The Demon King Is a Master Schemer

[Blurb]

Ming Zhao is the Demon King of the Demon Realm. Disguised as a human, he comes to the human world, where custom dictates that he must find a human to marry.

Unfortunately, the city is packed with towering buildings and crowds of people. He searches enthusiastically, but can't find a single suitable candidate.

At last, one day, he's surrounded by monsters. Just as he's rubbing his hands together, ready to scatter his enemies' ashes with a single slash, an unwelcome guest pulls him close and blocks every attack with a blade. Sparks fly and stone rings as a steady, dependable voice says:

"Don't be afraid. We've taken over from here."

Ming Zhao, unable to draw his blade because he's being held in someone's arms: ?

What do you mean, don't be afraid? You're slowing down my draw!

Then he looks up and sees a young man with a dark scabbard at his waist. His face is exactly to Ming Zhao's taste, and beneath the brim of his military cap, his deep blue eyes are solemn and calm.

Ming Zhao immediately lets go of the hand reaching for his blade and collapses weakly into the man's arms.

#A perfect faint! A perfect marriage candidate! Ming Zhao gets a hundred points, yeah!#

2. Lu Zheqing is A City's chief executive. He's stern, distant, and a textbook workaholic.

That is, until a mission leads him to find an exceptionally handsome young man at the scene of a monster attack.

The young man has a tragic past, is kind and honest, and has yet to awaken any special abilities. He also keeps getting harassed by demons that seem to come out of nowhere. Moved by compassion, Lu Zheqing takes him in.

The young man, Ming Zhao, is always chattering in his ear. Once they get closer, his eyes curve into bright, starry crescents:

"Bro, can you come home early tonight? I want to play games with you."

"Bro, can I sleep with you tonight? I'm afraid of the dark."

"Bro, can I eat this? I've never tried it before."

In an age when monsters are invading, the young man he rescued is physically frail and doesn't know much about the world. He has no regard for the idea of being protected, as if he were a child who had never taken part in human life.

Lu Zheqing's gaze lingers on Ming Zhao for a long time.

He automatically ignores the sly look in Ming Zhao's eyes when he says these things, his occasional ridiculous displays of strength, and his composure beyond his years.

He thinks to himself:

Although the person I've fallen for is an ordinary man who's weak and helpless, it doesn't matter. I can be someone Ming Zhao can rely on.

3. Until one day, Lu Zheqing comes home late and smells the scent of demons at the door. The room inside is in disarray, and he can just make out the mess.

Thinking of Ming Zhao, who can't even hurt a fly, Lu Zheqing's gaze turns cold. He's about to push open the door when he sees something he never could have expected:

The young man, wearing a hair clip and sipping juice through a straw, sits cross-legged on the sofa. A powerful, fearsome demon kneels at his feet, trembling.

Ming Zhao's eyes curve like stars as he speaks softly, his tone as sharp as a flash of steel:

"Did I tell you lot you could sneak out? Now clean up the living room, and make sure it's done before my marriage candidate gets home..."

The roses fall from Lu Zheqing's hand to the floor.

After showing off his authority, Ming Zhao suddenly looks up and meets Lu Zheqing's stunned gaze.

Reader's Guide:

① A scheming, innocent-looking Demon King gong who is anything but innocent VS a carefree, cool-looking shou who can't help going soft on the gong. The Demon King and the chief executive.

② Gong-focused. Ming Zhao is the gong. 1v1, and they both adore each other. It's sweet, so it's not for readers who are particular about gong and shou roles.

③ The gong is incredibly powerful and highly skilled, but likes to act pitiful in front of the shou (strokes chin, ponders). He has an innocent, sunny face and is good at acting the part. He's great at using his looks and tricks to con people, and he likes to act cute, too (?). But his true nature is that of a Demon King.

④ The blurb is due for improvement and may change before the story begins, so bookmark with caution. The author is very fond of the pairing of a self-aware flirt and a soft-hearted cool guy (so adorable I could faint). Their characterizations probably won't change. Note from 2025/3/5.

Theme: Always be a kind person!!!