Valen’s body flinched in alarm.
It had only been yesterday that he’d had a wet dream about Argen.
As the hazy image of her forcing his cock deep into her throat began to overlap, he quickly shook his head.
“They said you met Nadol this morning.” She sat beside him, her legs stretched out comfortably, and looked up at Valen.
For some reason, Valen couldn’t find a place to rest his gaze.
Damn dream.
Her eyes, her lips, her knees… There wasn’t a single part of her that wasn’t provocative.
Even just catching a whiff of her scent sent a hot rush to his lower body.
Valen rubbed the back of his neck with his large hand, then turned his head straight ahead.
“Uh.”
“Are you still not feeling well?
Nadol said a spirit possessed you.”
“Don’t listen to that nonsense.”
“Be honest with me too.
I understand I’m not a doctor, so I might not seem trustworthy, but if there’s anything I can do to help, I want to do it.
And I know someone among the Celestial beings with strong divine power.
I could ask them to perform an exorcism.”
“I’m not possessed by any ghost, so please don’t even mention that nonsense.
No, don’t even think it.
It’s an illness that’ll pass if I pour cold water over myself a few times.”
If only it were that simple, a few cold water rubdowns to cool the heat.
Unfortunately, that method had already been tried and failed numerous times.
But there was no need for Argen to worry about his strange symptoms.
When Valen spoke firmly, she quietly nodded.
“If you say so, then that must be it.”
Argen suddenly reached out her hand toward Valen.
Valen flinched at the sight of the tiny female form, barely half his size.
Soon, something cool was placed in his palm.
It was a round, bright yellow, perfectly ripe tangerine.
Seeing the fruit for the first time in ages, Valen was briefly lost in memory.
Argen, who had been staring intently at his profile, placed another tangerine in his hand and asked.
“They’re grown at Seinrich’s summer villa.
Have you ever tasted one?”
“When I was young.
Merchants heading to the city had to cross our family’s bridge.
Otherwise, they’d have to traverse steep, high mountains.
So even if they didn’t want to, they paid the toll to cross.
That was our family’s main source of income.”
Argen looked slightly surprised, perhaps not expecting Valen to bring up his past.
She immediately drew closer, focusing intently on the calm voice that flowed out.
“When I was young, collecting tolls at the bridge, they always gave me tangerines.
They weren’t particularly shiny, and they were soft and bruised in places, but they tasted good.”When Valen received tangerines from the merchants, he didn’t eat them on the spot; he tucked them into his pocket.
It was for his younger brother.
Around sunset, after switching shifts with Ben, he returned to the castle and handed the tangerines to Leto.
Easier to peel than oranges, with softer flesh and just the right size for eating, Leto always looked forward to the tangerines his brother brought every winter.Valen peeled the tangerine skin with practiced ease.
Just as he had done for the young Leto, he snapped one in half, brought it to Argen’s lips, then split that half again.
Even that seemed too big for her, so he ended up breaking off just one segment and placing it in her mouth.
Argen opened her mouth without hesitation.
The moment her lips brushed Valen’s fingertips, a tingling current shot up his spine to the tips of his hair.
What… what have I done?
It’s not like Argen doesn’t have hands.
Why did I feed her?
Valen was accustomed to caring for others, and conversely, Argen was accustomed to being cared for.
Their actions flowed together as naturally as water.
While Argen chewed, Valen’s face burned as if it would catch fire.
The dream from last night, which he had barely managed to forget, had crept back in and seized control of his mind.
He couldn’t believe she’d shoved his own enormous member into that tiny mouth.
Even he thought it was insane, something she couldn’t have done.
“…I’m going crazy.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t worry about it.
But why did you come here?”
“Because I wanted to see you.”
Crunch.
Valen unconsciously clenched the tangerine in his hand with all his might.
His brutal grip crushed it completely, juice oozing out everywhere.
Argen stared blankly at his hand before lifting her gaze.
“You didn’t need to cut it into such tiny pieces.”
Argen had assumed the tangerines, now unrecognisable from their original form, would naturally end up in her mouth.
…Was she raised to be precious, or not?
