Kelsey sat pensively by the window. She stared out, but her gaze was blank, as if her mind were in another world. It had been over a month since she returned from the Capital City, and there had been no news from the demon king. Not that she expected any. She didn't know what to do if news began to spread that the king had found a new bride.
"Honey, do you know what's happened to our daughter? She's been like this since she got back from the Capital," the boar father asked, nudging his wife's shoulder as she cooked.
"I don't know either. You have to shake her shoulder to get her attention. If you call her normally, she won't respond."
"Kelsey." No response, even as her father called out loudly. "Kelsey, we're having golden hornfish soup today. If you don't come here soon, I'm going to finish it all!"
Still no response.
"It's easy for you to say that. We all know we can't eat this soup."
"That's true. Only noble-rank demons can digest golden hornfish. I still don't understand how she manages to eat it. Do you think all humans can?"
"It's possible. We've never met a human as kind and pure as Kelsey. Every time we accidentally cross the Human Land border, the humans there immediately attack us."
Talking about how humans treated demons soured the boar couple's mood. They fell silent and returned to their tasks. Only after lunch was ready did they call Kelsey again.
"KELSEY!!" Her mother shook her shoulders hard while shouting in her ear.
"Mother?" Kelsey responded calmly, as if not surprised or hurt by the yelling. She looked at her mother with a confused and distant expression.
"You really... aren't you going to tell us anything? What exactly happened when you entered the palace last month? Did the demon king hurt you? Threaten you? You know you can tell us."
The next time I see you, I won't bring my title. At that time, will you be my friend?
Kelsey couldn't help but recall the demon king's last words. She wondered when he would see her again. Now she regretted saying maybe instead of yes. Would the demon king have met her sooner if she had?
Kelsey shook her head rapidly, making her mother frown.
"Kelsey?"
"I'm just relieved we all made it back alive, Mother. At least the demon king didn't kill me, even though he disliked me. It's a shame one candidate died, though."
"Ah, you mean the snake demoness? Do you feel sorry for her?"
It wasn't that she felt sorry—she just disagreed with the demon king's principle of killing anyone he hated.
"You don't need to worry about her. No one sympathized with that demoness. She often stole newborn demon offspring and devoured them—but never from her own clan. No one dared to stop her because she was the king's favorite concubine."
Kelsey blinked, trying to process her mother's words. "The king's... You mean the North's Demon King?"
"Yeah, even though the king had been refusing her for months. I thought she'd be the chosen one since the king worshiped her so much. No one expected her to die so tragically."
So, that demoness deserved to die? Even so, the demon king still said he would kill those he hated if he couldn't use them. The fact that he was willing to exploit others as pawns didn't sit well with her.
"My darling, could it be you've been like this all this time because you sympathized with her?"
No—but Kelsey chose to let her mother misinterpret. "Yes. Sorry for worrying you."
"Why apologize? Aren't we family? Now come, your favorite dish is ready."
Kelsey nodded and followed her mother to the dining area. She spent the rest of the day with her parents as usual. Her mother had hoped Kelsey would stop daydreaming after hearing about the snake demoness's death, but Kelsey still seemed lost in thought. Even when she read a book, she stayed on the same page for an hour, her eyes unmoving—as if staring through it.
It seemed the demoness's death wasn't what was bothering her. The boar couple grew more curious about what had happened inside the palace. They knew their daughter had made it to the next round of selection, and they had feared for her safety, especially since the demon king had shown interest in her. Only when a palace servant escorted the girl home safely did they breathe a sigh of relief, assuming the king had chosen someone else.
"Could it be she's disappointed the king didn't choose her?" the father wondered aloud.
"That's impossible. The king's a tyrant and hideous. Why would she be disappointed not to be chosen?" The mother looked at her daughter with worry. "Since we adopted her, I've never seen her laugh out loud or even smile. At least she used to show some emotion. But now, she's like a walking corpse."
"Hush! Don't say such negative things. I have an idea. I heard an old acquaintance is visiting our village soon. They have a boy about Kelsey's age. How about I invite them over?"
"You want to set Kelsey up with someone from another demon clan?"
"What's the harm? I'm sure Kelsey wouldn't mind. Or do you want her to marry a human and leave us?"
"She's a human. What's wrong with marrying a human?"
"The human heart is unpredictable. They say they love you, and the next moment it turns to hate and betrayal."
"Aren't demons like that, too?"
The boar father couldn't deny it. It was true. "Just let her befriend demons her own age. Everyone in this village is over a century old. She can only sit and listen because she doesn't understand them. Maybe she could open up more if she had someone closer to her age."
The mother paused and thought about it. It wasn't a bad idea—as long as the young male demon didn't have any weird thoughts about her daughter. "Alright, then. Invite them over."
The next day, the boar demons' modest home was visited by some guests. Kelsey, who happened to be near the door, opened it when someone knocked.
Her eyes widened at the sight of the visitor.
His appearance was different. He had two buffalo horns on his head and short brown hair. His eyes were hazel with beast-like pupils—no trace of the bloody red she remembered.
Yet that person was undeniably—
"Luca?!"