Chapter 13: Another Demon of the Gem (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 13: Another Demon of the Gem (3)
A kiss?
As I sat there, I felt goosebumps prickle down my spine.
Do I really… have to go that far?
My face stiffened, making it impossible to maintain my composure. It was that shocking.
I had every intention of buttering up the Duke and acting cute to stay under his protection, but a kiss was a bit much…
I really don’t want to do this.
Besides, I hadn’t even kissed Veronica yet.
Wait, it’s not like I wanted to go around giving creepy kisses in a child’s body anyway…
Sigh…
Since I wasn’t exactly the affectionate type, I felt a wave of resistance, even if it was to win the Duke’s favor.
I swallowed the sigh I couldn’t let out. In that split second, a million thoughts raced through my head.
Tap, tap.
“…….”
Now the Duke was openly demanding it. He was tapping his cheek with fingers that were quite elegant for a man.
I guess if I don’t kiss him… he won’t give me the gem, right?
I have to… do it, don’t I?
Honestly, I didn’t want to. I really didn’t, but I had no choice.
This was all to protect myself and Veronica from the damn original plot. Let’s just think of it as sacrificing the small for the greater good.
After muttering that to myself several times, I squeezed my eyes shut.
Just as I was about to press my lips against the Duke’s smooth, pale cheek—
“Father!”
“……!”
The door burst open, and Veronica stormed in.
I turned my head, my eyes widening at the sight of a triumphant-looking Veronica.
“What is it?”
“What on earth do you think you’re doing?!”
Veronica marched over and swiftly snatched me off the Duke’s lap. It happened in the blink of an eye.
“What do you mean?”
“How could you try to steal Dia’s lips with a mere gem!”
“Ahem, cough. Watch your words.”
“Dia’s kisses belong to me!”
Excuse me, what about my opinion?
I frowned as I watched Veronica and the Duke start bickering over my kisses.
“What? A kiss?”
“Dia’s kiss?”
“…….”
To make matters worse, I could hear murmuring from outside. It was the voices of Vincent and Brandon.
Are these guys just waiting outside whenever I have a private meeting with the Duke? How is the news traveling so fast?
In the middle of the chaotic room, I stared blankly at the sparkling gem. Then, I whispered internally.
Hey, Demon.
[Refrain from using that nickname, Master. I have the great name of Desmond—]
Steal that for me. Quietly.
[What?]
Desmond radiated a sense of displeasure at my command.
[A being such as I performing such a tasteless act—!]
If you get it for me, I’ll do one thing you want.
[Truly?]
Yeah.
It was obvious he’d want a real body instead of being a doll.
I nodded dismissively.
[Hahaha, very well!]
Desmond laughed heartily as his dark energy began to slither out.
Because of the commotion caused by the Duke, Veronica, and the late-arriving Vincent and Brandon, no one noticed the gem disappearing.
I simply leaned into Veronica’s arms and smirked.
*
The commotion finally ended when I let out a single yawn and said I was sleepy.
It was truly ridiculous.
Shaking my head, I woke up secretly in the early hours of the morning when everyone was asleep.
“Whew.”
I sat up in bed and approached the gem Desmond had stolen.
The Duke probably realized I had taken the gem during the chaos.
But seeing as he hadn’t said anything, I guessed he intended to just play along and pretend he didn’t know.
“Anyway, the important thing is that the second gem is in my hands.”
I chuckled and reached for the gem. Even at night, the light emitted by the pink diamond was brilliant.
[Master, you look truly wicked right now.]
“Shut up.”
Ignoring Desmond’s jab, I picked up the gem.
Now I had to awaken the second demon and form a contract. I recalled the time I summoned Desmond.
…Is it a kiss again?
Whether it was a coincidence or not, Desmond had awakened after my lips touched the gem back then. I figured it might be the same this time.
I let out a small groan and puckered my lips.
Chu.
My lips lightly touched the surface of the pink diamond and then pulled away.
I looked down at the gem with tense eyes.
And…
“…….”
And nothing happened.
I frowned, staring at the silent pink diamond.
“What’s wrong with this thing?”
