When he was carried onto the magical horse, Josh’s body was already unable to muster any strength.
He felt like he wasn’t a person anymore, but had melted into a puddle, slowly heating up over a fire, waiting to boil.
He let out a hot breath.
He couldn’t even stand properly, let alone mount the horse.
It was Albert who lifted him up, holding his waist.
Unable to sit normally like before, since Josh had turned into a limp shrimp. Albert just tossed him over, turning him to face himself and holding him in his arms.
Josh’s head bumped against Albert’s shoulder.
Albert’s vest had been pulled off in the chaos just now, draped over him, but being sleeveless, it couldn’t cover his whole body, and Josh still felt extremely insecure.
His head against the man’s shoulder shifted, as if finding a good spot, trying to pry open the shirt collar.
The collar was obstructed by buttons, so of course he couldn’t succeed.
But with his movements, a few strands of hair slipped into the collar, sticking to him. Though they were cool to the touch, they felt like they had absorbed the gradually rising body temperature of their owner, making his neck to chest area feel scorching hot.
“…”
Albert tightened his grip on Josh’s back.
He frowned. “Are you running a fever?”
Josh replied, “No, it’s just… my magic is depleted, it’s too dangerous outside. Stop… stop talking nonsense, hurry back.”
Even with his head spinning, he hadn’t forgotten to argue. But arguing with his breath ragged and a hint of softness in his voice made him seem extremely unconvincing.
Albert still felt something was off.
Even with spells to conceal his scent, at such close proximity, he could still sense that Josh was gradually emitting a pleasant smell.
It was the same sweet scent he had noticed when they were climbing the stairs, flowing from Josh’s slender neck as his blood circulated, subtly drifting into the air.
Albert “…”
His lips formed a cold, straight line, his body tense.
He used to only pursue power, not caring about many types of magical creatures, with limited knowledge of humans and magic.
Even though he now knew Josh was hiding something, due to his lack of understanding, he only had a vague sense of foreboding without any specific clues.
For the first time in his life, he regretted his previous indifference to the things around him.
If only that old demon steward were here, he was very interested in human life, experienced in age, and knowledgeable about many esoteric subjects.
Where did he run off to?
He was always around when he wasn’t needed, but when he was needed, he couldn’t be found anywhere.
The demon king’s groundless anger seemed to have forgotten that just a few hours ago, he was annoyed by the other’s persistent presence, likening him to a trailing dog.
“…”
Seeing him with a tense face, lost in thought, Josh became anxious.
Driven by anger and anxiety, he fiercely bit Albert’s shoulder through his shirt.
Of course, this “fiercely” was his own perception; in reality, he had hardly any strength, and it felt more like he had just taken a nibble.
Like a dazed kitten gnawing on something.
The damage caused by gnawing on a human form was zero, but the level of stimulation was immeasurable.
Josh used his head to bump into him. “Hurry, go back.”
It was only then that Albert came to his senses. The place where his shoulder had been bitten didn’t hurt, but there was an inexplicable surge of heat, as if emanating from Josh. “Hmm.”
Without even having the chance to pack up the tent and take it with them, prompted by Josh’s impatient urging, Albert hurriedly brought his young master back to the estate.
Josh remained quiet all the way, as if peacefully sleeping in the knight’s embrace.
However, his increasingly rapid breathing and feverish temperature exposed the fact that he was not well, suffering in a torment that Albert couldn’t understand.
Albert’s aura was very low, unintentionally leaking out some of the aura of a high-level magical creature, enveloping Josh. It was only because Josh had no strength left to think that he didn’t notice the abnormality in the aura.
On the return journey, the demonic horse did not rest, even foaming at the mouth from exhaustion, still moving forward under Albert’s chilling and intimidating pressure.
Almost miraculously, they returned to the central estate just as the dawn broke.
Josh hadn’t spoken for a long time now, his head hanging low, his hands tightly gripping the knight’s front, leaving pale marks on his fingertips from the force.
Albert lifted him down from the magical horse.
As soon as their feet touched the ground, the next moment, the magical horse collapsed with a thud, its limbs twitching, nostrils making sounds like a broken bellows.
This action startled Josh awake a bit. He turned his head laboriously to look at the exhausted magical horse lying on the ground, and used the portion of magic he had regained during the journey to cast a basic healing spell on it. The magical horse finally looked like it wasn’t about to collapse from exhaustion.
Albert “…Forget about it.”
That’s just how Josh was.
Even though he was already overwhelmed, he still cared about the life and death of a magical horse.
In the demon king’s past ideology of advocating power, such kindness would undoubtedly only be a burden to oneself.
