The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 57: A growing feeling is always followed by a growing lust

Chapter 57: A growing feeling is always followed by a growing lust

"Mmh..."

The first thing he did when he came through the balcony was swept me in his embrace and an eager kiss.

Me? Who was I to deny the Demon Lord?

It was an evening where the sky looked like it was melded into a swirl of orange and purple. The elemental birds were fleeting about like rainbows, signaling the arrival of the Tower’s master. And when he came, with black feathers dispersing around him, he looked so ethereal.

Oh, I truly missed him. Just sensing his arrival made me stunned in place, and while I wanted to jump into his embrace, I found myself just staring at him, breath hitching, like someone waiting for their first date. And then I felt his stare and his smile, and I thought my heart stopped beating for a bit.

Matsa Ra Natha, you handsome demon!

But there was no need for me to move anyway, since he swiftly took my waist and my lips into his own, carrying me inside the room while at it.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, stupidly, even as I clung to his shoulder tightly and chased his lips again.

There was no need for an answer, a waste of time and breath that I could use to taste his cold lips. I couldn’t believe how responsive my body was, shedding away the fluster and embarrassment the moment his skin touched me. It felt so easy now, kissing him, clinging intimately.

Although the thought of going further, somehow, still filled me with unknown dread. It wasn’t just the physical aspect of it, but something more substantial in my heart.

This doubt that everything could last. The underlying problem of my identity and the vagueness of the target of our feeling. Was it really me that he adored, or Valmeier? Was it him that I loved, or the vestige of my first love?

"Sush," he lightly bit my lower lip, and I blinked. We pulled away slightly, and he kissed the corner of my mouth, which parted in confusion. "Your mind is cloudy, like a storm. What are you thinking so hard about while kissing me, huh?"

Oh, my bad. Right—I shouldn’t think about that now, when we were together, when we missed each other’s presence. Right now, it didn’t matter.

I bit my lips for a second before leaning down to kiss him again, this time without any more disturbing thoughts. Just letting out the longing I had for the past seven days. Days I spent listening to the voice that made me miss him even more.

"It’s so weird," I whispered against his lips. "I talked to you every day, but I missed you even more,"

At my confession, he smiled deeply, nuzzling his face on my neck. His low voice, which sounded so clear in my ears, was filled with ardor. "Good," he let out a soft chuckle. "Exactly as I want it."

I pulled away with raised brows, and he put me down with a mischievous smirk that got me to narrow my eyes and stared at him dubiously. "What do you mean? You planned this?"

He laughed softly, took my hands in his hold, and kissed my palm. "Rather than planning it," his lips trailed into my digits, pressing on the gap between my fingers, "it’s more like I hope you feel the same way I do,"

His smile right then looked so innocent and charming that I wouldn’t mind any excuses he gave me. To think that he was supposed to be a Nightmare that drew out one’s fear...

"When I hear your voice, my mind would automatically conjures up your image," he let go of one hand, but held on to the other as he led me out of the suite. "But after feeling your warmth directly, there’s no way I would be satisfied by mere image,"

Yeah, that was what happened. It was agonizing not being able to contact him at all, but only hearing his voice was also torture. It was like looking at a display of food without being able to eat it.

I was fine not being around him before, when I was still feeling like a prisoner, before I knew the sweet coldness of his lips, and the comfort of his touches.

But once I tasted the pleasure of relishing what my heart desired, I couldn’t be satisfied with doing it just once. Sometimes, I woke up feeling dejected because I couldn’t feel the coolness of his skin, wishing for a good night kiss every time we ended our calls.

"Isn’t it scary, that thing called temptation?" he remarked with a smile as we walked through the corridor hand in hand.

I nodded without even realizing it, just basking in his cold touch in my hand as our fingers intertwined. I was glad we took the time to walk down the stairs rather than using the elevators or teleporting, just like how we strolled through the forest and the garden at that time.

"Did you find what you seek?" he tilted his head to look at me. "About that hero,"

I could feel the disdain inside his voice, and grimaced inwardly. "No, not yet," I contemplated for a bit before asking him carefully. "Umm, Natha..." I looked up at him, trying to gauge his emotion. But he was full of smiles every time I called out his name, so it was quite hard to decipher what he was thinking.

"What is it?"

"What would you do if that boy comes here?" I asked, and he frowned slightly in response so I added hurriedly, "If, just a ’what-if’ scenario!"

"Hmm..." he didn’t answer immediately, but I also did not sense strong hostility, so I was a bit relieved by that. "That’s not up to me,"

I tilted my head at his response, "Huh?"

He held my waist as we go down another flight of stairs, keeping me from stumbling because my mind was getting distracted. "It’ll depend on how he behaves," Natha smiled coldly, before turning his head to look at me. "Depends on you too."

