Why Shouldn’t a Detestable Demon Lord Fall in Love?! 4

Anima was grateful that they were looking out for his wife, but he didn’t want to witness a fight over which one of them got to feed her.

“Calm down, please. She can have anything in moderation. I’m sure that both the ham and apples will be great for her.”

“See, you’re speaking the truth. Her little stomach can only hold so much. Best fill it with somethin’ healthy every chance you get.”

“‘Something healthy’, huh?”

Her statement made sense. Of course, Luina was making sure to eat a balanced diet of vegetables and meat, and thanks to that, she and everyone else in the family was in good health. However, there was a chance her dietary needs had changed since becoming pregnant. If that was the case, then Anima would need to make sure she had the best food not only for herself, but for the baby growing inside her as well.

“Hello, dearie,” a hoarse voice from behind them said, interrupting Anima’s thoughts. It belonged to an older lady, who was pointing at one of the rope sausages. “Would you please get me one of those?”

That older lady was Luina’s doctor. The fruit stall had started to get busy just as she’d arrived at the butcher’s, drawing its owner back to it. Thanks to that, the shop owners’ little quarrel naturally fizzled out, making it easier for the butcher to help his newly arrived customer.

“Shopping alone, are we?” she asked Anima while waiting for her sausage.

“Yes. I’m helping Luina.”

“How chivalrous of you. Luina sure snagged herself a good man.”

Though he was enjoying her praise, Anima wanted to move the conversation forward and ask about Luina’s diet.

“Can I ask you something?”

“If you can walk and talk. I need to get home and sort out some things.”

“Of course.” They started walking toward the doctor’s house, which was on the opposite side of town from his own. It would take Anima a while to get back if they spent a while talking, but fortunately, his question was rather simple. “Do you have any recommendations for a pregnant woman’s diet?”

“Don’t you worry about that, dearie. I know Luina’s cooking first hand, so trust me when I tell you she’ll be fine. You’ve got yourself a great woman, you lucky dog.”

Luina treated her to a meal when she came to check on her the other day.

“So all she has to do is continue what she’s been doing and everything will be fine?”

“That’s all. Trust me, dearie, I’ve been doing this for decades. If I say she’s going to be okay, then there’s nothing to worry about. You just need to wait for the little scamp’s arrival.”

The doctor had successfully dispelled all of Anima’s worries. So long as Luina continued to cook much the same as she always had, everything would be all right.

“It’s always a good idea to pay attention to what you eat,” she continued while he internalized what she’d told him, “but the most important thing right now is to lessen her load. Don’t you dare make her run laps around the house. Understood?”

“I understand it very well. I do what I can already, but you see, there have been a couple of times where she’s gotten bored of sitting around all day. I couldn’t stop her from doing some of the chores.”

“That’s perfectly fine. She should be doing light exercises; it never hurts to move around a bit. But be warned that after she gives birth, she won’t have the strength to do anything for a little while. You must completely take her place so that she can rest for as long as she needs to. Speaking of which, can you cook?”

“Not really.”

“Better learn it while you can, young man. You’ll need to eat while she’s bedridden.”

He’d been meaning to learn to cook for the longest time, and Luina’s pregnancy seemed to be his golden opportunity.

“Is there a place where I can learn how to cook?”

“Yes. At home. Luina will teach you all you need to know.”

“Our kitchen is cold, and I don’t want to give her more work.”

“Hmm, that is a good point…” She went silent for a second to think. “Perhaps I can help. Come visit me tomorrow around midday.”

“Thank you very much!”

Right after expressing his gratitude to the doctor, Anima began his walk back to the house while the sun slowly made its way below the horizon. Though the road was dark, his mood was incredibly bright. He tried and tried to make the trip at a normal walking pace—he feared that the ham and apples would fall out of the basket if he started running—but his giddiness simply wouldn’t let him. His steps continued to get faster as his movements transposed into a jog, and then finally into a full sprint.

His mind had been clouded with worries about Luina’s health for the past couple of weeks, but those days were behind him. Not only that, but he had also found the perfect reason to learn how to cook—the final obstacle that stood between him and complete mastery of the household chores. Once he’d learned that skill, he would be able to lift every burden off Luina’s shoulders. He could even surprise her with something delicious, which was sure to put a beautiful smile on her face. Imagining that moment over and over again, he practically skipped home.

“I’m home.”

He carefully opened the door and quietly announced himself. He didn’t want to wake anyone who had already gone to sleep. His worries were for naught, however, as the girls were very much awake and came rushing out to welcome him. Them had been waiting for his return.

“Daddy back!”

“I’m back indeed. Sorry I took so long.”

“Welcome home.” Luina stood up and took the basket from his hands. “Thank you for going out so late.”

