Cucking The Demon King
Chapter 82: One of the worst days

Chapter 82: One of the worst days

Liam’s eyes scanned the illusionary tavern before him, his lips curling slightly.

He couldn’t help but feel impressed by Eva’s skill.

The level of detail was astonishing—so precise that anyone else would have been completely fooled.

From the way the wooden walls gleamed under the lantern lights to the flickering flames that danced within the sconces, Eva had replicated everything with remarkable accuracy.

Even the scent of ale and roasted meat lingered in the air, making the environment feel tangible.

And the people...

They moved, interacted, and even whispered among themselves in a way that felt entirely natural.

The casual laughter, the hushed conversations, the clinking of mugs against wooden tables—it was all so seamless that, had he not already known the truth, he might have fallen for it again.

’No wonder I was easily fooled before...’ He thought, letting out a low sigh.

His gaze shifted slightly, taking another glance at the tavern.

Though they looked just like real life, he could now see past the illusion.

All it took was a simple exertion of his demonic authority—imbuing it into his eyes and sharpening his senses.

Immediately, the illusion cracked.

The beautifully structured tavern bled into something far darker—warped thorns sprawled across the room, covering the walls and ceiling like plant roots.

A thick, smoky mist oozed from the thorns, filling the space with an eerie presence.

The mist was the one responsible for the illusion, while the thorns were simply there to consistently circulate them.

Eva had done well, but against someone like him, her magic was laid bare.

His understanding over demonic authority had grown since Lilith explained it to him, and he was finally grasping its applications.

It wasn’t just a tool to erase divine marks.

It could suppress weaker magic around him.

And it could suppress weaker opponents.

Lilith had explained that it was particularly effective against demons.

Not that it mattered much—after all, he had yet to meet another demon aside from himself.

Liam exhaled, shaking off the thought.

He had other things to focus on.

His gaze flickered, sensing a familiar presence approaching.

’Emma... she’s getting closer.’ He thought, his eyes narrowing.

It wasn’t really a bad thing.

At the very least, his secret would remain safe for now.

His eyes shifted to a floating notification that had been waiting in the corner of his vision.

[Tendrils of Darkness leveled up!]

[Tendrils of Darkness is now Level 2!]

His eyebrows lifted slightly.

’So the skill leveled up. Nice.’ He mumbled inwardly, slightly nodding his head.

After its level-up, he had discovered an additional function.

By spreading out the tendrils, he could expand his perception—allowing him to sense movements even at a great distance.

That was how he had detected Emma approaching before she had even reached the tavern.

And just as he had anticipated...

A few moments later, the tavern doors creaked open.

A familiar figure stepped inside.

A red-haired girl, the two pony tails on her head bobbing on her shoulders as she walked.

Her wide eyes scanned the tavern, flickering with curiosity.

"Ohh... I didn’t realize this was here," Emma murmured, glancing around in awe.

Her gaze then locked onto the counter.

Her breath hitched.

Her cheeks reddened.

"L-Liam..."

Liam turned his head, meeting her gaze with a lazy wave.

"Ohh. Emma, you’re here."

Meanwhile, Eva’s breath caught in her throat.

Her body stiffened.

Her eyes widened.

She recognized that hair.

That face.

That name.

That was none other than Emma Silvagold, the daughter of the famous knight king.

A surge of dread coursed through her veins.

The Silvagold family... they were practically the holy church’s hounds.

If Emma was here, then she was undoubtedly on a mission for the church.

Her instincts flared, screaming at her.

If Emma realized who she was—what she was—then she was as good as dead.

Eva swallowed, forcing herself to remain composed.

Her current role within the illusion was that of the tavern’s receptionist.

Under normal circumstances, she would never reduce herself to such a humiliating position.

But her mana reserves were running dangerously low.

She had already used too much creating this illusion, and she hadn’t had enough left to populate the tavern with more illusions of people.

So, she had no choice but to fill in herself.

At least, this way, she wouldn’t raise suspicion.

’I should have just started with the receptionist... instead of those laughing idiots.’ She thought, briefly snapping her gaze to the ’men’ busy drinking at the corner.

She inhaled deeply, suppressing the rising panic within her.

’Stay calm... stay calm.’ Her thoughts raced.

She had heard rumors.

Emma Silvagold possessed a legendary blessing, which she inherited from her father.

