The Impromptu Husband

‘Philosopher’s Stone? Wasn’t that stone still with the little Demon Lord? How baffling…’ Rolan paid no mind to the Holy Sword’s struggling consciousness, forcefully suppressing it.

“Mmm…” At that moment, Freya’s consciousness finally returned. Her pale face appeared quite weak. “Ah… what happened?”

‘Well… it’s about time I considered how to deal with you, you scoundrel…’

Rolan held the sword in one hand, never ceasing the flow of magic.

He looked at Freya with a complicated expression. After a moment of hesitation, he let out a deep sigh and briefly recounted the events to her.

“Ah…” Freya was stunned. “You, you’re so powerful… you can even suppress the Holy Sword…”

A sudden wave of frustration washed over her. As the Demon Lord, she was supposed to be the Hero’s antithesis.

Yet, under Rolan’s unstoppable protagonist’s halo, she suddenly felt like a mere background character, just making up the numbers.

Now that Rolan could wield the Holy Sword with his own power, she wondered if there was any reason for her to remain.

She felt lost, hollow, helpless, and conflicted.

Just recently, she had vowed to find the Hero and kill him.

How utterly laughable that seemed now.

‘What purpose does a Demon Lord like me even serve anymore?’ she wondered.

‘If I have no purpose, then the Hero will surely move against me, won’t he?’

‘But I don’t want to die…’

At this moment, a fierce struggle began within Freya’s heart, but ultimately, the desire to live gained the upper hand.

She lowered her head, her expression obscured, and a faint voice reached him.

“I’m sorry… I, I promise I won’t ever try to claim the Holy Sword again… please…”

“Heh…” Rolan shook his head with a wry smile. “You’ve already said those very words before. How can I possibly believe you now, after everything?”

‘No! Believe me!’

“This time, it’s real!” Freya pleaded desperately.

‘I don’t want to die!’

“Forget it…” Rolan shook his head. “Who can tell when you’re acting and when you’re being genuine?”

‘This time it’s real! Truly, truly real!’

“I’m not!” Freya’s chest suddenly felt tight, and she stamped her foot in frustration. “I’m really not acting!”

‘Please! I don’t want to die!’

“Sigh… considering the time we’ve spent together, I can spare your life.”

‘Ahhhhh! I didn’t mishear, did I?!’

“Mm! Mm! I’ll be obedient!” Freya’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and she longed to hug the Hero and spin him around.

“However…” Rolan looked at her expression seriously this time, then declared solemnly, “This game of husband and wife, let it end here.”

“Eh?” Freya’s expression froze. “Huh? It’s over?”

“Yes, it’s over.”

‘It’s over? The game… it’s over?’

“It’s over…” Freya suddenly felt a dull ache in her chest and her throat go dry. “I…”

“While you always intended to kill me in the beginning, I know that over the course of our time together, you’ve slowly stopped having such thoughts.”

“Who says!” For some reason, Freya felt incredibly irritated. She gritted her teeth. “I’d love nothing more than to kill you right now!”

“Then why don’t you act?”

“Can’t win!”

“Heh… say whatever you like.” Rolan closed his eyes, refusing to look at her expression, fearing he might waver again.

“Honestly, I wanted to kill you last time, but for some reason, in this life, I couldn’t bring myself to be so ruthless. This… might be a weakness of mine.”

“Unless you attack me again, I have no reason to kill you. After all, at the beginning of this life, you were a very good wife.”

As he spoke, his other hand unconsciously clenched slightly.

‘A very good wife? Isn’t that obvious?’

‘How could anyone compare to this Demon Lord’s acting skills and professionalism!’

‘Do you know how much effort I put into playing this role… how much I sacrificed to embody this character?’

‘I did housework, offered warm greetings, pretended to be a virtuous wife and loving mother, and… you know what I mean!’

‘You have no idea!’

‘By what right! You say it’s over, and it’s over?!’

She wanted to shout these words at Rolan, but they became utterly lodged in her throat, unable to advance or retreat.

It felt as if a strange, warm current was overflowing from her chest, slowly surging into her brain.

‘This feeling again, this unfamiliar emotion…’

‘What is happening to me?’

Her head felt muddled, and she stared blankly at Rolan, silent for a long time.

“I don’t want to kill you either. This time, I’ll return the Holy Sword’s magic to you. Once it’s done, you can leave…”

‘Fine! I’ll leave!’

‘I never want to see you, you idiotic Hero, again!’

Rolan’s tone was resolute, and the magic in his hand slowly increased, causing the Holy Sword to glow and tremble.

The Holy Sword emitted a brilliance even more dazzling than before. Freya’s hand, gripping the hilt, actually began to be tainted by that luminous power.

‘Hmm? What’s going on?’

“What…” Freya looked at the Holy Sword, suddenly startled, and cried out in utter panic, “Idiot! My magic can’t be returned! And your magic is too much! I’ll break!”

“Ah?” Rolan was a little confused.

“Uwaaah—” Freya shrieked, letting out her loudest, most frantic cry. “You—idiot—Hero—”

****

The next moment, light exploded.

With a deafening blast, both their bodies were sent flying backward.

After an unknown period, Rolan was the first to open his eyes. He shook his head, taking a long moment to regain full consciousness.

“Tsk,” he muttered, picking up the dropped Holy Sword. He looked around with a hint of exasperation. “It seems I injected too much magic. Eh… where’s that little Demon Lord? Oh, there she is.”

