It was too rude to dare to criticize the food Yuria made, but honestly, Yuria’s food was worse than poison. Even if it was because Cain was a picky eater after eating only the best food in the demon’s castle, Yuria’s food was very unique to say the least. Cain, who tasted the food again just in case, was able to confirm that his appreciation was not an illusion.

Then, who’s the weird one here?

“Don’t eat it. If you complain about the food, you should be scolded,” Fren reprimanded with a ferocious expression as if he couldn’t bear Cain’s complaints about Yuria’s strange food. It was absolutely delicious in Fren’s mind, for it was the first time he had eaten such a warm and heart-filling meal. No matter the taste Yuria’s food was a thousand times better than the food that fell on the street or the spoiled food he had eaten before.

“. . .” Cain, who was treated like a whiny toddler complaining about food by a child much younger than him, put on a baffled expression on his face.

“If it doesn’t suit your taste, sir Cain doesn’t have to force himself to eat it.”

“…No way. Thanks to you, I was able to discover new flavors. Thank you.” It’s tasteless, but Cain, who didn’t want to refuse Yuria’s food, said this firmly. He just had to give up his taste buds for a while.

“No. I’ll bring you another dish.” No matter how you look at it, Cain’s expression didn’t look good, thus, Yuria offered something else.

“No. Then mom wuv be tiwed. The pewson who made mom tiwed iz bad.” While saying so in his baby voice, Fren scowled at Cain with the expression of ‘you bad guy.’

“As that brat said, I can’t make you go through such trouble for me. It’s the first time I’ve tasted it, so I’m merely admiring its flavor.” Cain spoke truthfully, as it was true that he’d likely never experience a taste similar to the food Yuria made anytime in the future.

“…Is that so?” Yuria looked at Cain with a questioning gaze. To prove himself, Cain then emptied his portion of food with a determined expression like a knight throwing themself forth upon the battlefield to an unavoidable death. The more he ate, the more he felt the new, unique, taste; a sensational quality that was incredibly difficult to describe, yet Cain didn’t show a single expression, and remained stone faced through the whole process.

After dinner, Yuria, Fren, and Cain decided to talk about their future life together. Since they’d be staying together for a while, it was good to set some simple rules to reduce any source of conflict. Then, Yuria ran into an important problem. A problem she never faced while living with Fren. It was about how three people would sleep. Contrary to Yuria’s troubled look, Cain had an indifferent expression as if it didn’t matter at all.

“It’s simple.”

“Yes?”

“Just tell that brat to sleep on the floor.”

At Cain’s words, Yuria’s expression hardened. Not only did he refuse to give up a bed to a child, but he also suggested that a growing child sleep on the floor. Even if a soft mattress was laid, it wouldn’t be as comfortable as a bed. Besides, it was still a cold winter. Even if she turned on the stove, it would not be able to completely block the cold air coming up from the floor.

“That can’t be,” Yuria flatly refused.

“Why not?”

“I can’t let little Fren sleep on the floor. I would rather sleep there myself.”

At Yuria’s words, Fren immediately shook his head. “No. Mom wuv be uncomfortawuv. You, cough cough, sick.” Fren looked at Cain, urging him, Come on, say you’re sleeping on the floor. Firstly, the uninvited guest was Cain so it was only right that he should be the one to sleep on the floor, the bed was just for himself and Yuria.

On the other side, Cain nodded as if he understood the meaning of Fren’s gaze. Then he slowly opened his mouth and said, “I shall sleep on the floor…”

At Cain’s words, Fren’s face morphed into a satisfied expression. Nonetheless, Yuria, knowing Cain was staying to help Fren, looked troubled as if she couldn’t let her guest sleep on the floor; however, Cain’s words were far from over.

“…With you.”

“No way!” Without giving even a second of time for Yuria to open her mouth, Fren shouted fiercely.

Cain sleeping with Yuria? It was a load of nonsense. The only person who could sleep with Yuria was Fren and no one else. Furthermore, he knew clearly what Cain thought of Yuria, how could he allow the two of them to sleep together? With him asleep on the bed he wouldn’t be able to know if Cain pulled some kind of trick on Yuria. Fren gave Yuria an earnest gaze, urging her to never accept that guy’s rude offer.

“I don’t think that’ll be possible,” Yuria finally replied. It didn’t matter if Cain slept with Fren, because Fren was a child and his son, but he couldn’t sleep beside her. In what right mind could two full grown-up men and women sleep together?

“Why is that?”

“… Adult men and women don’t usually sleep together unless they’re married.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.” Yuria firmly nodded her head.

“Where can we get married?”

“What?”

“If we can’t sleep together because we’re not married, shouldn’t we just get married?” Cain displayed a confident attitude as if marrying was the simple solution to such an issue. At Cain’s words, Yuria sighed inwardly. Since he is a demon, it was only natural that he didn’t know much about human culture, but even so, really–Cain had no common sense.

