Survival Guide After Accidentally Kissing a Demon - Chapter 124

Chapter 124

“Doctor Cassius… do you know the Second Prince?”

Beili tilted her head as she asked him.

This man, the second male lead of the Original Book, seemed to know Ashera’s identity.

She had felt a faint inkling of this earlier when Doctor Cassius stopped her inside the carriage.

“I have only heard some rumors.”

The man smiled and shook his head in denial, the fine gold chain extending from his monocle swaying slightly.

“Go on, then. Do not keep the Second Prince waiting,” he said.

As Doctor Cassius spoke, the coachman had already placed the step stool in advance.

Beili nodded, then pushed open the door and stepped down from the carriage.

Doctor Cassius frowned slightly, but his expression soon relaxed. He reminded her in a gentle tone:

“Please return before sunset, Miss Bartholomew.”

“I’ll try,” she replied perfunctorily with a nod. “We’re just going for a stroll around the Imperial City; nothing will go wrong.”

With that, she turned and walked toward the black carriage.

Did Doctor Cassius really not know Ashera’s identity?

Lost in thought, the young girl’s figure gradually approached the carriage.

The carriage body seemed to be coated in a thick layer of black paint, appearing lifeless even under the daylight.

As this carriage moved through the streets, the oppressive aura it radiated caused pedestrians to instinctively move out of its way.

Noticing this phenomenon, Beili suddenly understood Doctor Cassius.

At first glance, this guy’s carriage truly did give off a bizarre, pitch-black feeling of dread.

It certainly didn’t look like the kind of carriage a good person would ride in…

She sighed inwardly.

As she drew near, the carriage door slowly opened.

A hand reached out, clad in a black glove that fit snugly against the knuckles.

Inside the carriage.

The youth wore a black robe, and his silver mask-with its cold, sharp lines-glinted with a faint, eerie light in the gloom.

“Come up…”

The youth spoke to her, his voice carrying a hint of a smile.

Beili glanced back at the Constance Family carriage and at Doctor Cassius, who was watching her from within, dressed in white with his golden hair.

She did not hesitate.

Lifting her skirt, she took his hand and boarded the carriage.

The door closed impatiently behind her.

…

Without a coachman to lead them, the carriage began to move in a certain direction once the door was shut.

Inside the carriage, it was pitch black and silent.

“I have been… waiting for you.”

In the darkness.

The youth reached out and gave her a gentle hug.

The metal mask covering the bridge of his nose brushed lightly against her neck. It seemed that even through the mask, he could delicately scent the fragrance emanating from her skin, pulsed by her heartbeat.

The youth let out a satisfied sigh before releasing her.

On the other side.

Beili’s eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the lightless, enclosed carriage, but she still couldn’t see clearly-not even the blurred outline of the youth’s figure.

“Why did you turn your carriage into a giant coffin…”

Beili twitched her lips and grumbled.

Unlike the Constance Family’s carriage, which had windows carved with hollow patterns, this carriage had no windows. The heavy black wood was sealed tight, allowing no light to penetrate.

Only when the door opened did light filter in.

But now, the door was closed.

“To obtain the identity… of a Prince… I need to hide my… appearance.”

The youth’s speech was intermittent as he explained to her once more.

“You’re already wearing that mask to hide your appearance; do you really need to seal the whole carriage too?”

What was the difference between this and wearing safety shorts under a pair of pants?

Perhaps this was just the unique aesthetic of a Demon, Beili thought, puzzled.

“In the carriage… there will be times… when I need to take… take off the mask.”

The youth answered her haltingly, his tone carrying a trace of an imperceptible smile.

“When?”

Beili asked subconsciously.

“…”

The youth remained quiet and did not answer her question.

Why isn’t he saying anything?

Beili tentatively called out his name.

“…Ashera?”

Having temporarily lost her vision due to the lack of a light source, her sense of hearing had not noticeably improved either.
She could vaguely sense that the boy was very close to her.

So close that she could almost feel the coldness of his metal mask grazing the tip of her nose.

Yet, perhaps he wasn’t actually that close.

His voice was incredibly faint, as if the wind had carried his words from a great distance.

…

Beili raised her hand, intending to summon a Morpho Butterfly to her fingertips to dispel the darkness.

In the next second, her hand was quickly and gently pressed back down.

“What is it?” Beili asked, confused.

As she spoke, the hand that had been pressed down was taken into his grasp.

“Do you want it…?” the boy suddenly asked in the dark.

“Want it?” Beili echoed, not yet reacting.

“Want it… then…”

Her hand was immediately guided toward a certain spot.

“Wait, wait, wait… want what?” A vein throbbed in her temple as she asked hurriedly.

In the darkness, the boy pulled her hand and pressed it against a piece of cold metal, his voice tinged with faint anticipation.

“Mana…”

Ah…

Wanting Mana and wanting to kiss him meant the same thing.

Beili paused for a moment. Feeling some apprehension and hesitation, she whispered, “I suppose…”

The boy let out a brief, muffled chuckle.

“In the carriage… it’s-it’s time…”

“I ne-need to take… take off the mask.”

The boy explained with a stutter, then gently pressed her fingers against the edge of the metal object.

With just a slight movement of her fingers, she could lift it off.

“…”

With a curl of her fingers, Beili removed the mask.

He was a Demon; he had no heart.

He was simply addicted to the act of kissing her.

And he was willing to give her some Mana in exchange.

That was all.

Lost in thought, Beili gripped the mask in her hand, remaining still for a long time.

The metal was heavy, and its icy temperature left a chill on her fingertips.

A moment later, Beili felt him gently nuzzle the tip of her nose.

“What are you wa-waiting for…” the boy asked.

His breath carried a cold aura.

He seemed to be right in front of her face; as long as she leaned forward just a little, she could kiss him.

“Um… well…”

Beili leaned back, distancing herself from him until her head and spine hit the wall of the carriage.

After a brief moment of thought, Beili decided to give up on this Mana absorption.

“…Not right now. Maybe next time.”

The problem wasn’t with Ashera; it was with her.

A voice inside told her that now was not a good time to take Mana from him.

Until that inexplicable emotion vanished, it would be better to obtain Mana through other means.

In fact, after arriving at the Imperial City today, she had already sensed a significant amount of sinful Mana in the dark alleys.

There was plenty in the Flea Nest as well.

She had sensed it then, but since it was her first time in such a place, she had been too shocked to find the presence of mind to observe and absorb it.

If the Flea Nest had sinful Mana, surely the Rat Hole would have it too.

Moreover, she hadn’t visited the Imperial City’s public cemetery yet; there was likely plenty of Death Mana to absorb there.

Looking at it this way, she could actually be self-sufficient.

Though it was a bit more troublesome, she didn’t mind the trouble right now.

She just happened to need some time and peace of mind.

…

Meanwhile.

In the darkness, the boy seemed to freeze upon hearing her words.

The temperature inside the entire carriage plummeted rapidly amidst the dead silence.

A moment later, trembling words finally broke through the dark.

“Do you… not want… m-me anymore?”

His weak voice carried obvious hurt and heartbreak as he asked in disbelief.

“Is it… something I di-did wrong?”

“Te-tell me… I’ll cha-change.”