The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)-Chapter 727: The first step is always to take your opponent by surprise

Chapter 727: The first step is always to take your opponent by surprise

The luncheon felt more solemn than usual. The vassals--including Lesta and Eruha who came back for this event only--looked serious. It showed even though they were trying to smile and act normal.

The heavy atmosphere, however, did not affect the kids.

At a small table beside my chair, Shwa was lying--half sitting--on his portable bassinet while Jade held the baby bottle with one hand and ate jellies with another. Shiny was also having its grilled seafood lunch as usual, oblivious to the thoughts we adults had.

After all, the kids knew nothing about the significance of this summoning. They were just happy about wearing pretty, matching clothes.

"Uh-waah!"

Shwa waved his hand and grabbed my wide sleeve after finishing his drink, asking to be carried. Sitting him on my lap, Shwa was moving his arms and smacking the table excitedly, using me as a throne. Maybe because it was the first time we had him in this kind of setting? On a big table surrounded by people in formal wear.

Suddenly, I had a thought that if only Shwa could sit by himself already, I would have placed him on the table and let him roam around. The thought made me giggle, and Shwa patted my hands that were holding him in response.

"Ugaah!"

Pfft--were you trying to reassure me? Natha also chuckled and squeezed the baby’s cheeks until Shwa growled at him and tried to bite his fingers.

Lesta burst into laughter first--and soon, everyone followed. Even Malta, who seemed to have a soft spot for children. Or Shwa.

The heavy atmosphere shifted then, becoming a jolly luncheon we were meant to have. Right--who said this would be the last supper?

"Oh, how nice. I love laughter," a voice chimed in within chatter and laughter, making Lesta tense right away.

Everyone immediately stood up, including me and Natha. Shwa also turned his head to the side, precisely where the voice had come from.

"Wawaah!"

"Hello, there, little sweetlings," D’Ara stepped out of the invisible portal she casually made near the children’s table.

Jade jumped off his seat happily, running two steps toward her. "Teacher!"

She stopped the boy and fetched a handkerchief--also from somewhere I couldn’t see--to wipe out the sticky jelly around the boy’s mouth. Only then did she let Jade hug her.

"Seems like you’re also going," she said after looking at Jade’s clothes and Shiny’s vest.

"Jade always with Papa!" the boy said confidently, with hands on his waist.

D’Ara smiled and lifted Shiny, placing the mole on Jade’s hands. "Good--stay together, no matter what," she said. While Ignis crawled to Jade’s shoulder, she took out a brooch and put it on Jade’s clothes.

I looked at it curiously, but I didn’t have to go out of my way because D’Ara took out another one and fastened it on me. Looking down, the brooch was in the shape of a curling...dragon?

Oh.

She met my widened eyes and winked, before turning toward Natha. "Get your keys ready."

"Oh--is it the time already?" I fixed my hold on Shwa, who was busy touching and scrutinizing the brooch.

"You’ll know, but...I think so," D’Ara nodded.

As if proofing her statement, something flickered in the air. A spark, or rather...you know when you burned a paper and then threw it in the air? The hovering, burning confetti looked like the sparks. One, two, several of them appeared around me and Natha. Shwa snatched one before I could prevent him, but the spark was not hot at all, thankfully.

The sparks fell to the floor and ignited a ring of black flame around me and Natha.

"Waah!" Shwa was busy looking down and around, fascinated by the fire show.

At least he was entertained.

"Come here, Jade," Natha beckoned the boy to come closer and carried him, along with Shiny and Ignis.

After all, the original invitation was for me, Natha, and Shwa only.

"I can’t go there, but I’ll wait somewhere near," D’Ara said, stroking my head and Natha’s cheek. "Good luck, my sweetlings."

"Bye-bye, Teacher!" Jade waved cheerfully, adorably, thinking we were simply going for an adventure.

Well...it was an adventure.

"Bubaaah!"

As the heatless fire raged higher to swallow us, Shwa shouted out a goodbye, and the world turned dark.

* * *

Haa...at least he let us have our meal first.

While the ’summoning’ happened, I looked down to observe my baby. Shwa was trying to touch the black flame, but Natha held his hand, keeping it close to my chest. Thankfully, Shwa did not protest, just pouting a little bit.

