My Stepmother Is an Ex-Demon Queen-Chapter 41 - 42: The Dress Fitting, the Demon Bridesmaids, and the Truth Bomb

Chapter 41: Chapter 42: The Dress Fitting, the Demon Bridesmaids, and the Truth Bomb
Recap – Chapter 40: The Rooftop Confession & The Teacup Trap (Expanded)
Kazuki’s day started with breakfast. Just breakfast. Eggs, toast, maybe a bit of juice. But in the Demon Queen’s household, nothing is ever just breakfast.
Ayaka, in true seductive overlord fashion, turned a simple family meal into a full-scale psychological ambush. With a single well-timed kiss, she made it very clear that her feelings weren’t just teasing flirtation—they were real, intentional, and impossible to ignore. And she made sure the whole household saw it.
As Kazuki scrambled to process that surprise, Mirelle dropped a different bombshell: Ayaka had been carefully playing this game for a long time. Every glance, every near-accidental touch, every "oops" moment—it was all part of a plan. But what was her end goal? Love, or control?
Before Kazuki could even finish his mental spiral, Airi stepped into the emotional battlefield with a calm, terrifying revelation: she remembered everything. Her memories of the demon realm. Her past with Kazuki. The promises they never fulfilled. And—most painfully—her jealousy toward Ayaka’s bold moves.
The rooftop scene that followed felt like the final boss fight in an otome game gone wrong. Three girls. One confused boy. And a storm that mirrored the chaos of his feelings.
Ayaka confessed with her usual fire and flair. Airi bared her heart in a way that left Kazuki speechless. Mirelle, ever the wild card, stood by him, not with a confession, but with loyalty and quiet understanding. The rooftop echoed with tension, vulnerability, and emotions none of them were prepared to unpack.
Kazuki left the rooftop more confused than ever—his heart a battleground, his emotions shredded, and his understanding of "family" forever changed.
Chapter 42: The Dress Fitting, the Demon Bridesmaids, and the Truth Bomb
Kazuki didn’t know what he hated more — the fact that he was now in charge of coordinating a demon royal wedding, or the fact that Ayaka looked annoyingly radiant while trying on dresses clearly designed to distract him from thinking straight.
"You’re drooling," Ayaka purred from the pedestal, spinning slowly as the infernal dress adjusted itself with shimmering violet silk. "Should I be worried you’ll pass out before the vows, darling?"
Kazuki turned away so fast he nearly smacked into the floating scepter measuring his inseam. "I’m not drooling. I’m just... overwhelmed by the absurdity of this entire situation."
"You say that as if it’s not exactly your fault."
"How is this my fault?! I opened an envelope!"
Ayaka grinned, a little too innocently. "And now you’re the groom. Fate has a charming sense of humor, don’t you think?"
Before Kazuki could respond, the fitting room door slammed open — or, more accurately, exploded in a shower of sparkles and screeching.
"WHERE IS SHE?" bellowed Lilith, the flame-haired demon general, dressed in what looked like black ceremonial armor trimmed in gold lace.
"She’s not wearing white, is she?" sneered Airi, the ice-cold assassin, appearing beside her in a gown made of transparent crystal filigree that shimmered dangerously. "Because I called dibs on icy elegance."
"I thought this was a wedding, not a cosplay convention," muttered Mirelle, appearing from a puff of shadows, clutching a flask and two daggers. "Also, someone better tell me who’s paying for these damn dresses. Demonic inflation is a nightmare."
Then came the fourth arrival — Seraphina, the fallen angel — barefoot, wings still tattered, and in a dress that looked like it had been stitched from midnight. Chains trailed behind her like a train. She smiled at Kazuki with unnerving warmth. "I’ve prepared a poem for the vows."
"Poem?" Kazuki blinked. "Oh no, absolutely not. No demon poetry at my—wait, our wedding."
Ayaka tilted her head, amused. "Our wedding now?"
Kazuki pointed an accusatory finger. "You know what I meant."
Cue chaos.
The bridesmaids instantly began arguing. About color schemes. About seating arrangements. About who should sit next to Kazuki at the reception. About who would get to duel Lucien first if he made a smug remark again.
Meanwhile, Kazuki took cover behind a velvet curtain and contemplated faking his death. Again.
Just as things reached peak hysteria, Ayaka’s tail twitched. The air changed.
And suddenly, she said — calmly, almost too calmly, "Everyone out. I need to talk to Kazuki. Alone."
The room fell silent. That kind of silence you hear before a building explodes.
Even Seraphina, who had just been threatening to duel the ice assassin with rhyming verses, backed out slowly.
When the door finally shut, Ayaka turned, and Kazuki saw it — real emotion. Not just flirtation. Not playful dominance. But something deeper. Worried.