Though she had never fought someone with a legendary blessing, she knew they were usually very terrifying, enough to turn the tide of a battle within seconds.

Was it possible that she could see through the illusion?

Eva’s hands clenched beneath the counter, her nails digging into her palms.

What exactly is their mission here?

And more importantly...

’Why is he...’ She mumbled inwardly, stealing a glance at the white haired young man a few feet away. ’... A demon... siding with the church?

It didn’t make sense.

Nothing about this made sense.

Liam was a high-ranking demon.

His very existence was a violation of everything the church stood for.

Yet, here he was, standing before one of the church’s agents, chatting casually, exchanging pleasantries as if he were just another human.

If she hadn’t personally felt his overwhelming strength—if she hadn’t witnessed his dark tendrils creeping through the tavern—she would have never believed it.

Emma’s soft voice pulled Eva from her thoughts.

"So, what are you doing here?"

Liam blinked at her question.

"Me? Just checking out the town," he answered smoothly. "Wanted to see if there was anything strange."

Emma tilted her head.

"Did you find anything?"

Liam hesitated for a fraction of a second.

A subtle pause.

But it was enough.

His heart skipped a beat.

"...No," he finally replied. "Nothing worth mentioning."

Eva scoffed internally.

Liar.

She didn’t need to hear his heartbeat to know he was lying.

His words were empty, hollow.

But why?

Why was he lying to her?

Her mind continued to spin, trying to piece everything together.

Could it be...?

Is he pretending?

Was he deceiving the church from within?

A demon walking among them, fooling them all, waiting for the perfect moment to strike?

A true monster.

A scheming, manipulative fiend.

Eva’s gaze drifted toward Emma once more.

The poor girl had no idea.

She had no clue who she was standing beside.

She had no idea she was being deceived.

Her expression softened ever so slightly.

Poor thing...

She almost felt sorry for her.

Almost.

Liam could still feel Eva’s gaze drilling into his back.

It had lessened somewhat, but it was still there was sure.

’She must think I’m some scheming monster.’ He thought.

A deceiver.

A manipulator who kept dangerous secrets.

And she wouldn’t be wrong.

But what choice did he have?

He was practically walking a razor-thin line, caught between two sides that would would accept him.

He wasn’t with the church.

And he wasn’t with the demons, either.

He stood alone, in the middle—a position far more perilous than either side.

One wrong move and he could be crushed from both ends.

It was dangerous.

And it was exhausting.

But in order to survive...

To live the way he wanted to...

He needed power.

That was the only thing that mattered.

He sighed internally, pushing aside the thoughts before they could weigh him down.

Then, out of nowhere—

"Should we order a drink?"

Liam blinked, turning to Emma.

She had her arms folded behind her back, her crimson hair falling in waves over her shoulder. Her amber eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"We’re already in a tavern, right?" She continued. "Might as well see what kind of drinks they serve."

Liam’s mind blanked for a second.

Then—

His eyes widened.

Shit.

His heartbeat quickened as his thoughts scrambled for a response.

This wasn’t good.

If she tried to order something, she would quickly realize that everything in this tavern was fake.

Eva’s illusion was convincing—remarkably so.

But that didn’t mean she had the ability to create real food and drinks.

Besides, he was sure any real drink she had with her was poisoned, just like the one she gave to him before.

He couldn’t put Emma in such a risk.

He had to shut this down before she did something reckless.

He cleared his throat.

"There’s no need for that," He said, shaking his head.

Emma tilted her head. "Why not?"

Liam forced a casual shrug.

"We still don’t know what kind of enemies might be lurking around," He said, glancing around the tavern. "It’s better to stay on guard than waste time drinking."

As he spoke, his gaze flickered toward Eva.

She had been pretending to polish a mug at the counter, but the moment their eyes met, her fingers tensed around the glass.

A cold shiver ran down her spine.

Her heart beat skipped.

Even though his words had been directed at Emma, she knew he had been speaking about her.

And in turn, he was letting her know that he wouldn’t hesitate to expose her if she tried anything foolish.

Eva swallowed, her throat dry.

’I don’t see how I can get out of this one...’ She thought, her grip tightening around the mug.

She had truly messed up.

If it had been anyone else who walked in, her illusion would have held up just fine, then all would have been okay.

But she had never expected someone like him to show up.

Today was undoubtedly one of the worst days since she had become a heretic.