Chapter Four: The Demon Lord Wants to Spoil His Family
Chapter Four: The Demon Lord Wants to Spoil His Family
Making sure not to disturb the two little girls sleeping in the bed with them, Luina gently woke Anima up and asked him to help out with the laundry. Myuke had returned home and reunited with her family the day before, so they no longer had to worry about leaving Marie alone. Waking up next to her beloved sister, she was unlikely to run off in search of Mommy and Daddy.
Anima quietly left the room so as not to wake his two slumbering princesses, made his way to the garden, and drew water from the well. Once he’d done that, he crouched down next to Luina to help her carefully sort the laundry. He spotted a pair of Luina’s underwear in the pile, but he decided not to touch it; he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
“How about we wash each other’s underwear today?”
Focused on the laundry, Luina’s proposal caught him completely off-guard.
“You’ll let me wash your underwear?”
After a tiny nod, she averted her gaze toward the ground.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you yesterday. What sort of wife screams when her husband touches her underwear? I’m such a failure…”
“D-Don’t say that! You’re the woman of my dreams!”
“Thank you, I’m happy to hear that,” she said, smiling because of his words of encouragement. “I really, truly love you, so I want to try acting more like a couple.”
“Is washing each other’s underwear something a couple would do?”
“Definitely.” She nodded vehemently. “We couldn’t bear washing each other’s underwear if we didn’t love each other. Do you not like the idea?”
“What wouldn’t I like about it? I’ll pour all my gratitude into washing your underwear!”
“I’ll gratefully wash yours as well! Thank you for always looking out for the girls.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you for the delicious meals you work tirelessly to put on the table every day.”
They sorted the laundry while continuing their delightful chit-chat. When they were done, Luina, wearing a warm smile, stretched out in front of the laundry as it gently swayed on the clothesline.
“Thank you so much! We finished in a heartbeat!”
“I’m glad I could help. I want to keep helping you with the chores every day from now on.”
“I appreciate it, but don’t push yourself too hard! I wouldn’t want you to collapse.”
“You have nothing to worry about; I’m confident in my stamina. Even if something were to happen, a single glance at your wonderful smile cure anything that ails me.”
“I also feel great when I’m with you, so, umm… Ah, I know! Why don’t we make breakfast together?”
“You want me to cook?”
“Yes! I want to cook with you!”
Excited as she always was, Luina grabbed Anima’s hand. He was unbelievably strong, yet he could never shake off Luina’s hold.
Just like that, she brought him to the kitchen. When he stepped on the wooden floor, sparkling save for a few stray stains, the first things he noticed were the stone stove with a number of empty pots neatly organized on it and the long, clean shelves filled with a number of spotless pieces of tableware and other unfamiliar kitchen tools.
It wasn’t as though he had never been in a kitchen before, but he had never actually used one. As the wonder faded, a much more sinister realization dawned upon him: if he made a mistake, his lovely wife and adorable children could get sick. The simple thought that such a thing could happen made him more nervous than any life-or-death fight he’d ever taken part in.
“Are you sure about this?”
Anima’s inexperience would only get in Luina’s way. Physical labor was his forte, while the more sophisticated chores were Luina’s area of expertise. Whatever she decided to make would probably come out better if she cooked alone rather than with Anima helping her, but even so, she was dead set on the idea of making breakfast with him.
“I want to cook with you!”
“But what if I ruin your delicious meal?”
“It’s okay, I’ll be here to help. You know, cooking is a way to show your love. A meal made with love will always taste good.”
“‘Made with love’, huh…”
That explained why Marie’s mud pies had been so tasty. She had made put all her love for Anima into making them, which made even soggy dirt delicious.
“I’m sure Myuke and Marie would be happy to taste your cooking too! They’ll warm up to you even more!”
“You really think so?” Anima was getting excited. If he could pull off cooking a delicious meal, it would put smiles on his little daughters’ faces. He could already hear them saying, “Daddy, it’s super yummy!” as they ate. “What do you need me to do?”
Seeing the excitement light up in his eyes, Luina smiled tenderly.
“Could you slice the apples? I’ll peel the skins later.” The bread and meat they’d received as wedding presents had run out fairly quickly, but they still had a mountain of various fruits at their disposal. Luina had been making a lot of light breakfasts using them, and her laying four apples down on the table and grabbing a knife meant that trend was going to continue. “Do you know how to properly hold a knife?”
Anima nodded hesitantly. He was, of course, physically able to hold a knife, but he wasn’t sure if there were any special techniques he needed to use for cooking. Noticing his inner turmoil, Luina shuffled behind him with a warm smile.
“You have to hold it like this.” She gingerly wrapped her arms around him and gently grabbed his hand, guiding it toward the handle of the knife and helping him grip it. “Are you left-handed?”
“Yes, I am.”
Her soft hands on top of his had Anima’s heart aflutter, but the softness squeezing against his back had it threatening to leap out of his chest. He and Luina took baths together every day, so seeing her full, beautiful breasts was nothing new for him, but he had never touched them before. He loved every part of her, and her breasts were no exception. The sensation of them being pressed against his body sent his mind into overdrive.
Ready to give all of himself to her, the plump, tender feeling pulled away from his back. Luina scooted next to him and looked into his eyes.
“Does this bore you?”
She had given him some tips and tricks to help him learn, but he hadn’t caught a word of what she’d said.
“I’m sorry, would you please start from the beginning.”
“Of course, but that’s strange, coming from you. Are you tired? You seem to be a bit out of it today.”
“I’m not tired at all, it’s just… your breasts.”
