Chương 97: "Chapter 97: Gloria's New Life and New Upsets"
Gloria's day started just like the past few days. She woke up in Alex's arms. It had all begun when she suggested they watch a TV show she liked. She wasn't surprised that Alex hadn't seen any films or shows from this world, given that he was from a world of magic.
They sat down to watch, and soon Gloria forgot about the exhaustion from her long workday, fully immersing herself in the show. She didn't even notice when she fell asleep, resting her head on Alex's shoulder. When she woke up the next morning, she found herself in his arms again.
At first, she felt a wave of embarrassment, but it quickly gave way to a sense of peace. The warmth and security she had been seeking for so long filled her soul. "Just a little longer," Gloria thought as she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.
Later that evening, she had to leave for her night shift. Before leaving, she warned Alex to be careful. When she returned home early in the morning, she had no idea what awaited her.
As she opened the door, she froze at the sight of the chaos that had taken over her apartment: mechanical parts and pieces of some kind of weapon were scattered everywhere. Her fatigue instantly vanished.
All she wanted at that moment was for Alex to explain what on earth had happened in her home. When she saw him sitting thoughtfully on the couch, examining something that looked like a robot, Gloria was ready to explode.
But before she could start yelling, Alex raised his hand, trying to stop her outburst.
"Gloria, wait before you start yelling. Let me introduce you to GIR—your personal protection robot," Alex said, pointing to the robot lying on the table, powered off.
Gloria glanced at what Alex called a "robot." On the outside, it looked fragile and tiny—nothing like a serious "protector." Her doubts instantly surfaced.
How could a mage, even a talented one, know so much about technology? Even if Alex had mastered local devices, creating a protection robot seemed utterly impossible.
"Alright, let's hear how you're going to explain all this mess and your 'robot,'" Gloria said sternly, crossing her arms.
She couldn't stand clutter. Even when her son David was alive, she always made him clean up after himself, and this time was no different. Walking over to the couch, she took off her old yellow jacket, a keepsake from her late husband, a police officer who had died on duty, and sat down in a spot free of parts. She stared intently at Alex, waiting for his explanation.
"I'm ready to hear your excuses," she said firmly, throwing him a stern look.
Alex gave a nervous smile, his gaze shifting to the robot lying on the table. It was a look he had seen many times from Hephaestus when she visited his workshop and saw the mess. She always reminded him of the importance of maintaining order, especially while working. Swallowing his discomfort, Alex decided to activate the robot.
"Alright, little guy, don't let me down. I don't want Gloria to start yelling even more," he muttered, pressing the activation button.
The robot's eyes lit up, and it began its boot-up process.
"Running primary function check... loading... loading complete," a metallic voice announced.
The robot slowly got to its feet, looked around, and its eyes locked onto Gloria. After a moment, it loudly declared:
"Protection target: Gloria Martinez. Confirmed. Initiating protection protocol."
Alex exhaled in relief and theatrically wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead. Everything worked. Now, he just needed to teach the robot to behave more naturally, so it wouldn't seem like one of those mechanical heroes from old movies.
Gloria, on the other hand, eyed the tiny creature with skepticism, the one that had just declared itself her protector.
"Seriously? This little robot is supposed to protect me?" she asked incredulously, looking at Alex.
Alex sat next to her and took her hand, a gesture that had already become familiar to them. She liked this quiet display of affection, though she wasn't ready to admit it.
"Listen, Gloria. This robot can actually be a great protector. It's equipped with an AI chip that allows it to learn and adapt. It's still new, but soon it'll become a real pro," Alex said, smiling at her with confidence.
Gloria glanced skeptically at the robot but didn't want to disappoint Alex, who was clearly trying his best to protect her. So she decided to wait and see how it would turn out. Her heart warmed as she watched Alex sincerely striving to help. He was the only one who cared for her like this in this world.
Even her coworkers had only offered obligatory condolences and quickly forgotten about her loss. Her boss, who she had asked for time off to say goodbye to her son, had denied her the days and even threatened to dock her pay for "absenteeism."
"Alright, let's see how your protector robot handles things," Gloria said with a smile, noticing Alex's enthusiasm.
Alex was delighted by her agreement, but his joy was immediately replaced by concern after her cold remark:
"But first, clean up this mess you made," Gloria said, frowning, her voice firm and uncompromising.
