Chapter 8

“Did she fall asleep just to listen to her heart go thump-thump again?”

“No, this time she said she wanted to hear boop-boop and ba-dump instead.”

The couple whispered so as not to wake Lirian.

Resa chuckled softly at her daughter’s ever-growing collection of cute little words. She turned off all the lights except the lamp by the bed. A gentle glow wrapped around the couple and their child.

“Our sweet little one.”

Rustle—

Resa lifted the blanket and tucked it around Lirian.

“So innocent, so adorable, so precious.”

She gazed at her daughter, who was fast asleep, breathing softly—fuuu, fuuu. The little mound under the blanket where Lirian lay rose like a tiny hill. It was too lovely for words.

Resa kissed her daughter’s plump cheek, then turned to Caesar.

“What do you think happened to her?”

“….”

“It’s sad to say, but… children don’t stay children forever.”

No, they didn’t.
One day they grew tall, left their parents’ arms, and learned from the wide world.

“But Lirian…”

“She still seems so small, doesn’t she?”

Even though she claimed to have lived to twenty-five and come back, their daughter was still every bit the five-year-old child before them.

It was both comforting—and deeply strange.

Caesar’s eyes grew serious in the dim light as he looked down at her.

“…It doesn’t feel like simple regression.”

Yes, to parents, children always looked young, no matter how old. But even so, there were limits.

Lirian didn’t act like a grown woman at all.
From the way she talked, to the way she thought, to her mannerisms—she was unmistakably a pure child.

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that Lirian is still our beloved daughter.”

Caesar stroked her gently when she whimpered in her sleep.

“Our child, the one we must protect, cherish, and help grow.”

“You’re right. Whatever she went through before, this time we’ll help her overcome it.”

The two smiled at each other.

Then their smiles deepened, eyes softening as they leaned closer…

“Cael.”

“Resa.”

And just as history was about to be made—

“Eeehhng…!”

Slap!

A tiny hand popped up between them and smacked Caesar right across the mouth.

Slap slap! The little fingers patted his lips firmly, breaking the mood in an instant.

Caesar’s face fell into despair.

“Liri, you’re awake?”

“Fuu… fuu…”

“Shh, all right. Go back to sleep, sweetheart.”

“Eeehng!”

Caesar soothed his whining daughter with practiced skill.
Even as he did, he muttered gloomily:

“…We need to raise her well so she can move out early.”

He loved her dearly, but sometimes—just sometimes—he wished for private time.

Resa giggled at her younger husband’s sulky face.

“Oh really? I’m curious—what fine young man will come take our Lirian away one day?”

Caesar froze, hand halfway through tucking her little arm back under the blanket.

“…Take her away? What do you mean?”

“When she grows up, she’ll fall in love. And if she finds someone she truly cares about, she’ll marry him.”

Resa could see his jaw trembling.

Through gritted teeth, he growled:

“That’s far too soon… At least seventy years of observation. Then another fifty to see if he treats her well. And maybe after another thirty, I’ll decide.”

One hundred and fifty years—long enough for bones to crumble to dust. But he meant it.

His blue eyes glinted dangerously in the dark.

Five years into being a doting father, the so-called Demon King realized he was nowhere near ready to let his precious daughter go.

Move out? Over my dead body!

Especially after hearing that some so-called prince had “kept” her for eight years in her past life. Who was taking who, exactly?!

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not your choice. It’s hers.”

“But she’s still too young to know—”

“These days, kids know more than you think.”

“She’s just a child. She can’t know what love is…”

Resa cut him off.

“Oh, don’t even. You were a kid yourself when you fell for me.”

Caesar’s eyes went wide.

“T-that—ugh…”

He groaned low.

And Resa struck the final blow.

“Besides, who knows? Maybe she already has someone in her heart.”

Caesar looked completely shattered. Resa laughed softly, cupping his face.

“I know. No matter what, you’ll do right by her.”

“….”

“Because that’s the kind of man you are.”

He groaned, leaning into her touch.

“When you say things like that… how can I do anything else?”

In the faint light, their shadows overlapped—first polite, then increasingly passionate.

Meanwhile, their daughter, sandwiched between them, flailed her little fists against her father’s chest.

“Eeehhng!”

Slap slap!

Stay away! Stay away!

For the record, in her dream, she was bravely fighting off a monstrous abyssal fish trying to eat her beloved chicken.

Thump-thump-thump.

Today was the day!

“It’s hide-and-seek day!”

Hands on her hips, Lirian announced proudly.

Seran tilted his head and patted her hair.

“…Weren’t you going to the palace?”

“Yep! Same thing!”

“Then be careful.”

“Hey, shorty! Bring back melon sherbet!”

Lirian nodded confidently.

“Leave it to me!”

She hopped into the carriage with all the grace of a tiny rabbit. Caesar, who’d meant to lift her up, sheepishly lowered his hands and climbed in after.

“Then, we’ll be off.”

“Travel safely.”

Clunk. The carriage door shut. With enchantments speeding its wheels, it surged forward.

Lirian immediately pressed her nose to the window, fogging the glass with her breath.

Adventure!

Her heart pounded at the thought of leaving the Demon King’s Castle—er, the ducal mansion—for a real adventure.

Friendship!

All adventures came with friendship. She blushed, remembering the puppet show Rose’s very first journey as the Moonlight Witch.

Maybe she’d make a new friend too!

And finally…

Love!

Her little legs swung with excitement.

Caesar beamed at the sight. If he knew his daughter was chanting the holy trinity of “childhood adventure clichés”—adventure, friendship, and love—he’d have turned the carriage around instantly.

Thankfully, he didn’t.

“Daddy, are we riding all the way to the capital like this?”

“For ordinary people, yes.”

“Eh?”

He chuckled, gently pinching her cheek.

“But if we did, my princess would get restless and jump out.”

At that moment, the carriage stopped.

“We’ve arrived at the Mage Tower, Your Grace.”

They had been on the road for one minute.

Lirian found herself lifted into Caesar’s arms and set down outside.

“Welcome, Duke Ersioni.”

“Thank you for coming.”

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes. A private chamber is prepared. This way, please.”

In an instant, the doting father turned into the cold, imposing Duke. With stately steps, Caesar entered the Mage Tower.

Yes—the Mage Tower.

This was why the leader of the noble faction, Duke Ersioni, could remain at his provincial estate instead of living in the capital.

Here lay the pinnacle of ancient teleportation magic.

Whoooosh!

Light flared, and in the blink of an eye, the capital unfolded before Lirian’s eyes.

“…Where’s my adventure? My friendship? My love?!”

Her face crumpled.

Sadly, she didn’t yet realize that with only three days scheduled, there wouldn’t be time for much of anything.

Lirian Ersioni, age five.

On this day, she learned a bitter truth.

In this world, romance and adventure had long since died.