CH 39

the moment pei xia saw lucifer, his heart skipped a beat involuntarily. he had a feeling that something was amiss.

when did lucifer come out? what did he overhear? did he say something he shouldn’t have?

pei xia felt extremely nervous and greeted lucifer stiffly, “your holiness, are you hungry? i’ll bring something up for you.”

he grasped a vine and climbed up the tree gracefully. by now, lucifer had entered the treehouse and was sitting at the table.

lucifer rested his chin on his hands, his gaze filled with deep meaning. the smile on his lips was merely perfunctory, and he exuded an air of restraint. he didn’t seem happy, but he also didn’t appear angry. pei xia couldn’t quite figure out what was going on.

was it because he had discovered sofia’s orientation? could lucifer be so homophobic?

pei xia placed a platter of fruits in front of him and whispered, “your holiness, please have something to eat.”

“not hungry,” lucifer replied calmly.

pei xia was startled when lucifer suddenly sat up straight, and his narrowed eyes bore into him. there was something inscrutable in his gaze, and the smile on his lips seemed habitual. he appeared somewhat repressed, leaving pei xia puzzled about what was bothering him.

could it be because he found out about pei xia’s involvement with sofia? was lucifer so intolerant?

pei xia tried to gauge lucifer’s mood and served him a plate of delicious fruit. he whispered, “your holiness, please have something to eat.”

lucifer remained silent for a moment, then slowly asked, “pei xia, just now, you and princess sofia…”

pei xia’s entire body tensed, and he blurted out, “i have no relationship with him whatsoever!”

lucifer pinched a small fruit gracefully and placed it in his mouth. the vivid red fruit disappeared into his pale pink lips. he savored it with closed eyes and then said softly, “is that so? but i couldn’t help but think that according to princess sofia, he has an interest in you.”

pei xia blurted out, “i have nothing to do with him!”

lucifer extended his fingers, interlacing them through his smooth hair. in this naturally charming treehouse, he looked like he belonged in a grand palace.

“you agreed to consider it,” lucifer stated.

pei xia broke into a cold sweat. he hastily replied, “that was just a polite way to avoid making princess sofia feel uncomfortable. i have absolutely no ulterior motives!”

pei xia made his expression serious to show his sincerity, but lucifer remained unfazed. it was unclear whether he believed pei xia or not.

pei xia gathered his courage and continued, “since joining the light god’s religion and receiving your teachings, i have considered the divine as my lifelong pursuit. ah, the light, you are the beginning of everything. at the dawn of creation, the light god descended upon the earth and enlightened the ignorant masses.”

“pei xia,” lucifer suddenly interrupted him.

unexpectedly, he stood up, leaned over the table, and came very close to pei xia, so close that he crossed half of the table and was just inches away from pei xia.

pei xia was taken aback by lucifer’s sudden approach. he slightly parted his lips in surprise, and he felt something cool touch his lips.

it turned out that lucifer used his slender fingers to pick up a fruit and placed it in pei xia’s mouth.

pei xia instinctively bit into it, and the fruit’s juice burst into his mouth, sweet and delicious. at the same time, some juice accidentally splashed onto lucifer’s fingertips.

lucifer slowly wiped his juice-stained fingers on pei xia’s lips as if cleaning them, but it carried an unusual and ambiguous atmosphere.

it was too close, too close!

pei xia held the fruit in his mouth, frozen and unable to move. he felt his lips trembling.

lucifer sat back as if he had suddenly approached just to give pei xia a piece of fruit.

pei xia awkwardly said, “your holiness, you are indeed very considerate. sharing good food with your subordinates personally is a mark of a perfect superior. it must be like this!”

his heart was pounding like a drum. he had finally convinced himself and was about to naturally swallow the fruit and return to their usual interactions when lucifer suddenly asked, “what’s the underlying issue?”

pei xia choked on the fruit and coughed violently, “cough, cough, cough!! cough, cough!”

how could he answer this question? should he reveal that one of the reasons he rejected princess sofia was because they were rivals for lucifer’s affection? that would expose his true feelings!

pei xia wiped his mouth, looking somewhat disheveled, and said, “actually, deep down, it’s because i don’t really like princess sofia.”

