"You will regret it," he warned, his voice tinged with a mixture of caution and intrigue. He continued to study her face, awaiting her confirmation, a hint of curiosity gleaming in his intense gaze.
Anticipating her response, he gave her the time to reconsider her decision. He was aware that his world was about to change based on her answer, a sense of anticipation building within him.
As if she had made up her mind, Astrid nodded vigorously, seizing the opportunity presented before her. Her determination didn't go unnoticed, a spark of resolve shining in her eyes.
She could have chosen to escape, putting as much distance between them as possible, but instead, she opted to follow him. He remained uncertain of her intentions, but that no longer concerned him. What mattered was her confirmation, and he had received it.
Someone was willing to stand by him, even after witnessing his dangerous side. So why should he be the one to retreat when he had finally found something exciting in his monotonous existence?
He burned with curiosity, eager to see where this unexpected development would lead. His heart raced with a newfound thrill.
Lucifer's decision was sudden, even to himself. He couldn't quite explain it, but he felt an unusual fascination with her. "I warned you. You will regret this later," he smirked, removed his hand from her chin, and turned around, facing the door, a sense of anticipation surrounding him.
"From this day forward, your purpose will be to serve my every whim," he declared, his enigmatic aura intensifying as he turned and headed towards the waiting carriage, a hint of mystery shrouding his intentions.
As Lucifer announced his decision, he strode purposefully toward the waiting carriage, earning surprised looks from both Astrid and Victor. Astrid's heart raced with a mix of anxiety and curiosity, her thoughts racing as she tried to comprehend the unpredictable turn of events. Victor, on the other hand, appeared puzzled yet cautious.
This departure from his usual manner of handling affairs left Victor on edge, unwilling to let his guard down around Astrid. He sensed that her presence could potentially spell trouble for his master, and he couldn't afford to underestimate the situation.
While Victor remained wary of her, she was left in utter disbelief.
She never imagined it's this easy to make him agree to her, which came so surprising to her. Her heart swelled with a mix of relief and gratitude, while a sense of wariness lingered in the background.
But another thing she couldn't accept is his slyness. She felt like she got the short end of the stick, even though she herself bugged him to tag her along.
At the end, she realised she herself fell into the path of capitalism and exploitation, and she couldn't help it.
Quickly recovering from the shock, the duo followed Lucifer's suit and began their short journey back home. Astrid's heart pounded with a mix of anticipation and trepidation as they began their journey.
The Azazel's main mansion is now located at the heart of the Arcanthal empire. It's a mansion, embedded with the latest trends and architecture. Whenever Astrid read about the mansion in the novel, she had always wondered how it looked, and here she is now, walking straight into her imagination, which is racing her heart.
Time elapsed slower for Astrid, forget about reaching the mansion; she might die of suffocation inside the carriage, not daring to take deep breaths, noticing the death stares falling in her direction.
She tried every means to avoid eye contact with Lucifer, wandering her eyes everywhere except in his direction.
"Are u going to be this silent throughout the ride?" Seeing she is doing everything but avoiding him, he finally stepped up
"What is it that u want to know?" She asked back cautiously
"Witty~~ i like it". He exclaimed
" So, shall we start with the basics?" He proposed, getting a wild reaction from her, a mixture of shock and confusion written all over her face.
" What, what basics?" Her voice quivered with uncertainty.
Looking at her hilarious reaction, a smile slipped out of his lips, giving her another shock, it was really hard to accept it. Maybe this was the devil's smile, as it seemed cunning and plotting ahead of her.
" What do you think I mean? " he pushed her again, wondering what she might be thinking in her little brain, a playful glint in his eyes.
Astrid began to fluster. She still remembers what Lucifer announced before their departure, so she couldn't help but twist his words. Trying to calm down herself, she averted his gaze, earning a disappointed look from him, a mix of amusement and curiosity playing on his lips.
" Little red, now tell me your sweet name and where you are from?" He asked plainly, not teasing her anymore, a sense of genuine curiosity in his voice.
Getting a sense of relief, she picked her composed self to answer back, " My name is Astrid Sinclair. I am from Silbon. " Her voice sounded steadier now, though her heart still raced.
Lucifer simply nodded his head. Well, that made sense though it wouldn't. There's no way any Western empire would name theirs as Silbon, and she might not be lying, at least not after all those near-death experiences. So he chose to believe her for now, however, his little eyes glimmered as their gazes met, a sense of intrigue in his expression.
Astrid, if you are lying to me...
You better be able to guarantee...
To lie to me forever...
Those were the words which actually didn't leave his mouth, but surely his eyes conveyed every ounce of it.
" So, Little Red, why did you choose to follow me? If it were me, I would never come along, forget about that, I wouldn't even dare to travel alone with a lunatic in the same carriage, who's attempted to kill me before. " Astrid felt like crying at his question. Forget about traveling, here she is, unable to even breathe, and he knows he is a lunatic, so what else can he tell him?
" Do you think I am enjoying this bastard? I am not a masochist like you, " Astrid scowled inside her head, definitely not daring enough to express her thoughts freely like him.
