Chapter 357

Chapter 357

Reincarnated User Manual.

Episode 357: Return (3)

The party returned without prior notice. That alone meant Eldrina had much to do.

Of course, she had to take care of the children who had endured hardships.

She also had to clean up the annex that had been left unattended for a long time and handle the various matters that arose due to Siriel’s absence.

However,

Eldrina thought there was something even more important.

“I want to hear the details.”

Naturally, she was referring to Shiron’s story.

The reason he had been away from home for so long—so long that he left behind his pregnant fiancée—she needed to know what was so important.

Of course, she had no intention of holding him accountable.

The emperor, whom everyone thought was male, revealed her true gender due to pregnancy.

Because of that, there was an investigation into who fathered the twin heirs, and for a while, the palace was in constant turmoil, but Eldrina wasn’t trying to hold Shiron accountable for any of that either.

She simply wanted to know the reason.

“The Prient family has always had many secrets. But I never really cared about them. To be the perfect wife, to build a happy home, I never needed to know the hidden affairs of my husband’s estranged family.”

Eldrina let out a deep sigh before continuing.

“I never doubted you. My husband possesses extraordinary strength and is highly esteemed by the emperor. But now, I think it’s time I start knowing things.”

“…Are you okay with this?”

Shiron glanced sideways, not at Eldrina, but at Glen Prient. Since they were discussing family matters, Eldrina had invited Glen as well, not just Shiron.

“Do as you wish.”

“I’m surprised you never told her.”

“…Because I believed you should be the one to bring closure.”

Glen, speaking in a calm, weighty tone, then turned his gaze toward Shiron’s side.

“From the looks of it, you’ve come prepared.”

A woman sat beside Shiron, composed and quiet. It wasn’t Yura. Her presence was so unsettling that it instinctively evoked revulsion.

“What is that? Surely it’s not a trophy.”

A Demon God. Though no explanation had been given, Glen seemed to have already guessed. Shiron gave a slight nod.

“Would you believe me if I said it was a Demon God?”

“…What?”

“It’s hard to believe, but since you’re the one saying it, it must be true.”

Eldrina’s eyes widened in shock as she listened to the conversation.

She had heard of Demon Gods as a social concept but had never sincerely believed in their existence, as she was not deeply religious.

Yet here one was, in the reception room of the mansion, bound and powerless. It was truly bewildering.

“Why haven’t you killed it?”

Although he wasn’t visibly shaken, Glen’s eyes gleamed with vigilance.

“Because there are complications in killing it.”

“Complications? The very existence of a Demon God is the source of Apostles. And yet, you’ve brought one here? What do you intend to do?”

“It’s weakened, so you don’t have to worry about the Apostles. If it were going to create them, it would have done so on the way here.”

“…Then I suppose it’s fine if I check for myself.”

Glen walked to the corner of the reception room and picked up a piece of metal.

It was a letter opener—small, yet sharp enough to cut flesh.

“You mustn’t kill it.”

“If it dies from this, then it was never a Demon God. And if it so much as gets wounded, then it’s not a true Demon God either.”

Without hesitation, Glen pressed the blade against its pale forearm and sliced.

The cut swelled slightly, and thick black ink-like liquid trickled down.

‘A being that looks human but is not human, and too weak to be called a god.’

Glen had no core, so he couldn’t wield aura. His strength wasn’t enough to wound even a low-level demon, yet he had cut the flesh of a Demon God.

The Demon God simply stared at Glen. It was unclear whether it was protesting the sudden wound, but no one in the room could sense any emotion emanating from it.

“Does this even make sense? I don’t understand.”

“That’s why I can’t kill it. It harbors no hostility toward me. It breathes, it nods its head… Just now, it could have died but made no effort to resist. Doesn’t that unsettle you?”

“Now I understand why you haven’t killed it. I suppose poking a dormant beehive would be foolish.”

“…Are you sure about this?”

Eldrina furrowed her brow, leaning back into her chair. She was an outstanding magician and a brilliant woman, yet she couldn’t grasp why the two men had accepted this so easily.

She understood the existence of the Demon God and the history of the Prient family. She even understood why they had left their pregnant wives behind to venture into the Demon Realm.

But she had no idea what Shiron intended to do next.

“You just saw it, didn’t you? My father cut it, yet nothing happened.”

Shiron tried to reassure Eldrina, emphasizing how insignificant the Demon God was. He repeatedly explained that it was merely an empty shell with no real power.

He was defending the Demon God—an absurd sight—but he had no desire to reveal that he was its host without proper context.

“…I understand that it’s not a threat. But I can’t help feeling uneasy.”

“Please, speak freely.”

