Finally, I can Retire, Or so I Thought

The next morning, back in their room at the inn, Dion and Mei filled Luna, Aria, Sheila, and Cleo in on everything they had discussed with Kenzo and Haruto the night before. A heavy silence instantly smothered the room once Dion and Mei finished speaking. The only sound left was Gina munching quietly on some fruit at the coffee table everyone was gathered around. With the story concluded, every pair of eyes shifted toward Cleo.

They all observed her meticulously, taking note of how remarkably fair, almost pale, her skin was, that she was the only silver-haired girl among them, and that her frame was smaller than the rest despite being older than all of them. Noticing everyone staring, Cleo finally broke the silence, keeping her eyes cast downward.

”So... now the King wants to meet with me,” Cleo said softly.

”Yes... that’s what he asked of us... Don’t worry, Cleo, I’m sure nothing bad will happen... We’ll get access to the ruins in the East Land,” Mei assured her positively.

”Still... only seven SSS-ranks have ever existed in history, and every single one belonged to a demon general... That’s really out of left field,” Sheila muttered thoughtfully.

”True... I just found out about this too. In fact, it’s the first time I’ve ever heard of such a thing,” Aria chimed in, lost in thought.

”Hey... don’t just blabber about that topic so carelessly! Think about Cleo’s feelings, what’s wrong with you two?” Luna snapped, scolding them both.

”Oops... sorry,” Sheila apologized quickly.

”Sorry, Cleo... I didn’t mean to make it sound like I suspect you or anything. I was just curious,” Aria added, using Cleo’s actual name this time instead of calling her ”granny.”

”I know... it’s fine... I’m still in shock hearing about it myself. Ever since I was little, I knew I was different. That’s why Uncle Alexius raised me in the palace, my own mother and father refused to accept me,” Cleo confessed quietly.

”Huh... do you know why they did that?” Dion asked, frowning in confusion.

Cleo looked up at Dion, then scanned the faces of Mei, Luna, Aria, and Sheila, who were all intently watching her. Finally, her gaze settled on Gina at the table, who was holding an apple-like fruit with a messy, juice-stained mouth, staring back at Cleo with wide, puzzled eyes.

”I’ll show you something, but don’t panic,” Cleo warned.

Cleo raised her hand, placing her palm horizontally in front of her face. She then swept her hand downward across her features, and everyone gasped in utter shock. Dion practically jumped backward, while Gina remained completely still, blinking lazily at Cleo as if she had known all along.

”Cleo... you...” Mei stammered out, stunned.

”Yeah... I’ve been like this since I was a child,” Cleo replied.

Prominently sticking out from Cleo’s forehead was a small protrusion that resembled a tiny horn, though it also looked somewhat like a small bump. But as they looked down at her mouth, they spotted a distinct pair of small fangs resting against her lips.

”Are you... human?” Sheila asked bluntly.

”Of course I’m human!” Cleo snapped back, annoyed.

”Sorry... I didn’t mean to question that or doubt you,” Sheila backtracked quickly.

”It’s fine. I understand why all of you are shocked... It was this horn-like bump that made my parents want to throw me away,” Cleo said quietly.

”Hmm... I see. Sorry for pressing, we didn’t mean to dredge up such painful memories,” Aria offered sympathetically.

”It’s alright,” Cleo replied softly.

”What do you think, Dion?” Luna whispered, turning to him.

Luna froze as soon as she looked at Dion, as did Mei, Sheila, and Aria. Dion’s face showed zero fear, confusion, or disgust toward Cleo. On the contrary, his eyes were practically sparkling, his jaw was dropped in a massive grin, and his gaze was completely locked onto her.

”Wow,” the word escaped Dion’s mouth.

”Wow?” everyone echoed in unison, including Cleo, who turned to stare at him in total bewilderment.

Dion stepped right up to Cleo, bringing his face dangerously close to hers. Cleo panicked slightly, her mouth slipping open just enough to reveal her vampire-like fangs.

”W-what?” Cleo asked nervously.

”For the very first time, I’m actually seeing a demon. Incredible,” Dion said, cupping both of Cleo’s cheeks in his hands. ”67 years of living among regular humans, and I’m finally looking at a real humanoid fantasy creature right in front of me in this world, a world that’s supposed to be straight out of a novel. Nice... seriously nice,” Dion thought in his head.

”Huh?” Hearing Dion call Cleo a demon made Mei, Sheila, Aria, and Luna turn pale instantly. They had been trying so hard to protect Cleo’s feelings regarding her physical anomaly, yet Dion was practically celebrating how unique she looked.

Their eyes widened even further as Dion leaned in and kissed Cleo right on the lips, followed immediately by a quick peck right on her forehead horn.

