## Chapter 47 – Acer. Spoiled # 1
After crying for a long time, Acer asked about No. 25’s condition with swollen eyes, trying to act as if nothing had happened.
“Are you okay now?”
“I’m fine… but Master Demon King….”
No. 25 trembled as he brought his hand to Acer’s bleeding mouth. Acer took No. 25’s hand and brought it to his cheek, then smiled to reassure him.
“This much doesn’t even hurt.”
Despite saying it didn’t hurt, Acer staggered several times as he stood up. No. 25 immediately supported Acer’s body. Acer tried to push No. 25 away, saying he was okay, but No. 25 stubbornly stayed by Acer’s side.
As No. 25 supported Acer and tried to leave the building, he glanced back at Orca. He could still hear her breathing occasionally, but whether she had fainted or not, she wasn’t moving at all.
“Is it okay to leave her like that?”
He vaguely felt that the words meant whether or not he should finish her off for good.
Acer wore a bitter expression. He certainly couldn’t forgive Orca for taking No. 25 and treating him harshly as she pleased.
“Well, even though she’s like that, she’s been a frenemy since we were kids. If I kill her, I don’t think I’ll feel good about it.”
“Yes….”
If that was Acer’s intention, No. 25 had no room to object.
“Let’s go back.”
It was still raining outside.
The people of District 6 turned off their colored lights and locked their shop doors for the first time because of the rain.
The two of them looked around as they got rained on.
They didn’t want to go back to the accommodation Orca had prepared. They had luggage there, but most of it was clothes anyway. It wasn’t worth taking, so they decided to find a new place to stay. If they needed anything, they could just get it nearby.
“Let’s go to Swallow Street first. I remember there are mostly ordinary lodgings or private houses there. We can go that way.”
Acer pointed north with his finger. With just that simple movement, Acer’s finger was shaking violently. No. 25 immediately wrapped Acer’s arm around his neck to support him.
“You don’t have to do this much, you know? I can walk on my own, and you’re not exactly in perfect condition either.”
But No. 25 refused Acer’s offer with a firm voice.
“It’s okay. If I don’t do something like this….”
No. 25 resented himself for not being able to do anything in that situation. If he didn’t help Acer in some way, he felt like his heart would collapse at any moment.
Perhaps sensing No. 25’s feelings, Acer didn’t say anything after that. He leaned on No. 25’s small body and just walked along the path.
As they entered Swallow Street, the atmosphere completely changed. There was no sign of touting, and the sound of families chatting beyond the lit lights made them feel at ease.
The two opened the door of a shabby lodging located right at the entrance of Swallow Street and went inside.
A small lodging run by an old man, he was startled to see Acer, who was soaked in blood that even the pouring rain couldn’t hide, and asked in a rough, phlegmy voice.
“Are you alright, guests?!”
No. 25, who was by her side instead of Acer, answered.
“Could we get some medicine, please?”
The old man told them to wait a moment and took out medicine from a shelf higher than his height, using a chair as a support, and handed it to them.
“I don’t have much medicine, but if this is okay….”
No. 25 took the medicine and bowed his head to express his gratitude.
“Do you have a room by any chance…?”
“It’s a small lodging, so there’s only one room, but come on in.”
No. 25 followed the old woman and moved to the room inside.
Even though a guest came in covered in blood, he didn’t ask why, and No. 25 was just grateful to the old man for not saying anything.
As he walked towards the room, No. 25 asked the old man’s back.
“Could you prepare a meal right away?”
The old man smiled kindly without frowning.
“Of course. Wait a moment, I’ll prepare it and bring it to you soon. Ah, the room is right here.”
The old man led them to the room and then left for the kitchen to prepare the meal.
Acer, who had entered the room, said to No. 25, who had been supporting him until now.
“You can let go now.”
No. 25 thought it would be okay to stop here, so unlike before, he carefully removed Acer’s arm from around his neck without refusing.
Acer, who was finally alone, sat down with his back against the wall and took a breath. No. 25 sat down a little to the side of him and watched Acer’s expression. Even though Orca had threatened him, he was prepared to accept any punishment for uttering words that betrayed her, even for a moment.
But Acer didn’t say the words that No. 25 was worried about.
“Thank you for saving me.”
The lightning strike was just a simple miracle, and No. 25, who had never thought of it as his own power, didn’t understand why Acer was thanking him. He was the one who should be expressing his gratitude.
“Ah, no. Master Demon King came to save me, didn’t he? I’m the one who’s more grateful.”
