Chapter 393: I'm Kissing You (82K Please Subscribe)

「Mm?! 」

After realizing what Herbert was doing to her, Flora fell into a splendid panic, her whole body stiff and frozen in place, completely forgetting how to react.

Stunned, she didn't even struggle, letting Herbert hold her and take what he wanted from her.

「Mm...! 」

Logically speaking, Flora shouldn't be this worked up at this moment.

For one, it's because of her race.

As a legendary succubus, even if she had never tried anything between a man and a woman, she shouldn't have been driven into such an embarrassed, panicked state by a single kiss.

On the other hand, this wasn't the first kiss between Flora and Herbert.

Before, she had secretly offered Herbert her first kiss, leaving behind a blessing called "Abyss Kiss."

But the situation back then was different from now.

At that time, Herbert was in a comatose state and was unaware of Flora's actions.

Besides, she had been the one to initiate it back then, so the psychological burden was a little lighter.

But now, Flora had become the passive one.

The positions of the two had changed.

The predator had become the prey!

Hmm... was this Young Lady demon really a predator from the start?

The one who looks like the hunter is the true prey, and the one who looks like the prey is the true hunter.

「Mm... 」

After being dumbfounded for quite a while, Flora still hadn't managed to break free.

It was only when Herbert saw that the Young Lady demon had no reaction and voluntarily let go that she passively regained her freedom.

And after regaining her freedom, Flora still blanked out for a moment first, only then did her eyes gradually regain clarity.

Flora looked at Herbert, and Herbert looked at her.

!!!

Her eyes grew wider and wider. She shoved Herbert away, suddenly pointed at him with her hand, and stammered: 「Y-you-you... you!!! 」

Herbert:?

He was stunned for a moment, not understanding what kind of reaction this was. He pointed at himself and said uncertainly: 「Uh, m-me-me... me? 」

What's wrong with me?

No, what kind of reaction is that?

Why does it look like I'm not very smart?

Cut it out!

I have integrity, I have bottom lines, I've never once made a move on a fool!

「... Ahem. 」

Saying it like that, even Herbert himself didn't feel very confident, and could only silently add to himself in his heart.

「Mm... I mean under normal circumstances. 」

The situations of certain silly dragons and silly vampires, mm, are still a little different.

Stepping back ten thousand steps, the matter of monster girls — can that even be the same?

They're not even human!

And while Herbert was making excuses for himself in his heart, Flora finally returned to normal.

「Ahem! 」

She coughed twice and finally got her tongue untangled.

But at this moment, Flora didn't scold Herbert, but instead asked a very ambiguous question.

Pouting, her expression both shy and annoyed, she asked: 「Y-you-you — Herbert! What did you just do!!? 」

Herbert:?

This question, which couldn't be said to be "innocent" or "bewildering," made Herbert blink.

Eh, what did I do?

「... Mm? 」

He blinked, touched his own lips, then raised his eyes to look at Flora's lips, and tilted his head suspiciously.

No, isn't what I did obvious enough?

That question made even him lose confidence.

Herbert thought for a full half minute, then asked uncertainly: 「Uh, can't you tell? I'm kissing you. 」

At this moment, Flora also realized that the words she had spoken were quite ambiguous, and she glared at him in shy annoyance.

Of course I can understand that!

After being interrupted like this, her momentum dropped by more than half. She looked shy rather than annoyed, and was instead especially pitiable and endearing.

Flora glared at Herbert, but he just smiled back at her, and her momentum just kept dropping, lower and lower.

In the end, she lost the battle herself, squatted down hugging her knees, curled up in place, and weakly muttered: 「B-but we're not... 」

You forced a kiss on me!

You're acting like a hooligan!

Those were exactly the words Flora wanted to say — but the dignity of being a succubus made it impossible for her to get them out.

Although Flora didn't like her identity as a succubus, she still had the dignity she ought to have.

If those words got out, people would die laughing!

A legendary succubus saying she'd been taken advantage of — who knows how absurd a sentence that is.

No one would believe it.

Not only would they not believe it, they'd even turn it into an absurd joke to spread around, a story to tell others for amusement after meals.

