Demon King – Chapter 23 – The Demon Lord Is Moody

“Mom… I don’t really think that we need to spend the extra money on this,” Eiru mumbled timidly, trying to argue that there was no need for her to live in the school dorm.

I mean, seriously—putting aside the risk of being found out—on paper, she was a guy. Of course they’d assign her to the boys’ dormitory.

Even though Eiru was a guy beforehand, she had already lived as a girl for two years. She still had some sense of modesty. Living in close quarters with guys? Yeah, that’d be awkward…

“Nonsense. We’ve always taught you to save when it counts, but this is one of those times when you do need to spend. Your safety is more important than a bit of money.”

“But the apartment I rented…”

“Keep it for now. It’s still a place to rest if needed. If something comes up, you can go back there, and it’s handy to have your things already there so you don’t have to move them around.”

“Mom, I really think—” Eiru tried again, only to be cut off.

“It’s settled. Don’t say another word. Behave yourself in that dorm. Your dad and I went through a lot to get you a spot, and if you waste it—I swear to god—I’ll break your legs.”

Faced with her fierce glare, Eiru was too scared to say anything else and quickly lowered her head, silently shoveling rice into her mouth.

“And stop acting so wishy-washy. You’re a man, not some dainty little girl. One day you’ll be the head of this household, and you’re going to have to look after your sister too.”

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No, Mom. Your darling son has turned into a little loli. In two more years, she’ll be legal—and she’s not a man anymore. Eiru kept chewing and grumbling silently in her head.

Looking at her son—who didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly—Eiru’s mother sighed and rubbed her forehead.

Honestly, this kid had been such a handful. She’d long given up on him becoming some star student. All she wanted now was for him to live safely and quietly.

But when she looked at him now, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of unfamiliarity. In the past few years, Eiru had hardly communicated with the family. He didn’t like coming home, kept everything to himself, and truthfully, she barely understood him anymore.

She even suspected that if not for his close relationship with his grandmother, he might not have come home at all.

And then there was the matter of Eiya. The two siblings had grown increasingly distant in her eyes, and both she and Eiru’s father were constantly worried about it.

They had always hoped that one day the siblings would grow up and be there for each other. But it was disheartening to look at the way they were now.

Eiya was adored by her elders, had good relationships with her cousins, and generally got along with everyone.

But Eiru? He didn’t just stay away from the older generation—he kept his distance from their cousins too. The fact that their son had a “troublesome reputation” among their relatives didn’t help either.

No matter how many times they reminded him to maintain good relationships and leave a decent impression, every time there was a family event or banquet, he’d either skip it entirely or disappear halfway.

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“Your dad will take you to the dorms tomorrow. It should be ready. Start packing and move your things in, understand?” Thinking about Eiru made her irritated again, and her tone took a sharp turn.

“Got it… Also, Mom, I’m going downstairs later to get a new SIM card.” Eiru replied weakly, looking defeated.

“Go ahead. Just don’t wander around. Get it done and come right back, you hear me?”

After lunch, Eiru quickly went downstairs and returned with her new SIM card. Now she was in her room, setting up her new phone…

The moment she reinstalled her messaging apps and logged back in, a flood of unread messages overwhelmed her.

“Eiru, where the hell did you go?” “Hey. Hello? Wake up.” “Don’t scare me like this! Say something!”

Seeing the flurry of messages from Yuki, Eiru smiled sheepishly and typed a reply.

“Lost my phone. Just got a new one.”

Yuki responded almost instantly.

“Damn it, you scared me! You went totally dark for days—I thought maybe you got hit by a truck.” “Screw you. Don’t jinx me.”

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Chatting online with friends helped ease Eiru’s bottled up frustration. Silly online friends really were the best—they actually made her happy.

“Play, play, play. All you do is stare at your phone.” Eiru’s mother’s voice suddenly echoed beside her, making her jump.

“Mom! Don’t sneak up on me—at least knock!” Eiru clutched her chest dramatically, glaring at her mom.

“You just weren’t paying attention. Anyway, I came to ask you something…”

“Ugh, what now?”

“Your aunt and uncle are bringing your little cousin over. They’ll be staying with us for a few days. They’re already on their way.”

“…So I’m sleeping on the couch again, huh?” Eiru’s expression turned bleak. Anyone could see that she was not happy.

“Which is why I’m asking. I’m not forcing you. What do you say?”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I’m heading off to school tomorrow anyway. Just leave.” Eiru waved her hand dismissively, not even trying to hide her irritation.

“This kid…” Eiru’s mother could still hear her muttering as she walked out of the room.

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Something about, “It’s supposed to be the guest room, but I’m the one who never has a room,” and “I’m the lowest in the family pecking order.”

It wasn’t that Eiru was unreasonable—if she were, she wouldn’t have agreed to give up her room in the first place. But it definitely left a bitter taste in her mouth. She was always the one being kicked out, and never anyone else. Saying that she wasn’t annoyed by it would be a lie.

“Why do they always have to stay here? Don’t the other relatives have bigger houses…” Locking the door, the little demon lord reverted to her true form and sat down, sulking on her bed.

“Ugh, mosquitoes again in the living room. This sucks. This is my house, damn it…”

It wasn’t even the first time. Whenever relatives visited on weekends or holidays, Eiru was always the one who got kicked to the couch.

Since she wasn’t around most of the time, she really did feel like spare parts. Sometimes, the little demon lord wondered if her presence in this household made any difference at all.

Cheeks puffed out, the demon lord smacked the bed with her tail a few times to vent.

Even though she was in a bad mood, Eiru knew perfectly well that if anyone had to give up their room, realistically it had to be her. It’s not like she could make her little sister or grandma move. And her parents? Yeah, definitely out of the question.