CHAPTER 406: SUBSTITUTE BRIDE OF THE DEMON KING (10)

Silas did not know why, but each subtle movement she made seemed to trigger a flood of memories of Ellie, the woman he liked and had not caught. The Demon King narrowed his eyes, murderous intent surging, a surge of murderous intent welling up within him. With a deliberate slowness, he began to raise his palm.

Just as his hand moved through the air, an abrupt cough broke the tense silence followed by several more. Yue Ran, delicate and slender, was struck by a fit of coughing that rattled her frame. Her slender body heaved slightly, and her other hand reflexively connected with the palm that was reaching toward her—

Unintentionally hindering his movements.

The moment her soft and delicate palm gently touched his. He was taken aback by the warmth radiating from her touch, a stark contrast to the cold exterior he had cultivated over the years. This was an unfamiliar sensation for him.

As Yue Ran finally managed to stifle her cough, a faint blush crept across her cheeks. She did not hide the surprise in her eyes and raised her head slightly to look at him with a mix of curiosity and concern, her voice soft yet tinged with genuine worry, "Husband, why are your hands so cold?"

The expression she had when she spoke was similar to Ellie’s. Seeing that the male protagonist was unmoved, she carefully moved forward.

There was some surprise in her tone, and it seemed like she was concerned. Then she gently put her face close to his palm.

The soft touch of the young woman’s skin made Silas’s murderous intent gradually fade away. The young woman was just an ant. When facing an insignificant ant that had no power to fight back, would any person still have any kind of reaction?

He cast his gaze downward at Yue Ran, who was entirely unaware of the peril that hovered above her.

But there was one thing that surprised him: even someone as close as Ellie— the one person who had been a significant part of his life— had never trusted him so much and was willing to let him hold close to her fragile neck so easily. Here was Yue Ran, allowing him to place his hand so close to her fragile neck with such naive ease.

This display was a very close and trusting act. Not to mention that in the harsh world of magic, where the strong prey on the weak, even the most romantic of couples would not necessarily be so close to each other that they would expose themselves to such vulnerability and give unconditional trust to one another.

Silas probably did not expect that this young woman would become so foolish and naive after losing her memory— foolish and naive enough to get close to a man who possessed the power to take her life at any time.

His eyes then fell on the soft and white neck. At that moment, as long as he moved and used a little more force, he could easily strangle her neck— he just had to tighten his grip; one swift motion and she would be gone from this world. But Silas decided not to kill Yue Ran in the end. There was no point in killing a woman who was so weak and powerless. The act of killing a creature so helpless, so devoid of strength, felt devoid of purpose. Besides, this fake is not without value. At least when she smiled, she looked about sixty to seventy percent similar to Ellie.

The look on Yue Ran’s face changed the instant Silas turned around and left. She was no longer smiling sweetly; her eyes were cold and indifferent.

This bastard is really hard to deal with. It took a lot of effort to dispel his intention to kill her.

It is good that the male protagonist can be soft-hearted. If he can be soft-hearted once and twice, then he can be soft-hearted a third time and more. He is not a stone without cracks.

As long as there is a crack, even if it is just a very tiny one that cannot be seen with the naked eye, no matter how big or hard the stone is, Yue Ran can always pry open its shell and reveal its softest inner core.

...

Yue Ran’s injuries healed quickly. She was now waiting for the next mission node to come.

The young woman thought it over carefully. It seemed that Silas was a strong and paranoid man. It would be difficult for him to trust anyone he is unfamiliar with. If she were to show a little more strength, he would become resentful and defensive and thus choose to kill her.

To deal with such a person, she needed to be gentle yet proactive. She should slowly infiltrate his life every day and gradually gain his affection and trust. Not to mention that Yue Ran is very good at taking the initiative. However, she had to take the initiative in moderation; otherwise, the dog man would get impatient and might slap her to death.

For now, she should imitate the tricks used by the female protagonist. She should attack gently, but not exactly the same way, or else the other party would truly regard her as a complete substitute, and then all her efforts would be in vain.

Now that Yue Ran has made up her mind, she must prepare to show her presence to the male protagonist first.

...

Inside the bedroom.

After a few days, Yue Ran’s injuries were almost entirely healed.

Yue Ran changed into a charming red dress, which was naturally to imitate how the female protagonist dresses herself. The fabric flowed gracefully, its hue a vivid reminder of the vibrant persona of the female protagonist she was emulating. A substitute had to have the awareness of a substitute.

After beautifying herself, Yue Ran went for a walk to the kitchen. She then took a bowl of ready-made warm and creamy mushroom soup.