The next thing I know, I’m in my demon form, standing before my parents and, unfortunately, my cousin Orochi, whom I despise greatly.

“Good evening,” I say, smiling fondly at Dad and Mom.

“You’re finally here,” comments Dad, smiling back at me. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

“You’re so tall.” Mom hugs me tightly. “And you look so handsome.”

“Hi, Mom.” I kiss her on the cheek.

“Now that we’re all here, let’s have dinner, shall we?” Dad motions for us to sit at the massive dark marble table, where steaks are waiting for us.

“Why is Orochi here?” I ask, annoyed by the unpleasant demon’s presence.

“Uncle Hibiki invited me for dinner. How about you, Yusuke? Why are you here?” My cousin smirks.

“I’m the crown prince,” I remark, arching an eyebrow.

“I invited both of you to dinner because I need to talk to you afterward about an important matter,” Dad tells us nonchalantly.

“Yuu-kun, how was your first day as a third-grade student?” Mom changes the subject, looking super proud as she speaks to me.

The new girl’s face lingers in my mind as I respond, “It was interesting.” My lips curve into a smile.

Mom squints suspiciously. “Does that mean you have met my future daughter-in-law?”

I choke on the piece of steak I’ve just shoved into my mouth. “What? Daughter-in-law? Why would you assume that?” I take a sip of water.

“Your eyes are shining in a way that they’ve never shone before.” She chuckles. “So, who is she? When will I get to meet her?”

Dad clears his throat. “I’m glad you’re enjoying your youth with the humans, but you mustn’t forget that when the time comes, you’ll marry a nice demon lady who will bring prosperity and respect to the kingdom alongside you, Yusuke.”

Well, the girl in question is neither a human nor a demon, so…

Mom frowns at Dad. “Sweetie, I don’t agree that Yuu-kun’s queen must be a demon.”

Dad clears his throat again. “Let’s continue the discussion when the time comes.” He ends the conversation regarding my future queen, much to my relief.

My cousin sneers, “So, Yusuke, who is the girl?”

I roll my eyes. “It’s none of your business.”

Mom sighs. “When will you two get along? You were raised as brothers, after all.”

“But he isn’t and will never be my brother for real,” I grumble, regretting coming to the palace, since whatever my father has to say isn’t worth sacrificing my inner peace.

“At least we agree on this.” Orochi laughs.

“That’s enough. Let’s finish dinner.” Once again, Dad shuts us all up, bringing absolute silence to the room.

Orochi and I are cousins, but he was raised by my parents—mainly by my dad—at the palace because his own parents died in an accident, and his mother was a courtesan who didn’t want anything to do with the baby. Everyone assumes we grew up together, but in reality, we didn’t. I was sent to the human realm with Mom when I was five, whereas my cousin stayed at the palace with Dad.

To say that we have a complicated relationship is an understatement. Because of our different upbringings and clashing personalities, we only tolerate each other’s presence when absolutely necessary, out of respect for the king and queen. One of the many reasons we don’t get along is that he constantly implies I’m not fit to be the next demon king because I’ve been living in Tokyo for so long, making it clear he believes he should take my place and rule the kingdom. Although I do agree with his argument, I’m too arrogant to show my true feelings and let him have his way.

I love the Kingdom of Demons and being a demon. But I also love living in Tokyo and pretending to be a real human. How couldn’t I? The human realm has been my home for more than a decade, and while I wish I could have spent more time with my dad and attended the Royal Academy with the other demon nobles, I wouldn’t change a thing, even if I had the opportunity.

I once asked my parents why they decided that I should be in Tokyo, and they explained that they expected me to be an open-minded king who respected everyone equally, whether they were demons, humans, or angels. They also pointed out that, as an intelligent and brilliant prince, an education in the human realm would do wonders for my personality and help me acquire more great qualities.

