Luca sat cross-legged on a bed of ice, a pearl necklace floating above his open palms.
If those pearls turn blue, it means she has truly fallen in love with you, to her very core. Only then can you let her take it off… and let her die once.
If his father hadn't said those last words, Luca would have given the necklace to Kelsey right away. But now, doubt and confusion clouded him. His father's advice—to let Kelsey die—made no sense. Was there a hidden reason?
He recalled their earlier conversation.
"Don't look at me like that. Didn't I say your bride would help you achieve your ambitions? That means she won't die. Maybe the point of letting her die once is simply… letting her suffer."
"Are you telling me you will do the same to your own wife?"
"If she were a demon, I'd kill her without hesitation," his father replied with a smirk. "But if she were your mother, I never could. So the choice is yours. At least, giving her the necklace won't harm her."
Luca's eyes opened, and he rose from the ice bed. He had finished testing the necklace's core strength and found no flaws. It contained pure, eternal protection, its purifying energy capable of annihilating a demon in an instant. Only the power of the Demon Emperor could destroy it.
Leaving his training room, Luca noticed dusk settling over the palace. He immediately summoned Iom to report on what had happened during his five-day absence. It didn't take long. After finishing, Iom added nervously, "My lord, the fox king came every day, begging for an audience."
"How long does she have?"
"The prime elder said less than five days."
"Then tell him I'll save her… the day after tomorrow."
Iom shuddered. The ten-headed snake's poison was no ordinary venom. It inflicted such agony that victims begged for death, yet death would not come. The longer the antidote was withheld, the worse the torment grew. And the merciless Demon King intended to make the fox princess suffer even longer.
"Have you prepared Kelsey's favorite dish?"
"Yes, my lord. The kitchen has already begun. But…" Iom faltered.
"Speak."
"The dish's main ingredient is golden horn fish."
Luca's expression sharpened. "Are you insane?! A human's heart would explode the moment they ate that fish! Why would you order the kitchen to prepare it?"
Iom immediately knelt, bowing low. "Forgive me, my lord. That information came from the Boar couple. They purchase golden horn fish soup for Lady Kelsey every six months. I confirmed it with the restaurant's records. The only demon who regularly buys that soup is Har."
Luca froze. "Are you certain?"
"You may punish me severely if I am wrong."
Dismissing Iom, Luca hurried to Kelsey's chambers. He found her lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling in boredom. "What are you doing?"
Kelsey sprang up joyfully at the sight of him. "You're finally here! I was almost bored to death waiting for you."
"My mistake. I should have left you some books before I went."
"It's fine. Are you done with your work today?"
"Yeah. Are you hungry?"
"Very!"
"I wanted to serve you something delicious. I asked your parents about your favorite dish, and they said it was golden horn fish soup. Is that true?"
"Hm… I wouldn't say it's my absolute favorite, but compared to other dishes, I do prefer it. Why are you looking at me like that?"
"How many times have you eaten it?"
"I don't know. Father only bought it occasionally—it was too expensive. But not long ago, he received a huge reward and bought ten portions. Before you came to my house for the first time, there were four left."
That many? And she's fine? How is this possible?
Golden horn fish weren't native to the Mortal Realm. They came from the first level of the God Realm. A treacherous god had once stolen their eggs and cast them into Demon Land's oceans. Only high-ranking demons and above could consume the fish safely, for it contained pure primordial energy. This energy strengthened demons and extended their life force. It was far too powerful for low-ranked demons—let alone humans—to withstand. Unless…
Is Kelsey a demon slayer? She had no memories before being adopted by the Boar Demon, after all. But he sensed neither spiritual power nor the unique aura of a slayer from her.
"Luca? Luca!!" Kelsey waved at him, pouting. "What's wrong? You've been dazing out."
"Kelsey," he said slowly, "I've always been good at judging people's ages. I'd say you're eighteen. Am I right?"
Kelsey blinked. Why is he asking that now? "I… I don't know. You know I have amnesia. I don't know my real age."
She remembered the time her parents had summoned an old turtle demon who could read a person's birth date by touching their leg bones. He had told her something startling. "Your bone age is eighteen. But… I can't see where the bone formation began."
Har had asked nervously, "Honored elder, what does that mean?"
"She has been eighteen countless times. Her true age may be over fifty… or even a hundred. I cannot tell." The old demon shook his head. "I suggest you hide this fact. Otherwise, demons will suspect this human child is an Eternal."
The Eternals had been gone for centuries, but demons hated them more fiercely than they hated humans. Even a hint of suspicion would shatter the fragile peace of Boar Village. And yet, despite this, no spiritual power emanated from Kelsey. She appeared only as a fragile human girl who could easily be crushed by demons.
"Do you mind if I check your leg bones myself?" Luca asked gently.
"You… you can tell my birth date from my leg bones?"
For Kelsey to ask meant she'd already been examined once. Luca narrowed his eyes slightly. "Oh? Then why didn't you tell me?"
"I…" Kelsey panicked, realizing how quickly he'd seen through her lie.
"My darling girl, you don't need to be afraid of me," Luca said softly. "I'm the last person who would ever harm you. No—I forbid myself from ever harming you. I only want to celebrate your birthday every year, as humans do. Even if you don't remember your past in Human Land, you're still a human. I only hope that when your memories return, you won't regret marrying me… and that you'll treasure the sweet memories we've made together. Will you let me do that?"
His long, gentle words carried such warmth that Kelsey couldn't detect any hidden meaning. "Okay. You can check my leg bones."
Luca had expected her to simply tell him the turtle elder's results. He hadn't expected her to grant him permission. The Demon King led Kelsey to a chair and knelt on one knee. "Allow me." With her consent, he slipped off her shoes and gently massaged her calves. As he read her bones, the truth struck him—she was indeed eighteen, just as he had thought. But the starting point of her bone formation… was nonexistent.
This... it couldn't be!