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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: The Kiss of Eternal Love
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"The Demon King makes people fight each other and enjoys watching. He's a total pervert."
Having witnessed the Demon King's power firsthand, Nibelria scrunched up her face in disgust.
"But Grandma defeated him. So he's gone now."
"That's right. Lady Muniel took him down."
Letitia nodded her head.
"And our Nini knows all about the Demon King too. She's so smart!"
Then, as if trying to scare her, she lowered her voice to a spooky tone.
"If you're too smart, the kingdom takes you away. They make you deal with all sorts of affairs and study nonstop."
"……."
"And they don't even pay you for the work."
"Eek! That's scary!"
Nibelria shook her head vigorously, as if it were the most horrifying thing imaginable.
Unpaid labor terrified her more than the Demon King.
Anyway, Letitia's fairy tale recap continued.
"The prince and princess defeat the Demon King with the power of love, share a kiss pledging eternal love, and live happily ever after."
"The power of love?"
Arep tilted his head in confusion.
Beating the Demon King with swordsmanship or magic was one thing, but love?
"……."
As Arep made a utterly baffled face, Letitia giggled.
"Arep, you're still just a kid."
"I-I'm eight years old!"
The indignant Arep declared his age.
"Oh, really?"
Letitia's eyes widened in surprise.
"I thought you were six, like me!"
"I-I'm small right now, but I'll grow big soon."
For the first time, Arep felt embarrassed about his small stature for his age and mumbled an excuse.
"My hands and feet are big. Especially my feet—they say that means you'll shoot up tall when you grow up."
"Yeah, sure."
Letitia couldn't have cared less about Arep's growth spurt.
But the power of love? She was obsessed with that and explained it with utmost enthusiasm.
"The power of love is when the prince and princess cherish each other so deeply. That burning passion melts the Demon King's icy heart and kills him!"
Letitia was usually so composed and mature, but fairy tale romances ignited a fire in her like nothing else.
Arep found this version of Letitia a little frightening.
Meanwhile, Nibelria listened with sparkling eyes.
"Grandma loves Grandpa too!"
She made a mental note to ask Muniel later if she'd really beaten the Demon King with the power of love.
After all, Nibelria hadn't been around when Muniel took down the Demon King—she'd been dead.
"Hey, Leti."
Nibelria asked.
"What's this? A kiss?"
"Ah, the kiss pledging eternal love?"
Letitia praised it as a great question.
"The prince and princess promise to love each other in this life and even after they're reborn in the next. They seal it with a kiss."
"So, it's a kiss?"
"It's not just any kiss!"
Poke, poke. Letitia pointed to her own cheek.
"A kiss on the cheek is just a peck."
Then she pointed to her lips.
"But on the lips? That's a real kiss."
"Isn't it the same? Just rubbing mouths together?"
"No way. Lip kisses are only for lovers."
"Have you tried it, Leti?"
"Sadly, no. I don't have a lover I love yet."
Is it okay for kids to talk like this?
Dether and the maids, watching from a distance, all shared the same silent question.
They snuck a glance at Letitia's attendant maid.
The maid, used to this sort of thing, just wore an expression that said, Our young miss is at it again.
"But they say it feels as sweet as cotton candy, light and floating like drifting through the sky."
"Ooh."
Nibelria's eyes sparkled.
Then she jumped to her feet.
"Big Sis says she's done it before. But it's not like cotton candy... more like..."
Letitia's eyes naturally followed Nibelria as she chattered away.
Nibelria planted herself right in front of Arep.
"Arep!"
"Yes?"
"Let's do it too!"
"Huh?"
Before he could ask what, something touched his lips.
Something warm and soft pressed firmly against Arep's mouth.
The sweet scent of chocolate cookies and fresh milk wafted from the tiny hands clutching his face.
Nibelria was kissing him.
"...!"
The moment he realized it, Arep's red eyes went wide as saucers.
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
Too shocked to think, Arep tried to pull back.
But Nibelria wasn't having it. She grabbed his face again and dove right back in.
Her blazing blue eyes burned with determination—she wouldn't let him go.
Overwhelmed, Arep squeezed his eyes shut.
"Kyaa!"
Letitia cheered in Arep's place.
"It's the kiss pledging eternal love!"
Parents of daughters have worries beyond count.
