The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 428

Ares’ betrayal was a fatal blow. The castle gates crumbled, and enemies poured in. Rodwell Dimitri stood to meet them amidst fiercely blazing flames. His presence was powerful, a wall of determination against the invaders. He seemed determined to stop every single enemy from passing. But as the battle went on, even Rodwell Dimitri began to reach his limits.

Plop.

Whirr!

He fought fiercely, his sword cutting down enemies.

Flames spread, engulfing the surrounding area. But the respite was short-lived as enemies quickly filled the space, allowing no room to breathe.

He couldn’t end it like this.

In the war against Chronos, which Roman Dimitri had always won with his own abilities, Rodwell didn’t want to be a hindrance this time.

He had to hold on.

If he could stall for time, the Luna Kingdom would arrive.

The flames swirling around Rodwell Dimitri instantly swept away the charging soldiers.

Whirr!

It was a chaotic battle.

He lost himself in the battle.

Instinctively, he slashed and dodged, not calculating in his head, but becoming a beast, rampaging wildly.

Fear flickered in the eyes of the Chronos Empire soldiers.

They were attacking because they were forced to, but Rodwell Dimitri was already perceived as a demon-like figure to them.

It was then.

Rodwell Dimitri’s keen senses picked up a very familiar voice.

“Help Rodwell Dimitri! If the gates fall, it’s over! Squad 1, follow me, focus on providing support fire!”

Boom!

Whirr!

He whipped his head around to check the castle walls and saw Flora Lawrence, who had been on the left wall, leading some troops to support the gates.

She had reported to the higher-ups and moved.

After securing the defense system on the left wall, she appealed her opinion, saying that help was needed to prevent the gates from being breached.

It was a part that had not been discussed in advance.

As a Chronos knight launched a surprise attack on Rodwell Dimitri, a fierce wind swept over the castle walls.

Thwack.

An arrow pierced his forehead.

It was Flora Lawrence.

She watched Rodwell Dimitri, quickly responding to the surrounding situation to ensure he didn’t fall.

A feeling of gratitude warmed him.

One might think it was a natural measure to win the war, but he was grateful for the thought that she recognized his situation even in this chaotic entanglement.

He turned his gaze.

It was time to focus on the reality before him.

Rodwell Dimitri gritted his teeth and charged, desperately struggling in a space swirling with blood and flames.

In the end.

He won the war like that.

But the victory came at a great cost. Rodwell Dimitri, severely injured, was immediately moved to a sickbed.

There was a downside to the glorious victory. Rodwell Dimitri and other injured soldiers were moved to sickbeds, and the number was so large that it was not enough to fill several buildings. At that time, Rodwell Dimitri’s condition was very poor. Because he fought while pushing his limits, his vitality was greatly weakened due to the aftereffects of the injuries he sustained throughout his body. He couldn’t get up for a long time.

Several days later, Rodwell Dimitri, who had barely regained consciousness, faced his mother, who burst into tears as she looked at him.

“…What a useless son I am.”

Western Front.

He lost his eyes there.

Looking at his mother, who was heartbroken looking at him, he vowed to become stronger and not inflict such pain again.

But it wasn’t like his heart.

The enemy Dimitri faced was too strong, and as he was not as strong as Roman Dimitri, he could not do anything unless he risked his life.

He stroked his mother’s hair.

Since he couldn’t promise that this would never happen again, the only thing he could do was accept his mother’s sadness.

But for several days after that, Rodwell Dimitri heard strange things. When people came to visit him in the hospital, there was a being they all mentioned in common, as if they had made an appointment.

Jonathan, the commander of the Knights, leaned over Rodwell’s bed. “Lord Rodwell,” he said, his voice serious, “that was too close. If Flora Lawrence hadn’t been so quick-thinking…”

Only then did he know.

Flora Lawrence contacted the commanders to strongly insist on her intention to support him.

As a result, it was a reasonable judgment.

Because she firmly secured the defense system on the left wall and supported the gates, the Dimitri wall did not collapse even after experiencing the variable of Ares.

It was his father, Romero Dimitri.

“The Lawrence family has sent various medicinal herbs for your treatment. They are very grateful people. I heard that Flora Lawrence went around herself and obtained them with difficulty, so say hello to them later to thank them.”

Until then, he didn’t feel anything strange.

But Rodwell Dimitri realized the commonality in the words of the therapist who came to check the wound.

“Isn’t Flora here today? Flora has been through so much. She comes every day to check the wound, and if she thinks something is wrong, she nags so much. But thanks to her, you were able to recover quickly. Oh, and Flora is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, and she often brings food for the therapists.”

While he was unconscious, Flora Lawrence was around.

Surprise flickered within him.

This made him think about Flora again. But he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Flora Lawrence was clearly Roman Dimitri’s marriage partner.

Even if the relationship was broken due to the annulment, the aristocratic society would not think of that fact as if it had never happened.

A relationship that cannot even be started.

It was the reality of Rodwell Dimitri and Flora Lawrence.

And as time went by.

When Rihanna Dimitri mentioned marriage.

Very embarrassingly, the first person that came to Rodwell Dimitri’s mind was Flora Lawrence.

The moment he realized that he had Flora Lawrence in his heart, Rodwell Dimitri fell into great confusion.

‘I have a heart that I shouldn’t have.’

Annulment.

The label that was bound to be a problem in aristocratic society, and the annulment partner was his brother, Roman Dimitri, the emperor of the Dimitri Empire.

The future of the relationship with Flora Lawrence was obvious.

