Chapter: 174
Despite her playful grumbling, the Demon King felt like she had just been pushed off a cliff when Lian fainted in the bath.
The warmth of the hot water that had enveloped her just moments ago felt like it had frozen instantly. Lian lay limp like an egg white, completely still, causing her magic to swirl chaotically and slam against the bathroom walls.
Crack! Bang!
The beautiful decorations Lian admired were now scattered on the floor, and the elegantly painted ceiling was left cracked and ugly, as if a giant beast had clawed at the walls, leaving deep scars in the bathroom.
Without bothering to wipe herself dry, the Demon King dashed out of the bathroom. She pulled out an elixir rumored to revive even those who had lost limbs and poured it over Lian’s slimy body.
If Erboan had seen that scene, he would have probably grabbed his neck in disbelief at the absurdity.
Thanks to the elixir, Lian’s limp form quickly regained a round shape. The sight of him wobbling gently, making small sounds like he was fast asleep, made the Demon King collapse onto the floor, cradling the soft slime in her arms.
“I can’t… lose you again.”
Deep scars that hadn’t fully healed flickered in her eyes.
After a while, the Demon King finally gathered her composure and carefully washed the slime Lian in the messy bathroom. Since both his voice and form were so unthreatening, she had no qualms about placing him on her lap to clean him up.
If Lian had woken up at that moment, he would have instantaneously lost his physical form. It would have been fair to call it an assassination attempt against a gag character.
Fortunately, Lian remained blissfully unaware as he rolled on a soft towel. Thanks to this, he narrowly avoided the deadly assassination attempt of having the Demon King’s black underwear brushing against his white legs.
The Demon King repeatedly fondled the soft body of Lian like a cherished pillow until he woke up. Lost in touch, she couldn’t help but keep playing with him.
If he had been a golem or fairy, he wouldn’t have had the luxury of such treatment.
Blissfully unaware that this was a “reward”—or rather, an assassination attempt—Lian faced another morning without sleep.
‘Ugh… I’m going to die… I really will…’
After being met with several kisses from the Demon King since morning, Lian trembled between happiness and fear. The sight of the round slime shaking seemed cute enough that the Demon King, after changing her clothes, picked him up and rubbed her cheek against him.
With his entire body being round and soft, he had no distinction between his head or torso, making him feel utterly stimulated.
Once again, the half-melted Lian, accompanied by the Demon King, was heading to work.
“Why on earth is the Demon King carrying around a slime?”
“Could it be one of the executives transformed into one?”
“Huh, that actually seems plausible.”
“Then doesn’t that mean the Demon King has an executive who loves him that much?”
“Maybe the Demon King issued the command personally.”
“What? Why would she do something like that…?”
“Because it’s more convenient to carry.”
“Whoa…! That’s terrifying…”
As the Demon King kept Lian by her side throughout the day, rumors began to spread like wildfire.
“I’ll find the source of the rumors and deal with it right away.”
“Leave it be.”
“But…”
“Don’t make me say it twice, Erboan.”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
As Erboan cast sideways glances at Lian, signaling for the Demon King to discard him as a useless burden, she sliced through his words without hesitation.
‘Ugh… Can’t I just be left alone?’
Despite her dignified demeanor that forced heads to bow, her hands were busy fiddling with Lian. At this point, he was halfway to achieving a state of enlightenment, having grown accustomed to his squishy lifestyle with her.
At first glance, this lifestyle seemed to have only drawbacks, but surprisingly, it had its perks.
‘Having a body is definitely better.’
Though it was short, at least he had hands to quickly turn the pages of books.
Plop.
Moreover, being as liquid as he was meant he could fit into any crevice easily.
“Whoa..! Hey, hey over there!”
“..! Oh, hello!”
“Ah, thanks for your hard work.”
Given that he was recognized as the Demon King’s beloved executive, formal greetings were exchanged every time he made a stealthy outing.
If the other party were innocent or kind-hearted, he would have been sweating bullets explaining it was all a misunderstanding. However, for the demon kin, intelligent monsters, and corrupted humans who bowed their heads at him, they had all blood on their hands and could enjoy power without guilt.
‘Was it around here?’
