Destined Wife: The Apple Of My Eye

The sisters holding strange things in their hands looked at each other, and White wrings out a trembling voice.

Even within all the noise, her clear voice travelled well.

"Luna, we are leaving here. You are being deceived by that Demon Lord." (White)

"Heh? What are you talking about?" (Luna)

Seeing the carefree att.i.tude of Luna, a vein popped on the head of White.

She came here prepared to die, and yet, here she is. Then, she raised the carrot in her hand and said such a ridiculous thing as: "This is unexpectedly big, isn"t it?".

"Is this the time to be bragging about a carrot…?! Let"s return to the Holy Castle quickly." (White)

"Return, you say? That"s impossible. I am going to be reconstructing my land from now on after all! Ah, that"s not it. They said wicked reconstruction, right?" (Luna)

"…Wicked, you say?!" (White)

That evil sounding word made the headache of White worsen.

He might be trying to call the monsters using this village as the central location. Imagining something like that, White"s back got cold.

"In the first place, a public work this big in scale…just where did the money come from?!" (White)

"If I remember correctly, he sold a Holy Coin. I don"t know much myself." (Luna)

"A s-sacred Holy Coin?!" (White)

The conversation of the two sisters flowed on in a way that it was questionable whether they were both in the same page, and the head of White was boiling further and further.

She is in a standing where customs and traditions are valuable, and she sees the Holy Coin as sacred. She is in a standing that"s originally against their commercialization.

However, something that shocked White further happened.

"Luna, everyone over there is calling for you."

Tron floating in the air.

She for some reason had a pinwheel in her hand that was spinning with the wind. It is something from the hot spring inn, and it looks like she has taken a liking to it.

"Again? What is it this time?" (Luna)

"There"s a big rock and it is in the way. Destroy it with your gold sparkly thing." (Tron)

"Can"t be helped~. They all can"t do anything without me around." (Luna)

"…Come already." (Tron)

"Wait, don"t pull my clothes! O-Onee-sama, let"s talk later! Kyon, guide Onee-sama to the hot springs." (Luna)

Luna and Tron hurriedly left, and White was watching that back of hers absentmindedly.

Her skill as a Holy Maiden was telling her. There"s no doubt that she is someone with demonic elements mixed in her. She is a Cambion.

"I will guide you…-pyon♪." (Kyon)

Pulling the hand of White, who had her head completely blank, Kyon escorts her to the hot spring inn. White was watching the scenery and had completely lost track of her thoughts. She didn"t even have the composure to get surprised by the facility.

(Luna has already been brainwashed to this extent…) (White)

It was natural for White to think in this way.

First the Demon Lord, and now the Cambion.

No matter how White saw it, Luna has already lost awareness as a Holy Maiden and has fallen into the demonic side.

"Lunsama will come later, so enter the bath first…-pyon♪" (Kyon)

"Bath…" (White)

"Madam also likes the sauna a whole lot…-pyon♪" (Kyon)

"Madam…sauna…" (White)

White had become a parrot that only repeats words, cursing how well-mannered this place is, and proceeding into the inn as guided.

Normally, there would be several things that would surprise her here as well, but right now is not the time to be surprised.

(What do I do to release Luna from the demons?) (White)

"There"s a dress room inside, so take off your clothes there first before entering please…-pyon♪" (Kyon)

Finishing her escort, Kyon left, and White entered.

She was in deep thought, so she had no leeway to confirm her surroundings, and she entered the one that was written as the male bath.

(As I thought, I really have to find a way to smite the Demon Lord to free Luna…) (White)

What surfaced in the mind of White were a few of the miracles that Seraph had left. They are the trump cards that she was thinking of using against the Devil King to seal him once again.

But there"s the need for a bit more time before they can be used.

(At any rate, hot water…) (White)

White has had many occasions where she is required to cleanse her body before engaging in the many ceremonies. In the past, Queen and Luna would take part in that too and would perform rites together.

An unexpected nostalgic memory surfaced in her mind while she was taking off her clothes.

She felt like this would be a good opportunity to talk with Luna without third parties getting involved.

