sohow, this situation seed to be getting weird.
"I-I won't do it again. S-So don't leave , okay?"
W-Well, this was how it should be. I hate humans.
If I keep getting attached to him, it might derail my original plan.
"So, now co to . You can show affection to as much as you want. I like Frey."
"...Okay!"
So this should be right...
- Swoosh, swoosh...
"Hahaha."
But why did it make so angry to see Frey clinging to that cunning little girl and rubbing his cheek against her?
It was like watching a stray cat I tad cozy up to soone else.
It was definitely not jealousy, it wasn’t that kind of petty emotion.
- If I take Frey and run away, can you stop ?
But it was also enough to provoke such a childish challenge with ntal transmission out of spite from .
"You..."
“..."
- Beep beep! Beep beep!
"Huh."
As I was engaged in this childish staring contest with the girl who dared to steal my kitten, suddenly a communication crystal in her pocket started to ring.
"U-Ugh..."
"Serena?"
Serena's face turned pale, and she began to panic. anwhile, Frey, who had been rubbing his cheek against hers, started to look puzzled.
"F-Frey, I think I need to go now..."
"All of a sudden?"
"Y-Yes. Sothing urgent ca up..."
Serena said this with an anxious expression on her face.
"I-I'll be back soon. So..."
- Beep beep beep beep!
"S-See you later!"
Trying to maintain a composed expression, Serena hurriedly ran out of the room as the communication crystal in her pocket rang loudly.
"U-ugh..."
Listening closely, I could hear her pained groans.
I could feel it… a cold aura emanated from her; perhaps she had been cursed?
"Hey, Ruby. Can I ask you a favor?"
"Hmm?"
I was pouting, thinking she deserved it.
But, as soon as Serena left, Frey's expression turned cold, and he whispered to .
"I want to save Serena."
"..."
Those were the words that ca out of his mouth.
Once again, he was doing sothing foolish with a serious expression.
"I'll do anything you want, just this once, won't you lend your strength...?"
"No."
This ti, I really didn't want to get involved.
"I-I'll let you kill later! Just until I can drink with my dad–"
"I said no."
That ti was just out of curiosity.
There was no way I'd help a human, whom I despise.
"Ruby... please."
"Get lost."
Besides, I'm the Demon King who would raze the world.
They would all die by my hand eventually, so what was the big deal if they died a little early...
"Y-You don't like this either..."
"...Hmm."
"S-Sorry... Ruby. Hehe."
While I was thinking that, Frey scratched his head with an embarrassed expression and started heading towards the exit.
"... I'm going to visit Serena's house tonight."
"What?"
"I-I'll be back by tomorrow morning. Can you tell my mom and dad? Ruby?"
After saying that, he walked out.
"..."
For so reason, cold sweat started to run down my back.
I had a bad feeling.
It felt like sothing was about to happen.
"Hmm, hmm."
Maybe I should take a walk.
.
.
.
.
.
"...Ha."
While taking a walk, I 'coincidentally' discovered Frey entering the Moonlight Mansion and decided to follow him. What I witnessed was truly a spectacle.
"F-Frey! Why did you do this...!!"
"Hehe, you found out... As expected, Serena, you're too smart."
Frey, along with the head of the Moonlight family, was about to place a 'Curse of Subordination’ on Serena.
At first, I couldn't understand what he was doing.
But he burned through 90 years of his own lifespan to nearly neutralize the curse.
Without this action, Serena would have beco a soulless puppet today.
"Ugh... I'm so sleepy..."
"No!! Frey!!!"
As a result, Frey now had less than 10 years to live.
Hmm.
It felt unpleasant.
The kitten I barely saved was now about to die after getting hit by a carriage.
"...Crack."
Then, I just had to smash that carriage.
"W-who are you!"
Thinking that, I teleported to the lord’s office in the Moonlight mansion and started glaring at the repulsive lord of the family.
"Y-You... Frey's personal maid..."
- Bzzzt!
"Arrgh!!"
I easily severed his limbs and stomped on his face.
Then I questioned him in a cold voice.
"Why did you do this?"
"S-Spare ! If you let live, I'll help you rule this world–."
- Crunch!!
"Arrgh!!!"
- Because of you, my kitten got hurt.
- Answer the question.
"T-To rule... the world..."
"..."
I conveyed this through telepathy, and his answer was as ridiculous as it got.
This guy belonged to the type I hated the most in the world.
Soone who didn’t value their children even used them as tools.
- Crunch!!
"Arghhh!!!"
Disgusting.
It made want to vomit.
One of the Empire's highest nobles, and he turned out like this. The others were probably the sa.
Even Serena, being this bastard’s child…
She may not like that now, but when she grew up, she would likely be the sa.
Should I wipe out all humans after all?
"..."
"Haa."
With that thought in mind, I slowly crushed his face and killed him, then waved my finger to erase all evidence before stepping outside.
-Kill… humans...
"..."
