The room became silent, with worried and anxious gazes of Paul and Simon lingering on Asmodeus, who looked at Ci and moved towards her with quiet steps.


    ''I originally nned to kill her... Even if she was a pawn used by Lumina, that woman almost hurt those close to me and tried to kill me.''


    He felt it foolish to trust her blindly, yet to keep her around, it would be impossible for him to justify. If he used extreme measures, Asmodeus could probably trust her, but in reality, it would make him be a true monster and the fear of those around him changing their hearts because of his actions also weighed on his mind.


    While looking at Ci''s apologetic look, Asmodeus couldn''t help but cup her cheek with his palm and lift her face to look at him. "Is that what you truly desire? If so, I cannot promise to forgive her, but... For you, I will make it so that she doesn''t give up and finds a reason to exist."


    The dark elf princess seemed to have found resolve nodded, and slowly smiled bitterly, trying her best to hold back her tears. She was her friend, and the one who helped her leave the forest, although it might have been for an agenda for Lumina thinking back now.


    ''I know that this makes my dear husband suffer, the things she did... Almost hurting and causing damage to us, the pain and anger he feels, I can feel it too... his concern for me is even greater than his desire.


    How can I make it up to this man who adores me this much?'' Ci thought to herself as she felt the feelings of Asmodeus thanks to their deep connection—she wanted to reach out but felt that would be unfair to him because of what she was already asking him.


    "Ci... This is myst question to you," Asmodeus muttered while he stared into her eyes. He moved his lips closer to her long, dark ears and asked her his question. "If the only way I can give her the will to live is to make her miserable. Can you forgive me?"


    He wasn''t doing it for himself, nor was he willing to forgive her easily—however, Asmodeus nned to take care of this incident from now on.


    ''She is my enemy. However, Paul, Simon and Ci are my family and friends... They will be hurt if that woman takes her own life. So I have to keep her alive, even if I am to be a monster that they might despise.''


    His tone made Ci understand that this was hisst offer—she didn''t know whether she could bear the thought of what he might feel to help her. However, knowing that she could not see her friend ever again pained her equally.


    "I am sorry for making you deal with something so difficult. Please, save her..." Ci spoke with an almost voiceless whisper.


    Hearing such wordse out from Ci, Asmodeus could feel his heartache—the feelings he got from her that helped him realise how much she cared for him and his feelings, but also he couldn''t stand to make Ci sad when she spoke, his hand stroked her cheek slightly rougher than usual, showing that it wasn''t easy for him.


    "Understood, I''ll do what I can."


    For some reason, he felt that his actions right now might change something in the future, but Asmodeus threw out that thought while he held his lover and gently kissed her cheek. Then he walked toward the stairs leading down to the basement without looking back, moving his head left to right as he felt irritated.


    "I have to ask you to go prepare a ce for our new guest on the carriages, though whether I let her ride one is up to fate."


    "No problem, I will take care of it," Yumiko answered before heading for the door.


    Not looking back to check the faces of Ci, Paul and Simon, Asmodeus began ascending the stairs with a calm face. He would face the woman who threatened his life and forcibly kissed him after she knocked him unconscious in the past...


    While opening the door that led to the second floor and heading towards his room, he noticed Yumiko standing by the main entrance; she nced at him with a serious expression on her face as she mouthed, ''Do your best.'' Then she waved while blowing a kiss, before she bowed before she went outside.


    ***


    Although the rooms were beautiful, there were many differences between the high level of the royal pce and the Apostle''s abode, where She once lived.


    However, she no longer felt anything for the past building or lifestyle she lived anymore. Thevish designs on the bed or furniture didn''t interest her, and even if they had cost fortunes beyond imagination, she saw them all as useless items without purpose.


    "I never liked luxury beyond my means... as a daughter who was never wanted." Her thoughts returned to the moment she became sober, the realisation that most of her actions and thoughts were being affected by the mind control of the goddess; the closer she was to a temple, the stronger it became.


    ''That''s why I offered to be a knight... I hid my status and became a spy for my father. At least in the dungeon, her influence wasn''t focused on me...''


    "Until he came... I spent over a year with Alicia, Simon and Paul, until Ryuji appeared everything fell apart."


    She began feeling resentment towards Asmodeus, but it didn''t work. Within a few hours, she felt attached to the strange hero from another world.


