Chapter 8. The Moon Rabbit Siblings (7) Part-2

"I was considering whether to decorate it with flowers."

"He would appreciate that."

Tom shook his head sarcastically.

"Cover it in silk with the Demon Lord's crest. We're treating it as a formal message; at least do that much."

"Crest?"

When Karakul looked confused, Tom grew quiet.

"I'm talking about a mark that symbolizes the Demon Kingdom, the mark of the Demon Lord."

"There is no such thing. We Orcs have a flag that our tribe uses, but there is nothing that represents the kingdom."

"There is no flag?"

"Is it necessary?"

Tom pressed on his temples. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen a flag in the past when he'd invaded the Demon Lord's castle. He didn't think about it much back then, but as he was involved with the kingdom now, he began to realize the importance of such a symbol.

Karakul was definitely one of the wisest and contemplative Orcs out there. He had the talent necessary as an individual warrior and as the chief of a tribe, but lacked the knowledge and forethought required to lead an 'army' or a 'nation'.

"A symbol is one of the basic mediums needed to unify people on a national level. Each tribe would do their own thing without one."

As they lacked the identity of a unified organization, they wouldn't care about helping each other. It was one of the main reasons that the Demon Kingdom was so powerful, yet found themselves being slaughtered all the time by the humans and having their leaders murdered.

"Take some time later to discuss it with the Demon Lord to properly create one. Along with a set of rules for the kingdom as well."

"I understand."

Karakul tried to think of some symbols of Hell and groaned. Other than martial arts, he didn't have any talent for the art.

***

The image of the execution moments ago swam in Lily's head. Karina had been begging for her life. To be saved. That she was sorry. However, Lily had not been able to save her. Of course, she knew that begging alone would not have absolved Karina of her crimes, but at the very least, shouldn't she have been given a chance?

'Your Highness. You are too naive.'

"Am I too naive? Is that it?"

Lily asked the Moon Rabbit Siblings beside her. They stood in their servant's outfits with their heads lowered toward her.

"Not at all."

"Your Highness is always friendly and amicable."

She felt a little reassured by their words.

'I'm tired. I couldn't sleep at all because of the Vampire invasion.'

She thought of Tom and frowned.

"Could it be… he hates me?"

She began to suspect that the strangely familiar man might hate her. She felt that their distance was intentionally being grown every time she tried to get close to him. It was like that in this case as well. The feeling that he disliked her in particular because she was the Demon Lord.

'Was he disappointed? Had he come here with high expectations and instead found someone like me as the Demon Lord? Why does he hate me?'

Lily laid on the bed and used her plushy slime as a pillow, burying her face into it. Her face softly indented its gel-like flesh.

'I don't like being hated.'

She definitely didn't like the feeling of being hated. As someone who had been on the receiving end of so much hatred by the other Apostles, she felt that it was one of the worst feelings. The feeling of trying her best to meet expectations, yet still being ignored. It felt like she was invisible. Like air. However, this time, it was a bit different. She really didn't want to associate the word hatred with that man.

'Why? Why?'

She felt a completely new feeling swell within her. Nostalgia. His golden locks and eyes. She felt like she had met him somewhere before, in the past.

'Where did I see him? This feeling… like I've seen him… met him…'

Exhaustion slowly washed over her and her crimson eyes began to shut… she was drifting asleep.

The Moon Rabbit siblings who noticed this jumped up and looked at each other.

"I'll read you a story!"

"I'll hug you warmly!"

Lulu quickly raised a storybook while Luli entered the bed and embraced her. They were truly a pair of like-minded siblings. Despite their activities, Lily's eyes shut due to exhaustion.

"A long, long time ago… there was a certain Ajin girl. She…"

Lulu continued reading his story.

'Long time ago…? An Ajin girl?'

"And so… then… A… He…"

Luli embraced Lily tightly. Lily reciprocated her embrace by warmly hugging back. Luli's eyes twitched as she playfully dug into Lily even deeper. As Lily enjoyed the sensation of Luli's soft, white hair and her long rabbit ears, she felt relieved.

'…Warm… Soft…'

"… said. I'll protect… A vow…"

'Protect? Vow….?'

Lily fell into a deep sleep in the middle of Lulu's story.

....

….

..

There was an Ajin girl amidst the flowers deep in the forest. A girl with small horns, a tiny frame, red eyes, and copper skin.

'… Is that me?'

The girl turned around.

There was a man. A golden-haired man with bright, golden eyes.

'Tom? Why is Tom…?'

He was sobbing on his knees and looking as though he had just managed to escape from a truly horrendous nightmare. The Ajin girl who saw this approached him. The man embraced her. He embraced her softly as though he was holding onto something precious, and he said something to her.

'I'll protect you! I'll protect you no matter what happens, Ellie!'

That was some kind of a vow. A vow to protect her. Dozens of years later, Tom had made that same vow to Lily.

….

....

...….

Lily shouted as her red eyes shot open.

"I've met him!"

Luli who had been embracing her jumped back in surprise and Lulu dropped his book. The siblings watched her in confusion.

"Your Highness? What's wrong?"

"Did you have a nightmare?"

The siblings' eyes held great concern. However, Lily didn't have the time to think about that. Because she had remembered and could barely contain her thoughts.

She had met him! A long time ago! Dozens of years ago in fact! She didn't remember it clearly, but it was definitely near the human territories! At the flower beds near Lania, the city that the humans abandoned! That was where she had met Tom, the Devil of Lania!

"That was it! And…"

He had embraced her younger self warmly and lovingly. She had felt so comfortable and sweet that she still hadn't forgotten about it all these years later.

"He… embraced you? E-embraced you tight?!"

Her bestial ears stood tall and faintly trembled.

"Should I hold you too?"

When Luli asked with her head tilted in concern, Lulu pressed down on his sister's head.

"N-now that I think about it when she asked what his desires were it was definitely…"

'Let me protect you.'

He had come to keep the promise that he had made to her dozens of years ago.

She sat dumbly. The strange sensation that she was some kind of protagonist in some dumb romance novel for girls surrounded her. Her heart was filled with doubts. At that moment, the name he had shouted stuck out in her mind.

Ellie.

"Who… is Ellie?"

Her throat tightened as she uttered that strange name. Anxiety pressed down upon her like a hammer.

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