Betrayed, I Knocked Demon Lord's Door - Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Germaine gave Leon a small, satisfied smile.
She thought, 'When it comes to relationships, having two proud, emotionally constipated people is a nightmare…
'Fortunately, Lord Radford, at least, could be honest with himself.
'Sleep well, alright? Better yet—go sleep with her already. Worst-case scenario, I would help raise the kid.'
Without a word, she calmly grabbed the blanket and wrapped Kathleen up like a burrito. Then, expression unchanged, she opened the window…
And chucked her out from the second floor. She was no help at this point—might as well toss her out before she caused more chaos.
Germaine took a slow breath, her expression returning to its usual gentle calm.
"Anyway... I think it's clear now, Lord Radford—your insomnia isn't caused by any physical issue.
"It's just… emotional. A classic case of psychological stress.
"You went through a serious crash, emotionally speaking, and it's triggered sleep problems. Happens more often than you'd think."
"Is it treatable?"
"Well, since it's not a medical condition, there's nothing I can prescribe. But... you're lucky. At your lowest, when you needed support the most, Lady Caitlyn was the one who reached out and pulled you back."
She paused, a flicker of mischief flashing in her eyes.
"As Lady Kathleen pointed out, the fact that you instinctively turned to Lady Caitlyn in that moment says a lot. It means your feelings for her run deeper than you've admitted.
"And she didn't reject you—she brought you into her home, shared her meals with you, let you live under the same roof, and looked after you in a dozen quiet ways.
"Sure, she says it's because you owe her money or whatever, but let's be honest—her actions tell a different story.
It's that care you've come to rely on. She's become your emotional anchor. That's why just a simple head pat from her is enough to calm your mind and help you sleep."
Leon went completely quiet, caught in a spiral of self-reflection.
The more he thought about it, the more unnerved he became. Things he'd buried, ignored, tried to downplay—like the fact that he might actually be in love with her—were now fully exposed. There was no hiding from it anymore.
"Honestly, Lord Radford, curing your insomnia isn't that complicated. Just spend more time with Lady Caitlyn.
"If she's willing to pat your head sometimes, that means she's not uncomfortable with physical affection.
"So… if you take the initiative, ask nicely every night, and maybe act a little spoiled, I doubt she'd say no."
Leon inhaled deeply and let the air out in a long, tired sigh. He tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling in resignation.
So in the end… nothing was really resolved. He came here hoping for answers, and instead got his heart picked apart and laid bare by two different people.
He just couldn't bring himself to do it.
He was one of the strongest people alive, after all. He wondered, 'How am I supposed to go begging for cuddles and head pats?'
He had some pride left.
Okay, sure, in a lot of situations, he didn't… but still.
Everyone had their own contradictions—stubbornness, hang-ups, blind spots.
It was not that he didn't understand. It was just… he couldn't take that step.
As Caitlyn's class wrapped up, Leon quietly left the infirmary.
Germaine watched him go, her expression unreadable, but her thoughts complex.
She was smart enough to see exactly what was going on.
But something like this—something this personal—wasn't going to be fixed with advice alone.
"Once the distance between two hearts hits zero… your insomnia will disappear," Germaine said.
"Hey, Germaine. When do you think our hearts will hit zero?"
A low, eerie voice rose behind her—like a demon crawling straight out of hell.
Kathleen was sprawled over the windowsill, eyes narrowed and fixed on Germaine, lips curled into a dangerously amused smile.
"Throwing me out the window? You've got guts. I guess I being the Lord of the City means nothing to you now, huh?"
Whatever unspeakable chaos Germaine had endured in the infirmary, Leon had no idea—and frankly, even if he did, he wouldn't get involved.
Right now, all he wanted was to head to the classroom and wait for his lovely Caitlyn to finish her lecture.
He arrived just as the bell rang.
A moment later, light footsteps approached.
Click—the door opened, and the person he'd been thinking about all day appeared.
"Professor, your TA is so sweet. He's waiting right on cue after every class. If my boyfriend were half as thoughtful, I'd be head over heels," a student said.
"...Remember to finish your homework." Caitlyn glanced back at the giggling girls and gave a quick reminder, then turned to Leon and said quietly, "Let's go."
"Lunch?"
"What else? Want me to drag you to the track for a thousand laps instead?"
"Actually… that doesn't sound so bad. If we run hard enough and work up a serious appetite, the food'll taste even better."
"...Then go run by yourself, Leon."
"Fine, fine. Let's eat."
As they stepped out of the building, a flood of students surged toward the cafeteria. Leon instinctively shifted behind Caitlyn to shield her from the crowd.
But of course, no one was dumb enough to bump into them. Their reputation saw to that. Still, the narrow walkway was packed tight.
Caitlyn frowned slightly—then suddenly, a hand gently tugged her sleeve, guiding her forward.
She looked up to see Leon facing ahead, his voice soft and casual. "Just grabbing your sleeve. That's okay, right?"
"Yeah..." she replied softly, her gaze lingering on him longer than she meant to.
She thought, 'He doesn't hold my hand…?' For some reason, she felt a tiny pang of disappointment. 'No—wait, why am I disappointed?'
She wondered, 'Am I seriously expecting him to hold my hand? What nonsense. Absolutely not. That isn't me.'
"So crowded today," Leon muttered.
Caitlyn kept her gaze fixed forward.
"…If I'm only holding your sleeve, it might slip," he murmured, almost to himself.
Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he gently took her hand.
She gave a faint tug, barely resisting.
"I'm in the mood for steak. What about you?"
"Anything's fine," she murmured.
"Great. Let's both get that. Saves us from lining up twice."
Of course, they could have split up to order separately.
But Caitlyn glanced sideways at him. She thought, 'This guy clearly just doesn't want to be apart.'
They got their food and sat across from each other. Leon didn't start eating right away. Instead, he simply watched her. Only after she took her first bite did he ask, "Is it good?"
"…Yeah."
Leon smiled gently, then finally started eating in earnest.
Caitlyn, meanwhile, was still puzzled.
She wondered, 'What is with that weird ritual? Does saying it is good somehow make it taste better? Is it like those silly 'maid café' tricks that make food magically delicious?'
She didn't really get it.
But when they left, Leon reached out and took her hand again like it was second nature.
"You're on the smaller side, and I know you don't like crowds," he said casually. "If I hold your hand, it's safer. Less chance someone bumps into you."
Caitlyn raised a brow. "What am I, a dwarf? People can see me just fine."
"You'd be surprised," he said, smiling faintly. "People who've spent their lives looking down from the top… don't always notice what's right below them. Even if it's just a little bit lower."
"...Are we still talking about height?"
"Not important. What is important is that I'm fulfilling my duty as a good friend. You don't need to thank me."
"More like you're using that as an excuse to hold my hand. Total creep."
"Sorry, what was that?"
"I said you're a perv!"
"Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment."
Caitlyn let out a long sigh, exasperated. Leon, on the other hand, couldn't help the quiet smile tugging at his lips.
He thought, 'She isn't even bothering to fight me off anymore. Progress.'