Survival Guide After Accidentally Kissing a Demon - Chapter 194

Chapter 194

It was high noon, and the sunlight was scorching and brilliant.

The Constance Family carriage traveled from the Teleportation Array in Butterfly Valley to the Imperial City. After driving for a while, it arrived outside the palace.

The palace gardens were already filled with carriages.

The Duke glanced out through the openwork window of the carriage, frowned slightly, and then turned to the three people inside.

“There are many people entering the palace now, and identities need to be verified. Let’s wait patiently in the carriage for a bit.”

“Oh…” the Duchess let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

She held her forehead and complained, “How are there even more people than on Hunting Day?”

Clearly, as a Noble, the Duchess was dissatisfied with having to wait in line.

Queuing was necessary, of course, even for Nobles.

The current situation was different from usual. Everyone who had come to attend the Prince’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony was a Noble. Moreover, the Prince’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony also invited Nobles and Royal Family members from other kingdoms.

At a time like this, those who could still enjoy the privilege of cutting the line were likely only the Royal Family members of other nations.

Just as this thought surfaced in Beili’s mind, she caught a glimpse of a golden carriage zooming past.

It headed straight for the front of the line.

“Oh… what is that?” the Duchess exclaimed in surprise.

It wasn’t just the Duchess. All the Nobles waiting in line noticed the incredibly luxurious carriage.

It was impossible not to notice. Under the midday sun, the golden carriage, encrusted with various colored gemstones, shimmered with a blinding light. For a moment, it made people feel as if they were seeing Apollo’s Sun Chariot.

The entire square fell silent.

Nobles leaned their heads out of their carriage windows, their gazes following the glittering golden carriage.

It seemed that for identity verification, the driver of that carriage spoke loudly:

“Seated within this carriage are the esteemed Prince Lance Fitzgerald and Princess Renee Fitzgerald of the Tilisha Kingdom.”

Only after announcing their identities did the driver lower his volume.

“Here is the invitation.”

Taking the hint, the two carriages at the front of the line moved aside, allowing the glittering golden carriage to enter first.

The carriage entered the palace under the watchful eyes of the Nobles. The atmosphere in the square remained quiet for two seconds before becoming lively again, though the air was still punctuated by the irritable and impatient voices of those waiting inside their carriages.

Lance was here too.

Inside the carriage, Beili withdrew her gaze only to see the Duchess pursing her lips, a familiar, secretive smile on her face.

Clearly, this woman, who was naturally obsessed with gossip, had immediately thought of the letter sent to Constance Castle upon hearing the name ‘Prince Lance Fitzgerald.’

Beili silently lowered her red eyes, pretending not to see the Duchess’s winking and suggestive expression.

After waiting for an unknown amount of time, the Constance Family carriage finally entered the palace.

Beili stepped out of the carriage and waited for Susanna to smooth out her skirts before following behind the Duke and Duchess.

They walked past exquisite sculptures and neatly trimmed flowerbeds, all the way to the entrance of the Banquet Hall.

A Protocol Officer stood respectfully outside the Banquet Hall. Behind him, attendants guarded several large wooden crates filled with beautifully wrapped gift boxes.

“Duke, Duchess, and the two young ladies.”

The Protocol Officer bowed slightly and inquired politely, “Would you like to leave your gifts here, or present them to Prince Cyril in person?”

The Duke and Duchess chose the former.

They took out carefully prepared gifts from their spatial tools and handed them to the Protocol Officer.

The Protocol Officer took them and then used a magical tool to make a few strokes over the gift boxes. As if confirming what the gifts inside were, the Protocol Officer handed the boxes to the attendants behind him and whispered a few words. The attendants then picked up quill pens and scribbled quickly into a ledger.

“And what about the two young ladies?”

The Protocol Officer turned his gaze toward Beili and Susanna, asking again.

Having been reminded earlier in the carriage, Beili had immediately started rummaging through her Spatial Bracelet. After searching for a long time, she had finally managed to find something unique that could pass as a gift.

However, seeing that the Protocol Officer would use a magical tool to identify the contents of the gift boxes and record them in a ledger, she instantly changed her mind.

After all, if she let the Duke know right now what gift she intended to give Cyril, this traditional, face-saving middle-aged man would probably faint from anger on the spot.

“I will hand mine to Prince Cyril personally,” Beili said without hesitation.