“You sure got a lot,” Myuke said as she marveled at the contents of the basket. Her amazement piqued Bram’s curiosity, prompting her to peek into it as well. She then looked up at Anima with pure wonder in her eyes.

“Wooow! You got so much meat! It looks super yummy, m’kay?”

“Abbles too!”

The girls listed their favorite items.

“How come you came home with so much? You even got us another ham…”

Luina was understandably taken aback by Anima’s shopping spree--the kitchen was already full of ham and apples.

“I got them as gifts from the butcher and the fruit stall lady. They sent you their regards.”

“I see.” Luina smiled understandingly. “We’ll have to go and thank them later.”

“Me too! I go say thanks!”

“I’m sure they’d love to see you. They might even offer to pick you up!”

“Yaaay! I love up!”

Marie would have rushed out and thanked them right then and there if she could have.

“All right, I’ll go get started on the cooking,” Luina said as she picked up the basket of food.

“Let me help!” Myuke offered.

“Thank you! Can you help me cut the cabbage?”

“You bet!” she answered with a strong nod. “I’m great with knives!”

Just a couple months earlier, she would get nervous whenever she had to cut something like vegetables or fruit. After helping Luina cook every day, though, both her skill and confidence levels had been bolstered at an incredible rate. Because she was so interested in it, Anima was thinking of inviting her to learn with him. It would be a lot of fun for the both of them, as well as a good bonding experience.

“I wanna help too, m’kay?”

“I help too!”

“Then would you please clean off the table, Bram? Marie, can you help her?”

The table was full of crayons and paper. They had apparently fallen asleep while they’d been drawing, as while Anima’s head had been put on paper, his body had not.

I can’t wait to see how wonderful these look when they’re finished.

While he fantasized about petting the girls’ heads after seeing their superb art, Bram began putting the crayons away. His praise would need to wait one more day.

“Keep it up, girls!” he commended, then joined Myuke and Luina in the kitchen, which was in the exact same state as when he’d left. They seemed to have been waiting for him to return from the dining room.

“So, what’re we having tonight?” Myuke asked.

“Cabbage and sausage soup.”

“That means we gotta chop up some cabbage, right?”

“Yes we do. Just be careful not to cut yourself.”

“C’mon, you know I won’t. Watch!”

She quickly started preparing the cabbages. Keeping the knife far away from her fingers, she used the large knife to chop away at a brisk pace. While she was doing that, Luina lit the stove with her magic stone, and Anima worked on putting away the items he’d brought home from Garaat.

“Could you get some more firewood?” Luina asked just as Anima finished putting the apples into the fruit basket. The stove didn’t have quite enough.

Per her request, he went outside, picked up several pieces of firewood, and carried them back to the kitchen. The pieces that didn’t get used for the stove he put in the corner of the room.

“Let me do the sausages,” he offered.

“Oh, would you? Two for everyone, please.”

He took one of the rope sausages hanging from a rod above their heads and started chopping it up. Luina and Myuke were working quietly next to him, so he decided to strike up a conversation.

“By the way, I met your doctor while I was out. She offered to teach me how to cook.”

“She did?” Luina’s hands stopped. She slowly turned toward Anima. “At her place?”

“I assume so.” While cutting up the sausage, he explained what had happened. He told her about how they’d discussed her diet, that it was important to lessen the burden on her, and that childbirth would completely drain her for a time. “I don’t want a situation where you’re cursed to eat nothing but vegetable soup every day after you give birth. I want to learn how to cook so that I can be there when you need me the most.”

“You’re doing it all for me… Thank you so much,” she said with a warm smile.

“Don’t even mention it. I’d do anything for you.”

“I wanna learn how to cook too!” Myuke protested. She’d fallen more and more in love with cooking each day, so it was no wonder she wanted to learn and improve.

“Would you like to come and learn with me?”

“Yeah! I wanna get really good at it and cook something delicious for Mommy!”

“I can’t wait to taste your creations.”

Luina’s excitement fueled Anima’s and Myuke’s eagerness to learn even further.

◆◆◆

The next day, just before midday, Anima and Myuke stood in the doorway. They had already eaten lunch and were ready to depart. Behind them, Luina and the girls were there to see them off.

“Be careful around fire and knives,” Luina advised them. “Don’t hurt yourselves.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be very careful. You should take it easy today. I’ll bring in the laundry after I get home, so just rest and play with the girls.”

“Hope you’re looking forward to our awesome new cooking skills!”

“I can’t wait to eat your cooking again, m’kay?”

“Daddy! Up!” Marie pestered Anima, reluctant to say goodbye. He did as he was told right away, and she rubbed her squishy cheek against his. “Come home ’fore night-night! I want bath with you and Myukey!”