“Hmm…”

Eldrina rested her chin on her hand and looked out the window. The bright spring weather. Under the clear sky, there were uninvited guests.

As soon as they met Eldrina’s gaze, they hurriedly averted their eyes. Siriel, cradling a sleeping Alice, waved, but that wasn’t the reaction Eldrina was hoping for.

“To be honest, I’m most worried about you.”

“Me?”

“Can you handle everything?”

From when had it started? Glen’s heart began to burn with fervor.

To transform the Prient family into a true house of warriors, Shiron needed to take many wives and father many children.

As a result of his encouragement, without considering the consequences, Eldrina became slightly displeased. Yet, Glen was willing to sacrifice himself and take on all the blame.

‘He’s my son, but he’s just too impressive. They say heroes are drawn to beauty. Yes, if he’s a hero, it’s only natural.’

Contrary to Glen’s assumptions, Shiron had a proper mindset.

He intended not to abandon the women who had given him their affection.

Shiron’s answer was not just a mere response to Eldrina’s feelings, where he promised to prioritize Siriel, his first wife. No, it was an even greater answer, one that filled Glen’s heart with immense joy.

‘Is this really fine?’

Eldrina looked at the father and son embracing each other with a bewildered expression.

In her younger days, she would have unconditionally sided with Siriel, but like Hugo, Eldrina had now reached an age where she simply went with the flow of time.

‘It’s not right to force someone who has already made up their mind.’

Blind coercion wasn’t good. Though she did not regret the actions she had taken in the past, her ultimate wish was for the peace of the Prient family.

‘That Yura child… She doesn’t seem like someone who would get along well with Siriel.’

The audacity of introducing herself the moment they met.

That, in itself, wasn’t a bad thing. After all, being upfront was far better than those who sneak around committing adultery in the shadows.

But that same trait also made it hard to imagine her getting along well with Siriel.

How Shiron intended to maintain harmony in his household was something Eldrina couldn’t even begin to predict.

—————

Fifteen days had passed since their return to the mansion.

In the annex at lunchtime, Lucia rubbed her drowsy eyes as she sat up.

Normally, she would have already been up before dawn, marking her attendance at the training hall. However, since something ‘special’ had happened yesterday, she allowed herself to enjoy a rare, lazy morning.

“…Heh.”

A light chuckle escaped her lips.

Lucia swept back her sweat-dampened hair and began gathering the nightclothes that had been tossed to the floor.

“Hm~ hm~ hmm~”

Humming, she walked on her hands toward the bath, her steps filled with cheer.

It wasn’t exactly hygienic to put on the same clothes again, but did that really matter?

Her body was a mess from sweating all night, and with something still trickling down her thighs, washing was the only viable option…

“You’re awake.”

Her excited steps came to a halt.

A familiar voice.

As she turned her head, she saw Yura standing there, arms crossed.

“Uh, Yura? Why?”

“Is this a good time? I have something personal to discuss.”

“…Discuss?”

Still groggy from sleep, Lucia blinked.

But the moment she saw the shadowed look on Yura’s face, she instantly sobered up.

“Is something bothering you?”

“If you’d call it a concern… then yes, it is.”

“What kind of concern? Just tell me! I don’t know if I can help, but I’ll do my best!”

“…Let’s change locations.”

After glancing around, Yura took Lucia by the wrist and led her into her room.

Click—

She locked the door in case someone entered, and even set up a barrier using an artifact.

How serious was this issue for her to go this far?

Lucia swallowed hard, steeling herself.

Even as the lingering scent of Shiron, from their heated night, tickled her throat—

Right now, she had to focus on Yura…

“Shiron won’t have sex with me.”

“…Huh?”

Lucia tilted her head.

“Exactly what I said. Why won’t he have sex with me?”

Yura’s gaze momentarily flickered downward—not at Lucia’s face, but below.

At the red marks blatantly imprinted on her neck and collarbone.

“I… I want to bite and suck too.”

“Ah…”

“I’ve kept my… my virginity for 500 years! I’ve held onto it preciously so I could give it to the person I love! But Shiron seems to be deliberately avoiding me…”

“Shiron is avoiding you?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Yura tried to recall any possible reasons for Shiron’s avoidance, but nothing came to mind.

Lucia, Seira, Siriel, Yoru… He had been with all of them.

Even when he was dispatched to the imperial palace, he found time for it.

There were even days when he shut himself in a room with the remnant of the demon god, refusing to come out.

“Why am I the only one he won’t do it with? Do I look that unattractive?”

‘Good lord…’

Lucia had been wondering what kind of problem Yura was so serious about.

She had never expected this.

‘Shiron… is refusing sex?’

Drip—

A bead of sweat rolled down Lucia’s temple as she stiffened in shock.