In the long past and present, no matter the world, there"s heart to heart talks.

In those occasions, you would unconsciously speak your true feelings, and there"s even times when you would say things that you normally would never be able to say.

Having your body naked might have the effect of making your heart naked too.

(This might be the last change I have to convince Luna…) (White)

White had taken off all of her clothes, and that figure of hers was completely like that of an angel.

Her long pink hair shone as if it were being protected by something, and her proportions were like a gift from angels.

Just her b.r.e.a.s.t.s alone would be enough to make several tens of thousands of men prostrate.

It goes without saying that she has a fantastical appearance, and even her lips were beautiful enough that you would be able to watch them for several hours.

Such a girl was opening the door of the hot spring without anything covering her body.

In an instant, her vision was covered in white steam, and a comforting heat wraps her whole body.

(This is…) (White)

White"s feet stop at this unknown sight.

It may be more accurate to say she doesn"t understand anything. After all, there isn"t a single thing here she could understand.

"Is this…hot water? All of this?" (White)

What White had pictured in her mind was a bathtub with hot water -or cleansed water, so to say. The one at the Holy Castle was obviously far bigger and luxurious than that of regular places, but compared to this one here, it looks like child"s play.

This hot spring could easily have more than a hundred people using it.

"What in the world is Luna…no, Maou thinking?" (White)

White looked around in confusion, and she finds something that piqued her interest even more. She looks further ahead, and she sees a "garden" that has stones and strange plants surrounding it.

It was a s.p.a.ce that gave out a peaceful atmosphere.

White heads deeper inside as if she were being pulled by something.

(Here as well…the hot water is outside too?!) (White)

What was there was obviously the open air bath.

But in the eyes of White, this made no sense.

Why is there hot water outside?

Why is there a need to place hot water in a peaceful garden?

Why is the hot water surrounded by rocks?

Everything was a mystery, and it surpa.s.sed the limits of her understanding.

And then, what shocked her the most was…inside the hot water, the abominable Demon Lord was there with a bold expression.

"M-Maou!!" (White)

Seeing that sinister figure of his, White reflexively shouts —forgetting just what kind of appearance she has right now.

Maou slowly turns his head around and raises an eyebrow. That face of his was calm and composed to the point where you wouldn"t believe it was a sudden meeting.

"Hoh, an unexpected intruder is here." (Maou)

"S-So you were waiting in ambush…!" (White)

"Fumu……" (Maou)

Maou made a pause at the shout of White, and then speaks slowly.

"This is called an open air bath. The only ones who would cause a ruckus here would be children who know no common sense, or boorish people. I want to belief you are neither of those." (Maou)

Those provoking words painted the face of White to the color of anger.

And so, she resolved herself into asking the last questions to this evil being.

—I want to belief you are neither of those.

The head of Maou was currently running full gear like never before.

If he raises a cliche scream here, he should forget about bettering his reputation, it would fall all the way into an abyss.

In these kind of situations, for some reason, no matter the logic and circ.u.mstances, it is always the man that is in the wrong. Maou thinks about cases where false accusations of molesting in packed trains crop up, and it made him tremble internally.

And so, in order to make it so White doesn"t scream, Maou threw words of caution.

(I won"t be imprisoned for a crazy sin like molesting a Holy Maiden, I hope.) (Maou)

Maou slowly raised the j.a.panese alcoholic drink that was on top of a basin floating on the water, and drinks it. That gesture of his was truly a calm one, but internally, he was panicking quite a lot. The hand holding the cup was trembling slightly.

(d.a.m.n it! Why is it that I face troubles like this whenever I"m bathing?!) (Maou)

Is that divine punishment, or a gift?

Cause even though many people were working outside, Maou was enjoying an open air bath with j.a.panese drinks. On top of that, he has already saved the naked figure of White in his internal folder.

Truly an unforgivable evil being.

(In the first place, why is the Holy Maiden here in the village? Moreover, this is the men"s bath, you know?!) (Maou)

The obvious question surfaces in the head of Maou.

There"s no way he would think she entered by mistake. Because it is impossible for Maou to know that she has been cornered to a point where she couldn"t even see her surroundings.

