Chapter: 222
She remembered this sensation. It was the power she felt the moment Lian looked into her and ‘understood’ her. Reflexively, she turned to Lian.
While she sensed a faint energy from him, the intense feeling was coming from somewhere else.
‘Where on earth is this energy coming from… Could it be?’
If Lian was in a spiritual state like when he stayed by her side in the past, then the strong signal she felt could be coming from his physical body.
In this endless space with no discernible end, the only thing she could rely on was this signal, so she sprang up and looked in the direction where the energy was strongest.
“E-Ellensia?”
Lian looked up at her, his expression radiating panic. In response, she smiled gently and turned her gaze back to him. A white hand reached out towards Lian.
“Let’s go.”
“…! You found a way out of here?”
Lian quickly grabbed her hand and jumped to his feet. She intertwined her fingers with his and smiled. The rush of sensations from their fingers made Lian’s face heat up almost instantly.
And so, the two started to move through the darkness.
*
Walking through the oppressive void where they couldn’t gauge where they came from or where they were headed, it was impossible to spot even a glimmer of light. Ellensia’s demolished wall had vanished without a trace. It was as if something existed but could not be perceived.
After several minutes in the silence of this empty void, she slowed her footsteps slightly to match Lian’s pace. When their gazes met, filled with questions, an involuntary smile escaped her.
In a relaxed tone, she opened her mouth.
“Lian.”
“Uh, yeah? What is it?”
“What do you like?”
“Me? Um…”
Caught completely off guard by such a light-hearted question, Lian hesitated but quickly gathered his thoughts and answered.
Reading books, listening to music, watching the sky, cooking, cleaning.
All the things he liked were trivial pleasures he could enjoy alone.
“What’s your favorite food?”
Before he could finish answering, another question was thrown at him. It, too, was a light inquiry.
Walking through the darkness without saying anything was far less enjoyable than this, so Lian smiled and began to list his favorites. At some point, he even started asking her questions.
What he liked, what he didn’t like. The most fun thing he ever did, the ridiculous dream he had as a child (Ellensia once wanted to be a chandelier), and little embarrassing stories they shared.
With every step they took, they learned more about each other.
It was pleasant and comfortable. They both thought the same thing at once.
‘…I want to stay together a bit longer.’
‘I should introduce you to the others.’
Though they both had the same thought, their subsequent ideas diverged. Ellensia’s sticky desire made her feel like she was chained by her own ankles, slowing her steps.
As she slowed down, Lian also matched her pace. The unspoken consideration made her heart skip a beat.
‘Lian has to live.’
The determination she believed would be unwavering started to falter like wild grass. She loved him, wishing for him to live, and wanted to be together because of that love.
‘I want to live a bit longer… with Lian.’
Regrets and despair washed over her repeatedly. It was somewhat amusing to see herself crumble time after time in the face of the same despair.
‘Shouldn’t I be getting used to this by now?’
Clenching their joined hands tightly, she forced herself to keep moving forward. Lian just looked at her with a bewildered expression as he matched her pace.
That warmth and thoughtfulness stirred her desire to stay together -… while firmly reminding her that she needed to save him. The affectionate gaze in Lian’s eyes both saved her and pulled her into a deep abyss.
As her thoughts reached that point, her conflicted feelings surged up. Suddenly, the forward momentum in her steps halted. Lian stopped just as abruptly.
In his gentle eyes shone an inexplicable trust that said, ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but Ellensia must have a plan.’ Seeing that look, her pretty brows knitted tighter.
She felt frustrated that she was in such torment while he was sporting that innocent, adorable expression. At the same time, the fact that his cuteness calmed her down only fueled her irritation.
“Lian, come closer for a moment.”
“Uh? Why?”
She beckoned him to lower his head. It was like a puppy that didn’t realize it was approaching the open mouth of a snake.
As the prey crawled towards it willingly, the snake’s eyes sparkled with delight.
Her hand that had been inviting him drew nearer, gripping Lian’s chin before her thumb pushed between his lips. As his mouth was forcibly opened, those gem-like beautiful eyes moved in close.
“Huh, ah…!”
Even with their lips touching, they parted involuntarily, a moan escaping. Everything was happening so suddenly that Lian couldn’t comprehend the situation right away. He was taken aback, unable to understand what the warm breath and intoxicating flesh meant for several seconds.
His mind, previously blank, jolted back into action thanks to the moist, sticky sound. A sound he’d never heard before filled his head, while a hot tongue relentlessly slicked around inside his mouth.
Lian felt guilty for abandoning his prejudices about the Demon King after witnessing Ellensia being used by the Outsiders, helplessly shedding tears.
Ellensia was just a fragile beauty forced into the position of the Demon King!
That thought shattered in the face of her passionate kiss. It felt as if her tongue was exploring his mouth like it was its very domain, teasing and indulging freely. Lian’s timid tongue had been captured, playfully nibbling on her sharp canines.
He jolted backward in surprise, trying to escape, but her grip on his chin shifted to the back of his neck and held him down firmly, making it impossible to flee. Plus, her other hand was still intertwined with his, keeping him stuck.
Had he had a body, he surely would have been suffocated in the heat of the moment, but since he didn’t need to breathe, there was no sign of her torture ending whatsoever.
As he wondered if his lips or tongue would be bitten off, the pressure released, allowing her lips to part.
“Gasp…!”
Lian fell to the floor, his body collapsing as he gulped air reflexively. After catching his breath, he, without thinking, lifted his head to look at Ellensia.
She was licking her red, swollen lips, savoring the flavor. Her narrowed eyes glistened with a hunger that seemed far from satisfied as they gazed down at Lian.
She truly was the Demon King. With such cruel and greedy eyes, he felt he could be swallowed whole. He raised a hand to cover his face, burying himself in a bow. His body tingled, and his face burned. Given how hot his cheeks felt, it was likely that his entire face was beet red.
“W-Why, why did you… all of a sudden…”
As he opened his swollen lips, still sore from being bitten and kissed, the sensations from just a moment ago came flooding back, shaking his voice.
‘What do I do? What do I do?’
His mind was completely in shambles. Normally in such a scenario, anger would be the appropriate reaction. After all, she and Lian weren’t a couple, nor had he given her permission to kiss him.
And that kiss was so… lewd. It was as if, despite their lips only connecting, every part of him was being teased.
This was no situation he could dismiss lightly, like that time Noah drunkenly accidentally kissed him. Lian knew that all too well, but he still found it hard to bring himself to actually get angry.
No, to be honest, he felt more entranced than angry.
‘I should be angry… but all I can think about is wanting more!’
Lian felt the burden of doubts he had shoved aside for a moment because of Ellensia resurface.
‘Who would’ve thought I could fall in love so easily…’
Though Lian had fallen for four women simultaneously, he wasn’t the type to fall in love with just anyone. If that had been the case, he would have fallen in love with all the Nest executives who treated him like family.
His infatuation with the Demon King was fueled by her touchy-feely nature, her consideration and respect, and the heartbreaking story that invoked a desire to protect her, but the largest factor was her ‘power.’
The ability to ‘understand’ everything to adapt around her made him subconsciously recognize her love. The moment he realized all her expressions of affection were genuine, it was only natural for Lian to fall in love.
As he stared at the pitch-black ground and felt through his emotions, past foolish behaviors flashed through his mind.
‘I should have realized back then…!’
Defeating the last boss was the role of “Hero Iris.” That was a firm belief Lian had always held.
Yet here he was saying something like, “I’ll definitely come back and save you from here, Ellensia.” It was a ridiculous thing for him to say without a good reason.
Realizing the words that had slipped out were those of a guy who was head over heels wanting to rescue the woman he loved dawned on him.
‘Ah, ahhhh… oh my…!’
The realization that it had taken this long to recognize the truth was mortifying. At the same time, the potent stimulus of just moments before exploded in his mind like fireworks, making him feel dizzy.
Unable to lift his head, he buried it deep as the blush crept from his cheeks back along his neck and behind his ears. A moral scale began to tip inside Ellensia’s mind.
It was all thanks to Lian, who was so cute and charming.
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