Survival Guide After Accidentally Kissing a Demon - Chapter 126

Chapter 126

“I’m… very happy,” the youth said to her.

…

He really didn’t need to say things like that out loud. It was quite embarrassing…

Wait… why was she embarrassed?

The black mist trailing behind him merged into the darkness.

A few stray Morpho Butterflies flapped their wings, fluttering slowly and lightly back and forth within the enclosed carriage.

A hazy blue-green light glowed.

It fell upon the youth’s pale face, the thin luminescence flowing slowly like shifting sand.

Seeing the hollow golden eyes of the youth curve into a beautiful arc, Beili bit her lower lip slightly and kept her tone calm as she said, “…Is that so? I didn’t feel much of anything.”

Then.

Her attempt to express that her heart was free of stray thoughts took on a completely different meaning when it reached the youth’s ears.

“Nothing… at all?”

The youth murmured softly.

He took the girl’s hand and gently pulled her toward him, bringing her closer.

“…Then, then try a-again…”

After saying this, the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

Then he lifted his head and turned his face to the side, pulling down the collar of his black robe at the same time.

He exposed a section of his cold, pale neck and brought it to her lips.

He said, “Ki-kiss here this time.”

The youth paused for a moment, his voice growing even softer. “Here… you, you might… feel something.”

Beili: …

The neck the youth presented before her eyes had a delicate, misty, grayish-white luster that looked almost sickly.

Blue veins were faintly visible beneath the skin, like an invitation handwritten in blue ink.

Beili swallowed and immediately shook her head.

“No need.”

She pulled her hand back and moved away, sitting back in her seat.

“Wh-why not?”

The youth asked, tilting his head.

“Because I already kissed you just now…”

Taking a helpless breath, she said, “Let’s talk about business first.”

Inside the dimly lit carriage.

The smile on the youth’s face gradually vanished. His expression remained dark and unreadable for a few seconds before he said in a disappointed tone, “Fine… what do you wa-want to say to me?”

Beili finally returned to the main topic. She needed to report the progress of her mission to him-

“I found an information broker today to look into news about the Swan Family. There should be an answer within two days.”

She also asked him in passing-

“Also, after leaving the Hunting Forest on the outskirts of the city, how has the progress of your relationship with Susanna been?”

“If you and he still need Susanna’s heart, well… after all, you’re in the Imperial Capital now, and Susanna is in Butterfly Valley…”

“What I mean is, have you two been in contact privately?” she asked.

“No…”

The youth answered honestly.

…No?

Beili opened her mouth, and after a moment of hesitation, she asked tactfully, “You need Susanna to like you, right?”

The youth remained silent and nodded.

Beili sighed inwardly. She spread her hands and looked at the youth helplessly, saying, “Then you have to take the initiative to contact her and let her get to know you. For example… correspond with her.”

Tilting his head, the youth was silent for a while before he said listlessly, “…Is that so?”

Whenever Susanna was mentioned, Ashera became as stiff as a tree…

Just as Beili was thinking about how to create an opportunity for the two to meet, the youth lowered his golden eyes and suddenly said:

“Ne-next… you should talk to hi-him…”

Who?

Beili was confused for a moment, but then she quickly realized that the ‘him’ the youth was referring to was Ashera’s Horned Form.

But that man…

Ashera in that form was even more addicted to kissing than the Youth Form…

Moreover, he didn’t need her permission at all to perform those intimate acts with her.

She remembered the hickeys he had planted on her neck and collarbone; it had taken several days for them to fade.

“It’s fine to talk to you too…” Beili said tactfully.

“He, he said that what you said just now… was a lie.”

With a slight curl of his lips, the youth tilted his head and whispered:

“He said… he’s coming ou-out to correct it.”

Correct it?

“What…”

Beili was puzzled.

“He sai-said you were… lying just now.”

He repeated the words with immense patience.

“…” Beili furrowed her brows in a daze and asked crossly, “Then ask him, which sentence did I lie about?”

“He said… he’ll co-come to explain.”

The youth said.

…

With a soft ‘poof’.

As the youth’s voice fell, one of the slowly fluttering Morpho Butterflies was extinguished.

A wisp of black mist, like a swimming ribbon, appeared in the carriage at some unknown point.

Then, another one disappeared.

The light inside the carriage grew dimmer and dimmer as the number of Morpho Butterflies decreased.

Beili gasped. Her first reaction was to hurriedly stand up and head for the carriage door, saying:

“Um, the carriage is a bit stuffy. I’m going out to get some fresh air…”

…

The moment the girl turned around, black mist as thick as ink enveloped the youth in the corner.
When the last of the Morpho Butterflies vanished, the thick fog dissipated.

