CHAPTER 187: CHAPTER 186: MOVING DAY FROM HELL: WELCOME TO DEMON CASTLE

The coronation had ended in fire, blood, and confetti. The very next morning, Rei discovered what true despair felt like.

He wasn’t standing in the sunlit garden of his father’s ducal manor anymore. He wasn’t even in the Royal Academy dorms that he had once naively thought were "chaotic enough." No. Now, he stood at the threshold of the single most dangerous place in all of creation—an ancient fortress with spires that scraped the storm clouds, gates carved with screaming skulls, and a moat that was, for some reason, bubbling with suspiciously glowing soda.

The Demon Castle. And unfortunately for Rei, it was now his official residence.

"Move him inside!" barked Drakana, one muscular arm hauling him up like a sack of potatoes.

"I’ll lead the way," Seraphina said serenely, already holding the ceremonial keys that she had "accidentally" stolen from the Demon Queen herself.

"Rei-sama’s chamber must be properly blessed!" Lilia cried, brandishing a bucket of holy water so aggressively that even the gargoyle statues looked nervous.

"Blessed? Don’t make me laugh." Lucivella’s velvet voice cut in as she glided forward. "This castle belongs to me. He only rents space inside it... specifically inside my arms."

"I’ll prepare tea," Emilia muttered in a tone that suggested the tea might actually contain ground glass if anyone pushed her too far.

And thus, Rei—the newly branded [Demon King Candidate (Against Your Will)]—was carried across the drawbridge while screaming, his limbs flailing uselessly.

The Demon Castle’s main hall was nothing short of theatrical.

Blood-red carpets stretched endlessly down the obsidian floor. Floating chandeliers dripped with ghostly fire. Windows were stained glass mosaics depicting every major demon king in history—each one dramatically stabbing, enslaving, or dramatically smoldering at their enemies.

Rei was dumped unceremoniously in the middle.

He groaned. "I just survived my own coronation getting blown up by holy bombs, dragon breath, poison champagne, and at least three daggers aimed at my kidneys. Can’t I have one normal moving day?"

[System Notice: Error. Normal Moving Day Not Found.]

He dragged himself upright only to realize something far worse. Every single yandere bride had gathered in formation, standing proudly like conquering generals.

Lucivella raised one elegant hand. "As Demon Queen, I officially appoint myself Chief Advisor to my King."

Seraphina immediately countered, golden halo flaring behind her. "As the Kingdom’s Saintess and his rightful fiancée, I will be Chief Advisor."

Drakana slammed her clawed fist into her chest plate. "As blood-bonded dragon mate, I get to be Chief Advisor!"

Lilia slammed down her holy bucket. "As the childhood friend who knows Rei-sama’s every preference, it can only be me!"

Emilia softly set down a tea tray. "...I already filled out the paperwork. It’s me."

All eyes snapped toward her. Emilia calmly produced a scroll, sealed with the Demon Court’s black wax emblem.

"How did you—?!" Rei’s jaw dropped.

"I bribed the clerk with cupcakes," she said flatly.

[System Alert: Wife Emilia +10 cunning. Suggest avoidance of future paperwork confrontations.]

The entire castle trembled from the murderous auras clashing. At least three portraits of past Demon Kings cracked. Rei backed away slowly.

"Wait! You’re all advisors? Fine! Fine! Just... don’t kill each other, okay? We’ll have... co-Chief Advisors?"

"Co-Chief Advisors?" Lucivella purred. "How... inefficient."

"I’ll kill the others quickly," Drakana said helpfully.

"Not if I bless him with eternal devotion first!" Lilia shrieked.

Rei shoved his head into his hands. "This is my life now..."

[System Update: New Achievement Acquired → "Accidentally Created a Council of Yandere Advisors."]

It was traditional, apparently, that every high-ranking consort of the Demon King got their own luxurious chamber.

Lucivella personally led the tour, smiling with unnerving calm. "Here, my love, each chamber is a reflection of its owner’s essence."

Rei peeked into the first.

Lilia’s "room" was a cathedral—gleaming stained glass windows, pews lined with dolls that all looked suspiciously like Rei, and a giant marriage altar set directly across from her bed.

"Do you like it, Rei-sama?" she beamed. "Every night will be a holy ceremony between us!"

Rei shut the door in a panic. "Next!"

Drakana’s room was basically a dragon’s hoard. Mountains of gold coins, molten lava pits, and a bed made entirely of still-smoking dragon scales.

"Climb in with me whenever," Drakana said, flashing her fangs. "It’s fireproof. You’re fireproof now too. Probably."

"Next!" Rei squeaked.

Seraphina’s chamber was like stepping into heaven. White silk draperies floated in ethereal breezes. Choir music softly hummed from nowhere. On the walls? Giant portraits of Rei—painted shirtless, sparkly, and looking ten times more heroic than reality.

Rei stared. "...When did you commission these?"

"Three years ago," Seraphina answered innocently.

"Next!"

Emilia’s chamber was the least flashy... but far scarier. Perfectly neat shelves, a writing desk stacked with surveillance reports, and a rack of polished knives aligned by size. On the wall hung a giant flowchart titled: "Rei-sama Daily Schedule (With Contingencies for Kidnapping)."

"...Next," Rei whimpered.

Finally, Lucivella’s room. A gothic suite lined with black velvet curtains, incense smoke, and a massive canopy bed carved with demonic runes. At the far end sat a vanity mirror. In it, Rei could see... his reflection, smiling back at him far too kindly.

