Chapter 6: The Pact
Nelly froze instantly.
The other person also seemed startled for a moment, but then took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her.
“Nelly.”
It was Karsus’s voice.
Perhaps it was because she was still shaken, or perhaps because he was a slightly familiar face, but Nelly actually felt a moment of relief. Compared to the Demon King, the voice from before seemed far more terrifying.
“It’s alright now.” His steady tone was reassuring at this moment.
As Nelly’s breathing gradually calmed, Karsus released the hug. Although his body temperature was lower than a normal person’s, it was still warmer than the night air. For a fleeting moment, Nelly felt a strange reluctance to let go. She quickly dispelled the thought, silently cursing herself for being so bewitched tonight.
Karsus held her by the shoulders and teleported again.
After being in the dark for so long, the sudden light made Nelly instinctively close her eyes. She then blinked and began to survey her surroundings. It was another unfamiliar room, lit by two ordinary wall sconces that cast a soft glow. The furnishings were very simple, but from the layout, it vaguely resembled a reception room.
Karsus wordlessly walked to the fireplace, took two teacups from the mantelpiece, and placed them on the coffee table in the room. With a wave of his hand, a teapot with steam faintly rising from its spout appeared, and he poured two cups of deep red, hot tea.
He gestured for Nelly to sit down and pushed one of the cups toward her.
Nelly still didn’t dare to eat the food here, let alone drink this tea that came from the Demon King’s own hands.
She held the cup in her hands but didn’t take a sip.
Karsus looked at her, lowered his eyes slightly, and took a sip of the tea in front of him. Then, he pushed his own cup toward Nelly again.
Nelly was momentarily at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. Did he think that would prove the tea was safe? But on second thought, Karsus had the ability to alter her memories at will; he really didn’t need to tamper with a cup of tea. So, she swirled the pure white bone china cup in her hands and took a small sip.
She cleared her throat and asked in a low voice, “What happened yesterday?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Nelly clearly saw Karsus’s body stiffen slightly. She continued in a gentle tone, “I can tell whether there’s something wrong with my memory or not.”
Karsus responded with a meaningful silence.
After a long while, he said flatly, “I won’t harm you.”
Nelly looked up at him as he spoke and saw the demon king, who looked like a young boy, gripping the hem of his cape with his fingers, appearing somewhat flustered.
Perhaps her scrutinizing gaze was too obvious, because Karsus added, “Don’t be afraid.”
That’s practically becoming His Majesty the Demon King’s go-to catchphrase.
Nelly looked at him, her voice slightly tight. “Then can you tell me what exactly you want?” She took a breath, deliberately lowering her voice as if to suppress some intense emotion. “Posing as a hero, bringing me here… what do you want?”
Karsus watched her quietly for a moment, then suddenly curled his lips. “I just want to be with you.”
He said it so casually that it took Nelly a moment to process, but she was left speechless. She couldn’t tell him that she just wanted to leave this world—her intuition told her that was a topic that should not be broached.
She tried her best to maintain a calm demeanor. “For that to happen, I would have to like you too.”
Karsus gazed at her intently. “Are you willing to like me?”
“That’s…” Nelly turned her face away, trying to contain her emotions. “That’s not something you can decide just by being willing or not. Liking someone isn’t that simple.”
Karsus was silent for a moment, then leaned forward slightly. “Then Nelly, are you willing to give it a try?”
Nelly found that she didn’t have the courage to answer. She had a premonition that if she agreed to this proposal, which was almost like a deal, she would only drift further away from going home. But she had no other choice.
“If I can’t bring myself to like you, will you let me go home?” she asked, mustering her courage.
Karsus lowered his lashes. In the soft light, the small movement seemed exceptionally delicate and sensitive. He carefully raised his eyes, as if giving an answer was extremely difficult. “I will.”
He paused before continuing, “But if you do fall in love with me, please stay.”
Nelly replied softly, “I understand.”
Neither of them spoke for a while. Nelly couldn’t help but steal a glance at Karsus, only to meet his gaze as he looked over. She felt a pang of embarrassment, pursed her lips, and turned to look at the fireplace.
A smile flashed across Karsus’s lips and was gone. He then stood up and said calmly, “I’ll walk you back to your room.”
