## Chapter 71 – Aser. To Vow
Since that day when the three of them were together, a breeze of change blew into their monotonous lives.
Charlotte no longer hid under the night sky, boldly seeking out Number 25’s body even in broad daylight.
For example, there was a time when I went to her room to find her for a task, only to discover the two of them mindlessly entangled with Number 25, work forgotten.
Aser, far from scolding Charlotte for abandoning her work and only engaging in sex, couldn’t overcome the vivid pleasure etched into her body and mind, and would often join them, the three of them engaging in relations.
As can be seen through her, it wasn’t just Charlotte who had changed. Aser, not wanting to be outdone by Charlotte, became even bolder in expressing her affection for Number 25.
She would suddenly hug Number 25 from behind while he was walking down the hallway, or regardless of the location, she would press him into her voluptuous breasts as if to bury him, exuding the scent of a female tempting him to spend the night together.
Number 25 didn’t find the two’s expressions of affection towards him particularly burdensome. Rather, he was even happier because he could clearly feel their cherished feelings in their coquettish gestures and voices.
The positive changes that came to the castle didn’t end there.
Since there was no longer any need to be mindful of others when it came to making love, Number 25’s attitude towards them also changed much more actively. Charlotte and Aser were feeling an unprecedented sense of fulfillment in Number 25’s efforts to ensure that neither of them felt left out.
Moreover, Charlotte, who usually needed some kind of justification to take over his work, would now take over everything with just a word that he was going on a date with Number 25, allowing him to leisurely stroll through the streets with Number 25 like now.
Of course, it was Number 25’s responsibility to indulge Charlotte’s fatigue-induced whining on the bed later.
Aser looked down at Number 25 beside her with affectionate eyes, matching her pace to his.
Number 25 was looking around the nearby stalls with a more relaxed expression than when he had come alone with Hilda before.
That was because, when he came with Hilda, merchants had constantly approached Number 25, but thanks to Aser’s presence guarding Number 25’s side, not a single person like that could be seen today.
Unless Aser took her attention away from Number 25 even for a brief moment, perhaps because of the terribly horrific experience she had in District 6, it had become Aser’s new habit to hold Number 25’s hand tightly while interlocking their fingers whenever she went outside the castle.
Sweat from their body heat oozed out from their clasped hands, but they never felt unpleasant because it came from each other’s bodies.
Just holding hands like this and simply walking down the street enveloped them in a happy feeling, and the familiar scenery around them seemed new. However, she wasn’t quite as engrossed in staring at the merchandise displayed in the stores as Number 25 was.
Walking next to her, looking around the nearby shops as usual, Number 25 felt like he had missed something.
At that moment, a fragment of fading memory suddenly flashed through his mind.
The sex he had on the condition of hearing the answer about Charlotte’s hierarchy, the rough sex that turned his hair white, and then the first time the three of them had relations, causing him to completely forget about that promise.
If he returned to the castle, Charlotte would cling to him again, and he wouldn’t be able to get a proper answer if she was there. Recently, the three of them had been spending time together often, so if it wasn’t now, he wouldn’t be able to expect another opportunity.
“Your Majesty?”
“Hmm?”
“I didn’t get to hear the answer about Lady Charlotte’s hierarchy before.”
As soon as Number 25 finished speaking, Aser’s gasp could be heard. Judging by her reaction, it seemed like she had completely forgotten about it too.
“Sorry, I forgot. Should we sit down somewhere and talk slowly?”
“Yes.”
Looking around, Aser moved towards a quiet store with not many customers. Number 25 shuddered as he saw the store’s name.
That store was owned by the beastman who had once tempted Number 25 to have a glass of freshly squeezed milk. He wanted to go to another store, but he had no way to explain it to Aser, so he quietly followed her.
Taking a seat at a table located outside the store, Aser finally let go of his hand and handed Number 25 the paper with the menu written on it, asking.
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
The page that said “Drinks” was filled with unfamiliar and difficult words, except for coffee. Usually, he would choose the familiar coffee, but since he was out, he wanted to try a drink that he hadn’t tasted in the castle.
After much deliberation, Number 25 chose a menu item he had never seen before.
“I’ll have this strawberry latte? This one…”
There was no particular reason.
He simply wanted to eat strawberries, so he chose it just by looking at the word “strawberry.”
After confirming what Number 25 wanted to eat, Aser immediately called the owner at the counter and ordered a cup of coffee for herself, Number 25’s latte, and a cheesecake to fill their stomachs.
