The Demon King' Chapter 229: Mira's Warnings

"Zenkhald," she began.

But Alastia didn't have ti to finish.

The door swung open so sharply that it hit the wall. Mira strode into the room—with a face that looked like she was about to either save the world or deliver a very long lecture. More likely the latter.

Alastia quickly straightened up.

"Mira?.."

"Alastia, listen here," she said imdiately, not wasting a single second. "Zenkhald is not allowed to drink alcoholic beverages or smoke. Even though he doesn't like it, if he suddenly gets used to it—he won't be able to kick the habit later. And he won't be able to quit."

"Hey—"

Mira abruptly poked a finger at .

"Be quiet."

I closed my mouth in offense.

"Make sure he doesn't play gambling gas," she continued as if reading a list of particularly dangerous natural disasters. "He is very unlucky and doesn't know how to stop. Make sure he changes his clothes more often. He can walk around in the sa thing for years. Make sure he isn't recorded or marked down unnecessarily—a little stealth won't hurt him. Make sure he doesn't fall asleep just anywhere. And don't give him too much sweet stuff."

I opened my mouth again.

Mira didn't even turn her head.

"I said: be quiet."

And she continued.

For a whole five minutes.

No, seriously—five.

She managed to list that I shouldn't sit on cold stone for a long ti, that I can forget to eat if I'm busy with sothing, that sotis I stare at one point for too long and it "doesn't always an he's thinking, sotis he just zoned out," that I shouldn't be allowed to disappear for a few days without explanation, and that if I suddenly beco too quiet, it's worse than if I start spouting nonsense non-stop.

Alastia honestly tried to listen seriously at first.

Then her lips began to tremble.

Then a very familiar gleam appeared in her eyes.

I, anwhile, sat there with the face of a person who had just been handed over for use along with care instructions.

"...and also," Mira finished, throwing a brief glance at , "if he says that 'everything is fine,' it almost always ans that nothing is fine, but he doesn't want to explain."

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After that, she finally fell silent.

It beca quiet in the room.

Mira looked first at Alastia, then at .

"Good luck to you," she said.

Judging by the tone, not to .

Then she turned around and left just as quickly as she had entered.

The door closed.

There was complete silence for a few seconds.

And then Alastia couldn't hold it in and laughed.

Not quietly. Not politely. For real.

She bent over, covered her mouth with her hand, and laughed so sincerely that I couldn't even really get offended.

"What's so funny?" I asked gloomily.

"Nothing," she said, still laughing. "Nothing at all. It's just... it was very touching. You were literally handed over to

with a full list of maintenance rules."

"Wonderful," I grumbled. "I always dread of becoming a rare, problematic beast."

Alastia sat closer, still with a smile.

"So, you can't have milk?"

I looked at her suspiciously.

"Where did you even get that from?"

"Well," she said innocently. "Since you have such a strong addiction to sweets, maybe it's the sa with milk? You drink a mug—and that's it, you're a goner. You'll be running around looking for a cow later."

"Nothing of the sort."

"Strange," Alastia drew out. "People usually don't drink milk anyway. It's almost like poison for you. Only children drink it."

It was said with such mocking calmness that I imdiately understood: she wouldn't let it go.

"Yeah, laugh it up," I said, narrowing my eyes. "And the addiction is really no joke."

"Oh?" her eyebrows rose higher. "So I guessed right?"

"I didn't say you guessed right."

"But you didn't say I was wrong, either."

"Because I'm not obligated to justify myself to you."

"So, I guessed right."

I sighed heavily.

"I told you: laugh it up."

Alastia smiled even wider, clearly pleased with herself.

I leaned back and muttered, more to myself:

"Fortunately, I haven't tried it yet in this cycle."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Zenkhald."

"What?"

"You just said a very suspicious phrase."

"And you are looking at

very suspiciously right now."

"Because it's starting to seem to

that Mira didn't co early enough."

"Traitor," I muttered. "One left, and the other imdiately took her side."

"I haven't taken anyone's side yet," Alastia said affectionately. "I'm just trying to understand if I need to hide the milk from you."

I slowly turned my head toward her.

"Just try it."

"Oh, so I do need to after all."

"Alastia."

"Hmm?"

"That would be very cruel on your part."

She laughed again—quieter this ti—and moved closer.

"Alright, I won't."

"Really?"

"If you behave yourself."

"You see," I said with deep sadness. "Just this morning I had a wife. And now, it seems, I have a warden."

"Not true," she said softly. "I can be both."

"That's even more frightening."

She poked

in the shoulder with her finger.

"And anyway, don't make that face. It's useful for

to know who I'm living with."

"You already know."

"No," she objected. "Now I know more. For example, that you can't be left near a bottle, cards, sugar, the sa cloak... and, apparently, milk."

"I'm starting to regret that I didn't run away earlier."

"This is a marriage, you know."

I fell silent.

She looked at

with that exact little smile that sohow always made

feel calm and awkward at the sa ti.

"Well?" Alastia asked.

"Nothing."

"Then why are you looking at

like that?"

"Thinking."

"It's bad for you to think."

"Agreed."

She quietly chuckled and rested her head on my shoulder, still smiling.

"Alright," she said. "Don't worry. I won't take the milk away from you for now."

"For now?"

"For now."

"That sounds ominous."

"As it should."

I sighed, but didn't argue anymore.

To be honest, after all this sudden lecture from Mira, after Alastia's laughter and her stubborn, warm presence nearby, it all felt... strangely cozy.

Very strange. And very cozy.

As if soone was truly looking after

now. As if I was finally allowed not to be alone all the ti.

And, probably, that is exactly why I only grumbled:

"Don't touch the milk anyway."

Alastia buried her face in my shoulder and laughed quietly.

"We'll see, Zenkhald. We'll see."