I Stayed Loyal When My Teacher Was Betrayed

53 – Ramen with You, Part 7

A white house on top of the hill.

It gave me a feeling reminiscent of something, but since this world doesn’t have such concepts, I entered inside.

With a sense of unease, thinking that perhaps something gloomy was waiting inside despite its appearance.

However.

“…What is this… It’s surprisingly plain, isn’t it?”

Such anxiety being met with a completely different sight in various ways.

It was at that moment when I was looking at a place that was literally nothing more or less than an ordinary house that I felt some curiosity.

“Uh… Uh… Well, what do you want to do first? Would you like to eat first? Or maybe take a bath first? Or maybe… uhm… should I…”

“…”

Rockine, speaking hesitantly with a line I’ve heard many times before.

Even as she spoke, I realized that she was indeed the same person I knew as Bernier, from her embarrassed appearance.

With the exception of the growing horns and her attire, there was hardly any difference between her and Bernier.

Feeling a bitter smile rise at this fact, I smiled lightly at her and said, “Then… shall we start with the meal?”

“Oh… yes! Then, please wait there for a moment,” Rockine responded, immediately disappearing into the kitchen.

With the sense of “whoosh” her vanishing form gave, I was left to think that even a demon lord could have a surprisingly ordinary side.

Despite that, I was still tense.

Regardless of anything, she was a demon lord.

There hadn’t been many problems up until now, but depending on the situation, she could turn into an enemy at any moment, a terrifying and unpredictable threat, dangerous to the point of life or death.

With those thoughts in mind, I silently waited for her to finish preparing the meal.

– Clatter, clatter.

Fortunately(?) I heard relatively normal sounds near my ear.

With the absence of any loud noises, I harbored a small hope that there would be no unimaginably grotesque food. But I didn’t dare to expect the food to be normal.

After all, it was food prepared by a demon lord.

With about 80% anxiety and 10% expectation, the remaining 10% being fear of the unknown, I silently awaited for something created by the demon lord to come out.

And then.

“….oh?”

“It’s ready. Please eat.”

The ‘meal’ in front of me.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but feel a strange relief.

“Did you… really make this?”

“Yes, I did. Please try the meal I prepared with care.”

Roircine sat across from me, displaying a nervous appearance.

Compared to the expectation of dishes that could be inedible, the food itself was surprisingly normal. Bread and salad that seemed to be appropriately heated, along with a stew containing cheese and meat. The meal was so ordinary that it made me feel guilty for having been suspicious about it, although it wasn’t particularly flashy. While cautiously observing Rockyne, who sat across from me and whose appearance honestly bothered me, I decided to taste the food since someone who had brought me this far must have prepared it. And then… “! “This is better than I expected”, I thought. There was nothing especially unique about the taste, but as a result, the dish left a stronger impression. As my nerves began to relax, and since I was feeling somewhat hungry anyway, I quickly finished the plate. “Are you alright? Does it suit your palate?” “Of course. It tastes much better than I thought.” “Aha…” I replied sincerely to her nervous face. The actual taste of the dish was rather ordinary, but it had no flaws. She blushed embarrassedly, bringing a faint smile to her lips and showing obvious enjoyment. Anyone could see how fond Rockyne was of the dish. Seeing her like this made me think that maybe she wasn’t such a demon lord after all, but a normal young woman. Meanwhile, I smiled and said: “Don’t just sit there; Rockyne, feel free to eat as well. After all, you finally managed to make something, didn’t you?” “Ah… okay!” At her words, Rockyne started to happily eat, and I got the feeling that spending time with her was not as bad as I expected. Honestly, it wasn’t much different from going on a date with Bernie, excluding the fact that she was a demon lord. “Surprisingly, Bernie’s true nature might be similar to hers,” I thought. A confident yet timid woman who can laugh cheerfully. It was a look that did not necessarily suit the image of a demon lord. In that respect, perhaps her overbearing appearance on other occasions is a kind of mask to disguise her true nature. Thinking that being a demon lord isn’t easy, I cleaned up the dish she had crafted for me. “Thank you. I enjoyed it, thanks to you.” “I’m the one who should thank you… For eating the food I made.”

Next to the empty bowl, I put down the spoon to express my gratitude, and Rockyne, who was shyly expressing her joy by watching me, phrased it.

After finishing the meal and tidying up quickly,

A slightly awkward silence fell between us again.

A situation where a man and a woman sit together in an empty place.

I don’t know if it’s because we became lovers in a hurry, but clearly, it felt different from when I was with Rosie.

Above all, at that time, I felt strongly led by the teacher, so all I had to do was follow. But in this situation, Rockyne didn’t seem likely to take the lead no matter how I looked at it.

“She was so confident when she attempted an assassination earlier… Well…”

Blushing and unable to say anything, she looked at the Demon Lord’s face.

“Um… well… I’ll go wash up for a bit.”

“Yes… yes? Ah… y-yes! Th-then… you should… wash up first…”

Blushing and speaking awkwardly, Rockyne continued the conversation.

The more time passed, the less she felt like a Demon Lord, and I felt a strange sense of relief as I watched her. I went straight to the bathroom with that feeling intact.

*

“Whew…”

Rockyne washed her body, feeling a strong tension.

Taking a shower was something she always did, but today the feeling was different.

She worked hard to clean even the places she usually didn’t care about, trying to make herself as clean as possible.

At the same time, the more she did that, the more complex and uncontrollable excitement swirled within her heart

The moment he saw himself, the man’s appearance began to stiffen.

Looking at him with bewilderment in various ways, Lorquine wondered if she had done something wrong. However, she quickly suppressed such unease and cautiously approached the place where he was.

“Um… I… I’m ready…”

“Rea…dy?”

“Yes, well… I mean… I’m ready to receive Edmund’s love.”

Lorquine spoke with a flushed face, struggling to articulate her words.

No matter how necessary it was, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed in this attire, even when looking at herself.

It was the attire of a woman preparing to share love, as described in a book she accidentally discovered in the past.

It was said that the top should be loosened as much as possible, accentuating the chest, while also not covering the smooth legs.

She did her best to appeal that she was fully prepared in order to emphasize her readiness. It was an act that she couldn’t have imagined as a demon lord, but for the sake of love, she gladly accepted it.

And…

“Ah…”

Edmund pulled Lorquine closer.

In this situation that seemed like a reward for her efforts, she began to feel intense excitement.

‘Is this… it? Finally…’

As she smiled, gazing at the man’s face.

She felt deep tension and slowly looked at the stitching of her clothes being undone by the man’s hand…

Examining her exposed skin.