8 - Regret

THE NEXT DAY...

"Varlog~!!!" Van called out joyfully as he burst through the doors, exchanging cheerful greetings with the maids and servants of the demonic castle.

"Today's the day, I can just feel it! She'll say yes!" Van proclaimed, his enthusiasm shining bright.

Varlog sighed, but with a smile this time as he continued his work on a scroll.

"That's what you said last week... and the two weeks before that. Would you like something to eat before you propose to her majesty today?"

"Hmm... Not today. I'm still full from the game we shared yesterday with you and the rest of the castle's staff," Van replied cheerfully.

"That was indeed quite the feast... Her majesty's servants and I thoroughly enjoyed it," Varlog remarked.

"Speaking of which, did she eat it after she pierced my skull?" Van asked with a hint of mischief.

"Her Majesty was quite hungry; it took her a bit to dispatch you that day... However, she did take a bite, said nothing, and then left. I believe she might have liked it," Varlog offered, trying to add a positive note.

"Oh, I see. That's good to hear. How's the wife?" Van asked casually, shifting the topic.

"She's fine, fine... Actually, no, she's still quite upset with you for missing our 583rd wedding anniversary two days ago. She even made that roast you praised so highly last year," Varlog replied, his gaze stern.

"Ugh... Varlog, I told you, I was THIS close with Alicia! I nearly had her convinced!" Van exclaimed, his frustration evident.

"It is 'Her Majesty' to you, Van Hellix. You do not have the privilege to address our Demon Lord so casually, no matter how passionate you are about making her yours," Varlog cautioned him sternly.

"Aside from reminding you the relaxation teachings of Ace The Venturer, from my world; today, she will be known as 'My Wife', Varlog," Van declared with unwavering confidence.

Varlog sighed deeply. "...I suppose Her Majesty will decide your penance for such insolent familiarity. As she always did, anyway..." he remarked resignedly.

"I see. Well, I'm heading in now," Van said, walking past Varlog toward the throne room, his arms full of a meticulously selected bouquet and the usual ring.

"Ahh, quite the selection you've brought... Those are indeed her favorites! For such consideration, I shall warn; it's been quite some time since she shared her tactics on how to deter you... Be on your guard," Varlog warned.

"Don't worry! I am resolute," Van assured him, his voice filled with determination.

"I understand. But of course, you are. See you tomorrow, Van."

"There won't be a tomorrow! Today, I shall leave the throne room with her as my fiancée!" Van declared boldly.

"Of course, you will," Varlog responded, his smile resigned yet tinged with a faint glimmer of hope, echoed silently by the other servants.

"He may be the hero's companion, but he's quite the character," the maids whispered among themselves, chuckling softly.

"Yeah, Van's cool. I enjoy sparring with him," the guards mused, appreciating his indefatigable spirit.

"If they do marry, I sure won't mind Van as the second ruler beside Her Majesty," another demonic guard said.

"It may seem like he just barges in thoughtlessly every day, but when Varlog tells him that she's too tired and wants to rest, he just helps us out in what stuff we need! He's such a considerate soul!" Another maid commented.

They all silently wished him good luck as Van once again kicked open the door to the throne room, bouquet in hand, a shining ring in the other.

"DEMON LOOOORRRRRRRD!!! I AM HERE TO—"

Van's bold declaration was abruptly cut short, the words dying in his throat as he was stopped cold by the sight before him.

The Demon Lord was entwined in the arms of another demon, passionately kissing him.

"Ahh... Van..." She purred, turning to him mid-embrace with a sneer.

"I didn't see you there... This is my partner, Gorrock," she introduced softly.

The shock and theatrics were designed to crush Van's spirit finally.

She and the demon flaunted their closeness, a performance crafted meticulously for Van, who stood frozen, bouquet in hand.

Varlog watched, his heart aching for Van, as he thought, 'My lord... That's a bit much...'

The maids whispered among themselves, "How terrible...!"

'This will surely make him give up,' the Demon Lord thought smugly, watching Van's reaction.

