Tyrant's Favorite | Sukuna Ryomen x Reader

048. Bad and Good

The life of a servant was a miserable sentence. Wasuke hated it with every fiber of his bitterness. He had arrived at the castle under the false promise that if he made a mistake, the king would execute him. So he insisted on purposely making mistakes, hoping to provoke the wrath of the terrible tyrant of rumors and finally receive the final blow. But nothing happened. All he got was Uraume's cold, monotonous scoldings as if his existence deserved neither fury nor mercy.

Since his wife and daughter had died in the terrible clutches of a curse, his only wish was to be reunited with them in the afterlife. Everything changed when he met you.

Wasuke had arrived a year after you, so he never saw you as just another servant, but as the king's future queen. At first, he imagined you as a haughty and cruel little princess, a perfect match for the ruthless tyrant. But you surprised him. He found in you a brave, warm young woman, with the strange ability to bring smiles even to Sukuna's icy heart.

And then he understood something: in this world, he had found his daughter again. Not in the flesh, but in you. His need to protect you became his anchor, the reason that compelled him to rise from hell every morning.

That was one of those mornings. The sleepy servants dragged themselves in a row toward the dining room: some rubbing their eyes, others scratching their navels, all with heavy, clumsy steps. The first one through the door let out a scream of terror. The scream cut through the drowsiness with a start, awakening the entire row, including Wasuke, whose heart immediately leaped.

"Let me in!" He demanded as he made his way to see what was happening.

The dining room was filled with luxurious food, exotic meats, and fruits of every color. Panic spread like a heavy curse when they saw the silverware. This could only mean one thing: It was hunting day. The servants had declared victory that this year it wouldn't happen because the king was too busy planning the war, but it seems they were very wrong. No one wanted to take the first step; they were too busy crying over their future wounds. Wasuke was at the forefront, he would protect whoever needed it. It was his duty as the youngest of the servants.

Uraume entered the dining room with the last dish in their hands. They placed it on the large, buffet-style table.

"Come in, breakfast is served," Uraume invited them with a bow.

"No way! We are servants, not hunting animals! We refuse to participate!" Wasuke exclaimed, determined.

"The hunting day is canceled." Uraume announced. Everyone was shocked by the news.

"Will there be no hunting day this year?" A servant timidly inquired.

"The hunting day is canceled for life. There will never be another one in the history of Sukuna Kingdom."

It took the servants a moment to absorb the news. It was too good to be true: there would be no more hunting days for the rest of their lives. The incredulous silence was suddenly broken by a burst of jubilation. Agitated voices mingled with laughter and sobs; bodies met in awkward embraces, and the tears that had always been of fear and pain finally turned into tears of joy.

Freed from the shadow of death, they rushed to the buffet table like starving children. Hands trembling with excitement, they served themselves generous portions, giggling as they sought seats. The dining room, normally gloomy and quiet, bustled with a warm bustle, with hurried conversations colliding with one another.

When everyone finally took their places, Uraume, serene as ever, slipped their hand inside the wide sleeve of their yukata and pulled out a carefully tied scroll. The air immediately tensed, as if the jubilation could crumble with a single word.