CHAPTER 444: ROSE WITH THORNS (5)

Loki let out a long, tired sigh. "Sister Lilith sent me your address," he said flatly. "Now, can you please move? I’m cold. And tired. And you’re letting all the warm air out."

But Rose didn’t move.

Instead, she narrowed her eyes and blocked the doorway with both arms. "And how exactly do you know Sister Lilith?"

Loki gave her a long stare—one of those are you serious right now kind of looks—then pulled out his phone and tapped quickly.

"Here," he said, holding out the phone toward her.

Rose hesitated but took it anyway, eyeing him suspiciously as she put it to her ear.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hey, Rosie," came Lilith’s calm voice from the other end. "Don’t be scared. He’s... annoying, but harmless."

"You know him?" Rose asked in disbelief, lowering her voice.

"Yes," Lilith chuckled. "He’s my friend. I asked him to stay at your place until I return. He doesn’t have anywhere else right now."

Rose looked at Loki, who came here empty handed.

"He didn’t even bring a suitcase," she whispered into the phone.

"Yeah," Lilith replied dryly, "that’s just how he is."

"...Fine," Rose sighed, handing the phone back with a frown.

"Thank you~" Loki said with a small smirk as he walked past her into the apartment like he owned the place.

Rose turned around sharply. "Wait—don’t you have any luggage? At all?"

Loki looked around the room, then at himself. "I have my phone. My charm."

"...That’s not luggage."

He shrugged. "I travel light."

Rose groaned quietly and shut the door, already regretting this decision. She had no idea who this lazy, smug, strange man truly was but if Lilith trusted him... then she would try to tolerate him.

For now.

"Where’s my room, pheasant girl?" Loki asked lazily, his voice curling through the hallway like smoke.

Rose blinked. "What... did you just call me?" she said, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Pheasant," he repeated with a straight face, looking her up and down with the same expression one might give a misbehaving kitten. "A little skittish, soft feathers, noisy."

Rose’s jaw dropped. "You’re rude! Don’t forget you’re standing inside my house!" she snapped, hands flying to her hips.

Loki smirked and tilted his head, stepping forward. "Then show me where I’ll be nesting," he said smoothly, his voice low and teasing.

Before Rose could throw another insult, he took another step closer.

And another.

Rose instinctively backed away until her spine hit the wall behind her.

Her breath caught.

He was close. Too close. His tall frame towered over her, and she could feel the heat from his body even through the air. His dark, tousled hair fell just enough to frame those golden-brown eyes—eyes that flickered with amusement.

Rose’s lips parted as she tried to find words, but nothing came out. Her chest rose and fell a little faster.

Why was he so... tall?

Why was his jawline so sharp?

Why did he smell like expensive smoke and warm nights?

"Are you..." she muttered, trying to breathe, "trying to pick a fight? Or flirt?"

Loki didn’t answer right away. Instead, he slowly reached into his coat pocket. Rose flinched slightly, unsure of what he was pulling out. But then—

He tapped something gently on her nose.

She blinked down. It was a small container. A jar of soothing cream.

"You’re scolding me," he said softly, his voice suddenly less playful and more... something else. His eyes dropped to her flushed cheek, where the skin was still slightly red from the slap. His voice lowered to a near-whisper. "And yet... I brought you this."

His fingers brushed her cheek, so gently she barely felt it. "For this," he added, his tone deeper now, almost a purr.

Rose stared at him, eyes wide, her heart beating faster in her chest. She wasn’t used to anyone noticing things like this. Let alone... someone like him.

"You brought this... for me?" she whispered.

Loki didn’t answer. He just raised one brow and held the cream between two fingers.

"I... thank you," Rose muttered, flustered now. Her lashes fluttered as her gaze dropped to the floor for a second.

He smirked, sensing the shift in the air. "You’re welcome, pheasant."

"You’re still rude," she muttered.

"And you’re still adorable when you’re mad."

Rose shot him a glare, but it was weak. The tension between them was thick, humming like a string pulled too tight.

He stepped back slowly, giving her space again.

Rose let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. Her knees still felt slightly weak.

Loki turned his back and walked a few steps before tossing the cream into her hands without looking. "Use it," he said casually. "I didn’t steal that for nothing."

"You stole this?!" she gasped.

"Borrowed," he corrected, already heading down the hallway. "I’ll pay them back when I’m a billionaire. Or in my next life. Whichever comes first."

Rose stood frozen in place, staring at the cream in her hand, her heart still racing.

What just happened?

This guy was weird.

Rose’s eyes widened when she saw him casually walking toward her room.

"Hey!" she called out, hurrying after him. She reached just in time to see him push the door open and step inside.

"What?" he asked, turning slightly. "I’m sleepy."

"This is my room!" Rose said, marching in behind him. "Let me show you yours."

"Can’t I stay here?" he asked, almost sulking. After all, the first time he came to Earth, he had stayed with her for years. Back then, she used to fall asleep right beside him without a second thought. And now this human—this ridiculous pheasant—wanted to sleep in separate rooms?

Of course, she still didn’t know he was Sparkle, the demon prince she had once cared for.

So, with a sigh, he gave a small nod. "Fine."

Rose marched down the hallway, arms stiff at her sides. "You can’t just walk into someone’s bedroom like that!"

Loki strolled behind her, completely relaxed, as if he owned the place. "Why not? You weren’t using the bed."

"I was about to!"

He gave a long sigh.