Chapter 12: A Huge Misunderstanding
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Spring was the season when all things revived—perfect for bringing young people together. At least, that’s what the village chief said when organizing the matchmaking event.
Outside the house, the noise was lively. Encouraged by the village chief, many villagers went to participate. Gifts were handed out to the young people, while the elders busily prepared for the evening’s festive gathering.
Meanwhile, the Demon King lay in bed, catching up on his usual sleep. After swapping out his old mattress, quilt, and pillow for new ones, he pulled the quilt over himself. Instantly, the outside noise lowered to a tolerable level.
He sighed, hugging the quilt tightly, and—once sure no one was watching—rolled around a few times. The feeling of these new bedding items was truly different!
Though still not comparable to his own from before, at least it was bearable. The Demon King silently praised the upgrade—“NICE”—and after a few more rolls, finally lay flat, burying his face in the soft quilt. It was wonderful.
Feeling genuinely pleased, he even lifted his negative feelings toward the Hero by a tiny bit. He pushed aside his earlier annoyance at being crowded by all those packages. The Hero had carried huge bundles out of the store, explaining that all the items were gifts for the villagers.
After seeing the Hero’s “betrayal,” the Demon King had coldly concluded: gifts for villagers had nothing to do with him; if it wasn’t related, it didn’t need his attention. So the Demon King had walked ahead, ignoring the Hero’s chatter like an emotionless guiding light.
Little did he know, the Hero had actually thought things through a little. Especially when, after handing out the other gifts, he personally gave a package to the village chief. The Demon King reluctantly admitted to himself: That package contained the brand-new bedding the Demon King was now sleeping on—a new mattress disguised as a quilt, a new quilt, and a new pillow.
With the full new set of bedding, the Demon King—who had no intention of joining the human village’s activities—collapsed onto the bed shortly after returning. The sensation was nearly heavenly compared to the hardships before.
After praising the bedding for a long time, he finally covered his face and, amidst the outside noise and dim light, allowed himself to fall asleep.
“Joshua!”
Just as the Demon King was nearly drifting off in the fading light, the village chief called his name, pulling him up. Once the chief freed his hands, he dragged the Demon King to check on some strange plants. The Demon King struggled to his feet and inspected the place, which he was told had been treated using his method.
“Seems fine?” he said. Not a single sprout had appeared—how could there be a problem?
The village chief coughed twice but didn’t answer. Then, a nameless girl from the village who had earlier lent the Demon King a headband appeared after the chief’s cough. She handed him a gift. The Demon King looked at the village chief in confusion, only to be encouraged with a smile. The gift was placed in his palm—a small bouquet of wildflowers.
The Demon King: ???
He examined the flowers while the girl nervously glanced at the village chief. The chief repeated the core idea of today’s event: “You know, spring is when all things come back to life, so our village always holds matchmaking events in spring. We invite people from our village and nearby ones to join. The atmosphere helps everyone express their feelings to those they like but are too shy to confess to. If they can’t say it with words, they send gifts to show their affection—flowers, plants, or other symbols of goodwill.”
The Demon King looked at the wildflowers in his hand and immediately handed them back.
Oh.jpg I didn’t know spring was the season of rebirth. I only know that cross-species romance never ends well. The Demon King cast a cold glance at the village chief, realizing the “abnormality” he mentioned was just an excuse. Deciding to withdraw the faint approval he’d given earlier, he prepared to return the bouquet of wildflowers unopened. But the girl across from him ran off before he could.
The Demon King turned and shoved the flowers back into the village chief’s hands. Noticing others nearby, he said firmly, “I just remembered—I’m already married.” Then he pulled out his last coin. “Also, give her this to cover the cost of the headband. Sorry for not understanding money before.” His tone was resolute as he rejected cross-species romance and the people who pursued it, then he turned away with a cold face. The village chief, playing the role of an old cupid, nodded at his determination and relented. “Alright… I’ll pass it on.”
“But Joshua,” he added, “it’s your choice not to accept it, but the flowers have already been given. Speaking from experience, I suggest you don’t reject them too harshly. Otherwise, others might think Sally has something seriously wrong with her, to the point you can’t stand it.”
The Demon King’s sudden memory recovery didn’t carry much credibility, the chief thought as he said this. After seeing how thoughtfully the Hero refused others, he added a little more. Then, as agreed, he took the coin and left. Leaving the bouquet behind for the Demon King. The Demon King muttered, “Oh.”
He looked down at the seeds in the ground that clearly weren’t his little darlings sprouting. “So, this has nothing to do with me.”
He wanted to stick the flowers off to the side and leave but saw others nearby and forced himself to hold on a bit longer, still clutching the bouquet. “Fine, I bought the headband and the flowers with money.”
Having stamped that fact in his mind, he irritably pulled the flowers apart, tore them up, and tossed them away. To hell with cross-species romance! The demon bloodline must remain pure, he fumed.
From the scattered wildflowers, the Hero suddenly appeared from hiding—and was hit square in the face. After brushing off the petals, the Hero looked at the Demon King with a dazed expression. Nearby, a tree that had sheltered him stood quietly in the dark, faintly lit by a distant campfire. Not far off, the square was alive with voices and laughter.—The Demon King had just hit the one person he’d barely warmed to, but still mostly disliked.
Looking at the few flowers left in his hand, the Demon King noticed the Hero’s confused gaze. When the Hero glanced from the petals on the ground back to the bouquet, the Demon King angrily flung the rest at him. There could be no connection between humans and him!
The stubborn wildflowers, barely recognizable now, fell upon the Hero. The Demon King’s mood soured even further after the accidental hit. Once he realized he’d been caught holding the flowers, he threw everything away in frustration. Afterward, the Demon King impulsively tried to patch things up with a quick, “Good evening.” Empty-handed now, he added, “The moonlight is beautiful tonight. Until next time.”
Without waiting for any reaction from the stunned Hero, he turned to leave, eager to escape the scene. The Hero stared at the scattered petals and bouquet on the ground. With a growing flutter in his chest and the village chief’s matchmaking influence from the day, he listened to the voice inside his heart and wondered about the usually indifferent Demon King.
You… like… me?
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