The owner’s eyes gleamed slyly the moment she received the latte order, but Aser’s gaze was fixed only on Number 25, so she didn’t notice.
While they were ordering and having trivial conversations, the owner approached with a tray and said in a soft voice.
“Here are your orders.”
Number 25, who received the slightly pinkish drink, sparkled his eyes, then unconsciously turned his head slightly.
In Number 25’s eyes, the owner’s chest, specifically the area where her nipples were located, was wet with a whitish liquid, creating stains.
Number 25, who tried to deny it as sweat from working hard, barely shook off the various possibilities that came to his mind one after another, and took a sip of the latte.
The sweet and sour strawberry jam, the rich and savory taste of freshly squeezed milk, and the fresh strawberry chunks that chewed in his mouth harmonized perfectly and passed smoothly down his throat.
Aser cut the cake in front of him into small pieces and held it out to Number 25’s mouth.
“Here, eat this too. I wanted to feed you too.”
She had always been envious of Charlotte’s habit of feeding Number 25 without hesitation. Usually, she couldn’t do it because of the pressure to maintain the dignity of the Demon King in front of others, but now that she had decided to abandon that dignity, she was going to do everything she had always wanted to do.
He was now used to having someone feed him. Number 25 opened his mouth and obediently ate the cake that Aser gave him. Aser smiled contentedly and asked.
“How is it? Is it delicious?”
Number 25 nodded his head even before he could chew the cake that was full in his mouth. After swallowing all the food in his mouth, Number 25 carefully brought the cake to her lips, just like Aser had done to him.
“Your Majesty, please have some too.”
Aser looked around at the merchants nearby, blushed, and opened her mouth slightly before taking the cake that Number 25 was giving her.
Perhaps because it was an open-air seat, the merchants who were doing business nearby and the residents living in the territory looked at them with envious eyes. Most of them had admiring gazes, but on the other hand, there were quite a few people who were also filled with joy at seeing their king immersed in happiness.
Now that they had filled their stomachs appropriately and their mood had improved, it was time to answer the questions that Number 25 had.
Aser, who wiped the food that was slightly묻은 on her mouth with the napkin next to her, revealed Charlotte’s hierarchy in a quiet voice as the interest in the people around her waned.
“Nuili Secundus, that’s Charlotte’s hierarchy.”
“Nuili Secundus…?
He had never seen such a hierarchy in a book. Could Aser be mistaken for Secundus, the 2nd hierarchy?
Seeing Number 25 making a puzzled expression, Aser said.
“Were you a little surprised because it’s not in the book?”
“Yes.”
Number 25, who had all his thoughts revealed, scratched his head with an awkward smile.
“You know that Primus is a hierarchy given only to the Demon King in name, right?”
Number 25, who had put down his hand that had been scratching his head, nodded in response.
“But there are definitely people who deserve the name of Demon King, people who are beyond the balance of power. The hierarchy that is given only after the meeting and approval of all seven Demon Kings, that’s Nuili Secundus.”
It still didn’t feel real.
In other words, Charlotte was strong enough to be recognized by Aser, Orca, and the other five Demon Kings.
After finishing all the talk, Aser said in an even smaller voice.
“This is a secret from Charlotte. She doesn’t really like revealing her hierarchy. She always pretends to be calm on the outside, but she’s actually quite shy, right?”
It was the right answer not to ask her persistently at that time.
But why is Charlotte, who has such a strong power, quietly working as a head maid under Aser? Aser, who caught the light of question in Number 25’s eyes, anticipated what he was going to say next and spoke first.
“Wouldn’t it be better to ask Charlotte directly if you’re curious about what happened in the past? I don’t know much about what happened in the past. I’ve been by her side since she was born, so I just trust and follow her.”
“But what’s good about having a higher hierarchy?”
If it was simply a means to show strength, they wouldn’t have adopted such a cumbersome method. Aser sipped her coffee and answered nonchalantly.
“The biggest reason is definitely the benefits.”
“Benefits?”
“From the moment you receive the 4th hierarchy, Quartus, you receive full support from District 1 and District 2. They give you so much more money than before, so everyone is trying to get a higher hierarchy. That’s how the system is working.”
Number 25 was listening to Aser’s words with an interesting look in his eyes.
She was glad that Number 25 seemed to like talking about hierarchy, but she didn’t expect to have such a conversation outside the castle.
In the first place, she didn’t come out today to have such a conversation.