“i see,” lucifer said, leaning in closer and staring straight at pei xia, not allowing him to evade the question.

at that moment, pei xia thought his occasional impure thoughts had been discovered. his hair stood on end, and his muscles tensed. he stammered, “i… i mean, deep down, i don’t like princess sofia.”

“so you won’t like him in the future either?” lucifer asked.

“that’s right!”

“what about me?” lucifer stared directly at pei xia, not allowing him to escape the question.

at that moment, pei xia almost thought his fleeting impure thoughts had been detected. he was drenched in cold sweat, and his muscles were tense. he replied, “what are you saying? in my heart, you are the perfect holy son. no one could not like you.”

“but that’s not what i wanted to ask,” lucifer said with a mischievous smile. “how do you think i compare to sofia?”

pei xia didn’t hesitate and replied, “in every aspect, you are superior.”

he felt that his previous statement might have been a bit exaggerated, so he added, “except for the length of life.”

hearing this, lucifer couldn’t help but chuckle softly, leaving pei xia somewhat embarrassed. he wasn’t sure what he had said that was so amusing. lucifer couldn’t possibly be mocking him with that chuckle, could he?

“do you really think so?” lucifer asked.

“of course!” pei xia responded.

lucifer seemed a bit skeptical. his gaze drifted into the distance, and he said, “pei xia, you’ve been so considerate of sofia, but i suddenly realized that there may have been some misunderstandings between us.”

pei xia was bewildered. “misunderstandings? what do you mean?”

“do you like men?” lucifer asked.

pei xia immediately exclaimed, “no!! i absolutely don’t like stinky men! i prefer sweet and soft girls!!!”

he shouted loudly, trying to cover up his lie with a bold statement, his voice trembling with desperation.

lucifer’s lips twitched slightly, as if he were taken aback by pei xia’s intense reaction.

“you don’t like men?” lucifer repeated, biting his lip. he smiled, stood up, and was about to continue when they suddenly heard a commotion from outside.

“enemy attack! enemy attack!”

both of them turned to look outside.

unbeknownst to them, night had fallen.

the forest elves rushed outside to engage in a fierce battle with the dark elves who had suddenly appeared. demons hid in the shadows, controlling monsters to join the fight.

pei xia suddenly stood up but quietly breathed a sigh of relief. this unexpected war meant he didn’t have to endure lucifer’s probing questions any longer. he wasn’t sure how much more of it he could handle!

“my lord, do you intend to go down and see what’s happening?” pei xia asked eagerly.

“let’s go,” lucifer replied.

they wasted no time in descending from the tree and following the forest elves toward the battlefield. lucifer didn’t rush to the front; instead, he observed the scene with boredom and casually eliminated a couple of nearby minor demons.

pei xia stood by his side, attentively scanning their surroundings.

he noticed that the dark elves, though also slender with pointed ears, had a skin tone that bore a cold, dark purple hue, and they appeared physically stronger.

suddenly, a tall and handsome dark elf appeared at the forefront. he exuded power and had an imposing presence.

pei xia overheard someone exclaiming in surprise, “the dark elf king!”

why would the dark elf king come himself?

pei xia couldn’t help but wonder if they should inform their queen.

however, the dark elf king didn’t participate in the battle. he remained in the background, calmly observing, and his gaze was fixed on the direction of the elven court.

as pei xia watched, the dark elf king suddenly turned his attention in their direction.

pei xia’s immediate thought was that he had noticed lucifer!

however, the appearance of another person made him question things. it wasn’t as simple as he thought. at some point, sofia had positioned himself beside pei xia and lucifer, holding a bow and arrow.

his delicate frame trembled slightly as he stared coldly at the dark elf king, his lips tightly pressed together. then, he raised his bow and shot an arrow toward him.

the dark elf king effortlessly sliced the arrow in half with a backhand motion. across half of the battlefield, he opened his mouth and said something.

pei xia couldn’t make out what the dark elf king was saying, but it seemed sofia understood. suddenly, his body swayed, and he took a step back, dropping his bow and arrow with a clatter.

sophia stood unsteadily, on the verge of collapsing into pei xia’s arms. at that moment, lucifer swiftly extended his long leg and reached out, wrapping his arm around sofia’s waist.