As he started flipping through books with ease, he was investigating small studies one by one. Since he remembered where he had discovered those studies as a spirit, he was able to navigate without getting lost. Or at least, that would have been true under normal circumstances.
Squelch.
Lian wedged his body through the gap beneath the door he assumed was the study. Just like being sucked into a vacuum, his backside puffed up while his front got squished flat. As he eagerly pushed his way inside, a pop sound resonated, and he fell inside with a thud.
‘Huh? This doesn’t seem to be the study?’
A rug with a night sky motif hung on the wall, and in the center of the room was a table draped in purple fabric. On it rested a thin silver stand and a crystal ball the size of two fists combined.
‘Was there a place like this?’
This was a spot he failed to discover while recklessly traversing the walls in search of the study. Lian cautiously wriggled about, peeking around the room.
‘There are books, but…’
[ The cost of reading the celestial bodies and foreseeing the future. ]
He read the title of the book on the top of a stack of about three books. While it sounded interesting, it didn’t seem like it contained any important information. Yet, curiosity prompted him to flip through the pages and, within ten seconds, he closed it.
‘Nope, I don’t understand a thing.’
If he had read any further, he might have passed out right there. If he had fallen asleep, his plan to return to the room before she woke up would surely crumble…
‘Ugh… I might end up trapped in a glass jar again.’
Because he was more like a liquid, the Demon King often trapped him in a large glass jar instead of using leashes or handcuffs when she wanted to restrain him. It felt quite secure, supporting his form, and though comfortable, he wanted to avoid it as much as possible since it meant giving up his freedom entirely.
‘Well… there doesn’t seem to be anything else to check out. Time to head out -…’
Before Lian could finish his thought…
“Well, well, look who’s graced us with their presence.”
“Gah!”
A soft voice rang out from behind him. Startled, Lian stumbled and toppled onto the floor. Being a slime, he bounced lightly.
“Hohoho. My apologies. It’s been a while since we’ve had a guest.”
Lian lifted his head and spotted an old woman sitting in a chair behind the desk. With her wrinkled hands covering her mouth, she smiled gently, looking incredibly friendly.
“Would you like to take a glance at your destiny?”
“Uh, my destiny?”
Her softly curved eyes fluttered as she nodded slightly, waiting for Lian’s response.
‘Wait… I’ve seen this scene before, haven’t I?’
As he stared at her, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over him, plunging him into deep thought.
‘Not just the scene, that line feels familiar too.’
As he racked his brain, the answer suddenly popped into his head.
“Ah! The mysterious fortune-teller!”
“Hoho… Secrets are inseparable from fortune-telling, aren’t they?”
Even with Lian’s sudden outburst, the old woman responded in a calm voice. Embarrassment washed over him, but more than that, curiosity swelled within.
‘The fortune-teller definitely appeared before the hero party wandering around the Demon King’s castle to peer into the past and offer advice for the future.’
Instantly, Lian bounced up and landed with a splat on the purple table.
“Alright then! Let’s get started -..”
Vroom.
“Let’s examine your destiny.”
The inside of the transparent crystal ball began to fill with purple smoke.
“Oh…”
Lian’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. Naturally, since both his body and eyes were black, it didn’t really show.
“Hmm…”
The fortune-teller stared into the purple smoke that filled the crystal ball, murmuring softly.
“This… I must have underestimated quite the impressive individual.”
“Really?”
“If someone has such immense power… hohoho… it seems my old age is making me too chatty. Let’s look into something else.”
Muttering something ominous, the old woman waved her hand over the crystal ball, and the purple smoke turned white. It seemed she was aiming to check something different.
“Now then…”
“…!”
Gradually, the smoke inside the crystal ball began to dissipate, revealing the familiar face of someone.
“Iris!”
Lian shouted without thinking, his body wobbling, causing the fortune-teller’s habitual smile to falter.
“This… is dangerous.”
As the old woman said, Iris appeared reflected in the crystal ball, hunched over like a marionette with severed strings, staggering around. She looked either entranced by something or as if she were sleepwalking.
“W-What do you mean it’s dangerous…?”
Lian cautiously inquired, as if speaking to a doctor scrutinizing an X-ray.
The old woman tapped the crystal ball lightly.
Woosh!
Suddenly, dark storm clouds, previously invisible, loomed over Iris, engulfing her entirely.
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