Chapter 920: I Probably Won’t Say No

’Who the fuck is late?!’

Asmodeus snapped his fingers, using simple wind mana to form a squall and send the sweet, intoxicating air out of the door behind him. He then hooked the door with his tail and slammed it shut.

Bang!

"Valena, what do you mean by that... and why are you drinking?"

’Troublesome lizard, you better have a good...?!’

The dragon suddenly flew from the bed and shot towards him, her wings almost tearing the room apart with the sudden gust. "Valena!"

Woosh!

He quickly expanded his wings, slowing their speed. His back thumped against the wall, almost shattering the stone under the force of an adult dragon and demon emperor’s enhanced bodies, even though he tried to reduce their speed.

"Haa... You.... hic..... Why haven’t you been to see me since we came back?!"

Valena’s breath smelled like a mix of sweet honey and bitterness.

’Has she been sick already?!’

Asmodeus caught her beneath the arms, cupping her armpits before she could slip down his body. Valena was incredibly strong even while drunk. Her fingers clutched at his clothes tight enough to tear through the reinforced material, while her face remained buried against his chest, snorting and sniffing.

"Valena, calm down."

"No!"

"Please... I will listen to what you have to say!"

"Hmph! No way, I know... you will just make me sleep."

She lifted her head, and Asmodeus finally saw just how terrible she looked up close. Her crimson eyes were swollen from crying, hair clinging to her damp cheeks, and even the scales around her temples seemed dull compared to their usual lustre.

’!!!!"

"You didn’t come."

"...but.... no, I know I’ve been too busy."

"I waited.... and waited... in that cold room."

"Ugh..."

Thanks to their link, her emotions, both positive and negative, flowed into him far too comfortably. When she became excited by his scent or how his words made her so angry she could vomit flames.

Her fist struck his chest.

Thump!

It barely registered physically, but the sudden anger behind it surprised him.

"I know you’re busy! Everyone knows you’re busy! His Majesty is always saving somebody, fighting somebody, fucking somebody, fixing somebody’s stupid problem... but... then what about my problem? What about fucking me... hey? Hey, are you listening!?"

Another punch landed.

"Valena."

"...but you promised me...!

On the boat... you kissed me, told me you would make everything okay.... then please...

Make it okay!"

Her fist remained against his chest this time, trembling instead of pulling back.

"I waited."

Her voice became quieter with each word, punch and sentence.

"I waited because you told me that you would handle things. That you would find out where they took her... that you would bring her back."

Asmodeus felt the tension leave his shoulders.

’So that’s it.’

How could he have been so dense?

Valena had always been bright enough that he forgot how deeply the Empire’s message must have affected her. They hadn’t sent some anonymous corpse or threat. But she was still a woman, a young woman at that... with no one in the world but him.

Then those bastards flaunted something they shouldn’t have.

A part of her mother, her heart.

He didn’t know how important it was to dragons, but the fact that his heart carried a trace of Valena’s... somehow, he could feel her anguish. Something taken from the woman who raised her, preserved and delivered across the continent like a useless document.

"Valena..."

"No! I don’t want to hear it.

You’ll just use sweet words or that handsome face to trick me again!" She pushed away from him, only managing half a step before the alcohol made her stumble.

Asmodeus caught her waist, determined to stop her from raging.

"Let go."

"No."

"I said let go!"

"I can’t, not when you’re this drunk and upset!"

Her pretty lips squished together before she suddenly looked furious. "...How is that my fault?! I wouldn’t be drunk if you came earlier!"

Valena shoved both hands against his chest, but this time there was barely any strength behind it.

"I kept thinking of you... even when my mother’s heart was just there... I was worried when the guards spoke about the empire and you facing danger. Yet, you didn’t come to me or ask me to help..."

Asmodeus remained silent.

There wasn’t anything useful he could say in defence.

Anything he did utter might just be an excuse, and she was right. He struggled to maintain his time with his current life and responsibilities. His children, wife and the empire... honestly, in moments like this he wanted to drop it all and retire.

Though his heart might’ve been in the right place, he was desperate to help and save everyone around him so they didn’t end up as he did. But thinking wasn’t the same thing as sitting beside her and actually talking.

’I feel trapped...’

The image of his past...

A life without those warm hands keeping him safe. ℴ

’I’ve not grown up enough yet... even now I still remember Mother when things get inconvenient for me. I need to move on, to grow up!’

Valena sniffed before trying to wipe her face with the back of her wrist.

