The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)-Chapter 678: Children are the best negotiatior

After sorting out the information in just...ten minutes, we wanted to return immediately. Shwa, however, thought otherwise.

He wanted to play with the fairies and enjoy the flowers, so he kicked at his demon father, who was going to teleport us back.

...or, maybe he didn’t like teleporting?

"What about going back on foot?" I laughed as Natha and Shwa had a staring contest with scrunched-up faces. It was funny since they had the same face, so it was like a mirror image. "We can still look at the flowers and the fairies can follow us until the garden."

Natha pinched his son’s puffing cheeks with squinting eyes. "Whatever the little boss wants."

And that was how we had a morning stroll across the forest with a heavy golem in tow. The thud-thud-thud could not be ignored, and the morning castle staff--from the gardeners, the maids, and the guards--were looking over with raised brows.

Perhaps it was the combination of a mumbling and giggling baby with an armored golem looming behind. Stan himself had been observing Shwa with keen interest ever since we found out that the baby’s previous life was the golem’s creator.

Would it feel like meeting one’s long-lost parents? But the parent was a baby and had no recollection of him, so...if it was me, I felt like I would be weirded out. No idea what the golem would feel because Stan was different than other golems. I was tempted to ask him about it, but...

It seemed like I should give Stan ample time to digest the sensation through his progressive learning.

Anyway, thanks to our funny march, the news about a new armored golem was spreading fast across the Castle. When we arrived at the Lord’s quarters, guests were already there waiting for us.

Well, rather than guests, it was more like...usual trespassers who came and went as they wished: the vassals. Except, this time, even Haikal was there.

"Whoa..." Arta did not hold back from exclaiming, openly looking at Stan up and down while stroking her chin.

She was probably thinking about what kind of cape design would be best for this knight-like golem.

"This is a golem?" Haikal was raising his brows, which was understandable.

He always wore a full-plate armor--even his face could rarely be seen--so he looked almost similar to Stan. The difference was that Stan’s ’armor’ looked plain without any decoration, and there was no link between each part of the ’armor’.

"He is a golem," I nodded. "An advanced one."

"Greetings," the golem nodded solemnly with that uncle voice of his. I wondered whose voice was it that was used to build his vocal cords. "The name’s Stan."

"O-oh, yeah...greetings, Stan."

Pfft--even the stone-faced Haikal cracked in surprise.

After the greetings, the vassals did not hold back their curiosity. The twins were especially full of questions because they were one of the people who initially dealt with the golems sent to the Lair. Eruha, who lived his first two hundred years surrounded by golems, was observing the interactions keenly.

This interest reminded me of how excited Neel was, and talking about her... free𝑤ebnovel.com

"But why are you still here, Neel?" I asked the half-naga who was sitting in the corner with pursed lips.

"How could I leave just like that?" she hissed, which came out like a real sound a snake would make. "What did you do to Stan?"

"I was just making some inquiries, geez..."

I was about to roll my eyes, but I realized that for Neel, Stan was probably her precious adopted ’child’ or something like that. The nature of us whooshing away like that was probably suspicious too, so I couldn’t blame her for getting annoyed.

I smiled wryly and told her in a whisper. "The topic might get censored, so we had to move away for security."

"Huh..."

She looked at me weirdly, but she knew enough about the world’s ’censorship’ to not question it further. Truthfully, I had no idea if it would still be censored after Shwa’s birth, but why take the risk?

Still, her curiosity was apparent, so I told her what I could. "Apparently, some of his memory was erased."

The yellow eyes widened. "What?! Why didn’t I--"

"There’s a high probability that the Goddess did it."

"Oh, I see..."

Neel nodded and took a seat again, gradually calming down. She looked annoyed, but she was well aware that she wasn’t at a level that could match a deity. In fact, she was already incredible for modifying a Goddess’s commandment.

"We’re going to call D’Ara to see if she knows something," I told her further.

"...the vampire?" she blinked.

"Yeah."

"The one who supplies golems?"

"...yeah?"

"I’m staying," she said as she sunk herself deeper into the armchair.

"...sure."

I pressed my lips to hold back the laughter that wanted to slip out. Seemed like pursuing knowledge weighed more than his social aversion.

I was looking down and pretending to play with Shwa so I could at least let out a giggle when Jade ran toward me with widened eyes. "Papa, Teacher will come?"

When did he hear about it? Where was he earlier?

