## Chapter 188 – No Sex Allowed!
Ryu’s mind was thrown into chaos by Claire’s inexplicable behavior. He was so flustered that he almost forgot what he had said just moments before. Managing to regain his composure, Ryu helped Claire up, asking in a bewildered voice,
“W-What do you mean by that?”
Not only was she suddenly using honorifics, but she was calling him her god? He had never heard that she was religious. She must have hit her head during the finals and ended up like this. Concluding this, Ryu examined Claire’s condition once more.
But alas, Ryu’s judgment was wrong.
She was perfectly normal. In fact, she was in the clearest state of mind she had ever been in her life. Taking Ryu’s hand, Claire rose to her feet, met his gaze, and opened her mouth.
“I have simply decided on the person I will follow for the rest of my life.”
Could it be the aftermath of the finals? Ryu said with a still-flustered expression.
“You’re not doing this just because you lost a match, are you?”
“The finals? Ah, that was just a simple process. I felt it from the moment we first met. If you continue to gain experience and grow steadily, you could become someone who makes my heart race.”
Claire had been showing interest from the beginning just for this moment? Ryu mulled over her actions so far. If she couldn’t win the finals, what was her plan to pull this off?
It was something everyone could agree on, but Ryu was the type whose thoughts easily showed on his face. Claire looked at him and began to speak.
“Do you remember what I said before the match? If you hadn’t used your full power against me as you did against your previous opponents, I probably would have won. Please forgive me for saying such rude things just to see your full strength.”
“Ah, no. I’ve already forgotten about that. More than that, how were you so sure I would win?”
“Well, you can tell when you cross swords. You get the feeling that there’s a reason you can’t lose to this person, you know?”
So, this is what it means to be a master who has reached enlightenment? Ryu nodded to himself, somewhat convinced.
Then, a thought flashed through Ryu’s mind.
In the midst of the chaotic situation, he almost forgot his promise with Acer. The thought that Charlotte and Acer were waiting for him made him anxious. As Ryu got up to leave, Claire asked in an uneasy voice,
“Am I making you uncomfortable?”
It would be a lie to say that Claire’s sudden change in attitude wasn’t uncomfortable. But that wasn’t why he was leaving. In Ryu’s mind, the highest priority was anything related to Acer and Charlotte.
But could he just leave like this, being so irresponsible?
Claire had conveyed her feelings to him with sincerity.
If Claire had sincerely decided to follow him, then he had to face her with sincerity as well. After hearing such words, he couldn’t just give a vague answer and leave her hanging.
He couldn’t accept all of her feelings, but the best Ryu could do right now was clear.
“I don’t know if I have what it takes to be someone worthy of your loyalty.”
Claire had a resigned expression. She thought the next words out of Ryu’s mouth would be a rejection. However, Ryu said something different from what Claire expected.
“So, I can allow you to stay by my side. And if you decide that I’m not the person you thought I was, you can leave at any time.”
“Ah… of course. I swear that will never happen.”
That was still troubling, but seeing Claire regain her energy made him feel a little better. Seeing Claire, who had started to blindly follow him, reminded him of the time he had a master-servant relationship with Hilda, but the emotions he felt towards her were quite different.
A little more dangerous, a fanatical feeling? Of course, if Ryu had judged that this energy would be harmful to him, he would never have kept her by his side.
Claire glanced at her watch and casually spoke.
“You’re going to see the Demon Lords, right? Then I’ll come along and introduce myself.”
Was it really right to introduce Claire to Acer right now… He thought for a moment. He didn’t want to hide anything from them anymore. If he explained what happened with Claire, they would surely understand.
“Okay. But please act as you normally would in front of Acer and Charlotte.”
“That’s easy enough.”
With an uneasy feeling, Ryu headed to where Acer was waiting with Claire.
●
Ryu, heading to the store where Acer and Charlotte were waiting, bowed his head and apologized.
“I’m sorry I’m late.”
Acer waved her hand as if to say it was okay and replied.
“No, it’s fine. I’m used to waiting this much now.”
