The morning kitchen of the hotel was bustling.
Chefs had been up since dawn to prepare buffet meals, and the assistants were even earlier to start cooking.
In a time when the number of wealthy businessmen was rising, and competition among hotels intensified, there wasn’t a hotel in the capital of the United Kingdom that didn’t hustle about breakfast preparations.
But this place was different.
In the hotel where Governor Pastel (Female) stayed, known for her peculiar eating habits that could make her vomit blood if she ate wrongly, only the sound of whipping cream echoed without any commotion or noise.
The Demon Lord (Male), donned in an apron, stirred the cream vigorously, so skillfully that his hands were a blur, and not a drop of cream splattered outside the bowl.
Pastel sat in her chair, swinging her legs and watching the scene. Her pink eyes were half-open as she stared at the Demon.
“I’m worried sick. I finished all my work but instead of going to the casino, I’m betting on the sky mackerel race. I’m only getting worse.”
“I’m not doing anything bad! And besides, I think it’s okay since I broke even with a 7-fold payout. Nathaniel lost everything. Governor Pastel (Female) is doing amazing.”
“Look at you, talking about doing amazing.”
The Demon Lord shook his head as he raised the whisk. The whipped cream formed sharp peaks as it was filled with air.
“But Demon Lord, how did you end up liking Mom?”
Pastel maintained a casual demeanor as if her question held no ulterior motives. Below the table out of sight, her legs were wildly shaking.
“Sigh.”
The Demon Lord set down the completed whipped cream. The pink eyes turned back to him.
“Is that a topic we shouldn’t bring up? Your mother broke her promise and locked me up again. There’s nothing to like about that.”
“Is it because you’re into pink hair?”
Pastel carelessly swept her fingers through her pink hair. It flowed down her fingers like silk.
“What are you so curious about?”
“Just curious.”
Just curious.
The Demon Lord crossed his arms, furrowing his brow as he looked up at the ceiling, seemingly deep in thought.
“Preferences, huh? If I had to pick, it would be blonde.”
“What?!”
Pastel’s pink eyes widened.
“Why?!”
She banged the table with both hands and jumped up.
“So you like Melissa?!”
A noble blonde lady, she has everything I don’t!
Complete rival!
The Demon Lord looked bewildered.
“Why would you even mention rivals with such an age gap?”
“If you say so, there’s a huge age gap between you and Mom too! Totally, totally huge! When you became an adult, Mom hadn’t even been born yet!”
Wasn’t she sealed in the Demon Sword long before Mom was born, meaning you’ve been watching her since she was a baby?!
This is worse than the age gap!
The 400-year-old Demon Lord flinched. He brushed his bangs aside and picked up the bowl of whipped cream to examine it.
“Hmmm. Maybe I should mix in some gems.”
“Feeling a bit guilty, huh?!”
Just admit you like younger people!
And throw in that you also like pink hair for good measure!
The Demon Lord muttered, almost unable to deny it.
“The crown prince and your father did mention those reasons for being cautious.”
Oh my.
The black history of the Emperor (Male) and Dad surfaces.
How awful is it to bring up age first to avoid confrontation with their elders?
Wanting to hear more, Pastel quietly sat back down.
But it seemed the Demon Lord had no intention of sharing more and turned the pepper shaker filled with gems.
“In the Old Testament, it’s said that God had golden hair like the sun.”
Black powder was sprinkled over the white cream.
“Now that I’m a Demon, I guess there’s no need to adhere to such standards.”
The red eyes gazed down at the whipped cream.
“Maybe I do like pink after all. If not, I should have been swindled by those Craft guys to a reasonable extent.”
“Heh.”
Her legs shook quickly.
“Then am I in a dangerous situation? Someone who perfectly fits the Demon Lord’s taste and is ripe for abusing her guardian status.”
Oh my.
Her arms wrapped around her body.
“Totally the Demon’s type!”
“Oh, come on.”
The Demon Lord scoffed.
“What reaction do you want?!”
“What’s this reaction about?!”
The Demon Lord shrugged.
“Why are you asking that? Did Nathaniel say something strange? That guy doesn’t have a single part of him I find appealing, starting with his lanky arms.”
“Huh?”
“Nathaniel gave me life advice. It felt extremely important, but to be honest, I’m still not sure and just dumbfounded, you know? Oh my! Why did I even start with questions instead of being charming like a popular person? What gives?”
As the realization dawned on her, Pastel jumped up from her seat, pointing her finger at the Demon Lord.
“Just you wait!”
The girl dashed out of the kitchen.
Left alone unexpectedly, the Demon Lord found himself in a quandary.
“What’s there to wait for?”
After considering the reason, he gave up and continued whipping the cream.
“Must be hitting puberty. She’s going to have a tough time.”