"I know I’m being selfish."

"No." he stroked her cheeks, wiping the tears from her soft scales. "This time it’s on me. I was being too selfish and thought only about myself." Asmodeus slowly pulled her closer until her forehead rested against his chest. "I made a promise to you, an important promise... and yet I treated you like dirt..."

"...Idiot."

There was only the sound of her uneven breathing and her fingers squeezing his messy shirt.

Until she whispered.

"I’m scared."

Valena never admitted fear.

Even when she should have been afraid, she normally replaced it with anger, excitement or some ridiculous confidence that everything would work out somehow.

Asmodeus lowered his gaze to the dragoness, sure that she would never admit this kind of thing while sober... and yet all that greeted him was her beautiful scarlet eyes filled with complete focus.

"Of what?"

"What if..." Her grip tightened as her breathing also became ragged and hectic. "What if... next time it’s not just mother who disappears... but you too?!"

He couldn’t help but do a double take at her words. Valena’s words were too different from what he anticipated. He’d expected fear for her mother, anger that he’d neglected her, maybe even resentment towards the Empire.

But not this.

Her claws suddenly dug into his clothes again as she pressed closer.

"You always leave... even after joking about making me your mount."

"Valena..."

"You disappear into dungeons, wars, strange places... fighting things nobody else can fight. Everyone says you’re the strongest, so nobody worries properly anymore."

Her voice shook.

"But I do, because my mother used to be the strongest... and she lost because of me!"

Asmodeus couldn’t answer her fast enough.

Valena pushed her forehead against his chest, almost as if she wanted to burrow inside him with her wings folded tightly against her back.

"What if one day you don’t come back?"

Asmodeus slowly wrapped both arms around her. There wasn’t anything witty or smart that came to mind, so he just spoke his honest feelings. "Hey, Valena... I can’t promise that nothing will ever happen to me."

Her body stiffened in his embrace. "Idiot... why can’t you just lie?!"

He shook his head, cradling her head under his chin. "Not anymore. I won’t lie to you... but I can promise something else." Valena didn’t respond in words, but the sudden pause in her breathing let him know to continue.

"I won’t throw my life away."

That’s when she struggled free, all to look up into his eyes again.

"I have too much to come back to now."

His thumb wiped another tear from beneath her eye.

"My children, wives... the city and my people."

Then he smiled faintly.

"And one troublesome dragon who seems to like the taste of expensive liquor whenever I neglect her."

"...Fuck you."

"Hahaha."

She punched him again, but there wasn’t any anger left behind it.

Asmodeus caught her wrist and pressed her hand against his chest instead.

"Feel that?"

His heart beat steadily beneath her palm as the dragoness closed her eyes and quietly listened to the beat.

"I used to live like I had nothing to lose, thinking myself immortal and unbeatable...

But I guess I can’t afford to just think that anymore. I have to become the strongest in the world, even stronger than the creator. All so you won’t cry again. Right?"

"You bastard..."

This time she didn’t resist when he pulled her into his arms.

Her breathing became wet and uneven as she cried quietly against him, releasing everything she’d probably kept buried since the moment that horrible container arrived.

Asmodeus stroked her hair, enjoying this side of her.

"And your mother..."

Her body shook before she froze up, tightening all her muscles.

"We will find her."

"...Even if she’s dead?"

"I promise you, no matter what. We will find your mother’s remains, and then announce our marriage to her. Haha."

"W-What marriage?!"

Valena’s wings snapped open behind her, almost smacking the nearby wall as she pushed against his chest with both hands. Yet this time she didn’t actually move away.

"H-Hey! When did I agree to marry you, bastard?!"

Asmodeus raised an eyebrow.

"Didn’t you?"

"No!"

"Eh, but didn’t we form a pact... is that the sort of thing you can do with multiple men?"

Her face became bright red.

"Don’t make that arrogant face, Asmodeus!"

She buried her head against his chest again, hiding the blush beneath his chin while her fingers curled stubbornly into his shirt.

"I just..." Her voice became much quieter. "If Mother really is gone... then I want her to know I wasn’t alone. And if we find her alive..."

Her tail slowly wrapped around his waist.

"...then maybe you can ask her properly."

"Ask her?"

"For permission, idiot!"

Valena immediately punched him.

"I’m not saying yes!"

"Mhm."

"I’m saying..."

She squeezed him tighter, this time placing her chin on his shoulders, glancing out the window with a large smile on her face.

"...I probably won’t say no."