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

Anima finally understood why she was so happy. After all this time, she found her Dad’s clothes she painfully parted with out of desperation.

“It looks brand-new!”

“This has gotta be the crown jewel of this store, m’kay? Actually, I’m surprised they haven’t sold i— Oh…”

Bram cut herself off when she noticed how much they were asking for it. People who frequented second-hand stores usually weren’t looking for high-end clothes, especially not ones with that sort of price tag.

“Anima, would you wear this tomorrow?”

“I would love to.”

Anima happily took the robe. He hadn’t even tried it on, but it looked like it would be a perfect fit.

“I never thought I’d see Dad’s robe again. I’m so happy we came here.”

“It’s great; I’m so happy for you. Now we just need to find your mother’s wedding dress.”

With an energetic nod, they went back to scouring the store again. Just as they got started, though, Marie trotted up to them with a wide smile, pulling something behind her.

“Mommy, lookie!”

“Ah!”

Luina’s eyes popped wide open, which wasn’t that surprising, considering that Marie was pulling a wedding dress behind her.

“I finded it! I finded white, and big, and, and, I pulleded it!”

“Great job, Marie!”

“That’s awesome, m’kay? So, was this your mommy’s, Mommy?”

“Yes, this was Mom’s.” Luina couldn’t contain her smile as it spread across her face, tears welling up in her eyes. Her smile widened even further as she took the dress from Marie and hugged it tightly to her chest. “I’m so happy we found it. Shall we see if it fits?”

They spread it out and held it up next to her. The length couldn’t have been more perfect, and with the waistline set just below the bust, there was plenty of room for her stomach—though none of that really mattered. Regardless of the dress’ practicality, they were going to buy it. It held a lot of importance to Luina, and it would have been a crime to let it collect dust in a second-hand store.

They went up to the counter, bought the two clothes, and left the store. As they walked the paved street in high spirits, Anima held the clothes to his chest, listening attentively to Marie’s passionate tale of finding the wedding dress within the maze that was the store. Amidst their cheerful conversation, they spotted a familiar face walking toward them with a warm smile.

“Oh, if it isn’t my little Luina.”

The lady from the fruit stall greeted them, carrying a basket full of vegetables. She was likely out shopping for her dinner.

“I finded the wenning dess!” Marie boasted, looking up at the lady with a smug expression. She was clearly fishing for compliments, which the woman was more than happy to provide.

“That’s very impressive; you’re such a big girl. But hmm, a wedding dress? Are you holding a ceremony?”

“No, nothing like that,” Luina explained. “Tomorrow is our first anniversary. We’re just going to spend a nice, relaxing day at home, but we wanted something special to wear to celebrate.”

“That sounds like a grand ol’ time! Come with me, I’ve got somethi—”

“Eek!” Bram shuddered as a sudden gust of wind blew past them. “Rghhh, I hate sand, m’kay?! Why does it always have to get in my eyes?!”

“Haha, I guess the sand’s in love with you.”

“I wish it would leave me alone, m’kay?!”

Once again, Bram struggled to rub the sand out of her eyes. They’d gotten what they’d come for, and with Bram being tortured by nature, it was high time they headed home. Staying any longer would only make her more upset, not to mention tire Luina out.

“Thank you. We’ll be sure to visit next time.”

“Good, good. C’mon by any time, I’ll give you a discount! Take care getting home!”

They said goodbye to the woman and made their way home while chatting about all kinds of things.

That night, after taking a warm, relaxing bath, Bram, Myuke, and Marie headed into the dressing room. Luina and Anima stayed for a bit longer so as not to overcrowd it.

“Come to the playroom when you’re done changing, m’kay?” Bram whispered.

“’Kaaay,” Marie agreed in a hushed voice, but Myuke wasn’t so keen on the idea.

“You want to play this late? I still need to think about what to make for breakfast tomorrow, just so you know.”

“I just wanna talk. It won’t take long, m’kay?”

Bram’s serious tone managed to convince her.

“All right, but let’s finish changing for now. We don’t wanna make Mommy and Daddy wait too long.”

