Chapter 96 - Chapter 93: Episode 91 - Sophia
Seon-ah couldn't get her off his mind until evening fell.
Then, he remembered something he'd completely overlooked.
There were things he'd intended to ask her before she left the bedroom that morning, but her confession had wiped them from his memory.
'I should have asked for her name...'
She was the one who had taken over his mother's body—the one the surrounding demons called the Demon King.
When he really thought about it, it was absurd that he didn't even know her name.
It was even more ridiculous that he felt such affection for her.
It felt strange, considering that just ten days ago, she had been a total stranger.
Perhaps it didn't feel so unfamiliar only because she wore his mother's face.
She would be back in the bedroom before long.
Seon-ah retreated to the bathroom to wash up.
When he'd first arrived, they had assigned maids to him, but he was so terrified of the way the female demons stared at him that he'd insisted on doing everything himself.
Since then, servants rarely entered the bedroom except to clean or drop off food and necessities.
Even then, they only did so when he was in the bathroom.
Just like now, a servant had heard him washing and waited outside the door before slipping in to clean.
Soon, he heard the rhythmic sweeping of the floor and the rustle of fabric as the bedsheets were changed.
He heard items being lifted and set back down, over and over.
They had been at it for quite a while, and the sounds continued even after he'd finished washing.
He reached for a towel, only to realize he'd left his clothes and fresh linens on the bed.
'Should I call the servant to bring them to me?'
The memory of how the demons would look at his body—like predators licking their lips—flashed through his mind.
Since coming to the Demon World, he couldn't shake the image of those hungry, predatory gazes.
For Seon-ah, who had nothing but traumatic memories of demons, he wanted to avoid all of them—everyone except her.
The thought of that servant waiting just outside the door, potentially wearing that same look, felt suffocating.
It felt as if they were a terrifying entity, ready to burst through the door and violate him at any moment.
In the end, Seon-ah couldn't bring himself to step out and dry off until the servant had finished.
As soon as he heard them leave, he scrambled out, dried himself with the towel on the bed, and threw on his clothes.
His body was trembling, cold as ice.
She would be here any minute, but he couldn't muster an ounce of strength.
His Healing Ability was highly effective for physical trauma, but it struggled against infections or immune system failures.
A sudden wave of heat washed over him, and he collapsed back onto the bed.
Thump.
'She'll be here soon... I have to get up...'
He usually forced himself to rise and greet the Demon King out of courtesy, but his body felt like lead.
It was just too heavy.
'It's so hot... I'm burning up...'
With that final thought, Seon-ah's eyes drifted shut, and he fell into a feverish sleep.
He felt something soft against the back of his head.
Startled by the warmth, he opened his eyes to find her there.
His head was resting on her lap.
Her eyes were half-closed, and she looked exhausted.
"Demon King-nim?..."
At the sound of his voice, her eyes fluttered open.
She looked down at him with a worried expression.
"What happened? Your body is freezing, yet you have such a high fever..."
He looked toward the window; the shadows were deep. It must have been dawn.
"I'm sorry... I couldn't even greet you properly... Your legs must be numb."
As Seon-ah tried to sit up, the Demon King gently pressed him back down.
"Just rest. I'm putting my work on hold for tomorrow. Since there's no one else to look after you until you recover, shouldn't I be the one to do it?"
"Yes?"
Seon-ah stared at her, stunned.
'Did I hear that right?'
It had only been ten days since her resurrection; he knew how busy she was.
'All because of me...'
It was his own stubbornness that had led to this.
Yet, despite her workload, she was choosing to nurse him.
"I'm sorry..."
"There's no need to be sorry. I just want you to recover and stay healthy."
"Why are you being so good to me?"
Seon-ah asked, genuinely surprised.
No matter the contract or her confession, she had only just met him.
Even with his mother's memories, she had no obligation to act like her.
"Because you are my mate, and you will be with me for the rest of my life..."
She said it with a hint of embarrassment.
'Ah...'
"..."
A heavy silence settled between them.
She was embarrassed by her own words, and he was too stunned to respond.
'Ah... come to think of it. I still haven't asked for her name...'
"Um... Demon King-nim?"
"I realized I forgot to tell you my name. I have your mother's memories, so I felt so close to you that it slipped my mind."
She spoke as if she'd read his thoughts.
In truth, she had his mother's memories of his entire life, so it felt too familiar to even consider an introduction.
"My name is Sophia. I've used that name for thousands of years. It helps me remember who I am..."
"Sophia...-nim."
Seon-ah repeated the name to himself.
Sophia didn't seem pleased with the honorific.
"Drop the '-nim'. Just call me Sophia. And I'd prefer you didn't use formal speech... It would be quite sad if you called me Demon King or Your Majesty like the others."
She had reigned over all demons for millennia.
The shoulders that had carried that burden for so long looked heavy.
The weight of her words—the countless lives she'd seen begin and end—was palpable.
"Yes... Sophia... no, okay, Sophia."
Seon-ah decided to honor her request, moved by her lonely tone.
Normally, he would never speak informally to someone older, but he made an exception.
He couldn't bear to look away from that sad expression.
"Thank you, Seon-ah..."
"I should be thanking you... If I hadn't asked to dismiss the servants, you wouldn't have to go through all this trouble..."
"Stop apologizing. This is what I want to do. You worry too much, Seon-ah. You even fret over things that are already out of your hands."
It sounded exactly like his mother.
'Seon-ah, you worry too much. Being attentive is good, but won't you tire yourself out?'
Thinking of his mother, whose body was now Sophia's, made his chest ache.
"Thank you..."
He didn't specify what he was thankful for, but Sophia just smiled.
"I've found it quite fun to watch you sleep. Now, stop talking and get some rest."
"Okay..."
Seon-ah closed his eyes.
She could be fierce toward others, but he didn't need to question why she treated him so warmly.
He figured she had her own reasons.
Soon, his breathing settled into a short, rhythmic pattern.
Realizing he was asleep, Sophia gently stroked his hair and face.
'To think I violated such an adorable child... Some evil spirit must have possessed me back then...'
These were human thoughts, gleaned from Min-ah's memories, but Sophia felt they were necessary to live with Seon-ah.
Even if it was just one person's common sense.
Watching him, Sophia eventually drifted off to sleep as well.
The work of the Demon King had piled up during her long absence.
Most of the agenda items had been neglected by the Royals for their own amusement over the last thirty years.
But none of that mattered to Sophia.
After ruling for thousands of years, she'd realized that no matter how important the work seemed, it was just a way to pass the time.
Nothing was truly absolute.
She had lived countless lives, taking new bodies, always as the Demon King.
But this life was different.
It was going to be special.
She had found something that could shake her heart.
Ripples had formed in a heart that had remained calm for millennia.
She felt she could give everything, no matter the cost, for his sake.
Because Seon-ah was her first love.