A man with twisted black ram horns and long silver hair watched the retreating figure, who looked ready to flee in a panic, with a faint, enigmatic smile.

…

Outside the carriage, the main street of the Imperial City remained.

The sun had already set, and the sky was a dark blue curtain of velvet.

The moon hung in the night sky like a sharp scimitar.

Fluorite streetlamps, having absorbed sunlight throughout the day, emitted a warm yellow glow under the enhancement of magic.

The light was soft and warm, illuminating the outlines of the cobblestone road and the shops lining both sides.

Pedestrians were few and far between, their shadows slowly lengthening under the streetlamps as they moved.

…

The carriage door was not enchanted with magic.

After locating the door, Beili pushed it open easily.

Her fingers gripped the doorframe as she prepared to jump down from the carriage.

A snap of fingers suddenly echoed behind her.

As if a chain had abruptly tightened, a powerful force yanked her back.

The fingers gripping the doorframe were forced loose by the strength of the pull, and Beili lost control, falling backward rapidly into the dim carriage.

She tumbled into a cold corner.

A heavy scent of blood permeated the air.

In the darkness, someone pulled her into a frigid embrace.

…

From outside the carriage, within one of the shops on the street, Beili heard someone playing a cello, performing a low, elegant melody.

With his chin resting against her forehead, the person behind her laughed softly, his chest vibrating.

“Am I that terrifying, hmm?”

“To make you run so fast?”

His words were laced with amusement.

His deep voice was slightly husky as he asked.

His palm brushed against her face, and his cold fingertips slowly traced the edge of her pursed lips.

“I wasn’t running,” Beili denied immediately.

She had just said the carriage was a bit stuffy and that she wanted to get out for some fresh air… Alright, even if it was just an excuse.

Her red eyes silently swept toward the carriage door, where the lamplight and moonlight filtered in.

“Oh? Is that so?”

Hearing this, the man behind her chuckled softly and said in a slow, deliberate manner:

“Then your lie isn’t very well-crafted. Just like when you told him you felt nothing for him, your heart was clearly filled with nervousness.”

He sighed softly.

“Initially, I just wanted to expose your lie, but now I’ve changed my mind.”

The fingertips resting on the girl’s lips were cold. He pressed down firmly before sliding his fingers to her chin, tilting her face up.

“My dear Little Butterfly, I’m more curious now-”

In the dimly lit corner, he lowered his head, bringing his face close to hers.

“Why are you willing to coax him to make him happy, but when it’s my turn to come out, you want to run?”

An unpredictable sound rumbled from his throat.

…

“…” Beili opened her mouth, remaining silent for a few seconds.

She thought in confusion-

What was he trying to express by saying that?

And besides, why does one person need to be coaxed twice?

Wait… why was she coaxing him at all?

Beili rolled her eyes internally and repeated in a level tone, “I wasn’t running. I just felt the carriage was a bit stuffy.”

Upon hearing her words, the man behind her let out a muffled laugh.

The laughter echoed within the carriage, carrying a spine-chilling coldness.

“Stop being so unreasonable.”

Beili struggled slightly, trying to get up, but Ashera held her tight, even covering her with a layer of black mist to suppress her.

With any movement of resistance, that layer of black mist would grow heavier.

It felt as if she were covered by a hundred quilts; the sense of restraint was intense, leaving her unable to move.

Beili had no choice but to give up. She explained helplessly, adding a complaint: “I just wanted to leave this coffin-like carriage for a moment to breathe some fresh air.”

Since Ashera claimed she was treating them differently, she would treat them exactly the same-

By reporting the mission status to him.

The girl babbled on for a while before tactfully reminding him-if he wanted to raise Susanna’s favorability, staying still was useless!

After the reminder, she recalled Doctor Cassius’s instructions and added:

“I’m done. Looking at the sky outside, it’s getting late. It’s about time for me to head back.”

…

On the other side.

He listened with immense patience.

His cold palm gently stroked the hair at the back of the girl’s head. He lowered his head in the dim light and said slowly:

“You always have so many excuses… However, I am not that easy to fool.”

“My dear Little Butterfly…”

He curled his lips into a lazy smile. “Since you refuse to tell the truth, why don’t I take a guess?”

Clearly, the topic had not been changed by the girl’s chatter; Ashera was still dwelling on the initial matter.

He leaned in close, his breath carrying a chill.

“Is it because he’s more pitiful, and you feel sorry for him?”

“Or is it because you’re afraid of what I might do to you?”

His fingers slid down her cheek, gently brushing over the kiss marks that had already vanished.

