Chapter 201
A Hero’s Anguish
Editor(s): Speedphoenix, Joker
“Oh my gosh! What the heck is wrong with me!?” Nell rolled around on top of the carpet as she bemoaned her actions . “I-I can’t believe I said or did any of that!”
The afternoon’s events had left quite the impact on her . The rugged sensation her tongue experienced as it traced its way across his skin was memorable to say the least . She could never forget the stimulus that assailed her nervous system each time he breathed a hot sigh down the back of her neck, nor the way her heart raced as she gazed into his eyes . And then there was his scent . It was so masculine that she felt the urge, the need, to spend every waking moment basking in its embrace .
It was like he had branded her . His essence had carved its way into her body and left a permanent mark, one that failed to show signs turning dormant . Even now, it assaulted her and sentenced her to a constant state of anguish .
“This is all Yuki’s fault!” she said . “I knew there’d be something weird in his blood!”
The hero was convinced that she would normally never engage in an act so obscene, especially not in public . She had only chosen to drink his blood out of curiosity . Seducing him had never been her intention . But his blood had been the devil’s nectar . Ingesting it had intoxicated her . Her head had started to spin for reasons beyond her comprehension the moment she ingested it . A pleasant sensation had washed over both her body and her mind as her ability to reason faded away . She let down her guard and allowed her instincts to be laid bare .
“Arrrrrrrrrrrghhh! I’m so embarrassed! I’m so embarrassed I could just disappear!”
Being scolded by Lefi had knocked a bit of sense back into her, but it had failed to truly pull her from her stupor . She had remained under the influence for some time after; the drunken effect had only just finished fully wearing off . And that was precisely why she was so embarrassed .
Half of her shame stemmed from acting the way she did in a public space . The other half had been generated by her newfound self-awareness .
Deep down, that was what she had wanted . Her heart’s desire .
Knowing that filled her with a sense of ignominy so insurmountable it made her lose her bearings . She didn’t know what to do with herself . She had no idea how she was supposed to treat her emotions . She didn’t know if she was supposed to let them free, bottle them up, or deal with them some other way .
Though she had yet to look into any mirrors, Nell was well aware of the fact that her face was bright as a tomato . She didn’t want anyone to see her the way she was now . Fortunately, she was alone—and unlikely to be intruded on . She had gone out of her way to relocate to her private quarters . Nell wasn’t the only one with a private room . Yuki had made one for each of the dungeon’s residents, but they seemed to go unused for the most part .
“…It’s not my fault he smells so good . ” Nell came to a stop with her arms and legs spread, and her back against the carpeted floor .
Her training had often put her in close proximity with many a man . But none of her other experiences had ever been that up close and personal . And as she had lost her father very early in life, she had no other memories of every sharing an embrace with a member of the opposite gender . That was in part why the experience had seemed so intense .
“…Is that what I think it is?” As she turned her head, she realized that there was a red streak running down the side of her shirt . “It really is…”
His blood .
The sticky liquid had already worked its way into the fabric and was likely to leave a stain if it wasn’t carefully attended to .
But a potential stain was the least of Nell’s concerns .
For she had already once again been entranced .
She pressed the fabric against herself and inhaled as deeply as she could . “…It smells really, really nice,” she giggled . “Just like him . ”
Nell was fully aware that she was doing something many would find downright abnormal . But she was alone . There was no one to judge her .
And therefore nothing to worry about .
Her face slackened into a smile as she took yet another breath .
She was so bewitched, so captivated that she even failed to react to the sound of her door being knocked .
Only after it opened did she realize that she had made a mistake .
“Hey, Nell? It’s time for dinne—” The man on her mind entered the room, only to freeze and then back out the exact same way he came . “…Ooookay . You have fun then,” he said as he closed the door behind him .
“H-huh!? Have fun!?” She echoed his words in a hysterical tone as her mind processed the events that had just unfolded . “Wait! Waaaait! I definitely wasn’t doing what you think I was!” She wrenched the door open as quickly as she could and confronted him before he even so much as took a step .
“It’s okay Nell . I’m not judging, even if sniffing yourself is what gets you off . I was just planning to write it off as another one of your quirks and call it a day . ”
“I wasn’t sniffing myself! I was sniffing your blood because there’s still a bit left on m—” Nell’s eyes opened wide in panic . “Wait! Oh my gosh what am I saying!?”
Yuki stifled a laugh as the seemingly genuine look of concern on his face warped into a shit-eating grin .
Only then did Nell realize that she had been had .
“Y-you were just teasing me!?” she squeaked .
“Ehhhh, not really,” he said . “It was more like you set yourself up to be teased, and I just hopped along for the ride . ”
As much as she wished to deny it, Nell realized that he was right . That was why she stumbled a few steps backward before curling into a ball and covering her face with her hands .
“I can’t believe this keeps happening,” she groaned, “I’m so embarrassed . I just want to hole up somewhere and die . ”
“Well, I guess I’ll have to loot your corpse then . ” The demon lord cackled as he placed an arm under her thigh and another behind her back . It seemed to take him no effort at all to lift her into his arms the same way a prince would lift his princess .
“W-what are you doing!?”
“Escorting you to the table . Like I said, it’s time for dinner . ”
“That doesn’t mean you have to carry me there!”
“You say that, but you’d probably be stuck hiding in a corner for god knows how long if I did, so I’m not . ” He seemed to have no intention of listening to her, as he began walking down the hallway without bothering to put her down .
Her senses fell victim to both his warmth and his scent, the two things that had ultimately caused this entire scenario to begin with . But though it had a record for causing trouble, the fragrance that wafted off his body brought her nothing if not relief .
“Oh, come on…” A thousand thoughts swirled through her mind . Though she had ultimately chosen only to vocalize her complaints, she stopped resisting, leaned into his chest, and allowed herself to enjoy the sensation of being rocked in his arms .
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