I Was Born as the Demon Lord’s Daughter

Spoiler Alert!

*sigh*

Suin won’t be having lunch with you today.

Ah, well. She’s pretty and popular around here. It’s not as if you’re her only friend…

“Hey, Suin, about that girl who sticks to you like glue…”

Hmm?

Suin…?

“You mean Jo Ara?”

“Yeah. Her older cousin had been a friend of my older sister since they were kids. My sister says that she’s mentally ill.”

WHAT?!

“She also told me that Ara’s been to a psychiatric hospital many times and that she’s actually been hurting herself!”

“Seriously?”, asks a worried Suin.

“I’m just worried because you’ve been with her a lot lately. Why don’t hang with us instead of that nutjob?”

“Maybe…maybe you’re right…”

Wha…?

…

It’s been weeks since then and Suin’s been acting like she doesn’t know you.

It’s true that you’ve been to a psychiatric hospital several times, but that was only because your aunt sent you there whenever you talked back to her.

And you weren’t hurting yourself; your aunt did that. And she always hurt you more whenever you tried to tell anyone.

*sob*

You were the only survivor of a crash that killed your parents when you were only five years old.

Your aunt took you in after the funeral and she looked so kind…

But it wasn’t long before she treated you like a slave and your cousins abused you at every opportunity. Worse still, they’ve convinced everyone else in your family that you’re just a crazy, ungrateful brat.

At least, they’ll be off your back while you’re in college…

As you walk out the dorm entrance, the sight of an all-too-familiar scowl makes your heart sink…

“A-Auntie…?”

“There you are, you slob! How dare you ignore me!”

Despite your desire to run, you gather yourself.

“Auntie, wait. Let’s talk inside…”

“Don’t touch me!”

She grabs at your hair violently.

“I told you…you’re coming home, even if I have to drag you there myself!”

No…no…no…not back home…

“OOWWWW!”

Run…run…

“Come back here, you little SHIT!”

Help! Someone, anyone…not again…not…

*HOOOOOONNNK*

?!

*CRAAASH*

…

…

…aby.”

“Baby.”

Uuunnnhhh…

“Mommy has to go…somewhere far away. I’m sorry…I won’t be able…to see you.”

So beautiful…but…why so…sad…?

“I…I love…you so…much…”

W-where are you? Who is she?

• 

• 

I Was Born as the Demon Lord’s Daughter (마왕의 딸로 태어났습니다, Mawang-ui Ttallo Taeeonassseubnida) is a web novel and a web comic written by Yeoul (여울).

After her short, miserable life comes to a sudden, tragic end, the 20-year old college student Jo Ara (조아라) is reborn as Irene Nellos Parjunel, the daughter of the Demon Lord Caravan Dionne Parjunel and the paladin Seiner Ain Nellos. After Seiner dies from childbirth, the grief-stricken Caravan attempts to kill Irene but stops when the baby stares up at him innocently with bright, emerald eyes – the same eyes as his beloved wife.  Caravan then resolves to raise his newborn daughter to the best of his ability.

Over the years, Irene is attended to, educated, and doted on by demons (her father’s servitors) and angels (her mother’s former guardians). Caravan spends as much time as he could with his daughter while attending his duties as ruler of the Southern Demon Realm in another dimension. During her lessons, Irene learns about the legendary heroine and wizard Erin. One night, Erin appears to Irene in a dream and reveals that she is the wizard’s latest reincarnation after many tragic lives. During an outing in the city of Peian, Irene is almost kidnapped by thugs, but rescued by Ren Akrencian, a knight who once served Erin centuries ago. Recognizing something familiar in Irene, Ren makes an ironclad oath to serve as her guardian for as long as she lives.

Not long after her eighth birthday, Irene accompanies her father to the Demon Realm, where the ruler of the Eastern Demon Realm, Taladuk, wages war against the other rulers in a bid to claim the entire Demon Realm as his own. After kidnapping Irene, Taladuk lures Caravan into his castle and cruelly tortures him. Irene is soon rescued by Ren and Caravan’s allies, allowing Caravan to focus his full might and rage upon Taladuk. After Taladuk is killed, a silver-haired young man appears before them, his face twisted with fury and recognition at the sight of Irene, and flees.