I don't want to become that kind of joke—

Herbert watched her biting her lower lip — that pitiful yet amusing look — and gently shook his head.

He stepped forward, came to stand before Flora, sat down lightly as well, hugged his knees, and smiled at her.

"Are you unhappy because of the relationship between us?"

The youth lowered his gaze and said softly, "We may not be lovers — perhaps a prisoner and a warden — but between us… aren't there other roles as well?"

Herbert's words made the emotions in Flora's eyes grow even more complex.

"…"

Yes, he was right — they did have another identity.

Master and servant.

But both of them understood perfectly well that this relationship was not a true master-and-servant one in the real sense.

Flora was willing to become his servant on the condition that Herbert helped her escape the Chaos as promised.

As if he had read the unease in Flora's heart, Herbert said softly, "Don't worry, I will absolutely fulfill my promise to you."

"Besides, haven't I already done it?"

Herbert pouted and huffed unhappily, "Even this time, didn't I still help you break free from the Chaos?"

"Why are you making it sound like I've been freeloading off you the whole time? Am I that kind of person?"

Though he complained so out loud, in his heart Herbert silently agreed — hey, you actually have a point.

You really read people well!

I really am that kind of person.

"…Huh? Huh!!!"

Only now did Flora come back to her senses, realizing she had completely broken free from the nightmare of Chaos and returned to reality.

She looked around at the familiar environment, pressed her lips together, her presence shrinking again and again, and asked weakly, "How long was I unconscious this time?"

Previous bouts of Chaos were measured in months, even years — at minimum several months, at worst several years.

Only after long torment by the Chaos could she barely recover a sliver of her mind within the nightmare and return to normal.

But this time, she had had an extraordinarily long dream within the dream… the time that had passed outside was surely not short.

Yet the result took her completely by surprise.

"Less than an hour?"

Herbert thought for a moment and said in a not-very-certain tone, "Anyway, when I noticed something was wrong on your end, I hurried over."

"Kreiti said you'd been falling into Chaos for over ten minutes — exactly how long isn't clear, but in any case it didn't exceed an hour, and might not even have exceeded half an hour."

Herbert nodded modestly, not stating things too absolutely, not insisting it was exactly half an hour, leaving a little margin — let's just call it an hour.

!!?

Herbert felt this matter was trivial, nothing particularly worth bragging about, and he looked quite modest.

But only those who had truly been trapped by the Chaos knew just how staggering the weight of those words truly was!

A state of Chaos that Flora herself needed months or even years to break free from — in his hands, it hadn't lasted half an hour!!?

And what's more, exaggerated as it was, at least half of that half hour was the time she herself had been falling into Chaos.

In other words, Herbert had only needed fifteen minutes to restore her!!?

This instinct of Chaos… is really this simple in your hands?

You can just handle it that easily?

Then what exactly was I busy doing in the first half of my life?

"Th-this-this… huh?"

Feeling her world view shattered, Flora fell into a state of "Chaos."

【"Looks like you scared her."】 After enjoying Flora's exaggerated reaction, the Young Lady of Whimsy was laughing her head off.

You little thing — your courage really is as small as your chest, giving up already?

Scared by just this — truly laughable.

Herbert's considerate explanation — the fault lies not with Flora, but with Nie Nasha.

"You're the one who scared her, right?"

Obviously, the problem this time lies with you.

Don't play the thief crying "stop, thief" here.

Sure enough, criminals always love returning to the scene of the crime to admire their own handiwork.

This time, in restoring Flora to normal, Herbert contributed not a little, but the greater credit belonged to Nie Nasha.

It was with Her help that Herbert was able to successfully enter Flora's nightmare of Chaos.

And it was with Her great assistance that Flora's dream was modified and edited.

That's right — this time, Nie Nasha was the MVP, and Herbert was the carry who got carried.

【"I scared her? Hahaha, how could that be? I'm just an adorable little black cat~"】

A certain Young Lady of Whimsy had no intention of taking credit, and instead giggled, breathing into Herbert's ear: 【"Meow~"】

Herbert:?

Acting cute on purpose, are you?

Learning to meow here, are you?

