CH 42

sofia, who was suspected of a sneak attack, had no words left to defend himself. every attempt at explanation was expertly deflected by lucifer.

in the end, sofia glared at lucifer with resentment, saying, “you’re cunning.”

lucifer put on an innocent smile.

sofia rolled his eyes in silence, carrying the dark elf king noah on his back, thinking, “what’s the point of this act?” he gritted his teeth and said to pei xia in a sinister tone, “knight, you’d better be careful. some people may seem pure and kind on the surface, but inside, who knows how dark their hearts are.”

pei xia furrowed his brow, “since you’ve admitted it, there’s no need for this anymore!”

sofia: “…”

pei xia helplessly shook his head and stopped talking to him. he hadn’t expected princess sofia to be such a radical elf. knowing someone’s face doesn’t mean you know their heart!

after that, the two of them, along with the two elves, cautiously moved forward. as they went on, the noise in front of them grew louder, and lucifer held pei xia’s hand, saying, “something’s not right.”

“what’s wrong?”

“there’s a chaotic aura.”

lucifer thought for a moment and said, “it’s demons.”

“but wasn’t the altar destroyed already?”

“yes, it was destroyed, but the demons summoned before that were already present. the altar serves as a kind of contract. when the altar is destroyed, the contract is broken, and the demons here are no longer under the control of the dark elves.”

pei xia’s heart pounded, and he dared not imagine what the situation was like outside. he gripped his sword, walked in the front to protect lucifer, and they left the area around the altar. they saw the dark elves battling the small demons.

the demons in the underground world weren’t numerous, but their rebellion was too swift, catching most dark elves off guard.

furthermore, the demons were more interested in fleeing to other places than in killing the dark elves. who would want to fight alongside these unruly dark elves? the world is so vast, and the demons want to explore it!

some demons even directly took control of the dark elves’ bodies to create confusion. in short, the underground world had descended into chaos.

pei xia whispered, “your grace, should we wait for things to calm down outside, or should we leave now while it’s chaotic?”

pei xia was extremely nervous about demons, which were his greatest weakness. he unconsciously moved closer to lucifer.

a slightly cool hand rested on his shoulder, and lucifer reassured him, saying, “don’t be afraid. we can’t just leave like this.”

“huh?” pei xia looked at lucifer in confusion.

“demons that had lost the constraints of their contracts had the freedom to act. if they left like this, they would spread chaos across the entire continent.”

upon hearing the severe consequences, pei xia’s heart tightened. “so, are we going to stay here and eliminate the demons?”

“exactly.”

pei xia couldn’t help but look at lucifer, his eyes filled with a hint of astonishment. “your highness, this will be very dangerous.”

lucifer smiled gently, and he lowered his gaze as if he had already cast life and death aside. he asked, “pei xia, are you willing to face this danger with me?”

at that moment, pei xia was deeply moved.

yes, pei xia was afraid of death. he wasn’t a great hero who aspired to sacrifice himself for the greater good. but at this moment, he was still willing to stand by lucifer’s side.

people are sometimes impulsive.

“yes, your grace. i will do my utmost, even if it means risking my life, to protect you,” pei xia solemnly pledged to him.

pei xia’s sincerity and bravery were so profound that it briefly froze lucifer’s smile, revealing a hint of greed hidden beneath the radiance of light.

lucifer’s eyes, as deep as the sea, were filled with endless undercurrents as he absorbed his beloved righteous knight into them.

lucifer nodded slowly, “i will remember that, pei xia.”

pei xia responded, “yes, your grace.” he couldn’t help feeling that something was a little odd.

then, lucifer turned to sofia and said, “your highness, please release the dark elven king and return alone to the forest elf tribe for help.”

sofia furrowed his brow slightly, “but what about you?”

“we will remain here as hostages, using the dark elven king as leverage, to eliminate the demons.”

sofia hesitated a bit, “but…”

“there are no ‘buts’ about it!” pei xia stepped forward, forcibly removing the dark elven king from sofia’s back. he spoke earnestly, “your highness, this is not the time for romantic feelings.”

