Rather Than The Son, I’ll Take The Father

Aedis ran his free hand down my back.

“Relax.”

Hey. Let’s think about something else later.

I wrapped my arms around Aedis’ neck. As I leaned against him gently, thoughts ran through my mind.

Regen would be fine if I’m away for a while…….

I suppressed my desire to meet Regen. If Regen, and everyone else, unwittingly forced me to die, I’m not confident I wouldn’t be agitated.

It was a bigger problem if Regen found out later. I’m sure he’ll blame himself.

I buried my nose in Aedis’ shoulder and looked toward the end of the hallway where people could jump out at any time. Aedis smirked as if he could read my gaze without having to turn his head to check.

“There is still no one nearby, so you don’t have to stare.”

“…… Aedis, do you have eyes on your back?”

“Your shoulders are stiff, Eve.”

In the end, Aedis used movement magic. We arrived at an unfamiliar place. It seemed that it was still in the northern part, but the wind blew relatively mildly.

Of course, it was by the northern standard. For a capital standard, the weather would have been quite rough.

I looked up at the sky covered in hazy achromatic colors and lowered my head. There were many flowers in bloom.

“Where are we?”

“This is a place I recently discovered. Originally, I was going to show it to the wife first.”

As I reached toward the flowers, Aedis gave me a bunch instead of putting me down.

What flower is this?

It was similar to, but different from, the marina flower that only blooms in Hollow estate. The blue and purple colors were similar, but this flower had a very faint color. Rather, it seemed to be closest to gray.

The same was true of the other flowers that bloomed profusely under my feet. Although pretty, they looked fleeting as if the light would fade away in an instant due to the lightness of the color.

Still, the petals were soft and the scent was surprisingly sweet. I smelled the flowers and this time looked a little further away. The clear blue water stretched out endlessly.

Hmm, it looks like an island.

“It looks like a honeymoon destination except it’s a little chilly.”

“…….”

Why don’t you answer?

I muttered softly.

“The perfect place to have children…….”

“It was not my intention. Never.”

This time, Aedis answered sharply.

As I tucked the flowers Aedis gave me behind my ear, I said,

“How can you deny it so seriously?”

“I…….”

“Hey, aren’t you too hard on your anxious wife?”

“…….”

It might seem obvious that it was a joke, but Aedis couldn’t deny it right away like before. In this case, he was really naive.

I waved my legs with a smile.

“Aedis, you can just drop me off.”

I wanted to take a walk in the flower garden myself, but Aedis pulled me into his arms.

“…… Aedis?”

“…….”

“It’s a flower garden I haven’t seen in a long time…….”

“…….”

“As you know, I drank the blood of a beast, so I don’t mind this cold. Besides, you said we’re in a place with no one. We’ll never run into anyone here.”

Then Aedis lowered me to the ground. But he looked unwilling, so I pushed him into the flower bed and climbed onto his lap.

“Is this okay?”

Aedis nodded his head coldly. It felt as if my complicated mind was getting mushy at once.

How cute is he?!

Aedis explained.

“Just in case.”

“Yes. It would be better to stay by your side just in case.”

“…….”

I thought he would be upset if I teased him more, so I calmly leaned into his chest.

May I ask what is the name of the flower?

I don’t think I’ll be the first to know like last time…….

“Eve.”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“Ugh, I had a nightmare at night. It’s uncomfortable, too?”

I explained the contents of the dream while fiddling with the flower in my ear. The words Sarah and the butler said were conveyed bluntly.

Then Aedis went silent for a few seconds before speaking out.

“…… I would like to make three proposals to you.”

“To have three options for such a damn situation is a positive sign.”

However, Aedis’ subsequent words were never positive.

“One is to live like this and avoid people forever. Another is to kill everyone whenever they say such things. Lastly, if the person I thought was the culprit, it would be impossible to solve it smoothly, but I would try anyway.”

“Excuse me, the options are terrifying except for the last one.”

Aedis laughed. As usual, I felt relaxed and joked a little, I shrugged my shoulders.

“Who do you think the culprit is?”