“Don’t worry, we won’t stay too late. When exactly we get home will depend on what we’ll be making, but we should definitely be back before dinner.”

“We’ll draw something together once we get home, okay? You can play with Bram while we’re gone. Bram, please keep an eye on her.”

“Got it! Marie, do you want to finish yesterday’s drawing? Daddy still needs a body, m’kay?”

Reminded of her unfinished drawing, Marie hopped down from Anima’s arms and grabbed Bram’s hand.

“All right, we’re off,” Anima announced.

“See you later!”

After saying goodbye, the two headed for Garaat. Once there, they followed the main road for a bit, but quickly took a turn down a quiet, almost deserted side street.

“Umm, where are we going?” Myuke asked soon after they took the turn. “Isn’t the doctor’s house right behind the Hunters’ Guild?”

Sure enough, the route they were taking was not the route to the Guild, and Anima was more than aware of that. It had been six months since he’d married Luina, and they’d walked the streets of Garaat together countless times. He didn’t know every nook and cranny of the town, but he knew more than enough of it to not get lost on his way to the Guild.

“I was thinking of popping into a shop with you. We still have time before our lesson starts.”

“What are we looking for?”

Anima turned to her and answered with a broad smile.

“Your very own knife.”

Myuke’s face lit up. Unable to contain her excitement, she pressed Anima further.

“Are you really gonna get one for me?! I mean, we have knives at home.”

“We only have two knives at home. That’s not enough if all three of us are going to be cooking.”

“Not everyone needs a knife if we split up the work the right way. Are you sure you want to get one anyway?”

“I’m sure. Besides, wouldn’t it be more fun to have your own knife?”

“Oh, it definitely would! Gives me another reason to get good at cooking!”

The promise of her very own knife had Myuke overjoyed. She skipped all the way until they arrived at the trusted, long-established general store. Having stood in Garaat for decades, the snug little store run by a kind older gentleman had a certain charm to it, and sold anything and everything a household might need. Pots, plates, cutting boards, cups, cutlery, and even potted plants were all available for purchase. It was a cornucopia of useful items.

“Let’s see, the knives are…”

“Ah, look! There they are!” Myuke gestured toward a shelf full of kitchen knives, her eyes sparkling as though she’d found ancient treasure that had been buried for thousands of years. She was so excited that she was practically squealing. “There’s so many! Ahhh, I don’t know which one to choose! Daddy, how much time do we have?!”

“Don’t worry about it; take as much time as you need. Make sure you get a feel for the knife you pick.”

“Help me choose!”

Together, they browsed the vast selection of knives.

“A big knife would be difficult to handle, so I think you should look for something that’s fairly small. How about this one?”

“That’s a fillet knife. I can’t cut vegetables with that.”

“Oh, they each have their own uses? How about this one, then?”

“That’s for slicing meat. What I want is an all-purpose knife like what we’ve got at home. They’re not as good at each individual task as these specialized knives are, but you can do pretty much anything with them!” An all-purpose knife would be perfect for Myuke, who wanted to cook all sorts of different dishes. “The question is, which all-purpose knife should I—”

She started straight ahead of herself, completely silent. Following her gaze, Anima saw that she had found a very unique knife from among the bunch. In terms of size and shape, it was quite bland, but there was something special about that knife in particular. The blade was engraved with carvings of cute animals, which put the knife on the more expensive side, but also made it impossible to mistake it for either of the other two they had back at home.

“This one! I want this one!”

Anima’s intuition was right; Myuke had fallen in love with that knife the moment she saw it. He picked it up, took it to the counter, and paid for it. Once the elderly shop owner had put it in a case, the transaction was complete.

“I’m happy you found a nice knife.”

“Me too! I’ll learn how to handle it like a master chef and then make you something super mouthwatering!”

“I can’t wait.”

Myuke happily skipped alongside Anima as they were talking on the quiet street, but before long, she noticed something.

“Umm, Daddy? This still isn’t the way to the Guild.”

“I know. We have one more place to stop first.”

“Where are we going?” she asked with a bright smile, excited to see what awaited her.

“To the magic stone shop.”

“The magic stone shop?!” Myuke stopped in her tracks. Her mouth left hanging open, she wore an expression that combined both thorough confusion and overwhelming joy. “Umm, you do know it’s not my birthday yet, right?”

“I do, but did you forget? I promised to get you a fire rabbit stone.”

“Y-You did, but are you sure? Getting me this knife was already more than enough. Buying a magic stone on top of that is…”

“Don’t be shy. You need these to cook, so let’s go. We want to get there before they sell out.”

“R-Right! Let’s go!”

Myuke was clearly delighted. She hummed a happy tune all the way to the store.

“We’re here!”

