3 years later, winter.
Contrary to many expectations, the empire hadn't changed much. It had simply become a little more prosperous and prestigious.
Thanks to the overflowing essence of fire from the volcanic regions of the Demon Realm, which was brought to the empire, no one froze to death in winter. Thanks to the ample supply, even the homeless on the streets carried a small amount of it.
And dieting became a trend among the demons. Thanks to delicious food, they were losing weight en masse. They had previously been obsessed with meat, but they quickly began growing and eating vegetables.
As exchanges between the Demon World and the human world continued, the barriers between them gradually disintegrated. As people traveled between worlds for trade under various pretexts, it became common for them to settle down together. Demons who found the human world appealing adopted ordinary human occupations and lived among humans, and humans themselves often migrated to the Demon World.
Thanks to this, enemy invasions of the empire ceased. Even if they attempted to invade, the sight of the plump, heavily armored demons strolling along the border would inevitably lead to a retreat, losing their will to fight.
Enemy nations, fearful of the demons, quickly bowed to the Empire in an attempt to win its favor. In particular, they revered Mori, the bridge between the demon world and the human world, as a god.
Of course, Mori didn't care whether that was true or not. Her interest was still solely in goat meat and Chession.
But Mori couldn't avoid dieting.
"I think I have belly fat."
After finishing her bath, Mori came out wearing a robe and grumbled in front of the full-length mirror.
"It's okay, you're cute."
Chession, who was lying on the bed and looking through the documents, looked at his wife and smiled.
"Don't answer so roughly. Think about it objectively. Don't you think I have a potbelly?"
"It seems like it came out a bit more than before, but anyway, it's cute."
"The demon hair is so dirty that it doesn't fall off, and they can't even eat vegetables like other people."
Mori pouts and lies down next to Chession. As if she'd never been worried about her belly fat, she falls asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow.
Chession stared intently at Mori's stomach.
'It doesn't seem like she gained a lot.'
Her stomach is a bit more flabby than before, but is that really bothering her? Mori is so skinny that she could probably stretch it out a bit more.
Chession covered Mori, who was sleeping soundly, with a cozy blanket. The crackling sound of the fireplace filled the air.
After briefly kissing his wife's forehead, Chession returned to his paperwork. He would have liked to observe Mori more, but unfortunately, he had to focus on the paperwork. It was Christmas, and it was just around the corner.
"I never thought our Mori's birthday would be designated a national holiday."
Not long after beginning interaction with the human world, Halpas, the ruler of the Demon World, designated Mori's birthday as a national holiday in the Demon World. He reasoned that Mori had brought peace to the Demon World and introduced the joy of eating, and that her birth should be celebrated.
The human world also joined in. Thanks to Mori, the human world was freed from its vague fear of the demon world and began to live abundant and peaceful lives.
Mori began to snore, scratching her belly as if she was in a deep sleep. Chession found her sleeping with a carefree face simply adorable. Look at those canines poking out through her sadly open lips from deep sleep. Aren't they insanely cute?
'What are you dreaming about?'
He couldn't focus on the documents at all. Finally, Chession put them down on the desk and embraced his lovely wife.
***
Mori had a strange dream. Normally, she'd have simple dreams about eating goats or dragon tails, but today was different.
It was a quiet night, and everyone was asleep. She was strolling through the snow-covered houses. Crystal lights hanging from the trees softly illuminated the street.
But, at this late hour, she saw a child standing alone. No matter how much the Empire's security had improved, it wasn't safe for a child to wander alone late at night. Mori approached the child.
"Yes, are you leaving your home? Go home quickly before I turn around."
A child wearing a warm muffler looked up at Mori. She was a chubby, brown-haired girl.
"I'm hungry, but there's nothing to eat at home, so I came out. Do you have anything to eat?"
Mori's eyes deepened. Could this child be starving at home? She's not particularly skinny, though. The material of her clothes looked good, and they were very thick.
