6
“Yeah. We can enter even if it’s not the main gate.”
He smiled and nodded.
Then he pinched the boy’s soft cheek.
I was surprised. It felt like soft rice cake.
“It hurts.”
He said it with a completely unhurt expression.
“Not very convincing. But wow… it’s really soft. This is addictive.”
“……I also have a lot of gold. Is one gold ring enough?”
“I will serve you properly, Your Highness.”
I immediately bowed before the gold.
“Good.”
But instead of a cold or mocking smile, he gave a playful one.
For a moment, my chest felt strange—like something was tickling it.
“What is it?”
“Ah… nothing.”
I swallowed and pretended nothing was wrong.
I ran forward, acting normal.
The small city, “Longterm,” was getting closer.
Inside the City
“That one?”
“Too small.”
“Then how about that one? It looks big.”
“Too dirty.”
“….”
Honestly, I felt like my patience was being tested.
After entering the city, I started looking for an inn first.
It didn’t look like “Amu” had taken control here, but moving carelessly was dangerous since we were being chased.
But this spoiled high-class kid was not cooperating at all.
“That inn looks decent.”
Finally, I heard something good and turned quickly.
But the building was overly flashy… and honestly looked cheap.
I asked in disbelief.
“Are you serious?”
“Is there a problem? I have money.”
The problem wasn’t money.
But I had a feeling explaining it wouldn’t help.
So I stayed quiet.
Idniss misunderstood and said:
“Don’t worry about money. I will cover all travel expenses.”
Right. That was also there.
So I asked casually.
“How much do you even have?”
“Enough gems to fill a whole carriage.”
My jaw dropped.
But I quickly recovered.
There was no way he really had that much while being chased like this.
“It’s in my pocket space. So don’t think anything weird.”
“I will serve you properly, Your Highness!”
We quickly entered the flashy inn.
Inside, it was even more shining and bright than expected.
It was antique-styled, but similar to a modern hotel.
We went to the front desk.
A woman with tied-up long hair smiled at us.
“How may I help you?”
“Do you have a room?”
“Of course. Here is the list. Please choose.”
She handed me a thin wooden board.
It had rough drawings and descriptions written in clear Korean.
I quickly checked it.
It was like a normal hotel list—room size, bed size, etc.
“We’ll take this one.”
But Idniss didn’t even look properly and pressed the top option.
It was the most expensive room with gold decorations.
I couldn’t hide my confusion.
“Are you serious?”
He raised one finger and scratched the air.
A dark smoke-like space opened—like storage magic.
I was shocked, and while I was distracted, the payment was completed.
“I will take two rooms. This one is mine. You choose another.”
I sighed and picked the closest room to his.
The clerk smiled brightly.
Clink.
I paid, and received the key.
Idniss refused guidance.
I looked at the key.
It looked like it could open a castle door somewhere.
“8th floor? That’s annoying.”
“Are you planning to walk up like an idiot?”
He pointed somewhere.
An elevator.
“It runs on magic stones. Just press this.”
I pressed the wooden button.
A light turned on.
It was a real elevator.
Just extremely slow.
So slow that walking might have been faster.
I held the slightly slipping boy properly and said:
“If you have so much money, wouldn’t one room be better? We might get attacked anytime.”
“Let me ask you. Are you really okay sharing a room?”
“What do you mean?”
“I am 2,252 years old. My body is a child, but I am an adult who already went through adulthood ceremony.”
I frowned more and more.
He sighed.
“I mean… wouldn’t it be uncomfortable? Sharing a room with a man.”
My eyes widened.
I couldn’t respond.
Because that meant—
Exactly that meant—
“What is that face? Did you really not know?”
My heart started pounding.
Then—
“I can tell easily. Even if the body and voice are different… you are a woman.”
Evan’s Memory
[What were you doing? Didn’t I tell you to cut your hair?]
[Make her wear formal clothes. Underwear… use binding cloth on top, briefs on bottom.]
[Don’t let anyone find out.]
[Absolutely not.]
“Hey!”
I snapped back like waking from a nightmare.
My heartbeat was loud in my ears.
“Are you okay?”
Idniss asked.
The elevator reached the 8th floor.
I walked out calmly.
“Yeah.”
No.
I wasn’t okay.
In the Room
I opened Idniss’s room first.
Carried him to the bed.
Then turned to leave—but he grabbed my clothes.
“Are you really okay? Did I say something wrong?”
His face looked more anxious than mine.
That feeling in my chest loosened.
“…It’s fine.”
I patted his head.
It was strangely calming.
I asked:
“How did you know I was a woman?”
He answered immediately.
“I can tell by touch. Bone structure is different between men and women.”
My hand stopped.
I smiled.
Then pinched his head.
“By touch, you say… Your Majesty?”
“More like by feeling or hugging… it hurts.”
He really was a 2,000-year-old Demon King.
I kept pressing his head.
Then I remembered something.
“Your Highness. Can I ask something?”
“Go ahead.”
I opened the quest window.
Quest
[Release Seal of Bellos Atinos Idniss — SSS Rank]
Requirements:
- Demonica Horn (0/1)
- Srandur Eye (0/1) (locked)
- Someone’s Heart (0/1) (locked)
Idniss had said:
“Three things are needed. Demonica horn, Srandur eye, and the heart of someone I love.”
But the quest said:
“Someone’s heart.”
That was the problem.
“Your Highness… do you have someone you love?”
“No.”
No hesitation.
“Then what about the heart of someone you love?”
“That is also a problem. My mother died long ago.”
“….”
I didn’t know where to start.
So I continued carefully.
“Usually, this kind of ‘love’ means romantic love.”
“I see. Then that is better. I don’t have anyone.”
I sighed.
“What are you going to do then?”
“First, we gather Demonica horn and Srandur eye. Then we choose a lover based on that. That is efficient.”
That bastard.
I took a deep breath.
Then raised one finger.
“First. Even if your real identity is different, right now you are a child. Who would date a kid?”
He immediately replied:
“I am a child, but I have a good future and money. Isn’t that enough?”
I covered my mouth.
I couldn’t even deny it.
I raised a second finger.
“Second. You can’t just make a lover like that.”
“That is strange. In my castle, people lined up even when I rejected them.”
“…You are chased right now.”
“Then after I recover my power and status, I can just ask for marriage. You still think no one would agree?”
I had no words.
I pressed my temple.
Then he said:
“We will think about that later. First, Demonica horn and Srandur eye.”
That was actually a relief.
Demonica Explained
“First is Demonica.”
“What is Demonica?”
“A large dragon-type beast. It means ‘disaster monster’ in ancient language.”
“A dragon… like a giant lizard that breathes fire?”
“Correct. The one chasing us now is a hybrid of ancient fire dragon and demon race.”
“So it’s a dragon-demon hybrid.”
He nodded.
“Most of those dragon types are controlled by Amu’s royal family. This one escaped and ran to Bellos.”
I nodded slowly.
That made sense.
“They wanted it back, but my predecessor refused.”
“Why?”
“Because it wasn’t stolen. It escaped on its own. We are not responsible for returning it.”
I understood.
Like a farm animal escaping to the mountains and the mountain owner being blamed.
That made sense.
“After Demonica horn, the next is Srandur.”
He hesitated.
“He… is a demon.”