Topping the list? Some no-good stray bonehead hanging around their little girl.
"Haa..."
Kaleo had harbored such worries just moments ago.
But now it was time for a different kind of concern.
With a heartbroken gaze, he stared at his daughter—and the boy's lips that she'd stolen her first kiss from.
Both their lips were swollen bright red.
How do I even scold them for this?
It was obvious Nibelria and Arep liked each other.
And right now, Nibelria wore a shamelessly satisfied smile.
Arep's face was beet red, but he didn't look upset at all.
No, this isn't for me to judge.
First things first, Kaleo pulled Arep aside privately.
"Arep."
He put on his most serious yet gentle tone. Any less, and he'd burst out laughing from sheer absurdity.
It was the most effort he'd put into his voice since confessing to Seletrina all those years ago.
"Are you okay?"
"……."
Arep bowed his flushed face.
"If you didn't like it, you can say so."
"……."
"No matter how much Nini likes you, she was wrong this time. You can't just kiss someone you like without permission—even if you like them back."
"...But."
Arep mumbled in a tear-soaked voice.
Kaleo held his breath, straining to hear.
"B-But..."
"……."
"I-I'm the big brother..."
Finally, fat teardrops rolled from Arep's red eyes.
As a father with a guilty daughter on his hands, Kaleo pulled Arep into a shoulder hug and apologized on her behalf.
"Arep, I'm so sor—"
"I should have done it first...!"
"...So it wasn't unwanted? Right?"
Kaleo swiftly changed tack.
Arep shot his head up and cried out indignantly.
"In the story, the prince kisses first! Right?"
Arep looked up at Kaleo with teary eyes.
"Sweetie, these days, guys don't have to go first. That's old-fashioned thinking. Girls can make the move too. Just look at the women in our family."
None of them are normal.
That's something you'll have to get used to, Kaleo soothed the sniffling Arep.
No man in the Dayamor household could match their women.
"But it's always the young lady who, sob, gets to do the cool stuff...!"
"Nini's pretty cool, yeah. Takes after her uncle."
"Nini looks more like Lady Muniel. And Lady Seletrina too."
"Look at us, having such casual chats now."
After somehow calming Arep, Kaleo led him back to the room.
Nibelria, who'd been eavesdropping with her ear to the door, scampered away.
Kaleo beckoned her over, his face suddenly haggard.
Nibelria slunk forward, eyeing him warily. She knew a scolding was coming.
"Nibelria."
Kaleo said in a stern voice.
"From now on, when you kiss Arep..."
"It's not a kiss. It's a real kiss."
"...Real kiss or peck."
Always ask Arep first.
Kaleo asked if she understood.
But Nibelria didn't answer. Instead, she pouted, looking thoroughly displeased.
Not a shred of remorse.
"Nibelria."
He called her name sharply again.
"...Hng."
This time, Nibelria's eyes welled up with tears.
Clutching her skirt with both hands, she scrunched up her big blue eyes, brimming with tears.
"No! I don't wanna!"
"Nibelria!"
"I will! Nini and Arep are gonna kiss!"
"No, that's why you ask fir—"
"Nini likes Arep! We're gonna get married later! And have ten babies!"
"You think having babies is easy? That many would ruin your health! And a four-year-old doesn't talk like that in front of her dad! I'm not even ready to let you get married...!"
Now Kaleo was on the verge of tears himself.
At that moment.
"Young lady."
Arep wiped his tears with the back of his hand and spoke up.
"F-From now on, please tell me when you want to kiss me."
"Hng..."
"Then I'll do it first! Let me go first next time! I want to kiss you too!"
"It's a real kiss!"
"Y-Yeah, that too!"
"Then do it now!"
Nibelria spread her arms wide.
Arep did the same.
The two little ones threw themselves into each other's arms and smooched with a loud mwah.
"……."
Kaleo, witnessing it all, turned as white as ash.
He was utterly dumbfounded.
The tale of Nibelria and Arep's kissing fiasco spread like wildfire.
"Solles bro should've seen it! It was so cool! Nini was super bold, and Arep was like a pitiful princess...!"
Letitia blabbing everywhere helped it along.
Viscount Pretor belatedly tried to shut his daughter up, but it was way too late.
Now everyone knew: the Dayamor young lady had stolen Arep's first kiss.
It had become common knowledge.
