Yusuke

“What are you doing?” the angel asked as I stood in front of her in a protective mode, ready to kill each and every one of the attackers surrounding us. 

“I’m protecting you,” I replied without looking at her.

As a second hybrid lunged at me, I countered with a swift kick to the stomach, propelling them into the nearby bushes. It served as a mere reminder that despite the absence of my magical abilities in the human realm, I was still far superior to both ordinary humans and demons as a result of my royal blood. 

“Tsk. Prince Yusuke is too strong,” muttered the third attacker before attempting to stab me with the knife in his hand. However, he didn’t get close enough to harm me. Instead, I landed two consecutive punches on his face with such force that he tumbled face-first onto the ground, blood pouring from his mouth and nose.

“Let’s get out of here before Prince Yusuke kills us,” the rest of the group decided and ran away, leaving their comrades behind.

I spun around, my worried gaze locking onto the angel’s. “Are you all right? Are you hurt? Did they touch you?” I held her by the shoulders, inspecting her face and body to ensure she was not injured.

Fukuyama-san shook her head. “I am fine, thanks to you,” she murmured, her lips and hands trembling a little. “Thank you for saving me.” She gave me a heartfelt smile.

I let out a relieved breath. “We need to get out of here before the three attackers I knocked down wake up.” I held her hand tightly and strode toward where my servant was waiting for me, determined to take the angel to my house and keep her there with me until I was sure she was out of danger. Whoever was the mastermind behind that attack wasn’t going to give up easily; on the contrary, I believed they were going to try again and again until they succeeded.

“Where are you taking me? What about your shoulder bag?” the angel hesitated, suspicious.

“One of my servants can get it once you are safe,” I responded, unwavering. “Your safety comes first for now.”

“But, but I—”

“Your Highness, I have awaited your return,” my servant, who typically served as my driver and butler, greeted me with a bow. When his gaze fell upon the angel next to me, he took a step back and scowled. “An angel?” He saw her true form right from the get-go.

“A demon?” Fukuyama-san’s reaction mirrored the servant’s, her eyes growing wide and her mouth hanging open in surprise. 

“I’m taking her to the mansion,” I informed Fukuo—I had finally learned his name after years of referring to him as servant number one. “Don’t ask any questions; just take us home.”

The servant glared at the angel one last time before bowing to me again. “As you wish, Your Highness.” He opened the rear passenger door, allowing me to enter the vehicle without releasing Fukuyama-san’s hand. 

“Thank you,” the angel said shyly, but the servant ignored her. 

While there might not be a real grudge between demons and angels, they weren’t exactly best friends and were not particularly fond of each other. They could be respectful and avoid unnecessary confrontations, but as far as I knew, they weren’t comfortable together. Hence, I didn’t scold the servant for his rude behavior toward the angel.

“Where are we going?” Fukuyama-san asked me once we were settled in the back seat and the car started moving through the busy streets. 

“To my mansion,” I responded, staring out the window, avoiding eye contact with the beautiful girl whose interlaced fingers with mine sent tingles down my spine. 

“But I do not want to go to your mansion,” she retorted, a panicked look on her face. “I want to go to my apartment.”

“Why?”

“Because you are a de—” She stopped and closed her mouth, her eyebrows knitting together in hesitation.

I glanced at her, my lips curving into a smug smile. “A demon?” I completed the sentence, amused that after all the signs, she still held back when revealing our true identities. 

She nodded. “Yes. By the way, why did the attackers call you Prince Yusuke and your servant called you Your Highness? Who are you?” She stared at me intensely.

“How preposterous of you to inquire of Prince Yusuke in such a manner,” the servant-slash driver snapped, glaring daggers at the angel through the rearview mirror. “That only substantiates the notion that all angels are scoundrels and lack proper education,” he added, his teeth gritting with rage.

“Oh, please accept my sincere apologies.” The angel gracefully bowed her head to both the servant and me. 

“Fukuo, don’t you dare speak to the Angel Princess that way,” I scolded the servant immediately, annoyed. “She’s one of my friends, and you need to respect her as such.”

“Angel Princess?” the servant gasped in disbelief. 

“Wait a minute. How do you know I am the Angel Princess?” Fukuyama-san frowned at me, confused. “I suspected you saw my angel form when we first met, but I did not imagine that you had figured out I am a princess.” 