"I need to tell you something," she said, stepping off the pedestal and toward him. "The wedding contract... It’s not just an old relic. It’s a binding agreement tied to the balance of the Demon Realm. If we go through with this, you’re not just marrying me..."
Kazuki blinked. "I’m marrying what?"
"You’re marrying into a legacy. A bloodline. And a war."
"...Wait, what war?"
She looked up, eyes glowing faintly. "One that hasn’t ended. One I thought I left behind. But now... now it’s waking up again. And you’re the spark."
Kazuki sat down.
Then he stood back up.
Then he panicked.
"Ayaka, you said it was symbolic!"
"I lied."
"...WHY?!"
"Because I didn’t think the Realm would recognize you. But it did. Kazuki, the crown is considering you the new King Consort."
The room tilted. Kazuki grasped for something — anything — to ground him. He found a hanger. It snapped in half.
He swallowed. "So what now?"
Ayaka stepped closer, brushing his cheek gently. "Now, we figure out how to survive the next 72 hours... without getting you assassinated at the rehearsal dinner."
Bonus Comedy Scene: "The Dress That Bit Me"
Kazuki was just beginning to mentally plan his escape (fake illness? Sudden spiritual awakening? Kidnapping himself?) when he made the mistake of walking too close to the wrong clothing rack.
It looked innocent enough — a cluster of gowns in demonic silks, gently pulsing with faint magical auras. He reached out to move one aside so he could see Ayaka more clearly on the pedestal.
That was his first mistake.
The dress hissed.
His second mistake? Poking it.
The dress lunged.
"GAH!" Kazuki yelled, stumbling backward as the gown launched itself like a possessed octopus, its sleeves flailing like hungry tentacles.
"Why does this one have TEETH?!" he screamed, narrowly avoiding being swallowed by what he could only describe as an embroidered demon corset from hell.
Ayaka, still twirling, glanced over casually. "Oh. That one’s cursed. It used to belong to a Duchess who ate her husbands."
"AND YOU PUT IT IN MY SECTION?!"
"I thought it would suit you. You’ve got the ’survivor of deadly women’ energy."
The gown snapped again. Kazuki smacked it away with a rolled-up invitation card. It screamed in demonic runes and flopped back onto its hanger like a sulking pet.
Lilith snorted from across the room. "That’s the bridal fitting experience in the Demon Realm. Blood, threats, and traumatized grooms."
Mirelle took a swig from her flask. "This is why I wear armor. Dresses are death traps."
"I’m going to be eaten by fashion before I ever make it to the vows," Kazuki muttered, brushing imaginary drool off his shoulder.
"Relax," Ayaka said with a devilish smile. "If anything kills you first, it’ll be the seating arrangement at the reception."
Kazuki groaned and sat down again.
He was definitely going to die.
Next Chapter Preview: Chapter 43 – The Exorcist, the Bachelor Party, and the Forbidden Kiss
Things were already spiraling out of control, but Kazuki’s troubles are only just beginning.
Next up? A surprise bachelor party planned by none other than the Council of Perverted Sages, a group of semi-retired demon lords who believe a proper send-off into matrimony requires lava shots, accidental summoning circles, and a very illegal dance-off tournament. Of course, Kazuki has no idea — yet.
Meanwhile, Ayaka is mysteriously missing... again. Rumor has it she’s negotiating an ancient soul pact with an angelic bartender, which may or may not involve karaoke and the fate of Kazuki’s soul. (Spoiler: It’s not going well.)
Just as Kazuki begins to relax — and question if maybe this is all an elaborate nightmare — a mysterious holy exorcist crashes the party, wielding holy incense and shouting something about "cleansing the sinful engagement."
And then... the kiss.
Yes, the kiss.
An unexpected, forbidden, undeniably emotional kiss that sends shockwaves through the entire harem — and leaves one particular girl questioning everything she thought she knew about Kazuki... and herself.
Betrayals will simmer.
Feelings will erupt.
And Kazuki?
He’ll probably just want to crawl into a cupboard and stay there until the wedding is canceled.
But the real question is: Who kissed him? And why did it feel so... right?
🔥 Author’s Note & Call to Action 🔥
Well... that escalated quickly.
Between bridesmaids turning the boutique into a magical war zone, possessed wedding dresses, and truth bombs dropping harder than a dragon on cheat day, it’s safe to say this wedding might need an exorcism before it needs a planner.
💍 But what’s next?
A bachelor party hosted by demon perverts, a holy exorcist crashing the scene, and someone sneaks in a kiss that could ruin everything. Who’s behind it? And what does it mean for Kazuki’s dangerously unstable heart?
👉 If you laughed, gasped, or screamed internally at least once during this Chapter (or all three), do your local author a favor and:
💬 Comment below! Who do you think kissed Kazuki next Chapter?
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Stay chaotic, stay curious —
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