Chapter 92

Chapter 92: The Demon King's Marriage Contract

When the purple moon reached its apex in the sky, the carriage he was in came to a halt before a wall covered in blossoms.

Behind that wall stood a castle tinted with purple, its appearance seemingly imbued with a girlish romanticism. However, against the backdrop of this eerie setting and alongside the peculiar Lady Cantaro, it appeared equally strange.

"Very well, you may leave now," Lady Cantaro suddenly instructed the driver as the carriage came to a stop. The demonic creature promptly took off, and not long after, she alighted from the carriage as well.

The male demon with black hair emerged from the coach, his gaze falling upon the flower-covered wall as he surreptitiously sized it up.

"Looking for the entrance? There's no need, this is the gate." Glancing at the black-haired demon, Lady Cantaro retrieved a key from her handbag, fiddled with it at a corner for a moment, then pushed with force. The floral wall before them slowly swung open under her push.

Only then did the black-haired demon realize that it wasn't a wall but two towering metal gates, their dense blooms creating an illusion of a solid barrier.

After personally opening the gates, Lady Cantaro beckoned the black-haired demon inside and then swiftly locked the doors behind them.

Her actions were executed smoothly and with practiced ease.

The dark-haired creature stood by, simply observing in silence.

Having securely locked the door, Mrs. Cantaro pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her brow. In the process, she accidentally burst a pimple on her face, mixing sweat with blood. With a sudden burst of energy, she shouted, "Eli! Rolo! Caro! Come out quickly, Mom has brought home a new boyfriend!"

The dark-haired creature remained nonchalant.

He felt the ground trembling beneath his feet and glanced down at the grass. As he watched the slender blades sway visibly in a rhythmic pattern, he heard footsteps approaching.

Heavy footsteps, like thunderous roars.

With a gust of wind, a mountain-like magical beast appeared before him.

It was entirely black, with mane-like fur resembling a steel helmet. It had a long snout and sharp, elongated fangs, along with small, red-glowing eyes that gave it a monstrous appearance in the darkness. Most terrifyingly, it had three heads.

At that moment, two of those heads were nuzzling affectionately against Mrs. Cantaro, while the central head was fixated on the dark-haired creature below, devoid of any emotion as if ready to devour him at any moment.

"Well, these are my three daughters! The one staring at you is Eli, the eldest. She can be quite serious, but she has good reason. Once, a boyfriend tried to steal our vase, and Eli ended up biting him to death. Haha."

Resting against the side of the massive three-headed demonic beast, Lady Cantaro's considerable form appeared almost delicate in comparison.

Pay no heed to her uneven skin and festering sores, for one of the beast's heads extended its tongue to lavishly lick her with great enthusiasm.

Fixing Ajin with a keen gaze for a moment, the middle head finally shifted away. Lowering its head, it too licked the female demoness beneath them.

Due to their proximity, Ajin could discern her breath.

It was an intensely pungent odor, a mingling of flesh and blood, the stench of damp earth, and perhaps even the scent of something decaying.

"This is a magical beast, not a demonic creature," the black-haired demon affirmed after a closer inspection of the enormous magical beast before them.

"Ahh~ What's the matter with the magical beasts? They're my beloved daughters, and their right to inherit my fortune comes before any husband's. They're the most obedient, always by my side, and they even find their way back home if they wander off. They're far more dependable than any man," Mrs. Cantaro said, lifting her head and gently squeezing the massive front limb of the three-headed beast. The enormous creature remained still, its eyes fixed on Ajin below.

"Very well, play on your own for now. I'm going inside to have my meal." Patting the enormous magical beast's forehoof once more, Mrs. Cantaro lifted her skirt and proceeded forward, followed by the black-haired creature. The two of them entered the towering castle, one in front and one behind.

The area was eerily quiet, save for the occasional roars of magical beasts, the whispering of the wind, and the rustling of grass. Upon entering the castle, this silence became even more pronounced, with an eerie stillness that suggested the absence of any third party within its walls.

"I prefer not to have servants. They're often dishonest, make mistakes, and some are even cowardly. Eventually, I stopped relying on them altogether." Mrs. Cantaro said, tossing her exquisite handbag onto the luxurious sofa. She then draped a large apron over her elegant black dress and donned a chef's hat before disappearing into the kitchen. A moment later, the sound of clattering utensils echoed from within. Shortly after, she reappeared, her hands greasy and carrying two plates of food.

It turned out to be two rather ordinary plates of fried rice!

"Try it." Mrs. Cantaro handed the smaller plate to the black-haired monster while keeping the larger, more generous portion for herself. Seated at the table, she dug in hungrily.

With a chef's hat on and a large apron covering her, along with greasy cuffs on her sleeves, Mrs. Cantaro seemed like an entirely different person.

Though—

Her face remained unchanged.

Ajin hesitated for a moment, eyeing the plate before him cautiously. Eventually, he picked up his spoon and began eating.

He ate slowly and deliberately, even though it was just an ordinary plate of fried rice. Yet, he did so with remarkable elegance.

Elegant and swift.

