Chapter 5 – Unseen Vulnerability

That night, Aoi couldn’t sleep. She kept replaying the chaos from earlier, hiding the Demon Lord under a hood and hat in public, sparks flying everywhere, people staring… her cheeks still burned at the memory. But something in the back of her mind gnawed at her more than embarrassment: she couldn’t shake the image of him stumbling slightly as the talisman wobbled.

“Maybe I’m overthinking it,” she whispered to herself, lying on her side and hugging her pillow. “It’s fine… it’s just… magic… he’s fine…”

She didn’t get much sleep. Around midnight, she heard a soft sound from the living room, the faint creak of floorboards. Frowning, she rose and padded quietly toward the source, careful not to wake anyone else in the house.

There he was. The Demon Lord sat slumped in the armchair, his robes draped awkwardly over the edge, his head tilted slightly. The gem on his forehead glowed dimly, flickering faintly. His usually radiant aura seemed… muted, heavy, fragile.

“A-are you… okay?” Aoi whispered, stepping closer. The words sounded small, almost shy in the quiet room.

He lifted his eyes to meet hers, but didn’t move to respond. Instead, a subtle shiver ran through him, and she noticed a faint sheen of sweat on his pale forehead. The gem had wobbled earlier, and she realized with a sudden pang that it must have slipped too long this time.

“Oh… no,” she murmured, sitting carefully on the edge of the sofa beside him. “You’re… you’re sick, aren’t you?”

The Demon Lord’s eyes softened, glancing toward her in a silent plea. He tried to move a hand toward hers, but hesitated mid-air, fingers trembling. Aoi’s chest tightened.

“It’s okay,” she said softly, gently placing her hand over his. “I… I’ll take care of you. You don’t have to do anything. Just… rest.”

He exhaled softly through his nose, as if letting go of some centuries-old restraint. The glow from the gem pulsed faintly with each beat of his heart. He leaned slightly toward her hand, hesitant, then froze again, almost as if afraid she might pull away.

Aoi’s heart ached at how delicate he seemed. The powerful, fearsome Demon Lord she had read about in old legends was nothing like this, he was… fragile. Human, in a way.

“Shh… it’s okay,” she murmured, brushing a loose strand of hair from his face. “You don’t have to be strong right now. I’m right here.”

He didn’t speak, of course, but his eyes glimmered, the faintest shine of moisture at the corners. The small pulse of his gem seemed to synchronize with her heartbeat.

Aoi quickly fetched a warm towel and dampened it with hot water, carefully pressing it to his forehead. He leaned into the touch slightly, eyes closing briefly, as if trusting her completely for the first time.

“You’re… really, really fragile,” she whispered, almost to herself, brushing her fingers over the edge of his robes. “I… I thought you were… invincible, but you’re not. You… you’re just…” She swallowed hard, trying to steady her voice. “You’re just like… someone who needs someone to care for them.”

The Demon Lord’s hand twitched again, moving closer to hers. Aoi gently took it, holding it in both of her hands. He hesitated, the tension in his body telling her he wanted to curl into her touch but was afraid of vulnerability.

“It’s… okay,” she repeated softly. “I’m not going anywhere. You don’t have to be alone.”

He gave a slow, almost imperceptible nod, the faintest quiver passing through his shoulders. The gem’s glow steadied, brighter now, warm and steady, as if responding to her calm presence.

Aoi stayed by his side for hours, silently adjusting blankets, checking his pulse, and whispering little reassurances. She didn’t scold him. She didn’t panic. She just stayed, letting him feel her care and presence, something neither of them had experienced before in centuries.

By the time the first hints of dawn filtered through the curtains, the Demon Lord had finally relaxed against the armchair. His head rested lightly against her arm as she kept her hand over his. The gem shimmered faintly, steady, like a heartbeat.

Aoi exhaled, resting her forehead against his shoulder. “I… I think… I care about you more than I should,” she whispered, though she quickly pulled back, embarrassed by the confession.

The Demon Lord shifted slightly, moving one hand closer to hers, and for a brief moment, their fingers intertwined. He froze again, letting the connection linger, silent and fragile, yet full of unspoken trust.

Aoi smiled faintly, brushing his hair back once more. “Rest now. I’ll be right here. Always.”

For the first time, the Demon Lord’s gem glowed without trembling, steady, warm, and… soft. Aoi realized, with a small pang in her chest, that she had never felt more connected to anyone, or anything, before.