Chapter 4: Coming Out to My Step-Daughter
Lithia and I ate the meals we prepared safely.
Even if this is within the human country, it is still in a rural area. There isn't any particularly rare food here. It was a simple common meal.
But it still look fancier that it is. Is because the steam coming out of every meal?
I brought the soup into my mouth, the taste grew thicker and tastefully.
"It has a mellow taste? Did you put such a good salt?"
"It's delicious because you helped, Galt ~ ♪"
Lithia's smile knows no limits. Just her smile already makes me happy.
"You're so strong, Lithia. As expected from the mother of female hero."
I admire her from the bottom of my heart.
"Oh my, to call me strong. I'm not an adventurer. Aren't you a lot stronger compared to me?"
This time she's laughing loudly. Is it because he is laughing she looks so young? She doesn't look like female hero's mother at all. I am not flattering, but I thought she was her sister when I first saw her.
"It's a different kind of strength. Your strength, so to speak, is a supple one."
"I'm sorry, It's too difficult for me to understand."
Oh no, it became an abstract subject. She might think me as annoying!
"The strength it needs to always be smiling is much harder than it is to fight in a battle."
I tried to make the explanation as short as possible.
In my case, Ever since my wife passed away, I couldn't remember to have smiled.
I also didn't frown all the time, but the time I can relax had decreased.
"Ah~ Angelica also told me that~ But in her case, she criticized me for being too much relaxed."
Lithia told me as she put her hands together.
"I haven't made any effort. This is how I am. It's sort of a gap. So it's nothing to be praised about."
She wasn't being humble.
At this point, the distinction between Lithia and a goddess gradually become blurry. This has nothing to do with pride, this is for being a wise man.
I'll build a happy family with Lithia. There is everything that I have been missing this whole time here.
"Galt, how is the food?"
Oh no, did I make her uneasy for not commenting on the food? Should I praise her cooking at a time like this?
"Everything is delicious. The soup really brought up the taste of chicken."
"But I don't have such high-class chicken. You're always eating high-class meal, so it's embarrassing to be praised like that."
She might have misunderstood something.
"No way! I might have taken meals with other executives, but other times I just eat lunch at a shop or order a take out and eat it in my office. I am being honest."
"I see. You must have been very busy."
"That is true. There are matters that cannot be postponed. The battle with the hero is just part of them."
There are humans who think that Demon King's job only consisted of fighting heroes, but that is not the case. As the chief of demons, there are numerous amount of political affairs to be taken care of.
Honestly, they only attack at the end of the year or at times I am busy. t is hard for me to take a break.
To tell the truth, the attack of the female hero too happened because the guards in charge of protecting the gate haven't taken any vacation, so they took the as little break as they can.
There are two gates, so there should've been two mid-boss fight.
The keeper is a pair of two people, but if only one who gotten a break, it would look bad, so we let all four gate keepers to rest at the same time.
"Oh my, I'm sorry. You shouldn't tell me because I might tell it to Angelica afterwards."
"If I tell you too much, the country and demons might come after you. So I cannot tell more than that."
It's a kind of conspiracy theory, but it is a difficult subject to open all information.
The truth is, I wish that they would inform me next time a hero is attacking so I won't be taking a long vacation when it happens.
"Right, but, you are going to be Angelica's father, so It won't be a problem."
Lithia brought up a bright smile. Yes, that would be grateful. However....
"That depends on how your daughter would react."
That's right. There's still a very tough mission of explaining the circumstances to the female hero.
For example, imagine that I am the female hero, waking up to find the very same Demon King I had been fighting until a while ago became my step-father.
I cannot imagine how strange the circumstances would be....
Is it a joke?
Is mother being brainwashed?
I would pinch my cheek trying to wake up from this nightmare. It doesn't matter if I pinch myself, because It wasn't a dream so I won't wake up.
I am completely lost at what to do here.
Well, for safety reason, I shall return to the castle for the day after eating my meal.
I'll meet and explain to the female hero tomorrow. It will also give me time to prepare myself.
At that moment.
The door behind the dining room opened.
Female hero Angelica came out.
"Mom, I finally got to the Demon King's chamber! He beat me soon after, but I'll defeat him next time!"
"Ah, Angelica, I already made dinner, you want to eat?"
"Yes, please. Also can I get a drink... huh?"
Angelica's line of sight went towards me.
There's no light in her eyes. Her smile was also gone. To be honest, her gaze scared me.
"Why is Demon King in our home? Sorry, frankly, I can;t process any of this... While I was unconscious, did he attack and destroy the country?"
"Ah~ Angelica, about that~"
"No, I will take it from here."
I must not run. If she knows that the fellow that runs away from troubles is his father, she will become disillusioned and hate me.
"O' female hero, no, O' Angelica, listen well. What I am about to tell you is not a fiction, nor lies, nor a ploy. All is the truth."
I noticed I was still holding a spoon and was sitting on a chair.
I made a mistake. I should've put the spoon down then stand up and talk to her.
"Okay, just say it. I just woke up and unarmed. I can't think of the possibility that a Demon King would me in my home. This is a surprise attack...."
I see. If you think with common sense, you would think that this is a ploy of mine. I already told you it's not a ploy, won't you believe me?
"O' Angelica, I... got married to Lithia."