The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 429

It all started months ago, with a professor’s question.

Professor Bradley, who taught general education at the Cairo Royal Academy alongside Henry Albert, gave him a questioning look one day.

“Professor Henry,” he said, “is it really true you know Roman Dimitri? The stories from the Southern Front always mention you as playing a key role. Yet, you’ve never interacted with the Dimitri family here at the Academy. I’m not denying your experiences, but I can’t help but think you were just one of many present.”

Bradley was a typical aristocrat, a man who thought highly of himself. He didn’t like seeing Henry Albert rise in status because of his experiences in the Southern Front.

Thinking about it, Bradley found many things questionable.

If Henry had been so important, directly handling communications with the Cairo Royal Family, shouldn’t he still be talking to the Dimitri family now, even after the war?

Once the suspicion started, Bradley found more and more reasons to doubt Henry.

This question worried Henry Albert greatly.

Henry knew he couldn’t ignore someone questioning him.

“If Professor Bradley exposes me,” he thought, “my foundation will crumble. I’ll fall from this position as quickly as I rose.”

Professor Bradley’s words were accurate.

In reality, Henry Albert was not a significant figure. If the Dimitri family were asked, his authority as a professor would disappear instantly.

It wasn’t that he had been lying, but he had stretched the truth about his experiences. He had been on the Southern Front, after all.

Regardless, problems would arise if the truth came out.

He thought hard about how to overcome this crisis.

How could he stop people’s doubts and keep his position?

His worries grew.

Finally, he came to a conclusion.

“Professor Bradley doubts me because I went through dangerous situations with Dimitri, yet we have no connection now. If I can show that I am directly related to the Dimitri family, he wouldn’t dare to question me, regardless of the truth.”

Back then, the Dimitri family was not yet the rulers of an empire. The political situation was still chaotic, but it was clear that Dimitri was becoming a powerful force.

Especially in Cairo, Dimitri’s influence was strong, since the King of Cairo supported them. Henry needed to prove his connection this time.

“The method is simple. Instead of just being connected to Dimitri through the Southern Front, I need to make that connection a part of my life.”

The answer was clear: marriage.

There was no better way to stop the questions than to become family through marriage.

The next day, Henry Albert was teaching his class.

As the students arrived, he hid his secret plan.

“I must not reveal my intentions,” he thought. “If I push for a political marriage in the name of the Albert family, the Dimitri family will reject me, given their current status. The only way to join Albert and Dimitri is through a natural meeting. Only if a man and woman truly love each other will they consider a union with the Albert family, beyond any practical benefits.”

The truth was, the Albert family was not as important as the Dimitri family, which was attracting powerful figures from many countries who wanted to marry into it.

Pushing for a political marriage would be foolish. Knowing his place, Henry Albert planned an unusual approach.

Once all the students were seated, Henry Albert subtly looked at Lauren Dimitri and started the class with his usual expression.

“Let’s begin the class now.”

The topic was the qualities of a hero.

With articles about Roman Dimitri becoming popular, he taught a class about him.

“A hero isn’t just born in special situations. Roman Dimitri became a hero in the war on the Southern Front, which no one expected, but it started before that. The Blood Fang incident showed his courage. When others wanted to avoid trouble, Roman Dimitri boldly attacked their base and defeated them. The situation was the same, but his response was different. That’s what makes a hero…”

The class focused on Roman Dimitri’s life, highlighting things that would interest the students.

Soon, the class was ending.

Henry Albert finished the lesson and put his plan into action.

“Today’s class is over. There’s also a group assignment. Based on today’s lesson, research historical figures who lived like Roman Dimitri. They can be well-known or not. I’ll announce the groups now. Group A is… Lauren Dimitri. Emma Iris is in Group F. Thank you all for your hard work.”

He smiled gently, making it seem natural.

Emma Iris, who was in Group F with Lauren Dimitri, was Henry Albert’s cousin, a younger sister he cared for.

Henry Albert and Lauren Dimitri were quite close.

Henry Albert listened to Lauren Dimitri’s problems, and they often met outside of class.

So, it wasn’t strange for them to have dinner together. Lauren Dimitri had done well in the academy, so they made plans to celebrate.

“Thank you for everything, Professor. I think I got good grades thanks to you.”

“Really? If you think so, I’m happy,” he said, laughing.

Henry Albert genuinely smiled because Lauren Dimitri thought of him fondly.

Aside from his plans, Lauren Dimitri was a pretty girl.

Because of his values, he would have considered marrying her even if she wasn’t the third son of the Dimitri family.

But the Dimitri name held him back. Because the Albert family could not reach such heights, he couldn’t approach her in an ordinary way.

“I promise you’ll love the restaurant we’re going to. It’s become famous in Cairo for its food, so order whatever you want. I can afford it.”

He didn’t seem like a professor at all.

Professor Henry Albert was known for being serious and proper in his classes. But that was just for show. When he was alone, or with people he trusted, he was very different. In private, he dropped the serious act and showed his true personality. He was still a bit childish and liked fancy things, even though he was learning to behave in public.

