An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 9 Read online

  Prologue

  The Holy City Raziel. Located at the center of the continent, it was home to the church’s headquarters and thereby the most hostile metropolis in the world for sorcerers.

  Zagan and Nephy found themselves in the Jewel of Raziel, the most luxurious lodging in town, which was normally exclusive to nobles and VIPs. And right in front of them... was a king-sized bed with two pillows.

  What the hell is going on...?

  There were other rooms in their suite, but this was the only one with a bed. Other accommodations like sleepwear and tableware were prepared in sets of two, proving that the establishment understood there were, in fact, two customers. And that meant this wasn’t a blunder on their behalf.

  Zagan timidly looked to his side. Nephy’s pointy ears... or, more accurately, her entire face was bright red. This was the girl who, at one point, did not understand the true meaning of a man and a woman sleeping together. But judging from her reaction just now, it was clear that she had grown past that phase. This was likely something that Manuela had taught her indirectly.

  After a tense pause, Nephy looked back up at Zagan, seeking help.

  “......”

  Their eyes met, and the two of them averted their gazes in a panic.

  “H-Hehehe...”

  “A-Ahaha...”

  They both let out dry laughs then once more sank into silence.

  What the hell do I do here? Foll and my other subordinates have been around lately, so I have no idea how to spend time with just Nephy!

  “Th-This is the kind of room used... for a honeymoon, right?” Nephy mumbled quietly. She was extremely nervous, but her voice showed no signs of reluctance.

  What...? She’s already accepted this situation?

  Nephy was apparently a step above him in terms of resolve, so Zagan took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself.

  “N-Nephy!”

  “Y-Yes?!”

  Even though he called out to her, he had no idea what to say next, so a cold bead of sweat ran down his cheek.

  The start of this tale began one morning several days ago.

  Chapter I: We Miraculously Got Some Time Alone, so We Ended up Going on a Honeymoon

  It was dark and cold. But despite that, the air was dry to the point where it burned one’s lungs. The wind was supposed to feel gentle, but it was sharp enough to tear one’s skin.

  There were several stone pillars lined up in the area. They were covered in green moss, and each one was thick enough to fully contain a small house. Looking up to try and see what those pillars supported revealed nothing, as they ran so high that one could not see the ends. There was no ceiling. All that spread out above was a muddy darkness, as if stuck between twilight and the night.

  Where am I? Why am I here?

  As she came to, she finally realized that she was lying on the ground. The inside of her head was a complete haze, and shaking her head caused a dull pain to strike her. Also, for some reason, that pain felt nostalgic.

  “Huh? I feel like... this has happened before...”

  But when? She wasn’t sure, but she knew she’d seen this exact scenery already?

  “Back then... Yeah...”

  There was someone else with her at the time. A beautiful person with luscious locks so long that they reached the ground. And yet, that person seemed sad, melancholic, and wore an expression that would pain any onlooker’s heart. Their voice never really came out, and all she could do was watch them.

  “And then...?”

  She felt like that person was looking at something. What was it, though? Something at the very end of that muddy sky... something far beyond those pillars. It was as if they were gazing at the very ends of the world...

  “No... that’s not right. It was something far more terrifying...”

  What was that person looking at back then? The pillars around her lined up into two rows and formed a path. But it didn’t give off the solemn atmosphere of a temple. Instead, it had a cold-hearted chill to it... like a funeral. And, as she strained her eyes to try and see what was at the end of the path, a small hand covered her vision.

  “You mustn’t look beyond there.”

  And just then, Lilith woke up.

  “Huh...?”

  As she opened her eyes, she spotted the now familiar stone ceiling above her and a blue-haired siren peeking over her. It was her roommate, Selphy.

  “You okay, Lilith? You were, like, totally moaning in your sleep.”

  “Selphy...?” Lilith muttered. Then she realized she was drenched in sweat upon having that pointed out to her. Her heart was beating like a hammer, and it was also difficult for her to breathe.