“My breast—Ah!” Her cheeks grew as red as the apples Anima was learning to slice. “Umm, just so you know, I didn’t mean to do that, okay? I was focused on teaching you, and…”
“I know, and I really appreciate your impromptu cooking lesson. I promise to become a great cook so we can make meals together every day!”
“That would be great! I’d love to cook with you every day!”
Luina put on a bright smile and stepped closer to Anima. The previous time had been unintentional, but as she stopped only inches away from him, it was obvious that was no longer the case. Her unusual assertiveness completely distracted Anima; he couldn’t even begin to focus on cooking.
“Why are you getting so close?”
“Do you not like it?”
She stared sweetly at him, wishing that they would stay together forever. It took all of his strength, but Anima managed to fight off his urge to hug her and simply shook his head.
“Why wouldn’t I? We’re married.”
“Yes, we are,” Luina said with a warm smile. “That’s why I want to be right next to you when we’re cooking.”
“Do couples usually snuggle up to cook?”
“They do.” She nodded confidently and began to share a story about her past. “I saw Mom and Dad cook like this when I was little. It made Mom so happy. My little girl mind was convinced that she was always smiling so beautifully because she loved cooking, but that wasn’t the reason.”
“What was, then?”
“She did enjoy cooking, but that smile was because she was next to her beloved husband, and because she loved making food for the most important people in her life.” Luina rested her head on Anima’s shoulder. “Today, I feel just like she must have felt back then.”
Anima jumped for joy—on the inside, at least; his feet remained firmly planted on the ground. He didn’t want to hurt Luina, after all.
“I’m so happy to have married you, Luina.”
“I’m happy too. Let’s make ours an even warmer, happier family.”
“Yeah.” There was no way Anima would decline an offer like that. “Let’s build a happy family.”
“Mm-hmm! Let’s!”
“…”
“…”
She looked at Anima silently, as if she were in a trance. While he was trying to decipher the meaning behind her gaze, small teardrops started to form in the corners of her eyes. Anima was starting to worry if she was coming down with a fever.
“Are you feeling sick?” he asked.
“Huh? No, I’m not…”
“That’s good.”
He was relieved to hear that Luina wasn’t sick, but that meant something else must have hurt her—something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Regardless, as her husband, it was his duty to cheer her up. He looked at Luina, grinding his gears in an effort to come up with something, and got trapped by her teary gaze and flushed cheeks.
“Y-You know, there is one thing we haven’t done yet.” Her reddened face was clearly translated into her tone. “Something that’s very important for making our family that much happier.”
“What would that be?”
“Umm… Well…”
“Lay it on me! I’ll do anything to make you happy!”
“W-We haven’t, umm… kissed yet…”
“‘K-Kissed’, huh?”
Anima was dumbfounded. The possibility of kissing her had never even crossed his mind, but when he thought about it, sharing a kiss would make him the happiest man in the whole wide world. It would certainly make for a happier, healthier married life as well.
“Is it really okay if I kiss you?”
He looked straight into her eyes as he asked, which made her cheeks flush even more.
“Honestly, I’ve been hoping you would kiss me for a while now.”
“Y-You have?”
“Mm-hmm. I’ve been hinting at it all this week.”
“I’m sorry. I never realized…”
Given his nonexistent dating experience, it was no wonder he hadn’t seen her give him any “come over here and kiss me” looks.
“You don’t have to apologize. I like this inexperienced—or maybe dense—side of yours. So, umm… Would you kiss me?”
“It would be my pleasure.” He placed his hands on her slender, delicate shoulders. “Are you… sure about this?”
“I-I’m sure. Please, go ahead…”
Luina closed her eyes and pursed her soft pink lips. Her long, beautiful eyelashes trembled ever so slightly, and her warm, sweet breath escaped her barely-open mouth. It was Anima’s first time seeing her face so close up; examining her most minute features, he found her even more alluring than before.
Marveling at her beauty could wait, though. It was time for him to make his move, lest Luina faint on the spot—her face was so red that it wouldn’t have surprised him to see steam erupt from her ears. In order to prevent that, he slowly inched his face closer to hers…
“I’m hungy!”
“Eep!”
Luina jumped in surprise as Marie came rushing into the kitchen. Peeking into the room from behind was Myuke, whose sleepy eyes popped wide open when she heard Luina’s squeak.
“Wh-What was that scream?! Don’t tell me you cut yourself!”
“N-No, I was just startled…”
“That’s all? Ohhh, hehe, I get it.” As she looked around the room, her eyes stopped on Luina’s shoulders, which were still being held tightly by Anima. Her mouth curled into a mischievous smile as she dropped her shoulders and let out a small sigh. “Look at you two, raring to go first thing in the morning. Well, guess it’s okay. I mean, you are married.”
“Wh-What exactly is ‘okay’?”
“Whatever, just get on with it. I’ll wait outside with Marie.”
“Seriously, what are you talking about?”
Myuke’s teasing made Luina want to cry.
The kiss is postponed.
She had been really excited about sharing a kiss with Anima, but that ship had clearly sailed. The embarrassment of kissing in front of their children might have caused her to pass out.
Anima was a bit bummed about it, but then he heard small footsteps pitter-pattering behind him. When he turned around, he saw Marie reaching up for an apple sitting on the cutting board. Just as her tiny fingers reached the apple and pulled it toward her, he noticed the knife sitting next to it.
“Look out!”
He immediately picked her up to get her away from the knife, and she dejectedly wriggled her arms and legs in response.
“Breakfast! Breakfast!”
“I know, you must be hungry. Is that it, Marie? Do you want that apple?”
He spoke calmly, but his heart was racing. A moment too late and Marie could’ve been seriously hurt. He had to make sure not to take his eyes off her even for a second.
“Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”
Spotting the knife next to the apple, Myuke managed to figure out what had happened and asked Marie in a worried tone.
“Don’t worry, she’s fine.”
She let out a relieved sigh.
“Thank goodness.”
“Sorry, Anima. I should have been paying more attention.”
Luina’s terrified, frozen expression only made Anima even more panicked.
“Y-You don’t have to apologize! Come on, cheer up! Marie will get scared if she sees you like this.”
Marie was incredibly perceptive of changes in the surrounding adults’ moods. Seeing her mommy’s horrified expression, tears began welling up in her eyes.
“Mommy, you hurt?”
She completely forgot about the apple she had desperately wanted for herself, and even about the fact that she was hungry. The only thing on her tiny mind was her mommy’s safety. Appreciative of her feelings, Luina’s frown was quickly replaced with a smile as she answered in a calm tone.
“Not at all; I’m fit as a fiddle! I’ll finish your breakfast in a minute, so you two should go wash your faces. Anima, would you please draw water for them?”
“Leave it to me. I’ll come back and help you with the breakfast once we’re done.”
“Thank you! Oh, and also…” Luina signaled with her hands for Anima to lean closer, which he did. “We’ll get back to that kiss once the girls are in bed.”
Her sweet, warm breath gently caressing his ear sent blood rushing to his cheeks.
◆◆◆
Finished with breakfast preparations, Anima made his way to the dining room. The table was filled with an assortment of fruits: grapes left on the bunch, bananas and oranges peeled for easy consumption, and apples sliced and peeled to resemble bunnies, one of Marie’s favorite animals.
“Bun-buns!”
Marie excitedly picked up a slice and played around with it, making it hop around the table.
The chair that had been in a terrible state when Anima had first arrived had only gotten worse with time. He couldn’t let the children sit on such a dangerous piece of furniture, but it probably would’ve snapped if he’d sat on it. The solution he’d come up with the day before was to simply squat in front of the table, but Luina had offered him a better idea: he would sit on one of the good chairs and Marie would sit on his lap.
“Do you like bun-buns?”
“Uh-huh! ’Cause, umm, they go hoppy-hop!”
“Do they, now? I had no idea!”
Myuke watched with a warm smile as Anima gently pet Marie’s head.
“You really love Marie, don’t you?”
“Of course. I love my family, and that includes you too, Myuke.”
“Yeah, yeah. I love you too.”
She waved her hands as if she didn’t think much of it, but the huge smile on her face didn’t lie. Anima’s smile, just as big and radiant as hers, didn’t either. Hearing that his adorable daughter loved him filled his heart with happiness. Being showered with love first thing in the morning meant that he was going to have the best day of his life.
“Sorry for the wait!” While Anima floated around on cloud nine, Luina brought cups of milk to the table for everyone. Seeing Marie happily playing around with the apple while sitting on Anima’s lap brought her to a warm smile. “Marie, do you like sitting on Daddy’s lap?”
“Yeah! I love Daddy!”
“Are you happy you have a Daddy?”
“Yeah! Daddy carries me sooo high! And his lap’s big and soft and comfy!”
“Ooh, really? That does sound very comfy!”
“Would you like to sit on my lap too, Luina?”
“I would like to try it sometime, but I’ll let Marie enjoy her special little spot while she still can. She won’t be able to sit on your lap forever.”
“Why can’t she?”
“As Marie gets bigger, your legs might start going numb. How about we go out and buy a chair for you?”
“You don’t need to do that. It would be a waste of money.”
“Not at all!” Luina was clearly serious about the chair. “You’re part of our family. I know how hard you two worked for that money, and I’d never want to waste it, but buying a chair so a family member can sit at the dinner table isn’t a waste by any stretch of the imagination.”
There was absolutely no way for Anima to talk her out of it.
“I appreciate that you’re thinking of me. I’ll go buy a chair.”
“We gonna go out? On a trip?”
While listening to the adults’ conversation, Marie caught on to the possibility of a trip to the town and immediately got excited.
“Yep! We’re all taking a trip into town today!”
“Yaaay! When?”
“We could go after breakfast, and have lunch while we’re there! We should celebrate Myuke’s return today!”
“I-It’s fine, you don’t have to do that for me.”
The reason for Myuke’s coyness was clear to Anima, despite his limited experience with women. She’d shown him the day before just how deeply she cared for her family. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have willingly put her life on the line as a Hunter.
She worked her tail off, bravely weathering all the cuts and bruises she suffered to provide a peaceful, carefree life to her precious little sister Marie, who was just starting to grasp the world around her, and Luina, who was putting her heart and soul into running the orphanage she grew up in.
Devoting herself to her family was admirable, but as her father, Anima couldn’t let her put herself down for the family. He wanted to pamper her until that selflessness disappeared.
“Myuke, don’t worry about the money. I promise that I’ll make enough to provide for the family, so tell us, what would you like to eat?”
Myuke was taken aback by the gentleness and warmth of Anima’s proposal.
“Are you letting me choose?”
“Naturally. Right, Luina?”
“Yep! It’s your homecoming party, after all!”
Tensing up a bit from the pressure of Anima’s and Luina’s warm smiles, Myuke thought for a moment before sharing her decision in the tiniest of whispers.
“Cake… would be nice.”
“Oh, that sounds lovely!” Luina chirped. “We’ll find somewhere with good desserts for lunch!”
“I didn’t mean that. I’d like to have your homemade cake.”
“You want me to make one?”
Myuke immediately nodded.
“Remember when I turned eight, and everyone worked together to make me an apple cake? I wanna do that again.”
She probably did long for a delicious cake, but more than that, she wanted to relive the fun they’d had as a family back then.