The Demon God Cassius later appears before Caravan and explains Irene’s true origins. When existence began, the creator god sired three children: the God of Light Lucian, the Demon God Cassius, and the Goddess of Balance Erin. Lucian and Cassius fought each other constantly until Erin interposed herself between them and got killed. Filled with regret, the two brothers passed their sister’s soul through countless mortal lives, such as those of the wizard Erin and Jo Ara, until she gained a body that united both Light and Dark – Irene’s body. Lucian and Cassius hope to eventually resurrect their beloved sister by combining Irene with the goddess Erin’s crystallized remains. However, a silver-haired, renegade demon named Zyton hopes to become a god by claiming said remains for himself.

At nine years old, Irene returns home from the Demon Realm. Two years later, she enrolls as a student at the Demeter Academy…

Main Characters

Irene “Rin” Nellos Parjunel, the half-demon daughter of Caravan Dionne Parjunel and a former college student. Curious and friendly, she wants to be loved and live life to the fullest but is haunted by the trauma of her past lives. The latest in a long line of reincarnations for the soul of a goddess, Irene possesses tremendous potential for almost everything and can theoretically use magic of any kind. She can also summon the wizard Erin’s white bird familiar. Irene was given the Sword of the Saint, her mother’s one-time weapon, by the God of Light Lucian himself. This sword can become a bracelet when not in use and allows Lucian to watch over Irene.

Caravan Dionne Parjunel, the Demon Lord of Destruction and Annihilation and the ruler of the Southern Demon Realm. Dignified and assertive, he is usually cold and harsh to most people but shows a rare gentleness to those he loves, particularly his daughter and his late wife. When angry, Caravan becomes a true monster of destruction feared by angels and demons alike, able to render everything around him to ruin. Two millennia ago, Caravan was a young demon named Kal orphaned by Zyton’s followers who stole a crystal fragment of the Balance Goddess’ remains from Zyton himself. After becoming the ruler of the Southern Demon Realm, he met his future wife Seiner during his first journey to the Middle Realm (the world of mortals), experienced true love for the first time, and eventually married her. In addition to the Balance Goddess fragment now embedded in his body, Caravan is the owner of the Sword of Lacrus, a dangerous demonic weapon bestowed to him by the Demon God Cassius himself.

Ren Akrencian, a member of the Turkian swordsman clan and Irene’s guardian knight. Polite, easy-going, and considerate, he dedicates himself to protecting his one true love, the wizard Erin, and any of her reincarnations. Over three centuries ago, Ren swore a Turkian oath of protection to Erin and, through oath-binding magic, remains alive to this day due to the wizard’s soul surviving through reincarnation. He is a highly skilled fighter and can use some magic to enhance his combat abilities.

Zyton, a mysterious, renegade demon. Megalomaniacal, manipulative and utterly ruthless, he is determined to rule over all that exists. Both Lucian and Cassius consider Zyton an enemy because his goal is nothing less than usurping their beloved sister Erin. A powerful demon, he particularly enjoys driving his enemies to despair with illusions and trickery.

Personal Thoughts

This story is mostly about how a childhood with love, respect, and understanding leads to happiness and maturity. Having experienced much suffering and tragedy throughout countless millennia through reincarnation, Irene finally seems to get a reprieve by being born to a family that wants only the best for her. They not only shower her with attention and love but also protect her from danger and teach her the knowledge she’ll need to survive. Meanwhile, her father Caravan learns that love brings not only joy but also sadness and sometimes suffering. However, he also realizes that love makes him a better person for everyone he treasures. While upset over his wife’s passing, he honors her by caring for and protecting the child to whom they both gave life.

Love works on a give-and-take basis. When a parent gives love and proper guidance to a child, they are likely to mature into caring people who love and respect others. Similarly, the child of selfish, uncaring parents is more likely to become cruel and inconsiderate to others, including their parents!

While loving a child sounds simple, it is never easy. It involves devoting time, being responsible, and respecting the said child as a human being. Finding happiness in knowing that you make your loved ones happy, especially at your expense, is a crucial step in understanding love. For example, a parent with a busy work schedule and limited free time would be hard-pressed to spend time with their family, but they still try to do so because they want to be there for them. In one lifetime, a person would be hard-pressed to find genuine love from anyone except a precious few, and not everyone in the world gets to experience someone who truly cares for them. There are parents out there who don’t care about their children. If your parents don’t love you, who would? Love is not, repeat NOT, something to be taken for granted.

Moral

Loving a child is never easy, but it is the key to a child growing up well.