So much had happened that he couldn’t just laugh it off. He tried to ignore the feeling that Acer’s words had a hidden meaning, and before he could explain what happened with Claire, Ryu’s eyes caught sight of another familiar face.
She noticed Ryu’s gaze and waved her hand first, greeting him cheerfully.
“Hi? Long time no see.”
Hair the color of pale purple, like looking at a flower garden, and slightly drooping eyes. Orka’s gentle impression, reminiscent of spring, was mismatched with her gigantic frame that could be mistaken for a girl, making you want to lean on her without realizing it. Moreover, her chest, which drew a smooth curve even under a thick sweater, seemed larger than any chest he had ever seen.
Surely, it was Clara Bell, the Demon Lord of the 5th District. Perhaps it was because of the unpleasant incident in the reception room, but he felt somewhat reluctant.
Before Ryu, who was flustered, Claire stepped forward and bowed first.
“I greet the most exalted Demon Lords.”
Acer, who belatedly discovered Claire standing behind Ryu, asked in a puzzled voice.
“Claire? What brings you here?”
Before Claire could naturally answer their questions, Ryu spoke first.
“I, I invited her. Since we made it to the finals together, I thought it would be nice to have a meal together… Is that okay?”
Acer readily replied.
“I’m fine with it.”
On the other hand, Charlotte asked with suspicious eyes.
“Is that really all there is to it?”
Ryu’s back began to sweat as he felt Charlotte’s gaze, which seemed to see through his lies. Charlotte didn’t say anything else after that, she just kept looking into Ryu’s eyes. Charlotte always said one thing: she hated lying. The fact that those words came to mind now must be because he felt his life was in danger.
Judging that it was impossible to deceive them any further, Ryu finally bowed his head and confessed.
“Actually, it’s a lie.”
Only then did Charlotte relax her expression, sit Ryu next to her, and stroke his head.
“See? It’s not good to tell lies that will be found out anyway.”
“What? A lie? Then what’s going on between you two…”
Acer trailed off, feeling a sense of unease creeping in. Nothing good had ever come of Ryu getting involved with women. For a brief moment, she even considered dealing with Claire on the spot if she dared to covet the Demon Lord’s man without knowing her place.
Before starting the story, Claire bowed to show her respect.
“Ryu is not at fault. It’s all my responsibility.”
Charlotte grabbed Acer’s trembling hand to calm her down and carefully asked.
“Can you tell us what happened between you two? Depending on the story, this might not go well.”
As things escalated more than he had expected, Ryu’s face quickly turned pale. Seeing this, Claire whispered in his ear.
“There’s nothing to worry about. Leave it to me.”
Of course, she was unaware that the act of bringing her face so close was feeding the jealousy that had taken root in their hearts. Undeterred by the glares she was receiving, Claire cleared her throat and began to tell the story of what happened with Ryu in the student council.
“…That’s all.”
Acer and Charlotte, having heard the whole story without missing a single detail, were silent. It was ambiguous whether to be angry or happy about this situation. It was definitely a good thing that more people were following Ryu, but it also meant that Ryu was steadily taking steps towards becoming a Demon Lord.
In the midst of the silence, it was Clara who spoke first.
“Well, isn’t it okay?”
“Clara?”
“Acer brings Charlotte around, right? People tend to gather around someone who will become a Demon Lord. This kid can have a trustworthy retainer, right? If that’s Claire, I think it’s fine.”
Clara’s words made sense. Acer frowned and pressed her temples. She was afraid that if she interfered too much with his relationships, Ryu might hate her. In the end, she had no choice but to reluctantly allow Claire to follow Ryu.
However, she added a condition.
“Okay. But from now on, you two are forbidden from being alone together. Especially no sex! I’m the only one who can do that with Ryu!”
Charlotte applauded Acer’s courage in shouting out that no sex was allowed in a place with so many people, blinded by jealousy. At the same time, she corrected the wrong part of her statement.
“No, I have to do it too.”
For a moment, the people in the store focused on the conversation about sex, but the moment they realized who had said those words, they all averted their eyes.
