CHAPTER 49: "I WANT THAT."

"Mmmm, this is good," Caelen muttered as he sank deeper into the bath, letting the hot water relax his body. His arms rested lazily against the edge, steam curling around him in slow waves.

Evelyn was in there with him, across from his seat at first, but she hadn’t minded when he shifted closer, pulling her against him from behind. His chin rested lightly on her shoulder as his hands trailed across her arms beneath the water.

"Haaa..." he let out a slow exhale, then asked with a quiet smile, "What do you think of the water?"

Evelyn tilted her head slightly back toward him, her pale hair damp and clinging to her skin. "It’s amazing," she said softly. "I could stay in here for hours."

Caelen chuckled and rubbed her shoulder with his thumb. "I’m glad you’re feeling okay." He scooped up some water in his palm and let it pour down over her collarbone. She gave the faintest smile, her body relaxing further under the warmth.

Silence lingered. Two minutes passed with only the sound of dripping water and faint echoes against the stone walls. Evelyn seemed lost in thought. Then finally she asked, her voice low and unsure,

"Caelen... what happens now? What do I do with this? How am I supposed to respond... deal with it?"

Her tone carried more weight than the simple words implied.

Caelen didn’t answer immediately. He just hugged her tighter from behind, resting his cheek against her damp hair. When he did speak, his voice was calm, measured.

"This situation is... complicated," he admitted. "But honestly? I’d say the choices are pretty clear. You can forgive her, you can plot to take her down, or you can let it go."

He paused, fingers lightly tracing the curve of her arm. His next words came quieter, almost as though he were speaking to himself as much as her.

"It’s your decision, really. Pick the one you feel you should—whether or not your emotions agree with it."

"Hm?" Evelyn made a small confused sound.

Caelen chuckled under his breath. "Emotions aren’t the best decision makers, to be honest. Maybe I’m talking out of my ass since I don’t have the right answer either... but that’s what I think." His lips curved in a faint smirk. "Do what works. And if you don’t feel like doing anything? Then don’t."

Evelyn didn’t reply. Her silence stretched long, heavy. Ten minutes later, they left the bath, wiping down and wrapping themselves in towels.

Caelen coaxed her onto the bed with him, insisting she relax properly. She didn’t resist.

They lay side by side, gazes locking. Their demonic eyes reflected back at each other, silent understanding flickering in the red glow. Evelyn shifted closer until she slipped into his arms, resting against his chest. Caelen could feel the conflict inside her, even if she said nothing. He just hugged her without words.

"Are you meeting with her after this?" she asked finally, voice muffled against his chest.

"Yeah," Caelen replied. "I need to get as much information as I can... before things sour between us."

Evelyn murmured "okay" and burrowed closer.

Caelen stayed with her as long as he could, feeling the weight of her body relax gradually. After five minutes of silence, her breathing steadied into sleep. She was mentally exhausted.

He stroked her hair once, then quietly slipped out of bed.

The closet in the room held clothes—his, and Evelyn’s. That made him pause. When had they been delivered? And how did they know his size? He frowned, but shrugged it off for now. Pulling out a neatly bound set of clothes tied together with a rope, he figured it was meant as a set.

He removed the rope and dressed. Light pants of white cloth, not tight but comfortably loose. A green shirt with string knots in place of buttons. Finally, a wide blue robe, traced with golden lines, flowing down past his knees.

"...Not bad," he muttered, glancing down at himself before leaving the room.

The halls were quiet. He decided the best chance of finding the queen was to retrace his steps, maybe check the throne room again.

As he walked, he caught sight of an open green field to the side. Unlike the first training ground they’d passed through, this one was silent. No training elves. Only a single figure sat on the grass, back turned to him.

Something about her presence wasn’t normal. Not like the others. Stronger. Sharper.

He debated approaching but chose instead to continue on, not wanting to disturb her.

"Are you really going to walk away from me?"

The voice froze him mid-step.

Caelen turned back to where the elf woman had been sitting. The spot was empty.

Before he could even finish turning forward again, she was suddenly in front of him. He staggered back, startled by her sudden appearance.