They quickly changed into their pajamas and headed into the hallway, which was brightly illuminated thanks to the lamp Anima had affixed to the wall. He’d gotten it specifically because he was worried that Luina could trip as she walked the dark hallway at night, and Myuke had been tasked with lighting it every night before dusk, using a chair to reach it. Bram also played a part in the job, as it was her duty to make sure Myuke didn’t fall off the chair.

After easily navigating the bright hallway, they made it to the pitch-black playroom.

“Myuke, turn on the lights please, m’kay?”

She found a lamp using what little light was seeping in from the hall, used a magic stone to light it, and set it in front of the mirror so the reflected light would illuminate the whole room.

“So, you wanted to talk about something?”

Myuke and Marie stood before the lamp, waiting for Bram to start. She closed the door and turned toward them.

“I wanna talk about Mommy and Daddy’s anniversary celebration, m’kay?”

The two girls immediately got what was going on. She wanted to plan something for them, just like they had for their birthdays.

“I can watch house!”

“That’s very impressive, but I think we should come up with something else this time. Mommy was already tired after today’s trip into town; I don’t think she’d wanna go out for the entire day. Besides, she really wants to wear her wedding dress.”

“Walking around in a wedding dress sounds hard, and the wind’ll get it all dusty. We need something else, m’kay?”

Bram started to think while looking at her sisters.

“I can co’gaturate!” Marie suggested.

“That’s a great idea!”

“Our first present is settled, m’kay?”

Marie celebrated her success before quickly restarting her search for ideas.

“Got anything, Myuke?”

“Hmm… I’m thinking we could make an anniversary feast for them.”

“That sounds great, but I won’t be able to help a lot, m’kay?”

“I can cheer!”

“Cheering would help a ton!”

“It’d make us work twice as fast, m’kay?! But I dunno if we can pull off a feast…”

“Yeah, you might be right. I learned how to make a few different things, but I don’t think I can do a full, anniversary-worthy meal all by myself. I could maybe pull something off with Daddy’s help, but we can’t really ask for his help.”

“We definitely gotta do it in secret, m’kay? It’s fine if they find out, but I really want it to be a surprise.”

They’d kept their birthday present a secret until the big day, and that approach had definitely worked. Luina’s and Anima's looks of astonishment and the genuine smiles that followed were still vivid in the girls’ minds. They wanted to replicate or even outdo that accomplishment with their anniversary present.

“Yeah, I want it to be a surprise too. The only problem is that we have to come up with a present, and if we don’t do it quick, we won’t have anything.”

“I wish we knew about this a couple days ago, m’kay? We coulda come up with something if we had more time. One day isn’t nearly enough time to— Ah!”

There, Bram had an epiphany.

“Ooh, I know that look. You thought of something, didn’t you?”

“Me! Tell me!”

Answering her sisters’ excitement, Bram presented her plan. The two looked at her in awe after she finished.

“I like!”

“I’m sure they’ll love it! Y’know, I actually feel kinda bad about today. Everyone was having so much fun, but then I had to come in and embarrass Mommy…”

“You only said that ’cause you wanted her dress to be perfect. Don’t beat yourself up over it, m’kay?”

“Thanks, I feel a lot better now.” Myuke nodded with a smile. “Anyway, now that we’ve got a plan, we—”

“Girls! Where are you?!”

Myuke was interrupted by Anima’s voice coming from downstairs. His call marked the end of their meeting, as not answering him would either make him suspicious or give him a heart attack.

“Just make sure you don’t get found out, m’kay?”

“’Kaaay…” Marie yawned.

“Well, tomorrow’s the big day.”

“We’ve got lots to do, so let’s go to bed early, m’kay?”

With their plan set, they returned to the worried Anima and acted as though nothing had happened.

◆◆◆

The morning’s weather was beautiful—perfect for Anima and Luina’s anniversary. After finishing his morning routine, Anima sat down at the dining room table, wearing the white robe they had triumphantly found yesterday. He excitedly glanced at the door every few seconds, his heart racing. Luina was set to arrive at any moment, wearing the beautiful, snow-white wedding dress that had belonged to her late mother.

“Where Mommy?”

Marie, sitting next to him, was dying to see her as well, while Myuke and Bram were in the bedroom helping her get into her dress. Anima had offered to change in the same room so he could help, but Myuke told him off, saying that he wasn’t allowed to see her in it until she was ready. Seeing her daddy retreat from the bedroom with slumped shoulders must have been a sad sight for the little Marie, so she’d decided to go with him and cheer him up.

