Chapter 31: The Demon King’s Regret

“Demon King—”

Before Letitia could even process what was happening, the pure white dragon maiden launched herself into her arms like a bullet, the sheer force of the impact sending them both sprawling to the ground.

Her head and back met the cold, hard ground with a thud, yet the delicate form nestled in her embrace felt soft and scorching hot. The little head nuzzled playfully against Letitia’s chest, as if seeking comfort, while a fluffy white tail wagged with unrestrained joy.

“Demon King, huff huff huff... Demon King…”

“Noah?”

Letitia’s mind struggled to comprehend the rapid turn of events, her dark crimson eyes wide with a bewildered, almost lost expression.

“Mmm, it’s Noah, Demon King~.”

Noah, the alluring Dragon Princess, beamed with a blissful smile, her small head rubbing vigorously against Letitia’s chest, reveling in the intoxicating scent of her Demon King.

Her skin, delicate as a newborn’s, felt impossibly soft, while her body writhed restlessly within Letitia’s embrace, her tail swaying enticingly.

Astolfo, who had been observing the scene, found her gaze fixed, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and perhaps something else.

She instinctively fumbled for a handkerchief, desperately trying to staunch the nosebleed that now trickled down her chin.

‘The Saintess’s body was, as always, so ample, fragrant, and soft.’

“Alright, alright, put your clothes back on.”

Letitia found herself reaching her limit. She could feel her typically composed and cool body steadily warming, forcing her to blush and avert her gaze as she firmly gripped Noah’s shoulders and pushed her away.

Noah’s shoulders were surprisingly narrow and delicate, almost fragile beneath Letitia’s hands.

It truly baffled Letitia how such a slender frame could normally support the basketball-sized bounty on her chest, let alone possess the strength to knock her down so effortlessly.

Gone was the cool detachment from moments before; Noah had reverted to her usual charmingly naive self, her eyes innocent and pure.

Then, with a slow, captivating blink, she lowered her head slightly, revealing a truly enchanting smile.

“What’s wrong, Demon King~? Don’t you like a body like mine?”

“Or perhaps, you simply lack the *ability* to appreciate a body like mine?”

“N-no! I don’t! Absolutely not!”

Letitia scrambled upright, frantically waving her hands, yet the vivid, dazzling image only grew sharper in her mind. A sudden rush of blood surged, and two crimson rivulets began to stream from her nose.

Her eyes squeezed shut, her legs instinctively scuttling back a few steps, while her chest heaved with frantic breaths. She desperately wished to conceal her utterly disheveled state from Noah’s view.

A gentle, faintly milky fragrance drifted into her nostrils, accompanied by the luxurious feel of fine fabric.

Letitia’s movements stilled; she opened her eyes in astonishment, only to find Noah’s exquisitely delicate face mere inches from her own.

From seemingly nowhere, Noah produced a handkerchief. She knelt gracefully before Letitia, her posture attentive and focused, as she meticulously dabbed away the trickling nosebleed.

“Demon King, you truly don’t need to restrain yourself so much.”

Noah offered a soft smile, her gentle pink eyes seeming to shimmer, as if on the verge of shedding tears.

“Whatever your heart desires, simply tell Noah without hesitation. Noah will know her limits, I promise.”

‘You call *that* knowing your limits?’ Letitia’s mouth twitched involuntarily. Her lower back, a sensation she hadn’t felt in ages, began to throb once more.

‘It hurts! Oh, it hurts so much!’

Finding herself fixated on Noah’s earnest expression, Letitia felt a blush creep up her neck. Her gaze, as if drawn by some irresistible, wondrous force, involuntarily drifted downwards.

“Pfft!”

Letitia’s nosebleed erupted once more, gushing forth with such force that it soaked more than half the handkerchief, and a considerable amount even splattered onto Noah’s hand.

“Oh my!”

Noah, too, froze for a moment. Noticing Letitia’s sudden pallor from the excessive bleeding, a soft, tender smile graced her lips.

She then brought the back of her blood-stained hand to her mouth, extended her small, alluring tongue, and began to delicately lick it clean.