“Saving a subordinate is something that anyone who bears the weight of the crown should do. But the opposite is not true. You did something that deserves praise.”
No. 25 blushed at Acer’s honest praise. He thought he was used to it, but he still wasn’t used to being praised like this.
“So have a little more confidence. You’re my slave, aren’t you?”
As he said that, Acer pulled No. 25, who was next to him, and sat him down next to him.
A position so close that he could feel the beating of his heart.
The moment their eyes met, it felt like time had stopped.
Without anyone saying anything, they closed their eyes and moved closer to each other’s lips.
Just before their lips touched.
There was a knock on the door from outside.
No. 25 came to his senses at the sound and quickly moved away from Acer’s face and headed for the door.
Acer felt a little disappointed and resented whoever knocked on the door at such a bad time, even if only for a moment.
No. 25 opened the door and greeted the old man who had brought a table full of food.
Acer watched No. 25 receive the table from the old man and was lost in thought for a moment.
Isn’t now the time to show No. 25 a different side of himself? A small anxiety grew that he might get tired of him soon if he always had the same kisses. Even right after having sex with Orca, he needed a stronger stimulus to not be forgotten.
But the current No. 25 felt like a fragile glass craft that would shatter if touched, so he couldn’t rashly do such a thing.
Then, the contents of a book he had read before suddenly came to Acer’s mind. Men like it when women sometimes show a weak side. He had shown the dignified side of the Demon King so far, so it was time to show the opposite. Since this was District 6 anyway, there was no need to maintain his dignity like in his own district.
No. 25, unaware of Acer’s thoughts, smiled brightly and carefully put down the table. There were several kinds of simple and neat side dishes on the table, but for some reason, there was only one bowl of rice.
“They didn’t know we were coming, so they only have one bowl of rice. Master Demon King, you eat first. I’ll eat what’s left later.”
“There’s no need for that. Let’s eat together.”
No. 25 was about to sit across from Acer when he said he would eat together, but Acer spoke again.
“Come next to me.”
He didn’t know why, but No. 25 sat next to Acer as he was told.
Acer took the spoon in front of him and handed it to No. 25, slurring his words with a shy expression.
“Feed me….”
“Yes!?”
No. 25’s voice automatically rose because it was the first time he had seen this side of him. Acer blushed as if he was embarrassed and turned his head. But his mouth didn’t stop and continued to say the next words. If he couldn’t overcome his shame here and stopped, he would be neither dead nor alive.
“My arm hurts so much that I can’t move. So feed me. That’s okay, right?”
Fortunately, No. 25 responded to Acer’s expectations and received the spoon, but his voice was trembling thinly.
“O-of course it’s okay.”
No. 25 put rice and side dishes on the spoon with his trembling hands and brought it to Acer.
“Here, say ‘ah’.”
Just like Charlotte had done to him before, No. 25 spoke to Acer in a tone as if he was dealing with a child. Acer opened his mouth like a child and ate the meal that No. 25 gave him. He had never been fed by someone else like this, even when he was a child, but it didn’t feel bad.
No. 25 watched Acer chew the food in his mouth and asked.
“Does it suit your taste?”
“Yeah, it’s delicious.”
He omitted the last words, “It’s more delicious because you’re feeding me,” because he was embarrassed.
No. 25 took the spoon that had gone into Acer’s mouth, scooped up rice again, and put it directly into his own mouth.
No. 25, who had confirmed Acer’s face as he blankly watched the scene, quickly put down the spoon with a flustered face.
“I-I’m sorry. I’ll get a new one right away.”
“It’s okay. Keep giving it to me with that one.”
He couldn’t miss this opportunity. Acer’s eyes lit up and he opened his mouth again as if a baby bird was receiving food from its mother bird. No. 25 didn’t know what to do, but since it was Acer’s order, he used the spoon as it was and put it in Acer’s mouth.
Thinking that the spoon had been in No. 25’s mouth once, he couldn’t taste the food anymore. Instead of the food, he just sucked on the innocent spoon.
No. 25, who somehow finished the meal that was longer than usual, took a long breath and shared the information he had obtained from talking to the old man with Acer.
“Ah, they said there’s an open-air bath if you go out the back door. If Master Demon King washes first, then I’ll….”
Open-air bath? He couldn’t miss this opportunity either. Acer immediately acted spoiled again. Now that it had come to this, he decided to throw away all the dignity of the Demon King for today. In the first place, this was District 6, so there was no need to maintain his dignity like in his own district.
Acer grabbed the end of No. 25’s clothes and whispered softly with a face that was even redder than before.
“…Wash me.”