The door soon opened, and Anima immediately whipped around to face it. He held his breath as his anxiety skyrocketed in anticipation of Luina’s entrance.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

She’s an angel.

That was the first thought that crossed Anima’s mind as the sunlight shone on her beautiful white dress. The strapless bodice provided ample support for her breasts, and the long skirt elegantly spread out around her.

“You’re beautiful…”

Anima was so smitten with his wife’s wondrous beauty that he could barely mutter those words. Luina sheepishly giggled in response, then looked at him with a warm smile.

“The robe looks great on you. Is it comfortable?”

“It is. What about the dress?”

“It’s perfect. My stomach has enough space, and it isn’t tight around my chest, either.”

“We could make it part of your wardrobe.”

It’d be a shame to never witness this sight again. Anima hoped she would wear this every day from now on, heck, she could even use it as pajamas.

“This dress gets dirty very easily, and it’s not made to be worn from day to day. It’s also very difficult to wash. The next time I wear it will probably be at our wedding ceremony. Can you wait until then?”

“It’ll be hard, but I’ll try. I only wish it would come sooner!”

“I hope I get to see you in that robe again that day.”

After a strong nod of affirmation, they got lost in each other’s eyes. The girls took that as their cue to give them some alone time.

“Sh-Should we go, girls?” Myuke asked her sisters, embarrassed by her parents’ display of affection.

“We’ll come down for lunch, m’kay?”

“Leggo, Brum!”

The girls quickly headed up to the playroom, leaving Anima completely perplexed.

“I guess they wanted to play today?”

“There are days like that—you know how much they love spending time together. Anyway, now that we’re all alone, we have the perfect chance to do things the girls shouldn’t see.”

Anima wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her small, glossy lips. Her sweet fragrance overtook his senses as they shared a long, passionate kiss. He leaned back, but was immediately drawn in again by her gorgeous eyes, full of longing. Their second kiss was to be just as passionate as the first, but they were interrupted by a creak from the door.

“Ah, sorry! I guess this was the worst possible time for us to come down.”

“We go back?”

“We’ll go back once we’ve got what we need, m’kay?”

Luina leaned back as the girls entered the dining room. While she’d overcome some of the shame she felt about kissing in public, doing it in front of the girls was different. Her face went completely red as she tried to collect herself.

“Did you come to play with me?”

“No, no. You two just keep kissing. Pretend we’re not even here.”

The girls rushed into the kitchen, then came out moments later with glasses in their hands.

“What are those for?”

“It’s a secret!”

The three of them scurried back upstairs.

“I wonder what they’re doing.”

“I don’t know, but it must be something fun. Myuke is watching over them, though, so we don’t have to worry about them breaking those glasses.”

“That’s good. Now, where were we?”

“They might come back to return the cups, so let’s go up to the bedroom first.”

They went up to the bedroom and sat down on the sofa. They talked, shared some kisses, and, before they knew it, had spent an intimate couple of hours together. The only thing that reminded them of the passing of time was their growing hunger.

“I’ll get started on lunch.”

“Thank you.”

Sent off with Luina’s warm smile, Anima walked down the hall and over to the playroom, its door closed. He could hear their voices coming from inside, which confirmed that they were inside, but as he reached out to the doorknob, he spotted a sign on the door that read “DO NOT ENTER”. It was written in Myuke’s handwriting.

“Girls, are you in there? Can I come in?”

“Wait!” Myuke immediately shot down his attempted entry, her voice followed by a clearly audible, panicked shuffle. “What do you want?”

“I wanted to tell you that I’m going to be making lunch soon.”

“Cool, I’ll be there in a second. Just wait downstairs.”

“Okay, I’ll be in the kitchen.”

As someone who usually jumped at the idea of getting to cook, that she was taking her time to head down to the kitchen was definitely out of the ordinary. Unsure of why she was acting so distant all of a sudden, Anima slowly dragged himself to the kitchen.

“Sorry I took so long,” Myuke said when she arrived a few minutes later. “Let’s get cooking!”

She was definitely excited, so if nothing else her enthusiasm for cooking hadn’t diminished. Even so, there were lots of questions left unanswered.