    The dungeons and times she met him caused her to feel strange, a sense of attraction and obsession that she couldn''t tell if those feelings were hers or from the goddess!


    ''I tried to stop the feelings, but it became so much that he was all I thought about...''


    While walking through the room, full of his familiar and dense scent.


    She let her hand slide along the wooden desk and leaned close to the clothes hanging on the door before finally sitting on the bed. However, she couldn''t help but be overwhelmed by the dense aroma of Asmodeus that almost felt like it enveloped her body and nose.


    At that moment, the blessing and curse that was Lumina''s gaze vanished, and so did the forced emotions and feelings.


    ''Yet I was still...''


    She''s thoughts stopped, and her eyes snapped open as she found herself wrapped in his quilt, stroking the edges of the material as if addicted to his scent.


    With quick movements, she threw herself back onto the edge, sitting amongst the messy covers in afortable position. She closed her eyes and remained motionless.


    Thud


    ''I can hear footsteps... who ising?''


    The heavy footsteps approached the room, causing her heart to race, almost throbbing hard enough to jump out of her mouth, before she realised who it must be because they started turning the door handle of this room.


    Creakkkk.


    His eyes looked like they carried a cold light, with the ocean blue iris gazing towards her as if they desired for She to end her life right then before their eyes met, and she had already heard the creaking sound as Asmodeus shut the door behind him.


    It had been nearly four months since hest saw She, the woman who attempted to take his life, kill one of his lovers and the woman who forcefully kissed him.


    "You have quite the nerve turning up here again, woman." His voice wasn''t the gentle and kind tone from when they first met. There wasn''t any flirting or feeling of desire from him, just a cold wall.


    "R-Ryuji..."


    "My name''s Asmodeus. Don''t make a mistake that will get you killed, She." Asmodeus growled lowly as the sound of air breaking around his body started to make noises like a storm inside the bedroom.


    He hadn''t expected his reaction to be so intense upon seeing her again—he believed it would just be anger, but he could feel it, a dark desire because of this woman''s actions and the feelings from before she chose Lumina.


    "..."


    "Why?" The man spoke with an eerily cold tone to his words.


    She gulped at this, trying to focus and keep control of herself even if she told him the truth about how most of her life was controlled because she was nothing but Lumina''s puppet.


    Even the kiss was not She''s desire, but Lumina, who overtook her body, knew he couldn''t ept that, and neither did She n to give those excuses.


    "Because I wanted you to be mine and to follow me."


    A half-truth. She felt lingering affection for him, and it took the past four months without Lumina for most of the effects of her control to fade.


    Yet this man was one thing She couldn''t forget or let go.


    She epted her feelings even though he might despise her and kill her, but she became stubborn and would rather die or suffer at his hands than hide her true feelings, even if they were born from the actions of Lumina and her obsession with him.


    "She, there is no way I could suddenly ept you, let alone forgive you."


    "Nn... I understand."


    His words were stern, but hers were soft.


    Asmodeus sighed deeply, then calmly stated, "You understand, but won''t you exin yourself?"


    "I want to stay with you forever..." A beautiful whisper left her lips.


    "How selfish are you...?!"


    His hand mmed into the wall, causing the entire hotel to shudder—the poor priestess, whocked the benefit of her apostle powers, trembled as she cowered slightly.


    "Do you think you deserve to have such desires after all that you''ve done to Ci, Paul, Simon and me?! Don''t make meugh!" He shouted.


    "Then what do you suggest I do?! I couldn''t help that. It wasn''t my wish to act that way!"


    ''I gathered so because Serena already told me, although my head understands I can''t change my anger and distorted feelings towards her so easily.''


    ''You''re asking for too much...'' Asmodeus wanted to say that, but he could feel his body beginning to burn with an overwhelming force, a feeling of humiliation when he learned from Serena that it was Lumina who kissed him and injected her divine power, trying to control his mind and make him her ve.


    That day, they defeated the Lich. He learned after bing a demon king that it was Lumina who tried to seduce him, not She. Yet even so, that feeling of betrayal and confusion upon seeing her face. It was something Asmodeus couldn''t just forget and put aside, forgiving everything because of the goddess.


    ''Because the Goddess has already been punished... She''s dead...''