Upon their arrival, Myuke quickly opened the door and went into the shop filled with all sorts of magic stones—both loose and inlaid into accessories—with Anima following behind her. They were specifically interested in bracelets and rings, and though the shop likely had some rarer, more exclusive stones on display, Myuke wasn’t at all interested in them. She ran straight to the back of the store and started scanning the display for a fire rabbit stone.

“Welco— Oh, if it isn’t Anima!” The merchant’s face lit up the moment he recognized who had just walked into his shop. Anima had only ever visited it once, but it was when he’d sold the golem stone, which was clearly such a rare stone that it made him a memorable customer. “What can I do for you today?”

“We’re here to buy a fire rabbit stone. Do you have one?”

“Of course, of course! Please, follow—”

“Daddy! I found it!” Myuke’s voice boomed through the store. Anima couldn’t distinguish between different magic stones, but she was an expert at it. She ran up to him, holding a ring in her hand. “It fits perfectly! Can we get it?! Can we?! Can we pleeease?!”

“Of course. Think of it as a thank you for always helping with the chores.”

She happily nodded. They went up to the counter, paid, and headed for the exit.

“You know where to find me when you get your hands on a rare magic stone!” the shopkeeper shouted after them.

“I do, thank you.”

“Thank you for your purchase! Please, come again!”

With that, they left the store.

“Yaaay!” Myuke cheered. “My very own magic stone!”

She reached up at the sky and watched as her ring twinkled under the bright winter sun. Her smile didn’t fade in the slightest during their walk to the doctor’s house. She couldn’t wait to put her brand-new fire rabbit stone to use.

“It’s good to see you, dearie! Come in, come in! You too, Myuke!”

The doctor welcomed them with an especially warm, loving smile—much more so than she had when she’d run into Anima the previous day. The reason behind that was simple: she loved children.

She was all over the girls whenever she visited to check up on Luina. Anima and Luina both trusted her, and they loved the idea of her being the doctor of their newborn once they’d actually been born. She was sure to be kind and caring toward them.

“Good afternoon! I came with Daddy to learn how to cook!”

Myuke enthusiastically explained her reason for coming, eager to get cooking.

“I’m sure Luina would be delighted to eat your cooking.”

“I want to be useful to Luina too, so please, teach me how to cook. Can you show us to the kitchen?”

“We won’t be going into my kitchen, dearie,” the doctor replied, shaking her head. “Nor am I going to teach you how to cook.”

Anima was thoroughly confused. He didn’t think she’d lied to him, but he felt a bit led astray.

“Didn’t you say yesterday that you’d help me?”

“Oh, no, I did. But I never said that I would be the one teaching you, did I?”

“Then who’s going to teach us?”

“My granddaughter. Oh, she was so excited to teach you after I told her about you. She’s a very good girl, I promise.” Her tone and expression radiated pure, unadulterated love for her granddaughter. She must have trusted Anima deeply if she were going to introduce him to someone so precious to her, much less let that person teach him to cook. “Unless you were hoping that I was going to teach you?”

“Honestly, I’m grateful to whoever takes us under their wing.”

He had been under the impression that the doctor would be the one to teach them, but what mattered at the end of the day was that they were given the knowledge they needed. The doctor’s vouching for her granddaughter was enough to convince Anima that she was a decent cook, and he was ready to learn all the intricacies of the culinary world from her.

“I have work today, dearie, so I couldn’t teach you even if I wanted to. Go to my granddaughter—five houses down to the right. She’s waiting for you.”

“Five houses down to the right. Got it. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Luina is like a second granddaughter to me, and I want to aid her as much as I can.”

They thanked her again and left her house, following the directions she’d given in search of her granddaughter’s house.

“Teaching someone takes a lot of effort,” Myuke said as they walked. “Not a lot of people are willing to do it. Does she owe you or something?”

“I don’t think I ever did anything that would make someone indebted to me. Though perhaps it has something to do with Krain?”

“Hmm, yeah, that would make sense. The whole town cheered for you when you took him down.”

Krain had been a noble in possession of a golem stone, and had ruled the town with an iron fist. An accomplished Hunter who was rotten to the core, he’d made life a nightmare for numerous townsfolk, so his defeat at Anima’s hands had been celebrated all across town. It wouldn’t have been outlandish to think that the doctor’s granddaughter had been one of his many victims.

They arrived at the house while Anima was thinking about Krain. One knock, and the door immediately swung open.

“Welcome, Anima!”

The woman before him couldn’t have been more than five or six years older than Luina. She had blonde hair, and wore a kind smile. Anima thought for a second, then realized that he had seen her before.

“So you’re the doctor’s granddaughter?”

“Yes! Thank you again for helping Ena.”