-Burn the world…
The unpleasant voice of a woman that started to haunt my dreams recently ca into mind.
I thought it might not be a bad idea to start the invasion tomorrow.
"Sob, sob... Ugh..."
What stopped my steps was Serena, clutching the chilling, lifeless body of Frey and crying her eyes out.
"Why did you do it..."
"Move aside."
"Huh?"
For so reason, I found myself pushing Serena aside and placing my hand on his chest.
- Shhaaa...
A re 90 years of lifespan was but a blink of an eye for a demon.
Having been sealed for a thousand years, 90 years was nothing.
"Cough!!"
As I thought that, blood spurted from my mouth.
Why was this happening all of a sudden?
"Ugh..."
My mind went blank.
Co to think of it, this body was a clone, with a lifespan the sa as a normal human.
If this body died, the true body would die too.
Am I really going to die in such a ridiculous and stupid way?
No, I didn’t want that...
"..."
But then again, dying here with this kid was better than being swayed by the voice that’s been haunting for days...
- Grab...!
"...Huh?"
As I was thinking that in my dazed state, soone grabbed my arm.
"Huff, huff..."
It was Serena.
She was holding my arm and transferring her lifespan to Frey.
What? Is she crazy?
"Let go, human. Your lifespan will be absorbed by this boy."
"I know."
I tried to shake her off, but she only gripped my arm tighter.
"Frey saved my life."
With tears streaming down her face, Serena spoke.
"Let share the burden too."
For a mont, I felt like I'd been hit over the head with a hamr.
This girl, the offspring of a scumbag worse than demons or those warlocks.
And she was saying that?
- Shaaaa...
"Sob."
The draining of my lifespan stopped, and Serena's began to flow out instead.
She realized what was happening and looked slightly terrified, but she never let go of my arm.
- Shhaaaaa...
Thus, Frey's lifespan was replenished, half with mine, and half with Serena's.
"Humans are... strange."
Just before losing consciousness due to the strain of casting high-level magic, that was what I thought.
"The parents are evil... but the children are kind... Even scumbags understand love..."
"Y-You...?"
"As expected... I need to observe more."
When I woke up, Frey and Serena were staring down at in the Starlight mansion.
.
.
.
.
.
From that day on, Serena and I beca friends.
Since we both contributed equally to Frey's recovery, we decided to acknowledge each other and move forward.
"But rember, I'm the main wife! Keep that in mind!"
"As you wish."
"I know you're just pretending to be indifferent. But you can't fool !"
"..."
Of course, we had our share of minor quarrels.
"Let's make a bet! Whoever wins the bet will concede gracefully."
"...Sigh."
"The first bet is who Frey's first love is! How about it? Are you in?"
To sum it up, the first bet ended in a draw.
While Serena was the first to confess her feelings to Frey,
I was his first love.
"Hmph..."
"T-This is a draw! I almost won, but I'll let it be a tie just this once!"
It was obvious who actually won, but since Serena was on the verge of tears, I let it be a tie.
Anyway, I didn't have any particular feelings for him, so it didn't matter to .
"Really? Can I rub my cheeks with you again? Hehe, thanks! Rubyyy!"
"E-Eek..."
Of course, I only allowed Frey to get close to to annoy the pretentious Serena.
Probably.
When would my true body be able to move again? I needed to fully replenish the lifespan of my self-proclaid first friend.
"Today's bet is a cooking competition!"
"L-Let's all practice cooking more. Today's bet will be a sewing contest!"
"Today's bet is..."
After that, ti passed quite quickly.
I engaged in these ‘bets’ with the cunning Serena out of re ‘curiosity’.
"W-Who... are you really?"
"Ruby is so strong! Even Isolet lost!"
"N-no, I'm still... Geuhh."
Under the guise of sparring, I had a workout with a suspicious-looking female knight nad Isolet, who seed to have an odd glint in her eye.
I later learned she was Frey's older sister next door, but her eyes seed suspicious no matter how I looked at them. She might need further observation.
"W-Who... are you...?"
"I'm just curious. It's rare to find good parents these days."
In addition, I spent my ti enjoying a variety of pastis, such as rescuing Frey's friend Clana’s mother for fun, and ‘scolding’ mbers of the Church who kept wandering around when they sensed my energy.
"Rubyy! This is really, really delicious!"
"For soone who likes wheat bread, you sure enjoy that."
"You're one to talk, liking rye bread."
Like eating ice cream with Frey.
"Look, Rubyy! It's a love story between the Demon King and the Hero!"
"..."
"Shall we go see it?"
"Y-yes. Let's do that."
Like going to the theater with Frey.
"Don't move! Hand over everything you've got!"
"...That's what happened."
"W-What? Frey...?"
Sotis I even invaded Irina's secret hideout.
"Lady Saintess! I have soone I like, but I don't know what to do..."
"W-W-Who is it? Just whisper it to ..."
- Twitch, twitch...
"...Just kidding!"
