18. Pampering a Cute Assassin in Bed
“Master, may I sleep with you tonight?”
After my bath, as Liz gently dried my hair, she asked that delightful question. I turned and beamed at her.
“Of course! I’ll be gentle!”
“Ah, I meant standing by your bedside. It was a purely professional offer.”
“Aww… you’re playing with my heart.”
“I don’t understand.”
“—Really?”
I smiled.
“…I don’t understand. Or at least, that’s what I’ll say.”
“Tell me when you do understand.”
“I doubt that will happen.”
“You can’t do anything if you give up.”
“I think there are some things you should give up on.”
“I agree with that, but…” Liz sighed softly.
“There, all done.”
“Thank you.”
Incidentally, the Barghest I’d brought into the bathroom had been there just a moment ago, but it had shaken itself dry and disappeared without a trace. Knowing those clever creatures, they’d probably sensed the mood and excused themselves.
Liz gave Samarkand, who was waiting outside the bathroom, a brisk order.
“Samarkand. Your first task. Wait outside Master’s room. I’ll be guarding her inside. Inform me if anything happens.”
“Yes…” Samarkand bowed his head.
“Take care, okay?”
“Yes! I will ensure my master’s safety and a peaceful sleep.”
It was hard to believe those words were coming from the same demon who’d come to threaten my safety and peaceful sleep just hours ago. But I felt it would be cruel to point that out, so I remained silent.
“Liz, you can change into your nightclothes.”
“What? But I’m supposed to be standing by your bedside. Especially after that assassination attempt.”
“That was just a joke, if you weren’t interested. You should sleep if you can.”
“But…”
“Samarkand is out there, and I doubt anyone would attempt a second assassination in one day.”
“…Very well.”
It had been a while since I’d shared a bed with Liz. I’d invited her on occasion, but she usually declined.
We lay side by side in the canopied bed, silent for a while. The moonlight filtering through the curtains and the gaps between them slowly adjusted my eyes to the darkness.
“Hey, Liz.”
“Yes?”
I reached out, and she took my hand. I smiled at her.
“Thank you.”
“…I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t in time, and in the end, I just interfered.”
Liz’s expression was dark.
“You’ve been protecting me all this time, haven’t you? So things like today wouldn’t happen.”
“That… is part of my job, but…”
“Let me thank you for it, anyway.”
“It’s my duty.”
“Then there’s no need to feel bad. You were just doing a different part of your job today.”
“…Don’t coddle me.”
Liz fixed me with an intense stare. Even that made me happy, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Hmm, that’s a bit difficult.”
I squeezed her hand gently, enjoying the feeling of her hand in mine.
“I said don’t coddle me!”
“I think I said it’s a bit difficult.”
I continued to smile at her, and she sighed.
“This is quite a lenient workplace for assassins.”
“I’m aiming for a cozy work environment.”
“…Are ‘human extinction’ and ‘cozy’ words you’re supposed to use in the same sentence…?”
Liz had a valid point.
“Of course they are.” I said with a smile.
“Just because we’re in charge of heinous operations doesn’t mean we can’t have a cozy work environment.”
Liz stared at me. Then she sighed again.
“…I still don’t understand you very well, Master.”
“If you don’t understand me, Liz, I doubt anyone does.”
The Virus King, Lord of Disease was the enemy of humanity.
Even among my supposed allies, the demons, criticism of my methods was commonplace.
If I desired happiness, and achieved the happy life I desired… In the eyes of others, I would be seen as a heartless monster, capable of such atrocities without a shred of guilt.
But if I wasn’t allowed to desire happiness. If I decided that I shouldn’t be happy…
What would become of my subordinates?
They were the ones who did the actual dirty work.
All of my accomplishments, all of my atrocities, were the results of the operations carried out by my precious subordinates.
Liz and the administrative staff who diligently documented my orders.
The doppelgangers who formed the core of the disinformation unit.
The wraith assassins who led the assassination squad.
The Black Hound Barghests who served as auxiliary forces.
All of them. Those who chose to stain their hands with ruthlessness for the sake of the nation, for the sake of the people living here. If they were condemned for their actions, if they weren’t allowed to find happiness…
Then we would have no future but to fight honorably and die.
That was why I called myself the Virus King, Lord of Disease.
To claim all of my subordinates’ accomplishments as my own.
To shoulder all of their sins as my own.
And then, I would say this:
“I want all of my cute subordinates to be happy.”
And if possible… me too. Even if it was after all of them.
“…We… feel the same way.”
Liz squeezed my hand tightly.
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