Betrayed, I Met The Demon Lord

Chapter 133 - SIDE: Van & Alicia

HELLO THERE!

Just to clarify—

The previous chapter took place 10 years after Van and Alicia left the Demonic Realm and Royal Capital behind.

That means it happened a full decade after the events of chapters 1 through 130.

This chapter, however, picks up only two days after the end of chapter 130.

Hope you enjoy!

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'Okay...' Van thought as he walked hand in hand with Alicia.

He glanced above her—no aura. Nothing.

He had succeeded in erasing it. Neither the Archdevil nor the Goddess would be able to trace her now. She still retains her prime strength.

'Now what?' he wondered as the breeze brushed across their faces. 'Hmm... Do we build a home for ourselves?'

He looked at the woman clinging to his arm. 'I guess we start there, right?'

"Hey," Van said aloud. "We're supposed to build a house now, right?"

"Yes," Alicia replied. "A house. One for me. One for you." Her gaze stayed fixed on the path ahead.

Van narrowed his eyes. "I don't—A separate one for each of us?"

"Of course," she answered with a sigh. "Do you think I'm ready to give up my autonomy just because we're married?"

'That's not what I meant...' Van thought.

"No, but most couples live together. Look at Varlog," he said, deadpan.

"Varlog is... I'm the..." She struggled, then shook her head. "No. I'm not ready. I've never shared a house with anyone before."

"...Not even your parents?"

"Dead. I lived with servants. And Varlog."

"So you have lived with someone—"

"I JUST NEED SOME SPACE!" she snapped, pushing him off with a frown.

Van stood silent, his chest tightening as he looked at her.

"I just LEFT my whole kingdom for you," Alicia said, rubbing her temples. "Your previous tricks—those little games, saying that I'm just using this to ensnare you—they won't work a second time. I need... I need my own space."

"...Alright," Van sighed. "Then I'll build us some houses—"

"With what?" she cut in. "Your hands?"

"...Uh, yeah? It's me, after all," Van muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"Do you have any idea how architecture works? House planning? I'm not living in some half-collapsed hut. I'll build it with my magic," she said sharply, her tone flaring.

Van swallowed. "...I can just learn as I go. We have time. I don't think it's a problem—"

"I said, I'll build the house!!" she shouted.

"You took me out of my home of over forty years. And now I'm supposed to play pretend—act like the loving wife and agree to everything you say, too?! No! I... I've never done anything like this. You never had a home to lose the way I did. Let me have this!" Her voice cracked as she clenched her teeth.

Van clicked his tongue and looked to the sky, the irritation clawing its way up from his stomach.

"...Alright, then. Where?" he asked, voice lower now.