“Say, what were you doing in there?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Oh, okay… Do you want to play together after lunch?”

“No, we’re busy today. And don’t come into the playroom! I repeat, do not come in!”

“I-I won’t…”

Anima was distraught. Not only was Myuke giving him the cold shoulder, but Marie and Bram were also secluding themselves from him. It seemed as though the difficult time he’d been dreading had finally come. He had no time to worry, though. He and Myuke had to make lunch for their family.

They made some sandwiches, which the girls stuffed into their mouths at breakneck speed before rushing back up to the playroom. Bearing witness to their gluttony made Anima wonder if they were using the playroom as a workout room or something. Regardless of what they were doing, though, being left out of the fun and getting ignored by his three little angels dragged his spirit way down. He went outside to do the dishes, then slowly limped back inside and over to Luina.

“Is something wrong, Anima? Why the long face?” she asked in a worried tone. Anima looked at her, his eyes filled with despair as if the world were coming to an end.

“Luina… It’s over…”

“What is?”

“Everything! The girls have reached their rebellious phase!”

“No, they haven’t,” Luina giggled.

“But they’re so cold toward me! Myuke always helps with the dishes, but she ran off the moment she was done eating!”

“They probably came up with a new game, and she was just excited to go back to it.”

“Then why didn’t they invite me? Do they hate me?”

“They don’t hate you,” Luina answered in a gentle tone while looking right into his eyes. “They will never hate you—that’s a fact. You’re an incredible father, and they know that. I think they’re keeping their distance to let us enjoy each other’s company on our anniversary. It’s like a little date inside our own home.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” Anima calmed down after coming to understand what was happening. His mood became infinitely better, and he put on a wide smile. “Luina, let’s have a date in the bedroom!”

“That sounds lovely.”

They could have a date anywhere as long as they were together. It was time for their daily walk, but they didn’t want to dirty the beautiful white dress, so they decided to spend the whole day in the bedroom.

They went upstairs and sat down on the sofa. They snuggled, kissed, talked, kissed again, and then began anew until Luina started to doze off. At some point, her head had landed on Anima’s shoulder, and looking at his beautiful wife’s adorable sleeping face made Anima sleepy as well. Slowly but surely, his eyelids got heavier, and eventually, he could no longer lift them.

By the time he woke up, the sun had already begun to hide itself below the horizon. The rays of the setting sun painted the room orange, which told Anima that it was about time to make dinner.

“Luina… Luina…” he whispered to wake her up. She slowly opened her eyes and drowsily looked up at him.

“Good morning. It seems like I slept for quite a while.”

“It’s already sunset.”

“It was sunset when we first met,” Luina said as she looked out the window, a nostalgic smile on her face.

“The sun had just come up in my world around that time, so I was shocked to suddenly find myself looking at the sunset. Umm, how are you doing?”

“I’m doing great,” she chuckled.

“Would you like to go outside?”

“I’d love to.”

Anima took her hand and they left the room.

“Hurry up, the sun’s already setting! Ah, Bram, you spelled that wrong!”

“You’re being too stiff, m’kay? Let up a little and try to spread it around!”

“Go, Myukey! Go, Brum!”

The girls’ cheerful voices were audible through the door to the playroom. Neither Anima nor Luina knew what they were doing, but it certainly sounded like they were having a lot of fun.

The cheerful voices faded as the couple made their way downstairs and went outside. A light breeze rustled the nearby trees, carrying the refreshing smell of nature with it. They walked over to the well and stood in front of each other, just like they had the first time they’d met. At that time, Luina’s expression had been one of primal dread, as a goblin had been threatening her and Marie’s lives. Exactly one year later, she was looking at Anima with a gentle, warm smile as the rays of the setting sun painted her snow-white dress orange, lending her the look of a mystical fairy from a faraway land.

“You’re even more beautiful than the first time we met.”

“And you’re even more handsome.”

“I mean, you were breathtaking back then, too, but you’re even more beautiful now. Oh, but don’t worry, you’ll look even more gorgeous tomorrow.”

Luina giggled at his cute, panicked excuses. In turn, Anima giggled as well.

“Ah, there you are!” the woman from the fruit stall shouted when she spotted them in the garden. She started walking toward them, followed by a group of familiar faces. “Luina! Anima! Happy anniversary!”