#
Pastel arrived at her private room.
She wandered here and there aimlessly, folding and unfolding her arms, pacing restlessly.
Is this love?
If it weren’t for Nathaniel’s case, I’d be shouting ‘Hooray for love!’ cheerfully, but I’m not so sure.
“At times like this, I need a third party’s cool perspective!”
Who should I consult?
The dependable Elly is currently feeling the heat of national interests, having been temporarily sent away from the hotel, and Melissa, who usually is smart, has learned about romance from fairy tales and feels intimidating.
Oh, wait, fairy tales?
Pastel suddenly had a bright idea.
When it comes to love, the Fairy (Gender Neutral) is the expert!
I have a reliable Fairy (Gender Neutral) with me!
She cupped her hands around her mouth.
“Fairy!”
Usually, she would say, “Please grant me a wish, Fairy!” but this time was different.
“Please give me advice on love, Fairy!”
She began to search around her room. Checking under pillows, looking beneath the bed, and peeking behind pots.
—Did you find me?
A presence emerged from a bookshelf, almost like a decoration. A thick book shifted, and a small Fairy (Gender Neutral) appeared.
Oh?
That’s the place where I hid cookies to eat secretly from the Demon Lord!
The Fairy (Gender Neutral) held a cookie that was oversized for her tiny frame and mumbled.
“Wow!”
“My cookie…!”
Pastel felt like she was cohabiting with a mouse friend. However, she held back calling the Fairy (Gender Neutral) a mouse friend, fearing it would be extremely rude.
I’m so considerate…
—I tried one of the gems you were munching on, and it suited my body really well!
The Fairy (Gender Neutral) bit into a piece of gem, and as it crumbled, the black energy was absorbed into her little body.
—I was feeling weak and tired after granting a few wishes, but eating this makes me feel recharged!
“Eh? Really?”
Seems like the Fairy (Gender Neutral) has similar tastes to me.
—Yup! From now on, serve me these gems! Then I can grant you lightweight wishes any day!
Wow.
Using gems as precious as gold to make wishes!
Oh?
Pastel wondered if this was a profitable exchange or not. Shouldn’t spending that much gold typically lead to something substantial?
But the kind Pastel wouldn’t dream of calculating costs on friendship with the Fairy (Gender Neutral), so it was a pointless concern.
Wow.
“I just happen to have a dilemma! Not a wish, but a much lighter love advice thing!”
—Love advice? That’s this Fairy’s specialty! Go ahead and spill!
The Fairy (Gender Neutral) puffed out her chest.
Pastel, who was about to receive her first love advice, felt her heart racing.
“I think I have someone I like, or maybe I’m just unsure if I like them! When I’m with them, I feel at ease, and chatting is unexpectedly fun, but I want to annoy them for no reason while looking at them… Ugh, I think I’m definitely in love!”
What should I do?!
The Fairy (Gender Neutral) gasped, covering her mouth with cookie crumbs.
—Oh, that’s great! Do you want to make that person yours?
Is that so?
“Love does require exclusivity, right?!”
I can’t share them with my mother!
—That’s good!
The Fairy (Gender Neutral) clapped her hands, a genuinely joyful expression adorning her tiny face.
—As I mentioned before, fairies are beings created from the soul power of the great Fairy (Gender Neutral)! Since perfect power is divided, each has specialized areas! I used to feel uneasy since my specialty rarely aligned with your wishes. But this time, it fits perfectly!
“Wow! Really?”
Oh yeah!
Consulting genius Pastel is on the case!
—Yep! Love is my specialty!
Wow.
Totally Fairy (Gender Neutral)!
—I’ll grant your wish! This time, you can hope for it! Even if the cult presses, I can ignore it since you’re the one who owns me!
“Wait? It’s not wishes, it’s advice—”
The Fairy (Gender Neutral) clasped her hands reverently.
—Oh God, please let this girl’s love come true.
The black energy wrapping around the Fairy (Gender Neutral) throbbed. The magical lights in the room flickered, and dark sparks crackled in the air.
Oh dear.
Oh dear, dear.
Something feels wrong…!
Pastel felt uneasy, but the ominous atmosphere made her just tremble.
The dark sparks twisted and gathered grotesquely. Reaching a critical point, a burst of light and smoke erupted. From it, a piece of paper fluttered down.
It was a talisman.
The Fairy (Gender Neutral) picked up the talisman.
—Talisman of love~!
A heart design caught the eye.
Wow, the talisman of love.
“Phew!”
Pastel wiped off her cold sweat.
It wasn’t a big deal after all~!
The Fairy (Gender Neutral) explained with pride.
—If you stick this on the person, they’ll fall in love with you!
Oh?
Wait, isn’t that mental manipulation?
Ahhhh!
This was totally shady…!