(There"s no way this is a honey trap, right?) (Maou)

That kind of conclusion appeared in the mind of Maou, but he immediately erases it.

Even if there"s a chance for that to happen in the future, there"s no way the woman that"s supposed to be the top of a country would do something like that.

That"s why, his thoughts run to the usual conclusion.

"If you are coming all the way here, you must have quite the important business. Despite appearances, I consider myself quite a good listener." (Maou)

Saying suggestive things, he takes a waiting stance to check the att.i.tude of the other party.

This can show some unexpected effectiveness. With that pressure, the att.i.tude of the other party breaks, and they mess up on their own.

"Business, you say?! Something like that—" (White)

"Before that, that appearance of yours is poison for the eye. Use this." (Maou)

Maou throws her a bath towel he prepared.

Seeing this, White finally notices her own appearance.

"Hiiih! Y-Yoou saw m-my bod—" (White)

"How about entering the water already? An important person like you catching a cold would be a lost for the country." (Maou)

"—-!!!!" (White)

Those sarcastic sounding words of his made White grind her teeth, but she jumps into the water with the towel wrapping her body. She must have wanted to hide her body as much as possible.

Her face was bright red from shame and humiliation.

Even though this is the first time her naked body had been seen by a man, he said it was "poison for the eye". Her mental state is obviously not good right now.

"And so, may I ask what brings you here?" (Maou)

Maou tilts his cup and directs his gaze to the sky.

Seeing that figure of his, the face of White distorts further. That att.i.tude of his was like saying her naked body had no worth to even enter his line of sight.

"Maou, you still…waah!!" (White)

A wind blows off the white steam, and White reflexively screams.

No, she notices the obvious. That"s right, the other party is also naked.

On top of that, his body is shaped with muscles that give off an intense aura. This time, the face of White gets red for another reason.

"What"s the matter, Holy Maiden White? Don"t tell me the representative of a country is doing something as cute as getting fl.u.s.tered over the naked body of a man." (Maou)

Maou laughs boldly, and with a black rubber band, he ties his long hair back —facing a Holy Maiden who knows how many times now.

"What"s the matter, Holy Maiden, White? Don"t tell me the representative of a country is doing something as cute as getting fl.u.s.tered over the naked body of a man." (Maou)

Maou says this with an att.i.tude that overflowed with dignity.

Those words of his had the sad thoughts of: "a man"s naked body isn"t much. It doesn"t have a single shred of allure to it".

(The day a label like "He showed his p.e.n.i.s to the Holy Maiden" is placed on me…) (Maou)

No matter how you think about it, it would either be imprisonment, or burning at the stake. On top of that, he would be carved in history as a s.e.xual deviant never seen before in history.

Maou tilts his cup again and sends a gaze to the sky as if he were shooting the G.o.d in heaven with his eyes.

Who knows how many times he has had a flashback of that naked body of hers. Powerful magma was beginning to gather in the lower half of Maou. Moreover, as fitting of a Demon Lord, he also has an abnormal size too.

It was comparable to the Gae Bolg spear that"s said to pierce through all creation.

Maou, whose whole body had turned into a deadly weapon, had his eyes swim around.

(I wonder how far does that blue sky extent to…) (Maou)

Maou looks up with a philosophical mind, but the car won"t stop suddenly, and it will only be a matter of time for the magma, that has already turned active, to evolve.

"Yeah…I think nothing of the naked body of someone like you!" (White)

"That"s great. Glad to hear that we will be able to have a calm conversation here." (Maou)

One side has a bright red face, and the other is clenching his teeth while looking at the sky.

From an outsider"s perspective, it could look like they are hostile to each other.

"You have even taken Madam in too. Just what are you planning on doing to this country?!" (White)

"Taking in doesn"t sound peaceful. Luna and Madam are staying in this village on their own will. I am not forcing anything." (Maou)

"And who exactly is saying this?!" (White)

White unconsciously approaches Maou and glares at his face.

Even though her face is showing anger, for some mysterious reason, it was beautiful. Moreover, even if her body is wrapped in a towel, her shoulders are exposed, and no matter the man, they would have their soul taken away by it. Her two big b.r.e.a.s.t.s were also creating a big cleavage.