[Hmm.]
“Is there no one inside?”
[That is not the case.]
Since Desmond said so, it was certain a demon was inside.
But why wasn’t it waking up?
I tilted my head and shook the gem.
[Tsk, I knew it. That brat Bibi must be so out of it from sleeping too long.]
“It won’t wake up from just this?”
[It would seem so.]
“…….”
Does that mean I have to do something more than a kiss? What could that possibly be?
I looked down at the gem, feeling stumped.
Just then, I heard a faint, whispering voice.
[…Just one more time.]
“What?”
[Just, one more time…]
“…….”
Is this brat crazy?
Realizing the voice was coming from the gem, I tightened my grip on it.
[Eek!]
“Get out here right now.”
[Ack! Okay, okay!]
With a startled cry, something like a faint haze rose from the gem.
It was Bibi, the demon who had been slumbering inside the pink diamond.
[I look forward to working with you, Master! My name is Bibi!]
“…….”
I silently glared at Bibi, who shouted quite energetically.
It was annoying that she didn’t come out immediately like Desmond, but since it was the first time, I decided to let it slide. Though the things she just said were a bit concerning…
[Kyaaa, such a tiny and cute Master! Bibi is so happy!]
“Sigh…”
[Please hug Bibi tight every night when you sleep! Ahh, children really do smell so good… sniff sniff.]
“…….”
She’s a pervert. This demon is a total perverted piece of trash, no doubt about it.
Power to overturn the original plot or whatever, I was so annoyed that I gripped the gem and stood up.
“I’m disposing of this gem.”
[Yes! Great idea, Master!]
[Kyaaaaak! Nooo, don’t do it!]
I was about to throw the gem out the window, but I sighed and lowered my arm.
The high-pitched screeching was making a mess of my head.
“Will you be quiet? It’s not like you did anything to be proud of.”
[Sob, sob, please forgive me. Hnggg…]
“Haaa…”
What a noisy brat. She’s a pervert and she’s loud. I was leaning more and more toward the idea of disposing of her.
[Ha! I knew it! Your filthy tastes are truly one of a kind!]
[Shut up, Desmond! You pathetic loser!]
[What, pathetic? You want to go?]
Now Desmond and Bibi were shouting and fighting with each other. My head throbbed even more.
“Stop it.”
[But Master, that brat…!]
[Master, he started it…!]
“Can you both stop acting like you’re tattling to your mom?”
These people are at least several thousand years older than me, honestly.
I clicked my tongue and muttered to myself.
“You, Bibi.”
[Yes, Master.]
“If you do anything perverted again, know that you’re going out the window.”
[Yeees.]
She acted quite obedient, but I couldn’t trust her. I glared at the gem with suspicious eyes.
[Master! Are you truly going to contract with this ill-mannered brat?]
[Ill-mannered! Is that something you should be saying to me? Huh?]
[Then what else am I supposed to call someone who is ill-mannered!]
[Why you…!]
“…….”
My head was going to explode at this rate.
I grabbed Desmond’s gem, which I wore as a necklace, and Bibi’s gem in both hands and spoke in a low, ominous voice.
“I don’t say things twice.”
[…….]
[…….]
“Do you understand?”
[Yes…]
[Yes…]
Only then did the two demons fall silent. I let out a small sigh as I looked down at them.
[Um, but…]
“What?”
[You’re… going to contract with me, right?]
“…….”
For some reason, I felt like I could see sparkling eyes within the pink haze.
I looked at Bibi with a lingering sense of unease and asked.
“What can you do?”
[I’ve been waiting for that question!]
“……?”
A confident voice echoed in my head.
I felt a small spark of anticipation.
Even though I had only been using Desmond like a carrier pigeon, his true ability was fire.
He said that if my mana was sufficient, he could use the Hellfire, which he claimed was so powerful it wouldn’t lose to high-level magic.
So, what was the ability of Bibi, who spoke so dismissively of Desmond?
I felt my heart thumping as I stared at Bibi.
[My ability is…!]
“Your ability is?”
[Physical Enhancement…!]
“…….”
Well, that was certainly an unexpected ability.