“Me too…” Susanna added weakly after Beili finished speaking.

The Protocol Officer nodded, made a gesture of invitation, and said:
“Duke, Duchess, and the two young ladies, please come in.”

As the Constance Family of Four stepped into the Banquet Hall, the music came to a temporary halt.

The master of ceremonies announced in a high, resonant voice:

“Butterfly Valley, the Constance Family, now entering.”

Every eye in the hall turned toward them.

…

Even though it was daytime, several massive crystal chandeliers on the ceiling were lit. They emitted a dazzling, brilliant light that made everyone’s formal attire look even more magnificent and noble.

The Duchess and the Duke were well-accustomed to banquets of all sizes. As soon as the couple entered the Banquet Hall, they turned to give their two daughters a few brief instructions. Within half a minute, they were already engaged in pleasant conversation with other Nobles.

The music resumed.

Susanna scanned the Banquet Hall. Not seeing Cyril anywhere, she belatedly remembered that as the guest of honor, Prince Cyril would not make his entrance until evening.

“Sister Bartholomew, would you like to go sit over there for a while?”

Susanna raised her hand and pointed toward some empty chairs in the distance, questioning the girl beside her.

However, the person next to her remained very quiet.

From the moment she stepped into the magnificent Banquet Hall, Beili’s gaze had immediately bypassed the countless figures in opulent clothing and locked onto the person sitting in a high seat.

He had short, silver wolf-cut hair that shimmered with a soft luster.

The metal mask on his face had changed from the previous full-face silver mask to a black half-mask, revealing thin, cold lips and a beautifully defined jawline.

The Black Robe he always wore had been replaced by a well-tailored black suit.

He looked like a noble, mysterious Black Angel.

The carpet beneath her feet suddenly felt like clouds; every step felt soft and unstable, as if she might fall at any moment.

Beili clenched her fingers and averted her red eyes, trying her best to remain calm and composed.

“Susanna.”

She asked in a calm tone, “Were you talking to me just now?”

Susanna nodded and pointed to the empty chairs nearby, repeating her question, “Would you like to go sit over there for a while, Sister Bartholomew?”

“Alright.”

Beili walked toward the spot Susanna had indicated.

Just as she sat down, she caught a glimpse of the Silver-haired Youth in Black Attire rising from his high seat through the corner of her red eyes.

He stepped down and began walking.

Then, step by step, he walked toward her.

…

Watching the youth walk straight toward her, Beili saw the Nobles automatically clear a path as if moved by an invisible hand.

Beili felt her heart skip a beat. Her first instinct was to avoid him.

She hadn’t decided what to do yet, nor had she thought of a way to verify her suspicions. Her mind had turned into a complete muddle.

Before her seat could even get warm, Beili stood up again. Meeting Susanna’s confused gaze, she hurriedly tossed out an excuse.

“I’m going to get a glass of wine.”

Then, she pushed through the crowd and headed in the opposite direction.

When she looked back, that black figure was only a few people away from her.

Beili hurriedly turned and headed another way again.

The two of them wove through the crowd until she suddenly spotted a door left ajar. Behind it was an empty corridor.

Beili slipped inside immediately and pulled the door shut softly but quickly.

She turned around.

The silver-haired youth in black appeared before her like a ghost, his hand suddenly reaching out to grab hers.

“Are… are you hi… hiding from me?”

His voice carried confusion and bewilderment, along with a hint of grievance, as he asked haltingly.

The youth’s fingers were as cold as ice sculptures. The chill seeped through both their black gloves and into Beili’s wrist.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to see you.”

Seeing him like this, she suddenly felt that her behavior just now was quite foolish. She decided to pretend as if nothing had happened for the time being.

“My stomach just suddenly hurt, and I was looking for a restroom.”

She made up a random excuse.

Ashera reached out, his black-gloved hand resting gently on her stomach, covering a patch of light black feathers on her dress.

“I’ll go… with you… to find it.”

He spoke slowly.

“No need, I’m fine now.”

She said hurriedly, “I felt better after walking a few steps.”

The youth’s lips twitched slightly, and then he tilted his head slightly.

The moment Beili saw Ashera make that movement, she knew he was sensing her emotions.

Thus, she quickly cleared all thoughts from her mind, trying to go blank and then thinking of some happy things.

But in that moment, where could she find happy things to think about?

She started telling herself jokes in her head.

