I Just Wanted A Soft Life, Not A Demon Husband

Chapter 93: Apparently There Is Nothing Like An Arranged Marriage In The Demon Realm And That’s Extremely Shocking

Elyn’s POV

Morthen adjusted his glasses, that subtle little gesture that always made him seem more... human somehow, despite his compound eyes and unsettling calm. He turned his attention toward Vaelory, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, his voice soft but edged with curiosity.

Vaelory fidgeted, glancing at Rin before speaking. "I mean... well, you know I’ve been listening as you told her highness about the various demons in the realm, right?" she asked him.

Morthen nodded. "Yes, but that still doesn’t explain anything."

"I’m getting there," she told him. "The thing is, you told us about some other couples, right? Like Lord Ignivar, who is married to a fox demon. And now Lord Caleth, who is married to a..." she swallowed. "...stone?"

I almost laughed at that because just saying "stone demon" was absurd. I hadn’t even heard of a stone demon before, not even in my previous life—but was I surprised that they had stone demons here? Not even in the slightest.

Morthen nodded, giving her the signal to continue.

"Right, yes. Lord Caleth is married to a stone demon. And that means that they are from different families, different lineages too, so I’m just wondering... how do they end up being married? Are they all arranged marriages?" she asked them.

Oh, that’s a good question. I also wanted to know.

Rin and Morthen exchanged a glance that was equal parts confusion and intrigue. It got me wondering what was wrong with the question since they were behaving like it was strange.

"Arranged marriage?" Rin asked, tilting her head, the curiosity in her voice almost childlike.

Vaelory swallowed hard. "You know... where families decide who you marry. You don’t really get to choose. In the human realm... it’s normal for families to promise children to one another, to form alliances, to... to decide before the children even meet each other or are even born who they will be married to."

That explanation wasn’t enough for Rin and Morthen, who still looked confused. Even Azerion had a cute frown on his face as he tried to make sense of what Vaelory was saying, even if to me it was extremely simple to understand.

"Okay... so, imagine this," I began, trying to put it into words Rin and Morthen could understand. "You’re born into a family. That family—your parents, your grandparents, sometimes even distant relatives—decide who you’ll marry when you grow up. You don’t get a say in it. They might promise you to someone for political power, wealth, land... sometimes just for appearances. When the day comes, you’re expected to marry that person, regardless of whether you like them, whether you’ve ever met them, or even if you’re scared of them. Sometimes—" I swallowed nervously, the thought making my stomach twist, "—sometimes, people are actually forced into it. They have no choice, no escape. It could also be the king who makes sure the marriage takes place, and it’s very common for nobles in the human realm. Most of them are married into families they do not like and are trapped in marriages they don’t even want to be in. But yeah... that’s basically it." I told them.

For a moment, the office was silent. Then, slowly, Rin and Morthen’s eyes widened.

Rin’s eyes looked like they could swallow all the darkness in the office, and I’m not kidding—it seemed like her eyes even got darker.

Morthen’s compound eyes expanded in shock, each lens taking up more of his facial real estate until he looked almost like a different creature entirely. His hand flew to his chest instinctively. "Forced... into... marriage? Oh my!" he murmured, each word punctuated with disbelief.

Rin’s lips parted, a faint tremor running through her voice. "So... that’s... that’s horrible. Why would anyone—anyone—force another person to get married to someone else? Why would families even promise their children to other families? And why... why would a king himself demand that someone marry into a specific family, even if the person being made to marry doesn’t like the other? Why is that done?"

Morthen shook his head slowly, still wide-eyed. "I... I don’t understand why anyone would agree to that. Even if families pressured you, even if there was politics... why would anyone allow themselves to be bound like that? And it’s just not logical. Why... oh no."

I watched as Morthen brought out a small napkin from his breast pocket and wiped down his moth face.

I know we were talking about something else, but I was this close to laughing. I should be used to things like this by now, but I... I coughed, hiding the laugh so he wouldn’t know I was laughing at him—because, explain to me, what was a moth doing with a napkin? There was no sweat on his face.

Vaelory swallowed again, her gaze moving between the two of them. "It’s... not the same in the demon realm? You guys don’t do things like that here?" she asked.

Both Rin and Morthen shook their heads, the movement almost in unison. "No," Rin said firmly. "No marriage in the demon realm is arranged. Never. Immediately, two demons are attracted to each other—they feel it. All they have to do is propose, and that’s it. Marriage happens willingly, by choice. The king doesn’t force anything; he just needs to bless the marriage, and that’s it."

I frowned, trying to process the difference. "So that’s it? Just attraction? No... family obligations, no political promises?"

Rin shook her head again, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Of course, there are other conditions. It’s not as simple as ’like someone, marry them.’"

But that was what she insinuated before. I didn’t bother telling her that; instead, my ears had picked up something else, and I wanted to know what she meant.

"Conditions?" I asked her. "Conditions like what?"

She leaned back slightly, a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Take Lord Caleth’s wife, Lady Tyrrhenia, for example. She... well, she didn’t exactly wait for Lord Caleth to propose. She kidnapped him and locked him up."

"What?" Vaelory asked her.

"Lady Tyrrhenia kidnapped and locked Lord Caleth in a tower for three hundred years..."

Morthen cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses with a faint clink. "Three hundred—no, three hundred ninety-five and a half years," he said matter-of-factly.

Rin blinked at him, then nodded rapidly. "Right! Thank you for the correction, Morthen. I meant three hundred ninety-five and a half years. Lady Tyrrhenia... she kidnapped Lord Caleth for three hundred ninety-five and a half years before they were married."

I nodded, absorbing her words. That was better than an arranged marriage—kidnapping her husband for three hundred years and... wait a damn minute.

"What did you just say?" I asked them in shock.