12 All I’m lacking is a super long hair

Have you heard of a fairytale about a princess being confined inside a tower? Apparently, it was quite a common trope.

I just never thought I would be joining their ranks.

This was the time when I was thankful that Valmeier didn't have blonde hair or blue eyes. His color scheme seemed to be based on the genes of druid and dryad mixed in his blood, with ebony hair and eyes the color of rich green leaves, like the heart of the forest. It was kind of weird, however, that he had the same face as me, only healthier looking.

If he had the typical princess appearance, I would have flipped out during this sudden turned-into-a-bride situation. Why? Because I certainly didn't want any 'Hero' to come up and break me out of the tower.

At least, I didn't want that hero kid to come here before I got my full dose of the Amrita.

Besides, it wasn't that bad, staying in Natha's lair.

It was certainly miles better than living under the scornful gaze of envious priests in the capital's monastery. Or in the rundown inn after I blew out Valmeier's savings in that unfair debt contract.

My only concern—if it could be called a concern—was that I had to stay in his bedchamber, the room he took me to the first time. He specifically ordered me to, even though there were other bedrooms in this tall and big tower.

When I asked him why, he was quiet at first, and my back was sweating because I had thought he got upset again. It wasn't until he cracked a smile that I let out a breath that I hadn't even realized had been held. The next thing I knew, his lips were already right on my ear.

"Because you're my bride," he said, before his cold lips pressed to my cheek, prompting me to shiver involuntarily. Whether it was just a physical reaction from the cold or something else, well...

And then he vanished, and here I was, the next morning, sitting dazedly on the bed and trying to comprehend that everything wasn't just a dream.

But it was easy to know that everything was real from the moment I felt how comfortable it was to move my body, from the moment I wasn't wincing anymore just to sit up. And of course, the comfort of the huge bed and the view of the huge room.

And there was Angwi, the girl with six hands that woke me up from my dazed state by putting a cup of warm drink in my hand. It wasn't tea, but something like an herb-mixed drink to help with recovering my circuit further.

I watched her moving about whilst drinking the warm liquid—it didn't taste like medicine, at least. She opened the curtain, and started to tidy up the big room, all without uttering a single word.

Natha had told me that she took an oath of silence, and never said a peep ever since she worked here. How could she become the head maid without speaking was beyond me. But Natha said I could ask her for anything that I needed, and that she was the one in control of the daily affairs in his lair.

Speaking of which, the tower was only managed by a handful of demons. Including Angwi and Zidoa—who was actually a succubus—there were only five of them, two were the guards and another one was...a gardener? I wasn't so sure because they talked in demonese. The rest of the staff—if they could be called that—were golems. Golems in various sizes and appearances, from one that looked humanoid to one that looked like hulking giants.

That was the extent of my familiarity with this tower, when Natha gathered all the staff and demons and told them to...answer to me? Took care of me? I only knew their basic language from years of waging war with the Demon Lord of Wrath.

The staff was one thing, but the demons seemed to have unquestionable loyalty, since they didn't even flinch when their boss brought home a human and told them to take care of said human. They just bowed and replied affirmatively.

"If you want to take a walk, ask Urhe or Arha to accompany you, so you don't get lost," he gestured towards the two guards, who seemed to be twins. Both had greyish skin and serious faces which reminded me of security personnel back on Earth. They straightened their back and nodded at me.

The last one looked like a mix of ranger and gardener, with a cheerful grin across his face, and a giant garden fork in his hand. With his brownish skin, he just looked like a very tanned farmer—with a horn in the middle of his forehead. Natha took quite some time talking with this one, whose name was Doun, if I wasn't mistaken. He peeked at me in the middle of the conversation, and grinned even wider.

I didn't know what they were talking about, but it might have something to do with the purple and blue colored flowers adorning the room when I woke up. Because they definitely weren't there before.

Damnit. This was confusing me. I thought he told his servants to 'take care' of me as a way of surveillance—which was why I had to inform the guards if I want to step out of the tower. I had thought there would be strict management over me, but these demons actually let me be last night. Angwi just gave me dinner and left me after giving me a set of very nice pajamas. And this morning, I received a warm herb drink.

Ah, damn, what was it with this Demon Lord and his show of affection? Going as far as making me sleep in his room and assigning me the head maid rather than the golems...was he really trying to show his servant that I was his bride?

Bride...

Bride...

What even was that supposed to mean? The word was swirling in my mind and making me confused. What did it mean to be a Demon Lord's bride? Are we going to get married, or would he just one day place me inside his concubine's quarters? I remembered the King of Lenaar had about twenty wives and they fought viciously every day.

Urgh. God, please no…

I groaned audibly, and Angwi stopped at her track. She turned around and tilted her head, looking at me keenly. I waved my hand to tell her that it was nothing, but she kept her gaze fixed on me, as if she wouldn't stop unless I told her what causing my groan earlier.

Well...

"Hey, what does it means to be a bride?" I asked sheepishly. It was an embarrassing question, but one I needed an answer to.

She looked at me, wordlessly, without any emotions, and then just got back to doing whatever it was she was doing.

Oh, come on! You were the one who told me to spill!

I threw myself onto the bed again, suppressing a desire to scream into the mattress, or she might come questioning me again without a word.

Was this another form of surveillance? In the shape of a naggy housemaid?

I tried to calm myself and think. Yes, I had to organize my thought now. Yesterday was so hectic, with the floating feelings of my healed physique and the new information about the Demon Lord of Greed. Not to mention knowing that he took me inside his Lair. Well, I supposed it was miles better than being brought to the castle full of hostile demons. Or concubines. Yikes.

I was too dazed by the drastic change from a poor, dying man to a freaking Demon Lord's bride to be able to think properly.

But now, with the absence of distraction coming from a blue-skinned silver-eyed gorgeous-looking demon, I had to start thinking things through.

So, my imminent goal was fulfilled. To get Amrita, to stay alive. But for that, I had to become the Demon Lord's bride. Now, while I had no concrete idea of what it meant to be his bride—who knew, maybe it meant I was gonna end up as a sacrifice to a God or something—one thing that I knew was that I couldn't get back to the kingdom.

It wasn't just because I absolutely had no idea how to get there, or because I would be under surveillance inside and outside of the tower, or because I had an inkling that Natha would get angry if I did—and I had no intention to make a freaking Demon Lord angry, thank you very much.

But sooner or later, the kingdom would know that I vanished. At least, the financier in charge of my debt would realize it when I failed to pay the installment. So even if I got back there someday, I was nothing more than a fleeing debtor. Even if I could extract the Spear of Judgement someday—which was the cause of my debt...

Like hell I would give them the spear back!

In the first place, the spear was supposed to be owned by whomever it chose. This means it was essentially Valmeier's the moment he caught the flying spear.

I wasn't the good and faithful Valmeier. It already pissed me off that I had to bear the debt and experience being scorned and everything. Giving them the satisfaction of having the sacred spear back? Not a chance! Rather than the demons, I should use the Spear of Judgement on those people.

Besides...

I turned my head and looked at the back of my palm, where the contract was embedded. There was no way I could go back to the human realm with this brand latched on to me.

So now I was trapped. I'd be branded a thief and become a fugitive if I went back to human territory. But I was also considered the enemy of the demons, so going out of Natha's Lair was not an option. So there was no safe place in this world for me, except for this tower.

I laughed at the sheet, and buried my face in an endless chuckle.

Ah, yes, what an effective prison this was.

A prison from which I wouldn't have the willingness to escape.