After Work, I Brought Home a Devilish Beauty - Chapter 21

As the Hero and her companion disappeared into the darkness, Yuichi finally let out the breath he had been holding.

“…That was close.”

He had never imagined that the hot-tempered white-haired girl would actually be willing to kill him.

I almost said goodbye to this beautiful world…

Turning toward Chiba, he asked softly,

“Chiba…”

“Can you tell me what just happened?”

Chiba slowly pushed herself to her feet.

Her expression was colder than Yuichi had ever seen before.

“It was the Hero.”

“That cursed Hero…”

“Instead of remaining in Anstertandin, she came all the way here just to hunt me down.”

For a brief moment, an overwhelming killing intent radiated from her crimson eyes.

It was so intense that even Yuichi instinctively took a step back.

This wasn’t the Chiba he had spent the past several days with.

This was the true Demon Princess.

“…Chiba?”

Hearing the concern in his voice, Chiba suddenly realized how she must have looked.

The hostility vanished almost instantly.

She lowered her head slightly.

“…Sorry.”

“I lost my composure.”

After calming herself down, Chiba explained everything that had happened.

Yuichi listened quietly until she finished.

“So…”

“The white-haired girl was Alice.”

“The Hero.”

He paused before asking another question.

“But…”

“If she’s supposed to be a Hero…”

“Why was she willing to attack a human like me?”

Chiba thought for a moment.

Then answered honestly.

“Because you’ve been living with us.”

“I already told you.”

“Lucifer and I are demons.”

Lucifer folded his arms.

“And to the heroes…”

“Anyone who shelters demons is no different from a demon.”

“They won’t hesitate to eliminate you as well.”

Yuichi fell silent.

He wanted to argue.

To say that Chiba wasn’t a bad person.

But before he could speak, Chiba interrupted him.

“…Yuichi.”

“Thank you.”

“You’ve done so much for me.”

“I’ve caused you nothing but trouble since the day we met.”

She smiled faintly.

“But…”

“…this can’t continue.”

For some reason…

Yuichi felt a terrible sense of foreboding.

“…Chiba?”

She lowered her head.

After gathering her courage, she looked directly into his eyes.

“I’ve decided.”

“From now on…”

“I’ll move in with Lucifer.”

The words struck Yuichi like a bolt of lightning.

He stood there in stunned silence.

“…So suddenly?”

“I thought…”

“…you’d stay a little longer.”

Chiba smiled apologetically.

“I actually made the decision earlier.”

“I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

Yuichi wanted to stop her.

He wanted to ask her to stay.

But no matter how hard he searched…

He couldn’t find a single reason that wasn’t selfish.

In the end…

He simply forced a smile.

“…I see.”

“Then…”

“Take care of yourselves.”

Chiba nodded gently.

“I will.”

“You take care too, Yuichi.”

The Hero’s sudden appearance had changed everything.

This time…

Yuichi had survived.

But what about next time?

As long as Chiba remained by his side, the heroes would continue targeting him.

She couldn’t allow that.

She refused to let an ordinary human lose his life because of her.

That was why…

She had chosen to leave.

Without another word, Chiba and Lucifer slowly began walking away.

After several steps…

Chiba suddenly stopped.

Almost unconsciously, she turned around.

Yuichi was still standing exactly where she had left him.

Watching her silently.

A strange feeling stirred deep within her heart.

…How strange.

He’s only a human.

So why…

Why does leaving him feel so difficult?That night…

Yuichi couldn’t sleep.

After watching Chiba disappear into the darkness, he returned home alone.

The apartment door creaked open.

The room was still a complete disaster from the battle earlier.

Furniture had been overturned.

Books were scattered everywhere.

Broken pieces of wood lay across the floor.

Under normal circumstances…

He would have sighed, complained to Chiba, and then cleaned everything up himself while she watched.

But tonight…

There was no one waiting for him.

No sarcastic remarks.

No arguments over pudding.

No demon princess lying on his bed reading encyclopedias.

Only silence.

Too exhausted to clean anything, Yuichi slowly walked over to his bed and lay down.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, he forced a bitter smile.

Maybe…

Everything that happened over the past few days was just a dream.

Yet no matter how hard he tried to convince himself…

Memories of Chiba continued to surface.

Her proud smile.

Her childish arguments.

Her fascination with pudding.

Her quiet “good night.”

Each memory made his chest ache a little more.

If she hadn’t been born a demon…

Perhaps…

She would have been nothing more than an ordinary girl with an overactive imagination.

And perhaps…

Things could have ended differently.