Chapter 26: Vol 1 Chapter 26: A Dinner From Hell

In the end, Sherry didn’t come out for the rest of the day. Only around the evening, near dinner time, she left her room, heading straight to the bathroom. Before I could catch up to her, she already closed and locked the door behind her. I was pretty sure she intentionally sped up her walk just so she could avoid me.

She then appeared in the dining room as we were preparing for dinner, taking her usual seat there as if nothing had happened. Mary was currently not here, as she had asked for a short one week leave. Of course, Father had no problem with that.

Might as well use this chance now!

I took a seat beside her, and put my right hand on top of her left, earning a surprised gasp from her.

“Hey, listen to me,” I said to her with a serious look, grasping her hand tight. “I don’t care if you’re a human or a demon. You’re Sherry, and that’s all that matters.”

For a split second, I thought she was going to start crying once again. But she quickly regained her composure, making her reply with a smile instead.

“Thanks.”

It was the only word that she said, but I knew a huge weight had just been lifted from her heart.

Seeing Sherry sitting there, Mother decided it was the opportune moment to explain how she had sent for Myrilla after recognizing the possibility that she could be a non-human.

Immediately I saw a flash of hurt on her face. Mother did as well, and she quickly added, “Oh dearie please don’t take it the wrong way. We simply wanted you to know about your heritage. No matter whether you’re a human or not, you’d always be our daughter, alright?” She smiled warmly at her, before lifting her for a hug.

“S-so I could really be a demon? Like she said?” Sherry whispered with a low voice.

“We suspected that you might belong to a certain demon race—so rare that barely anyone knew they even existed. Have you noticed how you would get stronger when you’re angry, my dear?”

Sherry paused for a few seconds before nodding.

“That’s another trait of their race.” Mother smiled. “Superhuman strength that grows stronger if the demon gets angry, a slim and slender figure that doesn’t show any muscles whatsoever, and a beautiful long black hair is always shiny and smooth for the females. Don’t you think all that describes you pretty well, my dear?”

My eyes widened. That explains everything! It wasn’t just her strength that was out of place, the beauty of her hair had struck me as odd as well. When I first met her, when she was still under the terrible care of Old Woman Tennyson, she was unkempt from top to bottom like the other village kids. Except for her hair. There was no blemish on it whatsoever.

The person herself however didn’t seem to be overjoyed by the revelation.

“Oh… so I really am a demon after all…”

“Perhaps you are,” Mother replied, combing said hair with her fingers. “But it’s nothing to be ashamed of, my dear. In fact, you should be proud of it. You’re not just any ordinary demon like a harpy or a lamia. You’re rare enough that for most people, your race is just relegated to myths and legends. Don’t you think that’s at least a little cool?”

“B-but that means all those kids that have teased me… they’re right after all!” Sherry started to shout with tears in her eyes.

Mother sighed. “Such is the state of demonkind unfortunately. Since they were on the side of the Demon God a millenia ago, they remained to be vilified by humanity and even the other races that sided with the Hero.”

“But don’t worry!” she quickly added. “Your race looks perfectly humanlike after all! No one will know that you’re a demon just by looking at you! You can mingle with other humans just fine!”

“And if anyone tries to bully you because you’re a demon, I’ll blast them with my magic until they beg for forgiveness!” I chimed in with a confident grin.

That’s right. The past is the past. They might just be a bunch of evil races then, but now, I can say without a doubt that Sherry is nothing like that. Sherry is innocent, whatever vile deeds her ancestors might commit.

“We’re home!”

Oh goddamnit Dad, you just ruined our moment!

----

Mother and I quickly went to the front to greet him, while Sherry hurriedly wiped off her tears with her sleeves as she stayed behind, watching over young Erika.

To my surprise, Father actually managed to return with Myrilla in tow. He told us that she had been camping in the nearby forest, and that he had persuaded her to join them for dinner.

I guess she isn’t as hard-hearted as I originally thought. 

“H-hello Myrilla.” Mother spoke awkwardly, clearly forcing herself to start a conversation. “Long time no see!”

“Mmm.”

She merely nodded to Mother in response, and then entered the house as if she wasn’t there at all. At the dining room, she put her staff on the wall behind her before taking one of the chairs (we were lucky that we had an extra unused chair that Mother had brought out).

When Sherry saw her entering, she gasped and immediately tried to flee. But Myrilla wasn’t having any of that. Her antenna lit up, and Sherry was pulled backwards like she was being pulled by a magnet, before she was placed nicely on the chair in front of her.

“Don’t flee. I have questions to ask of you,” she then said to her, as if she was a stern schoolmistress scolding her misbehaving pupil.

Whoa, was that telekinesis? I don’t feel any wind blowing so it couldn’t have been a wind spell she just used! Her antennae thing shone for a brief moment there, so it must be some racial ability of hers!

Before I could think much about it however, an all-too-familiar noise burst forth inside the room.