Alex nodded and immediately got to work cleaning up. All the while, the robot didn't take its eyes off Gloria, tracking her every move. It made her a bit uneasy, but also curious. She reached out and cautiously touched the robot's metallic head. To her surprise, the surface wasn't cold and hard as she had expected, but smooth and warm.
"Well, nice to meet you," Gloria said, pulling her hand back.
"Affirmative," the robot's mechanical voice responded.
Gloria sighed, watching as Alex quickly tidied up the apartment using magic. She couldn't help but feel a pang of envy for his abilities. Everything that seemed difficult to her was just a matter of minutes for him.
She needed something to eat and then to get some sleep, so after ordering food, she sat down at the table with Alex. As they ate, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that the robot remained standing still, staring at her.
"I think you should do something about its appearance. It stands out too much," Gloria suggested, pointing at the robot with her fork.
Alex glanced at it and realized she was right. The robot did look strange and even a bit ridiculous. He already had a plan in mind for how to change its appearance, inspired by robots from the cartoons of his childhood.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," he said, giving her a thumbs up.
Gloria nodded and returned to her meal. After dinner, she was so tired that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Seeing this, Alex quickly finished creating the new costume for the robot. After a few attempts to dress it, the robot finally looked the way Alex had envisioned: cute and funny, with a goofy expression.
"Much better," Alex whispered softly, so as not to wake Gloria.
Leaving a note in case she woke up before him, Alex headed off to work, as he needed to earn money to help Gloria achieve her dream of reaching the Moon. Gloria slept longer than usual. When she finally woke up and opened her eyes, the room was dark.
She turned onto her side and saw a pair of glowing eyes staring at her from the darkness. Her heart froze in fear. Quickly turning on the light, she found herself facing a robot, which now looked like a green dog with a pink tongue hanging out of its mouth.
"Phew, you almost scared me to death," Gloria muttered, calming her pounding heart.
Looking over the robot's new appearance, she was pleasantly surprised by how cute it looked.
"Is this your new form? I must admit, it's adorable," she said, smiling.
"Affirmative," the robot replied with a nod.
Gloria shook her head, chuckling at his straightforwardness. Then she noticed a note from Alex, saying he had gone to work. Time had flown by, and realizing it was already late evening, she felt hungry.
Gloria was about to call Alex, but at that moment, he returned home. Together, they ordered food, and Gloria decided to watch the series she hadn't finished the night before.
The next day, Alex suggested giving the robot access to the internet to speed up its learning process. However, Gloria wasn't sure it was a good idea.
"I don't think that's wise," she said, squinting skeptically. "The internet is full of things that could turn this robot into a threat."
"It'll be fine. He'll become smarter and more efficient," Alex assured her with a smile.
Gloria looked at Alex with distrust, as he kept insisting that everything would be alright if the self-learning robot got internet access. But her doubts were soon justified.
A few days later, coming home from work, she walked in on a strange scene: the robot, with a goofy expression on its face, was standing opposite Alex, who looked as if all his energy had been drained. His brows were furrowed, and his eye was twitching from exhaustion.
"Alex, what happened to you?" Gloria asked, noticing his worn-out look.
Alex slowly shifted his gaze to Gloria, unsure how to explain what had happened. The robot had been dancing and singing the same song all day long. When it saw Gloria, it suddenly perked up. Its eyes lit up, and it rushed toward her, shouting:
"MOM!" the robot exclaimed, hugging her leg.
Gloria raised an eyebrow, wondering why the robot was calling her mom. When she had left, it was perfectly normal, immersed in learning from the internet. Now, standing before her was something that stirred mixed feelings.
She glanced at Alex, expecting an explanation. Seeing that Gloria had finally returned and saved him from the robot, Alex smiled in relief.
"You were right. I shouldn't have given him internet access," Alex admitted, trying to maintain some composure.
Gloria silently waited for him to explain what had happened. Alex told her how it all started—how the robot, after gaining internet access, began developing its behavior. As a joke, Alex had shown it a dance, and as a result, the robot danced all day, repeating the same moves.
"I told you... But why is he calling me mom?" Gloria asked, looking at the robot in surprise.
Alex looked away in embarrassment.
"Well... that kind of just happened. I made a joke, and he took it seriously," he said, nervously running his hand through his hair. "By the way, he has a name now—GIR. It just felt wrong to keep calling him 'robot protector' all the time."
