weddingnovel Chapter 344: Demon King’s Interest
Chapter 344: Demon King’s Interest
There was no way he could simply give up because someone told him to.
He shook it and struck it repeatedly, but it remained firmly in place.
Watching him, the man seemed almost exasperated by what he clearly considered a futile effort and turned around to leave the room.
"Did you bring me here to lure Albe and Cari back?"
"...Albe?"
The man frowned as if he had never heard the name before.
Apparently, he truly had no recollection of it.
Even when his own son had spoken directly in front of him, he had not even heard the name.
This must have been the reason Albe had refused so desperately to return.
Qiong Xing was certain now.
This man probably did not even remember that he had children.
In that case, there was no way he would hand them over.
They were Qiong Xing’s precious family now.
"If all you want is a toy, then find someone else. I don’t care who you are. I have no intention of obeying you."
No matter what position this man held in this so-called Demon Region, Qiong Xing had no interest in it.
If he thought everything would go exactly as he wished, he was mistaken.
The only people allowed to bind Qiong Xing were his family.
Just as he had once told Iseul, the only people in his world who were permitted such freedom were the family he loved.
"You’re becoming more and more interesting. I look forward to seeing how long you can keep talking like that."
Laughing as though he found everything thoroughly amusing, the man left the room.
Once Qiong Xing confirmed that his presence had faded into the distance, the tension drained from his body, and he collapsed onto the floor.
He was not physically injured, but the mental exhaustion was overwhelming, and the earlier nausea had left him drained as well.
"...Elias... Laander... Joa, Iseul... everyone..."
He called their names out of loneliness, but naturally, no one answered.
How had things ended up like this?
If this place truly was the Demon Region as the man claimed, then Qiong Xing was at a severe disadvantage.
His primary means of attack and defense relied on magic.
Yet he had no weapons with him, nor did he possess the physical strength of people like Joa and the others.
He had no way to fight back.
"...It’s okay. Everyone will come for me. It’ll be okay."
If they had been complete strangers, he might not have been so certain.
But even if the man himself did not remember, Albe was his son.
Albe would surely recognize this place immediately.
Fenrisulfr was bound to him by contract as well, so it should not take long.
It’s okay. It’ll be okay.
Repeating those words to himself, Qiong Xing slowly steadied his breathing.
Unlike when Iseul had kidnapped him before, he could not understand this man’s goals or intentions.
If he continued provoking him carelessly, there was a real possibility he could be killed.
After taking several deep breaths, he clenched his trembling hands into fists and forced himself to stand.
He never doubted that everyone would come to rescue him.
That was precisely why he needed to do whatever he could until they arrived.
Still shackled, he began searching for a way to free his bound leg.
...
As far as Cari could remember, he had only seen him once.
Only once.
He had been very young at the time, and his memories were so faint that the man felt less like a father and more like a stranger.
His biological mother had sold him into slavery, but thanks to that now he had Qiong Xing.
If anything, he was grateful she had sold him.
That was right.
His family was them.
Whether they shared blood or not, his biological parents no longer mattered.
And yet...
"Recently, I kept sensing a strange magical presence. So it was you?"
"F-Father!"
That day, Cari had felt restless from the moment he woke up.
When Qiong Xing was preparing to go into town, Cari had selfishly insisted on accompanying him.
Unable to explain the unease gnawing at him, he had simply told Qiong Xing that he did not want to be apart from him.
Qiong Xing had looked puzzled, but he had not refused.
While holding Qiong Xing’s hand, Cari had gone to the guild together with his older brother.
Afterward, they had done some shopping before heading home.
Nothing unusual had happened.
Convinced that his anxiety had merely been his imagination, Cari had been waiting for Iseul to come pick them up when a mass of black suddenly appeared before them.
"Mama!"
What he had initially thought was a dark lump immediately shifted shape and took on a human form.
The moment he saw the man’s appearance, Cari’s eyes widened.
Black hair.
Red eyes.
It was obvious at a glance that he was a demon.
More than that, hearing Albe call him Father made Cari realize with shock that this was his own father.
Yet the man showed no reaction whatsoever to Albe’s voice.
Instead, he simply stared at Qiong Xing with obvious interest.
Cari immediately felt that something was wrong.
Judging from the man’s words, he had not come to retrieve his sons.
In fact, it was doubtful he even noticed they were there.
The man continued staring only at Qiong Xing.
Forgetting that this person was supposed to be his father, Cari stepped forward protectively, placing himself in front of Qiong Xing.
"Cari?"
Although surprised by the man’s sudden appearance, Qiong Xing noticed Cari stepping forward and asked what was wrong.
Cari did not turn around.
Instead, he continued glaring at the man.
This man was dangerous.
That was what his instincts told him.
More than anything, the way he was looking at Qiong Xing filled Cari with dread.
"You can’t have Mama."
When the man reached out a hand toward Qiong Xing, Cari used magic to knock it away.
Only then did the man’s attention finally shift toward him.