“Happy anniversary!”

“We love you! Please accept this!”

“This is for the girls! Come visit us any time!”

“Let me see the baby once they’re born!”

The florist walked over and handed Anima a beautiful bouquet of flowers, followed by the baker, who gave him a handful of fresh loaves of bread. Next, the butcher offered him a pair of rope sausages, and after him, the carpenter carried over a heavy-looking wooden cradle. Even the owner of the toy store and their trusted tailor were there with plush toys and new clothes.

“What is happening?” Anima asked, confused, his arms filled by the bouquet, bread, and sausages.

“You see, once we heard about your anniversary, everyone here decided they wanted to celebrate,” the fruit stall lady explained with a hearty grin. “I went and gathered these folks once we closed up shop for the day, then we all came here with a couple gifts for good health and happiness!”

After informing Anima and Luina of the reason for their visit, she held out a basket overflowing with various fruits. Anima took the bouquet, sausages, bread, and fruits, and set them in the cradle. He then placed the plush toys and clothes inside it as well, filling the cradle up to the brim.

He truly was as happy as a clam. As he realized how, in just one year, his life of terror, hatred, and crushing solitude had been turned entirely on its head, he could barely keep his emotions in check. Weapons and magic had little effect on his body, but words and actions tore his soul apart, and it was only through the love and acceptance of Luina, the girls, the townsfolk, and just about every other person he’d met during the year after his summoning that he was able to piece it back together. Thanks to them, he was able to make it more whole than it had been for over a century.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Thank you, everyone! We really appreciate all the lovely gifts!”

The townsfolk smiled back at the happy couple.

“Let’s scurry on back home! Quick, now, y’hear?! We don’t wanna disturb the lovebirds!”

“Come visit me sometime!”

“Bye, Luina and Anima!”

Anima and Luina couldn’t help but to smile as they saw off the townsfolk, who were merrily talking amongst themselves.

“Garaat is a wonderful town.”

“It really is. We’ll have to thank them the next time we’re there.”

“Yes. Well, should we bring all this inside?”

Anima picked up the cradle full of gifts and went inside with Luina. The moment they entered the house, their three daughters came rushing over to them.

“Ah, there you are! Where were you?”

“Those look nice, m’kay? Where’d you get ’em?”

“Nummy!”

“They’re gifts from the townsfolk. They came over to wish us a happy anniversary.”

“The bouquet will be a perfect centerpiece for the table, and we can have some of the bread and fruit for dinner.”

The girls loved Luina’s suggestion. As they helped bring the cradle into the dining room and move the food onto the table, they couldn’t stop their nervous fidgeting. Anima’s eyes met with Bram’s as he tried to figure out what was happening. She took a step toward him and cleared her throat.

“We have something to show you, m’kay?!”

“Follow us!”

“Follow!”

Anima and Luina nodded at each other and followed after the girls, who led them to the playroom they had spent the day holed up in. With no idea what they were about to witness, the couple watched as their daughters slowly opened the door with the “DO NOT ENTER” sign.

“Anima… is this…?”

“I think so….”

The sight that welcomed them left them speechless. Several glasses with various flowers from the garden stood on the table, which was covered with a white cloth. The walls were decorated with drawings of flowers, and a row of drawing papers read, “Happy One-Year Anniversary, Mommy And Daddy! We Love You!”

“We worked super hard, but we only had one day, m’kay?”

“Bram planned the whole thing!”

“Daddy! Mommy! Happy ’vers’ry!”

Marie’s cheerful voice filled the room as she hugged Anima. He felt the thud on his leg, but he couldn’t see her or the other girls very well, as his vision was quickly blurring.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better anniversary.”

“Oh, girls! It’s like I’m dreaming!”

Upon hearing their parents’ impressions, the girls let out victorious cheers. Then, as Anima cleared his eyes, he found himself looking at the most heartwarming set of smiles he’d ever seen.

“Happy one-year anniversary, Mommy and Daddy!”

“You’re the best Mommy and Daddy I could ever ask for! I wanna stay with you forever, m’kay?!”

“I love you!”

This is the most incredible day of my life, Anima thought to himself. Even at dusk, his bright smile illuminated the entire house.