The rest of the dinner runs smoothly, with occasional glares exchanged between Orochi and me. After dessert is served—I turn mine down because I hate sweet stuff—the four of us head to the council chamber, where most meetings are held.

“Sit,” Dad orders, pointing to the large table in the middle of the room.

Mom, Orochi, and I do as we’re told, Dad’s serious expression worrying me.

“As you’re aware, multiple attacks have been occurring lately in the Kingdom of Angels,” the king begins, his body tense, his voice grave.

“Attacks? I wasn’t aware of those,” I interject, astounded.

Orochi snorts. “And yet, you have the guts to refer to yourself as the crown prince.”

I ignore his snarky comment, my eyes fixed on my father. “Dad, do you know who is behind the attacks? Are the angels safe?”

Dad purses his lips. “Two commanders and I went to the Kingdom of Angels yesterday and had a meeting with the angel king and his right-hand men to discuss the situation and what steps we shall take from now on to prevent more fatalities. We all reached the same conclusion at the end of the day.”

“How did you manage to open a portal to the Kingdom of Angels? I thought it wasn’t possible, the same way the angels can’t open portals to the Kingdom of Demons,” I ask, confused.

He explains, “We initially met in Tokyo, and there, one of the angel commanders opened a portal to the Kingdom of Angels so that we could enter the angel realm.”

“I see. So, what conclusion did you reach?”

He takes a long, deep breath, stares at the table for a few seconds, and replies, “We believe that a group of rebellious demons, with the assistance of an angel, is behind the attacks, and they don’t intend to stop any time soon.”

My eyes grow wide, my jaw dropping to the floor.

Could an angel betray their own kingdom? Would an angel be capable of murdering one of their own?

“You look horrified,” observes Mom, peering at me. “Are you okay, Yuu-kun?”

“Dad, why would an angel betray their own kingdom? What motives would they have?” I gasp, my brain unable to process and come to terms with the information.

Orochi is the one who responds, “It’s hard to speculate about the real reason behind their atrocious actions—they could either be manipulated by the rebellious demons or simply be having some kind of distorted fun.” He sounds serious and truthful, which is rare when he talks to me.

“By the way, Yusuke, the angel king also revealed that his sister, the angel princess, has been sent to Tokyo to study and lay low for a while. I want you to be on the lookout and inform me immediately if you find her by chance.” Dad’s voice softens as he adds, “Although I have never met the princess, I don’t wish to see her harmed.”

I nod, accepting the request. “I understand, but how am I supposed to know who the princess is when I’ve never seen her before?”

The new girl’s smile pops into my mind out of nowhere, nagging at me slightly.

“Only members of the royal family have light blue wings,” Dad explains, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

I jump in my seat, the blood draining from my face as I recall the majestic light blue wings emerging from the new girl’s back when we first met.

“Yusuke, what is it? You’re pale.” Dad frowns. “Did you happen to see the angel princess in Tokyo?” 

I open my mouth to say that I suspect that, yes, the princess is, coincidentally, one of my schoolmates this year. However, as I formulate the most appropriate answer, something inside me begs me not to tell him about the new girl and the shadow of the angel I saw on her.

Before I know it, I find myself lying. “No, I didn’t. Well, at least not that I’m aware of. But wouldn’t the princess be unrecognizable in human form? And why do only the royal family have light blue wings? What about the other angels?”

Orochi snaps, “You don’t know anything, do you? Demons can see the angels’ true forms whenever and wherever; the same goes for the other way around. How stupid are you?”

I shoot him a murderous glare, doing everything I can to keep from cursing him.

What an unpleasant being.

Mom chuckles. “Yuu-kun, weren’t you paying attention when you had private lessons about the angels with your demon teacher?”

Private lessons about the angels? When did that happen?

Noticing my confusion, Mom continues, “Angel commoners have white wings. Angel nobles from the high nobility have light green wings, and angel nobles from the low nobility have light red ones. The members of the royal family have light blue wings, white or light blue hair, and dark blue or light blue eyes.”