"An actual demon in my presence," the elf woman said.

Caelen straightened, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her properly. Her features sparked familiarity—Elunara’s face came to mind—but this one was older. Her eyes carried a fiercer edge.

"Who are you?" Caelen asked.

The elf didn’t answer. Her gaze lingered instead on his silver hair, then his red eyes. Her hand suddenly shot out and grabbed his.

"Hey!" Caelen barked, yanking slightly, but her grip was firm.

She smiled, studying the pale tone of his skin as though it fascinated her. "Demon... come with me."

Before Caelen could react further, another voice cut in.

"Mother, leave my guest alone."

Caelen turned sharply. Elunara was walking toward them, her expression composed but eyes sharp.

He looked back and forth between the two. Up close, the resemblance was clear. The first elf—the fierce one—looked as though she were in her mid-thirties, older than Elunara, but not by much. Elunara herself looked closer to her late twenties.

And the way she said it—Mother—clicked everything into place.

"Your guest, this is a demon. I cannot let such an uncertainty walk in my palace," the queen said coldly.

"It’s currently my palace, Mother. Your time ruling has passed, just like the rest. Stop questioning my decisions and let me do what I’m supposed to do," Elunara replied without hesitation.

"Fine. I’ll let you play your part. But when you’re finished... you will hand him over to me." The older queen’s hand lingered on Caelen’s shoulder before she finally removed it and walked away.

"Thanks?" Caelen muttered, not sure why he felt the need to say anything.

Elunara turned her head. "Let’s go."

He walked beside her, still uneasy. "What was that about?"

"You heard. That was my mother," Elunara said, her tone dropping slightly. "She’s always been... curious about demons. You could probably tell."

"Yeah."

"She does too much sometimes. Still acts like a ruler when she doesn’t need to. Honestly, I don’t even know why she had children." She stopped, realized she was saying too much, then gave a soft laugh—beautiful in its own way. "Sorry. You don’t want to hear that."

"It’s fine," Caelen said. "I don’t mind a little story time."

"Maybe next time. Maybe." She waved it off and added, "Don’t let her intimidate you. She can be... strong. But inside, she’s actually kind."

"I bet she is," he said, chuckling under his breath.

Her brows pulled together. "What?"

"Nothing. Just me being stupid."

They reached a door. She stopped, opened it, and stepped inside. He followed. The room looked like a lounge—decorated but comfortable, clearly meant for private talks. She gestured toward the seats.

"Sit."

He did.

She leaned back in her chair. "So, tell me. You said you’re looking for information about demons, correct?"

"Yeah."

"And what are you going to offer me in return?" she asked, her posture shifting into something sharper.

Caelen thought for a moment. "What do you want?"

Her lips curved into a smile. "What I want... is inside you."

He blinked. "I don’t get it. My blood? Or my sp—"

"No." She cut him off, eyes narrowing. From her side, she pulled out a slender rod tipped with a glowing blue crystal. Magic flickered from it.

In front of Caelen, a shimmering window suddenly opened.

PLAYER INTERFACE

[Personal Info]

Name: Caelen

Race: Demon

Age: 19

Affiliation: None

Title: King of Lust

Status: Stable

Primordial Type: Demon

Affinity: Lightning

-

[Abilities]

Black Wings (Passive/Active):

Temporary flight. Activates under extreme emotion or life/death stakes. Wings resist holy light but can be burned by divine energy.

Demon Link (Passive):

A bonded servant can receive commands, share energy (limited), or be summoned. Link grows stronger with an emotional connection.

Primordial Birth (Active):

Create a small seed corruption energy that allows you to make a high-tier demon Incubus and succubus transformation, but it causes backlash if overused.

Side Effect: Upon turning, the demons will experience intense lust.

Cooldown: 1 month

Skill: Demon Allure (Passive)

Your presence alone induces emotional vulnerability and attraction.

Cooldown: 1 hour

-

Caelen’s eyes widened. "What the...?"

"I want that," Elunara said, her voice carrying a weight he hadn’t heard before. The tone was the same, but something in it pressed down on him.

-

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