  “A dream...?”

  The cold, piercing wind that scraped her skin, the pain which jolted her head, and the dry air which burned her throat were all so vivid that they didn’t seem like a dream at all. And above all else was the shame that Lilithiera, the princess of the succubi, was unable to control her own dream.

  As she tried to get up, her disheveled red hair ran along her chest, and Selphy propped up her back in concern.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? You should, like, just take the day off if you’re not feeling well.”

  Lilith’s voice refused to leave her throat immediately, so she shook her head and paused before replying.

  “More importantly... was someone else here?”

  “Huh? Oh...” Selphy mumbled as she averted her gaze and continued, “Miss Alshiera was, but... she told me not to tell...”

  Lilith’s childhood friend covered her mouth in a panic, but it was already far too late for that. This was more Alshiera’s fault for being spotted by the scatterbrained girl, anyway.

  “Lady Alshiera?”

  Then was it Alshiera who showed her that dreadful dream?

  No... She may have been the one who saved me...

  It felt like she had somehow entered Lilith’s dream. Lilith still didn’t know what Alshiera was thinking, but oddly enough, it was true that she had never brought harm to her. And if she’d really planned to do something, Alshiera would have surely driven Selphy out before that. Sneaking in without being noticed should have been a cinch for a vampire like her.

  Meaning... she was in such a panic that she couldn’t afford the time...?

  The voice she’d heard at the end of the dream had sounded like Alshiera.

  And, above all else, that girl from back then might just be...

  The dream she’d seen when she was a child featured someone with long hair, someone who seemed to share a passing resemblance to Alshiera. Lilith tried to recall the details, but an intense sense of fear suddenly struck her heart. In response, she grabbed her own shoulders and shuddered.

  “Sorry, Selphy... I’ll be resting today...”

  “Okey-dokey. But first...” Selphy replied as she plopped down on Lilith’s bed.

  “Fweh?”

  The very next instant, something soft wrapped around Lilith. And before she knew it, Selphy was embracing her while gently stroking her hair.

  “It’s okay. There’s nothing scary here...”

  “W-Wawawawa...”

  And with Lilith still in a complete fluster, Selphy pressed her forehead against hers. “Hmmm, you don’t seem to have a fever or anything. Keep warm anyway, okay?”

  “I-I know!”

  “Also, you’re all sweaty, so tell me if you need a bath,” Selphy said with a carefree laugh as she finally let Lilith go.

  “D-Don’t treat me like a child!”

  “Oh, come on! I’m just worried, understand?” Selphy c
omplained before letting out a tiny chuckle. Then she continued, “Tell me if anything’s bothering you, okay? Alshiere Imera is over, so there’s, like, no big hurry or anything in the kitchen.”

  “...Thanks.”

  Strangely enough, the fear that had been assaulting Lilith mere moments ago had completely vanished. It really was good fortune that her childhood friend was by her side.

  After Selphy left her room, Lilith rolled out of bed and put her feet on the ground.

  “I should report this to His Highness, right...?”

  That action had the potential of harming Alshiera, but she felt the Archdemon was capable of settling matters in the best way possible, even taking that into account. And so, Lilith slapped both her cheeks with vigor and stood from her bed.

  ◇

  “Good morning, Master Zagan.”

  The one greeting Zagan, who was sitting on his throne with a muddled expression on his face, was a girl with white hair that went down to her waist. She had smooth skin, like powdered snow, and her minute facial features were accented by her transparent azure eyes. She wore her blue one-piece dress and a white apron, same as always, and had a boorish yet familiar collar around her neck. She was just as beautiful and charming as always, so the sight made Zagan’s lips slacken into a smile.

  “Oh, good morning, Nephy,” Zagan replied in a gentle voice, completely forgetting his prior melancholy.