"Me?"

I felt his hand on the back of my head, stroking my growing hair. "Aren’t you the one who suffered the most because of him?"

Oh...

"I don’t think that’s quite true..." I muttered in a quiet voice. The ones who suffered the most should be the resident of the northern Realm of Wrath, and the citizens of Lenaar who had to face an increase in tax for the war effort.

But I was glad nonetheless, that he would consider my opinion about what to do with the Hero. At least, I could prevent an all-out bloodbath when they did come face to face.

"But why do you think he’ll come here?" Natha asked suddenly. The silver eyes narrowed as he tilted my bowed face up. "To search for you?"

Ah...right. I didn’t tell him about the possibility of the hero looking for Amrita, since it was the future I had yet to confirm. The plausibility laid on whether or not he met that magician. Right now, I wasn’t even sure he came to Valmeier’s church.

"I don’t think we ever exchange words more than twice, so why would he look for me?" I answered him truthfully. And since I didn’t even die, he shouldn’t be too interested in me anymore.

Besides, once the righteous Hero found out about the rotten filth of the human realm, he would be too busy trying to save the downtrodden than thinking about a tragic puppet of a priest who went missing.

"Hmm...is that so?"

I gave Natha my bestest smile, and he chuckled, pinching my chin teasingly. We didn’t talk about it anymore after that, enjoying dinner with Zia and listening to her talk about her newest romance plot.

Later in the night, I tried to harness the wind to dry my wet hair, and Natha was having fun combing my messy hair as the result. He went as far as braiding my slightly long hair while peppering kisses into my shoulder.

"Have you read it?" he pointed at the box of the druid scroll on the bedside.

I glanced at the box with dejected feelings. "Yeah...but it’s like a riddle," I sighed, turning around to face Natha, which already fished out the exquisite bottle of Amrita.

The scroll, after I perused it, was written like childish scribble. But the amount of preservation magic and protection arrays carved on the parchment was a clear indication that it was an important document. So it seemed like the content was arranged like a cipher—no wonder humans found it to be useless.

The thing was...I also had no key for the cipher.

"I think something needs to be done for it to unlock," I told him, before parting my lips to receive the golden drop. As usual, it felt hot on my tongue, like warmed honey. Warmth spread into the rest of my vein, and I shudder involuntarily. "Hnn~"

I heard a soft chuckle and felt a gentle, cooling hand stroking my cheek. "Feels good?"

"Yeah..." I answered in a whisper, eyelids felt as heavy as usual. As my lashes fluttered in sleepiness, I felt his lips caressing mine softly, gently. My eyes flickered in the comfort of his coldness, and my back touched the mattress before I even realized it.

"Is this..." I inhaled deeply when our lips parted, fingers trailing his exposed collarbone, feeling delight dancing through my fingertips. "Is this...your way...of seducing me...too?"

He smiled and kissed me again, lightly this time. I felt his hand caress my hair and my cheek and the side of my body, lulling me deeper into drowsiness. His lips were on my forehead next, trailing down to my closed eyelids, and nestled for a while on my cheek.

"I won’t seduce someone who can barely open his eyes," he whispered with a slight chuckle, pulling me closer to him and patting my side as I snuggled closer to chase his body temperature.

"Mmh..." mumbling incoherently, I felt my consciousness wane, and as usual, I swiftly fell into a deep sleep, between the heat inside my body and the coldness of his body enveloping me.

The heat would usually be gone by the time I woke up in the morning, leaving me feeling refreshed and invigorated. But that morning—or rather, dawn—the heat did not go away.

As I opened my eyes, I was assaulted by a restless feeling. My body felt warm, but it wasn’t a fever. No—rather than my whole body, the heat was pooled in a certain area, along with strange yet familiar tension.

I blinked, feeling flustered, heart beating faster. And then I felt Natha’s soft breath on my nape, his hand circling my waist and his fingers resting above my belly button—and I flinched.

"Ngh—"

I didn’t mean to, but a quiet whine escaped my lips, and it was too late when I clasped my hand over my mouth. With fluster, I felt Natha stirring behind me, and I knew he was awakened by my voice.

"...sweetheart?"

Oh God—that low, sultry, sleepy voice grazed my ear and I couldn’t help but gasp. I heard him shift and rose up, hovering above me—above my flushed, aroused face.

I saw him pause from the corner of my squinting eyes, and his eyes traveled below. In a panic, I pulled the blanket tightly around me, while covering my mouth still. But it was enough hints for astonishment to be drawn across his devilishly handsome face.

With a raised brow, his lips parted in a smile. "Oh?"