“alright then, be careful.” sofia gritted his teeth and cautiously ran down a remote path. before leaving, he couldn’t help but look back and advise, “don’t harm noah!”

pei xia reassured him, “don’t worry, he won’t die.”

sofia responded, “that’s what worries me even more!”

after sofia left, pei xia held the dark elven king in one hand and his sword in the other, guarding lucifer’s side.

lucifer carried the somewhat burdensome tattered robe and walked forward. at that moment, pei xia felt like he saw a bride in a pure white wedding dress.

they ventured directly into the heart of the underworld and climbed toward the palace’s heights.

some dark elves noticed them and attempted to approach, surprised and angry, ready to attack. pei xia grabbed the dark elven king by the hair, allowing the unconscious noah to show his face: “stop, or i’ll kill your king immediately!”

under the threat, the dark elves were forced to stop, helpless, and they could only watch the shameless assassin carry their king to a higher place.

but there were also dark elves controlled by demons who charged forward madly. pei xia gritted his teeth and used all his strength to take them down, unflinchingly.

they continued to move and finally arrived at the right spot. lucifer closed his eyes, clasped his hands, and silently prayed.

pei xia stood by his side with his sword, fulfilling his vow.

then, the favored child of the light called upon the divine radiance. the pure white light was holier than the sun, an inviolable brilliance above heaven and earth!

the halo grew larger, illuminating the entire underworld. more and more dark elves and demons noticed this and showed astonishment.

soon, the light burst forth like a flood, filling the entire underworld. there were screams everywhere, demons slowly vanishing in the divine radiance, and dark elves, accustomed to darkness, covering their eyes in avoidance.

even pei xia, who was a moment late in closing his eyes, felt the blinding brightness before him. his eyes stung for a moment, and he couldn’t help but shed tears.

the light not only devoured the darkness but also silenced the sounds. pei xia could only keep his eyes closed and clutch noah, his sword pressed against his neck to maintain the threat.

finally, it all came to an end.

pei xia kept his body tense, listening to sounds from all directions with alert ears, in case any dark elves tried to climb up and attack lucifer.

heavy footsteps echoed behind him, and pei xia quickly said, “your grace, how are you? do you still have strength? please take cover behind me.”

before he could finish his sentence, he felt a heavy body collapse onto his back.

in an instant, he was surrounded by the cool body temperature and intoxicating floral fragrance. pei xia felt a bit disoriented, and he instinctively opened his eyes. yet all he saw was a blank expanse of white, unable to make out anything.

this made him hesitant to move, afraid that he might accidentally harm lucifer. so, he turned his head slightly and spoke with stiffness, “your grace, your grace?”

lucifer noticed his peculiar behavior. his dear black-haired holy knight, with red eyes and dilated pupils, appeared devoid of spirit and called him anxiously.

the delicate lucifer thought for a moment, then lowered his head and whispered softly in pei xia’s ear, “i’m okay.”

he still maintained the posture of half-embracing the holy knight, then extended his hand to snatch the dark elven king from pei xia’s grasp and casually threw him aside.

pei xia jumped in surprise, thinking an enemy was approaching, and he raised his sword threateningly, “who? don’t come any closer!”

“don’t be afraid. pei xia, it’s me.” lucifer used one hand to move down pei xia’s shoulder, tracing along his lean, muscular arm, and finally held his hand.

pei xia had just breathed a sigh of relief but tensed up again because the highness used his other hand to touch his cheek.

trembling, pei xia said, “your grace, i can’t see right now. please be extra cautious.”

“i know,” lucifer replied.

that icy hand reached pei xia’s eye corner. he instinctively closed his eyes, feeling lucifer’s fingertip gently caressing his eyelids.

what a pitiable creature, unable to see, yet gripping the sword tightly in a futile attempt to threaten distant foes, blissfully unaware that the greatest threat came from the one so loyally guarding him in disguise.

such an innocent, foolish, and adorable being.

lucifer wore a smile, not consciously or deliberately, and perhaps even unnoticed by himself. he cradled pei xia’s face, urging him to turn his face towards him.

