Chapter 163

Chapter 163: Chapter 163

Dulce had grown accustomed to the Demons’ constant presence around him, Kath’tan looking for him didn’t necessarily mean that the Fiend needed something.

He went right to his room, undoing his cravat and taking off his coat, there was no reason to be so stiffly dressed in the quiet of his home. He turned around to see Kath’tan lingering at the door, there was an odd look in the Demon’s purple eyes.

"Is something the matter?" He asked quietly, contemplating whether he wanted to take off his waistcoat. It was a cool day but not cold enough to light the hearth.

Kath’tan swallowed, his gaze riveted on Dulce’s neck. The bruises had faded lightly, no longer as vibrantly red, but they still looked unsightly. He wanted the blemish gone, he wanted a clean slate so he could try again.

"Your neck..." He muttered, the only thing he managed to say.

Dulce glanced down although he couldn’t see his own neck, easily finding a mirror. He had expended less effort to keep the marks for longer this time, he was pleased with it. "Is something wrong with it?" He asked in mild confusion, seeing nothing wrong with his image in the mirror.

Kath’tan turned away, keeping his thoughts to himself. "No..."

They ended up in the leisure room once more, they were no longer staying at inns and castles belonging to others, so there was no reason to spend the entirety of the day in Dulce’s bedroom.

Ruoxi was already seated in the leisure room when they arrived, the Incubus was sipping wine and staring out the window, content with his own company. He glanced over when the door opened, his eyes brightening a fraction when he caught sight of Dulce.

"Share a drink with me, Dulce?" He invited the Vampire, his expression open.

Dulce glided across the room, always happy to share a drink. "Of course."

It was fruit wine but he didn’t mind, struck with an idea. Wine made from grapes was his least favorite, but the meadows around were full of apple and pear trees, perhaps he could acquire a variety of fruit wine.

It was about noon now but he was in no rush, it would be a pleasant way to spend the next day, collecting fruits to make wine. He glanced out the window next to where they were seated, as long as it didn’t rain.

Kath’tan was left at the door, uninvited and largely uninterested in drinking wine. He watched Ruoxi and Dulce chat for a short while, the Incubus charming personality easily bringing a smile to Dulce’s face.

He turned around and left then, there was no reason to linger. He would simply be tormented by the lingering marks on the Vampire’s neck and the Incubus’ effortless charm.

Kath’tan glanced down at his hands as he walked down the hallway, his claws unsheathing and retracting. For a Fiend, he had been forced to restrain himself all his life, it had been necessary for survival, but for some reason, Dulce made him completely lose his restraint.

He left the cottage to go on a walk, ending up at the pond without realizing it. It was the dark figure seated at the edge of the pond that caught his attention, his brows furrowing as he registered the Shadow Demon.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in surprise.

Asael glanced at the fishing rod he held, his expression blank. It was incredibly obvious.

"Why are you here?" Kath’tan restructured his question, still in disbelief.

"Because fishing is pleasant." He answered flatly, company was unwelcome, the Fiend’s company couldn’t be anymore so.

Kath’tan ignored his coldness and invited himself to take a seat, his confusion genuine. "It’s just sitting with a stick in the pond, what’s pleasant about that?"

Asael shot him a look, ever since they came fishing, he had returned here a handful of times, content to watch his bobber create ripples on the pond’s surface. "Did you go out of your way to aggravate me?"

Kath’tan studied the Shadow Demon, reminded that he was once the target of the assassin. "Don’t you miss your missions?" He asked instead, doing the very thing Asael had accused him of.

The Shadow Demon withdrew his line from the pond, irked. It had been peaceful the past few times until the Fiend barreled in. "Aren’t you a little too comfortable around a recreant?" He asked even more questions.

Their conversation had mostly been questions and very few answers, Asael preparing to leave the pond so he didn’t have to endure the Fiend any longer.

Kath’tan saw him leaving and remained seated, uninterested in backing away first so that Asael could resume his mindless task. He had merely been seeking answers from someone who had successfully found a hobby, he had very few positive opinions about the Shadow Assassin.

The feeling was mutual. He could feel a piercing stare on his back even as Asael disappeared into the sparse fruit trees, leaving him all alone by the pond. If it weren’t for Dulce’s sake, they wouldn’t hesitate to rip each other’s throats out.

Kath’tan lingered by the pond restlessly for a few more minutes, he hadn’t gotten any answers to his question but he had disrupted Asael’s task, so he was a little satisfied. He rose to his feet when he was certain he had completely chased away the Shadow Demon, wandering into the woods.

A walk through the woods had been surprisingly pleasant, mostly because he spent the entire time tracking down predators who were horrified to be hunted down by such a strange creature who surpassed them in every way.

It was late in the afternoon when he sauntered back to the cottage, it was still cloudy, the sky gloomy for most of the day. He decided that he was going to sleep with Dulce that night, and seeing as how acquiring a hobby was wasted on him, he could only keep trying to be gentler with the Vampire.

Kath’tan walked into the cottage with purpose, deciding that he was going to redeem himself tonight.