'But... this servant is overstepping his boundaries just now... That was too much for a make-believe kiss,' she mused in annoyance, glancing briefly at Gorrock, who was a little too enthusiastic in his role.

'Well, he bet his life on it. So, when Van comes back tomorrow, I'll definitely sentence this Gorrock to 100,000 public whippings—'

Her line of thought was cut short as Van let the bouquet and the ring clatter to the floor, the sound echoing in the throne room; drawing gasps and looks of sorrow and worry from the servants in the other room as they looked at Van.

Even Varlog, who had somewhat expected Van to withstand the Demon Lord's blatant provocation with his characteristic resilience, felt a heavy sense of foreboding when he heard the resonant clatter.

"Congratulations, Alicia. You won." Van muttered quietly, his voice barely audible as he turned and walked away, leaving the throne room and all its intrigues behind.

'Eh...?' The Demon Lord stared in shock as Van calmly exited the throne room.

The maids covered their mouths, their eyes wide open in disbelief and their hearts aching for the spurned suitor.

'Did he just leave...?' she wondered, still reeling.

"H-hey, Van...? It... It's okay..! It's just another scheme, you know that; right?" the guards called softly after him.

"See you, Almund, Vurgot. Send my regards to your children for me," Van replied, his voice subdued as he walked away.

'My... That sight seems to have struck harder than any hit he had endured so far,' Varlog thought, watching Van approach the castle exit.

Rushing forward, Varlog placed a gentle hand on Van's shoulder, halting him just before he could leave the castle's confines. His voice was low and heavy with concern, "Want me to kill you quickly, Van?"

"No... I'd just respawn here. Since it's become a safe place for me. It started happening for a while now... Sorry for not telling you," Van said as he walked out after gently removing Varlog's hand from his shoulder, leaving the castle and its residents behind. The guards, maids, and servants all looked on with worry and sorrow as the news traveled to their ears.

"Ha... Haha!!! We did it!! I finally drove him away today without him PROPOSING!!!" The Demon Lord declared with reluctant joy as Van left the castle.

"My lord..." Varlog murmured as he re-entered the throne room, catching a glimpse of Gorrock's smug victory grin as he lounged behind Alicia.

'Ahh.. The new servant, is it...? I do recall him commenting of Her Majesty's allure in an unsightly manner when he thought he was alone... I suppose it was he who planted this vile idea into Her Majesty's mind. I shall deal with him later,' Varlog thought as he recalled Gorrock making crude jokes about his queen with his friends, boasting about how he will "Make her scream his name" soon.

Yet Varlog kept his cool, maintaining his composure as he marched.

He then turned to Van's dropped items, carefully and gently picking up the discarded bouquet and ring.

"My lord... Did you... really despise Van to THIS extent...?" he asked quietly, holding the symbols of Van's affection.

"O-... Of course, I did! He is a companion of that damned Hero!!" She retorted defiantly as she rose from Gorrock's embrace.

"I see... Well, it appears like he will not be coming back anymore. Thus... I suppose I should grant you my congratulations. Your wisdom and cunning truly exceed all," Varlog said, his tone tinged with melancholy.

"W-what are you on about, Varlog!?" she stammered, her voice tinged with anxiety.

"This man has been crashing into my castle every day! He's disrupted my peace for over TWO YEARS! Surely that's not enough to deter him!" she exclaimed defiantly.

"I understand, my lord," Varlog replied with a sigh as he turned to leave the throne room.

"Wait," she commanded, stopping him in his tracks.

"Place the bouquet in a vase next to my throne and put the ring beside it," she instructed, her cheeks coloring slightly. "That idiot actually forgot those here... How could he propose without them?"

Varlog looked back at her with a sympathetic gaze. "As you wish, my lord."

The demon who served as her make-believe partner then rose from the throne with a smug smile. "My lord, since I have driven him away, shall I be here tomorrow as well—"

"NO," she cut him off sharply, her gaze icy.

