It took five full days of travel before the palace entourage reached the gates of the Northern Capital. Luca put his goblin mask back on and closed the carriage's window shades. He didn't want Kelsey's face revealed, since that would make it easier for enemies to target her.
"Wear this. The fewer people who know your face, the better."
Kelsey received a red goblin mask and put it on. She also allowed Luca to drape an oversized cloak over her to hide her hair. Not long after, the carriage stopped, and someone reported that they had arrived at the palace. Luca groaned in annoyance at the fox king's presence in his palace hall. Deciding not to deal with it just yet, he used his teleportation magic to transport Kelsey directly inside.
Kelsey didn't question him and trusted him completely. Instead, she was amazed by the demon king's power—the ability to move her from one place to another in an instant.
"From now on, this will be your room until our wedding day. If there's anything you need or anything you dislike, feel free to let me know."
Kelsey gazed at her new chamber, filled with feminine items and a queen-sized bed adorned with delicate pink lace. Measuring the space from one end of the room to the other, she gasped in awe. Even her house in Boar Village hadn't been this large. It struck her even more deeply that she was truly going to marry a king and live in a palace.
"One more thing. Although I've handled the crucial matters, the situation here is still chaotic. Most of the servants don't yet know their king has changed. Some may have heard the rumors, but I don't trust them to be completely loyal. So, if a demon offers you food or drink, don't take it. If a demon approaches you, you must either run or call my name. Wherever you are in this palace, I will hear your call and come to you."
"Okay, I understand. That means… this room is safe?"
"Of course. This is the demon queen's chamber, and my room is next door."
"Then… when we get married—"
"Of course you'll move into my room."
So what was the queen's chamber for? Before Kelsey could ask, Luca told her he had to leave and would return in time for dinner. Feeling exhausted from the journey, Kelsey decided to rest.
"That's strange. Why didn't he use the portal array? Why choose five days of travel instead?" She remembered that when she had left for the bride selection, she and her parents had stopped in a town—she couldn't recall its name—to use the portal array and reach the Capital in a single day.
And when Luca had appeared in Boar Village only minutes after the proposal letter arrived, he must have used the portal array. Why not this time? She could never have guessed that Luca had deliberately avoided it, simply to spend more time alone with her.
Kelsey lay down on the softest, most comfortable bed she had ever touched, trying to fall asleep. But even with her eyes closed, her mind refused to quiet. Eventually, she found herself wondering where Luca was and what the demon king was doing.
Luca was in his office, welcoming someone he had never expected. The figure stood with his back to him, staring at a large portrait of a beautiful, angelic blonde woman smiling serenely. Luca recognized him instantly.
"Should I be wary of your arrival, after two centuries of absence?"
The man turned, revealing a face similar to Luca's, though lined with wrinkles and carrying an aura weaker than the demon king's. "Can't I attend my own son's wedding?"
"You never attended your eldest son's wedding."
"Hmph! That demon boy was exactly like his mother. I'd have wasted my time and energy attending all of his weddings."
"..." Luca relaxed his tense muscles, as if undoing his defensive spells. "Then, you didn't come to avenge your son's death?"
The man sighed. "Luca, you are my son too. To me, you are my only child and rightful heir."
"Am I now? You weren't like that when you handed the throne to my fool of a brother."
"That's because he stole and kept your mother's remains! Do you still refuse to believe me?"
"My mother had one request—a request you swore to her. She wanted her body returned to Human Land, her homeland. But you never did it. Look at the consequences! That brainless Beltal stole and held her corpse hostage to control you. Even when you retrieved her, you still refused to honor her wish. What kind of husband are you?"
"I am a demon. Your mother should have known the risks of loving and marrying one."
"YOU FORCED HER! Or did you forget?"
The demon only shook his head, knowing his son's hatred ran too deep for words to reach him. "I didn't come here for this. I heard your bride is human."
Luca frowned and discreetly set traps around the room, in case his father tried to harm Kelsey.
"Have you forgotten your mother's abilities? She foresaw that you would be like me—falling in love with a human."
"I didn't force my bride," Luca muttered.
"That, she didn't foresee. Nonetheless, she knew your wife would be weak, but also vital to your ambitions. Give her this."
The man extended his hand, and a white pearl necklace floated before Luca. The Demon King refused to take it. "This necklace will protect her from any-ranking demons. Even other demon kings will not be able to harm her."
Luca stared at it in disbelief. How could such a jewel counter even a demon king's power? "Don't tell me…"
"That's right. Your mother used the remnants of her spiritual power to create it—for the sole purpose of protecting her future daughter-in-law."
Only then did Luca accept the necklace. Though confident in his own strength to protect Kelsey within the Northern Palace, he still doubted the loyalty of the nobles and feared the other demon kings. Having this necklace would truly help.
"Your mother also said: never take it off until all the pearls turn blue."
The color change? " Why?"
"She said, 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."
WHAT?!!