I Took the Demon King as My Wife

The Emperor remained locked in his study for a long time after escorting the two to their respective rooms.
“…It’s already this late.”
As the surroundings began to darken, the Emperor finally put down the large book he had been holding.
Click. He folded his angular gold-framed glasses and carefully placed them in the desk drawer, gently rubbing the bridge of his nose where deep marks had formed.
“I’ll stop here for today….”
He muttered, stretching his neck from side to side. Having sat in one position for a long time, cracking sounds filled the air.
The Emperor took a deep breath and left his study with a somewhat lighter heart.
Step by step, he walked through the dim corridor directly toward his bedroom.
‘…I’m tired.’
It had been a tiring time lately, both mentally and physically.
Today had been the pinnacle, so along with relief came waves of fatigue.
The Emperor yawned, covering his mouth with one hand as he opened the large bedroom door.
As he slowly entered,
“Don’t move.”
“…!”
Someone hiding behind the door covered his mouth and held a gleaming blade to his neck.
The Emperor flinched and tried to turn his head slightly. The assailant pulled the hand covering his mouth forcefully and pressed the blade closer.
“Stay still.”
“……”
The assailant spoke to him with narrowed eyes.
“Walk forward, slowly.”
“……”
The Emperor nodded slightly and walked forward slowly.
The assailant, who was holding him from behind, awkwardly moved forward, matching his pace.
For someone who seemed to be targeting his life, the assailant appeared somewhat clumsy.
“Ah…!”
As the Emperor slightly pulled his foot back, the assailant momentarily lost balance and wobbled.
‘Now!’
The Emperor didn’t miss the opportunity. He quickly grabbed the hand at his neck and turned around.
Whoosh! With fluttering clothes, he instantly subdued the assailant and pushed them onto the bed.
-Clang!
The blade the assailant was holding fell to the floor.
The Emperor, having completely subdued the assailant’s hands, stared down at the figure wearing black tights and a mask.
Then, the assailant, kicking their feet and shaking their head, screamed through the mask.
“S-surrender! I surrender! I surrender!”
It was a youthful and delicate voice, completely opposite to when they had held a knife to his neck earlier.
The Emperor let out a deflating sound and laughed, “Puhehe.”
He lifted the assailant’s hands and personally removed their mask.
Rustle. Shining blonde hair that had been confined in the narrow mask cascaded onto the bed like waves.
Blue eyes, like stars embroidered between frowning eyes, were revealed.
The Emperor smiled at the assailant’s identity and gazed intently into her eyes.
The assailant pouted and slightly turned her head to the side, avoiding his gaze.
The Emperor chuckled and said,
“So, what is it this time?”
“…An assassin.”
“Can an assassin be subdued so easily?”
“…Hmph!”
At her cute snort and defiant head turn, the Emperor released her hands that he had been firmly holding.
She immediately sprang up like a spring, sat at the edge of the bed, and vigorously shook her hair.
The Emperor stepped back from the bed and stood in front of her.
She looked up at him with a pouty expression, sitting cross-legged.
The Emperor picked up the blade from the floor and asked her,
“You seem to have underestimated an assassin, Empress Katrina?”
The small knife in his hand was a dull one, used for cutting bread.
To this, Katrina gently swayed her body back and forth and said to him,
“No fun… You knew it all along, didn’t you? Adam?”
“…Not at all?”
The Emperor shrugged and smiled. At this, a smile also appeared on Katrina’s lips.
“Whatever!”
Katrina jumped off the bed and nestled into the Emperor’s arms.
“You worked hard till late! I’ll let you off with this!”
“I wonder who’s letting whom off.”
The Emperor smiled broadly as he looked at Katrina, who was nuzzling her face against his chest.
“Let’s change clothes first.”
He stroked her fluffy hair and spoke in a gentle voice.
At this, Katrina lifted her head brightly and said,
“Oh my! So naughty! What do you plan to do after changing clothes?”
She tightly wrapped her arms around the Emperor’s waist and smiled broadly.
The Emperor laughed, “Khuhu,” and put his hand on her waist.
“Well, I’ll leave that to your imagination.”
The two touched noses with a tap and laughed.