Beili didn’t know if this was useful, but for those few seconds, aside from being a little nervous, her mind was truly empty of everything else.

After a moment, Ashera did not dwell on the matter any further.
He gently loosened his grip and suddenly asked her, “Do you think… do my clothes look good?”

Only then did Beili turn her gaze toward his attire.

He was wearing a black suit of superior quality fabric, with intricate patterns stitched in gold thread, paired with straight black trousers and long black boots.

On his left shoulder was a half-cape adorned with the same soft, light black feathers as her own dress.

Standing together, they looked to anyone else like a match made in heaven.

“…”

Beili recalled the conversation between the people from the Tailor Shop and Lady Constance this morning.

After seeing the boy’s exquisite black suit clearly, she understood exactly who the culprit was behind the famous Sainthos designer falling ill.

“…It looks good.”

She gave a slight nod and answered.

A smile instantly flickered at the corners of the boy’s lips as he said, “Since it looks… looks good, then why… why is there no reward at all?”

“What kind of reward do you want?” Beili asked, following his lead.

“First, hug… hug me,” the boy said softly.

Beili gave him a gentle hug. Her arms were a bit stiff, and the embrace was very brief.

Then she quickly let go.

The boy tilted his head again. Beneath the black mask, his golden eyes slowly lowered as he continued, “And then, kiss… kiss me.”

He pointed to the corner of his lips.

The girl pursed her lips.

Resistance and resentment couldn’t help but well up from the bottom of her heart.

Was this another one of his tricks? Making her take the initiative to perform intimate acts with him over and over again-it was always like this.

“I don’t want to do that right now, Ashera.”

She suppressed her emotions and turned her head away. After a long pause, she added the second half of the sentence.

“…Maybe next time.”

Long, straight eyelashes trembled slightly as those hollow golden eyes slowly looked up.

The cold aura radiating from the boy instantly enveloped her.

Usually at a time like this, the girl would have already started to soothe his emotions.

She would stroke his face, soften her voice, say sweet things, and kiss the corners of his mouth, his cheeks, and the corners of his eyes.

Like a cat with its fur standing on end, arched and tense like a bow, she would smooth his fur over and over again until his taut emotions relaxed.

But unfortunately, not this time.

“Ah… I didn’t eat anything before coming out. Why don’t we go back to the Banquet Hall and get something to eat?”

The girl found an excuse and then walked back quickly, leaving the boy behind.

“…”

Only after the girl had taken a few steps did the boy slowly start to walk, silently following her.

They returned to the Banquet Hall.

The atmosphere between the two had suddenly become somewhat stiff.

Beili didn’t want it to be this way either. She even wanted to ask the Demon directly if he was only treating her like this for the heart.

But that method was too clumsy.

On one hand, Ashera would definitely not admit it.

On the other hand, doing so would also expose the matter of the heart.

If, by any chance, Ashera really didn’t know where the heart was, and she blurted it out so recklessly, he might do something terrible to her for the sake of the heart, which would be even worse.

He was a Demon.

She couldn’t be blunt about it; she had to hide her emotions well.

…

Inside the Banquet Hall.

Because the Second Prince had changed into a new outfit today, everyone finally saw that the hair usually covered by a black hood was a beautiful silver. They also saw that the skin on the exposed half of his face was as white and flawless as jade, without a single trace of rot.

Some of the rumors were clarified just like that.

Although everyone still didn’t know the name of this mysterious Second Prince, nor did they know his full appearance, and very few had ever heard his voice, his appearance today-even though he still wore a mask-made the eyes of many Noble Ladies from other kingdoms, who hadn’t heard the rumors of the Second Prince being a man-eater, light up.

Even though the Second Prince’s attire appeared to be a perfect match for the Evening Gown worn by Bartholomew of the Constance Family, it still didn’t stop a small number of bold Noble Ladies from stepping forward to invite him-

Hoping to share a dance with him tonight.

Those Noble Ladies almost all came from the Tilisha Kingdom.

They approached the boy in a group to ask.

The boy remained silent.

The corners of his thin, cold lips curled slightly as he tilted his head toward the side, toward the Gray-haired Girl beside him.

It was as if he were waiting for her opinion.

Looking at the Noble Ladies who had the word “expectation” written all over their faces, Beili’s thoughts drifted to another matter.

That was back during Hunting Day, when Ashera had asked her to help him win Susanna’s heart.