Why the feigned innocence, old crone…

【"Mm?"】

After spending a long time together, Nie Nasha had come to understand Herbert's emotional shifts even better, keenly catching the subtle changes.

【"Hey, what impolite thing are you thinking about over there again? I'm going to get angry, you know."】

Cough!

Herbert gave a dry cough and hastened to deny it: "No, cough cough, you're just imagining it! How could I possibly be that impolite?"

【"Heh, you'd better not be."】

The Young Lady of Harmony didn't take his irreverence to heart — given the relationship between the two of them now, talking about respect or disrespect was utterly meaningless.

These little squabbles were nothing more than the playful back-and-forth of two people who understood each other perfectly, hearts in unspoken accord.

Yes.

Everyone was just a part of their play.

Nie Nasha, whether addicted to it or scheming something, kept meowing away: 【"Meow meow~ meow~ meow meow…"】

"…"

Herbert had only just managed to escape the mental torment of Nie Nasha meowing in his ear, and shifted his attention to Flora, who was gradually calming down before him.

He smiled at her and said leisurely:

"I kept my promise, didn't I?"

Flora pressed her lips together and nodded:

"…Yes."

Regardless of the little interlude at the end, Herbert had indeed, just as he said, successfully helped her temporarily escape her chaotic instincts.

"Then you should keep your promise too, shouldn't you?"

"…Yes, you're right."

Right, this was all perfectly reasonable.

Flora gave a slight nod, and her attitude returned to its usual deference.

She had completely regained her composure.

Their relationship was still that of master and servant from before — would it really turn out the way she wished?

The answer was, quite obviously, no.

"Very good."

After receiving Flora's affirmation, Herbert rose with a smile, walked over to her, and sat down beside her again.

He leaned against Flora, sitting with his arms wrapped around his knees, letting their shoulders lightly touch.

He no longer fixed his gaze on Flora's eyes, and asked softly: "Flora, don't lie — answer my question. Do you dislike me?"

Perhaps because Herbert wasn't staring at her so intently, or perhaps because he was sitting right beside her, Flora wasn't as nervous as one might have imagined.

The succubus Young Lady thought about it seriously, then gently shook her head.

"…No."

No matter how you looked at it, Flora had never disliked Herbert.

Even with today's rather unexpected developments, she still hadn't developed any aversion toward Herbert.

Herbert already possessed considerable charm to begin with — a natural fragrance and a special magnetism of personality.

Not to mention that Herbert had also kept her company for hundreds of years within that long dream.

She was now somewhat unable to fully distinguish between dream and reality; in a daze, she would always feel as though the youth before her had truly known her for centuries.

"Then, do you like me?"

Faced with this second question, Flora was silent for a moment, then continued to shake her head: "I… I'm not sure."

She couldn't quite figure out what feelings she actually held toward Herbert.

It wasn't quite aversion, but she probably didn't like him all that much either.

He was special in her heart, but not yet that special.

"Don't force yourself to reach an answer."

Herbert saw her inner struggle and said with a light laugh: "You can take your time, think it over carefully — there's plenty of time."

"And until you figure it out, our relationship will never change, will it?"

"…Mm." Flora silently gave a slight nod.

Seeing Flora being so obedient, Herbert blinked, then said with a beaming smile: "Speaking of which, doesn't a special relationship that began with a 'kiss from the abyss' sound rather interesting?"

"Mm?"

Flora's brows knit slightly; she shook her head and cast him a helpless yet coquettish sidelong glance.

Retracting that earlier statement — Herbert hadn't changed at all.

This guy was indeed still acting the rogue.

"…"

The teased succubus Young Lady hesitated, and instead of leaving his side, chose to actively draw closer.

She leaned toward Herbert and rested her head on his shoulder — just as she had done countless times "in the past."

In the desert, in the forest, on the ice plains… they lit campfires, told each other their stories beneath the night sky, and huddled together against the cold wind.

He was still him, and she was still her.

Perhaps…

Nothing had actually changed.

Sensing the slight shift in Flora's emotions, Herbert lowered his eyes, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly, and said softly: "Flora, I look forward to our next encounter."

"Every meeting we have from now on."