*
Having changed into nightclothes, the two lay side by side on the large bed.
Both were reading by the light of a small lamp.
The Emperor was reading while turning pages, his back supported by a pillow, and Katrina was reading along with him, tightly hugging his waist.
“How is it?”
“Hmm… it seems interesting?”
“Specifically, which part?”
“The part where the protagonist, who is an assassin, falls in love with the assassination target. The intertwined past narrative was good, and the development from enemies to lovers was also good.”
“Is it just ‘good’… or is it ‘great’…?”
Katrina looked up at him with large eyes and asked. The Emperor stroked her head with one hand and said,
“It was great.”
“Hehe….”

Katrina smiled broadly and hugged him tightly.
Empress Katrina Osborne had been living a monotonous life since marrying him, the Emperor.
When the Emperor told her to find and do whatever she wanted, she started writing two years ago.
Mainly writing romance novels, she became a renowned author in the royal capital within just a few months, and her books were so popular they were sold out in every bookstore across the continent.
This generated enormous revenue, but she wasn’t interested in money at all.
She just found writing fun, feeling like she was creating a new world.
Rather, using the excuse of writing new pieces, she often enjoyed legitimate cosplay(?) with her husband like this.
Today’s series of disturbances was also part of that.
“But won’t the assassin character seem a bit distant to the general public? And no matter how intertwined the narrative is, for a prince to fall in love with someone who targeted his life….”
“Hmm… is that so?”
Katrina tightly sealed her lips and let out a short cough. At this, the Emperor smiled brightly and kissed her forehead.
“Well, if it were an assassin like this, even I would fall in love.”
Katrina responded with a radiant smile, a faint blush on her cheeks.
After thoroughly reviewing the draft she had written, the Emperor put the paper down under the lamp.
“…Whew.”

“…Was it very difficult?”
“No, no, no.”
At the sigh that escaped involuntarily, Katrina asked in a concerned tone. The Emperor immediately shook his head.
“Just… a little….”
“A little…?”
“I’m worried, you might say….”
“What worries?”
“Just… vague worries?”
“Hmm….”
Seeing his seemingly troubled appearance, Katrina contemplated for a moment before speaking.
“Is it about those two people?”
“Well… yes.”
The Emperor gently closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. At this, Katrina opened her eyes wide and asked,
“But you said it was resolved without any problems? I heard that the two didn’t act suspiciously at all….”
“That’s why I’m worried.”
“What…?”
Katrina tilted her head as if she didn’t understand. The Emperor gently stroked her cheek and said,
“Too… they’re doing too well, which worries me. I wonder if I’ve asked too much of them… above all, forcing people who don’t love each other to marry… personally, it’s a bit….”
The Emperor kept letting out shallow sighs as he spoke.
At this, Katrina wrapped her arms around his neck, nestled closer, and said,
“Well, isn’t that still unknown?”
“Unknown?”
The Emperor flinched and looked down at her. Katrina slightly smiled and answered him,
“When I first met someone, I didn’t find him attractive at all. Rather, I hated him terribly! Someone who pushed for marriage without caring about others’ wishes! I thought I would only be unhappy if I married this person?”
“Haha, I wonder who that could be?”
The Emperor laughed, raising his eyebrows. At this, Katrina slowly moved away from his embrace, sat up straight, and said,
“There’s someone~ A certain distinguished gentleman.”
“It’s good that he’s at least distinguished.”
The Emperor gazed intently at Katrina’s hair, which cascaded like the Milky Way.
Katrina gathered her hair and swept it back, slowly turning her head to look at the Emperor. Her gentle expression gradually curved into a smile on her pink lips.
“It’s unknown for those two as well, isn’t it? Who knows? They might actually come to like each other while bickering like this?”
“I hope so, but….”
“Why, remember the novel I wrote before? Do you remember?”
“The Northern Grand Duke’s Method of Training the Princess?”
“Yes, that one. You know it sold over a million copies, right?”
“Of course I do. I remember every single thing you’ve written, without exception. 17 volumes. Each and every work is like a treasure to me.”
The Emperor said, neatly folding his hands on the blanket.
At her husband’s sincere praise, Katrina’s lips curled up.