“my lord, are you alright?” pei xia asked with concern.

sofia looked up at lucifer, his eyes filled with helplessness. he smiled at him and said, “my lord, thank you so much. please don’t worry; i’m fine.”

“that’s good,” lucifer replied with a smile. but then his expression suddenly changed, and he staggered back a couple of steps, leaning heavily into pei xia’s arms.

sofia, unable to support himself, plopped down on the ground.

pei xia, holding lucifer, was at a loss. “my lord?”

still feeling the effects of their previous conversation, pei xia found it difficult to naturally handle lucifer’s close proximity. he had a nagging feeling that lucifer might have sensed something was amiss and was being extra cautious, not daring to take a step closer.

lucifer gasped weakly, “i, i think i was accidentally bumped by sofia just now, and now i feel…”

“my lord, please hang on!” pei xia panicked upon hearing this. he tightened his grip on lucifer’s hand, trying to transfer his own strength.

the perfect savior, weak but always willing to save others, furrowed his delicate brows and smiled gently. “it’s okay. don’t blame sofia; it was my own carelessness.”

hearing lucifer speak this way made pei xia feel both guilty and upset. he couldn’t help but raise his voice a bit towards sofia, “your highness, i don’t know what history you have with the dark elf king, but if you can’t fight and only end up hindering your companions, it’s better to go back and rest to avoid causing trouble!”

sofia replied, “i’m sorry, my lord. please believe me; it wasn’t intentional.”

pei xia’s expression hardened as he continued, “your highness, regardless of any past history with the dark elf king, if you have any feelings for him, please keep them in check. we’re in the middle of a battle, and we can’t afford any distractions.”

sofia: “i understand. my apologies, my lord.”

pei xia couldn’t help but be suspicious of sofia’s behavior. after all, sofia had expressed an interest in men, and if lucifer, the perfect savior who had captivated countless hearts, was within his range of choices, things could get complicated.

“no!” pei xia exclaimed.

at that moment, pei xia couldn’t quite grasp his own feelings, but he knew he was unhappy and didn’t want to see sofia getting closer to lucifer. there was an unease within him.

“your highness, please don’t say anymore,” pei xia implored with conviction, “the savior’s heart is dedicated solely to the god of light!”

sofia fell silent, unsure of how to respond.

pei xia continued, “your highness, please understand that the savior has no room for personal attachments, and it’s best not to complicate things during a battle.”

sofia nodded and apologized, “i understand, my lord. i’m sorry.”

pei xia, though uncertain of his own feelings, felt compelled to protect lucifer’s purity and dedication to his faith.

lucifer patted pei xia’s hand gently, then straightened his posture. he looked down at sofia with a mixture of kindness and subtle disdain.

“you are too kind, your highness. there’s no need to apologize. i understand that it was not your intention. my body is simply too weak.”

sofia couldn’t help but chuckle, “you are too kind as well. please rest assured, i will make it up to you.”

lucifer replied, “no need for that. helping a companion in need is my faith.”

as they faced each other, their expressions were filled with genuine warmth and gratitude, as if at that moment, they had reached a telepathic understanding.

the two of them were polite and considerate towards each other. as they continued talking, they seemed to connect on a deeper level. pei xia looked at sofia, who appeared no different from a beautiful girl in his dress, and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

sofia likes men, and it’s likely that lucifer is also a potential target for him. lucifer may be a straight man, but it’s widely known that straight men can be quite unpredictable in certain situations. seeing sofia, who looks just like a girl, maybe…

pei xia’s expression darkened, and he quietly moved closer to stand between the two of them. he reached out to support lucifer and awkwardly said, “your grace, since you’re not feeling well, why don’t you go back and rest for now? we can discuss this further tomorrow.”