“Here?”

The man leaned down further, his cold breath diffusing against her neck.
Beili’s breath hitched. Thinking Ashera was about to leave another red mark on her neck that wouldn’t fade for days, she instinctively raised her hands to block him.

Then, a wisp of black mist bound her wrists, pinning them against her chest.

He leaned in close, the cold tip of his nose brushing against the warmth of her neck.

He gently inhaled the intoxicating scent of her blood radiating through her skin, fueled by her racing pulse.

“You smell like strawberry cake,”

he said, followed by a soft sigh.

The heavy scent of blood became overwhelming.

However.

The cold kiss did not fall.

Ashera did not kiss her forcefully as he had in the tent back at the suburban Hunting Forest.

Only a faint, icy sensation remained on her trembling neck, accompanied by the clinking of metal.

Beili was confused.

Suddenly.

He lifted his head and pulled back.

The layer of black mist suppressing her vanished.

He had released the Mana he used to restrain her.

Beili felt the weight lift from her body. After a momentary daze, she immediately underwent Beast Transformation into a butterfly and flew out of the carriage.

…

Ashera’s carriage was parked at the side of the street.

The night was deepening.

Pitch black, windowless, and drawn by four black horses that remained perfectly still, the carriage appeared even more eerie and sinister in the dark.

Occasional passersby walked past.

Perhaps intimidated by its appearance, or perhaps sensing the unsettling aura of death emanating from within, they instinctively gave it a wide berth and quickened their pace as they approached.

The night wind carried a chilly bite, brushing against the butterfly’s wings.

Blue-green glitter fell in flurries, vanishing just before hitting the ground.

The person inside the carriage did not stop her.

The butterfly flew outside, paused for a moment, and landed lightly and slowly, shifting back into human form.

As she moved, the faint clinking of metal echoed again from between her neck and collarbone.

Something cold had been added to her neck.

It seemed to be a necklace.

Beili hurriedly lowered her head, reaching out to lift the object.

Looking closely.

It was a black necklace. Hanging from the interlocking fine links was a tiny Black Bone Scythe.

It really was a necklace.

Her heart skipped a beat. Frowning slightly, she looked up, her deep red eyes peering into the carriage.

In the dark corner where moonlight and streetlamps could not reach.

She knew a man in black robes with twisted black ram horns was leaning against the carriage wall, one hand resting on his knee, sitting with utter languor.

His golden eyes ‘watched’ her, hollow and vacant.

“…What is this?”

Facing the person inside the carriage, she asked a question she already knew the answer to.

“As you can see, it is a gift I prepared for you.”

From the dark corner, the man answered in a slow, amused tone.

She knew it was a gift, of course.

It was just… a bit embarrassing.

Beili gave a soft huff through her nose and tilted her chin up, maintaining a voice devoid of emotion.

“We are just partners. I complete the tasks you give me, and you teach me magic. You’re making things difficult for me, Ashera.”

A few seconds of silence followed.

“…You’re lying again.”

He chuckled in the darkness.

After a faint rustle of fabric, the man in the carriage stood up.

In the light slanting into the doorway, a pair of hovering, pale toes gradually appeared, followed by silver hair that cascaded down like the Milky Way.

The tall figure stooped down at the carriage door.

His black robes spread out around him like ink bleeding into paper.

“I sense no annoyance in your heart, my dear Little Butterfly…”

A pale, cold finger gently tapped the girl’s nose as he exposed her bluntly:

“You are happy.”

Happy?

How could she… possibly admit that?

“I am not. No. You’re talking nonsense!”

Beili immediately denied it with righteous indignation.

A gift from a Demon certainly wouldn’t be a simple decoration.

Touching the Black Bone Scythe necklace, she quietly channeled her Mana to sense it. As expected, it wasn’t just an accessory; it was a magical tool that could be infused with Mana.

“I’m saying… this… how do you use it?”

She glanced at the man, her voice as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz.

The corners of his lips curled into a silent, handsome arc.

Ashera kept his hollow golden eyes lowered and did not respond.

“Hmph-”

Beili raised her chin and gave a heavy huff. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll figure it out myself.”

She gently cradled the necklace with care, trying to inject a wisp of Mana into the tiny Black Bone Scythe pendant.

Then, that wisp of Mana was like a drop of water falling into a parched lake-there was no reaction at all.

What kind of magical tool was this?

Beili was secretly surprised. She raised her red eyes and glanced at Ashera.

The man in the black robes and silver hair curled his fingers, resting his chin lazily on his knuckles. He ‘watched’ her with a half-smile, still refusing to speak.