The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 286

Chloe looked at the photograph on the desk. Tears filled her eyes.

“…Bad man.”

The photograph showed Henderson and Chloe.

They were both just normal people.

Henderson was born in Lawrence. Like other children, he helped with farm work from a young age, living a normal life.

Like many people, Henderson’s marriage to Chloe was arranged by their parents.

They accepted each other.

They had a child.

They built a family.

And, like water slowly boiling, their feelings for each other deepened.

Henderson sometimes joked about wanting to be a ‘soldier’ instead of a farmer. But Chloe thought it was just a passing thought.

Then the conflict between Lawrence and Barco started.

Everyone felt that Lawrence needed soldiers to survive. Henderson agreed and went into the streets with his friends, carrying simple weapons.

If only she had stopped him then.

Would Henderson still be alive?

She had replayed the past events many times. But Chloe didn’t think Henderson had made the wrong choice.

‘You looked genuinely happy.’

Henderson was accepted as a private for Dimitri. When he returned from his first leave, he was a changed person.

His face was sharper, and his hands, which had calluses from farm work, now had new calluses from holding a sword.

Henderson excitedly told her how happy he was in Dimitri.

The pay was much, much better than farming. At first, he struggled to keep up with the others, but now he enjoyed the swordsmanship training.

It was good to see.

His smile was genuine.

He was happy.

It was hard having her husband away so often. But when Henderson returned home, he was devoted to her and their son.

Meanwhile, Dimitri’s reputation grew.

He helped defeat Barco and fought bravely in the south. Henderson became famous in the nearby villages.

“Chloe. I really respect Lord Roman Dimitri. He is someone who will not abandon us, even if he dies on the battlefield. So I want to become stronger. For him, and for our family.”

Before his death.

It was Henderson’s last words.

Henderson had trained hard, sacrificing sleep. He had become stronger, but that strength led to his death.

Some people said Henderson, who was born a farmer, lived a truly valuable life.

When Duke Dimitri came to express his sympathy for her loss, she burst into tears.

On the desk.

There was only one picture of them.

Henderson was holding his child, and Chloe stood beside them with her arms crossed.

Magical photographs were expensive for ordinary people. So when Henderson received a prize, he decided to find a photographer.

She had regrets.

If she had known he would die so suddenly, she would have taken many pictures of him, not just one.

Just then.

Knock knock knock.

“Ms. Chloe, are you there?”

It was a familiar voice.

Chloe opened the door, leaving her sleeping child. Chris stood outside.

It was an awkward situation.

Chris was known as cold-hearted to Dimitri’s soldiers. He drank tea with an awkward expression, facing Chloe.

Chloe had seen Chris a few times with Henderson.

But now that Henderson was dead, meeting his wife was uncomfortable for Chris.

He looked around.

Henderson’s presence was everywhere.

Although a memorial service had been held, Chloe didn’t seem ready to let go of Henderson.

Clunk.

He put down the teacup and spoke softly.

“…Henderson was a good friend. He connected people in Dimitri’s army. Because of Henderson’s sacrifice, many people survived when the Chronos Empire attacked Dimitri. We appreciate Henderson’s death. I wanted to tell you how valuable Henderson was and what his death means to us.”

Chloe smiled.

“Is that so.”

She knew she had to make Chris feel comfortable.

“Actually, I came to see you because Henderson is being honored as a Person of National Merit.”

“…A Person of National Merit?”

It was an unfamiliar term.

She understood the words, but she had never heard of such a system on the Salamander Continent. Chloe asked, “Person of National Merit? What is that?”

“Yes. The Person of National Merit is decided by our council. It’s a national program that recognizes people who have served Dimitri. The family will receive support and lifelong assistance. Henderson was a brave friend. He deserves to be recognized like this.”

Chloe looked flustered.

She tried to smile, but Chris’s words made her want to cry.

The money wasn’t important.

The fact that Dimitri valued Henderson’s life and was honoring him as a Person of National Merit overwhelmed her.

Henderson was right.

Roman Dimitri was worthy of loyalty. He didn’t let families who lost the person who provided for them fall into despair.

Chloe lowered her head, her shoulders shaking.

Hot tears streamed down Chloe’s face. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor, unable to face Chris.