People would whisper, and perhaps immoral stories would circulate, even suspecting the reason for the annulment.

He didn’t want to blame them.

Rodwell thought about his feelings. Even his brother, Roman, might not like the idea of him being with Flora, Roman’s ex-fiancée.

Rodwell thought back. How had he started to feel this way about Flora? He realized their relationship had grown slowly over time.

He and Flora had both been brave soldiers in the war against the Chronos Empire in Cairo. They fought together in many wars after that. Slowly, they started to see each other in a new way. Working together in battles, they realized they actually liked each other.

Their friendship grew stronger over the years. When Rodwell chose to lose his eyes, Flora tried to stop him. And when he fell while protecting the castle gates, she stayed with him, taking care of him until he got better.

Maybe because of the broken engagement between Flora and Roman, Rodwell and Flora tried to ignore their feelings for each other. If Roman hadn’t been involved before, their relationship might have been different from the beginning. But now, things had changed, and their feelings were not the same as before.

Rodwell knew the truth. If… just if… he could choose someone to be with, he wanted it to be Flora. Like they were together in Cairo, fighting the Chronos Empire. He felt sure that with Flora by his side, he could face any problem.

He worried all night. He knew that no one would be happy about this relationship, and Flora didn’t even know how he felt. It felt silly to be so serious about feelings that might not be real.

Later that night, Rodwell got up. He knew he couldn’t ignore his feelings anymore. He had to do something. So, he went to talk to his brother and tell him how he really felt.

Roman Dimitri said to him: “People used to call me ‘Dimitri’s Fool’. I made many mistakes. But the people who are my friends now don’t care about my past mistakes. Rodwell, my past wasn’t perfect either, but that’s all in the past. The name ‘Dimitri’s Fool’, even my broken engagement with Flora – those are old things.”

He looked at Rodwell calmly, showing he supported him. “If you want to know what I think, I trust you. Do what you think is right. No matter what you decide, and no matter what others say, you are my brother, Rodwell.”

That day, Rodwell Dimitri accepted his true feelings.

Rihanna was surprised. She had heard Rodwell’s words, but hearing the name Flora Lawrence out loud shocked her. She couldn’t just react quickly. ‘I should have guessed…’ She had actually thought something like this might be happening. She didn’t think Rodwell and Flora were already in love, but she had seen how carefully Rodwell looked after Flora, even when he was confused. It seemed like more than just friendship. Maybe Rodwell and Flora didn’t realize their own feelings, but to someone watching, it looked like something special.

Rihanna understood the problem. Their situation was difficult, and it made it hard for them to be together. Rihanna Dimitri asked, “Are you thinking about marrying Flora?”

“…These are just my feelings, and Flora might not feel the same. After you spoke, Mother, I talked to Roman, and then to Flora. Flora said that everyone knows there were problems between the Dimitri and Lawrence families before because of the broken engagement. So, she said they can’t rush into a relationship now. She also said she might not have realized my feelings if you hadn’t talked about marriage. I’m not going to ask the Lawrence family about marriage right now. I just need time to understand my own feelings better. Maybe our friendship will become something more, or maybe we will just stay friends and colleagues.”

Flora was being careful. Rodwell and Flora were just starting to explore their feelings. Rodwell was saying he needed time to see if this relationship could become something real.

Rihanna looked closely at her son. Her first thought was to say no. The Dimitri family was important, and their reputation mattered. This relationship could cause problems. But then, she remembered all the good things Flora Lawrence had done, especially in battles. She also knew Flora had helped Rodwell a lot. Actually, Flora was the kind of person Rihanna had always wanted for Rodwell. She felt that if Flora was with him, they could handle anything, even the problems in Arcadia.

She thought for a long time. Finally, Rihanna spoke calmly. “The Lawrence family helped build the Dimitri Empire. Even though there were problems in the past, it would be good for our families to be connected again. But Rodwell, you need to be very careful with Flora because of what happened before. I know Flora is going to Arcadia for two years. Use that time to figure out your relationship with her. After two years, tell me what you both decide. If you and Flora both want to be together, I will be happy for you. But if it doesn’t work out, then you will need to consider other relationships, the ones I think are suitable. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Rihanna gave in a little. If this is what her son really wanted, she would give him a chance. Even though their relationship started with a broken engagement, she didn’t want to control his feelings. Seeing how much this meant to him, Rodwell Dimitri said sincerely, “Thank you, Mother.”

Meanwhile, in the capital city of Cairo, Loren Dimitri was also getting attention, but for a different reason. While Rodwell was dealing with his personal ‘war’ of feelings, Loren’s situation was about marriage. The Dimitri family had announced, “We will not talk about marriage for Loren Dimitri until he finishes his studies at the Academy.”

Because of this, most people focused on Rodwell’s situation. But some people were clever and thought ahead. Since Loren’s marriage was on hold until graduation, they thought it would be smart to get close to him *now* and then marry him later. People started trying to get Loren’s attention quickly. Among them was a man who wanted to use the Dimitri family to improve his own life. ‘If Loren marries into our family, that would be perfect for us,’ he thought, smiling. This man believed he had a special way to get ahead of everyone else.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. “Professor, may I come in?” a voice asked.

“Yes, come in,” the professor replied. The door opened, and Loren Dimitri walked in. Professor Henry Albert, who was at the Cairo Royal Academy, smiled widely as soon as he saw Loren. “Ah, Loren! Come in, come in.”

Henry Albert often used his position as a professor to get what he wanted. And it seemed he had plans for Loren.