However, she wasn't wearing shoes.
The feet that were stepping on the snow must have been painful, but the child seemed to be indifferent.
"Don't hurt your feet..."
"I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?"
“No, your foot is fine..."
“Something to eat!"
"..."
The child, who had interrupted Mori's words, cheerfully begged for food. Mori's expression darkened at the sight of such a formidable child. It seemed the reckless glutton had run out of food at home and was out to find it herself. If that were the case, it would be best to feed her quickly and then send her home. After all, her parents would be worried.
“Follow me.”
"Hey, Mom told me not to follow strangers!"
"You want something to eat? I'll give it to you, so follow me."
"I didn't ask for it! I just asked if you had it!"
"There's nothing to eat right now, so let's go somewhere with some delicious food."
"Hey! Dad told me never to follow anyone who offers delicious food!"
"Then what do you want me to do? Just roll with it."
As Mori, who was shivering, turned around mercilessly, the child laughed heartily.
"It was a joke, I'll follow you."
"..."
This kid has a strange aura about her, especially those unique rainbow-colored eyes.
Still, a child is a child. Mori held the child's small hand and entered a nearby late-night diner. The child, seemingly experiencing this more than once, sat down shamelessly and shook off the menu.
“Um... this...”
And you hit the nail on the head with cocoa.
Mori, who had been reluctant to order only cocoa for dessert after entering the restaurant, ended up ordering steak as well. The steak was served raw, as Mori had requested.
The child sipped cocoa with marshmallows floating in it, even though a witch was chewing on raw meat in front of her.
“Mmm! It’s delicious!”
"Honestly, have you made a lot of money from adults' wallets this way?"
"I didn't earn much."
"Eat this and then go home quickly."
"That's right, hehe."
While Mori munched on his steak, the girl diligently gulped down her hot cocoa. When the glass was finally empty, she slammed it down on the table with a clank.
"Because you gave me something delicious, I'll grant you one wish!"
“Whoa, wish? You?”
"Yeah! I have to grant wishes to good adults!"
Mori scoffed, opening her jaw. What wish could a normal child, not even a witch, possibly have? Perhaps because she'd interacted with the demons so often, she'd been imitating their habits as a joke. These days, it's common for demons to work as babysitters in the human world.
Mori decided to join the children's play.
"It's not something you can listen to."
"I didn't say I would do it! I said I would listen!"
“That’s right, then."
"So, what is your wish?"
The child's eyes sparkled. Mori pondered for a long time, unable to answer the child's seemingly playful question.
"I wish the impossible would happen."
"It's too abstract. Can you elaborate?"
“Well, I..."
The moment Mori spoke her wish, the child's smile deepened. Her vision was bathed in light, and the sound faded away, as if submerged in water.
When she opened her eyes, it was already dawn. Mori was lying on the bed.
"What just happened?"
She was clearly awake, but she still felt a strange sense of incongruity, as if she were in a dream. Mori shook her head, trying to shake off the useless thoughts left behind by the bad dream.
Her gaze turned to Chession, who was sitting at the bedside table. He was manipulating a box neatly wrapped in a tough cloth.
"What are you doing up so early by yourself?"
"Oh, the gift from Ibelia has arrived. I'm trying to unwrap it, but I'm having trouble. Mori, since you're up, could you help me out?"
"Yes."
Mori opened her mouth. And Ches poked a hole in the packaging with Mori's fangs. It was a familiar movement.
The perforated packaging tore open easily, revealing a box with a charming decoration. It was the kind of design children would enjoy.
Mori, who was impressed by the square object given by Ibelia, quickly closed the box.
"What is this? Could it be Ham again?"
"No. It's just a real box, isn't it?"
"This time too, there's something strange going on with the sisters-in-law and everything. Really, what the?"
The small shoes in the box puzzled Mori. Why did they remind her of the child's bare feet from her dream? They seemed like they would fit the child's feet perfectly.
The note was included inside.
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