V2 Chapter 94

Oriel sighed with a wry smile and faintly glanced at Aanuel and reminded him:

“This is…… this is the conference room. If the Council saw you—”

“I know.” Aanuel’s expression was very calm.

“You…… you know, yet you came in!”

Aanuel grinned in response. Oriel smiled bitterly. If someone saw him coming in this place at this hour, rumors are bound to grow. Even if no one dared to voice it out, their reputation would be affected.

However, seeing Aanuel's carefree expression, Oriel immediately understands that he didn't care what would happen at all. Who cares about what other people say. I will do what I want! And no one can stop me!

Oriel can only sigh helplessly.

“So, do you need anything…?” Oriel asked softly.

“This is my house—so, I think visiting here without reason is acceptable, isn’t it Sis?” He said very naturally.

A teasing smile appeared on his face.

Yes, it’s your house; however, you can’t casually enter a woman’s room! Oriel shook her head, giving up by her little brother’s shameless roguish action. “Since you said that, did you also visit other women’s room in this castle in your spare time, Mr. House Owner…?” her lips arched into a smile but her eyes say otherwise.

“Well, I tried not to… I have high standards,” Aanuel grinned.

“So choosing your elder sister’s room is…somewhat being high standard…?” Oriel smiled wryly.

“Is there a word higher than a ‘high standard’…? If there is, I think that should be the case for you, my dear sister~”

As he said that, as a sad reminder of that, her chest suddenly felt cold, the coat within her hands were already snatched away. When she looked at Aanuel again, he took one glance at them before throwing them to the corner. And then looking at her, he nodded with satisfaction: “It looks better this way...don't you think so?”

Oriel ran out of tears and her face flushed.

“You’d already see them by now countless times, yet you’re still not satisfied after all this time…?”

As a result, she was completely exposed, it didn’t make a difference if she covered herself with her hands or not: If she tried to cover herself then she’ll seem too reserved, after all, they had been in an intimate relationship for quite some time, what place had he not seen?

However, if she doesn’t cover up, she feels uncomfortable, as if she’s parading through the streets naked. Moving her hands up and down, she repeated these actions several times, she finally cannot stand it.

“It would be a problem, not only for me but also for you, if I did become satisfied…” Aanuel chuckled. “Though even if I’m feeling satiated by the awesomeness of your body, I still want to see them every passing minute and that would never change in…at least forever,” he winked at her.

Oh, my gosh! This year rogues are not the terrible ones, you should be afraid of rogues who had the permission rights—Oriel blushed a powerful red on her face as she glared at Aanuel. But Aanuel can only see it as her flirting at him. Just that, hopefully, she would not use the eye-rolling skill of hers, or else he would feel the urge to bite her…an uncontrollable urge.

Oriel sighs while shaking her head. She reached out her hand and stroke Aanuel’s face with her thumb lovingly. “I really don’t know what to do with you,” she muttered with a faint wry smile.

Aanuel smiled cheekily and placed his palm on her hand, feeling the warmth from her hand.

“I don’t think you need to know, because if you do, you might find me, quite boring and lose interest in me. That would be disastrous…” Aanuel stared at Oriel with a pained smile. “I don’t know what to do if you started disliking me,”

“Aanuel,” Oriel’s brows furrowed after hearing Aanuel’s heartfelt words. “That would never happen…!” she muttered with an unshaken tone and expression.

She stepped forward and pulled Aanuel into her tight embrace, even though she was barely naked, she ignored it and pressed Aanuel as hard as she can against her, seemingly trying to let her enter inside her body if she could.

“You are mine, and I will never let go of you. I can throw away anything in this world, except only you!”

“… …”

An unshaken determination. Aanuel was touched and felt his heart moved. Because of it, his arms hugging her seemed to have become steel vises as they clamped on her waist. Oriel felt a bit painful because of Aanuel’s tight embrace, displaying Aanuel’s strength had increased beyond her imagination in just a short time, but she didn’t utter a single complain and just smiled satisfied.

This pain shows how much he wanted her, how much he desired her and she felt fulfilled.