“My, my, Demon King, you truly are a naughty child~.”

As she spoke, Noah cast a subtly provocative glance at Letitia, her eyes sparkling with mischief, like a secret invitation.

“Pfft—”

His Majesty the Demon King, having succumbed to excessive blood loss, passed away.

Astolfo, her gaze fixed on the doorknob, sank into a profound contemplation, silently questioning whether her continued presence in this particular space held any real necessity.

***

After administering a potent energy elixir to Letitia and ensuring Noah was not only dressed but also maintaining a respectable distance, Letitia finally emerged.

She calmly informed the waiting maid corps and mages that no harm had been done, instructing them to return to their respective duties.

Once the personnel had dispersed, Letitia exhaled a long, shaky breath, her face now even more pallid as she leaned heavily against the cool stone of the corridor window sill.

“Demon King~.”

Noah’s dainty, jade-like feet barely brushed the ground as she spun gracefully, coming to an elegant halt directly before Letitia.

Her magnificent, backless white gown, resembling a flower unfurling in reverse, gracefully gathered around her slender ankles with each subtle movement.

Above, the ample, pristine mounds of her chest seemed to defy gravity, jutting proudly.

The pure white dragon maiden, her hands clasped impishly behind her back, dipped into a playful curtsy. With a smile both innocent and radiantly bright, she appeared much like a playful young lover eager to engage in games.

“Demon King, you seem quite troubled~. Yet, when you first saw me in this form, you appeared rather pleased~. What could possibly be weighing on your mind now?”

Her tone was light and breezy, as if she were merely inquiring about dinner plans, simply posing a casual question born of friendly curiosity.

There was no pressure to answer; a reply would simply satisfy her curiosity. Such was Noah’s manner of speaking, always imparting a sense of ease and delight to those she addressed.

Far from the aloof and ethereal image of a typical Dragon Princess, Noah’s genuine affability was her truly unique allure.

Even without resorting to charm or enchantment, those who conversed with her would invariably find themselves unconsciously revealing their deepest thoughts and feelings.

“Are you… going to leave Demon King City?”

Gazing at Noah, who stood before her both intimately familiar and yet strangely distant, Letitia faltered, words catching in her throat.

Ultimately, however, she resolved to voice her deepest fear, asking with a quiet, almost fragile caution.

In that moment, she bore little resemblance to the formidable and ambitious Demon King.

Instead, she seemed more like a small girl, plagued by a profound fear of loss, timidly inquiring about something that might utterly shatter her.

Having spent the past two days in Noah’s company, Letitia felt a growing conviction that Noah would not readily abandon Demon King City.

Yet, a deeper, more insidious fear gnawed at her: what if, one day, Noah genuinely decided to depart, and Letitia found herself utterly powerless to prevent it?

In due time, Noah might choose to return to her homeland, the Holy Church Empire, or perhaps journey to the unknown far reaches of the starry sky, to places Letitia could not even conceive.

When that day arrived, would Letitia possess the means to compel Noah to stay? Or would she be willing to cast aside her duties as Demon King and follow her?

Letitia was well aware of her own selfishness; indeed, as the Demon King, she had always worn her egoism as a badge of honor.

Yet, for the very first time, she found herself unable to condone this particular brand of selfishness—the kind that would strip Noah of her wings.

Never before, in all her existence, had she felt even a flicker of regret about her identity as the Demon King. Until now.

Confronted with Letitia’s softly voiced question, Noah, too, fell into a profound silence.

Her gaze drifted away, lost in the recent memory of her sublimation and the pivotal dialogue she had experienced while dormant within the ‘cocoon’:

“As the Saintess, I ought to return to the Holy Church Empire, to lead humanity in their resistance against the demon race, and to make my rightful contribution to the peace and stability of our people.”

“As Bai Tong, I must swiftly devise a means to escape this game world. My family and friends await me in reality, and I should not cause them further worry.”

“But the new me, you are not us.”

“Therefore, you need not bear the burden of our past choices.”

“Simply follow your conscience and forge your own path.”