“It must be the beast.”

“…… He died, what do you mean?”

“He’s like a god, so it’s not a surprise he would have all means to do so.”

“…….”

I closed my mouth. Aedis ripped off the petals that had been carried by the wind and gotten stuck in my hair.

“I think he sincerely wanted the wife to be his successor.”

“So, through the dream, he wasn’t just showing me Kadan……his plan? Because he’s plotting such a bad thing, do you want me to become his successor and get rid of it?”

I quickly corrected my words, recalling Aedis’ reluctance to call Kadan’s name.

“If that happens, the wish that the wife had for Paimon will come true naturally.”

“That’s enough.”

“…….”

Without thinking further, I spoke sharply, so Aedis was speechless. f𝗿e𝙚𝙬ℯ𝚋n𝚘ν𝗲l. 𝐜𝐨𝗺

I hope he hasn’t already forgotten it.

“I promised you I wouldn’t die.”

“It doesn’t matter if you break the promise you made to me.”

I turned my head and looked at him with a sullen face.

“Aedis? Because you are so important to me, the promise I made with you is equally important, right? I will not break it.”

“But the chance to become like a god will never come.”

There was definitely a change. The Beast is in the role of giving, and I am the role of receiving. Then it must be me who regrets it, but the situation was turning the other way around.

“My husband is already as good as a god, so I will decline that opportunity.”

When I refused, leaving no more leeway, Aedis blinked. I grabbed Aedis’ arm and wrapped it around me.

When I thought of that beast, I got a subtle feeling.

Feeling betrayed?

No. Of course, the beast was kind to me, but I couldn’t say that we had built up enough bonds.

It was just that our interests matched and the contract was signed. However, the beast was worried about me and cared for me.

I originally thought that the beast had a friendly personality.

Why did it have to be me?

Well, it’s not that either. It wasn’t that the beast found me. I found that beast.

So was it my fault after all? But it’s a bit embarrassing to conclude it like this, isn’t it?

Even though there was a sense of betrayal, there was definitely a feeling of unfairness and dissatisfaction, so I grumbled.

“Mother said not to talk to suspicious-looking guys, I should have listened to her.”

It wouldn’t have to be the blood of that beast. Even if I used the blood of another beast, my physical abilities would have improved. It must have been a lot more difficult because I couldn’t understand the language, but I think I would have made it in the end.

But the beast was in a more desperate situation than me. A beast who speaks human language and seeks a place to die. I don’t know whether the tomb had been preserved intact.

It was only protected for a few years because Shaula overturned the quarry…… At least let’s say it was a save because the corpse was not used for research.

It’s strange to say that I would be looking at a grave when the beast had the power to manipulate my dreams and persuade people to die even when he was dead.

Maybe it was some kind of test. It was possible that he had decided to make the person who protected his grave his successor.

…… I could understand it roughly, but I didn’t know why I was not very angry. It was very easy to feel familiar with that beast, but it was difficult for some reason to hate him.

I remembered that a beast in the shape of a wolf acted like a puppy to me and showed friendliness. Whether this was the ability caused by the blood of the beast, as explained.

Ugh, I was starting to understand slightly why I was more wary of my husband than Kadan, who was good at brainwashing.

My evaluation of the best plummeted. At least I’d say I was glad I didn’t want to break the promise I made with Aedis.

After thinking, I spoke aloud.

“Anyway, if it was the beast’s doing, it would be difficult. I can’t meet him because he doesn’t have a body……. Is it that only the body dies and the soul floats around like a ghost? Can you see it in your eyes?”

“I…….”

“Oh, if you had seen it, you would have dealt with it sooner. Because you care for me terribly.”

“…….”

Today, my husband is less talkative.

“Am I wrong?”

“…… you’re right.”

I checked Aedis’ face again.

“Aedis, you’re blushing.”

“In the future…….”

“Yes?”

“I will continue to live up to expectations. I will not disappoint the wife.”

“No, you have already lived up to it.”

I’ve never been disappointed, so don’t make such a sad face. Aedis doubted my praise.