Chapter 369 The Moonlight Garden
Unknown to Ciela, who walked through the moonlight garden, which is normally a beautiful place with shining flowers wrapped in moonlight. The pair held hands, strolling back to her palace, a feeling of both victory and defeat lingering through their bodies.
"Did you know these flowers only bloom in the moonlight, Asmodeus?" Ciela's eyes narrowed while forcing her lips upwards, showing a slight smile.
"Oh? They look quite beautiful, is that the reason."
He didn't know how to comfort her after learning the truth.
They were forced to become passive until knowing the Empress and people important to Ciela became safe.
However, walking through this garden wrapped in warmth, despite it being in the middle of the night, seemed to help Ciela relax. Her hand loosened as she swayed while strolling at his side, leaning against Asmodeus. She flicked her gaze towards him several times, watching his face.
Despite knowing that her mind would likely be filled with information and annoying thoughts, Asmodeus wanted to keep walking amongst the silver flowers a little longer in silence.
"Asmo..."
Though it seemed Ciela wished to talk, breaking his plan, when his eyes peeked into hers, he felt her strong desire and willpower, causing Asmodeus to change his mind. "What's wrong, tell me anything you want."
Tonight was the first time she showed her true demon form, with the vines wrapped around her skin like veins. It looked a little bizarre, but when the sunlight flickered on the green vines, they became a beautiful silver colour like the flowers in this special garden.
"I used to come play here with mother as a child—each of these flowers... were planted by one of my mother's family members... each empress would care for this garden and add their plants using their mana, infusing them into seeds."
Asmodeus narrowed his eyes, closing them while allowing the threads of energy and aura to flow from the flowers which bloomed in the moonlight into his body, sensing the mana and magic, although slightly different, coming from a similar source. 'Oh?'
"Despite them all looking different they are all the same seeds!"
"Hehe~ you noticed? Then... can you find the plan my mother helped me sneakily plant as a young elf?" She smiled with an excited look. They didn't need to worry about listening ears or having a topic to discuss as long as it would make Ciela smile, who looked at him curiously.
"What's my reward?" Asmodeus curled his lips into a wide grin. He held her shoulder tight and pulled Ciela close, his body tingling from her unique mana and energy.
"Ah... don't cheat!" Her cheeks puffed up while grasping his shirt.
She gazed with shimmering eyes as Asmodeus' soft hands glided over the surface of the ground. He knelt, caressing each of the flowers with both his hands and his ability to sense mana. It didn't take long for him to find a set of flowers that resembled bluebells but would likely be named silver bells due to the way the moonlight reflected off the petals.
When his fingers brushed against the flower petals, he sensed the younger version of Ciela's magic.
Like a little fairy, she danced through the garden with a beautiful blonde woman following her. Giggling at her daughter's actions, she said, "Shh, this will be our little secret, okay? Mommy's seeds... let's have Lala plant them together!"
He watched the images and memories of the pair and realised how much Ciela loved her mother... He could feel her hands on both his shoulders from behind, stroking his skin inside the material.
"Don't worry, I will help save your mother and father."
Yes, because in that same memory, an image of the Emperor, like never before, appeared, a young and handsome male who hugged Sarina from behind, stroking her slightly bulging stomach... Ciela never mentioned a younger sibling, but that was definitely the aura of another elf.
'So she has another sister?'
"Hmmm~ then you can help me, I will save mother myself and Orina." Ciela said confidently. "You will just help out! Okay, Asmo?"
"That is..." Asmodeus quickly turned to face her while holding a small series of seeds. Let's plan some together." Her eyes were just like the Sarina of the memories he saw, causing him to be taken aback.
"I am not a future Empress..."
"Hehe~ that's why it's fun... what will your flowers look like in the future?" She hummed, standing up and brushing off the dirt from her knees; she continued moving further into the garden. The plants and flowers changed within this maze, filled with multiple types of elven plants.
Then, in a small place with dirt already tended to, as if prepared for them.
"Shall we? Infuse the seeds with your magic." Ciela spoke to him like a child, extending her words and smiling. She really seemed to enjoy this moment. Was she picturing herself as her mother and bringing her future child here?
Ciela stepped back slightly and tilted her head at him curiously, looking at what kind of plant he had created... But, after only two seconds, she burst out laughing with a slight snort sound.
"After all your mana is amazing... the seeds became pitch black, I wonder what kind of flowers will be born... let me put my mana inside too..."
Despite it being a beautiful and tranquil moment...
"My Empress! Please wait!!" A shrill voice came from far away, making it seem that something serious was happening.
Asmodeus' hand tightened around Ciela, pulling her backwards from planting the seeds and causing them to scatter into the dirt; then, as if by magic, the ground swallowed the seeds, while behind them, the voice of the consort echoed as she complained.
"That bitch, you have to deal with her, she needs to die!"
He placed his finger on his lips and looked at Ciela, who looked shocked at the sudden scene. He then pulled her behind the gazebo.
Their bodies slipped into a silver bush, and with a rustle, her chest fell against his, able to hear each other's breathing and feel the hot breaths against each other, causing Ciel's cheeks to turn red.
"My Empress... we cannot kill her now! There are many nobles who support that woman!" A servant with a strange voice and pale skin seemed to call the concubine empress.
When the Empress entered the gazebo, she looked frustrated. The servant was quite handsome but a little eerie as he knelt close to the Empress, who sat down. With sharp teeth, his smile could only be described as feral.
"You mean to tell me those stupid nobles are willing to support a woman who still accepts a filthy forsaken as her daughter, and even a Demon King, our very enemy as her spouse?!"
Her words were full of fury and disgust; in a single sentence, the Concubine showed how much she disliked the nobles, Ciela and her mother, the True Empress.
Asmodeus stroked Cielas hair, feeling her tense while trying to control her anger at such a conversation topic.
"So, did the attack work? You told me that you found an interesting beast that could destroy them." Er'Gladia seemed excited by her words, spreading her thighs as the male's eyes lit up, his lips parting before moving between her thighs.
"My Empress, they will surely suffer great losses, the nobles, hah! Once they know of her loss, they will soon wake up!" He exclaimed while brushing her skirt upwards, exposing the pale flesh beneath; yet, before he got any closer, the Concubine placed her foot over his forehead, pressing down and forcing his head onto the wooden flooring with a loud clunk!n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"And what would you do if they won and came back alive?" The Concubine spread her thighs wide open, showing that they had this type of relationship. Or rather, the Concubine allowed the servant to touch her bare skin.
From this distance and situation, it wouldn't be hard for Asmodeus to learn everything. And yet, when he sensed a tiny movement come from his side, a sign of worry appeared in his mind.
Ciela's eyes widened, seeing a male licking the Concubine's feet like a dog. She shuddered, nauseous at the sight. It was clear this wasn't sexual for the woman she hated, but instead something like having power over the man.
It was at that moment she recognised his face.
He was the knight who tried to insult and attack them in the palace earlier, though he only seemed like a slave right now.
Soon, the pair escaped from the garden and found themselves in Ciela's private room, holding hands in pitch black. Ciela gazed at the demon king, the flicker of moonlight covering her face, narrowing her eyes happily.
"Asmo... can you stay here tonight?"