Chapter 6: Chapter 5 – Bedtime Story

"It's delicious!" Hinako said, as she munched the remaining piece of potato fries and curry. I watched her eat silently with a smile, it was just like watching an adorable little bunny eating a carrot. 

"I'm glad you like it," I said to Hinako while wearing pajamas she borrowed from me. Her pajamas complimented her sleepy expression. She yawned sleepily as she rubbed her eyes. 

Chloe, my assistant kitten robot took care of the empty plates as it carried them towards the dishwasher. Hinako looked amazed at the quick movement of the kitten robot as it finished its daily chore.

"Thank you for dinner, Chloe." Hinako complemented Chloe. For some reason, I felt somewhat of an annoyance deep in my heart. After all, I also helped make dinner for tonight. Nevertheless, I ignored the nagging feeling in my heart. 

I notified Hinako to go to my room, she nodded as she walked with me. I opened the door to my room, it's a simple bedroom that you could find anywhere, however Hinako seemed stunned at the sight of my bedroom. 

I quickly laid down on my bed as I invited Hinako, it should be big enough for the two of us. Hinako seemed hesitant at first, however she quickly followed me into the bed after she yawned reflexively. 

"I'll turn off the light, okay?" I said. 

Hinako's expression was pale after hearing that, "Please wait."

"Do you need a bedtime story to sleep, Hinako?" I said, teasingly. Unexpectedly, she nodded embarrassedly. However, she shook her head at the last moment.

"That's not what I meant! Aren't you curious? Where I came from, or who I am. I mean, letting a stranger into your room is, kind of…" Hinako struggled to finish her sentence as her cheek turned into tomato, blushing with abundance of red. 

"Well, right back at you, isn't going to a stranger's house dangerous?" I replied. 

Hinako tried to speak back, but no sounds left her mouth. I flashed her a genuine smile as I patted her. She blushed a little, "I'm not a child, you know."

"I know, I know. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. I'm just glad someone is here besides me. I'm turning the light okay?" I requested, which was met by a shy nod from Hinako. 

A few moments passed. 

We were lying down in bed with our pajamas, yet I could sense the drowsiness between us faded away. As much as I tried to close my eyes, my mind refused to enter the dream world. I tried to take a sneaky glance towards Hinako; she glanced at me back. 

"I… was a princess." Hinako explained. 

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I could see Hinako's hands were shaking. I didn't expect her to say that. I stared at her as she continued. 

"Our kingdom wasn't small, nor was it big. However, it was near the lair of The Demon Lord." Hinako explained further. She had a complicated look in her eyes. 

'Kingdom'? 'Demon Lord'? All I could picture was Demon Lords from light novels and anime. However, after seeing the terrifying blue goblins creature today, I couldn't dismiss her words as just mere fantasy. 

"The Demon Lord waged war against the whole world. The Demon Lord's objective was rather simple; it's to avenge and resurrect his deceased lover, killed by the hand of a foolish human adventurer." Hinako continued. 

Hinako took a deep breath before continuing. 

"That adventurer… was my father. Driven by glory and revenge, he broke the neutrality pact between the humans and demons as he roamed into the demon's territory, killing every demon he could find." Hinako grew tense as she said that. 

I could only say, "I see," as I listened. 

"My father escaped the demon's territory using ancient magic. His family was killed by a rogue demon, his only desire was getting revenge, until one day he met a gorgeous queen, which was my mother." Hinako continued. 

I couldn't guess Hinako's emotion as of right now from her expression, however I could tell that she was hurting. Even then, she mustered the energy to continue. 

"Even though my father was a commoner, he was able to get married to a queen by getting approval from the kingdom's people, which made him a king. The Demon Lord was enraged at the death of his lover. He ordered all of his subordinates to harvest human souls to revive his lover, and take revenge." Hinako said.

Hinako's eyes were glimmering like glass. Her hands were shaking. I could tell that whatever was coming wouldn't be good. I wanted to stop Hinako, but I didn't want to interrupt her resolution.

"Finally, the day of the demon's invasion came. They waged war for years against the whole world. Our kingdom couldn't hold anymore, until one day, only destruction awaited. My father, mother, older brother, were all killed. I was able to find a secret passage at the cost of my maids sacrificing their lives." Hinako couldn't hold it anymore, tears started to fall from her eyes. 

I held Hinako's hands in order to calm her down. She took a moment to compose herself. Her nose was sniffled. She took a deep breath. 

"I escaped through the forest, however the demons were able to track my location. I ran, I kept on running. Until finally, there was only a cliff. My legs were no longer listening to me. The demons caught up to me. That's why… I jumped off the cliff. I kept falling and falling, until suddenly, I woke up, and found you, Sayoko," Hinako said, with a smile and tears. 

I was at loss on what to say. There was nothing I could possibly do to ease her pain. Even then, I hugged her tightly. Even if it's just a little, I want to ease her pain. I wanted to protect her. I would never let her go, never again. 

I tried my best to smile as I gave her a gentle pat, just like how a mother would comfort her children, "There, there."

Hinako's lips formed a smile, "Thank you, Sayoko."