“Let’s see… We don’t have many eggs, and we’re running low on flour as well, but we have more than enough apples. Okay. Let’s bake you a cake!”
“Lemme help too!”
“I would like to help as well.”
“I’ll help out too. It was my idea in the first place.”
The delighted smile on Myuke’s face warmed Anima’s soul.
“Then we should go buy the ingredients, come back, and bake the cake together! Hands up, who wants to come along?”
“Meee!”
Three hands shot into the air, along with three shouts. Everyone scarfed down their breakfast, then set off for Garaat to purchase ingredients.
◆◆◆
Above the forest at the edge of Garaat, Malshan spread his large, taloned wings wide, hovering as he looked down at the measly homes dotting the border of the city. The one he had his eye on was a shabby building surrounded by a wooden fence—Luina’s orphanage.
The day after his handling of Krain, he had one simple objective: to retrieve the Harbinger stone. He had been monitoring the house since the sun’s first light had banished the darkness of the night, but there was no movement around the house besides Anima and Luina doing some work in the garden.
It would take nothing more than a simple fireball to blow them all away, but finding a tiny magic stone beneath the rubble would have been too tiresome, and if he spent too long there, someone was sure to see him.
With the death of Krain, the only person who knew about his sinister side, he had to be careful not to let himself be discovered. The option of killing any witnesses was always open, but staying hidden was a much preferable outcome.
Witnesses aside, he also needed Anima alive. The way he would become a revered hero was by tricking Anima into going on a bloody rampage. Once he had buried several countries, Malshan would step in, the two would fight a life-or-death battle, and Malshan would emerge the hero.
He could have tried to sneak into the house to kill Luina and the two kids, but Anima had to live. If the two happened to meet, the battle that would ensue would no doubt demolish the house, which, of course, would make finding the stone like finding a needle in a haystack.
The other issue Malshan ran into was that he couldn’t rely on the Crimson Dragon’s power in broad daylight. His only chance at peacefully getting his hands on the stone was by intimidating Luina into handing it over, but Anima would never allow that to happen.
Anima had already proved that he was ready to attack at the first sign of a threat, and that he was no pushover. Being summoned by the Harbinger stone meant that he had the strength of the familiars it had summoned during its reign. He would have no trouble matching Malshan’s strength; a battle between them would truly be toe-to-toe.
“I should be relieved that he can’t use the full extent of his power.”
If there was one thing Malshan had learned during his visit the week prior, it was that Anima loved his family from the bottom of his heart. More than just the house, a no-holds-barred battle would probably mow down the surrounding forest, and maybe half the town as well. That would have caught Anima’s precious family in the crossfire, however, hence his hands were tied. That gave Malshan an overwhelming advantage.
Regardless, that was simply the worst-case scenario. If at all possible, he wanted to avoid fighting. His plan was to take the children hostage, threaten Luina, and get his hands on the stone. And he had just the thing to threaten her with: the same flames that had wiped Krain from the face of the planet the night before.
Luina had never seen those flames firsthand, but as a descendant of the Scarlett family, she was bound to have heard about the terrifying power of the Crimson Dragons. A tiny flicker of his all-consuming flame would be enough to scare Luina into submission, and with the children in his clutches, Anima wouldn’t allow himself to take any risks.
Once he had his hands on the stone, Luina and the children would have served their purpose. Luina was too beautiful to die, so he had planned to let her live—albeit chained up in a cellar under his mansion—but the children would be dealt with. They would become sacrifices to trigger Anima’s wrath, which he planned to direct toward the citizens of Garaat.
“Hm?”
He suddenly furrowed his brow. Far below him, four figures had left the orphanage and set off on the road to Garaat.
Malshan couldn’t help but smile at such a happy coincidence. There was no point in him taking the orphans as hostages if Anima and Luina were unaware that they were in his clutches, so the four of them leaving together gave him the perfect opportunity to put his plan into motion.
He wanted to get started immediately, but the time wasn’t right. The sound of his wings flapping was incredibly loud, so approaching them could draw some unwanted attention. He would land somewhere farther away, sneak closer to their house through the woods, and wait for their return. Just imagining his plan in action filled him with excitement.
“At last… At last, I’ll become a hero!”
Despite having long surpassed the Scarletts in terms of finances and influence, the Merkalts always lived in their shadow. The decline of their family didn’t erode their fame in the slightest, and being regarded as inferior to a family that struggled to put food on their table disgusted him to no end. It was no exaggeration to say that it was the most insulting experience he’d ever had to live through, but he could never justify his frustration to the masses.
However, if he became a hero, he’d be the subject of praise from the world at large. The Merkalts would finally dethrone the Scarletts, and Malshan would go down in history as the savior of the world.
◆◆◆
The lively energy of Garaat was present even on Anima’s third visit, and though he and his family were in a different section of town in search of ingredients, his presence didn’t cause anyone to shriek in terror. They were having a quiet, peaceful stroll, yet something still made him uneasy.
He could feel glances being shot his way from every direction. Anywhere he went, people would bow slightly as they passed him, and his steps were followed by the joyful squeals and quiet chatter of women as they stared at him from a distance.
When did I become the town’s main attraction?
The people weren’t afraid of him, but he was clearly the center of attention. So much unwanted attention was going to ruin his first outing with every member of his family, something he’d wanted for a long time.
“You’re acting weird. Is everything okay?” Luina asked, worried after noticing Anima’s unrest. “We can take a break in the shade if you’re feeling unwell.”
“I’m fine. It’s everyone else that’s acting weird.”
“Why do you say that?”
“They’re all staring at me.”