  How many months did it take for him to be able to reply so smoothly to a morning greeting, you ask? It had been nearly eight months since he first met Nephy, and back then he couldn’t really get the words out of his throat, let alone give her a normal greeting.

  Perhaps because his expression had loosened up, Nephy smiled back at him in relief. And without the need to speak any further, a pleasant silence spread throughout the throne room. If his undesirable friend were to see them, he was sure to say something like, “Wow, you idiots sure can put on some really stupid smiles around each other, huh?”

  Setting that aside, the two of them were overflowing with happiness first thing in the morning. After standing around in silence for a while, Nephy shifted her focus over to Zagan’s hand.

  “Oh, Master Zagan, that’s...”

  “Hm? Oh, yeah, it’s the pipe you gave me. It’s called a kiseru, right?”

  Nephy had gifted him the pipe on the evening of the church festival known as Alshiere Imera. It was normally used alongside shredded tobacco that was placed in the pipe’s bowl, but currently it was empty. Zagan twirled it around in his hand and slapped it against his palm.

  “I wasn’t smoking or anything. I just so happened to pull it out without thinking.”

  It does have a nice feel to it.

  It didn’t simply taste and smell good, it was also nice to the touch. Though, naturally, the taste and smell from the pipe depended on the quality of the tobacco itself. He wasn’t all that familiar with it, but what he currently used was fragrant and quite bitter. The feeling of exaltation from smoking it was one thing, but the aroma and flavor were also quite satisfying.

  “I’m relieved that it pleases you, Master Zagan,” Nephy said, her pointy ears shooting straight out as she smiled.

  “It’s something you gave me, Nephy. Isn’t it obvious that it’s now my most precious treasure?”

  Zagan replied in a dead-serious tone, leading Nephy to turn bright red right to the tips of her ears.

  “Hwah?”

  “Um, it’s just... the only time you smoked from it was that night on Alshiere Imera, so I thought, perhaps... that it didn’t suit your tastes...”

  “Huh? Aren’t things like this meant to be hidden away and protected?”

  In his mind, it was similar in principle to leaving your favorite food for last. He would only use it to celebrate something... or to reward himself.

  “Ah... I’m glad you’re so pleased with it...” Nephy said as she covered her face with her hands and let her gaze wander about. And even as he writhed in agony over watching her unable to keep her feelings in check, Zagan cleared his throat with a cough.

  “A-Anyway, I have something I want to ask...”

  “Y-Yes? What is it?”

  “Um, how do I put it...? Well... how do you... like the gloves I gave you?”

  As a matter of fact, Zagan had only seen her wearing them the very day he handed them over. And this time, Nephy turned red once more.

  “The embroidery is very pretty, and they feel nice to wear. I make sure to use them every single day.”

  “R-Really? In that case, it’s fine for you to wear them more regularly...”

  “I-I can’t! If I do, they’ll get dirty!” Nephy shouted as her eyes shot wide open, as if implying such a thing was completely unthinkable.

  “I-Is that so?” Zagan replied, somewhat taken aback. Zagan himself was keeping his pipe aside, so he wasn’t really one to talk. And now that he thought of it carefully, wearing gloves meant for winter indoors was quite weird. It was a little too late to reconsider, but if he wanted something for her to wear regularly, he should have picked silk gloves.

  Manuela really is quite skilled when it comes to these things... She always picked clothes which were suitable in terms of both beauty and practical use. Though, in his defense, Zagan had only heard about Alshiere Imera from Gremory on the day of. And since he was trying to pick out something special, he wanted to choose something without relying on Manuela. He wasn’t all that confident about whether he was successful or not, though.

  And suddenly, a certain doubt came to mind.

  “Hm? Then how are you using them, exactly?”

  Was she gazing at them while propping them up as a decoration? Zagan didn’t prop up his pipe or anything, but he found himself gazing at it and fiddling with it all the time without even realizing it.

  “Huh? Um... that’s... uh...”

  “Hm? You may speak of it,” Zagan proclaimed. He was spotted fiddling with his pipe, so now he wanted to know how Nephy was using her gloves.

  Actually, I want to see more of Nephy acting all embarrassed...

  Nephy faltered nervously, but she was one to seriously respond to his mean-spirited requests.

  “Um... do you promise not to laugh?”

  “I promise,” Zagan replied without hesitation. Grinning didn’t count as laughing anyway, so he was probably fine.

  Nephy’s shoulders drooped down as if her retreat was cut off, and after a short pause, she began speaking timidly.

  “I-I use them... before sleeping.”

  “Before sleeping?”

  “Y-Yes...”

  “How do you use them?”

  “Huh? Th-That’s...”

  Zagan wanted to yell at himself for asking such an insensitive question, but Nephy seemed to have lost her mind from the shock, because she started replying in a serious tone.

  “I-I put them on and rub them against my cheeks!”

  Zagan was sent reeling back from the extraordinary shock to his system.

  Why the hell are you so damn cute?!

  Just thinking of that scene rendered him short of breath. And Nephy herself seemed to have realized exactly what she’d just said because her eyes began twirling about in a fluster.

  “A-Ah... I-I mean, not that! Um... putting on those gloves reminds me of you, so it kind of feels like I’m being touched by you... No! I mean...!”

  I never thought she would like them that much... Zagan was struck by a light dizziness upon learning Nephy’s deepest, darkest secret. On the other hand, Nephy was now so red that it felt like she would faint at any moment. A cornered Nephy was adorable, but it was better to stop pushing her, so Zagan got his own breathing in order.

  “M-Mmm... I-I’m happy that you’re treasuring them.”

  “Ah... I will... restrain myself a little.”

  “Oh, no, I won’t force your hand, so you don’t need to worry about it...” Zagan said, panicking because he realized he’d been teasing her too much.

  “That won
’t do. I was being careful not to dirty them, but yesterday, I ended up falling asleep while wearing them.”

  She slept with them on? Zagan tried imagining Nephy rubbing the gloves against her cheeks and falling asleep while doing so, which nearly brought him to an eternal slumber himself. Fortunately enough, Nephy didn’t seem to realize the carelessness of her statement, so Zagan managed to regain his composure.

  “Worry not,” Zagan replied with a nod. Then he said, “Any wound will be healed and any dirt will be cleaned immediately all on its own. I wish for you to use them as you will.”

  “...Understood. Thank you... very much.”

  Their spirits were soaring as high as their embarrassment at that point.

  Nephy’s treating hers so preciously, so I’m the one who’s a disappointment here... Zagan mulled over his own incompetence, and it seemed to show on his face.

  “Um, Master Zagan? Is something the matter?” Nephy asked, looking up at him with an anxious gaze all the while.

  “Hm? Oh, no, it’s not really a problem or anything... Well, it’s kind of a problem, but how do I put it...?”

  “Could you tell me about it?”

  Zagan could only look back with a troubled expression as his beloved pleaded with him.

  Well, I made Nephy all embarrassed, so I guess it’s unfair if I remain silent... And so Zagan held up his pipe.

  “I believe there’s proper etiquette and the like when it comes to smoking and how to hold a pipe, but even when I searched through the grimoires I had on hand, I couldn’t find any information. That’s why I’m unsure how to hold it properly.”

  “Even grimoires do not possess the knowledge?”

  “It seems not.”

  “So it’s that profound a topic... I didn’t realize at all that it was such a difficult matter... What have I done?”

  “No, it’s not your fault, Nephy. I’m simply ashamed of my own ignorance...”

  Unfortunately for these two, there was nobody around to point out the simple mistake they were making. Zagan didn’t worry about it too much because smoking was just a hobby, but this was a present he’d received from Nephy. If he were to use it in an embarrassing manner, it would reflect poorly on her. Or so he thought. Half the reason he simply fiddled with the pipe was because of that fact.