The Incubus Archduke Dreams of a Pet Human - Chapter 26

“You’re okay trying to touch demons carelessly, yet awkward about being escorted?”

“That’s not true!”

Her heart raced as she quickly climbed into the carriage. To be escorted by a gentleman to the ball, she truly felt like an ordinary noblewoman.

As Asmod waved his hand leisurely, the driverless carriage moved on its own. Feeling the unexpected bumps, Theticia quickly gripped the windowsill. The wind whooshed sharply through the open window, and soon her body felt light.

“…Flying magic!”

“Did you think we’d travel the roads like humans?”

The carriage silently rose into the air, soaring through the skies of the Demon Realm. Glacia settled on Theticia’s lap, peeking out the window.

From the bird’s-eye view, Theticia kept exclaiming in admiration at the scenery spread below.

The sight of various houses and buildings gathered in a circle around the Demon King’s Castle was truly magnificent. She had thought the spaces between the buildings were too narrow for carriages to pass through. But now she saw that flying carriages were more than just a few.

“There are so many carriages. Are they all going to the ball?”

“It’s possible since the ball is being held after a long time. The daily balls that used to happen have decreased because of the war with humans.”

The blunt remark somehow stung Theticia, who was human. Even on the surface, there had been an imperial decree to avoid large balls, extravagant jewelry, and social gatherings. It seemed the Demon Realm was in a similar situation.

Feeling unnecessarily guilty, Theticia quickly shifted the topic to the enormous mana light hanging atop the Demon King’s Castle.

“That mana light, it looks like the moon at a glance.”

“They call it the ‘Blue Moon.’ It waxes and wanes daily, like the sun on the surface. You must be careful when it’s dark. There are places the Demon King’s gaze can’t reach then.”

“Glacia will protect you, so you’ll be fine, Sonni!”

Glacia proudly spread her wings. Having been petted gently like a puppy while Theticia read books, Glacia seemed quite fond of her.

Watching Theticia scratch Glacia’s head, Asmod muttered with a baffled expression.

“You have a habit of being too quick with your hands.”

Startled, Theticia glanced at Asmod. It wasn’t just the Nightmare incident; she also remembered kneading his face.

“Don’t just touch anything you see. Make sure you get your fill now.”

“Uh… is that okay?”

“It’s better than bothering other demons.”

Feeling relieved at the timing, Theticia quickly grabbed Asmod’s cheek.

“…!”

At the sight of her kneading his face without hesitation, Asmod bit her hand with a puzzled expression.

“You told me to touch.”

Theticia, who had been glancing at him wistfully, went back to gently stroking Glacia’s head. Asmod couldn’t hide his flustered expression and hurriedly changed the subject.

“You really seem to like all sorts of animals and insects. What was it you called me? Some kind of purple stag beetle, wasn’t it?”

Theticia tilted her head, as if trying to remember.

“I think I said jewel beetle… Ah! Come to think of it, purple scarab would be more accurate. The hair color is exactly the same.”

Realizing that she didn’t remember the dream, Asmod lightly gestured with his chin.

“What do you think you resemble? You know your own face, so you must have thought about it.”

“Well, I haven’t really thought about that.”

Though she had compared people to nature to remember them, she had never compared herself to anything.

Asmod’s gaze slowly swept over Theticia.

“I think… you resemble a white ash butterfly.”

“I haven’t finished all the books you gave me, so that must be a part I haven’t seen yet.”

“I’ll show it to you sometime. It’s a butterfly that lives in my territory.”

A lowest-ranked demonic beast native to Asmod’s territory. The white ash butterfly, with white wings and blue eyes, absorbed mana from plants and the air. Just emitting mana, it would carelessly perch here and there only to be devoured by other demonic beasts, which resembled Theticia.

Of course, Theticia had basic intelligence, so it wouldn’t be exactly the same.

What Asmod had realized over the past few days of drawing mana from her was that she was a far more valuable being than he had expected. She would be quite a tempting prey not only for himself but for other demons as well.

Fortunately, other demons would think that Theticia maintained her sanity through an Incubus’s unique method.

“Humans who maintain their reason even in the Demon Realm are extremely rare. If they found out that she’s maintaining her reason all by herself, they’d all covet her.”

Today’s ball was an occasion to announce Theticia as his pet human to everyone. The brand clearly visible between the short dress sleeves could be seen in detail.

No demon would dare touch the Archduke’s pet human, but Asmod wouldn’t mind such opportunities either.

“If a careless human is desperate enough to escape an unwanted fiancé, it’s only natural for them to feel affection toward the one who saves them from threats. A truly simple creature.”

Recalling the scene from the dream, Asmod smiled with anticipation.