Gloria sighed, realizing she'd have to get used to these new oddities. She sat on the couch next to Alex, resting her head on his shoulder as she'd gotten used to in recent days. The robot—now GIR—continued staring at her intently, as if waiting for something.
"Do you need something, GIR?" she asked.
GIR nodded and suddenly began to dance the very dance that Alex had shown him, accompanied by the song:
"Hey buggy buggy bam bam, let's go body body boom boom!"
Gloria unexpectedly enjoyed the performance. When GIR finished, he looked at her again, waiting for her reaction. Gloria smiled.
"Well done, GIR. I'm proud of you," she praised the robot.
GIR threw his arms up in victory and, like a pleased child, started to do a little dance in place. Gloria, feeling a sudden rush of affection, hugged Alex's arm and momentarily thought, "It feels like we have a child now." Her cheeks flushed at the thought.
Ever since GIR began to show lively emotions, he even seemed to "sleep," choosing Alex's pillow for that, forcing Alex to find another place to rest.
Gloria suggested they sleep together on the couch, and although she was initially embarrassed, she soon got used to waking up in his embrace, feeling comforted by it. Alex also began to realize that their relationship had moved to a new level, even though they hadn't called each other lovers yet.
One morning, they were awakened by a phone call. It was Alex's family, which surprised Gloria—after all, Alex had claimed they were from another universe. Gloria felt a pang of jealousy when she heard the warmth with which Alex spoke to his relatives.
She wished he would talk to her the same way but pushed those thoughts aside. However, looking at his joyful face, she realized she had become much more attached to him than she had thought.
Alex offered to introduce her to his family. Gloria was nervous at first, but he assured her they would welcome her. When it turned out she would be meeting goddesses, Gloria nearly lost her voice. She expected majestic and stern beings, but upon seeing them, she realized they were quite friendly.
"They even seem approachable," she thought as Alex introduced them one by one.
Now, Gloria had no doubt—her life had changed forever.
Gloria watched in admiration as Alex introduced the goddesses. Each of them was unique in their own way, but she was particularly struck by the goddess with silver hair named Freya. She literally embodied beauty, and even through the screen, Gloria could feel her incredible charm.
"She must be even more beautiful in reality," Gloria thought, observing Freya's gentle smile.
Then Alex pointed to the goddess with black hair. Upon seeing her, Gloria couldn't help but draw parallels with her acquaintance—Rebecca. Only Hestia looked innocent and kind, whereas Rebecca was the embodiment of chaos in the guise of a sweet girl.
Next, Alex introduced Loki, the goddess with red hair, who smiled slyly and mischievously. Gloria watched in surprise as Hestia and Loki immediately began to bicker after exchanging greetings. Alex calmly explained that this behavior was normal for them, and everyone in the house had long since gotten used to these quarrels.
Gloria mentally revised her opinion of Hestia, realizing that she indeed reminded her of Rebecca.
The last to be introduced was Hephaestus. At first glance, she seemed the sternest of them all, but a little later, Gloria noticed kindness and care in her gaze.
When Alex finished introducing all the goddesses, he unexpectedly received a phone call and left the room, leaving Gloria alone with the projections of these majestic beings.
Gloria instantly became nervous. Despite the fact that they were merely projections, she felt the pressure of their presence. Her internal tension only dissipated when Freya spoke in her soft, soothing voice:
"Don't worry, we don't bite. Moreover, we are very grateful to you for helping Alex in your world."
Freya's tone was so sincere and kind that Gloria relaxed a little and took a deep breath to gather her thoughts. She smiled gently and decided to speak with the goddesses as calmly as possible.
"As you already know, my name is Gloria," she repeated, introducing herself once more.
"Nice to meet you, Gloria," Hephaestus said kindly. "Tell us how you met Alex? He always skips the most interesting details."
Gloria began her story about the day her life changed. She spoke of the pain of loss, how she lost her son, and the loneliness that lasted until she met Alex.
The goddesses listened to her with empathy. Knowing the nature of human pain and suffering, they understood what Gloria had been through. They all recognized how important Alex had been in her life at that moment.
"I'm so sorry to hear that, Gloria," Freya said softly, her gaze filled with compassion. "I admire how you've managed to cope."