"Could you please not get so close? That body of yours is a bit too stimulating, you see." (Maou)

"Y-You…h-how much are you going to make fun of me before you are satisfied?!" (White)

"That"s unthinkable. I am always serious, you know. My mouth only speaks truths." (Maou)

"Y-You go as far as saying that"s the truth?!" (White)

White"s body was trembling in such humiliation and her eyes grow teary.

The usual her wouldn"t be so shaken by her emotions. Different from her two little sisters, she has a lot of experience interacting with others, and could be considered elegant at it.

However…having a man see her naked body for the first time, and seeing the naked body of a man for the first time, on top of that, the person was the Demon Lord that could be considered the center of evil, it was unbearable.

Moreover, telling her it is poison to the eye, that it is too stimulating; because of her disarrayed emotions, she took those words literally, and her heart was currently in chaos.

"Regarding Madam, let"s see…this hot water would be one of the answers." (Maou)

"What does hot water answer?!" (White)

"Calm down your heart. Soak your body down to your shoulders." (Maou)

Saying this, Maou closes his eyes as if running away.

By running into the darkness, the gathered magma should deactivate, is what he was thinking.

White glared at that figure of his, but Maou didn"t move at all and didn"t try to speak either, so she slowly and reluctantly sunk her body into the hot water.

After a slight silence with only the sound of the work outside, a peaceful s.p.a.ce was made.

With those colorless sounds and darkness, Maou finally opens his eyes with a worried look.

(Nice, in the places where there"s light, there will always be darkness. Right now I am nothingness. I am inside nothingness.) (Maou)

"Aah…this water is kind of…ah, my shoulders are…haaah…" (White)

(Oi you, don"t make weird sounds! Even your voice is cute?! That"s unfair!) (Maou)

"W-What is with this…this is a fi…rst…!" (White)

(Daaah! You are doing this on purpose aren"t you?!) (Maou)

The magma that had finally deactivated had once again begun to gather. Maou hurriedly speaks. People watching this might see it as the Holy Maiden cornering the Demon Lord.

"This open air bath not only heals fatigue, it also has the effect of "freeing you from your daily life". Forget the harsh everyday life and gain temporal release. And then, recover your energy to face tomorrow. That"s the kind of facility this is." (Maou)

"Freeing…from daily life…" (White)

"The other baths also have effects like bettering rough skin and maintaining moisture. Madam staying in this village is by no means some sort of joke, you know. The comfort that you are currently feeling…is the answer to everything." (Maou)

Maou offers the cup filled with j.a.panese alcohol.

His gaze was directed to the front, but his aura was one that didn"t allow a no for answer. He probably is planning on having her drink alcohol and make this into a hazy memory to escape.

"Are you telling me to drink this…?" (White)

"Are you saying the alcohol that the Demon Lord offers is too scary to drink? Even though the cautiousness and cowardice of you -the summit of the country- is one of the reasons why the country is in disarray?" (Maou)

"Y-You don"t have the right to tell me something like that…! In the first place, if you are trying to make me drink poison, it is pointless! [Angel"s Spoon]." (White)

White activated a skill and her eyes shine lightly.

This is a skill to determine whether there"s poison or something dangerous, and it is a skill that a few in sacred professions have. But the response of Maou to that was a violent one.

"In my eyes, the poison of this country is none other than its upper echelon. Making many of their people suffer miserable pain, and see nothing of it. On top of that, not even trying to get out of the current state, and not thinking about any plans to even try to fix it. In my country, those kind of people are called incompetent." (Maou)

He was already saying whatever he wanted.

In a sense, this figure of Maou was the representation of his superhuman will to "escape from this situation".

Of course, this was simply him trying to protect himself, but those words pierced the heart of White deeply. Because…she couldn"t refute that statement.

"…In your eyes, that truly might seem like the case. Watching a little brat like me and my fruitless efforts must be amusing." (White)

White powerlessly grabs the cup, and her eyes reflect in the alcohol.