……

……

"Phew…"

Herbert walked out of the lava lake alone, letting out a long breath.

Flora, meanwhile, continued to hide at the bottom of the lava lake, digesting everything that had happened today — she had no idea what expression to wear when facing others now.

The succubus Young Lady was still in a state of "chaos."

By comparison, Herbert's mood and expression were slightly calmer, but in truth, his heart was not as relaxed as it appeared on the surface.

"Flora's situation is safe… for now." he said inwardly, quite helplessly.

【"Mm, for now."】

Nie Nasha picked up Herbert's thread and said leisurely: 【"Strictly speaking, this time it's only a temporary suppression."】

【"Although you went deep into her dream and branded your mark upon her memories, the suppression effect can last at most a year, after which it will need to be replenished."】

【"Either you brand more of your marks upon her soul, making her your possession~

【"Or, you must choose a more thorough method."】

"Then, what is the method?"

【"Purifying Baptism."】

Nie Nasha did not play coy and explained directly:

【"If you want this little demon to truly break free from her chaotic instincts, she needs a thorough baptism from head to toe, to completely purify her soul and wash away the abyss's madness and chaos."】

【"Of course, this is no easy matter, hehe~"】

Hearing that laugh full of malice, Herbert's brow twitched: "Just say it straight — what exactly needs to be done?"

【"Let me think, for example, burning and purifying the flesh with divine holy flames, washing the soul with sacred light, tearing apart with the wind of chaos…"】

The jester-god Young Lady cheerfully listed all manner of dangerous and terrifying procedures, as if She had been looking forward to this for a long time.

And listening to Her terrifying suggestions, Herbert's forehead broke out in a light sweat. He hurriedly interrupted and asked: "Wait a moment! Are these methods you mentioned safe?"

【"Safe? Of course not!"】

Nie Nasha laughed and immediately said: 【"Whichever of these methods you pick, for her it would be nearly tantamount to destruction… well, that is, if I weren't helping."】

The jester-god Young Lady's last-minute reversal finally let Herbert breathe a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness.

How should one describe this feeling?

To put it as an analogy, it's like a young man whose health isn't great going to see an old Chinese medicine doctor, only to be diagnosed with all sorts of symptoms that make men fall silent and women weep.

Before he could even cover his embarrassment with anger, he heard the old doctor's calm words — "I can cure it."

A turn of events, everyone happy.

【"Don't celebrate too early — I never said I'd help her, you know~"】 Nie Nasha added a quiet backstab.

Did I say I was going to help?

I didn't, right?

How did you just assume I'd help?

Herbert had also calmed down by now. He raised an eyebrow and asked back: "So, will you help her?"

【"Oh~ will I?"】

"You will, heh."

Herbert lowered his eyes, shook his head, and smiled lightly: "Since you brought it up on purpose, you definitely won't refuse to offer her a little bit of help."

【"Mm-hmm~ hehe, you're acting as if you really understand me."】

"It's not 'as if' — I really do understand you."

【"Hmph~"】

Nie Nasha huffed, and in a deliberately cool, tsundere manner said:

【"Well, since you've put it that way, then for your sake, I'll give her a smaaall~ bit of help!"】

"Alright, thank you, the great Nie Nasha, my lord!"

【"Hmph hmph, as long as you know."】

Nie Nasha actually held no dislike for Flora, and even rather liked her.

During that dream, She had also followed Herbert and the others in the form of a black cat for a time, and had come to understand Flora's personality.

Gods are stingy, but gods are also generous.

Toward those ordinary believers They care nothing about, They are incomparably stingy, never granting a response.

But toward those mortal things They have taken a fancy to, They are extremely generous, lightly bestowing divine grace.

Quite coincidentally, Nie Nasha's impression of Flora was quite good.

Mm…

But not entirely admiring, not wholly accepting.

In certain respects, She still harbored some hostility toward this demon sage.

For instance…

【"By the way, if according to your words, your and Flora's lives are now reduced to nothing but 'meetings,' then what about me, who has been with you all along?"】

Herbert:?

So sudden?

Gods really are the most unstable beings in this world.