Gloria shook her head, denying it: "If it weren't for Alex, I don't know what would have happened to me."
The goddesses understood perfectly why Gloria said that. Without support during difficult times, most people get lost in their grief. They need someone to lean on and help them move forward.
"You're not the first one Alex has helped," Hestia added with a smile. "He's already told you about Lily and Haruhime, right?"
"Yes, I think he mentioned them," Gloria replied uncertainly, trying to recall their names.
"He helped both girls get through their dark times," Hephaestus said, remembering how Alex had trained with Lily and Haruhime, helping them grow stronger.
Gloria became interested in these girls and wanted to learn more about them from the goddesses, but just then, Alex returned after his conversation on the communicator, announcing that he had work to do.
She noticed that Alex had been working too much lately. Every time she woke up, he was already on his feet, either tending to tasks or assembling various devices. It seemed like he hardly rested at all.
And so, just as he was about to leave, Gloria did something she hadn't expected from herself. Whether it was a reaction to meeting the goddesses or her overwhelming feelings took over, she walked up to Alex, helped him put on his coat, and, feeling a bit shy, kissed him on the cheek, wishing him to be careful.
Alex smiled, and Gloria felt a warm, pleasant sensation fill her heart. When he left, she realized that her action now embarrassed her even more than she had anticipated.
"How awkward," she thought, covering her face with her hands, but inside, a warm sense of satisfaction spread through her.
The goddesses noticed Gloria's embarrassment and couldn't help but smile. They had long been accustomed to how girls reacted to Alex, and the sight of such bewilderment reminded them of days gone by.
For those who had been living in his house for a long time, Alex's everyday displays of affection had become mundane—one only had to look away for a moment, and someone would already be sitting in his lap or resting their head on his shoulder.
Hearing the cheerful laughter of the goddesses, Gloria removed her hands from her face, but her embarrassment only intensified.
"Oh, dear Gloria, there's no need to be shy. You're not the first to fall under his charm. Even we, the goddesses, have found ourselves unable to resist, " Freya said with a gentle smile, tenderly touching her cheek.
"What do you mean? " Gloria asked in confusion.
"Didn't you know? " Freya asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.
Gloria shook her head, clearly not understanding what was being discussed. The goddesses exchanged silent glances, as if they were discussing something without words.
This heightened her suspicions: she felt that there was more between Alex and these women than she had imagined.
Freya sighed heavily, realizing that Alex had once again managed to keep quiet about something. Now, she had to explain to Gloria without ruining her budding feelings. Freya saw in Gloria a good woman who could fit beautifully into their shared life.
"We four are engaged to Alex. And before you say anything, I want to point out: we don't mind that he might have other girls. You're not the first to have feelings for him, " Freya said, showing the ring on her ring finger.
The other goddesses followed her example, revealing their rings as well. Gloria froze in shock. Her mind was racing with thoughts, and she didn't know how to find the words to express her feelings. A whirlwind of thoughts raced through her head: should she hope for Alex's love? After all, she was a grown woman, had been married, and had experienced the loss of a son.
Noticing Gloria's confusion, Freya continued in a soft but wise tone:
"I am the goddess of love, and I don't need to be next to you to understand: you love Alex. My advice to you is not to deny these feelings. If you suppress them, one day you might regret it. I have seen too many people who couldn't accept their love, and their stories rarely ended well. "
Gloria wanted to object, but she pondered Freya's words. Gradually, she realized that her feelings for Alex were indeed more than just gratitude. He had helped her overcome the pain of loss, making her life vibrant and full of events again.
Even the little things, like the dancing robot dog GIR, which constantly entertained her, brought her joy. A determination appeared in her eyes.
"I'm glad you were able to accept this, " Freya remarked, seeing Gloria's gaze become more confident.
Embarrassed by such a direct conversation, Gloria decided to change the subject and asked a question that had long intrigued her:
"Alex mentioned that he helped the girls take revenge to heal their emotional wounds. Is that true? "
After her words, the goddesses exchanged glances, and Hestia sighed with a smirk.
"Yes, he helped them take revenge. But there were some... consequences, " Hephaestus said wearily, rubbing her forehead as if recalling unpleasant moments.
"What consequences?" Gloria frowned slightly, intrigued.
