Cecilia's Horns (1)
We arrived at Cecilia's workshop.
Hans had rushed the carriage here, but Cecilia's condition had worsened in real time.
I knew this day would come eventually. But it happened faster than I expected.
Cecilia's creations were special items infused with Endia's divine power.
In other words, they required mana.
Cecilia's Mana Heart—or rather, her Dragon Heart—was already severely damaged.
Using large amounts of mana like this was tantamount to accelerating its collapse.
The earlier incident of using divine power to decipher the sheet music had contributed as well. But I hadn't realized she was this weakened, and guilt gnawed at me.
Of course, with the Aiterne Merchant Group's wealth, we've stockpiled as many Purified Demon Stones as possible...
According to the contract I'd negotiated with Chloe, they were obligated to provide Cecilia with all the Purified Demon Stones she needed, along with processed medicines made from them.
I made sure it was the best possible deal for Cecilia's sake.
Purified Demon Stones were currently more valuable than precious metals, but with Aiterne's resources, they'd supplied a substantial quantity. Still, she'd likely developed a tolerance to those medicines by now.
In the end, we needed a treatment that went beyond Purified Demon Stones.
Awakens the demon blood within you through contact with a demon's bodily fluids.
After awakening, your bodily fluids will be filled with demonic essence. For demon partners, this potent fluid provides mana stabilization effects surpassing even purified Demon Stones.
As the notification explained, my demon blood had already awakened from contact with Cecilia's saliva.
So the solution was to stabilize her mana with my even more potent bodily fluids.
The method is a bit intimate, so I'd been putting it off...
I laid Cecilia down on the sofa in the reception room. It was a new, spacious one provided by the Aiterne Merchant Group.
Next, I found the medicine made from Purified Demon Stone components that she kept in the workshop. Prepared for emergencies, it was placed prominently in plain sight.
I carefully pried open the mouth of the unconscious Cecilia. Her small frame matched her innocent face, and her cute lips parted to reveal a moist, glistening tongue within.
For a moment, my heart raced at the sight—out of place given the situation. Cecilia was likely the mate my blood had chosen for me. My breeding partner.
Dragons generally had low reproductive urges, so their blood instinctively selected the ideal partner. That's how they'd evolved.
Of course, they didn't have to follow it strictly. Lustful dragons enjoyed active sex lives regardless.
Though that's extremely rare.
Still, Cecilia and I seemed highly compatible; intense lust for her surged quickly. Suppressing it for now, I held a cup of water to her lips and administered the medicine.
Her breathing, which had seemed on the verge of stopping, steadied slightly. But even after several pills, she didn't regain consciousness.
In the end, bodily fluid contact is the only option.
It would be easier if it were another heroine we'd already been intimate with, but creating that opportunity with Cecilia was tricky.
However, with my new cultivation method nearly completing my 4th Tier Mana Heart, I could now handle transforming it into a Dragon Heart.
From my perspective, I needed to clear the Demonization Sub-Quest quickly. The trials of Roia were imminent.
It might feel a bit predatory, but there's no reason to hesitate. This is to help Cecilia, after all.
I looked at Cecilia. Her petite build was similar to Rozette's. Her platinum hair was so light it almost looked silver.
Her small face was adorably sculpted with delicate features. Her eyes were closed now due to unconsciousness, but when open, her amber eyes sparkled like jewels. Though she appeared a cute girl, Cecilia was actually an adult dragon over a century old.
Thus, her innocent face held the noble dignity only a mature dragon could possess.
She looked like a gentle country maiden, but as a member of the Demon King's clan, even in plain clothes, she couldn't fully hide her noble blood.
The moment I focused on her face, my heart pounded again. Brushing aside a twinge of embarrassment, I pressed my body close to hers.
As I leaned in toward her face—
Kaang—
A metallic clang rang out, and a blue shield activated, blocking me.
What is this?
I quickly identified the shield's source: the diamond-shaped necklace Cecilia wore. It had generated the blue barrier.
A dwarf's disguise magic tool.
It allowed demons with appearances vastly different from humans—like Cecilia and her dragonkin-elf sister—to blend into human society.
I checked the item via the system.
Rarity: Rare+
Transforms the wearer's appearance into that of a human. Protects the wearer from human threats.
As described, it had not only transformation but also a protective shield function.
"Human threats." Then it shouldn't affect me.
Given my bloodline.
I could emit mana or magi like a human, but with partial demonization, I could distinguish and use them selectively.
Closing my eyes briefly, I concentrated magi at my fingertips. The blood of the Demon King—my sovereign ancestor—mingled in my veins.
Using the Orhain origin cultivation method to accelerate mana, I amplified only the magi within that blood.
Thus, the magi coating my hand—or my hand itself—became more demon-like than human.
This time, when I touched the necklace with my magi-infused hand, it didn't block me.
Still, better to remove it completely.
I'd already set the workshop door sign to "Out." It was safe even if her true form emerged.
Besides, the necklace's protection might interfere with transferring essence. Carefully, I removed it from Cecilia's neck.
Her appearance changed.
Her dignified face remained, but curved horns now sprouted from either side, curling backward elegantly in a woody hue.
Truly dragonkin.
The dragonkin form dragons maintained daily for Dragon Heart stabilization. It resembled humans outwardly, but those horns were undeniable proof of her draconic nature.
"Haa... haa..."
