* * *
Just as his mind was starting to melt away and he writhed in pain, Lucifer firmly pressed the back of Hayden’s neck and bent down, bringing his face close to Hayden’s.
Magical power shot out from his hand once more and covered Hayden’s body.
[Forced Magic Injection Reconfirmed.]
Hayden placed nullification on his neck, which was heating up again.
The Seal, intermittently visible between his disheveled long hair, was definitely emitting a red light, but Hayden felt no pain.
Hayden gasped for air in the bathroom, as if suffocating, and tears dropped down.
Neither of the two pairs of eyes facing each other blinked.
Finally, Lucifer commanded.
[Speak the truth.]
Hayden nullified even that command and, as if his speech had only just been restored by Lucifer’s Language Magic, he opened his mouth, breathing heavily.
“… I hate them. The ones who abandoned me, the people I believed were my family…”
Hayden pushed Lucifer away as if he didn’t want to say it, but his red lips, bound by the command, spat out the words uncontrollably.
Even though he bit his lips repeatedly to stop the words, it was impossible to prevent them from coming out.
His red lips were cut by his canine teeth. Lucifer stood firm, holding Hayden against his unyielding body.
He quietly watched Hayden, who was miserably shedding tears and avoiding his gaze.
“They are disgusting to be called family, and I am ashamed to be one of them.”
A slight heat rose from the back of his neck because he had pushed Lucifer away.
Hayden didn’t miss the opportunity and became even more immersed, fabricating a false reason for why he couldn’t submit to the Demon Lords.
“That’s why I didn’t want to be a sacrifice… I wanted to go back and prove my worth without being subjugated to a demon. Only then could I prove that those hateful people were wrong…!”
Hayden squeezed his eyes shut.
Tears, soaking his long eyelashes, traced a line down his white cheek.
It was as if the lake that held the Demon Realm’s sky had disappeared, and only clear lake water was pouring out.
Hayden, panting heavily, opened his eyes in surrender and slowly looked at Lucifer with a look of utter defeat.
He stopped pushing him away and continued speaking with a voice full of sobs.
“Since I am already a sacrifice, at the very least…”
Lucifer’s mouth, which had held an amused smile, instantly hardened at the faint breaths that sounded as if they would break at any moment.
“I want to hate you…”
An inexplicable, unfamiliar emotion crossed Lucifer’s face, reflected in the small, pale violet lake of Hayden’s eye.
Lucifer had pressured the sacrifice merely to cultivate hostility and hatred toward humans and to force his submission.
The sacrifice’s defiance was somewhat enjoyable, but after about a week, he started to prefer obedience over resistance.
Lucifer’s generosity had lasted for a while due to the sacrifice’s fresh reactions, but Lucifer was, after all, the Lord of Pride who enjoyed keeping people under his heel.
Thus, it was time for him to tire of the sacrifice’s rebellious side.
‘So I incited his hatred for humans…’
The result was slightly different from what he expected.
It was strange.
Since the result was contrary to his prediction, he should have immediately cut off his head, but strangely, he didn’t feel like cutting off the sacrifice’s head standing before him.
It was because of the words, ‘I want to hate you’.
Didn’t those words sound like he was trying to hate them?
It was natural to dislike the one who had penetrated his backside and admired his vulnerability at their first meeting, yet he said ‘I want to hate you’.
It didn’t sound like arrogant insult or foolish resistance, but rather an ardent confession.
Had he ever seen such a clear and innocent heart?
This was the first time he had heard a voice, seen eyes, or felt an emotion that conveyed the person’s heart without any hidden agenda.
For Lucifer, who had only ever received criticism, respect, fear, and cloying affection his whole life, it was an uncharted territory.
“That sounds as if you don’t hate me.”
Lucifer whispered, feigning gentleness.
Hayden’s eyes widened as if he had confirmed something he hadn’t realized himself through Lucifer’s mouth.
As if controlled by the command he had already nullified, Hayden’s lips moved on their own, creating an innocent whisper.
“… I don’t hate you.”
Flinch.
Hayden was more surprised by his own words than Lucifer was, widening his eyes and freezing his body.
The last tear clinging to his eyelashes dropped off again.
A funny thought arose: ‘Is the lake going to dry up completely like that?’
Even though it wasn’t a real lake.
Lucifer tilted his head slightly, trying to gauge Hayden’s true feelings.
“Even though I shamed you?”
Hayden bit his lip hard, fearing that he might answer on his own again.
Blood seeped out from the cuts on his lips.
Lucifer’s eyes narrowed languidly.
The red jewels in his narrowed eyes shone.
Suddenly, a strange hunger arose.
He was a being who didn’t feel hunger, yet he didn’t know what was causing such a thirst.
“I don’t hear an answer.”
At Lucifer’s soft urging, Hayden’s white teeth scraped his lip and tore away the skin.
Hayden tried to cover his mouth with his hand, as if he knew what was about to pop out, but Lucifer released his neck and blocked his mouth.
Hayden, whose both hands were caught, frantically rolled his eyes.
He showed so much distress that Lucifer seemed determined to get that answer.
[Answer honestly.]
At the repeated command, Hayden could no longer hold back and opened his mouth.
The pale violet lake in Hayden’s eyes was calm as he spoke the truth.
“… Just having.”
“……”
“Your eyes on me was enough.”
‘He was so terribly lonely.’
Lucifer released one of Hayden’s wrists and wrapped his left arm, with its prominent veins, around Hayden’s waist, pulling the small amount of fabric with him.
“…!”
“In that case, I should be receiving affection from you, not hatred.”
First, he was angry and defiant, and then he was afraid and submissive.
If you truly surrender to me, how will you change?
His interest was renewed.
He had found another reason to keep the sacrifice alive.
“Hayden.”
It was the first time Lucifer had said his name, and the first time the sacrifice had been called by Lucifer.
“Mph.”
Their chests collided as Hayden’s back arched around the thick arm, and Lucifer took Hayden’s red lips, which had looked so tempting, into his own.
So subtly that even Lucifer didn’t notice, the corner of Hayden’s mouth curved upward.
He was celebrating the hard-won success after an entire week.
“Hayden.”
“Mph.”
Hayden was utterly helpless as Lucifer held his waist and offered no release, surrendering his lips to the Demon Lord.
As expected of a demon, his body, woven with hard muscle, didn’t budge no matter how fiercely Hayden pushed.
There was no need for him to moderate his strength.
Even with a fierce struggle, Lucifer only deepened the kiss, and he paid no mind to the feelings of a trivial human.
Hayden, dragged along as Lucifer led, pretended not to notice the throbbing between his legs and squeezed his eyes shut.
“Stop, hnnk.”
Perhaps because he was a demon, Lucifer’s saliva was slightly sweet.
Hayden suppressed the urge to fully mingle their tongues, contorted his face, and tried awkwardly to close his mouth.
He moved his small, unfamiliar tongue as if to push out the thick flesh that was invading him.
Since he didn’t truly intend to push it out, he cautiously allowed it to be maneuvered by Lucifer’s tongue to press against other areas.
* * *
