Clyde seemed even more surprised by Dioclyde’s tears than I was.
“Is it true? Are you really Hena’s son?”
Dioclyde asked with a trembling voice. The way he asked, not if he was his son but whether he truly was Hena’s, conveyed how desperately he still longed for her.
Feeling the heartache, I quickly stepped forward and said,
“Yes, that’s right. He is your son and Hena’s. Look at his eyes; they are just like yours.”
“…….”
Dioclyde looked at Clyde with misty eyes.
Clyde stood there, unsure of what to do. His anxious and tender gaze felt as if he had transformed back into the thirteen-year-old boy I had first met.
“Hena loved you too. But as the Demon King, she thought you couldn’t be with a human, and when she realized she had Clyde, she left considering the child’s safety; it would not have been possible to give birth in the demon world…”
“…….”
His pomegranate-colored eyes, the same color as Clyde’s, moistened again.
“Why…. Why did she make that decision alone, without telling me…. I would never have let her go if I had known that….”
Hena never believed that she and Dioclyde could be together. She couldn’t be sure if his feelings for her were genuine or if they were on the same page emotionally.
When she found out about the child, Hena was extremely afraid of how Diocclyde would react. That’s why she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
I felt like I could fully understand Hena’s feelings.
It wasn’t just because I knew her true feelings through her side stories. It was because I had experienced similar struggles with Clyde, trying to deny and suppress my feelings for him, thinking we had no future.
Perhaps if I were in Hena’s shoes, I might have made the same choice.
So, once again, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for everything Clyde had done to win me over. It was truly appreciated that he confronted me with all his emotions without hiding anything.
Thanks to that, we were able to be together like this.
Dioclyde, who had been momentarily silent, suddenly turned to look at me.
“Who are you, and why do you know all this?”
As Dioclyde spoke to me, Clyde reflexively tried to block me. But I quickly grabbed his arm to stop him.
“I’m Eila Rojasis. As you can see, I’m human, but your son and I love each other.”
Dioclyde’s eyes narrowed at my words.
“Explain it in detail.”
I proceeded to explain how I met Clyde and everything that had happened since then.
I told him about Hena’s life after she parted with Dioclyde and about Clyde’s childhood. I gave him a chance to talk; however, he merely lowered his head slightly, as if encouraging me to continue.
Perhaps he still felt awkward around his father and couldn’t find the right words. When we reached how Hena had met her end, Dioclyde’s expression twisted in agony. After my story concluded, Dioclyde finally opened his firmly closed mouth.
“Did you say your name is Clyde?”
“…Yes.”
“I am sorry. I couldn’t protect you and your mother.”
“…….”
Clyde, as if he hadn’t expected to hear such words, widened his eyes slightly.
“It’s all my fault. Your mother’s death and everything you’ve been through—all of it.”
I couldn’t stay silent and interjected.
“Please don’t say that. You didn’t know anything. As you just said, if you knew about Clyde, you would never have let Hena go. Don’t dwell on the past that’s already gone and can’t be changed. Think about the future. He is your son, who carries both your and your wife’s blood.”
I knew how thoroughly Dioclyde’s life had been destroyed after Hena left and how much pain and suffering he had gone through.
I wished that Dioclyde wouldn’t continue tormenting himself like this. It wasn’t just because he was Clyde’s father. From the standpoint of someone who had known Dioclyde for a long time, I sincerely hoped that he could now find comfort.
Dioclyde silently looked at me, his eyes filled with emotions so deep and complex that they were hard to express.
“…Thank you, human child. No… your name was Eila, right?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you, Eila.”
Dioclyde gave a faint smile that was so vague and difficult to recognize. That smile, so similar to Clyde’s, made me realize once again that he was Clyde’s father.
“Let’s go to the demon castle first. You need to rest properly in a proper place to recover.”
In response to Clyde’s words, Dioclyde shook his head.
“No…. I will not go.”
His words left a sinking feeling in my chest.
“…Dioclyde.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve already given up on the idea of dying. I would not ask a child who has already lost his mother to lose his father too.”
“…….”
Clyde’s eyes subtly trembled. Dioclyde’s words were so tender that, for a moment, it was easy to forget that he was a pure demon.
“As a former king, returning to the demon castle now would only cause unnecessary chaos. The only options given to a king who has descended from the throne for generations are two: to die or to completely hide oneself. Revealing the fact that I am still alive would only bring trouble for your reign.”
“None of that matters.”
Looking at Clyde, who firmly rejected his words, Dioclyde narrowed his eyes.
“But that is the law of the demon realm.”
“I don’t care about the law of the demon realm. What I know is that the current king is me, and as the king, I am giving you an order, not a request, to come with me.”
“…….”
Dioclyde stared at Clyde with a surprised expression, then suddenly chuckled softly.
“…I see. I see. I’ll do as you say.”
Clyde turned to me, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Eila. Why…”
“…Huh?”
It was only then that I realized I was crying. I quickly wiped away the tears and sniffled.
“No, it’s just… Why am I like this?”
I tried hard to stop my tears, but it was no use. Once the tears started flowing, they wouldn’t stop.
I couldn’t believe that Clyde was finally meeting his father and having this conversation. It was too much for my heart to bear.
If Hena were here right now, it would have been so much better. If she were watching this somewhere, I was sure she would be shedding tears more profusely than I was.
Clyde pulled me into a comforting embrace and gently pressed his lips against my forehead and cheeks.
Dioclyde, in silence, observed us for a moment, then lowered his eyes.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
We returned to the demon castle through my teleportation magic.
“It seems human magic has improved considerably over the years.”
Dioclyde said it in admiration. He had been surprised earlier when I mentioned using magic to locate him.
“Well, it’s because Eila is a genius.”
<That’s because I’m a genius.>
Clyde’s eyes sparkled with mischief, and I could tell he remembered what I’d said so long ago.
“Indeed, I see.”
I awkwardly avoided Dioclyde’s gaze.
“I will arrange a place for you to stay, Father. Please focus on recovering your health there for a while. And once your body is fully healed…”
Clyde paused in the middle of his sentence.
“When I recover?”
“…I want you to be a witness to my marriage with Eila.”
“…….”
I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in surprise at his words.
Clyde quietly held my hand.
“You… will accept a human as your bride?”
Dioclyde’s expression wasn’t just surprised; it was beyond shocked.
It wasn’t unreasonable. It was something that could never happen according to his common sense, especially during his time as a demon king.
In fact, there hadn’t been a significant change in the era since his time as a demon king. This was entirely Clyde’s choice. It was something that could never happen according to his common sense, especially during his time as a demon king.
“Yes. I’m half-blood too, so there’s no reason I can’t accept a human partner. Even if there’s opposition, I won’t tolerate it.”
“…….”
Dioclyde remained silent. It seemed like a complex and intense emotion was swirling in his mind.
If only he had been able to make the same choice 20 years ago. If he was able to choose the path of protecting the woman he loved so completely and without reservation, as his son does now, he might have had a different future.
His eyes were filled with regret as he thought about it.
“…Alright, I understand.”
Dioclyde said bitterly.
