The Reserved Daughter Of a Duke And The Cold-Headed Emperor

On the morning of his third death and resurrection, Alexei was approached by a mysterious creature clad in clothes who asked

「Why is there a human child here?」

The mysterious creature that walked on two legs with a bloated green skin and It could converse in human language.

But I could be killed again.

At the thought, Alexei’s legs trembled in fear. Unaware of his anxiety, the mysterious creature spoke to him in a muddy voice.

「You’re so troublesome. I’ve never seen a cunt like you before. It’s not good to be naked.」

The mysterious creature removed the tattered scarf around her shoulders and wrapped it around Alexei. Instinctively convinced that he would not be killed, Alexei meekly pulled the scarf over his head. He then took another look at the mysterious creature. The fact that it wore a skirt suggested that she was female.

Just as he felt a bit more secure that perhaps he may be saved, a fierce three-eyed red bear came running towards them with loud footsteps.

It was that demonic beast that had killed Alexei twice.

It was so terrifying that one could only shake in fear.

I’ll be killed again.

This fear also made her shake but it wasn’t enough.

She stood in front of the three-eyed red bear without a care in the world and spoke.

「Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing? Don’t tell me you’re going to eat this silly Lil boy. If you do that. I’ma kill you and throw you in a pot! Look, like a bear casserole!」

She yelled at the three-eyed Demonic beast which ran away frightened

She patted Alexei’s head, who was pouting in the side unable to understand the situation, and laughed at him.

「It’s okay. I’ll protect you.」

She then pats Alexei’s back, who was too scared to do anything about it.

「Oh, forget it. were you abandoned in this forest? That’s right. It’s not a forest for a child to enter alone! For the time being, come to my house.」

She walked deep into the forest with Alexei on her back. Along the way demonic beasts snuck up to her. A bicorn rabbit which as big as a large dog, a poisonous tiger, a great blue slug that spits acid and so on. All of which were demonic beasts that the knight had once told him were hard to defeat.

As Alexei squeezed her shoulders in fear of the demonic beasts, she gently slapped Alexei’s buttocks and spoke to the demonic beasts.

「You guys have been good? As you can see, Mom’s found a troublesome little boy today. I’m sorry to trouble you, but I don’t want you to come around for a while. That’s what I’ve been telling your friends. Maybe one day he will get to know you and your friends. Until that day, he’ll be a good boy. That’s mom’s promised.」

The demonic beasts must have agreed, and they each left in three or five steps.

After that, as they proceeded through the forest for a while, a cave appeared.

「I live in that place. I’ll live with you.」

She pointed her green fingers towards a cave covered by trees.

Finally, having reached this point, Alexei was relieved that he might not get killed today.

「You what’s your name?」

「……」

「Ah, you can’t speak, don’t worry about it.」

「I can’t tell you my name because of the circumstances. They’ll kill me if they know I’m alive.」

「Oh! You can talk after all. that’s good very good. You have a really beautiful voice.」

The conversation over her back reassured Alexei.

he then entered the cave on a piggyback, he could see a crude bunk and a few bags in the back.

「Aren’t you hungry? You wanna eat some food?」

With those words, he realizes that he hasn’t said anything since the first time he was killed.

「Yes」

「Yeah. I’ll get it ready for you now.」

Realizing that she’d been rough when she’d set Alexei down from behind her back, she hurriedly pulled out a rag and wiped Alexei’s body with water she’d drawn from an underground lake at the back of the cave.

「I’ll be damned. That was scary. It’s all right. I’ll be right behind you.」

Hearing those words, Alexei’s face contorted and he cried loudly. She hugged Alexei gently and patted him on the back.

「Hey did you save me? Can I really live here.?」

She patted Alexei’s head and smiled.

「Of course. I’m more than happy to be with such a gloomy child.」

「…… Are you human?」

「That’s right. I’m human.」

「What’s your name?」

「Hey, you know. Everyone in the village called me “Bakemon”.」

「Eh, but didn’t you mention yourself as Kachan?」

She twists her head as if she has no idea what she’s talking about.

「See, you told the demon beast you were Ka-chan.」

「……Oh! I said that as a mother. I don’t have any family, so I wanted to be their mother」

「Mother?」

「It’s about your mother. You know, it’s more inconvenient without your name.」

She looked at Alexei intently. Soft white cheeks, big blue eyes, shining silver hair. A boy who was far more beautiful than the doll-like daughter of the village chief.

「For now, I’ll just call you Ham.」

「Ham?」

「No good?」

「…… fine. What should I call you?」

「That’s alright. It’s Ham’s choice.」

Alexei decided to ask her why she choose Ham as his name.

「I’ve seen ham in the village once or twice. But I’ve never eaten it. I hear they’re so good that the cheeks fall off. Your eyes are so soft, your cheeks look like they’re about to fall off So, ham.」

「Yes. ……. Is that why?」

「Is it no good?」

「No, it’s fine. You saved my life. Then I’ll name you Pie. My favorite snacks were custard apple pie.」

「Pie. I’ve never eaten a pie. But if you say it’s good, it must be good.」

Thus, Alexei came to live in the Demon Forest.