”H-hey... why did you kiss me?! It’s not that I don’t want you to... but... why? Shouldn’t you be terrified of me?” Cleo asked, her entire face flushing a bright, furious red.

”Terrified? I’m actually falling in love with you even more, you know that?” Dion announced out loud.

Upon hearing Dion’s bold declaration, the entire room fell dead silent once again. Thud! Gina even dropped her fruit onto the table, staring at him blankly. Meanwhile, Cleo’s face went completely crimson, looking like a tomato that had ripened to the point of bursting. Her breathing turned heavy, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Dion gently took her trembling hand.

”Come on, let me take you to the palace,” Dion urged.

”Hey!”

Mei, Sheila, Aria, and Luna immediately leaped to their feet and shouted, lunging forward to grab Dion and pin him in place.

”What’s the big deal? Aren’t we supposed to bring her to the palace anyway?” Dion asked, bewildered.

”Just calm down for a second... please! And after this, shut your mouth and don’t say a word!” Luna warned firmly.

”Yeah, exactly. Take a breath and relax here first,” Sheila added, holding Dion firmly by both shoulders from behind.

”Be patient and wait for us to return. We won’t be gone long,” Aria urged, pressing a hand against Dion’s chest.

”You stay here with Gina for now. Let me represent you at the palace alongside the others and Cleo,” Mei instructed. ”Cleo... please hide your features again.”

Cleo nodded and swept her hand back across her face. The bump on her forehead and the fangs in her mouth vanished without a trace. A flash of genuine disappointment crossed Dion’s face for a brief second before returning to his usual expression. He turned to look at the girls.

”I’m coming to the palace too. Just in case,” Dion stated firmly.

Luna, Mei, Sheila, and Aria stared back at Dion, carefully reading the serious expression on his face. Cleo also stared at Dion intently without blinking once.

”Why do you insist on coming?” Mei asked.

”We all know what happened back in Minatheras when you guys left me behind. You walked straight into a trap. Even though your father made a pledge with me this time, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious... Bottom line is, I refuse to let anything happen to any of us... including Cleo,” Dion answered resolutely.

Hearing Dion’s firm response, Luna, Sheila, and Aria broke into warm smiles. Their faces clearly screamed, ’That’s classic Dion,’ even though none of them voiced it out loud. Mei closed her eyes momentarily; she understood Dion’s heart completely, he would always prioritize the safety of those around him over any kingdom’s affairs. Opening her eyes to meet Dion’s, a soft smile appeared on her lips, her eyes sharpening with approval as she gave him a firm nod.

They all turned to look back at Cleo. Dion extended a hand to her while she remained seated.

”So... now that all of you know the truth... do you still consider me... to be...”

”You’re my fiancée. Don’t forget, you said it to me yourself that night. And naturally, I accept you exactly as you are. So... we face this together. Come on, up you get,” Dion interrupted with a warm smile.

Cleo looked as if she had been struck by lightning. She sat there in total shock, her eyes welling up with tears as she looked around at Dion, Luna, Sheila, Aria, and Mei, who were all smiling down at her.

Suddenly, plop! Gina landed right on top of Cleo’s head. Cleo glanced up to find the tiny dragon perching on her hair, looking down with cute, round eyes and a wide grin.

”I wanna go too! Let’s go... Mama Cleo!” Gina chirped, simply thrilled that she was getting to tag along.

Cleo’s face trembled. She lifted Gina off her head, pulled the little dragon into a tight hug, and buried her face, breaking down into tears. Cleo, who always put on a tough, mature, and unbothered exterior as if nothing could ever shake her, finally let go, pouring out every ounce of suppressed emotion in her heart. Naturally, Luna, Mei, Aria, and Sheila gathered around, pulling Cleo into a warm group hug.

”Aside from my uncle... no one has ever accepted me like this... I... I want a drink,” Cleo sobbed out.

”No way!” Luna, Mei, Aria, and Sheila yelled in unison.

”Kyuu... kyuuu! (Yay... field trip... let’s go on a field trip!)” Gina squeaked happily, thoroughly enjoying being squished in the middle of the warm embrace.

Dion watched the tender scene unfold before him with a soft grin. But then, his gaze drifted toward the adjacent wall, his expression suddenly darkening into absolute seriousness. As it turned out, a Shadow Hand operative had used camouflage to blend seamlessly into the wall right beside them.

The operative instantly broke out into a nervous cold sweat under Dion’s piercing stare. Dion pointed two fingers at his own eyes, then pointed them back at the hidden agent, his expression plainly warning: ”If you report the wrong thing or talk out of line, your life ends right here.”

Naturally, the Shadow Hand agent, whom even Mei hadn’t noticed, nodded furiously in panic. Slipping out of his camouflage, he scrambled toward the door and vanished outside.