Appearing on his enemies would only make him sneer disdainfully.
But now, seeing Josh like this, he only felt his heartstrings being gently plucked twice.
A soft thought grew within him, something he couldn’t even describe to himself.
Josh: “Hmm, wait a moment… have a servant give it water.”
His voice had become so hoarse that it was barely audible, as if forcibly suppressing something, with long pauses between each sentence.
After half a minute, he continued, “Kindly carry… carry me back… to the room. Don’t disturb the servants.”
Albert obediently lifted him up and softly said, “Yes, sir.”
He then lifted him up, in the same posture as when he carried Josh into the estate last time.
As if a certain scene was replaying.
But the difference was also very clear.
Compared to the restraint back then, Josh now had no thoughts left to consider the distance between him and the knight—he instinctively pressed his cheek against Albert’s chest, his body involuntarily moving closer to Albert’s, as if desperately seeking refuge in the only safe harbor available.
He was too frightened.
Throughout the journey, only the knight’s body warmth and the deep, serene breaths could bring him a little sense of security.
It was still early.
The servants in the estate had not yet risen to start their work.
Albert moved lightly, not even making a sound as he pushed open the door and entered the manor.
It was quiet now, only the faint sound of his footsteps echoing on the stairs.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
They quickly arrived at Josh’s bedroom on the second floor.
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Albert “…”
It was quite obvious.
As soon as he reached a safer place, Josh swiftly abandoned his former shelter.
Inside the room, Josh locked the door.
Looking disoriented, he slowly slid down along the door panel.
It’s hard to say whether his luck was good or bad.
Although he woke up with no magical energy and no self-defense capabilities, he was fortunate to have a loyal and honest knight by his side, allowing him to safely return to his own nest.
Josh slumped on the floor. The bedroom floor was covered with a warm carpet, so sitting on it was very comfortable, feeling no trace of coldness. When Josh used to be too lazy to go to bed, he would lie down on the carpet, feeling equally comfortable.
But Josh didn’t need this warmth right now.
Not only did he not need it, he even felt burdened by it.
He was overheating.
He wished he could find an ice cube to hold against himself.
This heat wasn’t just a simple physical fever; Josh knew exactly where the root of the problem lay.
His incubus physique had probably awakened.
Throughout the journey, if he hadn’t been desperately controlling himself, it wouldn’t have been as simple as just clutching onto Albert’s shirt.
He probably would have stripped the knight bare long ago.
After resting for a while, Josh struggled to move to the mirror and fought with the intricate noble clothing for over ten minutes before pulling open his own garments.
Unsurprisingly, there was a magnificent demonic rune on his lower back.
A incubui’s distinctive magical mark, like some ambiguous imprint.
The dark mark spread across his delicate fair skin, about the size of a palm, shaped like an exquisite ink butterfly gently stretching its wings, possessing a sinister and breathtaking beauty.
During their mature stage, inbubi not only display hidden magical marks on their bodies but also grow horns and tails.
Josh had no idea whether a half-incubus would develop these traits. It was difficult for humans and creatures to conceive offspring, especially for incubi, whose bloodlines were particularly unique, mostly born from pure-blood unions within their own kin, with no records of any half-incubus hybrids.
Now Josh knew part of the answer: half-incubi also develop magical marks.
However, compared to pure-blood incubi covered in extensive magical marks, Josh only had a small patch on his lower back, which wasn’t very large.
Fortunately… it would be covered when he wore clothes, making it easier to conceal.
He just didn’t know if horns and a tail would grow. And if they did, could he control them and make them retract?
Josh was troubled by these thoughts.
But he didn’t have time to dwell on it for too long.
The peculiar sensation in his body quickly brought him back to the most pressing issue at hand.
As his clothing re-covered the mark, the ink butterfly disappeared from the mirror.
Josh saw his crimson face in the full-length mirror.
His normally calm black eyes now held a hint of spring, sparkling with moisture, a faint blush tinging the corners of his eyes.
His features were still the same clear and beautiful ones, with black eyes and fair skin.
Just a subtle change in expression, yet it added an indescribable allure to his demeanor.
Even if Josh tried to view himself through a filter of self-denial, he couldn’t honestly describe himself as “innocent”.
Like a trap made of honey, tempting others to fall.
And tempting him to fall as well.
Josh’s gaze lowered.
Only then did he notice that Albert’s vest was still in his hand, crumpled and rumpled from being covered and rubbed.
He let out a gentle, hot breath.
Almost involuntarily, he picked it up and sniffed it.
In reality, after using it for so long, most of the scent on it was his own.
He needed to carefully distinguish to recognize the faint residual scent of its previous owner, slightly cold.