“let me help you heal,” lucifer said softly, using his fingertip to stroke the tightly closed eyes of the holy knight.

pei xia felt a bit guilty and apologized, “your grace, i’m sorry. i promised to protect you, but i still…”

“hush, it’s not your fault.”

lucifer leaned in, his head approaching pei xia’s face, and their breaths intertwined. pei xia nervously held his breath.

‘why are we so close when you’re just treating my eyes?’

due to the awkward posture of being pressed together, pei xia staggered a bit but quickly regained his balance. “y-your grace, do you still have magic power?”

lucifer cradled pei xia’s face, his own slender neck leaning closer. “you know, i’m a bit drained. help support me. but don’t worry, i recover quickly.”

then, the holy son kissed the tightly closed eyes of the holy knight, as if awakening a sleeping princess. when his soft, cool lips left those eyes, pei xia slowly opened his honeyed, watery gaze.

faced with lucifer’s enchanting beauty up close, pei xia felt an overwhelming pressure for a moment.

he asked in a somewhat silly tone, “about the treatment just now…”

lucifer, with a slight smile, responded, “yes?”

“what did you use to touch my eyes?” pei xia couldn’t help but speculate, “the sensation was so peculiar, so soft, so comfortable, not at all like fingers.”

“can you guess?” lucifer embraced pei xia’s neck, smiling with a touch of ambiguity.

pei xia looked at him seriously. in this underground world filled with wounded individuals, after the holy light dissipated and the dimness returned, he could see lucifer smiling, a pure and beautiful smile.

pei xia examined every part of his upper body, eventually fixing his gaze on lucifer’s lips.

in surprise, he asked, “your grace, did you just kiss me? are you attracted to me?”

lucifer furrowed his brow, suddenly feeling that something was amiss.

he wanted pei xia to kneel beneath his robe, but not through his own initiative. so lucifer immediately interrupted him, saying, “pei xia, please don’t misunderstand. i just had no strength and slipped.”

pei xia breathed a sigh of relief, patting his chest. “you scared me! i almost thought you were secretly in love with me!”

lucifer: ???

pei xia looked innocent. “i mean, i almost thought you liked me. of course, i don’t mean you like me, even though you’ve said you’re interested in romance. but i trust your devotion. what i mean is, you should, uh, be careful.”

lucifer looked at him and said slowly, “why ‘scared’ and not ‘delighted’?”

instead of being ‘happy’!

pei xia: “well, you see…”

of course, it’s because he, a lifelong single, was taken aback for a moment. but, more importantly, the two of them together would not end well!

in those deep eyes, pei xia saw his own reflection – a very handsome young knight with a tall and well-built figure, and a gentle temperament. he wasn’t trying to be vain, but if a man as handsome and tall as himself appeared in front of him, he’d be attracted too.

although it might sound self-absorbed, pei xia couldn’t help but wonder if lucifer secretly had feelings for him!

but that couldn’t be, could it?

kissing someone of the same sex is one thing for straight guys, but for lgbtq+ individuals, especially bisexuals or gays, it could be a big deal!

so, our otherworldly immigrant, pei xia, the ironclad straight-a student, went from fearing homophobes discovering his true orientation to now being afraid of the newly minted bent-straight falling in love with him.

an incorrect love, a love destined to be discordant in the future. after brief happiness, it would only bring pain. instead of hurting both parties, it was better to nip it in the bud early!

pei xia took a deep breath and made up his mind that no matter whether lucifer actually had some affection for him, he couldn’t irresponsibly offer him false hope!

this was not only to prevent a future breakup from lucifer’s side but also to spare him from pain. the agony of unrequited love, let pei xia bear it alone!

this was something he, an ordinary pure zero, could do for his kind.

so pei xia said, “because my heart belongs only to the god of light!”

lucifer: “…”

suddenly, the nearby dark elf king moved. pei xia quickly grasped his sword and rushed over, pressing his shoulder and threatening him with the sword at his neck.

noah blinked in confusion, only then realizing that he had unwittingly gone from being a king to a prisoner.

lucifer sighed lightly, not pushing pei xia further. he simply went to noah’s ear and whispered a few words.

afterward, the forest elf army arrived. with the dark elves severely weakened, they launched a counterattack, rescued their captured kin, and took the dark elf king and numerous prisoners to the elven king’s court.

