Ruhi tried her best to keep her heart calm yet it only pounded harder and harder, making her extremely fuzzy. Her throat felt clogged and no words for help came out.

Just as she was about to lose consciousness, the pressure vanished. Her hands immediately reached for the dagger hidden in her robe. She turned around and plunged the dagger into whoever was standing behind her.

“Huh!?”

Her sharp blade stopped before it stabbed anything.

“Girl, that's quite a sharp knife you got there.”

She raised her gaze and froze. The sharp face of the man she tried to kill was just too handsome. Although she was just twelve, her father already taught her everything related to marriage. In fact, he was about to engage her to some other captain's kid. She suspected the man in front was some high ranking human noble or…

“Are you the Emperor?!”

“Hooh~” Leo mimicked a certain bastard God he met before. The little demon girl's decision to not let herself collapse and counterattack truly left him in awe. 

“No, I'm not the Emperor. I'm the ‘Dragon God Emperor’,” He grinned. “Say, what do you think will happen to you now?”

Demon girl flinched before she clenched the dagger in her hand and glared into Leo's eyes. “Do whatever you want with me but free my father.”

He also stared into the bright red eyes of the petite girl standing at 125 cm and nodded in approval, her facts checked with her memories. After checking Yue's height for days, now he could easily measure anyone's height at a glance. He could do much more but he'd rather not bring it up for his own dignity.

“What do you think about the current rivalry between Demons and Humans? Answer honestly and I'll free your father.”

Ruhi’s eyes gradually expanded as she understood him. To free her father, but the question was a tricky one. She could use a textbook answer or…

“Don't even try to lie. I can read your thoughts.” A voice sounded inside her head.

Her eyes fell on Leo who had his lips shut. Now she had no choice but to say her true feelings.

“...I don't have any opinion. War itself has no meaning when our kingdoms are so far away from each other.” She looked at Leo, hoping her answer was right.

Leo curtly nodded at her answer. Thinking this girl wasn't like those fanatics from Freid's memories. Frankly, many demons were crazy in their belief for Demon God. But many commoners cared only about their lives. If he wished to change Garland, then the correct way to go about it would be to focus on the young generation instead of old.

“What is your name?”

“Ruhi…”

“So Ruhi, what will you do if you have the power to do anything?”

“I… I don't know.”

He placed a hand on her head and stroked her rosy pink hair. “Well, you pass, and your father, with all of the soldiers, are safe and sound. I came here for peace anyway.”

Ruhi looked up with wide eyes, disbelief written on her entire face. But the warmth on her head made her eyes droopy. Right then, space twisted beside him and formed a spatial gate. A moment later, Shea hopped out the gate and eyed Ruhi.

“Whoa! Such a cute demon girl~” She lifted Ruhi high with both hands. “I want a daughter like her.”

“Leave me…” Ruhi begged with teary eyes and red face. How could someone be so cruel to manhandle a 12 year old girl.

Leo took back his trembling hand, his lips twitched with an awkward smile. “Like I said before, just wait for some years.”

Shea shook her head before putting Ruhi down and looked at Leo. “That is what I have been doing. Leo-san, four years is my limit. I’ll wait till I become twenty.”

A cold shiver ran through Leo’s body, the smile on her face and the purple aura almost made him flee for his life. “I-I understand.”

“Good~”

(Fate of a poor husband…)

‘...’

(Two points for me now.)

“W-Who is this Onee-chan!?” Ruhi asked with her fingers pointed at Shea.

“She is Shea, one of my wives,” Leo answered in Shea’s stead.

Ruhi’s mouth turned round. “Ohhh…”

Shea took hold of Ruhi’s hand, her blue eyes stared into Ruhi’s eyes. “Please, can you play with me for a day~?”

“O-Okay.” Ruhi was unable to deny Shea’s enthusiasm.

Leo waved his hand to create a gate to the caravan. Shea dragged Ruhi into the portal. His lips formed a wry smile as he stepped inside the gate.

“Leo-sama, who is this girl?” Lily asked the question that was on everyone’s mind.

“She is Ruhi, my little sister~” Shea took a seat and pulled Ruhi over her lap.

Leo also sat beside her. The caravan was small from outside but it had enough room to qualify as a small room thanks to spatial magic. Though it currently had only seats like a normal caravan.

Lily crept toward the seat on Shea’s right and began talking with Ruhi. Helina changed her seat to Leo’s right and sneaked glances at him.

Leo released an inaudible sigh. His left hand reached her head and began stroking her hair.

“Leo-sama…” Her glum whisper reached him. “I’m sorry if this causes trouble for you. But I… don’t want to force...”

“Sushh. No one can force me to do anything, just look at the God who tried to force me to enter a trap. So don’t think I’m forcing myself for this.”

Helina closed her eyes, her lips curled up in a blissful smile. Leo’s hand ran through her silky silver hair.

‘Why is every woman around me so fragile and... irresistible?’

(That’s a secret.)

‘No talking to Jen for a month.’

(Threaten me all you want, I will only tell you when you reach Tier five.)

‘Tch, old hag.’

(...)

He once again clicked his tongue at tight-lipped Jen. His eyes lingered on Helina’s beautiful face. While a sharp and intense gaze targeted his back.

Turning, he released a dry laugh. Lily’s pouty face told a million words about her current feelings of Helina getting a headstart in the race. Too bad, her cute face awoken the slumbering sadist inside him. His hands slid down Helina’s hair and wrapped around her waist to pull her closer.

“L-Leo-sama, w-w-what happened?” Helina stammered, seemingly unable to think straight from the sudden intimate act.

Leo silently eyed Lily’s face going through sadness, envy, happiness, all that in just several seconds.

“Leo-san! Stop teasing Liliana and stop hugging Helina-san so intimately. Look at her face.”

“N-No.” Helina already covered her face before he could see. Though something wet leaked through her hands.

Leo could not stop the sadist taking over. His brow furrowed in a deep frown. “Helina, don’t tell me you were drooling?”

“N-No, that is not true!” She yelled and stopped covering her face.

His fingers touched her warm lips and wiped the saliva lingering on the corners. “Then, what is this? Are you going to admit that you are a naughty maid or not?”

Helina’s eyes turned teary from all the teasing. “Y-Yes, I’m a naughty maid.”

“...”