It was the temperature he needed to calm himself down.
Josh crawled away from the mirror.
After a rustling sound for a while, the aristocratic clothes, which had been roughly rumpled, were thrown in front of the mirror.
After a while, along with the even more disheveled vest belonging to someone else, it was thrown into the pile of clothes.
Then it was picked up by a slender hand still trembling, obliterated with a spell of destruction, and within seconds, it was incinerated clean, leaving no trace of ashes.
As if this could cover up what had just happened, something that made Josh’s brain feel scalding hot even to think about.
How could he have done such a thing?
Perhaps it was just the early stages of awakening, venting some of his anger, combined with his magical energy recovering, which calmed Josh down a lot.
He finally regained some basic reasoning ability.
Trying to calmly think, it’s okay, I didn’t harm the owner of the clothes, I just used them, it shouldn’t be too much.
Josh: “…”
Josh: “…………”
Forget it.
He stopped thinking.
After the fatigue of his limbs faded away, he climbed into the shower, washing away all the sweat and exhaustion of the day, then luxuriated in a bath in the bathtub.
After drying himself off and putting on soft home pajamas, he flopped onto his plush bed.
He rolled around several times, taking a deep breath.
Finally, he escaped from that absurd sense of madness and returned to the normal rhythm of human life.
After a while, he pulled out the miscellaneous box under the bed, releasing the prophecy scroll that he had locked away last time because it mocked him for almost being pampered by Albert.
As soon as the scroll was released, it jumped twice in front of Josh’s eyes, loudly complaining about Josh’s inhumane behavior of imprisoning it.
But after a few minutes, this cunning thing realized something was wrong.
Looking at Josh suspiciously, it then paled in shock, “Why is your aura so strange? Could it be… awakening?”
Josh: “…”
The prophecy scroll: “!”
It said, “How could this happen so quickly? I thought it would take some time?! This is too sudden.”
Josh: “There was a little accident…”
Josh told it about the mishap with repairing the array, “Originally, disrupting the balance of magic inside the body, combined with the stimulation of dark magic from the same bloodline of creatures, I felt something was wrong even before using that magic core, but, at that time, I couldn’t stop.”
“Ah, ah,” the scroll sighed, looking like it couldn’t bear Josh’s impulsive actions.
But after sighing for a while, it didn’t scold Josh as he thought it would. It just said, “Forget it, I can’t handle you good-hearted kids.”
Josh, feeling embarrassed and angry, said, “Who’s good-hearted? How can you talk like that? I am the lord, and this is my responsibility.”
The prophecy scroll replied, “Fine, fine, whatever you say, I won’t argue.”
It asked, “So, responsible lord, do you have any insights on the next course of action?”
Josh remained silent for a long time.
The prophecy scroll continued, “Well, let’s go find your ‘destined companion,’ the Holy Saint, in the central city. He has a special light magic within him, which is rare among humans. Otherwise, normal humans won’t be able to satisfy your needs. It’s too risky to go capturing strong men from other races now. After considering all options, this seems to be the most reliable.”
It muttered, making slightly sinister remarks, “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to get all lovey-dovey with him. We can just knock him out and use him however we want. Survival is what matters!”
Josh showed disgust, “Forget about it!”
The prophecy scroll retorted, “Then are you prepared to starve? Just to let you know, as a mere scroll, I can’t shoulder or carry you, nor can I provide you with a coffin.”
Josh buried his head in his knees. “I don’t need you to worry. Someone will take care of me when the time comes.”
The prophecy scroll sighed, folding its edges in exhaustion. “Anyway, you have some time to think about it. The initial stage of awakening won’t lead to starvation immediately. Take your time to consider.”
Josh didn’t respond.
He didn’t want to die.
Even though his birth represented his mother’s shame, even though he was an unloved bastard, raised lonely like a stray cat in the small estate.
He still didn’t want to die.
But if he had to forcibly entangle himself with that former teammate he had no fondness for just to stay alive, he felt a nauseating sensation he couldn’t put into words.
Josh knew he was falling into his old habit of getting stuck in trivial details.
He may seem very adaptable, but occasionally he can be stubborn in strange ways.
Like last night, even though he sensed something was wrong, he still chose to use that dark magic core.
And now, at this moment.
Actually, the solution proposed by the prophecy scroll is quite compromising.
But Josh still doesn’t want to accept it.
Most of the time, he knows very well how to make himself live more comfortably; he’s a savvy hedonist.
But there are also very few moments, at a crucial decision point, where he’ll stubbornly choose the “irrational” path for some inexplicable, perhaps insignificant, sense of pride that no one else would care about.