I snorted, “Of course, I know you are the Angel Princess. What kind of Demon Crown Prince would I be if I didn’t?” 

“Demon Crown Prince? Are you the Demon Crown Prince? Are you really the Demon Crown Prince?” The shock in her voice and eyes caused me to laugh. 

She’s so cute.

I sensed that the servant was about to say something rude to the angel again, so I warned him to keep his mouth shut in advance. “Quiet, Fukuo. Don’t make me punish you for being so insolent toward my friend.” 

Fukuo nodded in silence, but not without shooting another murderous glare at the angel through the rearview mirror, his hostility making me wonder for a split second if he was involved in the attacks in the angel realm somehow. 

No, no. That’s absurd. Fukuo didn’t even know that Nami was a princess until a minute ago.

“How did you know I am the Angel Princess?” Fukuyama-san squeezed my hand, indicating that she was speaking with me.

I pointed at her back, tracing the shape of a wing in the air. “The color of your wings gave you away.”

“The color of my wings?”

I nodded. “Yes. Only the members of the Angel Royal Family have light blue wings, isn’t that correct? Furthermore, my parents warned me that the Angel Princess was living in Tokyo to get away from the attacks in her kingdom.” I shrugged, smiling softly. “I just had to put two and two together to figure out that you are Princess Nami.”

Her mouth formed an “o” shape as she gazed at me. “If the Demon King and Demon Queen informed you about my whereabouts, it means that the demons are aware of my current location…” She flinched, worry flickering in her eyes. “That partially explains the attack back at the school, but why would humans target me? I do not understand.” 

“Those who attacked weren’t entirely humans, Nami. They were half-human and half-demon. We refer to them as hybrids in the Kingdom of Demons.”

“Half-human and half-demon?” She looked like she had been struck by a lightning bolt as her entire body shook and an inexplicable expression of horror formed on her face. “I did not even know they existed.”

I ran my free hand through my hair. “They do.”

“But even so, why could I not see their demon forms? They do have one, right?” 

Figuratively speaking, I could almost see smoke coming out of her head as her brain struggled to grasp the contents of what I was telling her.

She really is so cute.

I chuckled, patting her on the head. “You look super confused.”

She rolled her eyes and puffed out her cheeks, pouting, “I am super confused.”

The servant interrupted, “Prince Yusuke, may I inquire if this young lady is truly the Angel Princess? Her demeanor appears somewhat lacking in the discernment expected of one in such a noble position.” 

“Hey,” the angel complained, glaring at the back of his head.

I chuckled again. “Please, ignore my insolent servant, Princess Nami.” I leaned forward just enough to meet the servant’s eyes. “As for you, your punishment will be decided once we arrive at the mansion.”

“Punishment? My deepest apologies, Your Highness. I implore you, do not cast me back to the Kingdom of Demons.” Fukuo’s response was frantic.

I scoffed, “I’m the one who will decide on a suitable punishment for you.” With that, I returned to my previous position in the seat.

“Where are we?” Fukuyama-san gaped out the window. “I do not recognize these streets at all.”

“As I said, we’re heading to my mansion.”

“And as I retorted, I do not want to go to your mansion. I want to go to my apartment,” she clapped back, irritated. 

I sighed, “Fine. We’re going to your apartment. Where is it located?”

The angel cringed. “I do not know its address.”

“You don’t know where you live?” I gasped, shocked. “How is that even possible?”

She narrowed her eyes and took her smartphone out of her shoulder bag. Then, she opened a map application and showed me the part where a red pin was located. She tapped on the screen and said, “I live here.”

I grabbed the device from her hand and handed it to the servant when he stopped the car at a traffic light. “Take us to the address on the phone.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the servant complied immediately, probably still sulking at the prospect of being punished by me. 

“Thank you.” The angel smiled when I gave her back her smartphone, which she immediately put into her shoulder bag. “Can you please explain to me why I was not able to see the attackers’ demon form? I saw yours and your servant’s.”

“When humans have offspring with demons in the human realm, their human blood prevails; hence, their real form manifests as human. While they do have a demon form and the ability to create portals to the demon realm, they are not permitted to reside there because they aren’t recognized as true demons,” I explained. 