Aanuel felt relaxed and calm after smelling Oriel’s wonderful scent. Although he didn’t have any fetish for smell and body odors but for some reason, women have this fragrance that makes any men calm and relax with just smelling their scent and Oriel was one of these women.

Oriel displayed a beautiful smile at Aanuel as she breaks off their embrace, “Aanuel, never think about this nonsense again or I will be angry. I will never leave you— you will be with me forever, whether you like it or not.”

The heat in her cheeks went straight to her temper.

She iced him with a cool gaze.

“I’m really fortunate to have you by my side, Sister…believe me, I really do.” Aanuel muttered softly, lowering his head until his breath coasted across her cheek. Her nerves prickled as if Oriel could feel that moist heat tickling against every inch of her flesh. He smiled again. “That is why, in return, no matter what happens, I want you to remember, always, sis… I love you. I love you so much sometimes it hurts. I don’t know what will happen in the future, I might even hurt you…even still, please never forget, my feelings for you are genuine.”

Aanuel leaned towards her. Oriel clapped her jaw closed before he had a chance to sweep his tongue inside her mouth.

His smile widened as if he’d correctly interpreted her action and found it amusing. . . but not the least bit daunting.

“Is this some kind of forewarning of what you will do in the future…?” she asked, frowning.

“If I say, yes… what will you do? Will you hate me?” Aanuel grinned, a mischievous glint appearing on his familiar heterochromatic eyes.

Oriel stared at Aanuel, then shook her head; “No,” she answered. “No matter what it is, or whatever it is that you do, that might hurt me in the future…don't matter. As long as you won’t leave, that is…leaving me is the gravest sin you will ever do to me. And that is something I cannot endure or forgive. Aanuel, are you going to leave me?” when she said the last sentence, Oriel’s eyes change and her expression turned cold, colder than Aanuel had ever seen before.

Aanuel was certain that the moment he would say he would leave, Oriel would surely do something he would never like…

“No,” Obviously, he would never say ‘yes’. All hell will break loose if he does. Well, not like he would ever leave her, after all…

“…As long as you wanted me here, on your side, I would never leave,”

Aanuel declared with a firm expression.

Hearing Aanuel’s promise, Oriel’s heart lightened and her expression beamed. Even worse, seeing his handsome expression up close, a restless, burning ache spread from her belly to her heated limbs, making a small part of her wish he would quit these eerie topics and start kissing.

Aanuel’s lips curled into a faint smile, his eyes stared down at her beautiful red lips. And as if reading her mind, he leaned even closer, his eyes on fire and the scent of peppermint hot against her face.

“You know, let’s make things clearer a little bit first. Sis, even if I leave and be independent—not as a prince of an Empire, not a demon, but a mere person. Just me…alone, single Aanuel, fighting for the sake of not only the entire Demon Empire or for the sake of the Demon Race, for that matter. But also for the entire World, for all races, I believe…what do you think about that…?”

“So this is what you are trying to say, all this time…with all these witty antics, negative melancholia…all just to give you permission to leave, which I already gave, despite my reluctance, Aanuel? Believe me, if I can lock you up, to stop you from leaving my side, I would have already done so. But I did not. I gave you permission…and I will keep my word,”

Oriel heaves a helpless sigh.

Aanuel leaned close, his voice as hard as his eyes. “Yeah, which I’m extremely happy at the same time made me guilty of…mother for that matter as well. I already hurt mom’s heart due to my somewhat, hard-headed stubbornness, I know… and I don’t want to do the same thing to you, sister. I believe you will be, extra agitated when I’m gone, and I fear you might do something you will regret later on. You know, losing your focus on anything…your mind, stolen by always worrying about me,”

“…my worries these past few days is all about the trade city…not about—”

“—about me, I know… I know you best more than anyone else in this world, sis. Don’t try to fool me, like I’m still one of those eight-year-old brats which you can still trick that Santa really exists in Christmas… I know you’re worried about the Trading City, but your entire focus is not on it."

"... ..."

Aanuel rubbed his thumb on her cheek and continued with a wry smile; "...The council is not going anywhere in this matter and the other councilmen are starting to have doubts. Suspicions and Doubts about you, Sis. For your reputation, I cannot stomach such foolishness. The Winter Palace needs you sis, and I feel rather overly-concerned about you making that face all the time, as if you’re making the gravest mistake, you’ve ever done…and I’ll tell you, you’re not. Believe me.”