She then called his name loudly and dived into his arms.
After being coquettish for a while, she came to her senses, composed her voice, and spoke again.
“Ahem! Anyway…! In that work, the protagonist and the female lead appear as mortal enemies, right?”
“If I recall correctly… didn’t the male protagonist kill the female lead’s father?”
“That’s right!”
When the Emperor answered, rubbing his chin with his thumb, Katrina clapped her hands and responded.
“Such love actually happens quite often, Adam! Moreover, many people are even more enthusiastic about such love! Tender! Burning~! That kind of love!”
Katrina, transformed into the author ‘Golden Canary,’ raised her voice, unable to contain her excitement, flailing her arms.
Thanks to her jumping around and giving passionate explanations, the bed shook considerably.
The Emperor held her shoulders and gently pressed down, trying to calm her.
“Yes, that would be nice. How wonderful it would be if it turned out as you say.”
“It will! Definitely!”
Katrina clenched both hands and snorted at the Emperor with a “Hmph!”
The Emperor said he understood and continued to calm her bubbling enthusiasm.
“Yeah… well, to be honest… he did seem a bit concerned… but, well….”
“But what…?”
Katrina, who had calmed down a bit, asked in a more settled voice.
The Emperor smiled broadly and swallowed his answer.
‘I’m concerned about his relationship with the Saint….’
Thinking of the day’s events, he somehow felt like he had become the villainous duke from his wife’s novel.
What if he had interfered in a love they had been nurturing in secret?
What if they had promised to marry? And then I suddenly forced him to take his enemy as his wife, using reconciliation as an excuse?
He’s someone who values the greater good above all and who would charge forward with his eyes closed at my word, so it’s entirely possible….
Such thoughts had been lingering in his mind all afternoon.
“As you say… I really hope that’s the case….”
He barely managed to answer in a bitter tone, unable to hide his complicated feelings.
At this, Katrina thought for a moment before speaking.
“That person, the Sovereign of the Green-Fingered, is said to be so beautiful?”
“Hmm…?”
“From what I’ve heard, she’s the most beautiful woman on the continent, among both demons and humans? With such a beauty by his side, wouldn’t even the Hero fall head over heels?”
“Hmm… certainly….”
The Emperor tried to recall her appearance, searching his memory.
“Among the women I’ve seen so far… she was definitely the best….”
“Oh my~?”
As he recited fragments of memory, rubbing his chin, a slightly chilled voice echoed coldly in his ear.
The Emperor, startled, slightly turned his head to find the Queen glaring at him with her eyebrows lowered.
“I was asking for the Hero’s opinion just now… what’s this I hear…?”
Katrina, with her cheeks puffed up, slightly furrowed her brow and poked the Emperor’s cheek with her index finger.
At this, the Emperor caught her poking hand and gently pulled it into his embrace.
“Among the ‘women’ I’ve seen so far.”
“Oh my? What sophistry are you trying now?”

When Katrina laughed playfully, the Emperor sent an intent gaze toward her eyes and said,
“You… rather than a woman… are closer to a goddess. Isn’t that right, Goddess Katrina?”
“Mmm….”
Katrina let out a sensual sound from her throat.
Eventually, she broke free from his hands and knelt obliquely beside him.
“Then, what are you? Having married a goddess, are you a god? An omnipotent god?”
“Well… I’m far from omnipotent….”
The Emperor said, slightly tilting his head back.
“Shall we say the high priest who serves the beautiful goddess?”
“Hmm… well, that’s fine.”
Katrina, who had been caressing around her mouth with her delicate fingers, jumped and sat heavily on top of the Emperor.
Then, looking down at him intently with a sensual eye-smile, she brushed the Emperor’s chest with her fingertips.
“Then… shall I bestow the goddess’s blessing on the diligent high priest?”
Her hand, which continued downward endlessly, slipped under the blanket.
Katrina spoke in a seductive voice, whispering in the Emperor’s ear.
“My, and here I thought I was serving a pure goddess all this time….”
“Why? Don’t you like a goddess who is true to her instincts?”
Watching Katrina slightly lower her neckline, the Emperor smiled broadly.
“How could I not?”
Click, the lamp went out.