A short time later, Henry arrived at the restaurant. A waiter showed him to his table, which was in a good spot. He asked the waiter for advice and ordered the chef’s special meal. As he started to chat with his student, a woman walking past suddenly stopped and stared. “Henry! Is that really you?” she exclaimed, her eyes wide.

“Elena?” Henry replied, pretending to be surprised.

It looked like a chance meeting, but it was all planned.

Elena Frank, whose father was Earl Vale, Henry’s uncle, smiled brightly, just as she had practiced. “And who is this with you?” she asked, looking at Loren.

“Ah, Elena, this is Loren Dimitri, one of my students. Loren, this is Elena Frank, from my uncle’s family,” Henry introduced them smoothly.

He made sure to introduce them simply at first, then invited Elena to join them. Soon, Elena, Loren, and Henry were eating together, and Henry watched them with a pleased smile.

Henry Albert was playing a long game. He wasn’t going to rush things. He carefully made chances for Loren to meet different women, each time in a new and interesting place. He did this on purpose. Henry wasn’t even sure what kind of woman Loren liked, so he tried many different approaches, hoping one would work. But nothing seemed to click. Meanwhile, Loren’s older brother, Rodwell Dimitri, was becoming more and more important. This made Henry feel worried. Because of this growing worry…

Henry decided to use his power as a professor. He called Loren to his office, pretending it was just a friendly chat to see how he was doing. *This is perfect,* Henry thought to himself. *Who would question a professor caring about his student?*

His plan worked. Loren seemed a little unsure at first, then sighed heavily and started to talk about what was bothering him. “Actually, Professor,” Loren began, “I’ve been feeling uneasy lately. Lots of people are suddenly very interested in me. I know it’s because the Dimitri family is more important now, and they want to marry into our family for political reasons. But it’s all so obvious and makes me uncomfortable.”

Henry Albert’s eyes narrowed slightly. *Others are interested in Loren too?* he thought, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. He spoke calmly, trying to hide his surprise.

“Loren,” Henry said, “You’re right. The Dimitri family is very powerful now, so you will get a lot of attention. This is just something you’ll have to get used to. But you don’t have to let them control you. If you meet someone you truly like, then yes, think about it. But if you don’t feel anything for them, you have every right to say no. Don’t feel pressured to marry someone just because they are interested in you.” *I need to make sure he doesn’t shut himself off completely,* Henry thought. *Otherwise, my plan will never work.*

“Actually,” Henry continued, changing the subject slightly, “at your age, it’s normal to start thinking about marriage. But instead of focusing on those who are obviously trying to court you, look around at the people you already know. You might be surprised to find you already have feelings for someone.” He made sure to sound like he was just giving friendly advice, while secretly pushing his own agenda.

Loren looked much relieved. “Thank you, Professor,” he said, smiling. “You’re right. I’ll try to be honest with my feelings and not worry too much.”

“Good,” Henry said, pleased. “How about we have lunch to celebrate our chat?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Professor,” Loren replied. “I’d love to, but I already promised to have lunch with someone else.”

A thought flashed through Henry’s mind. “Oh? Who are you meeting?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

“Amy! She’s been really helpful to me lately, so I offered to treat her to lunch.”

In that moment, Henry felt a surge of excitement. *Amy!* he thought happily. Amy was his eighth cousin, the one he had carefully arranged for Loren to meet. She was pretty, kind, and had a sweet nature. And now, Loren was meeting her on his own! This felt like a real connection, not something he had forced. He pumped his fist in his mind, trying to keep his face calm.

Hiding his excitement, Henry smiled warmly. “Okay, have a wonderful time,” he said, keeping his voice steady.

But inside, Henry Albert knew it was still too early to celebrate.

These were happy times for Henry. His career as a professor was going well, and he was thrilled to hear that Loren and Amy were seeing each other often. *If they actually become a couple,* he thought, *with the Dimitri family on my side, no one in Cairo, or even the whole Salamander Continent, will dare to challenge me!*

But life is never perfect. Just as Henry was walking to his office after class, he bumped into Professor Bradley. Professor Bradley smiled in a way that made Henry uneasy. “Professor Henry,” Bradley said, his voice smooth, “Have you heard the news? Chris of Dimitri, ‘The Flash’ himself, is coming to the academy for a cultural visit between Dimitri and Cairo. You fought alongside Sir Chris in battle, didn’t you, Professor Henry? You’ll introduce him to us, won’t you? Just a quick introduction after the official meeting, nothing too much trouble, of course.”

As Professor Bradley spoke, Henry’s heart dropped. He felt cold sweat on his back. He knew Professor Bradley was trying to trap him. If he refused, Bradley would suspect something and make his life difficult.

*I can’t avoid this,* Henry thought in panic. And before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “Of course! Like you said, Professor Bradley, Chris and I went through a lot together. A simple introduction is no problem at all.” He forced a weak smile.

Chris’s visit was only three days away. Henry’s mind raced. This was the biggest problem he had faced in his comfortable life so far.