I Took the Demon King as My Wife

“What… did you say…?”

A bewildered voice burst from Eilena’s lips.

She truly wondered if there was something wrong with her hearing, unsure of what she had just heard.

However, as if to drive away such doubts, Hans spoke once more.

“I’m saying we should get married. I like you.”

“What nonsense are you…”

She couldn’t have misheard twice.

Then what on earth was this crazy man saying?

Eilena looked up at him with a blank expression, unable to follow the chaotic flow of her consciousness.

She wasn’t the only one confused.

“H-Hero, what are you saying…?”

At his sudden confession, Saint Lasia approached him with unsteady steps. Her crumpled expression couldn’t hide her bewilderment.

“Exactly what you heard.”

To her, Hans still replied as if it were nothing special.

At his continuously insensitive attitude, Lasia finally burst with anger she had been holding back.

“Are you in your right mind? Taking that villainess as your wife! What are you doing?! Ah… t-that’s it! That woman must have cast a charm spell on you! Of course… that’s what happened! That despicable…”

“You know well that charm spells don’t work on me at all.”

“B-but!”

Lasia, who had been rambling in confusion, was suddenly at a loss for words at Hans’s calm response.

Not stopping there, Hans continued speaking.

“I just told you, I like her.”

“No…!”

“Why, is there a law that demons and humans can’t marry? As far as I know, there’s no such content even in the church constitution.”

“……”

At his smooth answers, Lasia’s mouth clamped shut.

She could only stamp her feet while clutching her staff, unable to counter any further.

Eilena, who had been silently observing their conversation, let out a hollow sigh as if dumbfounded.

“What are you plotting?”

“Plotting?”

“What is your purpose in saying such things to me?”

Eilena immediately frowned and glared at him.

At this, Hans, who had been staring blankly at her, touched around his mouth and let out a short cough.

“Love at first sight… isn’t that what they call it?”

“What… did you say…?”

Eilena involuntarily frowned at his answer.

It was maddening how he could so nonchalantly speak such nonsense with a face that seemed devoid of any thought.

An obvious lie to anyone who saw it.

A clumsy lie armed with shamelessness.

However, there was one person who took his words to heart.

“Hic…!”

Lasia, who had been silently listening to the conversation by his side, suddenly rushed out of the room as if unable to control her emotions.

“Lasia!”

Yeomje shouted at her retreating figure as she ran away, but Lasia did not stop.

In an instant, she disappeared down the stairs below.

“Aish…!”

Yeomje scratched his head nervously, feeling that a troublesome situation had developed.

“You, we need to talk later.”

With those irritated words, he pulled down his hat and followed after Lasia.

As his companions left, a strange silence fell between the two remaining people.

‘What is this… what’s happening…’

Eilena thought as she glanced at Hans, who was silently staring at the place where the two had left.

Judging by their reactions, it didn’t seem like this was planned beforehand.

Of course, this too could be part of the plan, or it could be staged to cause confusion for her.

But as she looked at his eyes, which seemed to hold some complicated feelings, such thoughts quickly faded away.

‘Then why…’

Eilena’s mind became increasingly complex with unresolved doubts.

Was it really an impulsive emotion as he said?

No, that couldn’t be. His words from earlier were clearly lies to anyone who saw them.

It was such a clumsy lie that anyone who believed it would be considered foolish.

Then what exactly was the hidden agenda behind his actions?

‘What… is it…’

Eilena was dying of curiosity.

No, she needed to know.

Why he had said such things to her when he had driven her to the brink of death.

Why he had spared her life even at the cost of turning against his companions.

Just as she was about to open her mouth with these vague thoughts, Hans sighed deeply and spoke first.

“For now, let’s go somewhere where we can talk privately.”

“What…”

“There are too many ears here.”

“…!”

At Hans’s emotionless statement, Eilena startled and hurriedly looked around.

Her subordinates were still scattered everywhere.

‘Are they alive…?’

All were in states where their survival couldn’t be confirmed. Their blood-soaked bodies showed not even the slightest movement.

Hans, who had thrown out the meaningful topic, looked at her trembling eyes and casually said,

“Details later. Let’s talk first.”

“Ah… a-alright.”

She gathered her bewildered gaze and led him to her chambers.

“Should I sit here?”

“Ah, yes.”

Hans, who had entered the Demon King’s chambers, immediately sat down at a table in the corner.

‘Just what…’

Eilena was once again considerably surprised at how he entered and sat in her enemy’s chambers as if it were his own bedroom.

However, she couldn’t show her confusion to such an opponent.

Eilena closed the door as naturally as possible and walked with elegant steps to sit across from him.

“……”

Even though she sat opposite him, Hans did not open his mouth.

He simply rested his arms on the table and cradled his forehead, as if deep in thought.

Eilena stared at Hans. Many questions rose to the back of her throat, but she never opened her mouth.

Another awkward silence fell between them, and the heavy atmosphere continued for quite some time.

After who knows how long had passed, Hans finally broke the rigid silence.

“How’s your body? Are you able to talk?”

“Ah… well… n-no problem…”

What kind of opening was this?

His first words after breaking the silence seemed to show concern for her.

Eilena tried her best to maintain her composure, but once again, she was visibly flustered by his unpredictable behavior.

Whether or not he noticed her reaction, Hans removed his arms from the table and adjusted his posture.