“Of course they are! Did you forget what you did?!” Myuke asked after a small, tired sigh. Luina seemed to have caught on as well, and her worried expression softened into a smile.
“What did I do?”
“You remember beating Krain to a pulp yesterday, don’tcha?! Listen, he’s a violent scumbag who treats girls like animals. Pretty much every woman in town despises him, if not all of them! What you did turned you into a hero, so don’t go getting all nervous and jerky! You have a lot to be proud of, so stand up straight and bask in your achievements!”
After praising Anima, she smacked him on the back to encourage him.
“Oh, I see.”
The highlight of the day had been Myuke calling him ‘Daddy’, but he had indeed defeated Krain, to which the surrounding crowd burst into cheers.
Learning the reason behind all the attention he was getting, Anima cheered up. He wasn’t used to being fawned over by hordes of people, but it wasn’t a bad feeling. Their glares weren’t malicious, so he didn’t have to worry about any potential harm coming to his family.
With his changed mindset, he was finally able to enjoy their family outing to the fullest. Walking around with his head held high, Myuke glared at him with doubt in her eyes.
“Don’t even think about fooling around with other women just because you got a little bit famous!”
“I won’t be fooling with anyone. I will always be faithful to Luina.”
“I’ll be forever faithful to you too,” she said as she happily snuggled closer to him.
Her sweet whisper turned Anima’s face a deep red.
“I’m the happiest man in the world.”
His whole life had changed when Luina had summoned him. He had earned the respect of the whole town, and was well on his way to creating a happy, warm family. Just thinking about it filled his heart with gratitude, which he expressed to her every day, but words were no longer enough. Since they were in town, he wanted to take the opportunity to do something special for her.
Thinking hard in hopes of coming up with an idea, his eyes suddenly caught something as they made their way to the furniture store. There was a beautiful dress displayed on a wooden doll in one of the storefronts.
“That’s it!” Anima had a revelation. He stopped in front of the store and turned toward Luina. “Luina, can we look around for some clothes?”
“Of course we can! I noticed the frays in your clothes, and while I could patch them up, we should take this chance to look for something new for you.”
“Not for me. I want to buy something for you.”
“For me?” The surprise from his statement froze her in place. “But I already own three dresses, and I got a lot of new, beautiful clothes as wedding gifts.”
“But you aren’t wearing them, are you?”
“That’s true. I need a special occasion to wear those, but such things don’t come around often, and they don’t seem very wash-friendly.”
Anima found it weird that she never wore the dresses she’d received as wedding gifts. He had assumed they didn’t fit, but she was simply hesitant to wear them when she did the chores.
“In that case, I’ll buy you some casual clothes. You won’t have to worry about wearing clothes like that around the house, right?”
“I agree with Daddy!” Myuke piped up. “You’ve been wearing that dress for ages; it must be getting tight!”
“‘Tight’?” Anima stared at her waist. Her complexion had drastically improved since they first met, but her figure hadn’t changed at all. He sometimes worried her small, fragile body would snap with a single hug. “She’s as thin as ever.”
“I’m talking about her chest!”
“Ah, I see now.”
“D-Don’t stare so much…”
“S-Sorry…”
He quickly averted his gaze, but Myuke was right. The bust of Luina’s dress seemed strained, as if it could burst open at any moment. That would no doubt be a shockingly embarrassing experience for her, even if it happened at their home. Anima didn’t want to imagine how she would feel if it happened in the garden, let alone on the busy streets of the town. He would rather not have other men feast their eyes on her bare chest.
“Luina, is that dress tight on you?”
“A little, yes.”
“Then it’s settled. We’re buying you a new one,” he said in a powerful tone, not allowing any arguments. Luina was suffering in her tight dress, and he wasn’t the sort of man who would let his wife suffer, so he quickly set off toward the entrance of the clothing store.
◆◆◆
They entered the small, quiet, orderly store filled with colorful dresses. The clothes were neatly organized, with thought and care put into the placement of each one. Anima couldn’t spot any articles of men’s clothing, but there was a wide selection of women’s clothes. Finding something for Luina would be simple.
“Whoaaa! Daddy, look! There’s lots! Lotsa clothes! Whoaaaaa!”
Based on the way she excitedly ran around, looking at the various dresses on display, it must have been Marie’s first time in a clothing store.
“Say, can I look around too?” Myuke asked timidly as she marveled at the vast display with stars in her eyes. Her clothes also had a couple of visible patches, though not as many as Luina’s. She was too shy to admit it, but she clearly wanted a new dress for herself.
“Tell me if you find something nice. I’ll buy it for you.”
“R-Really?! Are you sure?”
Her eyes popped open in bewilderment, to which Anima answered with a gentle smile.
“It’d hurt more if you tried to be considerate around me. I love you, and I want to make you happy. You’re my daughter, after all.”
“Thank you, Daddy!”
Her astonished expression changed into an ear-to-ear smile. Seeing that delighted smile was more than worth the price of a new dress.
“Me too! I want one too!”
“Of course. I’d never leave you out, Marie.”
“Yaaay!”
“I think the children’s store is across the street,” Luina added.
“In that case, why don’t you take Marie over there and keep an eye on her, Myuke? Let me know if you come across anything you like.”
“Sure. C’mon, Marie!” She took Marie’s hand. “Stay with me, okay?”
“’Kaaay!”
They left for the kids’ clothing store after her cheerful answer.
“You’re becoming more and more like a father,” Luina told Anima.
“You think so?”
She nodded happily.
“You’ve always been great with Marie, but I thought things would be more difficult with Myuke. You know how kids are at her age. I was afraid she’d be scared of you, but you’re getting along just fine.”