“Marriage is not a decision to take lightly,” Yuria gently refuted.

“I do not take lightly any decisions involving you.”

“But marriage is a decision that requires plenty of thought and time.”

“Is that so?” Cain nodded as if agreeing.

Yuria, who was relieved that she had barely persuaded him, became dumbfounded at his next words.

“After much thought, I think it would be better to marry you.”

She was rendered speechless for a moment.

“Do you need more time to think?” Cain, who was waiting for Yuria’s answer, asked again.

“…Usually, giving enough thought to something doesn’t doesn’t take that short amount of time.”

“So difficult,” Cain commented.

It may have been only a short moment for Yuria, but not for Cain, in his own way, he proposed the idea of marriage as a result of enough personal consideration. Although it was a rather impulsive decision, there was neither regret nor hesitation in it. Marriage had no meaning in the demon world. They just tangled bodies if they liked it, and if they grew tired of it, it was over. They could have companions, like those in the human world did, but few demons actually had them. Settling was the greatest boredom for demons, but if it was Yuria, Cain thought it would be fine, she was so lovely it seemed that thought of her would forever occupy his mind and he could be with her for the rest of his life.

“…That’s what marriage is supposed to be like.”

“I am fond of you. Isn’t that enough?” Cain didn’t know what else was needed.

“It’s not good to get married just because you’re fond of me. And… we’re not really anything to each other.” It may be a bit harsh and rude for Yuria to tell Cain, especially after he had helped her many times, that they weren’t in any kind of relationship. Regardless, it was, in fact, the truth. Yuria didn’t know who Cain was yet, and she’d never had any sort of proper emotional connection with him. For Yuria, Cain was just Fren’s biological father, a unique and strange existence that was difficult to define.

“Why not? You’re that kiddo’s mother, and I am that kiddo’s father. Isn’t that enough?”

“The most precious person to me is Fren, and I want to focus solely on Fren.” Yuria had already decided to use her whole life for Fren. Additionally, with Fren’s situation still partially unresolved, there was no time for her to pay mind to or care about something else.

“Tsk.” Cain clicked his tongue at the fact that his importance was eventually pushed aside by that little brat this time as well. Although it was a rather impulsive decision, he thought she’d be happy to take him as her companion. However, Yuria’s expression was stern, leaving no room for him to intervene.

“It’s not like this is the only chance,” Cain muttered softly. Anyway, his goal was to persuade Yuria so he could take her to the castle where he lived in the demon world. So in the end, he had to win her heart. Only then will she go to the castle with him.

“Back to the topic, I’d rather sleep on that sofa.” Although the space was not large enough for an adult to sleep, since Yuria was smaller than a normal adult woman, she wouldn’t have any problems sleeping there, even if it may be somewhat uncomfortable.

“I think it would be better to put the kiddo to sleep on the sofa.”

“I said no!” Yuria repeated firmly with a stern expression. Cain pouted, dissatisfied with her unwavering stance on the topic.

“Then where do I sleep?” Cain asked

“That, floor.” Fren cut in and said, referring to Cain like he was an object.

“No, Fren. It’s not polite to put a guest to sleep on the floor. So if it’s okay with Fren, I’d like Cain and Fren to sleep together in the bed, is that okay?”

Fren immediately shook his head resolutely without even thinking about it. Just breathing the same air was utterly annoying, but sleeping together? It wasn’t as bad as Cain and Yuria sleeping together, but it was second to that in terms of his hatred, and it was the same with Cain.

“If sleeping is a problem, I’ll sleep somewhere else.” Rather than having Yuria sleep on the floor or the sofa, it seemed that it would be better for Cain to leave during the night when they were sleeping, even if it was a pity. The best option for Cain would be to sleep with Yuria on the bed while the brat sleeps on the floor, but Yuria would never allow it.

“Do you have another place to stay?”

“Wherever. Is there a place I can’t stay?” Cain nonchalantly responded. It was just a matter of catching the right guy, kicking him out, and taking over the house. Whether the guy who was kicked out of the house slept on the street or the floor, it was none of his business.

“I understand.”

“Then, I’ll go back for today.” Cain had no intention of asking a little brat who had just finished awakening to start training. In Cain’s mind, such consideration was given to Fren because Yuria was precious to him, and Fren was precious to Yuria.

“Thank you.”

“If you want anything, I will give you anything.”

No matter what it is. If she wanted to own the world, he would give her the world, and if she wanted to destroy the world, he was willing to do it. Cain had enough power to do that.

Because of his extreme kindness, Yuria was momentarily at a loss for words. From the beginning Cain had given Yuria a strange kindness that solely she had received, with Fren, he was cold and stern, but Cain was different with her. Yuria couldn’t figure out the reason for his odd attitude; however, if such a favor would help Fren, she was willing to take it.

Shortly after, Cain disappeared.