what would happen to the internal affairs of these two elven races was beyond the purview of lucifer and pei xia. they had solved the most significant problem and were invited to be guests among the forest elves.

they were given beautifully decorated, spacious, and luxurious treehouses. afterward, the two exhausted individuals were allowed to rest.

pei xia woke up first. he sat at the table and took out his small diary. holding the pen, he hesitated to cross out the entire previous storyline and added a sentence explaining why the male lead couldn’t develop a romantic relationship: he’s asexual.

at that moment, sofia arrived again and called softly from below the tree, “pei xia, i’ve brought something for you.”

“your highness?”

pei xia went down to see a weary-looking sofia. he had a tough few days because his relationship with the dark elf king had been exposed, and the elven queen had given him a stern scolding.

later, sofia would have to face further consequences for his actions. however, since they still had guests, the elven women released him temporarily to attend to the visitors. they planned to contemplate his and the dark elf king’s wrongdoings once lucifer and pei xia had left.

sofia held a delicate silver tray and pushed it toward pei xia. “please accept this; it’s a token of gratitude from her majesty. ordinary treasures can’t express her thanks, so she’s gifting you the fruit of life as a reward.”

the fruit of life was a fruit that the tree of life bore only once every hundred years. it contained highly pure energy, and when consumed, it enhanced magical perception for mages and improved sword control for swordsmen.

in short, it was like an all-around booster, highly coveted and carefully guarded by the forest elf clan, rarely making its way into the human market.

“thank you,” pei xia accepted the gift without hesitation.

“by the way, there’s something i need to tell you.” sofia quickly glanced upward, ensuring lucifer wasn’t around. ‘good, he’s not here.’

that deceitful holy son, lucifer, was known for his cunning and deceit. he disguised himself with an image of purity and wholesomeness, which could even fool demons. so, don’t blame sofia for causing trouble!

“i want to tell you that when i said i wanted to move on and love someone else, i meant it. the object of my affection is lucifer!”

pei xia: “that’s quite normal. who wouldn’t love lucifer?”

sofia was taken aback, but he continued, “that’s because lucifer actively seduced me!”

pei xia: “???”

sofia lowered his eyes shyly and said, “in a place you couldn’t see, he secretly tickled my palm.”

sofia looked at the holy knight before him with a smug expression. he thought, ‘wait and see, lucifer. even if he believed in you before, the deeper a man loves his partner, the more he cares about their connections with others. once there’s a thorn in pei xia’s heart, i’ll see how long your love lasts!’

pei xia: “this is impossible; you must have misunderstood. it’s absolutely not possible.”

sofia: “?? why do you trust him so much? without a shred of doubt!”

pei xia: “uh, it’s because of deeper reasons.”

sofia: “hmph! more of these ‘deeper reasons.’ it’s absurd!”

pei xia shrugged and carried the fruit of life, making his way up the tree. sofia watched his retreating figure and gritted his teeth.

afterward, sofia turned and left, returning to the elven queen’s palace to report that he had completed the task.

the elven queen nodded and asked, “did you convey the instructions to them?”

sofia replied with respect, “yes, your majesty, i’ve told them.”

“good, you may go now.”

sofia revealed a sinister smile as he left. the fruit of life was not that simple, after all.

later, sofia went to visit his imprisoned lover in the dungeon.

the dark elf king sat with his back turned, chained. with a hoarse voice, he asked, “what are you here for?”

sofia leaned on the railing and lamented, “i know i lied to you at the beginning. i’m sorry, noah. i didn’t mean to. can you forgive me for that, at least? as for the rest, i will plead with my mother.”

noah said, “get lost! since you’ve thought about falling for someone else, why are you here? i won’t trust you again!”

sofia was taken aback but quickly realized that the cunning and sly holy son had informed noah about this!

he stomped his foot and hurriedly explained, but noah continued to ignore him.

frustrated, sofia rushed out to find lucifer and pei xia, only to be told, “oh, your highness, are you asking about the holy son and his companions? they left just a while ago. it’s surprising to find such outstanding individuals among humans. we are truly grateful to them.”

sofia: “…”