"I don’t know, Jade," I shook my head. "We’re going to call her, but we don’t know if she will answer."

Despite my answer, the confirmation of intention had already sent the little boy into hyperdrive. "But, but--Jade need to prepare the cookie and cake and candy and chocolate first!"

That was what you were concerned about?

"Arta will have some," I shrugged.

The green head shook aggressively. "No! Jade must prepare them! Jade must choose them!"

To show sincerity? Whelp--seemed like this kid was serious about the child golem. But there was no way I could go out to accompany Jade and buy those things. At least, not unless I brought Shwa along. But honestly, I wasn’t comfortable with bringing Shwa out at this point--not until we got past the hundredth day.

Thankfully for me, an aide came just in time. "Do you want to go shopping with me, Sir Jade?" Arta asked. Seemed like she was done with the golem interview.

"Really?" the green eyes widened and sparkled as Jade raised his head toward Arta, but he swiftly shifted his gaze to me. "Papa?"

"Sure," I chuckled. There was no way I could deny those sparkling and hopeful eyes. "Ah, right--learn how to count and pay while at it. Here, I’m going to give you an allowance."

I took out a coin pouch from the storage ring and, after calculating how much the snacks would cost, gave Jade an appropriate amount.

Jade gasped as he received the coins and stared at them for a few seconds. "Okay!" he gripped the coins tight before turning around. "Arta, let’s go!"

"The stores are not open yet, Sir Jade," Arta chuckled and patted Jade’s shoulders to calm him down. "Why don’t we have breakfast first and change your clothes?"

"Uhh...okay!"

For Jade’s sake, we waited until he came back from the bribe shopping before calling D’Ara through Eruha. Thanks to that, I had the time to wash myself too--even soaking in a warm bath together with Shwa while Natha watched over us.

Had to admit, it was a nice sensation for me, although not so much for Natha who felt his place had been snatched by Shwa.

Silly demon.

When I came over to the living room across from the nursery, Jade was busy arranging the cookies, candies, chocolates, and cakes on a large tray. Only after he was satisfied with his bribe did Jade give us permission to call D’Ara.

Even though there was no guarantee that D’Ara would answer our call.

"My grandson!"

About five seconds after Eruha contacted his mother, the Progenitor showed up from a cluster of red mist and immediately rushed toward me--or rather, the baby in my arms.

Turned out I had been holding the guarantee.

Natha rolled his eyes and grumbled. "Not your grandson."

"My. Grand. Son."

The ruby eyes glared at him, and Natha rolled his eyes even more as D’Ara took Shwa and twirled him around.

"Uaaa!" Shwa wiggled his limbs and laughed as he experienced the sensation of flying.

Mm...I should do that, too sometimes.

Natha threw a side-eye at Eruha. "Go make some children or something."

"Do you think I’m a birthing factory?" Eruha scoffed.

Natha clicked his tongue. "You don’t even have to get pregnant."

"Is child rearing a joke to you, my Lord?"

"...my bad."

What were these old men doing?

"Well, as long as my eternal--"

"No," Lesta spoke briefly, sharply, succinctly.

"Okay, no."

After that absurd exchange, we watched quietly and waited for D’Ara to have fun playing with Shwa. In a way, it was also a ’bribe’ on my part. But this caused the person who had been preparing his bribe to get upset.

"Teacher..." Jade pouted and kicked the ground sulkily. "Why Teacher only care for Shwa? Jade is the one preparing snacks for Teacher!"

It was loud enough to make the room go silent, and D’Ara even froze while blinking at the pouting and glaring Jade. The green eyes were glistening with tears that were on the verge of falling.

"Oh, no..." the vampire mother, who was weak to children and cute things, went into a panic. She handed my baby back to me and rushed toward the hiccuping boy. "No, no--that’s not true. I care about Jade too."

"Teacher lie!"

"No, I’m telling the truth, sweetling," D’Ara stroked the green hair. I had never seen her so tensed before as tears started to roll down the chubby cheek. "I’m sorry, yes? Is there anything you want? I’ll grant you a wish, yes? Don’t cry, my sweetling."

Wait...

"Really?" Jade hiccuped and sniffed back his tears. "Teacher will give Jade child golem?"

"Yes, yes, I will--" D’Ara nodded before pausing and tilted her head. "Wait--what?"

Jade jumped up and down and smiled with wet cheeks. "Yay! Yay! Jade will have new friend!"

"Huh..."

Superb.