Survival Guide After Accidentally Kissing a Demon - Chapter 142

Chapter 142

The silver-haired man in the black robe raised an eyebrow, his tone drawn out and slow as he sighed.

“He has already made a concession. Now, it is your turn, Little Butterfly.”

“My turn for what?”

The girl feigned ignorance.

“Your turn to take back what you just said.”

A smile played at the corners of his eyes.

“Take back which sentence?”

She continued to play dumb.

“Naturally, the sentence where you agreed to the engagement with Cyril Elvis.”

He explained with infinite patience, then laughed softly, shaking his head slowly. “You know perfectly well which one I mean.”

In a cold, emotionless voice, she nodded and said, “Fine, I know which one it is now. But I don’t want to take it back. After all, what a person says represents their state of mind at that moment. There is no reason to retract it.”

The man ignored her reasoning entirely.

“Take it back,”

He commanded, his lips curling into a low chuckle.

Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly as if she were becoming anxious, but his ashen, perfectly sculpted face showed no sign of losing its composure.

“Fine. Then come closer.”

Beili smiled silently and crooked a finger at him.

The corners of his mouth tilted upward a bit more without him realizing it. The man turned his face to the side and lowered his head toward her.

Then, he heard her whisper softly in his ear, her voice gentle.

“None of your business… What does it have to do with you? Mind your own business…”

The curve of his lips froze.

Before the girl could finish her sentence, a large hand with blackened fingertips fanned out, covering her face with a swift, icy touch.

It felt like a blot of ink spreading, seeping into her mind.

Under the pale palm, her expression instantly went blank.

Her initial irritation gradually faded into a daze.

Her pupils grew unfocused.

Her eyes looked as if they were covered by a layer of translucent red candy wrapper, staring vacantly into the empty air.

“Shh…”

His voice was low and soft, barely a whisper.

His cold, blackened fingertips gently stroked her cheek, as if he were soothing someone to sleep.

“There is no need to think so much. You only need to listen to me.”

The smile on his thin, cold lips widened bit by bit.

Within his hollow golden eyes, dark red vertical pupils quivered and constricted until they were nearly as thin as needles, radiating a dangerous aura.

“Tell me, you do not want an engagement with Cyril Elvis. Do you understand?”

Ashera’s finger slid slowly down the bridge of the girl’s nose, stopping at her lips, which were as red as flower petals.

“Now, say it.”

A flurry of chaotic images flashed through her mind.

Finally, the scene settled on a black-haired youth with frost-cold violet eyes and the words he had spoken-

‘Choosing to trust me will be the decision you regret most in this life, I swear.’

…

Her lips parted slightly.

Involuntarily, the girl said, “I take back what I just said… I do not want an engagement with Cyril Elvis.”

“Which sentence?” the man asked again, leaning his ear toward her lips.

“If Cyril Elvis brings up the matter of the engagement, I will agree to it… I take back that sentence.”

Like a controlled puppet, she followed Ashera’s guidance, speaking slowly and without emotion.

“If Cyril Elvis brings up the matter of the engagement…” the man prompted slowly.

“I will refuse…” she answered.

“Very good. Such a good girl.”

His voice raspy, the man let out a sigh.

A satisfied smile drifted onto his face.

He pulled her up, cradling her in his cold embrace like one would hold a cat. He gently stroked the silver-gray hair at the back of her head and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“That is my Little Butterfly.”

…

An unknown amount of time passed.

When Beili opened her eyes, she found herself lying on a luxurious black bed.

With curved ram horns on his head and a black robe as dark as ink, Ashera sat cross-legged beside her. He rested his cheek lazily against his knuckles, his hollow golden eyes looking down as he ‘watched’ her.

Her deep red eyes gradually regained their clarity.

Once she realized what was happening, Beili sat up abruptly.

“Why did I fall asleep here?” she asked, pressing a hand to her forehead in confusion.

“You said you were too tired and wanted to sleep before we discussed anything further. You told me not to disturb you.”

Ashera tilted his head, a strand of silver hair clinging to his cheek. His pale face wore its habitual, enigmatic half-smile.

Beili frowned instinctively.

She tried hard to recall what had happened before she fell asleep, but her mind was a muddle.

Her memory stopped at the moment she spoke to the youth who was curled up under the covers in tears-telling him that if Cyril spoke of the engagement, she would refuse.