‘We must show we value every life lost. Fair payment is the only way to ease their families’ pain.’

Those were Roman Dmitry’s words.

Roman Dmitry’s words echoed in Chris’s mind, taking him back to the heated meeting just yesterday about war compensation.

“Are you serious?” Baron Conrad’s voice was barely a whisper. He couldn’t believe his ears.

Roman Dmitry’s words shocked everyone in the room, not just Baron Conrad.

“War compensation is good, Lord Dmitry. We agree. But… 1 million gold? That’s a huge amount. Dmitry might not be able to afford it. Could we make it 500,000 gold instead? We could use all the money we got from the Cronos Empire for that.”

Heads nodded around the table. Everyone felt the weight of the number – 1 million gold.

One million gold. The words hung in the air, heavy and unbelievable. Just hearing the number made them gasp.

The Redford Kingdom almost collapsed under a debt of only 100,000 gold. Even Dmitry, powerful as they were, would feel the strain of giving away 1 million gold.

Usually, they agreed with Lord Dmitry without question. But this time, the amount of money was too much. Someone had to speak up.

Roman Dmitry said.

“Yes, 1 million gold is a lot, even for us. But that’s the point. The Cronos Empire gave us 500,000 gold. If we give the same amount to our people, what message does that send?”

“They’ll be grateful for 500,000 gold, yes. But they’ll also see that we just passed on the money from Cronos. I want them to know that Dmitry values their sacrifice. This 1 million gold – *our* gold – will show them that loyalty to Dmitry is always rewarded.”

“This is just the start. We’re creating a ‘National Merit’ system. We’ll help all war victims, of course. But heroes, like Henderson, will be specially remembered and rewarded. This isn’t just about money. It’s about showing that Dmitry values those who serve it. Cairo Kingdom agrees. They will use their 500,000 gold for this, and even add to it.”

“This war has cost us much. Trade with Cronos is stopped. We will face hard times. But to our people, we must show that our greatest loss is the loss of life. I’m not just talking about ideas. A strong nation is built on its people. If the people of Dmitry believe in our future, we will overcome this, and Dmitry will become even stronger.”

“We won this war! In Dmitry, no one should be left behind in sorrow. From now on, our focus is on helping our people rebuild their lives.”

His voice was strong and clear, filling the room.

Roman Dmitry spoke with certainty. He had a vision for Dmitry’s future, a vision he believed in deeply.

Everyone shouted their agreement. Even Baron Conrad, who had doubted at first, joined in, his heart now filled with conviction.

After Chris left, Chloe finally let go. Sobs wracked her body.

In the box was a small medal, engraved with the words: [National Merit Recipient, Henderson]. It was simple, made of bronze, but it gleamed softly in the dim light.

More tears came as she realized Dmitry had remembered Henderson. They hadn’t forgotten her loss.

When she first heard Henderson was dead, anger had flared in her heart. Anger at Roman Dmitry, at the war, at everything. But now, seeing this medal, hearing about the compensation… a strange thought crept in. Maybe Henderson’s death wasn’t meaningless. Maybe it was a sacrifice for something bigger, for Dmitry.

Commoner lives were hard. She knew stories of soldiers dying in wars, their families left with nothing. Nobles rarely cared. Their deaths were just… meaningless.

She’d seen it happen in other villages. When young men were forced into war, families wept, knowing the chances of their return were slim. If they did come back, they were often broken, their bodies or minds damaged. And after the war, win or lose, the nobles went on with their lives, feasting or raising taxes, while the common people suffered.

The crying wouldn’t stop.

The reward from Dmitry didn’t erase the pain of losing Henderson. Nothing could. But it did ease the bitterness she felt.

She didn’t know how long she’d been crying. Through her tear-blurred vision, she noticed a box Chris had left.

“This is the compensation for the national merit recipients. Please check it later,” Chris had said. *Compensation.* The word felt cold, empty. Could money ever truly make up for losing Henderson?

But Chloe had to be practical. She was a widow now. Her life had changed forever.

Slowly, she reached out and opened the box. She gasped. Inside, stacked high, were gold coins. Coins so bright and numerous, she’d never seen anything like it in her life.