“Uwaaahhhhh!”

It was Erika, and it seemed she had been staring at this new strange-looking lady for the good five minutes, and then decided that she was a scary lady instead of a friendly one.

Before Mother could come over and comfort her however, once again, Myrilla’s antennae lit up. In response, Erika seemed to freeze for a few moments, before closing her eyes, with her body resting backwards on the all-too-tall chair for her.

She had fallen asleep.

It’s hypnosis now? So she really does have psychic powers!

“You have no right!”

I nearly jumped out of my seat. Mother, who had been placing down plates across the table, suddenly shouted, before coming over to Erika, picking her up.

“She’s my daughter! You can’t just—”

“Don’t worry. She’ll be awake once dinner is over. She can have her meal later, right?”

The two then exchanged glares with each other, though Mother was clearly the angrier of the two. Myrilla simply stared at her back with the usual expression that she had been wearing throughout the evening, that is, one of a calm and unblinking stare.

To my surprise however, she ended up being the one to break eye contact first. 

With a sigh, she turned to Father and said, “This is why I told you there’s no need to invite me here,” before rising on her seat and grabbing her staff, clearly intending to leave the premises.

Once again, Father had to be the one who calmed her down and persuaded her to stay.

I sighed as well. It seemed like I was getting the first seat ticket on a guy trying to make his ex-girlfriend get along with his current one. I’d rather have the furthest seat available, thank you very much.

-----

Afterwards, Mother took Erika to her bed before returning to us and serving the rest of the food we would have for dinner. Just like Father told her to, she had cooked a special dish just for Myrilla. And that being a plate full of green leaves and vegetables, with no meat or bread or anything else. It was practically just a big bowl of salad. There was also a different plate with several roasted corn cobs on it, which was the only thing that she had cooked in her meal.

Is she a vegetarian or something? That trait is usually only reserved for elves in fantasy stories. 

I, of course, preferred meat much, much more. And Sherry as well. In fact, she had the biggest portion of the bacon we were having for the night.

As she ate, she bombarded Sherry with all sorts of questions, mainly relating to her past. Where did she come from? Did she have any idea who or where her parents could be? All that kind of stuff. I could tell that Sherry didn't really like answering them but she answered every single one anyways.

“So you really have no idea,” she commented while munching on one of the corn cobs. “An abandoned baby… simply dropped on the steps to the orphanage. At the very least your parents didn’t sell you to one of those slavers.”

“Myrilla!” Mother looked daggers at her.

“That’s the truth, is it not?” she retorted, wiping her mouth with the napkin provided. “How many parents do you think have sold their children into slavery out there?”

“But you don’t have to say it that way! Sherry already suffered enough in the orphanage as it is!’

“Oh? Pray tell. What happened to you there?” She turned her attention back to her.

I looked at her as well, and noticed the terribly reluctance drawn on her face.

...No. I can’t just let her answer this one.

“She’s bullied there,” I interjected. “Called a ‘demon’ by the other kids who feared her supernatural strength.”

...Wait, was that a tiny laugh I just saw on her face?

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“I see. That’s what you would expect from humans, I suppose.” She now started to munch on one of the larger leaves. She would look positively ridiculous, if not for her intimidating presence.

“Myrilla…” To my surprise, Father, who had been staying silent through all these conversations, suddenly spoke up. “...You have grown even more bitter in the years we haven’t seen each other, have you?’

And then, something even more unexpected happened.

The demoness, who had been keeping a relatively calm expression all this time, suddenly returned a sharp and furious glare towards Father.

“What do you know about bitterness, Alan? While you were happily living here playing family with Renee, I have witnessed so many terrible things in my wandering, done by humans to the other races. That’s why I decided to return to my home in the first place. I was sick of all the things I saw.” She crossed her arms. “And don’t you dare giving me that look of pity, Alan!”

Wow. The way her reaction changed when it was Father she was talking to—that’s a big tell for her liking him.

Heh, this woman… she's just a cute tsundere under all that scary exterior.

Honestly, she’s not bad-looking at all. I do know why Father didn’t choose her though. Her boobs. She simply couldn’t compete with Mother in that department. And seeing how Father is a big lover of them, she never had any chance once she came to the picture.

“So, if I had to guess, you still haven’t found a new party to join up with, have you?” Father continued.

"I don't need one," she replied matter-of-factly. "I am strong enough on my own."

Father sighed. “That’s not the sole function of having a party, and you know that. I told you when our party disbanded, didn’t I? That I wanted you to find new companions to travel with, ones to share your joys and sorrows with.”

“...There’s only one person and one person only that I would like to do that with. And he already eludes my grasp forever.”

She didn't need to stare at Father like that. I already knew who she was talking about.

"Final question." Suddenly, she switched her attention back towards Sherry. "Would you like to meet with your parents or relatives if you could?"

My heart dropped. This is it. This is the question.

"Y-yes," she answered, looking straight towards her eyes with a resolute look. "Yes I would."