Number 25 had made a difficult decision after hearing Charlotte and Aser’s feelings for him, so she thought she had to give him a proper answer that matched it.
Aser was lost in thought, constantly fiddling with the case containing the ring in the innermost pocket of her pants until it was worn out.
The ring that she had barely received this morning by commissioning a collaboration with the Demon Kings of District 3 and District 4, who had personal connections with her.
She wanted to put the ring on Number 25’s finger right away, but she couldn’t suddenly give him a ring in such a scholarly and wholesome atmosphere. Using the excuse that today wasn’t the day, she was about to put the half-pulled-out ring back into the depths of her pocket when Aser’s hand stopped.
Was she running away again?
Could she be satisfied with this result?
Hadn’t she almost lost Number 25 to Charlotte and caused discord as a price for not being honest with her feelings?
She had decided not to hide her feelings anymore. She knew that the dignity and majesty of the Demon King were useless in front of the person she loved, and she had decided to put everything down. She couldn’t make the same mistake again and make Number 25 difficult.
Aser clenched the ring case tightly in her hand again, looked straight into Number 25’s eyes, and began to speak.
“I have something to say.”
At Aser’s somewhat different voice, Number 25 put down the latte he was drinking on the table and looked straight at her face as well.
“Yes, please speak.”
Aser’s face quickly turned red at the gaze they exchanged. The momentum from before was gone, and she had a face like a blushing girl, twisting her hair with her fingers and trailing off.
“It’s a bit much to do it here…”
Aser put down the price of the food on the table, took Number 25’s hand, and headed somewhere.
The place that Aser arrived at using her ability was a place that Number 25 knew well. No, it was a place he could never forget.
The impressive first outing with her, the place that showed Number 25 the end of the vast sky and the beauty of the world spread out. Aser, who had climbed onto the wall protecting the territory, stood directly in front of Number 25 with the sunset beginning to be dyed orange behind her.
She had been swept away by the atmosphere, but Aser’s hands were trembling with a nervousness she had never felt before. Her heart was pounding as if it would burst, and her back was soaked with cold sweat.
Then, Number 25 took Aser’s hand and asked in a worried tone.
“Are you okay? Your hands are shaking.”
The moment she saw his expression, the moment he took her hand, the huge tension that seemed to swallow her up disappeared without a trace. Her hands weren’t shaking, and her heartbeat returned to normal.
At that moment, Aser realized.
I can’t live without this child.
As long as this child was looking at her with honest eyes, she couldn’t be the Demon King. She would become a woman who whined, who unconsciously leaned on him, a beggar who endlessly craved his pure affection.
The moment she finished organizing her thoughts, Aser could find herself putting a ring on Number 25’s ring finger.
A gold ring that closely resembled Aser’s blonde hair, a single path made of gemstones that stretched horizontally. Even at a glance, it was not an object suitable for a slave like himself. Number 25 asked her with a flustered expression.
He had lived his whole life as a slave, so he had no idea what it meant to give a ring to the ring finger of the left hand of the opposite sex.
“What is this?”
Various words come to mind.
Countless novels, plays, and the experiences of people around her that she had seen and heard.
Several wonderful confessions that were like famous quotes still deeply engraved in Aser’s heart came to mind. But she didn’t want to borrow other people’s words to convey her sincerity.
What should she say, what should she say to reach his heart with her sincerity?
There was no need to think deeply.
If she revealed the feelings she was feeling now, Number 25 would surely respond.
But at the same time, she was scared.
To convey the truth was to reveal everything about herself. It was unlikely, but if she was denied, it meant that everything she had built up until now would collapse without a trace like a sandcastle.
As Aser remained silent, Number 25 began to look at the ring on his hand, and soon discovered a small phrase written on the bottom of the ring.
It was a script he had never learned. Number 25 tilted his head and asked Aser, who was standing in front of him.
“How do you read this?”
A phrase that contained Aser’s wish. She didn’t expect him to find that phrase already, but maybe this was an opportunity given by the heavens. Aser, who had gathered her courage, put strength into her voice and said.
“May you be by my side in the last moment of my life.”
At the same time as Aser’s clear voice tickled his ears, the bitter scent of coffee spread instantly through her lips that touched his. She stared straight at Number 25, who was unable to come to his senses from the sudden kiss.
Aser asked Number 25 again as if to shake off her uneasy feelings.
“Even when that day comes… you’ll stay by my side, right?”
The sunset, which had begun to be stained like a painting, and the sad smile that melted on Aser’s white face permeated Number 25’s heart.