I froze for a moment. The sight of those noble, wood-toned horns aroused me intensely.
Why is this happening? I'm not some pubescent boy...
Horns were just horns. Yet they felt as tantalizing as secretly glimpsing a woman's breasts, hips, or intimate place.
So... pretty and... lewd horns...
A heavy ache stirred below. Guilt surged at attempting something unforgivable before the unconscious Cecilia, stricken by her chronic illness.
But from the moment I fixated on her horns, reason slipped away.
I climbed onto the sofa, positioning myself over her. Gently, I grasped her horns. The sensation sent shivers through my entire body, heightening my arousal.
Gripping them like handles, I pressed my lips to her soft ones.
***
Cecilia regained consciousness.
What happened...?
She had been deciphering the handwritten sheet music left by Riel, Yulian's father.
Realizing the hidden patterns resembled rune rules, she'd used Endia's divine power...
I see. Overusing mana burdened my Dragon Heart...
The pain before collapsing had been more intense than usual. Perhaps because it was for Yulian, she'd unconsciously pushed harder.
But it was strange. She'd endured a severe Dragon Heart collapse, yet now she felt fine.
No, more than fine... brimming with vitality... wait, no—more than that!
Only her Dragon Heart was fine. Her mind was still foggy, not fully awake. Her body felt the same.
Beyond languid, it was like sleep paralysis—intense pressure weighed on her entire form.
They say if you open your eyes during sleep paralysis... you see ghosts... scary...
She kept her eyes squeezed shut. But something else was off: a soft something writhed in her mouth...
A tentacle ghost?
The thought made her dizzy. But as full awareness returned, Cecilia corrected her absurd notion.
I'm a demon, but Endia's holy priestess. How could I, who wields divine power, fear the undead...?
Truthfully, she was a demon among demons—a member of the Demon King's clan.
Still, fear was fear. Cautiously, she cracked her eyes open. Shockingly, the figure pinning her wasn't a ghost, but Count Yulian.
What is going on...!
Only then did she realize the smooth intruder in her mouth: Count Yulian's tongue.
How did this happen? Why is Lord Yulian... kissing me!
Her heart plummeted. Yes, Cecilia was experiencing her first kiss right now.
She'd fantasized endlessly about romantic first kisses from human romance novels. But never like this.
Yet the sensation matched the novels perfectly.
A soft, yielding tongue. Theirs entwined with saliva, delivering novel pleasures beyond imagination.
Haa... so slick... and it tastes like Lord Yulian.
It was intensely sweet and urgent. More tender than rough, but his tongue work alone conveyed his fervor.
Is Lord Yulian... aroused by me?
Meanwhile, sensation fully returned to her languid body. What greeted her was an astonishing pleasure she'd never known.
My... my horns! Not there!
It wasn't just the kiss. Yulian was caressing her horns—a dragon's ultra-sensitive spot. Continuous stimulation brought a heavy ecstasy that nearly buckled her waist.
Ugh... a moan might escape.
A dragon's—especially a female dragon's—horns were highly erogenous zones.
Like typical ones, they could itch or hurt without the right context or partner.
But knowing it was Yulian made them fully erogenous. The sensitivity rivaled clitoral stimulation.
She'd masturbated occasionally over her century-plus life, so she knew the feeling.
Since it's Lord Yulian... it's natural...
Too embarrassing to call love. But she harbored pure first-love feelings for him. And this situation mirrored romance novels.
The cold northern archduke. A golden-haired, blue-eyed beauty aggressively claiming the plain maiden heroine.
The thought made her heart nearly burst. Strangely, no pain accompanied it.
My Dragon Heart usually aches terribly with emotional surges... but now it's full of vitality... ah!
Slurp— smack— slurp—
Yulian's deep kiss continued unabated. Just like in novels, it felt soul-stealing.
Yet amid it, Cecilia realized something was deeply amiss.
The dwarf's magic tool can't be removed casually by humans. How...?
During the great war against humans, female dragonkin and elves suffered countless violations by human soldiers. Many demon women chose suicide over defilement.
Cecilia's necklace protected her purity: transformation, daily human-threat shielding, and self-destruct for severe violations.
But I'm perfectly fine now. My horns mean the necklace was removed...
Incomprehensible. A human couldn't undo a master dwarf's magic tool.
Impossible for human Yulian.
This is weird... and my horns... my sensitivity... even if I like Lord Yulian, I shouldn't react physically to a human like this... ahh!!
She stifled another moan. Yulian grew bolder, fondling her horn lewdly with one hand without pausing the kiss.
No... it feels too good... nothing like masturbation...
Not just that. His other hand had slipped onto her breast. Though she wore a bra, her small chest made her nipples especially sensitive.
The lining brushed them, sending jolts to her soles. And something hard and heavy pressed against her lower body.
Could it be... a man's...?
Undeniable proof of Yulian's fierce arousal.
At this rate... my purity will definitely...
Truthfully, she'd fantasized about losing it to Yulian several times lately. This sensation wasn't bad—in fact, her body responded honestly with excitement.
Still, too many questions flooded her mind.
First, what exactly is happening...?
Suppressing the waves of pleasure from below, Cecilia finally opened her eyes fully.
Gathering all her strength, she pushed Yulian away. She needed answers.
"L-Lord Yulian! You can't do this!"
And there was the ever-calm, composed northern archduke before Cecilia. For the first time, bewilderment flickered in his blue eyes.