Naily became uncomfortable and changed the subject: “Why roses and peonies?”
Karl Sas loosely clenched a fist, lightly covering his lips as he coughed: “Love.”
Naily felt her throat tighten, unable to speak, can only let him continue looking into her eyes:
“A secret love.”
Under the rose flowers, a meaning of strict secrecy. The flower fragrance drifted slowly, with emotions beneath the flower shadows written as a secret, read as… love.
After finishing his words, he stopped, bent down to pick a pure white, delicate flower, brought it close to his nose to smell, then turned his gaze to Naily, the corner of his lips revealing a mysterious smile. A gentle breeze parted the vines on the flower rack, and a ray of sunlight illuminated his eyes.
Naily noticed her heart stirring uncontrollably again and couldn’t help but bite her lip, trying to stay clear-headed.
At this moment, Karlsas threw the flower behind his back and gently brushed his thumb across her lips, stopping her action. As if completely unaware of the ambiguous posture, he said calmly, “Don’t bite.”
His slightly cool fingertips pressed against her lips, vivid enough to create an illusion of heat.
Naily turned her face away, not knowing how to respond. Karlsas’ arm around her waist pulled her closer, and he lowered his head to accurately find her lips.
Compared to this, the previous kiss was merely a light touch.
Naily struggled, but Karlsas held her tightly, his arm around her waist, his body temperature against her chest, his face inches away, lips and teeth intertwining.
Her strength was too small, too weak to stop his actions.
The small cut she had bitten began to bleed, spreading with their entanglement. Naily felt suffocated for a moment. But in her mind, she recalled a chuunibyou otome game from her world that mentioned when rose fragrance becomes too intense, it smells like blood’s rusty taste.
Naily trembled, bit Karlsas’ lips hard, and in his momentary pause, used all her strength to break free and slapped him hard.
She was stunned herself.
In her heart, she wasn’t without regret for her impulsiveness, but she felt satisfied. Let the domineering Demon King be horizontal!
Karlsas leaned against the stone pillar, wiping the blood from his lips with the back of his hand, looking gloomy. His tone was somewhat floating: “Do you hate me that much?”
Naily closed her eyes weakly: “Your behavior makes me hate you.”
“Then what should I do?” Karlsas’ voice was hoarse, covering half his face, the exposed eye red and miserable. He asked raspily: “What should I do for you to like me?”
At this moment, he looked like a wounded beast, painful and desperate, yet with the spirit to fight to the death.
Naily again felt the fear from that day by the throne, watching Karlsas approach step by step. She took a step back but mustered the courage to stand straight and clearly answer: “First, please make me believe you.” Her voice slightly trembled but continued: “Right now, I absolutely cannot confirm whether you will keep your promise. If you never intend to let me go home… I cannot believe you.”
Karlsas’ fingers slowly slid from his face. He stood straight, his gaze like fire covered with ice, cold and burning. He spoke softly, almost without emotional fluctuation: “Naily, tell me, have you really thought about staying?”
Naily knew her answer was crucial. She stood on the ice, knowing one misstep would plunge her into a fierce hellfire beneath the fragile ice layer.
But she couldn’t show her considerations; she needed to appear natural and unhesitating.
Naily knew she wasn’t good at lying. At times like these… she seemed to have only one path.
She stared at Karlsas for a moment, her eyes gradually reddening.
Since crossing into this inexplicable world, Naily had never cried. She had been constantly trying to find a way home, dedicating every day to this goal.
Of course, Naily often felt fear, anxiety, and helplessness, but she didn’t allow herself to dwell on these.
Just like when she filled out her volunteer form with only medical school, she could only charge towards her goal without distraction.
But after entering the demon’s lair, her goal became blurry and distant. For the first time, she felt she might never return. Just thinking about it, trying to recall her family’s faces and home’s layout, a powerful sense of loss and despair would surge like a flood. She didn’t need to fake it; she broke down crying.
She originally intended to use tears to deceive, but eventually, she couldn’t control herself, curling up on the ground, burying her face in her knees, wanting to cry until the world went dark, hoping to open her eyes and return to the normal world.
Karlsas looked at a loss. He awkwardly crouched down, extending his hand but then withdrawing it.
Naily peeked out from her knees, her voice hoarse: “I’m tired. Can we stop for today?”
Karlsas silently placed his hand on her head, smoothing her slightly messy hair. He teleported her again to the corridor outside Naily’s room.
Naily stood up stiffly, walking past Karlsas without looking, and slammed the door shut.
The trembling torch cast flickering shadows. Karlsas stood there for a while, then turned to look at his palm: quietly lying there was a small six-sided glass bottle with a narrow mouth, containing a reddish-brown liquid, like tea.
★, Chapter 10: Red Tea
The sky gradually darkened, and the fourth night in the demon’s lair was about to fall.
After a big cry, Naily felt numb, walking expressionlessly to the floor-to-ceiling window, pushing it open and letting the howling wind from above rush in. The strong wind blew, making the tear-stained areas feel cold and slightly swollen. She opened the system interface, unsurprisingly seeing rows of red “Connection Interrupted”.
She aimlessly looked through the storage space, her mind still in disarray. She must calm down. She patted her cheeks, gradually regaining her composure, and began to reassess the situation. Kalsas had undoubtedly used some method to control her emotions, but she was unsure whether it was a mental spell or a magic potion. If it was the former, Naily felt she would find it difficult to break; if it was indeed the latter, it would not be difficult to trace the source of the potion.
Naily recalled the past few days, and her suspicions gradually became clearer. Her gaze lingered on an item in the storage compartment, and she reached out to take it. It was the “unnamed sponge” obtained from the Misty Coast mission, which had no use other than its strong water-absorbing ability. But conveniently, she needed it right now.
※
Early the next morning, the same kind-hearted woman brought breakfast. The tray this time had only one portion.
Naily took it and thanked her. “His Majesty will be waiting for you in the hall today,” the woman kindly added. Naily raised an eyebrow and responded indifferently, “I understand.” The woman curtsied and quietly left.
Closing the door, Naily placed the tray on the side cabinet. After a moment of hesitation, she poured a cup of red tea and carefully sniffed it – as expected, nothing unusual. Although there was no one else in the room, she cautiously poured the tea into the sponge in her palm.
The bright yellow, circular sponge was slightly moistened but quickly returned to its original state. Naily hid the sponge in her coat pocket, sitting at the desk with a tense expression. She occasionally glanced at the tray, and after several attempts, she got up, tore a piece of bread into small pieces, and threw them out the window. This way, it would appear that she had eaten breakfast.