Their relationship had gotten a rough start, but Anima was able to use the incident with Krain to patch things up. Since then, she’d started to wash his back, hold his hand, and most importantly, call him ‘Daddy’.
Anima had no experience with raising children, or dealing with them at all to begin with, but he swore to himself not to become like his womanizer father, who had disregarded his children in favor of playing around with women. With that mindset, Anima had managed to interact with the girls, but being a good father took more than simply talking with them. Luina’s positive feedback gave him confidence, though. It gave him hope that he was able to raise children.
Additionally, he knew that being a proper father was only part of the equation. He had to become a proper husband as well, which was exactly why he’d decided to express his gratitude by buying a new dress for his lovely wife. Unfortunately, however, he had no experience with buying presents for women, or women’s clothing in general. He wasn’t sure if Luina would be happy if he picked something for her that he thought would look good on her.
“Welcome! How may I help you?”
As they stood before the sea of colorful dresses, seemingly troubled by the abundance of choices, a young woman called out to them. She seemed to be an employee, so Anima decided to turn to her for advice.
“We’re looking for something that will fit her.”
“Let’s see… With such a beautiful face and great figure, anything would look good on her. Do you perhaps have something specific in mind?”
“Do you have anything in mind, Luina?”
“Hmmm… Something light that won’t get in the way of chores would be nice, but if it’s a gift from you, I’d rather have something nice to wear for outings.”
“Then I think you’d like something between loungewear and outdoor clothes. May I pick some out that I think fit that description? Then the young lady can decide after trying them on.”
“This might take a while…” Luina said as she glanced at Anima.
“That’s fine. I’ll go check on the girls, so take your time and choose whatever you like the most.”
“Would you? Thanks!”
“We’ll let you know when she’s finished trying clothes on. Please feel free to rest on one of our chairs if you happen to come back earlier.”
After Luina disappeared into the back of the store with the young woman, Anima went to check on the girls. He carefully slid between the clothes on display until he finally found his little angels. Doing exactly as she was told, Marie was clutching Myuke’s hand, while Myuke stared into the distance, lost in thought.
“Did you find something you like?”
She timidly nodded.
“I did, but…”
“Which one?”
“This one…”
She sheepishly pointed at a light blueish sundress. The skirt was a bit short, but it was cute nonetheless.
“Then let’s buy it.”
“But it’s really expensive. We could all eat at a really nice restaurant with this money.”
Myuke didn’t want to pick the dress she liked since it was too expensive, so Anima reassured her that she didn’t have to be reserved around him.
“You know what? I’d love to see you wear this to a nice restaurant.”
“B-But then you’ll spend all your money on me!”
“You don’t have to worry about money.” He gently pet her head. “Seeing your smile is worth more than all the riches in the world, and I’m more than ready to pay any price to see it.”
“A-Are you sure it’s okay to buy this for me?”
“I will,” Anima replied with a bright smile, “but only if you put it on and show it to me when we get home.”
Her face lit up.
“Yeah! I will! I love you, Daddy! Thanks!”
Myuke tightly wrapped her arms around Anima, who couldn’t contain his happiness. With a big smile on his face, he turned toward Marie.
“And what about you, Marie? Did you find anything?”
“I finded something!”
“You finded something, huh? Where is it?”
“Here!” Marie pulled him towards the child section. “I want this!”
She pointed at a onesie with a cute animal pattern sewn into it. The long, fluffy sleeves would completely cover her arms and legs, maybe even extending past her hands and feet, and the large hood with two long ears attached would keep her head warm.
“Daddy, Daddy! I know this! It’s bun-buns!”
“Really? Wow, you’re such a smart little girl!”
“Bun-buns hop lots! Hoppy-hop!”
She put her hands behind her head, and flailed them around, imitating bunny ears. Seeing that, Anima couldn’t help but smile even brighter.
The first time they had gotten into the bath together, Anima had noticed how thin she was. However, thanks to her recent diet of meat and fish, which she always happily nibbled on, she had put on some weight. Maybe it was only his imagination, but she seemed to have grown a bit taller, too. If she continued to grow the way she had been, it wouldn’t be long before she outgrew even the onesie.
That was all beside the point, though. If buying new clothes made Marie happy, he’d gladly do so every single day. Of course, the same was true for Myuke and Luina as well.
“All right, let’s buy it.”
“Good for you, Marie. He’s getting it for you!”
“Thank you, Daddy!”
“You’re very welcome. Should we go back and find Mommy? Ah, and don’t forget to bring your new bun-bun!”
Marie hugged her new animal onesie all the way back to the other store. After waiting for a short while, the young woman came out from the back of the store with a confident smile on her face.
“What do you think?”
She took a step back and stretched her arms out toward the small door as Luina slowly emerged from the back of the shop.
“…”
Anima was completely speechless. His plan was to tell her that she was beautiful no matter what she wore, but he had been completely unprepared to behold such a sight.
She was wearing a loose, comfortable white shirt with a bold cut at the chest, complemented with a long, airy, deep crimson skirt.
“H-How do I look?”
Wearing her simple yet charming outfit that emphasized her body’s strong points, she pinched the sides of her skirt and stared at Anima. He timidly nodded before he could squeeze any words out of himself.
“N-Nice. No, I mean great. It looks incredible on you. You truly are the most beautiful woman in the world. Yeah, you look amazing.”
He managed to praise her. Kind of. It was never his objective, though; those words naturally flowed out of him when he saw her. Her cheeks flushed as her mouth curled up into a warm smile.
“Then I’d like to buy these. I’ll be sure to take good care of them.”
“Thank you, Luina.”
“Why are you thanking me?” she asked, blinking confusedly.
