Chapter 3: The Demon King Put on a Disguise
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
According to romance stories, after the Demon King kidnapped the princess, he would inevitably fall in love with her.
According to adventure tales, after the Demon King kidnapped the princess, he would be defeated by the Hero.
But according to historical records, after the Demon King kidnapped the princess… he and the Hero fell in love.
Clearly, something here was very wrong.
—“Strange Romances You Should Know About,” Part I
The princess fiercely resisted the Demon King’s terrifying threats. As a result, not only did his plan fall apart immediately, but his dignity also shattered to pieces. Frustrated, His Majesty leapt out of the room—only to freeze mid-step when he nearly collided with a passing maid.
He straightened and declared, “This princess still hasn’t realized her situation. We need to help her wake up.”
And with that, the Demon King ordered the princess to be locked away in a desolate, empty attic. Every window was boarded shut. The single door was sealed. Wearing her golden gown and crimson cloak, the beautiful princess was left alone, cut off from the world.
The Demon King nodded in approval, even praising the guards who’d nailed the windows closed, convinced that isolation would surely make the princess yield. Then he returned to his room, shut the door—
And immediately began to panic. What do I do about my little darling?!
The Demon King paced back and forth, a thousand silent screams echoing in his head.
…
A few days later, the Demon King hosted a grand banquet in the castle. Brilliant gowns swirled across the dance floor. Elegant gentlemen smiled as they guided their partners with graceful hands at their waists.
Seated high upon his throne, aloof and regal, His Majesty summoned a duke. “Duke, what are your thoughts on the chapter ‘On the Development of Demon Vines’ in the book One Hundred and One Evolutionary Paths for Magical Beasts?”
The duke bowed and answered, “Your Majesty, I believe demon vines are neither a sufficient defense against human mages nor an effective deterrent to human heroes.”
You may leave. The Demon King dismissed him and called for a marquis. “Marquis, do you have any opinions regarding my vine?”
The marquis, holding a rose between his fingers, smirked and handed it over. “I think it cannot possibly bloom as beautifully as this flower.”
The Demon King accepted the rose and waved him away. You may also leave.
Clutching the rose, His Majesty turned to a nearby earl. “Earl, do you have any experience in cultivating plants?”
The earl bowed. “Frankly, Your Majesty, I am only skilled in indiscriminate deforestation.”
The Demon King didn’t even bother dismissing him this time. He just stormed out, still holding the rose, and marched straight up to the attic. The attic was cold and quiet. The princess sat by the sealed window, gazing at the starlit sky. The Demon King approached her. “So. What will it take for you to tell me how to care for my vine?”
The princess didn’t even look at him. Her eyes stayed on the revelry below, where the demons in their finery danced and laughed like beasts in silk.
“When day turns to night,” she said coolly, “and when the twin moons hang high in the sky… only then will I help demons with their academic pursuits.”
The Demon King stared at her. Then he slammed the door shut behind him with a loud bang.
The next morning, he found a baron who claimed to have expertise in magical botany. By the second day, he had exiled the baron—and his flattery—out of sheer disappointment.
After checking in on his precious demon vine again and gently pressing it down to rest under its blanket of leaves, His Majesty returned to the castle. If the princess absolutely refused to help demons with their research… Then he would simply make her help a human. Back in his chambers, the Demon King removed his mask and changed into the clothes he used to wear back when he wasn’t the Demon King.
…
In the days that followed, after being starved nearly to exhaustion, the princess finally knocked on the door. She asked the maid to bring her food, allow her to bathe, and give her a soft bed to sleep in.
The maid left and returned shortly after with food, fulfilling every request. When the princess was taken out, on her way back she passed an old, dusty room and noticed half a sheet of paper sticking out from beneath the door. Seizing her chance, she slipped away from the maid, snatched the paper, and hid it in her sleeve.
“…Before a seed germinates, it must be catalyzed according to its elemental type. For example, blue irises are wind-aspected, so they require—”
The moment the paper was lifted, there came a loud crash from inside the room—clattering, tumbling, the sound of something being knocked over. The maid turned her head sharply.
The princess followed her calmly, as if nothing had happened. Back in the attic, she pulled out the stolen paper and began to read.
The page explained that before seeds were planted, they could be altered through elemental catalysis. Seeds were categorized by the elements they resonated with—wind, fire, earth, and so on. For example, the blue iris mentioned on the page was classified as wind-aspected.