The demoness smiled, before finishing her cup of tea that had gone cold.

"Tomorrow morning. My analysis would be finished then."

So Sherry does care about her actual family then…

Makes sense. We’re only adopting her after all. I would care too if I were in her position. Blood is thicker than water after all, if I’m using that expression correctly.

Would she leave us then? To go where her true relatives could be?

------

After dinner was over, Myrilla excused herself, refusing Father’s offer for her to stay for the night. “My research tools are all at my camp. I’m not going to carry them all here,” she said to him.

When she left through the front door, I couldn’t help but take a huge sigh of relief.

“Well, that’s Myrilla for you.” Father sighed as well. “She really has grown more reserved since twelve years ago.”

“And more rude as well,” Mother added with a huff.

Father laughed. “Well, she’s never the polite type from the start. I still remembered when she gave you hell for messing up your positioning in a fight.”

“Oh, that,” Mother replied with a wry smile. “That was the first time I realized she might have feelings for you, by the way.”

“W-wait, you already knew then?”

“Of course.” Mother smiled smugly. “I’m a woman too after all. I messed up and I put you in unnecessary risk, and it was the first time I saw her being that angry. For someone who normally never responded to anything other than with her blank expression, I then knew that you were someone special to her, more than just a traveling companion.”

...

“I still felt bad to this day, you know, for stealing you from her like that.”

And then, without any warning whatsoever, Father turned around and grabbed Mother, kissing her right on the lips. Mother’s eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly relaxed and repicropated.

When he released her, he had a stern look on his face. “Don’t, Renee. Never think like that. You’re the only one I have ever loved. Myrilla might have feelings for me, but I couldn’t return those feelings. To me, she had always been my partner and my mentor only.”

“It’s because of her lack of boobs, isn’t it?” Mother suddenly frowned.

“H-hey! What do you think I am, a boob fetishist?” Father quickly denied, before Mother burst out into a laugh.

Wow, Dad. Did you really mean that? You really have no feelings whatsoever for Myrilla? You’re not just saying it to win Mother over?

Now I can’t help but feel bad for her. Imagine nursing feelings for someone for that long only to see him being snatched in front of your eyes by a newcomer.

This is why I never could really get into those harem stories I used to read. The protag would choose one amongst all those other girls, leaving the rest brokenhearted.

And if it's a harem ending, I would worry even more. Even though the girls were usually portrayed as not being jealous with each other, I couldn't really accept it. It's completely unrealistic. After all, if a girl I liked ended up having other guys that also vied for her attention, I would be madly jealous for sure.

In an ideal world, one guy would only be loved by one girl. Soulmates until the end.

I wouldn't lie though. I would love to have a harem of my own. Being fawned by multiple girls like that, it's Paradise for any sexually healthy male for sure.

And seeing how I had been reincarnated into a fantasy world like in those isekai stories that always had harem elements in them, maybe I would eventually end up with my own after all, hehe!

I won't ask for it though. All I want is for me to be married to a lovely, beautiful girl, raise a wholesome family together, and then die surrounded by my children and grandchildren, feeling completely content with the life I have led. That’s what I promised myself I would achieve when I was reborn into this world.

If I were to have multiple wives, I feared I wouldn't be able to be fair to them. I would grow bored with some of them, breaking their hearts in the process. Most men would look for the newest and freshest pleasures after all, even in the women they bed. I am nowhere near the virtuous type who could remain faithful to all his wives until the day he died, if such a person even existed in the first place.

I gave a glance at Sherry. Two years had it been since I brought her into the family. Would she truly become my future wife like I had always imagined? Or would Fate throw me a cruel twist and make her fall in love with another in the future, just like how Mother suddenly entered Father’s life?

...No, it’s selfish of me to demand that of her. She’s her own person after all.

...Maybe it would be better if she leaves with Myrilla. That way, she wouldn’t be just stuck with me until she grows old enough to marry. She would meet other people—other guys who she might end up taking a liking on.

Just then, an arrow seemed to have pierced my heart.

Heh, so this is how jealousy feels.

But if even after that, she still wanted to be my wife…

Then I would know that her love for me was the real deal indeed.

-----------

I barely had any sleep that night.

I was nervous; of Sherry’s true identity, and whether she really was going to leave us or not.

For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to tell Father or Mother.

Maybe I simply wanted Sherry to choose as independently as she could. Or maybe I was just afraid I would get the answer I wouldn’t want to hear from them.

What that answer could be, I didn’t know either.

Sherry’s probably feeling the same thing right now…

I also thought of going into her room and had a talk with her.

But if I did, I was afraid I would end up breaking into tears and begging her to stay.

If I did, she would no doubt stay for sure.

I didn’t want that. I wanted her to be selfish and choose her own path for once. I might be her benefactor but I was not her master. She had the right; the freedom to choose.

Before I knew it, dawn had already arrived.

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