“Because I’ve never seen anyone as adorable as you. I’ll work hard to become the husband you deserve.”
“You’re already the best husband I could ever hope to have.”
Those words filled Anima with a happiness he had never felt before.
◆◆◆
Following their pleasant little outing, Anima and his family cheerfully walked along the dirt road back to their house.
“Did you guys have fun today?”
Excited for a positive answer, he looked back at his family, and was greeted by Myuke’s bright smile.
“Yep! It was super fun!”
Seeing his daughter’s lovely, delighted expression, he couldn’t contain his happiness either.
“I’m glad to hear that. Let’s do it again sometime.”
“I can’t wait! I’ll wear the dress you bought me next time we go out!”
She clutched the bag she got from the clothing store in one hand while holding Marie’s hand with her other.
“I can’t wait to see you in that dress. Marie, will you show me your bun-bun pajamas after our bath too?”
“Mm-hmm! I’m gonna be a bun-bun!”
She happily swung her hands, one held by Myuke, the other by Luina. Anima was left out of the family hand-holding—instead, he carried a chair in his arms, but it was one Luina had picked specifically for him, so it didn’t bother him in the slightest. He couldn’t wait to sit on it while enjoying his lovely wife’s hearty dinner.
“Anima, thank you so much for everything today. I’ve never seen these two smile so much before.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you. Every single one of my days has been filled with happiness ever since we got married.”
“I feel the same way. There hasn’t been a dreary day since you stepped into our lives. The girls are happier than they’ve ever been, and I can’t thank you enough for proposing to me.”
“I want to thank you, too,” Myuke added in a serious tone.
“You don’t have to thank me for the dress. I want to make you happy.”
“I don’t mean that. I’m grateful for the dress, but I wanted to thank you for something else.”
“What, exactly?”
“I wanted to say this yesterday, but thank you for protecting Luina and Marie from the goblin. If you hadn’t shown up to help them, I… I would have been all alone again.”
Tears began streaming down her cheeks. If not for Anima, she would have come home to her worst nightmare. Simply thinking about the possibility of that tragedy cut deep into her soul.
“It’s okay,” Anima told her with a gentle smile. “I’ll never leave you all alone, and neither will Luina or Marie.”
He glanced at his precious family. He didn’t want his lovely daughter to cry, or his family to experience any kind of sadness; he never wanted them to stop smiling. The family of his dreams was one filled not with hardship and tears, but with overwhelming happiness and big, beautiful smiles.
“I’ll always be here to make sure you all can smile,” he continued. “You’ll never have to be afraid of anything ever again. I’ll chase away anyone and anything that dares to threaten our happiness.”
With a small chuckle, Myuke hurriedly wiped her tears.
“I believe you. We don’t have to worry about anything as long as you’re around. You totally pummeled that monster Krain with one hand, after all!”
“I’ll make the best apple cake in the world for my strong, reliable husband!”
Anima’s eyes twinkled with excitement upon being reminded of the evening’s menu. He had forgotten about it during the fun of their trip, but they were all going to bake a cake together. He would be cooking with the family he loved so dearly, and would get to taste the love and care his enchanting wife and adorable girls would put into making the cake.
Their fun day on the town may have come to an end, but the warm embrace of his family waited for him at home. That wouldn’t change the next day or even the day after that; his happiness would never subside as long as he had them in his life.
I’m the happiest man in the entire world!
Excited to bake with his family, Anima felt like he was walking on clouds. They soon spotted their house standing in the distance, and warmth filled his heart as he imagined them merrily baking together in the kitchen.
Suddenly, however, a crimson beast leaped out from behind the trees, stopping to spread its wide, majestic wings. Its whole body was covered in scales, the talons on its sturdy limbs shimmered ominously under the setting sun, and the long tail extending from its buttocks tapered into a sharp spike.
“Is that… a demon?!”
Hearing Luina’s shout, Anima turned to face the beast, which raised its scaly arms toward the sky and conjured a raging fireball. Direct contact with the suffocatingly hot air was enough to set the surrounding trees ablaze.
The demon gave off an aura of all-consuming bloodlust, but Anima took it head-on and clenched his fist.
“Luina, stand back.”
“N-No, stop! I told you, that’s—!”
“I know.”
Anima cut her off. The temperature was rising quickly, and the more she spoke, the more she had to breathe. The scorching air could hurt her throat, and he wouldn’t allow that. Regardless, Luina was too worried about her husband to back down.
“If you know, that’s more reason to back down! You’ll get hurt!”
“She’s right!” Myuke cried, supporting Luina. “Don’t think for even a second that that thing is on the same level as the golem!”
The golem was the one Anima had expected to be the stronger of the two, but it seemed like that distinction went to the demon standing before him.
“I won’t lose. I don’t care if it that thing is stronger than the golem, it’s still weaker than me.”
“I-I know you’re strong, but that’s—”
Luina went silent in the middle of her sentence. While they had been talking, the fireball had grown. It had become large enough to easily swallow a person whole.
“Daddy, it’s hot…”
Hearing Marie’s feeble complaint, Anima turned toward her wearing a gentle smile.
“Give me just a minute. I’ll beat that thing and splash you with some cool water from the well.”
After petting Marie’s head, he glared at the demon. Realizing that Anima was ready to fight, the demon opened its mouth and spoke in a surprisingly solemn, calculating voice.
“Hand over the Harbinger stone if you value your children’s lives!”
Anima closed the distance between himself and the creature in the blink of an eye and planted his foot into its side. The sheer force of the kick sent the beast flying deep into the forest, leaving countless felled trees in its wake.
“Daddy’s so cool!” Marie cheered. “You beated the scary monster!”