I picture the new girl’s figure again, her long, silky white hair, light blue eyes, and sublime light blue wings convincing me that she is, in fact, the angel princess. No wonder I’ve been infatuated with her from the get-go.

“Speaking of the princess, I went to the human realm yesterday in an attempt to see her, but I was unlucky in my quest. I know my chances of actually finding her in the middle of Tokyo were slim to none, but, regardless, Uncle Hibiki, are you sure she is there? Perhaps she was sent somewhere else?” asks Orochi.

Dad shakes his head. “King Sora wouldn’t lie to me.”

“How can you be so certain of that?” insists Orochi, narrowing his eyes. “The angels aren’t trustworthy, and I hate them all.”

I can’t help but smirk. “Orochi, are you, by any chance, one of the rebellious demons behind the attacks?” I arch an eyebrow suspiciously. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if he said yes.

He smiles, looking like an evil monster. “I wish I were, but unfortunately, I’m not.”

The way he says the words and the darkness in his eyes don’t convince me. “Are you sure you’re not?”

He stays silent.

Dad scolds, “Yusuke, you shouldn’t throw such an accusation on the table. Your cousin would never do something like that.”

“So, to sum up, you were all in the human realm yesterday, and no one bothered to inform me about it,” I huff, feeling left out.

Mom raises a hand, grinning. “I wasn’t there.”

Orochi snorts. “Why would I tell you about my whereabouts?”

I glance at Dad, waiting for his excuse. However, instead, he returns to the main matter at hand. “We need to find out who the rebellious demons are and stop the attacks as quickly as possible. Our mission is to support the Kingdom of Angels however we can and show regard for the Peace Pact.”

I take in his imposing figure—red hair, green eyes, and green horns. I then glance at Mom, who has long purple hair, purple eyes, and red horns. Orochi, on the other hand, has green hair, red eyes, and black horns—he resembles my parents more than I do, which is upsetting.

“I still don’t understand why we must go out of our way to assist those losers,” my cousin grumbles, clenching his hands into fists. “They’ve never done anything to deserve our help and sympathy. We should let them die and rot.”

Dad rises to his feet and starts walking toward the door. “And that’s why you will never be the king of the Kingdom of Demons, Orochi,” he asserts without looking at us.

Orochi scowls and leaves the council chamber as well.

Mom, on the other hand, approaches me from behind the chair and wraps her arms around my neck. “I’m so happy to see that you’re thriving, Yuu-kun.”

“Why did you decide to return here last year and abandon me in Tokyo? I miss you, Mom.” I pout, puffing out my cheeks.

She chuckles. “Because you’ve grown into a fine young prince, and I thought it was time for you to get out from under my wing.” She chuckles again. “But really, who did you meet at school today who has captured your heart?” 

I grimace. “This topic again?”

“Come on; tell me. I promise you I won’t say a word to your father or Orochi,” she pesters.

I concede, unable to say no to her. “She’s the most gorgeous being I’ve ever seen in my entire life, Mom. She’s… She takes my breath away whenever I see her,” I confess, a stupid smile spreading across my face.

“Being?” She reads between the lines. “Does she happen to be the angel princess your father was talking about?”

I purse my lips, neither confirming nor denying her assumption.

Mom strokes my hair. “I’m proud of you, Yusuke. You’ll be a great king no matter whom you choose to be your queen. Come see me again soon, will you?” She drops a kiss on the top of my head, smiles, and disappears through the door.

One of the palace’s servants stops in the doorway and bows. “Your Highness, Your Majesty would like to speak with you in the study,” he informs me.

I stand up and raise my hands, channeling my magic. “Tell him that I’m going back to Tokyo because it’s a school night.”

“But—”

I step into the green portal as soon as it appears, shamelessly ignoring the king’s request and running away.

Ah, what will I do with you, angel princess?

* * *