The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 281: The most reliable source is the one who experienced it

Chapter 281: The most reliable source is the one who experienced it

"Lesta!"

I ran through the yard to catch them before they entered the Castle, and almost crashed into Lesta--who fortunately still able to catch me. Although, even if he couldn’t, there were Panne and the guards behind me, and Eruha behind Lesta.

Huff...that happened because I hadn’t exercised my body lately--except in bed.

"Please be more careful, Young Master," Eruha chided me, a bit sterner than usual. His gaze wasn’t trained at me, though, but at Lesta, as if worried that the demon would get injured.

Oh-ho?

"Why do you look so happy to see me, Young Master?" Lesta, as usual, just calmly inquired, patting my clothes after regaining our balance again.

"Why? Can’t I be happy seeing you?" I puffed my cheek.

"Hmm..."

"Don’t be such a cautious person," I grinned at his narrowed eyes, and nudged him while Eruha talked to the Castle’s staff. "But I do have something I want to ask you," I whispered.

For some reason, Lesta looked better instead, as if he felt assurance in the fact that there was a concrete reason for my emotions. "I see," he nodded, glancing at the vampire for a second. "Well, I asked for another day off today, so let’s go somewhere I could rest in."

"Let’s go to the research tower."

"Excellent choice, Young Master," he said, and I chuckled while looping my arms on his elbow.

But someone else grabbed Lesta’s other arm. "Where are you going?" the voice that came out of Eruha was quite different from usual; rather abrupt, a bit higher, like he was doing it in reflex.

Wow...look at this vampire; even his eyes looked more expressive now.

But Eruha didn’t seem to be surprised, only staring at the hand holding him briefly, before responding in a nonchalant tone. "Rest," he said. Hmm...I gathered it wasn’t the first time Eruha made a sudden turn like this.

"Not in your room?" the vampire frowned slightly.

"Young Master’s research floor is calmer," Lesta shrugged.

"Hmm..."

"And warmer,"

"..."

The deep red eyes looked doubtful, although all Lesta said was true. Thanks to my one and only employee’s vulnerability to cold, the heating system on the eighth floor always cranked to the highest. We also had a soundproofing formation along the wall, and Eruha should know this.

He should know this better than anyone, and he still threw this skeptical gaze?

Interesting. Fascinating. I like this so much.

"And Young Master can rejuvenate me,"

"Uh-huh!" this time, I also gave a supportive nod. How dare you doubt the magnificence of my hideout, teacher!

But like the stubborn vampire that he was, Eruha continued to stare at Lesta until the demon rolled his eyes and sighed. "Stop staring and go report to His Lordship."

Only then that Eruha finally move along, going inside the Castle after casting one last glance at us.

"...wow," I couldn’t help but exclaim quietly while watching the back of my teacher getting further away.

"What?"

"Is it just me, or...my teacher become more expressive?" I blinked and looked at Lesta. "Do you tame him or something?"

"Hmm...is that how you see it?" Lesta scoffed and turned around so we could walk to the research tower. His lips curled into a slight smirk. "Well, I wouldn’t mind if that’s true."

I scooted closer and whispered so Panne and the guards couldn’t hear us. "Is it because you become his eternal?"

"You want to ask me about that, don’t you?"

"Can I?" I grinned sheepishly. "I asked D’Ara about it, and she promised to make a simplified version of it for us. But...I want to know what the real one feels like--if you don’t mind, of course."

Lesta titled his head. "Is that the Progenitor?"

"Yeah,"

"Well, I don’t mind talking about it," he shrugged, before turning his head to look at me with a raised brow and a smirk. "But I’ll need a bribe."

Everyone needed a bribe, these days.

"Candies? I still have the gem ones," I laughed and took out one of the nicest boxes that the store sold for a limited quantity only.

Lesta chuckled and we snacked on the candies on the way to the eighth floor, where Izzi only peeked out from the alchemy room to acknowledge my existence before locking himself inside the room again. Cold.

But it gave me a chance to be alone with Lesta and conduct this casual interview in the lounge, where no one but us was allowed to enter.

"So...I heard you had to recuperate?" I waved my hand so the fire inside the hearth burned hotter. After observing him more, Lesta did look a bit ashen and lethargic. Perhaps that was why Eruha suddenly acted so protective.

"Ah, well...I was delirious and eventually caught a fever until last night," he told me casually, leaning back on the comfortable sofa I personally chose for this lounge and hugging the plush pillow as if he was about to fall asleep anytime."Still feeling lethargic even now. I think my body still trying to get used to the change."

He said it with a nonchalant tone, but the way Eruha reacted earlier made me think that it must have been pretty bad. If it was just a normal fever, there was no need to stay there for another night since they used the portal to come back. It would be better to receive treatment here, from the Castle’s physician who actually had his medical record.

Unless, he was so weak he couldn’t even get out of bed. "Is it bad?" I asked carefully.

"Not as bad as the actual marking," Lesta looked down and touched his chest, somewhere above his heart. "But getting stabbed in the heart is more painful than I thought."