“You bet! You’ll never see that monster—that fire lizard ever again!”
There were huge beads of sweat rolling down her forehead, but Marie still applauded Anima’s victory. Elated by her reaction, he looked to the others, only to find that both Luina and Myuke were trembling.
“Th-That’s not it,” Luina said hazily.
“No?”
Myuke timidly nodded at his question.
“Th-That definitely wasn’t a fire lizard.”
“Really?”
Anima tilted his head in confusion. That thing had definitely looked like a lizard, and he clearly remembered Luina mention fire lizards before. Her fire lizard stone was what she regularly used to create flame, which this creature had also done, so it had seemed like a perfect fit.
“Then what was it?”
“That was… Lord Merkalt.”
“Merkalt…” Time froze momentarily. He remembered Luina warning him about that man. Merkalt was in direct contract with the state, someone Anima should never touch, as hurting him would turn the whole country against them. More importantly, he recalled that Merkalt’s strength was unrivaled. No one should have been able to stand against his unique possession, the Crimson Dragon stone, but Anima had just defeated him. “Wait, isn’t he supposed to be incredibly powerful? What I just fought was anything but.”
“No, you’re just way too strong…”
He certainly had confidence in his own strength, but for someone who was said to be among the strongest in the world, the gap between them was almost disappointing. He had never thought that Merkalt would be so weak to collapse after a single kick. Luckily, he hadn’t used all his strength, so there was a chance that Merkalt was still alive.
“I’ll go check on him. Wait here.”
Anima hurried into the forest, letting the destroyed trees guide him. He hadn’t even kicked Malshan that hard, but the trail continued as far as the eye could see. After he’d wandered around for a while to no avail, he was about to give up his search, but something on the ground caught his eye.
“This is…”
Leaning down to pick it up, the object confirmed that the demon had indeed been Malshan. Anima once again looked into the distance, but Malshan was nowhere to be found, so he decided to give up the search and go back to his family.
“H-How is he?” Luina asked timidly, to which Anima simply shook his head.
“I couldn’t find him.”
“I see…”
“But I found this on the ground.”
“Oh…”
She was at a loss for words as she realized that Anima had picked up Malshan’s earring. His condition was unknown, but from the looks of it, his attack was enough to crush Malshan’s scales and send the earring flying out of his ear. That, combined with the fact that Malshan absolutely loathed him, led Anima to one conclusion: if he was alive, he would no doubt turn the country against him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make us public enemy number one. B-But don’t worry! I’ll take full responsibility for everything. I promise that I’ll protect you from any harm, so please…”
—Please don’t hate me.
He couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud. He would have fought the whole world if he’d had to, but with an entire country after them, the peaceful, quiet life they were used to would be no more. He had ruined his beloved family’s life in mere seconds; asking for forgiveness would have simply been selfish.
“I’m sure you hate me now…” Anima said in a shaky voice.
Luina walked up to him, gently held his hand, looked into his eyes, and flashed him a warm smile.
“I don’t hate you at all. You protected us.”
“I… did?”
“Yes. He was using the Crimson Dragon stone, and attacked us in hopes of getting this: The Harbinger stone.”
As Luina touched her pendant, Myuke squeaked in surprise.
“Wait, that was the Harbinger stone all along?! I didn’t even know that demon left behind a stone to begin with!” It was common knowledge that the Scarletts had defeated the Harbinger three centuries prior, but the existence of its magic stone and Luina’s possession of it were well-kept secrets. “But how did he know about it?”
“The Merkalts have been our family’s allies for a very long time. There are other families that know about the existence and the location of this stone as well, but I never thought any of them would try to seize it from me.”
“But isn’t he, like, super rich? Is this thing so powerful that someone who has everything a man could ever dream of would go after it?”
“It is. This stone can control Anima.”
“What does Daddy have to do with any of this?”
“I told you yesterday that I’m from another world. Luina summoned me here using that stone.”
“Wait, what?! You were summoned?!”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. Do you hate me now?”
“Huh? Where’d that come from? Why would I hate you over that?!” Myuke immediately cleared up his concern. “I’m surprised, but you’re still my awesome Daddy who I wouldn’t trade for the world. The same goes for Marie as well. Right?”
“Uh-huh! I love you, Daddy!”
Feeling the overwhelming love of his children, Anima’s eyes began to water.
“Myuke… Marie… I love you two so much.”
“I love Myuke and Marie too, and there’s no way I would ever detest you for protecting my two little girls.”
Luina’s clear, powerful declaration returned hope to Anima’s heart.
“Then… can I stay by your side… as your husband?”
He gazed at Luina with a mix of anxiety and hope in his eyes, but his fears were slowly nullified by Luina’s warm, gentle smile.
“You can. I don’t even want to imagine a world where we aren’t together. I would like to stay by your side forever and ever.”
Her soothing words, flushed cheeks, and longing gaze said more than a million words could have ever hoped to. She was waiting, hoping for something. Anima had never been good with women, yet he knew exactly what she was yearning for.
“May I?”
No one was injured, but that didn’t change the fact that she had been attacked mere minutes ago, and the children were around them as well. She would have died of embarrassment if they’d kissed out in the open before, but things had changed.
“I love you, Anima. After our marriage, once we started doing chores together, I fell more in love with you each and every day. It may not be proper for a young woman to show such an indecent display in public, but I don’t care. I love you from the bottom of my heart, so…”
She closed her eyes. That sentence must’ve been too cliché for her to finish.
“I feel the same way. I’ve fallen even more in love with you than I did when we first met.”
He gently lifted her chin, and with their beautiful children as witnesses, he kissed the tiny, fragile petals that were her lips for the very first time.