Especially goddesses — they are the very embodiment of ever-changing moods.

One second they're laughing and chatting away, the next second their attitude does a complete one-eighty.

Hehe → not hehe!

"Oh? Hehe…"

Still, Herbert wasn't actually surprised by Nie Nasha's question.

After saying those words to Flora, Herbert had known that the eavesdropping Nie Nasha would surely be unable to resist coming to ask him about it.

The subtext of Nie Nasha's question was actually very simple — do we have nothing left but separation?

Is she jealous?

Or is she worried?

…Either way, she really is cute.

Seeing Herbert chuckling to himself over there, Nie Nasha gave a discontented hum: 【"Don't just stand there laughing — say something."】

Speak!

Answer me!

"Easy, easy, I'll get to it, hehe."

Herbert played it off with a laugh, and once the moment felt right, said with a beaming smile: "Didn't you already say what our ending is?"

【"Hm?"】

He said:

"Just as you said — you'll stay with me, always."

The answer is right there on the surface of the riddle.

If we're already together always, then what separation is there?

Until death do us part?

No.

Even death cannot part us.

【"Ehh ehh ehh — you're cheating, aren't you?"】

Nie Nasha was a little annoyed by Herbert's clever-clever answer and wanted to argue back, but then fell silent.

【"…Hehe."】

A moment later, She let out a soft laugh, and in a calm, firm voice whispered beside Herbert's ear:

【"Never to part."】

After softly finishing those words, as if to cover her own shyness, Nie Nasha quickly switched to another topic.

【"Oh right, after helping out this time, I'll be taking another little rest again!"】

Modifying dreams is really tiring~

Time to rest~

But Herbert wasn't buying it — he curled his lip and jeered: "Hah, every time you say you're resting, every time you're secretly peeking from the shadows."

Yeah, right — as if I'd believe you!

One can't blame Herbert for not believing it; the Goddess of Harmony Young Lady simply has too many priors.

Every time she says she'll rest, every time she rests without telling him, skulking in some corner watching from the dark, only reappearing when she absolutely has to show herself.

"No sleeping! How can you possibly sleep at your age? Hm?"

【"Aiya, haha~ I'm really resting this time, really not lying to you~"】

Nie Nasha replied with a giggle, talking to herself: 【"Alright, alright, I'm going to sleep! Goodnight!"】

Soon, Her presence fell silent, and no matter how Herbert called out, there was no response.

"Playing dead again, huh."

Herbert harbored grave doubts as to whether She was truly slumbering.

"Fine, she'll wake up eventually anyway…"

Herbert was thinking this, but before he could take a step, Nie Nasha's voice rang out without the slightest warning.

【"Oh! Right, there's something I almost forgot to tell you!"】

【"If you want to help that little demon and little devil undergo purification baptism, you'll need to find some special environments or materials, okay?"】

【"It might not be easy, but I believe you'll definitely be able to find them!"】

Herbert curled his lip, didn't take the bait, and instead gave a hum: "Weren't you asleep?"

It felt exactly like two people who had already said goodnight to each other and were about to meet in dreams — only to run into each other in a canyon instead.

Weren't you goddamn asleep?

【"Aiya! Asleep, asleep, asleep…"】 Nie Nasha laughed it off, and Her presence vanished once more.

"Sigh, honestly."

Herbert gave a hum, shook his head helplessly, and hummed softly: "Goodnight."

The deity didn't respond, but Herbert felt She must have heard him.

He drew his gaze back, no longer fretting over whether Nie Nasha was truly asleep or faking it — adults should know to give the other person a certain sense of boundaries.

If She says She's asleep, then She's asleep — stop fussing about it.

Hmm… still, one must look at things dialectically.

Sometimes, "going for a run" isn't really going for a run, and "doing hair" isn't really doing hair.

"Purification baptism?"

To free Flora completely from the torment of chaos, the purification baptism is indispensable — Herbert will absolutely make good on his promise.

But the problem was... where was he supposed to find those things?

Holy Light, Divine Sacred Flame, Chaotic Wind and the like — these things either came from gods, or only existed in extremely dangerous perilous lands.

He thought for a moment, and a bold, dangerous idea flashed through his mind.