This time, he didn’t teleport. Instead, he properly escorted Nelly all the way to her door. Nelly suspected that this was his way of spending more time with her, but it felt a bit strange, so she pretended not to notice and focused on walking.
It was probably Karsus’s doing, but all the torches along the way had been lit, dispelling the earlier darkness.
Soon, they reached the black and white corridor. Karsus courteously pulled the door open for her and bowed slightly with a poised and graceful demeanor. Nelly was slightly taken aback by his gesture, as if a scene she had seen before flashed through her mind.
She quickly concealed her lapse in composure and said with her head down, “Goodnight.”
Karsus took half a step forward, took her hand, and pressed a kiss to it. Maintaining the posture, he looked up slightly, his voice gentle. “Goodnight, Nelly.”
His eyes shone like stars, but their background was a chilling deep red, giving him a uniquely bewitching and alluring charm. The tone of his voice was filled with affection, and holding that pose, a single glance was enough to be imprinted in one’s heart.
Nelly felt as if she had been burned by the kiss, and the tips of her ears instantly turned red. She mumbled a flustered reply and quickly entered her room, closing the door behind her.
She covered her face. The whole walk back, her fingers had been ice-cold, but her cheeks were burning hot.
I must not fall in love with him. Although this task… seemed to have a really high difficulty level.
Nelly paused, a vague feeling that something was wrong. It was as if the course of events had subtly deviated from its proper path. Every step felt like walking on cotton candy—sweet and tempting, but also like a swamp with no firm ground, where sinking was the only way out.
She instantly became more clear-headed and slapped her cheeks a few times. Who knew if Karsus had also tampered with her emotions? She absolutely could not be deceived, absolutely not! Thinking of the medical school she had worked so hard to get into, her hardworking parents, and her close friends from middle school, Nelly’s resolve grew even firmer.
To her, this was just a virtual world she had stumbled into. Her reality was not, and would never be, here.
※
The next morning, it was the same kind and amiable woman who brought breakfast.
Nelly had originally planned to continue letting the suspicious food meet its own fate, but to her surprise, another person emerged from behind the woman—it was Karsus.
Glancing at the breakfast, which was clearly a portion for two, Nelly felt a headache coming on. But she had no choice but to let His Majesty the Demon King into her room and experience the fresh and exciting thrill of having breakfast with Wildia’s number one villain.
This meant Nelly had to bite the bullet and eat. Although she deliberately chose the plainer white bread, she knew very well that if there was any bewitching magic in the food, it would be impossible to detect with her taste buds. Having been in this world for a while now, Nelly had grown accustomed to the simple life of a hero and had almost forgotten what good food tasted like. As a result, she found herself eating the white bread with considerable relish.
Karsus didn’t stare at Nelly intently. He only glanced at her casually when he took a sip of his red tea. The teacup happened to block the corners of his mouth, so she couldn’t see if he was smiling, but his eyes were tender.
After finishing one piece of bread, Nelly decided not to eat any more. She took a sip of red tea, cleared her throat, and said, “Kal… what’s the plan for today?”
Karsus lowered his lashes and smiled faintly. “To be with Nelly.”
Nelly’s fingers curled around her teacup. She replied drily, “Is… is that so? Then what should we do?”
“Whatever Nelly wants.” Karsus was on his best behavior, appearing completely obedient.
Being treated this way by a member of the opposite sex who possessed beauty, status, and power all in one, it was hard not to feel a little giddy. Nelly was dazed for only a moment before she quickly composed herself. She stared down at the deep red tea in her cup and casually suggested, not very enthusiastically, “Let’s read, then.”
“Mhm.” Karsus replied briefly. Seeing that Nelly seemed to have finished her breakfast as well, he gracefully stood up first, walked to her side, and extended his arm. “I’ll take you to the library.”
Did I go to the Demon’s Lair’s library yesterday, or the day before? Just trying to recall which parts of this vast castle she had been to made Nelly’s head ache faintly again. She did her best to hide this momentary lapse, took another sip of tea, and then looked up and said, “Alright.”
Karsus’s expression was normal, as if he hadn’t noticed her abnormality just now. Instead, he seemed genuinely happy with her answer, the corners of his lips curving up slightly.
Nelly hesitated for a moment, but still took his arm.
Karsus, however, took the opportunity to wrap his other arm around her waist.