Kalia's face quickly reddened.
This intimate, yet desperate contact tickled her whole body, as if her cold body had been immersed in warm water.
"Why are you doing this, Simon? You're acting strange."
She tried to pull her hand from his grasp, but Simon wouldn't let her go.
Instead, he opened her hands and started kissing her palms.
His kisses, which gradually moved upward, touched her wrist and sent her pulse fluttering.
Simon's warm breath slowly enveloped her wrists.
The heat warmed her up.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
With his lips on her wrist, Simon opened his eyes to look at Kalia.
His face was very close to hers.
Kalia felt her chest heat up under his gaze.
Simon's eyes slowly looked down again.
Haa.
Only then did Kalia realize that she had been holding her breath, and froze.
Surprised, Kalia released a small breath, though Simon did not notice.
His lips, as smooth and soft as silk, kissed the side of her wrist.
He was murmuring in a low voice and rubbing his lips on Kalia's wrist, like a bird rubbing its beak.
The sound of his kisses strangely echoed between them.
"I'm going to change my strategy."
"What?"
Strategy? … What strategy?
Simon glanced at Sasha, who was still sleeping in Kalia's arms.
A soft smile appeared on his face.
He kissed the baby's forehead.
The smell of the child's skin mixed with the smell of milk, overwhelming his senses.
Simon slowly raised his head and looked at Kalia, who was staring at him with flustered eyes.
"I'm just playing around, hanging around, and waiting for you to notice."
66
"I love you, Kalia."
Her eyes, which had been staring blankly without understanding, slowly widened.
As if she couldn't believe what she had heard, and she looked at Simon.
To her surprise, Simon seemed adorable.
"In the future, I will show you my petty jealousy, I will beg until you look at me. Until you trust me, until you trust my love… Until I become your husband and lover. Until you recognize me as the father of this child."
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9
"I plan to seduce you."
His lips passed over Sasha, stopping right in front of Kalia's.
Simon's breath tickled her lips.
He could feel Kalia's erratic heartbeat, even without the influence of alcohol.
Simon kept his lips in front of hers, barely touching hers.
He pressed his lips together, then spoke in a mellow voice.
A voice so soft, it was as if he was singing a lullaby for Sasha, who was still asleep between them.
As if he were chanting a spell to seduce her, he said…
"You… just have to fall for me."
Simon pressed against Kalia's defenseless lips.
Kalia froze as she felt his tongue push inside her mouth.
Against her lips, Simon muttered,
"This is what I have planned for the future, Kalia…'
*
*
*
"General Kalia."
The moment he recognized that person's face in the shadows, Buford unconsciously said her name.
"Why is she…?"
He had ordered her to bring back the dragon egg, but by the time she returned he was watching a scene from the Darkness.
Even though Dimon had failed, he hadn't expected to see this face lighting up the Darkness.
Lying on the ground, Dimon laughed at the scene.
When was it…? Was it back when they were in the neutral zone procuring military supplies?
Her red uniform covering her neck, a gloomy face underneath her military cap.
Beautiful light green eyes contrasting their unbending sharpness.
From the stubbornly pursed lips to those cold, glaring eyes.
What did she say to him back then, when he tried to remove her hat for a closer look?
'If you don't stop, I'll slash your wrists off.'
Her voice was sharp enough to stop even Buford Aido's hands.
This woman, who seemed to be more weapon than human, was gritting her teeth as she hugged her round belly.
"Ha!"
Though Dimon hadn't retrieved the dragon egg, Buford was still happy to see this scene.
Buford didn't even recognize her at first.
The atmosphere around her was so different from what he knew. Everything from her gentle swaying clothes to her pained expression, was unfamiliar.
Buford, smiling slyly, licked his dry lips as he stared at Kalia.
He wasn't expecting another person to be beside her.
"Huh… That-the Duke of Mado?"
Buford's eyes widened in surprise as he continued to watch.
Ah… So that's how it is.
That woman's child was the Duke's…
Of course, the widespread rumors about those two would be out of the ordinary.
He often wondered if that woman, as hard as stone, really did have feelings when she couldn't understand other people's hearts.
Didn't anyone wonder?
Love was so powerful that it could subdue even demons.
"Hm, what are you looking at?"
