Chapter 182

The magic of the Demon King and the Holy Sword were natural-born enemies—“granddaughter” and grandfather were inherently opposed!

But the Little Holy Sword had no intention of continuing the standoff.

Because when she looked back, she saw Sheffy’s figure in the distance.

Compared to fighting, she definitely preferred going off to fish and play with Lady Sheffy!

The Little Holy Sword’s silhouette, skipping and hopping away under the setting sun, marked a complete end to what had originally been a serious “negotiation”.

Just as Herilet had said—

From now on, Xiarette had gained a second identity here, in addition to that of Hero.

And that identity was known only to those present. It was part of the collective effort to protect Sheffy’s happiness.

As starlight descended and dusk began to fade—

Standing before the Demon King and the Queen—

Xiarette formally voiced the decision she made today.

It was a summary of today—

—and equally, a resolve for the future.

“...Not just friends... Sheffy and I hope to be in a romantic relationship. One day, we want to stand proudly and openly, without having to hide it anymore...! Anyway... before that happens, I... I... I will definitely protect Sheffy! Ah... and even after that—just the same!”

“Hmm?”

Both the Demon King and Queen were somewhat surprised.

Xiarette actually... bowed?

Her golden hair swayed in the wind—

Dancing alongside the scent of flowers and the direction of hope.

【A Hero never bows to anyone but their monarch.】—This was a creed etched into the Grand Code of Aurus.

All the more so, as Herilet and Dielzner were the Demon Clan’s rulers.

This “comical” scene, however, did not draw any ridicule.

On the contrary... Xiarette heard the sound of a few claps.

“Well now... that’s lovely. Miss Xiarette, are you certain doing this won’t damage your title as Hero?”

“It won’t... because I’m not bowing to the Demon Queen or the Demon King.”

“Then, who are you bowing to?”

“Sheffy’s father and mother.”

“......”

The starry sky was serene.

In the flowerbed, many of the blue blossoms that had hung their heads now stood tall, blooming like a sea of stars.

So they were flowers that lived by the moon—not as fragile as they seemed.

And as if resonating with a joyful feeling, they gathered their light all at once, illuminating the garden.

Herilet finally smiled.

Her earlier smiles had been proper and formal—but this one, completely natural.

“Hahahahaha! This is the first time I’ve heard someone call us just ordinary parents...! Dielzner, did you hear that? This child really is different from the rest. A good child, don’t you think?”

“Well... I suppose she’s passable... Barely qualified. But let me make one thing clear! For me to fully accept her taking Sheffy away—it’s still far too early for that!”

---

12. Give You One

A year’s plan starts in spring, and a day’s plan starts in the morning—this saying never goes out of style.

Because when it came to waking up, if you couldn’t even get out of bed in the morning, then you were destined to be a lazy mutt for the entire day.

And don’t think for a second that you won’t fall back asleep in the afternoon.

Sure enough, early in the morning, Sheffy had already found an open patch of land outside the Demon King’s Castle to fulfill a promise she’d made to Livra.

“Livra, are you really sure you want to learn magic from me? Honestly, wouldn’t it be better for you to just obediently be a... a pampered princess instead of making things hard on yourself by studying magic?”

That’s what she said—but clearly, Livra wasn’t some lazy mutt.

She had changed into a set of loose, easy-to-move-in long sleeves and trousers, with kneepads over her knees.

Livra had also tied her ink-black hair into a neat ponytail, rotating her wrists and ankles, her eyes shining with the light of determination—full of fighting spirit.

“How could this be called making things hard on myself?! Miss Shaya is willing to help me become stronger—this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I have to seize it. I can’t always be that useless princess who needs protecting!”

Well, well, well. The word Sheffy hadn’t felt comfortable saying earlier, Livra had just said herself. Truly, a teachable child—neither arrogant nor humble.

Sheffy let out a yawn and rubbed her eyes.

With a small “heave-ho”, she hopped off a rock, swaying on her landing and almost taking a spill.

“Ahya...?! Whew, good thing my balance isn’t just for show. I’ll say this first, Livra: when I teach you magic, what I’m really doing is ‘guiding you to learn’. The most important part still depends on your own comprehension. Don’t assume that just because I’m teaching you, you’ll automatically grasp it. When it comes to learning, well, it all depends on fate... Hahhh... So sleepy this early in the morning.”

“Yes, Teacher Shaya!”

What Sheffy had just said wasn’t from personal experience.

Livra was her first student.

So all those lines weren’t hers originally—they were said to her when she was a child by the teacher who came to the Demon King’s Castle to instruct her in magic.