Mrs. Cantaro stole glances at him as she ate, until the black-haired monster finally spooned the last bit of fried rice into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

"Are you wondering why you didn't faint?" the monster asked suddenly, wiping the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

"Er..." Mrs. Cantaro froze slightly.

"I've eaten alone before when I was hungry. Ordinary sedatives don't work on me," the black-haired monster said, casually folding his used napkin and setting it aside. Then, he furrowed his brow slightly. "Moreover... your sedative has expired."

"Ha ha ha!" Mrs. Cantaro laughed awkwardly.

Pushing the greasy plate aside, she suddenly turned serious. "Very well, let's get back to business. What was the meaning behind intentionally letting me snatch your item?"

Pulling out a necklace from her dress pocket, Mrs. Cantaro slapped it down on the table. "This isn't the Heart of Rom at all. I've inquired with the auction house staff, and this necklace is just an ordinary antique."

Madame Cantaro spoke these words with an unusually grave expression. Despite being clad in a comical apron and wearing a chef's hat, at this very moment... she was undeniably a formidable high-ranking monster, imbued with terrifying power.

"No man can deceive me. Those who dare to deceive me end up as fertilizer for the garden outside." His hazel eyes locked onto the black-haired monster before him. "You are powerful, but not necessarily more so than I. Besides, I have three daughters waiting outside."

"You know the name of what I seek, that I am the original owner of this house, that I am acquainted with Nan, and even that I sent the robbers myself. You know it all, yet you had me steal what you desired. Tell me, with all this effort, what is it that you truly want?" The enormous golden eyes fixated on the man before him, and gradually, the black pupils within seemed to vanish, leaving only a translucent yellow hue...

The black-haired monster across from her seemed to be enchanted by her. Just as Lady Cantaro was about to intensify the hypnosis, he suddenly chuckled. "I merely named an antique necklace. All the effort was on your part."

Lady Cantaro was instantly taken aback by his words ——

Just as her anger was about to escalate, the black-haired monster suddenly wiped away his smile and looked at her seriously. He then pointed at her left hand's ring finger. "I want the ring on your left ring finger."

The female monster's hand froze instantly, instinctively drawing it back. Without hesitation, she replied, "Impossible. This is an engagement ring, meant only for my husband or my daughter's husband. Unless you marry one of us, there's no way—"

"I have a letter from Mr. Rom, handwritten by him," the black-haired monster interrupted, suddenly pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. Seeing that the female monster was about to snatch it, he quickly added, "Don't move. If you dare to touch it before I allow it, I'll immediately destroy this paper."

Hanging in mid-air with her massive body tilted awkwardly, Mrs. Cantaro actually remained motionless.

"What did he leave behind?" she asked in a raspy voice.

Then, she heard the sound of a chair being pushed back from the other side of the table, followed by footsteps.

The owner of the footsteps stopped beside her, holding a worn, yellowed piece of paper between two pale fingers, presenting it to her.

It was a marriage contract.

On a certain day, month, and year, two individuals pledged their marriage, promising to share their lives until death did them part.

There were only three lines on the paper: the title on the first line, the vow on the second, and the names and crests of the contracting parties on the third.

In the world of monsters, only a scarce few would enter into such a binding contract.

This was the highest form of marital agreement, a true union of life and death, a genuine commitment to grow old together.

On the third line, reserved for the signatures of the two contracting parties, there was a golden crest on the left.

Below it, a name was already signed.

...Roya Rom.

The initial few characters were faded, while the signature space on the right remained blank.

"Ro... Rom..." Lady Cantaro, her body rigid, trembled as she uttered this name, her expression quickly turning to rage. "That damn liar! He said I was the most beautiful woman in his eyes, that he wanted to marry me and have children. I even bought a house for him, built him a studio, a gallery, a nursery, a children's room! I even learned how to cook for him! But that guy... just disappeared without a trace!"

The fury of an advanced monster was utterly terrifying. As she roared, the windows shattered abruptly.

Three pairs of menacing red eyes instantly appeared outside the window, unblinkingly watching every move of the female master inside, as if they would rush in at the slightest sign of distress from her.

"No, he didn't want to come back. He couldn't," the ceiling crumbled into dust, yet not a single particle landed on the black-haired monster. As the powder approached him, it veered away.

"Saroya Rom might sound unfamiliar when put together, but if I mention just Saroya, I'm sure you can guess who he is."

"The name of the Demon King."

"A golden badge, the emblem belonging solely to creatures at the Demon King's level."

"This is the marriage contract the Demon King wishes to enter into with you."

"Out of genuine love for you, he broke off his engagement with his seventh fiancée, and shortly after obtaining this marriage contract, he was ambushed by his former fiancée and her followers."

"Not that I don't want to return, but I can't."

"He has passed away."

The raven-haired creature spoke leisurely, his expression as composed as ever. Despite uttering such cruel words, his tone was inexplicably gentle. "To have prepared this marriage contract for you, I believe he truly loves you."

Large teardrops suddenly rolled down Mrs. Cantaro's tawny eyes.

"Aah... Aah!" Within the castle, now roofless and without glass, a heart-wrenching cry suddenly echoed.