Chapter 8: The Rose
If she could, Nelly really wanted to slap him.
An agreement to cultivate feelings did not include a one-sided forced kiss! Couldn’t help it, my foot! She’d be a fool to believe that! And… and… technically speaking, that was her first kiss.
Her first kiss was with the continent’s most infamous Demon King. It sounded incredibly cool and protagonist-like, but now that it had actually happened to her, Nelly just wanted to reload a save file and start over.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, glared at Karsus as she stood up, and said coolly, “I’m going back to my room.”
The young demon king immediately put on a nearly pitiful expression, his lips turning down as he stared at Nelly, his red eyes blinking. His tone was also very soft. “I was wrong.”
His Majesty the Demon King, who had always presented himself with the quiet mystery of a cat, was now able to instantly switch to a canine-like persona. It was, one might say, a sight to behold. For a moment, Nelly actually thought that there might be a tail wagging vigorously under his cloak.
The moment the thought surfaced, she felt it was too awful and immediately turned her head, refusing to look at Karsus.
“I’ll read more stories to you,” Karsus’s voice dropped slightly, full of a desire for reconciliation.
Nelly didn’t turn back. She was silent for a moment before saying, “Forget it. By the way, Kal… what do you usually do?”
A fleeting look of surprise appeared on Karsus’s face, as if he had never expected Nelly to want to know about his daily life. The surprise quickly turned into a suppressed joy. His voice was still low, but it sounded bewitching due to the irrepressible smile in it. “Does Nelly want to know?”
The moment he used that tone, Nelly couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable. She turned back to confirm Karsus’s expression, then lowered her eyes and said softly, “Didn’t we agree? Whether I like you or not is something that can only be decided after getting to know you.”
He nodded, then seemed to become shy again. “I… usually plant flowers.”
Plant… plant flowers?
The Demon King who plagued the continent liked to squat down and plant little flowers… was there any hope left for this world?!
Nelly’s surprise must have been too obvious, because Karsus became even more embarrassed. A faint blush appeared on his cheeks, making his already delicate face look even more delectable.
Delectable… why did I think of that word?! Nelly felt the blood rush to her head and turned away again.
Karsus lowered his long lashes, conveniently hiding the color of his eyes. He pressed his lips together and tentatively offered two words: “Garden, afternoon tea.”
Nelly didn’t hesitate for long. “Alright.”
The black-haired young man gave a slight smile. The blush on his cheeks hadn’t completely faded, and a sudden light shone in his eyes. Nelly caught a glimpse of it and felt a slight ache in her chest, as if a string in her heart had been touched by his sincere feelings. A honey-like sweetness seeped in, followed by a wave of even more bitterness.
Nelly felt a sense of guilt.
The reason she had suggested reading wasn’t just because she liked it. Nelly had been in Wildia for a long time, but she still knew very little about the Demon King’s existence or the continent’s more distant history. The information the system could provide was always ambiguous, and books were a rare luxury. As a system spirit meant to assist heroes, Nelly had no way of obtaining information in this area.
The Song of Halga that Karsus had read had been a great help.
But Nelly had no intention of continuing to study the continent’s history—what was more intriguing was clearly Karsus’s meaningful question: “Do you believe these legends, Nelly?”
If she could understand Karsus better, understand his purpose… Nelly’s train of thought stalled. For a moment, she was confused: why did she want to understand him? Hadn’t she already resolved not to fall for the Demon King? Even if he had his own difficulties, it wouldn’t change the fact that he had committed many evil deeds.
In that brief moment, Karsus had already walked up to Nelly and, with the same natural air, took her hand, silently pulling her out of her thoughts.
Nelly looked down at his long, slender fingers intertwined with hers, then looked up at the shining eyes under his black bangs. The lingering doubt in her heart slowly sank. That subtle sense of discord was like foam that occasionally appeared on a smooth water surface, quickly pushed to an unseen edge, no longer a concern.
Getting to know this unusual Demon King a little better probably wouldn’t do her much harm. Besides, it was part of fulfilling their pact. Nelly made up her mind and no longer hesitated.
Karsus watched her calmly, his deep red eyes beautiful and mysterious. He activated his magic. The brilliant light of the library faded, and the view before them opened up.