My mind stopped whirring for a moment, and I looked at him blankly with parted lips for a good ten seconds.

"...getting what?!"

"Oh, the Progenitor did not tell you?" Lesta raised his brow, and proceeded to tell me all about the procession of mark engraving on his heart.

By God...I knew D’Ara told me they were supposed to exchange pieces of their souls, but...this wasn’t just an exchange, Ma’am! This is using someone’s heart as a parchment and someone’s soul as an ink!

I thought it was supposed to be cute and romantic?! No wonder she told me it was dangerous.

"Wha...he did that? How could..." I couldn’t even finish my thought, couldn’t even imagine if I did that with Natha. Rather, I don’t think Natha would be able to do that ever. He couldn’t even see me getting a scratch!

Lesta chuckled and sheepishly scratched his neck. "Well...to be honest, it’s all my fault."

"Huh?"

He leaned back and slouched until he was half lying on the couch, holding the pillow tighter. "He wanted to use the poison, but I was being stubborn and said I wanted to experience everything with sobriety."

To experience everything while being sober...

"No anesthesia?!" I almost yelled--I would have, if I didn’t immediately clasp my mouth after in shock. As someone who already experienced lying on the operating table several times, it was such a horrifying picture.

Lesta turned his head and blinked in surprise. "A what?"

"Never mind," I waved my hand and scooted closer to him. I think, rather than physical pain, the trauma of such agony would be more persistent. No wonder he said he was delirious and feverish after that. "You’re awake the whole time? Why? Didn’t he tell you about the procedure?"

If Eruha didn’t tell him about it, I would tell D’Ara about it, and make sure he received heavy scolding!

Fortunately, though, it seemed like Eruha did tell Lesta about what he would do, or at least about the stabby-stabby part. I couldn’t help but grimace as I listened to him, feeling my chest itch a little bit as my mind recalled my past life experience.

"Hmm...how should I say this..." Lesta looked at the ceiling, patting his pillow slightly as he mulled the experience. "During all these years, I have always been under the influence of his poison. Until a few nights ago, I had no idea how he was, how I was, during our intimate moment," he said, letting out a sigh.

Right; I did hear about this in the morning after I got drunk, which was very unfortunate, but also stupid. And it seemed like Lesta knew how stupid it was now, which led to this decision.

"I don’t want that anymore. I want to be sober while we’re...getting to know more about each other," he shrugged.

"You kind of doing it backward, huh?"

Lesta raised his brow. "And you’re one to talk?"

"Well, technically--" I raised my finger to argue, but paused.

Yes, I and Natha went through the ’know each other’ phase first back when we were still on Earth, but no one knew that. I didn’t know that, and made a contract to be his bride before I even knew who he was aside from the fact that he was the Demon Lord of Greed. When I found out about everything, I was already deeply in love with him, even while thinking he was in love with someone else.

So who am I to talk?

"You know what, you’re right."

Lesta laughed and took the tea on the table which already turned lukewarm. I reached out to touch the cup and warmed it up while asking further. "Do you feel any different afterward? I mean, aside from the obvious change in your body."

I was also curious about it; how much one’s physical condition needed to be altered to be able to match the vampire’s lifespan. But I didn’t think it was something that could be explained unless we did a thorough lab check--which was obviously not available here.

"Hmm...I’m not sure," Lesta tilted his head while tapping the side of the cup in contemplation. "I think I can feel him more, physically and mentally. I know I can understand his emotions even if he says nothing, or even if I can’t see him. Also..." he turned his head toward the window, from which we could see the main castle. "I didn’t realize it before, but now that there’s a distance between us, I can instinctually sense where he is."

"Ooh..." it seemed to be a more potent effect of my engagement oath. "You become his radar..."

"Rad--what’s that?"

"Nothing," I shook my head and quickly changed the topic. "Umm...during the process, do you feel something?"

"Something?" Lesta sipped on his newly warmed tea in contemplation but shook his head in the end. "I was so much in pain I couldn’t think of anything."

Ugh--it made me shudder from the flood of uncomfortable experiences during my previous life.

"Ah...but," Lesta looked up and blinked slowly with a soft smile on his lips, like someone who was reminiscing a fond memory. "Before I passed out, I think I got to visit my memory--the time I met him for the first time, and everything leading to...this."

"Wow..." I looked at him curiously. I didn’t think I had seen Lesta make that kind of expression before; so soft and contended. "That’s...I’d like to experience that," I muttered.

"Getting stabbed in the heart?"

"No! The memory thing!"

Lesta chuckled while putting the teacup back on the table. "I’m just kidding, Young Master."

Ugh--I knew he was, but I couldn’t help but shudder thinking about getting my heart carved with no anesthetic. But I also couldn’t help but become curious; my eyes reflexively landed on his chest, and I asked carefully. "Does it leave a trace?"

Rather than giving me a simple answer, Lesta looked down and offered nonchalantly. "Do you want to see it?"

My eyes widened. "Can I?"

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