“What if they are born in the demon realm? Does that affect their fate?” she questioned, her interest piqued. 

“Yes, it does. If hybrids are born in the demon realm, their demon blood is stronger, and they’re officially recognized as demons. Regardless of their place of birth, hybrids can wield magic when in the Kingdom of Demons, although they’re significantly weaker compared to pure-blooded demons for obvious reasons.”

“Does that rule apply to angels as well?” Fukuyama-san asked, her innocence urging me to envelop her fragile frame in my arms and never let go.

“I believe so, although if I’m being completely honest, I can’t say for certain because I’ve never heard of any cases of angels having offspring with humans.”

The angel stroked her chin, looking pensive. “Hmm, it is true. I do not recall learning from my teachers in the Kingdom of Angels about angels being romantically involved with humans. As far as I am aware, the practice is not even allowed.”

“Angels are particularly rigid when it comes to keeping the angel blood pure,” I commented, an annoying voice in the back of my head telling me to give up on the girl next to me because I would never have the chance to court her as a prince would do with a princess. 

Fukuyama-san slumped her shoulders, dejected. “I spent my entire life within the castle’s walls, studying with the best teachers in the kingdom, and yet, as my days here in Tokyo pass by, I learn that I am oblivious to the simplest matters. I guess now I get why my brothers insist that my living here will be a unique experience for my growth as an angel and as a princess.”

“You spent your entire life in the castle? You didn’t attend the Royal School with other Angel Nobles?” I gaped at her, flabbergasted. 

She shot me a sad smile. “No, I did not. My parents never allowed me to leave the castle’s premises. I do not have any angel friends, and I have never visited the cities in the kingdom.”

My jaw dropped to the floor. To say that I was aghast was an understatement. What kind of life was the princess leading up until she went to Tokyo? 

No wonder she’s quiet, introverted, and doesn’t care about anything and anyone. I don’t blame her for being on guard all the time. 

“Anyway, I am glad to have moved to Tokyo, especially now that I have my guardian with me in the apartment. This country is certainly different from the Kingdom of Angels,” the angel remarked, grinning.

I blinked a couple of times, my eyes wide. “Do you think Tokyo is a country?”

She mimicked my reaction back. “Is it not?”

The servant snorted from the driver's seat.

I tilted my head to the side, unable to contain the smile forming on my lips as I replied, “Tokyo is the capital city of Japan and a metropolis. Unlike the angel and demon realms, whose only countries are the kingdoms we are from, the human realm is enormous and has several countries with residents who speak in different dialects, have different customs, physical appearances, and so on.”

“So, Aichi-ken is…?” She trailed off.

“It’s a prefecture in Japan.”

Fukuyama-san’s expression was priceless—she was shocked, embarrassed, and enraged at the same time. “That is it,” she began, her voice rising. “I will complain to Father and Mother when I visit the Kingdom of Angels. It is absolutely unpardonable that my instructor did not even bother to teach me the most basic geography of the human realm. I feel so unintelligent right now.” She covered her face with her free hand and let out a frustrated sigh.

I patted her on the head, sympathetic to her situation. “Don’t fret, Princess Nami. I will teach you everything you need to know.”

She uncovered her face and looked at me, our eyes boring into each other’s. As her cheeks blushed, she mumbled, “Thank you.” Then, furrowing her eyebrows, she asked, “But how come angels and demons speak Japan’s dialect specifically if the human realm has other countries?”

Happy to be useful to her somehow, I eagerly explained, “It has something to do with the Peace Pact between angels and demons. The pact was signed here in Tokyo under the suggestion of both kings at the time, as it was considered neutral ground. As business with humans from this city began to be established, it was decided that future generations would learn to speak Japanese regardless of whether they would come here someday.”

Fukuyama-san nodded, her countenance calm. “I understand now. Thank you for explaining it to me, and apologies for being so misinformed.” 

I cupped her face and leaned in, battling the urge to connect our lips. “I’ll protect you, Princess Nami. As the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Demons, I promise to keep you safe.”

She inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, and pulled away from me, leaving me with a sense of longing. 

Against all odds and common sense, I found myself under the angel’s dangerous spell, on the verge of committing an act that I would never be able to take back. 

I can’t and mustn’t fall for her. 

But what if it was already too late?

* * *