He walked over to the little Demon Lord, crouched down, and gently patted her adorable cheek.

“Hey, hey, wake up. It’s about time you left.” Although Rolan’s tone was casual, his hand couldn’t resist caressing that soft, tender face a couple more times.

‘Sigh, I really am saying goodbye to this person.’

‘Honestly, a small part of me is still a little reluctant.’

“Mmm…” The girl lying on the ground slowly opened her eyes, her face clouded with confusion. “What’s going on… my head hurts so much…”

“Sigh… it seems I injected too much magic,” Rolan said, shrugging helplessly. “But it’s fine as long as you’re okay. It’s probably time for you to leave now, isn’t it?”

The girl slowly sat upright, holding her forehead. She frowned. “Leave? Go where?”

“Anywhere you like, just don’t be my wife anymore.” Rolan stretched, “I can’t handle such a blessing~”

“Your wife?” The girl on the ground pointed to herself, asking blankly, “Me?”

“Who else could it be?” Rolan suddenly found it a little amusing. “Freya?”

“Freya?” The girl tilted her head, her expression vacant. “My name?”

“No…” Rolan was somewhat speechless. “Can you stop acting? Is it really that entertaining?”

“Acting?” She blinked this time.

“I give up, I give up!” Rolan held his head. “Please stop acting. I’ll give you an Oscar, alright?”

“You, you’ve been saying strange things ever since just now.” The girl stood up, pointing a finger at Rolan’s nose, forcing a serious expression onto her face. “Tell me, who exactly are you?”

Rolan’s eyes widened. He suddenly recalled what the little Demon Lord had said before losing consciousness.

He gazed at the Demon Lord before him with a mixture of shock and uncertainty, and after a long silence, he finally spoke. “You’ve lost your memory?”

“Amnesia…” The girl’s eyes were somewhat hazy. “I don’t know, I just can’t remember anything from before…”

‘Is this real or fake? Did she lose her memory because of the magic explosion just now?’

‘Or is she acting again?’

Rolan narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and decided to test her sincerity.

And so… he seized the opportunity to kiss her.

Just like before, it was very soft.

“Hey!” The girl suddenly recoiled a few steps, covering her mouth, her face showing an angry expression. “What are you doing!”

“Still pretending?” Rolan asked, somewhat guiltily crossing his arms.

“Are you a pervert?!” The girl vigorously wiped her mouth, her purple eyes misty with tears. “I still don’t understand what you’re talking about!”

‘No way, did she really lose her memory?’

‘Then… what am I supposed to do now?’

“If you don’t give me a reason,” the girl fumed, her brows furrowed, “I won’t let you get away with this!”

‘Hiss—what reason could I possibly…’

‘Ah, that’s right…’

Rolan didn’t hesitate for long. At this moment, he regained his former theatrical flair, sighing with a complicated expression.

He reached out and gently stroked Freya’s face, speaking softly. “As expected, even after all I’ve said, you still haven’t remembered me…”

“Ah?” The girl blinked in confusion. “Are we close?”

‘This is good, what’s the next line again?’

Rolan paused to gather his thoughts, feeling his tears were ready. He looked at her tenderly and said, “It’s been a long time. Do you… still remember who I am?”

“Ah? I…” The girl thought for a moment, enduring the immense dizziness in her head. “I don’t seem to remember. Who are you?”

“I am Rolan, do you remember? Your husband.”

‘Rolan…’

“You are Freya, my wife.”

‘Freya…’

‘Such a familiar name…’

“Years ago, beneath the Temple of Light, at the Holy Sword ceremony.” Rolan lied without a trace of hesitation, reciting the little Demon Lord’s previous lines verbatim, his face not even flushing. “The Archpriest announced our wedding.”

After a moment of thought, he decided that if he was going to spin a tale, he might as well make it grander, adding, “The Pope himself bestowed his blessings upon us.”

‘Temple of Light!’

‘Holy Sword!’

Her brain suddenly throbbed with intense pain, as if the depths of her memory were about to explode.

“It seems… somewhat familiar,” the girl said, closing her eyes and holding her forehead. “But I can’t remember clearly… I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, it’s alright.” Rolan embraced her, his face almost cramping from suppressing his laughter. “At least, you’re safe now!”

He squeezed out two tears, gazing at the girl with a doting expression. “You’re not fully awake yet. Once you’re better, I’ll tell you about your past memories.”

‘Hmm, I haven’t thought of the lines for later yet. I’ll have to come up with something when I get back.’

“My… past memories?”

“Just now, you were corrupted by this sword and nearly lost your life.” Rolan brought out the Holy Sword, controlling it to prevent it from speaking out of turn.

“To save you, I had no choice but to use powerful magic, which caused an explosion, and you, in turn, lost your memories.”

He gently caressed Freya’s face. “Look, your face is covered in dirt. That explosion earlier was truly frightening.”

Watching Rolan help clean the dust from her face, a warmth suddenly spread through Freya’s heart.

“So, you saved me? You… are my husband?”

“Mm, in any case, it’s good that you’re safe.” Rolan felt himself nearing his limit, twitching from holding back.

“Thank you…” Freya suddenly embraced him, burying her head in his chest. “Hmph—indeed, there’s a familiar feeling…”

Rolan suddenly felt a blush creep up his neck, thinking, ‘It seems I’ve accidentally gone too far.’

‘Sigh, why am I wavering again? Why couldn’t I hold my ground?’

‘How am I going to resolve this situation now?’