But soon, the flame disappeared and he had no chance to pout anymore because...uhh...where were we?

I looked around, blinking, in confusion. I had no idea what the Sanctuary was supposed to look like, but...I was sure it wasn’t like this. When I looked up to check Natha’s reaction, he also seemed confused.

"It didn’t look like this when you were here the last time?" I asked curiously.

"No," he replied, narrowing his eyes. The bracelet glowed on his wrist--seemed like he was trying to see if this was an illusion or an attack on his mind. "Tell me what you see, sweetheart."

"Why, Natha? Jade can tell you," the little boy patted Natha’s tensed face, and the demon chuckled softly. "Sure, you tell me."

Yeah, I also needed an innocent look at this...place.

"Jade see big towers! So big it reach the sky! But the towers are...squares? With squares window too, lots of them!" Jade started. "Also, also--lots of those screens Natha use to show people pictures! Mm--they are all moving too! Pictures!"

"I see...what else?"

"Mm...something moving on the road, Natha. Like carriage--very short carriage--but no horses. Oh, is Choco good right now?"

"Focus Jade."

"Focus! Jade see lots of sticks--like lamp sticks, but no lamps up there. Oh, some have lamps, but some have long black strings connect sticks to each other."

"And then?"

"Ungg..." Jade pursed his lips and shook his head. "Jade tired!"

Pfft--it was indeed tiring. It was tiring for me to see all these skyscrapers, paved roads, cars, billboards, electronic poles...because what business did all those stuff have in the heart of the Demon Realm?

I mean...I understood Mother’s Garden, because...well, it was understandable, right? The Goddess of Nature, working out in...nature. I never visited Luxeria’s abode, but I had a hunch that hers would be something like a Temple filled with her statues, I don’t know.

But this...a modern Earth depiction? Well, I assumed it was Earth because it looked awfully similar to what I had seen in my previous life.

"Uwaah! Wawaah!"

Shwa raised his arms; the sky was a perfect summer blue--at least it wasn’t so far off. But it was weird seeing the skyscraper in my sky vision, and...

"Papa, that look like Vrida!" Jade pointed at the ’bird’ in the sky.

"No, Jade...it’s an airplane," Natha muttered in a daze.

"Eplen?" Jade tilted his head. "Is eplen the name of the metal wyvern?"

I...I couldn’t take it anymore. Despite my will to stay serious, I had to crouch and lose it in laughter.

I mean...I mean, why modern Earth? Why skyscrapers and everything? And why was there an airplane making the demon word ’welcome’ with its smoke?

I can’t...I just can’t...

"Natha, why Papa laugh?"

Hearing the question, Natha also laughed beside me, because...what the hell?! Well, he wasn’t crouching, and didn’t have to be smacked by Shwa who was confused as to why his papa was laughing by himself.

"Oh, I’m sorry, baby..." I held him tightly and finally regained my wit. Taking a deep breath and standing up, I told Natha--and myself--in a warning. "Okay, let’s stay vigilant. This might be a trick to make us lower our vigilance."

Natha stopped laughing and nodded, returning to his serious mode. Well, at least I knew he still threaded carefully, even checking with his bracelet and activating his seed from time to time. He looked like a jolly blue lamp, but...still nice.

"Haa...after going all out with a nice outfit," I clicked my tongue. "Now I felt like I have the wrong dress code or something."

"Don’t worry," Ignis crawled to my shoulder and flicked its tail on my back. "You still look pretty."

"Indeed," Natha nodded, offering his hand to help me go down the platform where we stood.

It was a circular platform, looking suspiciously like a helicopter port. After looking around better, it did look like a helicopter port. It even looked like we were standing on top of a building. Not as tall as the skyscrapers, but still a tall building with a helicopter port.

"Papa! Something coming!" Jade gasped.

And indeed, something was coming. We heard it first before seeing it: the sound of belting wind and an engine.

"No way..."

As the wind was swirling harder, I covered my baby’s head while looking up, squinting my eyes as a helicopter--yes, a helicopter--in black and red flew past our head and slowly lowered into another helicopter port at the other side of the platform.

When it landed, the pilot door opened and a demon with red skin and black attire alighted, bowing in our direction.

"This one shall bring you to the palace."

I took a deep breath and groaned. "You gotta be kidding me..."