lucifer blinked his long eyelashes a couple of times and glanced briefly at sofia, seeming momentarily satisfied. he then turned and said, “alright, i’ll follow your advice.”

pei xia turned to sofia and nodded politely, “your highness, if you’re not feeling well either, please rest for a while.”

sofia forced a smile, “i will follow your advice as well.”

after that, pei xia accompanied lucifer back to the safer treehouse. lucifer rested, and pei xia remained vigilant by the window.

the battle continued throughout the night, and it wasn’t until dawn that the dark elves, demons, and monsters retreated. although the battle had been long and many were injured, there were hardly any casualties. this was the unspoken understanding among the elves. regardless of which side they belonged to, the elven population was not large, and they didn’t want to annihilate each other.

after the battle, a tired pei xia finally rested on the ground. when he woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

he looked around the room and saw two people sitting by the table, one was lucifer, and the other was sofia.

wait a minute, when did his highness sofia come here?

seeing pei xia wake up, lucifer kindly poured him a glass of fruit tea, “pei xia, sofia and i have discussed it, and we think it’s more suitable to go to the dark elf kingdom during the daytime. dark elves are creatures of the night, and after a night of intense battle, they should be resting.”

sofia nodded in agreement and added, “i’ve been to the underground kingdom of the dark elves before, so i’m familiar with the terrain there. i can guide you.”

the covert operation didn’t require a large team, and three people were just right for the task.

of course, pei xia had no objections to this operational strategy. however, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of unease when he saw the two of them together, as if they had some unspoken understanding. this feeling of unease was different from the one prince harry had caused him; it was a different kind of discomfort, one that made him quite jealous.

without further ado, the three of them quickly prepared and, under sofia’s guidance, headed out.

along the way, they avoided the gaze of others. pei xia was silently sulking the entire time. when he saw sofia stumble over a tree root and grab lucifer’s arm for support, he felt even more unhappy.

“your highness sofia,” pei xia spoke up, breaking the strange and tense atmosphere among the three. “i think it’s time you told us the truth. what exactly happened between you and the dark elf king?”

sofia looked slightly surprised. “you’ve actually found out?”

pei xia had some guesses about the situation. “please tell us. it’s better to know now so that we can be mentally prepared for any unexpected situations.”

“alright,” sofia admitted. “my forbidden lover is him,” he said, looking towards lucifer. there was a hint of jealousy in his eyes as he wondered why they could have each other while he had to keep his love hidden due to his status.

admitting his jealousy, sofia confessed that he wanted to cause trouble.

as for pei xia, at that moment, a dark thought briefly crossed his mind. in front of lucifer, he had revealed his true self, and sofia now had no chance!

however, at that moment, lucifer calmly responded, “i see. in fact, i overheard the conversation between your highness and pei xia yesterday evening. i sympathize with your unfortunate love.”

pei xia was momentarily stunned by lucifer’s calm reaction. lucifer was always polite, and as long as others didn’t approach him with romantic intentions, he didn’t seem to mind people of any sexual orientation.

lucifer continued, “by the way, i also heard your thoughts about transferring your affections. however, i don’t agree with your choice of pei xia. pei xia has made it clear that his heart belongs only to the god of light.”

pei xia interjected, “ahem, that’s right, exactly.”

sofia chuckled awkwardly, “i was just joking. please don’t take it seriously.”

lucifer whispered with a warm smile, “you have a great sense of humor. in any case, both pei xia and i will support you!”

he suddenly cried out, clutching his chest and stepping back, his long hair flowing in the wind. he looked at sofia with disbelief and sadness, “your highness, i only saw you as a friend. please don’t do this!”

pei xia was taken aback and quickly stepped in front of lucifer. it confirmed his suspicions!

pei xia couldn’t help but say, “if you still have feelings for the dark elf king, you shouldn’t be pursuing others, especially since the holy son would never return your affections! please give up!”

sofia protested, “i haven’t done anything. do you believe me?”

pei xia was furious, “are you implying that the holy son is lying? that’s absurd, it’s impossible!”