Beili shook her head, feeling a slight dizziness.
She thought back to last night, in Doctor Cassius’s Magic Space where the stone coffins were neatly arranged.

She had only rested for a short while, waking up just as dawn broke, and hadn’t slept well at all.

“Forget it, maybe I really am just too tired.”

Beili sighed softly to herself as she spoke.

Recalling the business at hand, her hand paused halfway through the motion of rubbing her forehead.

“However, I do have something to discuss with you. It’s about the Swan Family. I’ve learned a few things.”

She raised her red eyes to look at Ashera, her expression turning serious.

“The Swan Family gave the Royal Family one last prophecy before they disappeared. I think it’s a clue, and I also think it might be related to your heart.”

“…Oh?”

Ashera didn’t seem particularly surprised by her words. His hollow golden eyes ‘looked’ at her as he asked unhurriedly, “Then do you know the contents of the prophecy?”

“I don’t…” she admitted truthfully.

“You haven’t even figured out the content of the prophecy, yet you’re in such a hurry to find me. Are you looking for a reward?”

Ashera let out a low chuckle. He raised his hand, pressing a cold fingertip gently against her lips.

“Stop it.”

Beili pushed his hand away and said, “You must know that the contents of the prophecy wouldn’t be that easy to find. I need your help, Ashera.”

The curve of his lips deepened as he said lazily, “Tell me, how do you want me to help you?”

“I remember that night in the library building of the Holy Island Academy…”

At the mention of that incident, certain images inevitably flashed through her mind. Beili cleared her throat and continued, “You made that librarian die twice.”

“Mm… yes.”

As if savoring the memory, he stroked his own lips and brought up the one thing she didn’t want to talk about. “That kiss was wonderful.”

“My point is…”

Beili pretended not to care, ignoring his comment and pulling the conversation back on track.

“You seem to be able to recreate scenes of things that have happened to others.”

“Recreate scenes…”

He tilted his head, his pale fingertips still resting on his cold, thin lips.

“An interesting way to put it. But my dear Little Butterfly, more accurately, I took you back to the past that night.”

“Back to the past?”

“Are you only just realizing that now… how dull.”

Ashera leaned down slightly, leaning into her ear to whisper, “Past and future-there is no barrier of time for me.”

…

He could…

Could time be fast-forwarded and rewound for him?

Like a book, he could flip to any page and enter the timeline within.

Beili was secretly startled, but she quickly realized something-

While impressive, he didn’t seem to have the power to do such things right now.

Otherwise, he could have simply gone back to the past before those three items were taken. He wouldn’t be in his current predicament, and he certainly wouldn’t need her help.

“Yes, that’s the ability.”

After a brief pause, her red eyes focused as she returned to the main topic. “I plan to combine the Dream Domain with your ability to recreate scenes.”

“And then?”

Ashera tilted his head slightly, signaling for her to continue.

“And then, tonight, while His Majesty the King is asleep, we’ll enter his dream and have him reenact that Swan prophecy,” Beili said.

…

When it came to the abilities of the Butterfly Family…

Lady Constance would always tilt her chin up first, wearing the characteristic confident expression of a noble, before speaking eloquently about the self-healing abilities the Butterfly Family was so proud of.

However, regarding the ability to open a Dream Domain…

After the Royal Hunt ended, Beili had tentatively tested Lady Constance a few times, but Lady Constance was only confused by the ability and seemed to know nothing about it.

Perhaps it was just as Bertie Swan had displayed a talent for prophecy that surpassed everyone else in the Swan Family’s history.

Bartholomew, after being possessed by her soul, was also beginning to manifest the mysterious, unknown abilities of the Butterfly Family.

At least, that was Beili’s guess.

Although Beili herself was not yet precise or skilled in opening the Dream Space-

It was easy to waste Mana, causing the Dream Domain to collapse quickly without sufficient Mana to support it.

But with Ashera there to guide her, she wouldn’t have to worry about such problems.

With her red eyes shining slightly, Beili said, “Once it gets dark and the palace is under curfew, we’ll open the Dream Domain.”

Her crimson gaze looked toward the other side.

Hearing her proposal, Ashera tilted his head slightly, a faint curve touching his cold, thin lips.

He seemed to be considering whether the plan was feasible.

After a few seconds of silence, he lowered his lashes and nodded in agreement.

“Very well.”