Perhaps because his mind was occupied, although he stayed up all night and felt mentally dull and exhausted, Josh couldn’t fall asleep.
Soon, there was a knock on his door.
Josh hid the prophecy scroll and went to open the door.
It was a nun.
Josh let her in.
The nun had initially looked nervous, but after observing him for a while and seeing that he was physically healthy, able to move around, and although tired, seemed fine overall, she finally relaxed.
She looked at Josh for a moment with a somewhat melancholic expression and said, “Master, I’m sorry for stopping you. You’re a very brave and responsible lord. If Mistress Alyssa knew how you are now, she would surely be proud of you.”
Upon hearing his mother’s name, Josh’s eyelashes trembled.
He avoided the topic of his mother and simply said, “No, no. I know you’re also worried about me.”
The nun said, “Master, you’ve always been a kind child. If a bird with a broken leg fell into the courtyard in the past, you would pick it up and help treat it.”
The two chatted for a while about Josh’s childhood.
Josh gradually relaxed, but then the nun unexpectedly brought up “Sir Albert the Knight—”
Josh exclaimed, “Huh?”
Josh shuddered.
Whether it was because he had done something wrong with the other person’s clothes or simply hearing the name, his reaction was clearly exaggerated.
His gaze also became evasive.
The nun could tell from his guilty demeanor that something was amiss, and it gave her a headache.
Her expression turned serious.
She remembered seeing the knight standing in front of the young master’s door earlier in the morning.
The tall knight, for some reason, looked like he had been through something. His upper body was clad in a thin, wrinkled shirt, presenting a disheveled appearance that was rarely seen on him.
He stood there, with a slight furrow between his brows, his gaze focused on the door as if trying to see through it to the person hiding behind.
His deep, cold eyes held a restrained desire.
It was a gaze tinged with longing.
Based on her forty years of life experience, the nun could guarantee that this knight, who knows where he came from, definitely harbored improper intentions toward the young master.
And judging from Josh’s guilty demeanor, it was probably not one-sided.
The nun tried to keep her words from being too harsh, so as not to provoke any rebellious tendencies in the young and naive master.
“Master, it’s quite normal for nobles to have several lovers. You don’t need to be shy.”
Josh exclaimed, “Huh?”
He wasn’t, he didn’t have any lovers!
He and Albert were not in a romantic relationship.
That’s quite clear.
…Well, maybe not that clear.
Mainly because he had made a slight mistake on his own.
But only he knew about it.
No big deal.
The nun said, “However, the management of the estate should not be entrusted to lovers. There have been cases like this in various noble families, and wise nobles wouldn’t give their lovers too much power.”
Josh admitted frankly, “But he’s very capable. Not letting him do these things would be a waste. Um, no, I mean, he’s not my lover.”
The nun looked at him helplessly, as if dealing with a stubborn child.
Ignoring Josh’s sophistry, the nun smiled faintly and said, “Knights without power are easier to control, young master. You may lack some experience. But it’s okay, I might be too anxious. When you grow up a bit more, you’ll understand.”
Josh paused for a moment, then said thoughtfully, “Hmm, Albert indeed… is good to control.”
The nun’s words triggered some options that he had subconsciously ignored. Images of the crumpled gray knight’s vest he had used and swiftly destroyed flashed through his mind.
An idea popped into his head.
Perhaps he had been swayed by the incessant talk about the Holy Saint by the prophecy scroll, subconsciously thinking that was the only choice.
But if he broadened his perspective and looked around, Albert’s strength was quite impressive.
At least for now, he could buy some time. As for what would happen later… he could worry about it later.
Most importantly, this knight was loyal and easy to control. Just like last night, despite Josh’s obvious abnormality, Albert obediently brought him back, almost to the point of being a bit foolish.
If he were to discover Josh’s incubus identity, Josh thought, dealing with such a person would be simple.
Either kill him or imprison him. A wandering knight wouldn’t attract much attention.
Josh closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and said to the nun, “Sorry, I’m tired. Can I rest for a bit?”
…
A single respite hardly made a difference. When Josh woke up, he was starting to feel feverish again.
But he could still manage.
He and Albert had dinner together as usual, although Josh’s discomfort made him eat less than usual.
Seeing Albert’s hungry gaze, Josh pushed his bowl away and said, “I’m full, Albert. Come to my room later.”
Before leaving, he leaned in close to the knight’s ear and whispered, “Eat a bit more, take a bath, and then come.”
Albert looked puzzled, “?”
He didn’t know what Josh was up to. After bringing Josh back to his room in the morning, his raging appetite had reached its peak. He had to constantly focus on work to barely suppress it. Otherwise, he would have to sneak into the lord’s room to eat, doing something he would regret.