When the princess finished reading, she could almost picture the scholar who had written it. And that scholar… was most certainly human.
Seven days later, she finally found her chance. She shoved the maid aside, slipped out, and pushed open the door. The door swung shut behind her, and just as it did, she caught a flash of movement—someone darting away to hide. She couldn’t see his face, but that long golden hair was dazzling. The princess stood in place, scanning her surroundings.
The room was a disaster. Papers were scattered everywhere, bookshelves sagged with half-open tomes, and an ink bottle lay tipped over on the desk. Even the chair behind it was crooked.
The princess bent down and picked up a sheet of paper. She compared it to the one she had taken. The handwriting was the same. The signature was the same.
She let out a quiet breath of relief, then stepped carefully through the room, avoiding the papers on the floor as she examined a few of the books. Every single paper and every book bore the same name: Joshua. At last, she walked toward the corner where the golden-haired figure was hiding.
“Joshua?”
She called out, and there came the sound of a slight bump from the shadows. She called again, but silence followed.
The princess moved closer, and there—huddled in the corner behind a bookshelf—sat a man.
He wore tall boots and simple black trousers, with a plain white shirt free of any decoration. But his golden hair spilled down his back like sunlight, bright enough to outshine everything else in the room.
The princess gazed at him and spoke softly, “Are you Joshua? I am Princess Lilia of the Orland Empire. I found your research notes. I’d like to invite you to come to Orland to share your knowledge.”
The man stirred. His golden hair shifted, a waterfall of light cascading over his shoulder.
“Don’t be afraid,” the princess reassured him. “I’ll take you back to human lands. Your work deserves recognition. You deserve recognition.”
Joshua slowly raised his head. Pale skin untouched by sunlight. Blue eyes deeper than the sea. Lips faintly pink. And behind him, that cascade of golden hair, gleaming even in the dim light. The princess froze in place.
His Majesty the Demon King—currently disguised, performing in his own private study like a stage—smiled. “Really?”
Her thoughts snapped back into place. “Yes. Orland is the most powerful nation on the continent. We have countless mages and knights, and our weapon-smithing is second to none. My father and mother will soon assemble an army to rescue me. And when they do, I will take you with me—if you wish.”
The Demon King—no, “Joshua”—smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Princess. Thank you for being willing to bring me back to human lands. I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like.”
Go ahead. Send your army. If they survive my domain, I’ll eat my mask.
He thought this viciously while maintaining his gentle, scholarly smile. Then, as Joshua, he and the princess spoke at length, sharing a pleasant “academic” exchange—until footsteps approached outside.
At once, Joshua flinched and fell silent, like a timid, startled human. The princess leapt out the window in one smooth motion, pausing only to whisper back, “Tell them I jumped. Make it convincing.”
He nodded. When the guards burst in, His Majesty obligingly opened the door and said, “The princess came in, then jumped out the window.”
The guards stared at him for a moment, but, faithful to their duty, they ran off in pursuit without further question. None of them wondered why the Demon King had been anywhere near the princess’s escape route.
Later, the Demon King climbed to the highest tower of his castle, watching with satisfaction as the princess was dragged back—furious but unharmed.
The sky above was bright and clear. The wind was sharp and sweet. He looked up at the wide, endless blue, spotted a lone white cloud, and raised his hand.
“Boom.” With his playful sound effect, the cloud burst apart. The Demon King smiled. Below him stretched his domain.
…
Meanwhile, far beneath that scattered cloud, a young Hero had just bought a map. He packed his belongings, left his childhood home, and bid farewell to all his neighbors with solemn determination.
The princess had been taken by the Demon King. Someone had to save her. But the royal army was still being assembled—painfully slowly. So, it might as well be him.
The Hero’s purpose had always been clear: to defeat the Demon King. And so, armed with his ancestral sword, the Hero promised the crowned king that he would set forth into demon territory—just like in the legends.
Everyone hoped he would succeed. Everyone hoped he would save the princess. …Assuming his terrible sense of direction didn’t get him killed first.
Author’s Note:
The Demon King [grinning wickedly]: See that cloud? Anyone who dares touch my little vine before it’s healed—that’ll be their fate.
The Hero [confused]: I see the cloud. But… which way is demon territory? Where am I even on this map???
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