Chapter 98
Since she had said she wouldn’t drive him away immediately, that was a relief—but the future still felt daunting. He wasn’t sure he could endure whatever punishment Fay, burning with revenge, might inflict.
“Are you planning to stop talking to me altogether from now on?”
If there was a punishment worse than what he had already suffered, that was the only one he could imagine. It would be unbearable. The curse she once spoke of—making him lonely—would come true.
“Are you going to leave me alone?”
What a lovable and wicked witch. He absolutely hated that idea. Alnazir buried his head against her stomach, clinging to her so he couldn’t be physically separated from her.
“Forgive me, Fay.”
Who would have thought the day would come when he knelt before a human and begged?
Even as he thought he was doing something utterly ridiculous, Alnazir couldn’t stop. If acting this way could calm her anger even a little and spare him from that tragic curse, then it would be worth it.
Fay felt her stomach gradually becoming wet.
“Are you crying again?”
Without answering, he tightened his arms around her waist. His grip was incredibly firm, almost like steel.
Fay stared down at the top of his head. Even now, when she thought about what had happened back then, she still felt annoyed enough that she didn’t want to speak to him.
But seeing the man kneeling and clinging to her so desperately, she couldn’t bring herself to say she hated him again.
The dampness against her lower stomach gave her a strange feeling that seemed to echo inside her chest.
It felt oddly similar to when his tentacle had once pushed into her from below. She wondered if she had just discovered a new weakness of her own.
Fay took hold of his head and lifted it so he would look at her. Tears rolled down, trailing along his cheek.
“Hmm. This definitely…”
Maybe it really had become her taste. Fay wondered whether tastes were just another kind of weakness.
“Lord Alnazir.”
When she called him softly, Alnazir shook his head.
“I don’t like that title.”
“Huh?”
“It feels like you’re drawing a line between us.”
“…For someone who doesn’t understand humans very well, you’re strangely perceptive in the oddest places.”
When Fay muttered that aloud, Alnazir frowned.
Just from his expression alone, she could see how much he disliked the title. All this time she had thought the frowns she saw were simply her fear playing tricks on her. But apparently it had been about the way she addressed him.
Still, she didn’t feel like calling him simply ‘Alnazir’ again. The back of her head still throbbed faintly from that memory. Maybe that lingering ache would never completely go away.
On the other hand, Alnazir seemed like the type who would forget everything quickly, even if he was kneeling and begging right now. That felt unfair.
He needed to be reminded of what he had done so he wouldn’t forget. This would be the punishment a witch gave her familiar.
Fay glanced at him before making her decision.
“From now on, I’ll call you Lord Al.”
“Do you really have to add the ‘Lord’?”
“If you don’t like it, fine. I’ll just keep calling you Lord Alnazir.”
Faced with her stubborn attitude, Alnazir felt uneasy but had no choice except to accept it. At least it seemed better than before.
Reluctantly giving in, he heard Fay ask with a playful smile,
“Lord Al, there’s something I’m curious about. Can I try something?”
What was she planning? Her expression seemed a little suspicious. Still, Alnazir had always been someone who responded to curiosity. After all, it was curiosity that had brought him here when he answered a witch’s summons.
Now he was curious about what had been bothering her.
When he told her to go ahead, Fay took his hand and brought it toward her mouth. Then she slowly stuck out her tongue and licked the small tentacle that was peeking out from his palm.
“Wh–what are you doing?”
Alnazir asked in shock. For once, he was the one stuttering, while Fay smiled faintly. She licked the tentacle once more, slowly, then looked up.
“I was curious what it tasted like.”
“Tasted like?”
“Yes. I thought my tongue might go numb or sting, but it doesn’t.”
Fay seemed fascinated as she brought her mouth toward the tentacle again. This time, reassured that nothing bad would happen, she opened her mouth wider and gently bit down on it.
Why would she suddenly be curious about the taste? Did she just bite me? Questions flooded Alnazir’s mind, but none of them came out. His lips only moved soundlessly.
“Mmm… it’s just a little salty.”
Fay mumbled with her mouth full. Even if he couldn’t fully make out the words, it didn’t sound like a complaint.
Her eyes curved into a soft smile.
A shiver ran from the tentacle through his entire body. Alnazir clenched his teeth to stop a low curse from slipping out.
He had told her himself that he wanted her to touch him, but he never expected this. And what unsettled him even more was how good it felt.
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