Chapter 75: "So do you just want to stay in pain all night like this?

Himanshu’s head snapped up. Avoiding direct eye contact with Mom, he threw on a fake smile, trying to handle the situation. Well, so much crazy stuff had happened today, it made total sense why the vibe was so suffocating.

?"No, nothing happened at all," Himanshu said, slightly stumbling over his words. "Right, Veloria?"

?The demon stopped her spoon. She shot Himanshu a dead-cold look, and then turned her face toward Mom.

?And then, in a perfectly calm, flat voice, she said:

?"No, he’s lying."

?Himanshu’s eyes went wide with pure shock. He almost dropped his spoon.

?"I told you the truth, that’s why he isn’t talking to me," the demon added.

?"No, Mom! It’s nothing like that, she... she’s lying!" Sweat broke out on Himanshu’s forehead.

?’She’s actually gone crazy! Did her brain short-circuit or something?’

?And right then, the demon slightly narrowed her eyebrows. A very nasty, wicked little smile crept onto her face, like she was getting her revenge for that chest accident right here, right now, using Mom’s hands.

?Mom made that terrifying ’angry building auntie’ face again. Her eyes narrowed.

?"Himanshu... do you need another beating?"

?"No, no, it’s nothing like that!"

?Before Mom’s anger could explode any further, Himanshu quickly pushed his chair back and stood up.

?"Mom, it’s... it’s nothing like that! In fact, I was just in the room telling her ’I love you’! We were having a really romantic chat, right? Tell her, Veloria!"

?Himanshu looked at the demon, making an innocent puppy-dog face. There was this desperate pleading in his eyes, like he was practically begging her telepathically—’Please save me!’

?The demon looked back at Mom.

?A heavy silence fell over the hall.

?Standing up from her chair, the demon picked up her plate. Without saying a word, without answering Himanshu’s desperate begging, she just quietly walked toward the kitchen.

?Mom stood up from her seat. She pointed a strict finger straight at Himanshu’s face.

?"If you... if you even try to break things off with her... I swear..."

?"No... no, Mom!" Himanshu literally folded his hands, looking like he was about to drop to his knees.

?°°°°°°°°°°°

?Nighttime.

?Himanshu was limping again, his whole body aching as he reached his room. Holding his lower back, he pushed the door open.

?The demon was standing near the bed. She was fixing the bedsheets, getting ready to sleep.

?Hearing the door, she paused for a split second, didn’t look back, and just went back to what she was doing.

?Muttering curses under his breath, Himanshu went over and sat on his bed.

?The tube of pain ointment was still lying on the bed where he had left it earlier. He picked it up, popped the cap off, and tried to reach his back.

?But the second he moved, the muscles in his shoulders pulled so bad that a soft groan slipped out of his mouth. "Ah..."

?Looks like he got beaten a bit too hard this time.

?He had already applied the ointment to his arms and legs, anywhere his hands could actually reach. He tried to reach around his back again, but the pain forced his hand to stop halfway.

?’Guess I’m just sleeping in pain tonight.’ Himanshu let out a tired sigh. ’Don’t even know if I’ll be able to fall asleep. Whatever, living with this witch, I’m used to sleeping in pain anyway.’

?He was just about to put the cap back on the tube when...

?Right in front of his eyes, a pale, delicate hand appeared. The palm was open, reaching out toward him.

?Himanshu slowly tilted his head up.

?The demon was still looking off to the side. Her face was turned away, like she absolutely refused to make eye contact with him. But her hand was still stretched out, asking for the tube.

?The intense anger Himanshu was feeling toward her just a few minutes ago... seeing that hand, it slowly started melting away.

?But his ego kicked in. ’No, not this time.’

?Quickly looking down, he put the cap back on the tube. And set it aside. The demon’s hand just stayed hanging in the air.

?"I... I’m fine," Himanshu said, his voice a bit rough. "I shouldn’t have fought that bastard guy anyway... for this."

?Muttering that, he pulled his legs up onto the bed, acting like he was just going to go to sleep.

?"So do you just want to stay in pain all night like this?"

?There was a weird calmness in the demon’s voice.

?Himanshu stayed quiet. He just laid there, shifting his eyes around the room.

?Honestly... she was the one who caused all this. But suffering in back pain all night long... versus having those soft hands apply the medicine... the second option was way better than holding onto his anger.

?He didn’t know why she was doing this. First, she gets Mom to beat him up, and now she’s holding her hand out to put medicine on his wounds.

?Himanshu wanted to know why, but maybe not right now. Not in this exact moment.

?Without saying a word, Himanshu picked up the tube and placed it in her hand.

?Popping the cap off, the demon squeezed some of the cold ointment onto her fingers.

?Himanshu sat up. He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around them.

?All he was waiting for now was the touch of her soft, gentle hands. Hands that, despite fighting in so many wars and killing so many people, had somehow stayed so incredibly delicate.

?And then... a cold shiver ran straight through Himanshu’s body. His spine went completely rigid.

?The second the demon used her other hand to lift his t-shirt up from the back, the cold air of the room hit Himanshu’s bare skin.

?He got goosebumps all over. It felt like at any exact second, her cold, soft hands were going to touch down... somewhere on his back.

?In the nervous tension of that moment, just waiting for that touch... Himanshu quickly swallowed a dry lump in his throat.