"Surely I can't be thinking of risking it again to steal a slice of the Sun God's authority? His power seems to fit the conditions... hiss!"

Wait!

Stop thinking!

Don't think anymore!

Herbert shook his head hard, flinging this absurd flash of thought out of his mind.

"No, no, no, that would be way too much of a death wish."

Even shearing a sheep requires technique!

There's no logic in constantly shearing the same sheep!

Besides, the Sun God has never been a lamb waiting to be slaughtered — He is the world's most temperamental blazing sun.

Also...

Herbert recalled another detail Nie Nasha had mentioned at the very end of her words, raised an eyebrow, and blinked.

"Come to think of it, can Keliti also be purified and baptized?"

It sounded a little strange, but thinking about it seriously, it seemed quite reasonable.

If demons can be purified and baptized, there's no reason devils alone should be excluded.

"But she doesn't seem to have any intention of being baptized."

As Herbert thought this, his gaze fell on the devil who had been poking her head around atop the bronze castle, observing the lava pool.

Her eyes were full of curiosity, yet her face was wary — she seemed to be worrying that Flora might suddenly leap out of the molten pool.

"Mm..."

Herbert looked at this scene and gave a small shake of his head.

"Whether she's baptized or not doesn't seem to make any difference — feels like it won't change her IQ at all..."

Just as Herbert was badmouthing Keliti right to her face, she also noticed Herbert's approaching figure and waved at him.

"Herbert! How is she? She... uh!"

Halfway through asking, Keliti suddenly realized her phrasing seemed a little too intimate toward Flora, and corrected herself: "Is she dead?"

Herbert:?

What kind of standard tsundere is this?

"Hm? Are you worried about her?"

Herbert blinked, carefully sizing up the devil before him.

Huh?

Aren't you two on bad terms?

Why are you starting to care about her now?

"Hmph!"

The Young Lady devil, made a little awkward by Herbert's gaze, let out an angry snort and blurted: "Me, worried about her? Ha!"

"I'd worry about that demon? What a joke!"

Herbert nodded and smiled: "Oh oh, is that so~"

"... Tch."

Keliti, defeated by Herbert's meaningful gaze, looked away and muttered: "I'm worried that if she dies now, I won't be able to get my revenge on her later!"

Herbert laughed when he heard this.

Fine.

If you insist on being this stubborn, I'll accept it.

"Then you can set your mind at ease — Flora is alive and well right now, and her strength seems to have improved a bit, too."

With Herbert's help, Flora had successfully suppressed her chaotic instincts; a blessing in disguise, her strength, stagnant for years, had risen slightly.

Keliti had just been about to feel happy at the good news when she heard the discouraging bad news.

How did she get even stronger!!?

Then what am I supposed to do?

I can't beat her as it is — if Flora improves any further, won't I be left without even a shred of power to fight back?

No!

This can't go on, ahhhh!

How about you just drown in there—

Keliti thought indignantly, when suddenly a fragment flashed through her mind and her eyes lit up.

"Right!"

The Young Lady devil suddenly looked at Herbert and asked rapidly: "Herbert! Valentina said you helped her raise her strength through some special method! Is that true!?"

"Raise her strength? How would I... hm?"

Herbert:???

He suddenly realized what Valentina had been talking about.

No!

My dear Hungry Dragon Young Lady, how can you go around telling everyone everything!!?

Is this something you can share with outsiders?

Uh... perhaps Valentina never considered the other people in this Discipline Hall as outsiders at all.

For Miss Hungry Dragon — everyone is a good buddy doing time, where would any bad people come from?

They're all good people!

Fine then.

"Uh, there really is such a thing, what's up?"

The corner of Herbert's mouth twitched, and he asked uncertainly: "You're asking this — what do you want to do?"

Yes!

Really!!!

"Do what? Does that even need asking?"

Kreti was overjoyed beyond measure, waving a great hand and sending up layer upon layer of waves.

"Me too!"

The ignorant Miss Devil, hands on hips, chest thrust out, shouted at Herbert with a face full of longing:

"I want you to help me raise my strength too!!!"

(End of chapter)