"I'm very excited about what you'll say, little Red." he smirked, a hint of playful anticipation in his tone.
Waiting for her answer, meanwhile, he snapped his fingers, conjuring an ethereal ring of shimmering air that gently spiraled towards Astrid. Startled at first, she instinctively stepped back, her heart racing as the enigmatic ring of magic hovered before her. Uncertain of its intent, her wide eyes flickered with a mixture of fear.
The memories of last night were still vivid, and the wound on her neck is still fresh, so she couldn't help but fear the man staring lasers into her body.
Lucifer's eyes twinkled mischievously, realizing the mixture of emotions he had stirred within her, resulting in him chuckling.
"It's all right, there's no need to be afraid," he said, his tone gentle and soothing. "I thought you would appreciate some healing magic. Come on, I am not unreasonable. Last night was just a misunderstanding. I didn't think you were still afraid of me," he stated, making her surprise.
Just a misunderstanding? That da*n misunderstanding of yours almost cost my life, you idiot... *Censored*
And who will not be surprised?
Before he cleared the air, her brain already imagined herself getting choked by the ring, thinking she got on his bad side, by not replying to his question.
However, hearing his explanation, she sighed a relief, a sense of tension easing from her shoulders.
She allowed herself to relax, permitting the magical ring to draw even closer. The ring's aura enveloped her neck in a soft embrace, tendrils of air caressing her skin like the gentlest of hands, a soothing sensation spreading through her.
As the magical ring worked its enchantment, Astrid could almost feel no pain from her neck. It felt like she never got injured, being fresh and full of vitality, a sense of rejuvenation filling her.
Looking at her, even though she is cheerful, her complexion looked pale, motioning her towards him, he called her, his eyes holding a hint of concern.
"Come here!" His voice was commanding yet gentle, his eyes searching hers for any sign of discomfort.
Astrid hesitated for a moment, her emotions a whirlwind of confusion, but she got no choice when it came to Lucifer, a sense of resignation mingling with curiosity.
Trudging slowly, she tried to sit next to Lucifer, however, he grabbed her by her wrist and made her sit on his lap, a sudden sense of closeness, racing her heart.
" Are you comfortable now?" He asked, noticing how she kept moving throughout the ride till now, as riding in a carriage is new to her.
Astrid was about to protest when she felt her chin being lifted up. His crisp breath drifted over her face gradually; the man's handsome, enchanting face increasingly loomed closer, and her breathing got even slower than earlier, sitting like a statue, her heart pounding loudly than ever.
Feeling a hint of imperceptible danger, Astrid was in complete confusion -- what's wrong with this guy? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?
Before she said anything, she felt his warm hands on her neck, tugging carefully at the bandages. Removing them for her, he tossed them onto the other side of the carriage, a sense of relief washing over her.
That's when she finally realized why he used healing magic on her. Maybe he felt kind on her after all these hardships, she felt infinitely grateful for his actions, and trusted Lucifer is still the one she believed him to be, a mixture of gratitude and trust warming her heart.
However, that only lasted for a moment as the next minute, he got back to the topic, egging her on the edge.
" I am still curious about your answer," he reminded her, in fact demanded her, a sense of intrigue in his tone.
Sitting close to him, her heart raced like a horse on a track, and speech left her mouth, her emotions a tangled mess.
There was a long silence over the carriage, the atmosphere thick with tension and uncertainty. Lucifer's tone turned completely withdrawn, "It'll have to be a reasonable excuse, Little Red," he finally broke the silence.
"...."
Astrid's mind raced, coming up with answers, which could please him and earn her a few more days to live, a sense of urgency and determination fueling her thoughts.
"I can hear your brain rolling to come up with something from here," he remarked, a hint of impatience in his voice, his eyes never leaving hers.
It was then when Lucifer smirked coldly, not being able to wait a moment for her crazily trying to come up with something. His limited patience was thinning out again, a sense of amusement and frustration mingling in his expression.
His peaceful and gentle expression was stained with a shroud of darkness, seemingly displeased, a sense of tension lingering in the air.
Lucifer's small frown caused Astrid's little heart to shiver in fear.
"If u r this afraid of me, then u should have done everything but flocking into my lap little Red, " he spoke, seeing her shudder in fear from him.
She gets shocked cussing he is the one who told her to come and think that even after she follows his words, he is complaining about her.
she also didn't want to get on the wrong side of the devil, a sense of trepidation and anxiety gnawing at her.
"Why did u ask me that you want to join me when u r this afraid of me. Now that u decided , then you should atleast speak your mind instead of fiddling around, " he frowned.
Seeing him furrow his brows deep, without thinking anything anymore, she spit out the words that even she found were stupid.
"I...I thought u might miss my smile" Her voice quivered with vulnerability, her heart pounding in her chest, a sense of fear and desperation in her gaze. Again, she can't believe what came out of her mouth. At this point she concluded her mouth is useless.
"...What?" Lucifer's crimson eyes widened, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief, a whirlwind of emotions crossing his face.