She seemed accustomed to being fed, yet also accustomed to eating food that had become trash.
Either way, it was strange.
“I’m not giving it to you.” Valen thankfully placed one still-intact tangerine on her skirt.
Argen bowed her head and peeled it with quiet, careful hands.
“Finn specifically told me to bring you a tangerine.”
“That guy?”
“He insisted you must brush your teeth before eating it.
Said it’s good for your health.”
There was no way that bastard cared about his health.
“Make him do it in front of me first.”
“Finn is deep and affectionate, despite his actions.
Nadol is like that too.
Did you grab Nadol’s horn today?”
Valen flinched inwardly but pretended not to care outwardly.
That pathetic little goat.
Of all people, he’d tell Argen.
“For demons, horns are an extremely sensitive area.
Even the slightest touch causes intense stimulation, and they’re more sensitive to pain than any other part.
Among the punishments for heinous criminals, there’s one where they make them walk through the square holding their severed horns.”
“……”
“Many criminals can’t endure the punishment and take their own lives.
It’s considered so shameful and humiliating that performing naked in a circus would be preferable.
Touching or staring at horns is rude to demons.
To put it in human terms… Hmm, yes.
It’s like genitals.” Argen pointed between Valen’s legs.
Valen’s expression instantly soured.
“So you’re saying I grabbed a goat bastard’s dick?”
He nearly vomited last night’s meal.
Argen was unusually flustered by Valen’s reaction.
“That’s just how it’s phrased.”
“You son of a…”
He raised his right hand, smeared with tangerine pulp.
The sensation of gripping Nadol’s horn in his palm came flooding back, and the curse slipped out involuntarily.
“…Actually, I don’t really know either.” Suddenly, Argen confessed as if coming clean.
“I’ve never had horns myself.
My analogy might not have been appropriate.
So it’d be best to pretend I never said what I just said.”
It was like a kid who’d never seen a bear recounting something from a book as if it were their own experience.
Argen’s ears flushed red, perhaps embarrassed that she had pretended to know.
“You’re embarrassed about everything.
After all, we’ve already laid everything bare.”
“……”
“We’re both hornless creatures here, so don’t cower in front of me.
Anyway, what you say sounds just as far-fetched as anything that goat brat spouts.”
Valen grabbed her wrist and bent his head.
He placed Argen’s hand firmly on the top of his head and made her pat it gently.
“See?
I have no horns, and I know less than you who lived in the demon realm.
So don’t worry about what I think.”
Even after Valen released her wrist, Argen kept stroking his hornless head for a while.
Why am I suddenly being treated like a dog… But Valen didn’t pull away.
“You’re truly warm.
If you’re this kind to me, you must be even better to your family.
I know your family misses you terribly.
You miss them too.”
“……What the hell are you talking about?” Valen was flustered by the sudden, out-of-nowhere praise of his character.
It was the kind of compliment he’d never heard in his entire life.
A moment later, when Argen finally lowered her hand, Valen straightened up.
“It’s awkward for me to say this, given my position holding you back, but you will return home.”
“…….”
“Right now, too many eyes are watching you.
I can’t send you back to the human world rashly.
And I’m not even pregnant yet.”
Those watching eyes clearly referred to those authority wielding old men.
“Think of yourself as a butterfly that flew here, rested briefly upon my shoulder, and then departed.
I will definitely send you back.” Her soft voice spread over Valen’s chest.
The tingling sensation made him want to scratch it with his hand.
“Why do you keep calling me a butterfly?”
“If you dislike butterflies, shall you tell me your name?”
Of course not.
That’s ridiculous.
Like I’d marry a demon.
Valen chuckled and turned his head, but Argen pressed a whole tangerine to his lips.
Opening his mouth in surprise, he had to take a big bite as the fruit was pushed in without hesitation.
“Let’s go wash your hands first.” Argen jumped up.
Valen, who had chewed and swallowed the tangerine a few times, stood beside her, though he couldn’t fathom why she insisted on accompanying him to wash his hands.
“Why?”
“You need to write a letter to your family.
Tell them you’ll be back soon, so they shouldn’t worry.
That way, the butterfly can rest comfortably.”