For the first time in his life, the demon king felt the benefits of work. But his self-control had reached its limit.
At this moment, Josh extended an invitation to him.
Rationally, he knew he shouldn’t accept. It was better to stay away from Josh now. But under the intense gaze of those thick, dark eyes, he nodded and agreed.
After dinner and a bath, he obediently went to the lord’s bedroom.
The bedroom was dark, with no lights on.
As soon as Albert walked in, he was bound by a restraining spell and pushed onto the soft carpet by Josh.
He tilted his head slightly in confusion, looking up at Josh, who was standing over him with a strange expression. He didn’t understand why Josh was attacking him.
…Was it an attack?
Although he could easily break free with a gentle movement, he refrained from doing so to avoid angering the lord. He remained still.
Today was the second day of the full moon, and the moonlight was still bright. Josh was enveloped in the cool, clear moonlight, his black hair emitting a faint, jewel-like glow.
At this moment, he looked so suited to the night, as if he were naturally a lazy and proud creature of the night.
Even in the most embarrassing moment, he refused to bow his head, trying to assert himself as a leader.
The knight before him was his chosen prey.
Josh wore only the simplest pajamas, made of soft fabric that hung down to his calves. He wasn’t wearing shoes, and his bare feet stepped on the carpet next to the knight. The fine, soft fibers tickled between his toes, and his slender ankles looked particularly delicate and soft.
The two stared at each other for a few seconds.
Josh’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and he averted his gaze, unsure if he was embarrassed or guilty. “Don’t move. Weren’t you obedient before? Then be even more obedient now.”
Albert’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “…Okay.”
At this moment, the entire bedroom was filled with a floating sweetness. He forcefully suppressed the urge to reveal his horns and blood-red eyes in the irresistible temptation. This human lord who dared to kidnap the demon king was truly frightened.
He should leave.
…He was almost losing control.
But he couldn’t bear to.
Josh smelled too good at this moment. Perhaps it wasn’t just because of the unusual fragrance. Ever since he opened his eyes during the uprising and saw the young mage with clear cat-like pupils in the halo, he had been bound by this human with invisible chains.
Hearing Albert obediently accepting, Josh became even angrier.
Although he didn’t understand why he was angry.
He immediately turned the tables and said, “You’re so stupid. How can you let me do whatever I want?”
In his mind, he thought, Too easy to manipulate.
If this idiot really discovered his secret and remained obedient enough, he might spare Albert’s life and just imprison him.
Josh took out a piece of silk cloth and covered Albert’s eyes, tying it at the back of his head.
Albert allowed him to do so without resistance.
Josh’s hand gently moved through his hair, trembling slightly as it occasionally touched his scalp, more like teasing.
His demonic heart throbbed along with Josh’s fingertips, as if there was a thread connecting Josh’s fingertips to his heart, making him control himself to not tense up too much, lest he break the control spell cast by Josh.
After tying the silk band, Josh stayed by his side, looking down at him for a while.
He even leaned close to his neck and sniffed, then commented modestly, “Cleaned up quite nicely.”
Then, Albert heard the lord’s bold and imposing exploitation, “Since you can handle the workload of seven or eight people during the day without any problem, adding an extra shift at night shouldn’t be too much, right?”
Josh’s voice was soft, somewhat blurry, “I’ll give you a raise…”
Albert lay quietly on the carpet, saying nothing.
Human material couldn’t block the gaze of a demon. In the darkness, he could still see Josh’s expression clearly.
The lord, inexperienced and thinking he wouldn’t be discovered, nervously bit his lower lip.
He desperately tried to recall those hearsay experiences.
Like a novice cat who caught a satisfactory big fish on its first hunt but didn’t know where to start.
Albert waited in silence.
After a faint sound of fabric rubbing, he saw that ink-black butterfly.
Dragging its slender wings, it fluttered up and down with its owner’s movements, almost coming to life.
At this moment, the demon king, who lacked understanding of various knowledge, finally slowly remembered—
Only an incubus would have such a magical tattoo.
And perhaps, the enticing scent that had been tempting him wasn’t just about appetite but something else—
Beneath the silk, his eyes, originally deep and dark, suddenly turned into a pair of blood-red eyes, radiating a gleam of light.
These two are perfect for each other. And it took me a moment to realize what he did with Albert’s vest. 😂 Thank you for the chapters!
oh!!! i thought he just sniffed it LOL
Thank you for the chapters 😍 ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Haha, Albert’s vest was properly defiled.
This is so dirty but I can’t stop reading- more pls 🫣
My eyes are open and my brows are raised 👁️👁️