"Oh no!! We're doomed! How could that tyrannical king want to marry our daughter?" Kelsey's mother panicked, pacing back and forth in despair.
"Kelsey, did you know about this? You should've run away before we received this letter."
"I—" Kelsey was about to explain the real situation, but her mother didn't give her a chance.
"How could that demon king come straight away with a proposal letter?"
"That's right. He must want to make sure we don't have the chance to escape! He should've come ten days after this letter. Damn it!!" Her father picked up the hoe with determination. "Kelsey, don't worry. Even if he's a king, he'll have to pass over my dead body to get to you."
"Right. Kelsey, I'll use the forbidden spell to teleport you to Human Land."
"What? But it'll burn up all your life force. You could die!" Kelsey panicked at the thought of her parents being ready to sacrifice themselves for her, even though it wasn't necessary.
"At least you'll be safe and happy. You don't need to worry about us." Her mother was about to start chanting the spell when Kelsey stopped her.
"Mother, you do know the Demon King is standing right outside our house, listening to all of this, right?"
"…" The boar couple froze, speechless. They hadn't known that the demon king was currently holding back laughter as he eavesdropped on their conversation.
"My sweet demon god, we're dead!" The mother collapsed limply onto the floor, feeling hopeless and helpless.
"Mother, don't exaggerate. If the demon king had intended to kill us, he would've done it long ago. Besides… I want this too."
"What?" Both parents stared at their daughter in shock—then even more so when Kelsey opened the door, took the demon king's hand, and pulled him inside before shutting it behind them.
"Even though I can't see you, I know you're laughing. Stop laughing!"
Luca cleared his throat, suppressing his smile. He removed his goblin mask and greeted his future in-laws. "Uncle, Aunt, it's me."
"Luca?? How did you…"
"Sorry. I used a little trick to deceive you. But my feelings for Kelsey are sincere, and I promise I'll give her the best and keep her smiling. I assure you, my affection for her is no less than yours."
"This…" Har and his wife looked at each other in confusion, then noticed Kelsey gazing happily at the demon king.
Luca also looked at her with tenderness. He even smiled so gently that his intimidating aura as a demon king vanished. Instead, the air seemed to overflow with love, suffocating them with the sheer force of their romance inside the small home.
"Your Majesty, we didn't know your identity when you came as Luca. Please forgive us if we offended you."
"I don't mind at all. I hope you'll continue treating me the same way you treated Luca. After all, I'm still the same Luca—only my appearance and title are different."
"It's precisely because of that title that we feel awkward." Kelsey's giggles rang out like music to his ears.
"You? Awkward with me?" Luca chuckled, amused by his human lover's teasing words. Then he looked at his father-in-law respectfully. "I've brought three chests as my dowry. One is filled with valuables, one with ten thousand gold coins, and one with magic tools. You're free to use or sell the first. I hope you'll use the third to equip yourselves. The protective tools inside are high-level—no high-rank demon can break through them. You won't need to fear even a demon slayer. Though they lack offensive power, they'll give you enough time to escape."
Kelsey's admiration grew with every word. Even before marriage, Luca had treated her foster parents with incredible care—buying them clothes, hunting weapons, and delicious food they'd never tasted before. And now, he was willing to spend a fortune on them.
"I'll be taking Kelsey to Northern Capital to prepare for our wedding. I'll also leave some of my guards here to accompany you when you're ready to travel."
"This… this dowry and the guards… It's too much. We're not high-ranking demons. Plus…" Har hesitated, glancing at Kelsey. She was human, and not even their biological child. "After all, we don't deserve this."
"Is that so? What do you think, my bride?"
Kelsey's smile bloomed at the sound of her new nickname. "They deserve it." She embraced her parents warmly. "Mother, Father, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be alive today. If you hadn't saved me, I would never have met Luca or learned the meaning of unconditional love. You taught me so much and treated me sincerely, even though I was just a stranger." Tears slid down her cheeks. "I'm so grateful to you both. I hope our relationship will never change, even if I become a tyrant queen."
Luca coughed at that, while her parents laughed in response.
"Of course. You are still our child. We only hope you won't forget us once you're enjoying life as a queen."
"Never. I'll visit you often."
"Or you could move to the Capital." Luca's offer stunned all three of them. He even caught Kelsey's grateful gaze. "What? You didn't think I'd stop with just this dowry, did you? You could live in the palace if you want."
"No, no. We don't want to live in the palace. We're more comfortable here," Har said quickly. "Kelsey, I hope you're not disappointed that we prefer to stay."
"No. Whatever your decision, I'll support you—just as you've always supported me."
After a tearful farewell, Kelsey departed in the same carriage as Luca. True to his word, he left some of his best guards behind to protect Har and his wife. Unexpectedly, one of them was Iom's wife—Sima!
"Sima? You're the king's guard?" Kelsey's mother asked in shock.
"Then Iom…" Har didn't dare imagine Iom's true identity, since Sima wasn't from the Minotaur clan at all, but from the devil-tailed cheetah clan!
"Iom is the king's right hand. He's the leader of the Evil Wind Wolf Tribe. I'm sorry—for the past few months, the king ordered us to disguise ourselves as a couple and implant false memories in you. It was all so he could approach your daughter more freely."
"He even went to all that trouble just to win Kelsey's heart? He…" Har shook his head, then wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Honey, admit it. Inviting Iom was the best decision of my life." He no longer worried about Kelsey's safety, knowing the demon king had pursued her openly and humbly, without coercion or threats.
"You're right. I hope that child finds happiness for the rest of her life."