After taking a deep breath, he slowly raised his gaze to stare intently at her sitting across from him.

His hesitant lips firmly closed as if he had made a decision, and he began to speak.

“First of all, I’m serious about marriage.”

“……”

Eilena’s brows narrowed slightly. Hans immediately continued.

“I fully understand your reaction. It would be stranger if you didn’t react that way.”

Hans paused for a moment, then sighed deeply and continued.

“However, what I said earlier wasn’t true. About falling for you, or something like that…”

“I know.”

Eilena, who had been silently listening to him, opened her mouth for the first time.

Cutting him off, she returned his steady gaze and said,

“That much is obvious without explanation. However, I need some clarification on what you mean by being serious about marriage.”

Eilena despised beating around the bush.

“No need to drag this out. Get to the point.”

She immediately demanded that Hans get to the main point.

Feeling the necessity, Hans finally revealed his hidden intentions.

“It’s for the peace of the continent.”

“Peace…?”

Having started, he paused briefly to organize his thoughts, then continued in a more serious tone.

“I want peace. Not temporary stability, but true peace. I want to put an end to this insufferable war.”

“What… are you talking about…”

She had asked for an explanation but was getting even more incomprehensible words. Eilena questioned Hans.

“Isn’t that why you came to take my life? Then what on earth are you…”

“I said I want peace, not that I want your head.”

At his answer, Eilena’s questions weren’t resolved but rather multiplied.

“Yes, that peace you speak of. Isn’t it precisely my death? You came all the way here for that.”

“True, I did come, but I didn’t kill you, did I?”

“You clearly distinguished the winner and loser.”

“Victory and peace are different, you must know that.”

“I’d appreciate if you’d explain in a way I can understand.”

To Eilena’s question, Hans paused briefly before opening his mouth again.

“Yes, as you say, cutting you down right here would be our victory. But how long would that last?”

“What do you mean?”

“Even if I kill you here, another Demon King will inevitably emerge someday. Am I wrong?”

At Hans’s answer, Eilena silently blinked. Then, closing her eyes slightly, she answered him.

“You know well… you’re right. But isn’t it the same for you heroes?”

“Yes, it’s the same for us heroes. If I die, eventually a new hero will be born who inherits my power, and a hero even stronger than me will emerge. It’s now a well-known fact that as generations pass, the power of both Demon Kings and heroes grows stronger.”

At Hans’s clear explanation, Eilena immediately asked him,

“So? What does that have to do with me marrying you?”

“For the Sovereign of the Green-Fingered, I think your comprehension might be a bit lacking.”

“W-what…?”

Eilena instantly clenched her fist in anger. She glared at him with sharp eyes.

‘You…!’

To begin with, just sitting here having a conversation with him was already quite humiliating for her.

She was barely suppressing her feelings to continue the conversation, and hearing such insulting remarks right to her face made her hatred boil up again.

She wanted nothing more than to stand up immediately, but having been thoroughly crushed by his overwhelming power, she couldn’t act on it.

Even expressing anger wasn’t something she could freely do now.

She barely erased her anger and tightly gripped her disheveled clothes.

Seeing Eilena like this, Hans sighed and said,

“I apologize, I didn’t mean it that way.”

“……”

Eilena didn’t bother to answer. Then Hans opened his mouth again.

“You are the pinnacle of the demon realm, ruling all demons. The Demon King. I am humanity’s savior, sent to eliminate you on behalf of humanity. The Hero.”

“You speak so well of yourself.”

“It’s not wrong.”

Hans lightly dismissed Eilena’s sarcasm and continued.

“The influence these two figures hold is truly immense. If the influence of these two were combined, what result would emerge?”

“In summary, you aim for reconciliation?”

“Now we’re talking.”

“Huh….”

At Hans’s words, Eilena let out a deflated sound and lightly snorted.

“Marry me, and aim for reconciliation between demons and humans… thus ending this insufferable war and bringing peace to the continent. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Exactly as you say.”

Eilena snorted sarcastically once more.

“Ha! This is absurd. Do you think that’s possible? Have you forgotten how long we have been at war?”

“In years, it’s been twelve hundred. In terms of time, since the beginning of the continent’s history. However, because of that, I think it’s all the more worth trying.”

“There’s a limit to nonsense….”

Eilena exposed her fangs and ridiculed his words.

However, contrary to her outward appearance, she was inwardly deep in thought.

‘Could it be….’

Could those words be true?

If his words were true, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

As he said, the influence of the names Demon King and Hero was truly formidable.

If done right, it could indeed put an end to this eternal war, as he suggested.

However, there was also no guarantee that everything would flow as he said.

Above all, Eilena couldn’t trust him at all right now.

‘Indeed….’

It wasn’t just humans who were weary of this insufferable war.

In fact, her people, living in more barren lands, were suffering even more.

Both as a ruler and as an individual, she needed to end this war as soon as possible.

That’s why she had to kill the hero and achieve victory somehow…

But that victory had long since slipped away.

Now there was no way for her to fulfill her wishes.

Become my wife.

Except for the “marriage” proposal he mentioned.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

Eilena, who had finished her deliberation in an instant, asked him.

“If I refuse your proposal… what happens then?”

At Eilena’s words, Hans slowly turned his eyes to look at her.

Then his eyes glinted sharply, and a chill began to rise from his body.

“Then, I suppose we would have to continue this war…”

A murderous aura emanated from the hero’s body.