I Just Wanted A Soft Life, Not A Demon Husband

Chapter 166: Hide and Seek With The Queen In The Palace

Elyn’s POV

I crouched down slowly, lowering myself to their level. The sight of the two of them—Azerion sniffling, cheeks damp, eyes still shiny with tears, and Aziren blinking up at me with uncertainty—made my chest ache with a mixture of affection and exasperation. I reached out and took Azerion’s small hands in mine, holding them gently but firmly.

"Hey," I said softly, my voice careful, "don’t cry. I’m not abandoning you. I’m not leaving you, even if Rin decides otherwise."

Rin, who had been hovering a little too close to the scene, gasped loudly. The sound was so sharp and theatrical it nearly made me jump. She didn’t say anything, just froze in place, like a cat... no, a raven caught in mid-leap.

Azerion’s bottom lip trembled, and then, in his broken, snuffling voice, he asked, "Weally?"

I nodded, my hands tightening around his just enough to convey the promise. "Really," I said. "I’m not going anywhere, not now, not ever. You’re my friend, and nothing will change that."

He blinked up at me, hesitated, then slowly, carefully wiped his face with the back of his tiny hands. His lips curved into a small, uncertain smile, like he was testing the waters of happiness, and it made my heart leap.

Then I turned to Aziren, who had been standing a little apart, watching the exchange with his usual wide-eyed curiosity. I reached out a hand to him as well. "And you," I said, "stop crying too. You’re my friend just like Azerion, and I’m not going to replace either of you with anyone. Ever."

Aziren’s eyes widened further, and he tilted his head, studying me like I had just made the most absurd promise possible. "T-true?" he whispered, voice soft and unsure.

I nodded. "Yes. True. Both of you are important to me, and nothing will change that."

A tiny smile spread across Aziren’s face, cautious but unmistakable. I felt the warmth of it in my chest, like sunlight pouring over something that had been frozen for too long. I crouched a little lower, making sure I was eye-level with both of them, and added, "In fact, I just thought of something we could all do together."

Their faces immediately lit up. Aziren’s expression morphed from cautious to pure, unfiltered joy in a fraction of a second. "Games!" he shouted, practically bouncing where he stood. "I... I love games!"

Azerion, still wiping at his cheeks but now clearly interested, nodded. "I... I like... sweets more!" he added proudly, as if that somehow counted as an alternative form of excitement.

I chuckled, because, of course, he did. "I know," I said. I now knew Azerion because he had stolen sweets from me.

I leaned back slightly, letting them catch their breath. Then I proposed, "How about hide and seek? What do you think?"

Aziren’s hands shot up, practically vibrating with excitement. "Yes! Please! I wanna play! Hide and seek!"

Azerion hesitated for just a moment, then nodded. "I... I okay. But... I get sweets after?"

I tapped my chin thoughtfully, pretending to consider it like a serious negotiation. "The winner," I said at last, "will get a special sweet from Kethra herself. Does that sound fair?"

Both of their faces lit up like candles flickering to life. Aziren practically squealed, and Azerion’s little blue eyes sparkled as he nodded emphatically. I grinned at the sight—seeing them excited and happy like this never got old.

"All right," I said. "Who wants to go first?"

The two of them glanced at each other for a long, tense second. Then, as if by unspoken agreement, they each darted in opposite directions with a burst of energy that made my hair fly in every direction. I had just enough time to see Aziren disappear towards the staircase.

It was only then that I remembered that the door was actually open. It seemed the game wasn’t going to be confined to the office.

That left me as the seeker. I laughed quietly to myself. This was going to be more entertaining than I had anticipated.

"Hey!" I called after them. "No peeking! I count, and then I come find you!"

Rin, who had been lingering in the office, tilted her head at me. "Can I join in too?" she asked.

I arched an eyebrow. "Rin... you’ve already had your fun today. You cannot join, so clean up the office."

She blinked. "But..."

"No buts," I said firmly, but kindly. "Besides, why did you even show yourself in front of me when I specifically told everyone to leave the hall before? Huh? What’s the deal with that?"

Rin’s expression shifted to a mixture of guilt and mischief. "You said we should get out of the hall," she replied carefully, "which translates to meet me in the office, right?"

I glared at her, and she swallowed. "I’ll just clean the office," she said and immediately moved to the desk to start arranging the scattered parchments on it.

"I like cleaning, after all. Not as much as I like dressing you, but I like cleaning," she added with fake enthusiasm.

I couldn’t even get a word out when I heard Aziren’s cute voice spread through the palace.

"You are not counting!" he said.

I stifled a laugh and shook my head.

"All right, all right," I said loudly, smiling, "I’ll start counting. But no peeking!"

I stepped just outside the office, closed my eyes, and began counting slowly. "One... two... three..." My voice echoed gently off the walls, the rhythm of it oddly calming despite the chaos. "Four... five... six..." I paused for a moment when I heard a faint scuffling sound close by. "Seven... eight..." A little giggle floated faintly—it was close. Could these kids be bad at this game? "Nine... ten!"

I opened my eyes, taking a deep breath, trying not to giggle too loudly at the silence that followed.

"Ready or not," I called, my voice firm but light, "here I come!"