Adopted by the Demon Lord

Chapter 8 (Part 2)

Once they realized that I'd opened my eyes, Taikocho and Reumi rushed over to me. They offered me water and asked how I felt. I felt so overwhelmed, especially since I was fully healed.

I'd seen healing magic being used before. It was used on one of the kid's that bullied me. I saw who was probably their mother heal a bruise on their arm, but some of their cuts still remained. So it was surprising to me that healing magic could do this much.

The Demon Lord came into the room and had Taikocho and Reumi leave. That dream I had was rushing through my mind. I thought that if anyone could tell me what it meant, it would've been him.

He leaned me up and put me on the side of the bed. Then he hunched over to get eye level with me. I felt like I was going to be interrogated, but I didn't feel like he was angry.

"Do you feel fine?" He asked me. I answered "It's almost like it was a dream." Then I decided to ask him about my actual dream. "Speaking of dreams, I had one, and I have a question.

"What would you like to know?" He asked me. It took me a second to muster the courage to say "You fought a bunch of heroes right?" He answered, "That's fairly simple, hundreds of them have been my rivals."

I thought that maybe he didn't know so I asked him "Did you know that they were all the same person?" His expression didn't change, but I could tell that he was taken aback by what I asked. "So it was just a dream." I said disappointed.

He didn't say anything for a little while. It's almost as if he'd been hiding something. Then after a few seconds he said, "They were all different, but they all had the same mind."

"I don't think I understand. I thought that people who reincarnated lost their memories." I told him. "He's a special case." He said "You see, he wasn't the same as the humans of this world because he wasn't of this world." He continued.

"Like a god?" I asked. "No, not quite." He said. I couldn't think of anything else otherworldly, but maybe there was more out there than the deities, like those people that believe in aliens.

"So you'll be turning 6 come tomorrow right?" He asked. I didn't even realize just how close the winter solstice was. He continued "That means only 4 more years until you get a level and a status window. You should look forward to that, you'll be able to use skills and magic."

"It's weird that a lot has happened in 6 years. I was born to a noble, I was kicked out, I was treated like dirt, I met Saymen, then after a while I met you and I was finally accepted by you, not just out of pity like Saymen, but as family." I told him with tears of both joy and sadness running down my face.

He picked me up and hugged me tightly. My head pressed up against his cold, but warming chest. "If anyone makes you cry I will show them no mercy, but I ask you not to watch, for I don't want to make you more sad." he told me. In that moment this cold emotionless Demon Lord, became more of a father to me than anyone.

"So much for a ruthless Demon Lord." A familiar voice behind him said. It was the same guy that beat and broke me, I was scared.

They were talking, but I couldn't hear either of them, and the Demon Lord held me tighter ensuring my safety, but my body still wouldn't stop shaking. I felt both of them harboring killing intent towards each other. He left and the Demon Lord sat me back down.

Taikocho and Reumi came back in with some food and water for me. The Demon Lord told them to stay with me and to keep me in the room until he was done with something. My body started to calm down, but now I was worrying for the man I would now call father.