"Wait. Why is my reflection smiling?!" Rei panicked.

"Oh, that’s not a reflection," Lucivella murmured sweetly. "That’s the Crown’s will. It likes you."

Rei nearly fainted but then the true horror arrived.

Every single "luxurious chamber" had direct connecting passages... all leading to his own central room.

There were no doors nor locks. Just suspiciously labeled "romantic passageways."

Rei stood in his chamber at the heart of it all. Four arched passages led directly in from every direction.

Lucivella’s voice echoed silkily from the shadows. "There will be no secrets between us, my love."

Lilia popped her head in from the left. "Rei-sama! Pray with me before bed!"

Drakana’s claws scraped in from the ceiling vent. "Rei! Spar with me before sleep!"

Seraphina floated in from the right on wings of holy light. "Rei. Cuddle session."

Emilia simply walked in through the floor trapdoor. "...Dinner’s ready."

Rei screamed into a pillow.

[System Alert: Privacy = 0%. Escape Probability = -999%.]

Dinner that night was worse than the coronation battle.

Each bride had decided that her cooking would become Rei’s staple diet from now on.

The kitchen exploded into chaos.

Lilia shoved a pot of glowing soup onto the table. "Holy Love Soup! Blessed with one hundred and eight prayers!"

Drakana slammed down a charred steak still steaming with dragon fire. "Meat! Eat! You’ll grow strong enough to wrestle gods!"

Seraphina delicately placed a platter of celestial fruit salad, sparkling with light. "A balanced meal for a long and holy reign."

Emilia set down a neatly packed bento box. "...Proportioned to Rei-sama’s exact calorie requirements. Adjusted for stress."

Lucivella arrived last, carrying a glass of deep red wine. She smiled. "This is my blood. Drink."

Rei’s fork trembled in his hand. "...You expect me to eat all this?"

"Yes," they chorused.

[System Notification: New Mission Generated → "Survive Dinner Without Dying." Failure Consequence: Death.]

Rei took one cautious sip of Lilia’s soup. His tongue went numb instantly. "Is this... holy water mixed with chili oil?!"

"It burns with love!" Lilia clasped her hands piously.

Next, he tried Drakana’s steak. His teeth bounced off it like rubber. Smoke curled out of his ears.

"Good, right?!" Drakana grinned. "It’s cooked with dragon flame!"

Rei coughed out sparks. "...I think I swallowed a live coal."

Seraphina pushed her fruit salad forward. "Cleanse your body."

The fruit glowed. Rei bit down—then immediately gagged. "This tastes like light magic! Did you poison the grapes with holy essence?!"

"It’s purifying your sins," Seraphina said serenely.

Emilia silently slid her bento closer. Rei opened it. Inside was a perfectly portioned, suspiciously plain set of rice, fish, and vegetables.

"...This looks safe," Rei muttered. He took a bite. It was delicious. Tears of relief welled in his eyes. "Finally... normal food..."

Emilia’s lips curved. "...So you prefer mine."

The others erupted instantly.

Lilia slammed her ladle. "How dare you seduce Rei-sama through cooking!"

Drakana roared. "Fight me in the kitchen, maid!"

Seraphina’s halo flared. "A culinary duel, then."

Lucivella’s wine glass clinked ominously. "Perhaps I should add more poison to even the odds."

And then the kitchen became a battlefield.

Lilia was exorcising vegetables. Drakana was setting the stove on fire with her breath. Seraphina was trying to resurrect overcooked bread with divine chants. Emilia was dual-wielding knives, chopping at blinding speed.

Rei crawled under the table, clutching his one safe bento. "Why me?!"

[System Update: New Skill Unlocked → "Tactical Food Evasion Lv.1."]

By the time smoke cleared, half the kitchen was rubble. Rei was alive but barely.

After dinner, Rei thought he had finally found a safe haven: the Demon Castle’s massive bathhouse.

Steam rose from obsidian tiles. Hot springs bubbled. A moment of peace at last. Rei slipped in, closed his eyes, and sighed.

"...Finally solitude. Without any brides and system. Just... hot water."

[System Warning: Probability of Bath Intrusion = 100%.]

"...Shut up."

He leaned back against the stones, muscles finally relaxing. He was almost starting to feel human again.

Then—

Creeeak.

The door slid open.

Lilia walked in, clad in a holy silk towel. "Rei-sama! Bathing together is important for cleansing body and soul!"

Rei’s jaw dropped. "Lilia?! Why are you—?!"

Before he could finish, Drakana barged in, already stark naked, steam hissing against her scales. "Bath fight!"

"Absolutely not!" Rei shouted, sinking deeper into the water.

Seraphina floated in gracefully next, towel glowing with divine light. "I couldn’t let you bathe unsupervised."

"Supervised?! It’s a bath, not a battlefield!" Rei wailed.

Emilia appeared silently behind him, already scrubbing his back with a brush. "...You missed a spot."

Finally, the shadows darkened. Lucivella emerged in black silk that clung to her every curve. "How delightful. A family bath."

Rei’s scream echoed through the entire castle.

[System Notice: New Mission Generated → "Escape Communal Bath." Reward: Dignity (Lost).]

That night, Rei collapsed face-first on his Demon King bed. His robes were soaked, his hair smelled like soup, and his body trembled from exhaustion.

Through the four connecting passages, the brides all leaned in—smiling, glaring, glowing, purring.

Rei buried his head into the pillow and whispered, "I just wanted peace..."

[System Response: Peace Not Found. Welcome to Demon Castle.]

To be continued...