“Believing you is easy…Aanuel. Extremely easy.” Oriel’s chest was heaving, but at least it wasn’t from his touch. She narrowed her eyes and clutched her fists at her side, not all that sure she wouldn’t raise her voice again. “…but what comes after is much harder.”

“But you can do it, Sis. You’ve always been the most amazing woman I ever knew. I know this for a fact, that me, leaving is a foolish decision in this time of war. Where enemies of ours are all around us, waiting for an opportunity to try a piece of us. It is understandable that you would be greatly anxious for my safety…and I thank you for that. But it is fine…I am going to be fine. I am not the same little man you have always known of me. I grew up—and I will not stop until I became something you can boast about. Someone you will find dependable. Especially in your time of needs.”

“But you already are…” Oriel said. She reached her hand and hugged Aanuel tightly. Placing a kiss on his forehead, Oriel gently stroke on Aanuel’s head, “You’re already my most prized treasure. My pride…and my love.”

“But that is not enough for me,” Aanuel muttered.

“Then, what is enough for you, Aanuel?” Oriel sighs helplessly. “If you want to be a great man, dependable and reliable like you said you wanted to become—you can do it here. Here at my side. Obtain achievements in the war, bringing glory to the empire. If you do that, everyone will kneel before you—all those past deeds you feel ashamed of will be written off just like swinging your sword, cutting them apart. You will earn everyone’s admiration…”

“Then, what? Be under one man, and above a thousand?” Aanuel smiled wryly. Then, he looks at her dirty, rolling his eyes in the process. “What’s the difference between that and a servant? For your information, being a servant is not my style. To turn over my freedom to others would be to turn over myself, which is tantamount to indentured servitude, or prostitution, depending on what state I am in.”

“You’re just making reasons, Aanuel. You’re making a simple issue into a difficult one! You’re just being a child!” Oriel scolded.

“Maybe… being a child suits me the most…” Aanuel smiled wryly.

“Incorrigible! You’re a prince, Aanuel. You can have everything you wanted if you so desire it…what’s making you so complicated?” Oriel rubbed her temple and cried out in utter frustration. The Aanuel in front of her was like a rebellious, disobedient child. And this annoyed her too much.

“I, I don’t have the—”

“What? Power? Time?” Seeing Aanuel trying to reason with his abnormal disobedience, Oriel cried out, agitated.

However, Aanuel remained calm and indifferent, smiling faintly as he shrugged his shoulder, giving his answer which was completely different from what oriel had expected. “Temperament. I don't have the necessary temperament, and this made everything nigh impossible.”

“Tempe—? What?! What do you mean?”

Oriel was caught off guard; extremely confused by Aanuel’s sudden answer.

“I’m not fond of being below someone else, sis…” Aanuel said matter-of-factly.

“What are you trying to say, Aanuel?” Oriel stared at him through glazed eyes, her pulse still pumping in her veins at a ridiculous rate. “What do you really want to achieve…? To become a King? To replace Mother?”

“Honestly speaking…I don’t know…” Aanuel shook his head with a wry smile. “I was never a dreamer. I know you know that. I never had the ambition to be above everyone else. To rule everyone’s life like a King. Like an Emperor—but there’s this voice in my head, saying it all this time—To kill. To rule. To dominate. I thought I was going insane by all this crazy nut-kicks playing inside my head like a broken radio. I was scared. I was terrified. It’s as if I'm becoming something I was not. It scared the hell out of me… to become something else that is not me…”

“… …”

“Sis…if I listen to this voice, it would make everything easier. But what will the price be…? It would be myself, I fear. And I don’t like that. Then, what should I do then?”

As he spoke, the swaggering smile of old eased across his face.

A rakish grin transformed him from darkly mysterious recluse to triumphant seducer.

“Being a King or an Emperor is not the only way to be ruled by no one.”

"... ..." Oriel's lips twitched and she stared at Aanuel's roguish smile as if what he said was a matter of fact. This bastard...