It was a garden built high up in the Demon’s Lair, small but exquisitely crafted. It was early summer, and the square flowerbeds were filled with roses of various colors blooming wantonly. The flower bushes surrounded a white marble fountain. The three goddesses who created the continent stood atop the fountain, treading on the splashing water, their sculpted robes so lifelike they seemed as if they would droop from the wetness at any moment. Columns surrounded the square flowerbed, with climbing rose vines hanging down, sending a delicate fragrance on the wind.
The fragrance of the flowers was rich, and Nelly felt as if it had awakened some hidden emotion. But it was only for a moment before she pushed the thought aside, because Karsus was already leading her toward a trellis opposite the fountain. In the shade cast by the green leaves, there was a round table and two rattan chairs facing each other.
Exquisite pastries and a tea set were already on the table. Karsus pulled out a chair for Nelly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Welcome to my secret garden.”
Karsus’s voice was cool and clear. When he was pretending to be a hero, his words often carried an invisible sense of pressure. But when he spoke to her, he was always gentle and earnest, as if every word carried infinite affection. Listening to him for a long time, one would feel a weight that was hard to refuse. What’s more, he was looking directly at Nelly when he said this, his gaze almost tender, enough to make one drown in the intoxicating depths of his crimson eyes.
Nelly was stunned for a moment, getting a taste of what it felt like for one’s heart to skip a beat. She hastily lowered her head.
Red tea was poured into the gold-rimmed bone china teacup, releasing an alluring aroma. Karsus pushed the cup in front of Nelly, not breaking the momentary silence.
To hide the turmoil in her heart, Nelly raised the cup and took a sip of tea. The temperature was just right, soothing and warm. The fluttering in her heart deepened because of this quiet thoughtfulness.
“Milk, lemon?” Although it was a question, Karsus’s tone was more like a statement.
Nelly couldn’t help but find it a little amusing. She shook her head. “No, thank you.”
Karsus then pushed the silver platter holding the sweets toward her, his posture cautious, as if he were still uneasy about the kiss from before.
Nelly had originally intended to stick to her resolve of “not eating anything from the Demon’s Lair,” but for some reason… at this moment, she found it hard to refuse him.
Perhaps it was the rich fragrance of the roses that had softened her heart.
Nelly hesitated for a moment, then took a scone.
A look of relief appeared in Karsus’s eyes, and he lowered his gaze and smiled. The flowers swayed, casting shifting shadows, and specks of sunlight fell on his face, perfectly outlining his deep, handsome features and the curve of his smile.
Perhaps it was because the contrast with his previous deadpan impression was too great, but the destructive power of his smile was truly astonishing. Although she had been shocked several times already, Nelly’s ears still turned red at his downcast smile.
He seemed completely unaware of this, elegantly taking a sip of tea and turning to look at the gently swaying flower branches.
“Did Kal plant all these flowers?” Nelly cleared her throat, trying to cover up her loss of composure.
Karsus turned his gaze back to her and nodded. “Mhm.”
Nelly felt a little awkward and offered a dry compliment. “That’s amazing…”
He gazed at her without replying, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes, only to vanish into a calm placidity a moment later.
Nelly was taken aback, not knowing how to continue the conversation. That strange sense of discord welled up in her heart again. Why have I become the one taking the initiative? This rhythm seems a little off, doesn’t it?
Before she could figure it out, Karsus spoke again. “Briar roses, roses, they’re all very troublesome to grow.” He pressed his lips together. “Especially here.”
Indeed, the Demon’s Lair, high up in the clouds, had large temperature differences and was very windy. It was truly difficult to grow delicate roses.
“Wouldn’t it be easy with magic?” Nelly felt a little annoyed with herself as soon as she said it.
But Karsus wasn’t offended. “I didn’t use magic.” He looked at her quietly, his words seeming to hold a deeper meaning. “There’s no point in using it.”
Nelly felt uncomfortable and changed the subject. “Why roses and briar roses?”
Karsus loosely clenched his hand into a fist, covering his mouth as he gave a light cough. “Love.”
Nelly’s throat felt tight. She couldn’t make a sound, only letting him look into her eyes and continue:
“A secret love.”