【Princess Sheffy, I’ll make this clear first. Your magical aptitude is indeed extraordinary. But whether you can reach a transcendent realm depends entirely on your own insight. Don’t assume that just because I’m teaching you, you’re guaranteed to succeed. Don’t cling to wishful thinking, and don’t let pride make you slack off. I’ve seen too many geniuses ruin their own futures.】

Mhm, so Sheffy had merely repeated what her teacher once said, just to sound like a proper instructor.

Ah... come to think of it—what ever happened to that teacher? Why couldn’t she remember?

Of course Sheffy couldn’t remember.

Because that teacher had quietly submitted a resignation to the Demon King and left without telling her.

That elderly man, well-versed in magic, had witnessed seven-year-old Sheffy continuously inventing new forms of advanced magic—and gleefully hopping around, blowing up one mountain and fortress after another.

Eventually, he smiled wryly and stepped down from his position as her teacher.

If he could...

He would have liked to hear someone say this to him during his lifetime:

—As a teacher, don’t cling to wishful thinking. A teacher who thinks they know more than their student—surely there’s no one else in the world like that.

It was said that he went to live in the mountains, spending his days fishing in seclusion, embracing the life of a recluse.

That was probably for the best.

Back to the present—

Livra was brimming with energy, but Sheffy, yawning endlessly and half-asleep, clearly wasn’t in the right state of mind.

Livra was eager to learn, yes—but more important than that... was Miss Shaya herself.

“Eh...? Miss Shaya, did you not sleep well last night? Could it be that you’re not used to sleeping in a different bed? Don’t be like that—just treat this place as your own home. You have to learn to feel at ease wherever you are.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that this is my home?”

“Ah...! I’m sorry! I slept so soundly last night that I got a little carried away!”

You’re doing this on purpose to irritate me, aren’t you?

Sigh, honestly, Sheffy really did envy Livra’s ability to sleep so well.

As for Sheffy last night—well, the word “sleep” had nothing to do with her.

Sleep?

Heh... If I actually managed to fall asleep, that would’ve meant I passed out from sheer exhaustion caused by those two.

Back in her long-missed bed, Sheffy had thought she’d finally get a good night’s rest.

But the moment she crawled under the covers, she noticed something was off.

Hmm? Why does my blanket still smell like Belith’s scent?

That’s odd—I took the covers out early to air them, washed them three times, and even used drying magic repeatedly until they were flawless!

Sheffy lifted the blanket and peeked inside—and immediately understood the source of the scent.

Turns out, Belith had long since buried herself under the covers, wide-eyed and waiting for her.

Damn it. I can handle the aftermath, but I can’t deal with the source.

Grabbing Belith by the collar, Sheffy tossed her out the window.

Then she climbed back into bed, closed her eyes, and tried to fall asleep again.

But just as drowsiness was taking hold—

Knock knock knock.

A knocking sound broke through the haziness.

It was Xiarette’s voice.

——“Sheffy... are you asleep?”

Mhm, she had almost been asleep.

But with that knock, her mind had been jolted completely awake.

When Sheffy opened the door, she found Xiarette in her pajamas, hugging a pillow, looking quite embarrassed as she asked if she could sleep with Sheffy.

And the reason?

She said she wasn’t used to the new place, and was afraid of the dark when sleeping alone.

Sheffy, being emotionally intelligent, immediately understood the truth.

——It wasn’t that Xiarette feared the dark. She was worried that Sheffy might.

Indeed.

If Xiarette could keep her company through the night, and not get handsy, that would be wonderful.

Sheffy accepted Xiarette’s kindness and let her in, and they agreed that tonight would be a peaceful truce—no touching or funny business.

That should’ve been the end of it. They could’ve drifted into a lovely sleep.

But don’t forget—where were they?

This was the Demon King’s Castle.

This was Sheffy’s home—and also, Belith’s home.

Could Belith possibly allow someone else to crawl into her sister’s bed in her own house?

If she were to let something like that happen, she might as well declare an all-out war drenched in blood!

Okay, maybe not that extreme—but Belith did unfold her black wings, crash through the window like she was performing a circus act, and burst in.

That, finally, shattered Sheffy’s last shred of drowsiness.

What the—?!

My window!!

When Xiarette sprang up on alert and released her pressure, she crushed half the bed.

Ah...

My bed...!!

All night, Sheffy had no time to feel sorry for her furniture—she was too busy trying to mediate peace.

So tell her—how could she sleep?

Exactly.

Now that morning had come, Xiarette and Belith had declared a ceasefire and returned to their own rooms to catch up on sleep.

But not Sheffy.

Her bed was crushed.

Her window was shattered.

And she couldn’t be bothered to fix them.

More importantly—she had promised to teach Livra magic today.