The wizard next to him was enraptured by the same unstoppable force, clinging on to him as she spoke.
"I think he's someone I should get to know in the future…"
The corners of Buford's lips curved upward, as he sluggishly opened his eyes.
The face of the Fairy King was engraved in his mind.
Buford's eyes lit up.
'Why is he there?
Darkness, one of the powers of the Spirit King, isn't intruding, but quietly observes the people inside everytime the door opens.
Through the eyes of the Darkness, Buford watched these two people appear at Kalia's side as she gave birth.
Through the eyes of the Darkness, he felt himself fill with greed as he watched the Fairy King and other fairy.
Gulp.
His throat was burning.
'How delicious would that arrogant Fairy King taste if I took a bite out of him?'
How sweet would his blood taste if he ripped the skin off?
A body that had accumulated hundreds of years of power, its sweetness would be indescribable.
Buford smacked his lips together, smiling madly, as he mutters,
"… I think it would be fun to try."
Thinning into slits, ruby-like eyes darkened to the color of blood.
An appearance naturally cruel, like a real demon.
He turned his head sharply.
But what does her child have to do with the Fairy King? And why is that other fairy who looked so much like General Kalia so close to her?
It was difficult to understand how they were related to one another just by watching fragments of the scene. All he could understand was that Kalia's pregnancy was related to the Fairy King.
Maybe he's related to her baby?
'A child with the blood of the Elf Wizard, the most dangerous knight in the Empire, and possibly the genius of the century. And now, related to the Fairy family? Hmm.'
He stared at the scene playing in the darkness with interest.
After ignoring the other unnecessary scenes, Buford stopped the video at a particular point.
A small fairy popped out and pushed the black-haired human into the room.
Everyone was kicked out of the room except the black-haired man, who quickly entered.
After a while, the Duke of Mado, who had been staying by the door, raised his head and ran inside as soon as the door opened.
Through the gap as the door opened, he could see a pool of blood.
'A-ha.'
Buford's red tongue moistened his dry lips greedily.
Kalia seemed to lean back in exhaustion, staring at the child with a beautiful smile on her face as she hugged him.
"It's hard to believe that you can make that expression… that you have emotions, too.'
When Buford smiled, Dimon, who was lying down on the ground, frowned.
"What is the Prince watching that he's having so much fun?"
Dimon's eyes narrowed.
She didn't like how Buford was acting as if he couldn't take his eyes off the video that the Darkness was showing.
As she stood up, she pulled the Darkness back to her to watch the scene that Buford was watching only a moment ago.
She knew instantly why his eyes were shining like that.
She, too, was interested in seeing the magic of the Duke of Rohas and the Fairy
King.
She failed to bring the dragon's eggs but it seemed like something much more fascinating was happening.
Still, I know that I don't like this.'
The baby in Kalia's arms glanced towards Dimon, who was staring at him coyly.
Buford had only ever mentioned her once.
'She's an interesting woman.'
He had smiled back then.
A smile full of interest and curiosity.
After that, Dimon followed General Kalia of the Rohas Empire without much thought.
Strangely, there wasn't much information on her. Only what the public knew.
But she has seen a lot of her pictures.
Perhaps Buford would know Kalia's face more than his own lover's.
… I really don't like this, after all.'
Dimon reached out to cover Buford's eyes as he watched the video.
She then placed her face in front of his and gave a soft warning..
"You do know you're a dead man if you betray me, Buford?"
She knew that Lirik and Buford's conscience were indispensable.
Buford was the contractor for a higher level demon, and the only one who could control demons as his hands and feet.
But her black magic was the most efficient way to achieve Lirik's 'experiments'.
Buford was like Lirik's alter ego, and it was useful to know that he couldn't abandon her.
Buford smiled as he took Dimon's hands away from his eyes.
"How can I betray you? No one is more attractive than you in my eyes."
He pulled her in by the neck and kissed her on the lips.
Satisfied, Dimon raised her arms to his
neck and kissed him back enthusiastically.
Buford's eyes, which were previously closed, opened up again.
He looked at the image behind Dimon.
He watched the baby tremble and cry, and a tearful smile painted Kalia's swollen face.
Buford intently stared at it as if trying to imprint the image into his mind.
"Buford."
Buford held his lover tightly and focused on the kiss as if nothing had happened.