"The same trick won't work on Van twice. So don't you dare step into this castle again, or let yourself be seen by either me or Van. It simply won't work a second time," she declared coolly, though her eyes bore the cold, piercing intensity of the abyss. "Better leave THIS instant, in case Van changes his mind and comes back today." She commanded.

"Y-..yes, my lord," Gorrock murmured, his voice subdued as he exited the castle walls, the weight of the Demon Lord's stern gaze pressing down on him like a physical force.

Later, under the cloak of night within the demonic village, Varlog found Gorrock walking in a dark alley outside the demonic castle. Without hesitation or orders from the Demon Lord, Varlog unleashed his fury, methodically dismantling Gorrock limb by limb.

"Why—why are you doing this?!" Gorrock cried out, his voice trembling with fear and pain after losing both his legs. "It—it was Her Majesty who agreed to it!"

Varlog's face remained impassive, but his eyes blazed with a cold, relentless anger. "Yes, that much is true," he acknowledged quietly, his tone deceptively calm as Gorrock momentarily relaxed.

But the respite was short-lived. Varlog advanced, his presence overwhelming as he towered over the limbless Gorrock.

"However, it was you who preyed on Her Majesty's vulnerabilities, exploiting her inexperience with romance to satisfy your own selfish, treacherous desires. For trampling upon Her Majesty's chance at true happiness and for manipulating her pure intentions for your contemptible gains, you shall suffer GREATLY."

Gorrock's eyes widened in terror, his voice cracking as he pleaded, "P-please, I—I understand now! I'll crawl to the castle, I'll—I'll apologize personally to Her Majesty! Just—just let me do that, please!"

Varlog scoffed, his voice icy as he dismissed Gorrock's pleas. "Allow you to see Her Majesty again, in her now delicate state? Provide you with another opportunity to weave your vile web around her? Absolutely not," he hissed, his calm demeanor cracking as his true demonic voice began to emerge, shadows twisting around him menacingly.

"You will endure the torment you deserve. I will take my time, making certain you WILL SUFFER for tearing at Her Majesty's heart for the dismal chance you never had at claiming it for yourself," Varlog continued, his voice now a demonic growl, as he spoke in ancient demonic tongue, "You shall be broken and tormented for my personal satisfaction, until the embers of the underworld embrace you. Perhaps then, in the flames of the Archdevil, you might learn our true ways and be reborn. Although, for one as morally bankrupt as you, such redemption seems a forlorn hope."

As he spoke, Varlog began his grim task, his every move calculated to inflict maximum pain upon the demon who had dared tear his queen's heart.

Several hours later, Varlog stood over the mangled, lifeless form of Gorrock. His expression was one of unmasked disgust as he looked down at Gorrock. A sense of satisfaction whirling about within him as he looked at Gorrock's ripped-apart corpse.

"O you who saw nothing beyond your own selfish desires," Varlog intoned gravely in the ancient demonic tongue, bestowing a curse upon Gorrock, "be sent now to the Archdevil. There, may you burn and relearn our ways through the endless embers below, suffering through each agonizing cycle for all eternity."

His words, a dark prayer, echoed through the empty alley, promising a fate considered the worst possible torment for a demon. With a final glance at the body that bore witness to his wrath, Varlog turned and walked away, leaving the shadows to swallow the remnants of Gorrock's treachery.

Varlog spent the entire night relentlessly hunting down each of Gorrock's acquaintances, meting out the same grim fate to each. Their bodies were subsequently delivered to their families, serving as a stark warning.

It was a cruel act, indeed. Perhaps some of Gorrock's friends did not deserve such punishment.

However, above all else, a demon cherishes loyalty and honesty. To violate this tenet is to desecrate their very essence.

"Ah... It seems I lost my cool," Varlog mused to himself as he strolled calmly back to the castle.

"Oh, Ace The Venturer of Van's world, I seem to have momentarily forgot your teachings of tranquility... It is at times like these I am grateful that you cannot bear witness of this unsightly side of mine,"

"...No matter. It appears nothing of value was lost in my fit of rage," he concluded, dismissing the night's events with cold detachment.