"Oh, co on. That’s too much!"
... This cheeky brat.
Or I would eavesdrop on Frey's confessions when he intruded into Ferloche's confessional booth.
"Ruby, it's already been a year since we t..."
"Whatever."
"Thank you, Ruby. My mom is all better now, Serena and Clana are looking so much happier these days. It's all thanks to you."
"... Let go of my hand."
"I really, really like you, Ruby."
"... Ugh."
We would sotis quietly look up at the night sky, holding hands.
But that was just for fun. I didn't consider it as a mory.
"... Ti really flies, doesn't it?"
Ti passed, and before I knew it, the unforgettable day had arrived.
"Indeed, Ruby."
"The kid has grown a lot."
Frey, who used to follow around and call with a cute voice, was now old enough to attend an educational institution called Sunrise Academy.
Although to , a demon, he still looked like a cute little kitten.
It's ti to go.
That was from my perspective as a demon with a dull sense of ti. From a human's perspective, it was clear a lot of ti had passed.
Yes, it was ti for to leave.
When the little kitten left with Serena and his friends to the academy, there would be no reason for to stay at the mansion any longer.
- Burn the world...
"Tch."
And lately, that voice has been getting worse. Leaving this brat’s side seed like the right thing to do.
But what should I do once I leave here?
Well, first...
"Frey, I have sothing to–"
"Ruby, I have sothing to tell you."
I was about to say my goodbyes when Frey interrupted .
How insolent. A human daring to interrupt this noble...
"Co to the academy with ."
"...Huh?"
As I was about to get angry, I frowned as Frey grabbed my shoulder with a serious expression I hadn't seen in a long ti.
"...No."
"If you don't co, I'm not going to the academy."
"Do as you please, I'm leaving."
"You're my maid though, who said you could?"
"... Sigh, and how do you plan to enroll soone without status?"
I answered curtly, and Frey, looking pitiful, pressed his cheek to mine and began whispering.
"I still like you, Ruby."
"...!"
My pupils dilated upon hearing that.
"So, beco my servant."
- Thump, thump...!
At the sa ti, my heart began to race wildly.
This is a sickness.
It had to be a sickness. I am a demon who can control my heartbeat at will.
Why is my heart beating uncontrollably?
Could this be...
No, I'm a demon. I can't feel such emotions...
"If you leave, I'll send people to track you. I can do that now."
"How dare you. A re human..."
His playful whispers continued to invade my ears. I tried to scold him as usual, but my voice grew softer and softer.
"Let's get along at the academy too, okay?"
What a strange thing.
Since when did the little kitten turn into a wolf?
"Huh?"
"..."
At this rate, I might get devoured.
.
.
.
.
.
A few minutes later, Ruby was left alone in her room.
"Caw! Caw!"
"...You’ve co. If you have sothing to say, speak in human language."
When a crow landed noisily on her window sill, Ruby, who had been staring blankly, slowly opened her mouth.
"Lord Demon King, did you deliver your farewell ssage? You should now join the Demon King's Army."
"..."
"Everyone is eagerly waiting for you! If you join us, we can conquer the world imdiately..."
"...I’m going to the academy."
"What!?"
The crow, who had been chattering excitedly, widened its eyes in surprise at Ruby’s words.
"Why on earth? The dissatisfaction within the Demon King’s Army is growing..."
"Hmph, and that's why you all fail. This is all part of my evil plan."
Ruby, who had slightly flinched at first, soon began to speak with a wicked smile.
"I've already practically secured two of the three greatest duchies of the Empire. And I have connections with the Saintess, the Third Princess, and that little wizard."
"..."
"If I go to the academy and expand my network further? I can gain control over half the Empire without even fighting! It’s the ultimate..."
"But can’t you defeat the Empire and everything else with just a flick of your finger?"
Ruby fell silent at those words.
"Honestly, just admit it. You're interested in that boy–"
"How dare you!"
"Well, anyone can see it... and that thing about the main wife competition or whatever. Even if you deny it, you've been grinding your teeth for years to keep it a tie with that purple haired girl..."
"I said no!"
Ruby shouted and then got up, striding across the room.
"... What are you doing now?"
"Packing. I need to prepare Frey's clothes."
"Why?"
"I'm his maid, aren’t I?"
"Haaah, really."
Hearing this, the crow sighed deeply, shook its head, and flew out.
"Toothbrush, check. He likes white and silver clothes, so extra outfits are a must. And underwear... ugh, hmm."
Ignoring the crow, Ruby began packing Frey's belongings without anyone asking her to.
"...Ruby."
Reality Frey, who had been watching her the whole ti, was now kneeling in front of her, tears streaming down his face.
"This was an unforgettable mory... but why..."
- S-Should I not pack the rye bread?
"Why on earth did I forget this...?"
- But he’s been eating it often lately...
"I'm sorry... Ruby..."
Unlike the little him who had just left the room, his hand rely passed through Ruby, stirring the empty air.
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