That transparent liquid was sparkling with the light, but White holding the cup was shining further than it, and her figure was graceful beyond words.

(A peerless beauty must refer to a woman like this… No, if I were to put it in this world"s terms, she would be an angel.) (Maou)

Maou gulps silently at this figure of hers that was as if a painting had come to life.

The divine aura that was overflowing from her body had even dispersed the magma that was gathering in a part of Maou"s body.

White tilts the cup with a downcast look, and her sweet lips touch the j.a.panese alcohol.

"This is…" (White)

This is also a game item and has the effect of recovering stamina.

j.a.panese alcohol is originally something that"s good for the body as long as you don"t drink too much of it. It ain"t for no reason that it is called the leader of the home remedies.

"This is alcohol from my country. It is something that"s loved since long." (Maou)

Taking the cup from White"s hand, Maou tilts the cup too.

That figure of his made White leak out the words: "Indirect…", but Maou didn"t mind it at all and gulped down the drink without care.

Well, it was already an indirect kiss when White drunk it at first, but because she was so discouraged at that time, she didn"t notice.

"An indirect kiss is of no importance. You aren"t a virgin brat anyways, what are you even sa—" (Maou)

Maou snorts.

In this man"s knowledge, places like the news have reported that the age for people having their first time has been decreasing each year, and right now there"s even stories where elementary schoolers already have experience.

In the present era, women who fuss about an indirect kiss are on the verge of extinction.

But those arrogant words stop in the middle.

He remembered that he is talking to the Holy Maiden.

The thin shoulders of White tremble, and words come out of her as if they had been wrung out.

"…Sorry about that." (White)

That"s right, it was unlucky, and also, bad timing. She had been made fun of by Queen just recently.

On top of that, she was told "With how stiff Sis is, it is settled that you will be an unpopular woman", and that had hurt her. She even had to listen to how her two little sisters had found partners before her, and it made her feel like she was left alone.

"I am an unpopular woman anyways! A virgin! Something wrong?!" (White)

The freedom that the open air bath has given as well as the drunkenness brought by the j.a.panese alcohol must have given her the push. Words that normally would never come out from White"s mouth were blazing out.

"N-No, I am not saying it is bad. Rather, a chaste woman is desirable. I would say it is something to be proud of." (Maou)

"How should I be proud of something like that?! You must be making fun of me and laughing, right?!" (White)

"I am not making fun of you. I am actually praising that stiffness of yours." (Maou)

"Saying the same thing as Queen. That I am stiff stiff. Like I am a golem or something…!" (White)

It was already out of control.

Maou was panicking internally, but in the outside he showed composed movements as he puts his hand inside the pitch black s.p.a.ce and takes out one item.

It is an armor piece that"s equipped on the head, the Angel"s Halo. The Angel"s Halo is just as the name states, a shining halo that floats in the air gently.

It has trash defense of +2, but it is cute, so many female players would equip it just for the looks. There"s also a head armor that is called Horns of the Great Demon, and this one was popular too even when the defense was low.

"W-What"s this…Why do you have the halo of an Angel-sama?!" (White)

"I wanted to give this to you who is worthy of the name of Holy Maiden." (Maou)

Maou places the angel halo on top of White"s head gently.

He had a smile on his face, and even from the eyes of White, it made her think it was manly. Maybe because his long hair was tied behind, it also looked fearless.

His muscular body, his looks, his crafty mind; in the eyes of White, this was the first time she has ever seen a man like this.

"Act in a way that doesn"t bring shame to that halo. I am not your enemy." (Maou)

Maou left those words and disappeared like mist.

He simply returned to the dressing room with Ma.s.s Teleport, but in the eyes of White, it could only be seen as disappearing.

"Why does the Demon Lord…have a halo of the Angel-samas?" (White)

White absentmindedly said this, but what was in the head of Maou was only one thing. "In the times when you are troubled by women relationships, a present will better their mood", which if a woman were to hear this, they would go "don"t screw around!".

But for White…this item was by no means something to be thought of lightly.

She hurriedly left the open air bath, and looks at herself in the mirror. She had a shining angel halo floating on her head, and that solemn beauty and divine brightness made White gulp.