"Everything would have been fine if he had just stopped at revenge. But, as usual, he couldn't help himself and decided to create a cult... of the Pasta Monster. In the end, a squad was organized to capture Alex and the girls who were helping him, " Hestia said with irritation, her eyelid twitching nervously at the memory.
"He mentioned something about that cult... He said they were just correcting bad people, " Gloria said uncertainly, recalling Alex's words.
"Don't believe everything he says. It was more for his amusement, and punishing bad people was just a side effect, " Hephaestus added with a tired smile. "But please, don't let him create something like that in your world. You are the only one who can stop him. "
Gloria nodded, promising to do everything possible to stop Alex, although she still didn't fully understand what this "cult" would be.
Hephaestus noticed that Gloria nodded in agreement to try to talk Alex out of creating yet another cult if that thought crossed his mind again. After that, the conversation became more relaxed.
The goddesses began to share stories about their first meetings with Alex, recounting how they spent time with him and how they admired his kind nature and desire to protect his family from any threats. Everything went smoothly until one of the goddesses let something slip.
"He's so kind; it's hard to believe he's the Demon King, " Loki suddenly said without thinking.
Gloria, who had been listening with a smile and asking questions, instantly froze in place. Loki's words echoed in her mind, and she couldn't immediately grasp their meaning. Realizing she had inadvertently spilled the beans, Loki shot an apologetic glance at Gloria.
At that moment, the other goddesses stared at her disapprovingly, as if they all understood that they would now have to smooth over this situation somehow. Loki wanted to apologize but knew that the truth could no longer be hidden. Now, it was necessary to help Gloria accept it.
Freya was the first to speak up, noticing that Gloria was in shock: "He didn't tell you who he really is?" she asked gently.
"He said he was a wizard... and even demonstrated some trick, " Gloria replied slowly, still trying to comprehend that she had been living under the same roof as a demon all this time.
Freya sighed heavily. It became clear to her that Alex, as usual, preferred not to reveal the whole truth, which could lead to misunderstandings and possibly destroy the trust between him and Gloria.
"Listen, Gloria, " Hestia interjected. "I understand how you feel right now. In our world, demons are depicted as something terrible, sinister. But think about how Alex has been with you. Has he ever acted like the demon described in the legends? Accept him for who he is, not for who you've been taught to fear. "
Gloria pondered, recalling all the moments spent with Alex. He didn't resemble the evil demon described in the books. He was caring, kind, always ready to help and protect. He not only saved her but also restored meaning to her life; he was a source of light and support for her.
She remembered how he helped Valeria, who was being sold into slavery, and numerous other instances where Alex showed his humanity.
"But why didn't he tell me?" she quietly asked, looking up at the goddesses.
"How would you have reacted if he had told you right away that he was a demon?" Hephaestus replied with a question. "If you had found out earlier, before you saw who he really was?"
Gloria sighed and thought. If she had known at the very beginning, she would undoubtedly have been scared and would not have given him a chance.
"I would probably have been scared," she admitted.
"See?" Freya continued. "Don't fixate on his nature. What matters is how he treats you. When he returns, just ask him, and you'll understand that demons come in different forms. Not all of them are as they're portrayed."
Gloria nodded, realizing that her fear of demons was fueled by books and prejudices. In real life, people can sometimes be much worse than the beings they fear.
The conversation with the goddesses helped her calm down a bit, and although thoughts of Alex's identity hadn't fully left her mind, she felt grateful to the goddesses for their support.
As she said goodbye to the goddesses, Gloria looked out the window. It was already night, and time had passed unnoticed. She brewed herself some coffee, deciding to wait for Alex to ask him questions in person. When the door finally opened and Alex entered the house, Gloria couldn't hold back and blurted out:
"Why didn't you tell me you were the Demon King?"
She wanted to ask calmly, but her excitement got the better of her. Seeing Alex turn pale, she realized that she might have made a mistake by shouting it out so suddenly.
But she was even more surprised when she noticed two girls standing behind him. Now Gloria understood—she had created new problems for Alex by exposing the truth about his identity to everyone.
To be continued...
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
GreedHunter
GreedHunter Another day and another chapter. I thought for a long time about how to make Gloria discover Alex's identity. I concluded that it would be better for her to find out by chance before Alex decides to tell her everything about himself at some point. Your comments are my motivation to keep writing. Enjoy reading!
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực