Cucking The Demon King
Chapter 143: Eva swept off her feet

Chapter 143: Eva swept off her feet

A sudden knock interrupted the silence in the room.

Knock. Knock.

Liam’s ears perked up, his senses sharpening in an instant. His fingers relaxed slightly from where they had curled into the bed sheets. He tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes toward the door.

Without moving a muscle, he activated his mana sense.

Threads of energy whispered through the air, brushing gently across the presence waiting outside.

Familiar, soft... delicate. Her mana carried the faint traces of illusion magic, calm and elegant like a slow stream. But more than that—it was unmistakably hers.

Eva.

That surprised him.

Out of all the people in the house, she was the last one he expected to knock on his door so late. She normally kept her distance, never approaching unless absolutely necessary.

He sat up straighter.

"You can come in," Liam called out, voice calm but curious.

The door creaked open slowly, just enough to let the soft golden glow of the hallway spill into the room.

Then Eva slipped in, her movements hesitant, almost awkward.

She was dressed in her usual midnight-blue robes that shimmered faintly when they caught the light.

Her long, black hair was tied back into a lazy braid that trailed down her back, and in the dim room, her pale skin practically glowed.

But what caught Liam’s attention most was the way she was acting.

Her eyes flickered toward him, then quickly away, then back again. Her gaze kept darting to his face, and every time she made eye contact, her cheeks darkened just a little more.

She closed the door behind her slowly, and then just stood there for a moment, fingers fidgeting with the edges of her sleeve.

What’s going on with her? Liam thought, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Eva cleared her throat suddenly, almost as if trying to shake herself back to normal.

’He’s so... handsome,’ she thought to herself, biting the inside of her cheek. ’Even when he’s just sitting there doing nothing. It’s kind of unfair.’

She shook her head quickly, trying to clear the unnecessary thoughts. ’Focus, Eva. Focus.’

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his voice calm but with a tinge of curiosity. "You don’t usually stop by like this."

Eva blinked, then quickly shook her head.

"No, there’s... no problem," she said quickly, trying to keep her tone steady. "I just... wanted to ask you something."

Liam tilted his head slightly. "What is it?"

Eva paused.

She didn’t speak immediately. Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her robe, and she lowered her gaze for a second as if weighing her words carefully.

Eva’s fingers fidgeted near the edge of her dress, her black eyes glancing toward Liam before shifting back to the floor again.

The flush on her cheeks deepened slightly, her brows tugging together like she was bracing for rejection—or perhaps preparing to hear something she didn’t want to know.

"I..." She began again, softer now, her voice barely above a whisper. "I wanted to ask you something."

Liam tilted his head, curiosity flickering across his features. "What is it?"

There was a long pause.

Then, without lifting her gaze, Eva asked, "What’s your relationship with Elsa? And the rest of the girls? Why do you care about them so much?"

Her voice was quiet but steady, and the room seemed to still with her question.

Liam blinked.

He hadn’t expected that.

Out of everything she could’ve asked him—about the quest, the heretics, the demons, even about what happened back at the ruins—this was not the direction he saw things going.

He leaned back slightly on the bed, fingers loosening their grip on the sheets. His eyes narrowed—not in annoyance, but in contemplation. There was no reason to lie. Eva deserved better than that.

"Why wouldn’t I care?" he said after a moment, his voice even. "They’re people I love."

Eva’s head lifted, surprise flickering through her expression, but she didn’t interrupt.

Liam continued. "They’ve decided to be with me, through the fights, the chaos, the betrayals... all of it.."

He looked out the window, eyes tracing the distant fake stars. "So yeah, I care about them. I care a lot. And if they’re in danger... then it’s my duty to pull them out of it."

His words were calm, but the edge behind them was steel. Not because he was trying to prove something. But because, to Liam, it was a simple truth. Unshakable. Unchanging.

He glanced back toward Eva then.

And she was staring at him—eyes wide, lips parted slightly.

Eva’s lips trembled for just a second—barely enough to notice. She took a slow step forward, her fingers clutching the fabric of her dress near her waist, knuckles paling under the pressure.

The hesitation in her posture was clear, but so was the resolve in her gaze when she finally spoke.

"...What if you had to make a choice?" she asked.

Liam’s brows knit together, not quite understanding.

Eva swallowed. Her voice was steadier now, but quieter—almost like she didn’t want the walls to hear.

"What would you do," she continued, "if you had to choose between your life... or theirs?"

Liam’s breath caught.

He didn’t respond right away.

Instead, he slowly turned his head to glance at her—really look at her. The illusionary lamplight flickered softly behind her silhouette, outlining her hair in a soft glow. But her eyes... they were uncertain. Deep. Almost pleading.

She wasn’t asking as a curious bystander or teasing him the way she sometimes did. This wasn’t flirtation or jest.

It was something far more real.

Liam’s eyes narrowed faintly, and his expression shifted—not hardened, but thoughtful. His fingers flexed slightly on the edge of the bed, and a silence filled the room like thick fog, tense and unbroken.

He hadn’t expected a question like that.

And yet... now that it had been asked, he couldn’t ignore it.

His life... or theirs.

For most people, it was a question of value. A calculation. A sacrifice. But for Liam, the weight of that choice couldn’t be measured so easily. It wasn’t just about survival. It wasn’t just about love either.

Finally, he exhaled softly and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, hands loosely clasped.

"I wouldn’t choose either," he said.

Eva blinked. "What?"

"I wouldn’t choose between my life or theirs," Liam repeated, his voice quiet but resolute.

"Because that’s not a world I want to live in. If someone forces me to make that kind of choice... then I’ll break the rules. I’ll find another way. I’ll save them—without dying, and without sacrificing them either."

His eyes flicked back up to meet hers. There was no hesitation there now. Only a quiet storm.

"I don’t like to lose anything, especially not people I care about."

Eva’s lips parted slightly, her breath catching in her throat. She hadn’t expected that answer. Not really. Her fingers loosened at her waist, the tension in her shoulders softening just a little.

But her cheeks...

They flushed red again. Warmer than before.

Eva lowered her gaze for a moment, her fingers lightly clutching the hem of her sleeve. Her voice came out softer than before, almost as if she were embarrassed to speak too loudly.

"Of course you’d say that..." She muttered, a small smile flickering on her lips, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "You’re strong after all."

Liam didn’t answer with words. Instead, he slowly stood up, the quiet rustle of the sheets and the subtle shift of weight against the wooden floor the only sound in the room.

His footsteps were slow but steady, deliberate yet unthreatening. The space between them closed in an instant, until he stood just inches away from her.

Eva looked up briefly—then immediately looked away again. Her heartbeat quickened.

"You’re not like me..." She whispered under her breath, almost too low for him to hear. "You’re nothing like me."

Liam tilted his head, his expression unreadable. Then he reached out, his hand gentle as he placed it beneath her chin and slowly raised her face until her eyes met his.

Those bright red eyes... they shimmered faintly beneath the dim lamp light, filled with quiet strength, with understanding—and something else, something deeper.

"Just say what’s on your mind," He said softly. "I’ll never judge you."

Eva’s breath hitched. For a second, she forgot how to speak. Her mind went blank, and all she could register was his voice—warm, calm, almost like a balm to her chaotic thoughts—and the soft, almost imperceptible curve of his lips.

And his face—gods, why did he have to be so handsome?

The way his hair fell slightly over one eye, the way his voice sent tremors down her spine, the warmth radiating from him despite how composed he always seemed. It was unfair.

Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest.

She felt like she was melting.

Unbeknownst to Liam, even though he wasn’t even trying to, he had to idea that he had already swept the lady off her feet.