I'm the Only One With a Different Genre - Chapter 222

Chapter 222

***

Anyway, it was Lian’s fault.

Elensia remembered this sensation. It was the power she had felt the moment Lian looked into her and ‘understood’ her. Instinctively, she turned to look at him.

Although she could feel a faint energy from him, the intense sensation was coming from somewhere else.

‘Where is this energy coming from… Could it be?’

If Lian was in a spiritual state, like when he had stayed by her side in the past, the strong signal could be coming from Lian’s physical body.

In this endless space, the only thing she could rely on was this signal, so she quickly stood up and looked in the direction where the energy was most intense.

“Eh… Elensia?”

Lian looked up at her with a thoroughly confused expression. She smiled softly and turned back to him. Her white hand extended toward him.

“Let’s go.”

“…! You figured out a way to get out of here?”

Lian grabbed her hand and quickly stood up. She intertwined her fingers with his and smiled. The sensation of their fingers lacing together made Lian’s face flush red with joy.

And so, the two of them began to walk through the darkness.

***

It was impossible to tell where they had started or where they were headed, but the two continued walking through the darkness.

One might expect to see a glimmer of light somewhere, but there was nothing. Even the wall that Elensia had shattered was gone without a trace when they looked back, as if something existed but could not be perceived.

After walking for several minutes in the silent, empty space, Elensia slowed her pace and walked alongside Lian. When their eyes met, filled with curiosity, she couldn’t help but laugh.

In a relaxed tone, she spoke.

“Lian.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“What do you like?”

“Me? Hmm…”

Lian was momentarily taken aback by the lighthearted question, which seemed so out of place given their surroundings. But he quickly gathered his thoughts and answered.

Reading books, listening to music, watching the sky, cooking, cleaning.

The things he liked were all simple activities he could enjoy alone.

“What’s your favorite food?”

Before he could even finish answering, another question was tossed his way. It was another casual question.

But it was far more enjoyable than just walking in silence through the darkness, so Lian smiled as he continued to answer. At some point, he even began to ask questions in return.

What do you like, and what do you dislike? What was the most fun thing you’ve ever done? A ridiculous childhood dream (Elensia once wanted to become a chandelier, apparently). Embarrassing moments from the past, shared memories.

With each step they took, they learned more about each other.

It was fun and comfortable. Both of them had the same thought at the same time.

‘…I want to stay with you a little longer.’

‘I should introduce you to the others.’

Though they shared the same thought, their subsequent thoughts diverged. Elensia felt a growing greed, like shackles around her ankles, making her steps heavier.

As she slowed down, Lian also reduced his pace. His silent consideration made her heart skip a beat.

‘Lian must live.’

Her resolve, which she had thought was unwavering, began to waver like a blade of grass. She wanted him to live because she loved him, and because she loved him, she wanted to be with him.

‘I want to live with Lian… just a little longer.’

Regret and despair washed over her again, for the umpteenth time. She found herself crumbling before the same despair over and over again.

‘I should be used to it by now.’

She gripped his hand tightly, forcing herself to gather strength and move forward. Lian, with a bewildered expression, simply matched her pace.

His kind consideration only fueled her desire to stay with him—and reinforced her determination that she had to save him. Lian’s affectionate gaze both saved her and pulled her into the abyss.

As her thoughts reached that point, a surge of frustration welled up inside her. Her steady steps suddenly came to a halt. Lian stopped as well.

In his calm eyes was a flicker of trust, as if saying, ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but Elensia must have a plan.’ That look made her frown even more.

She was in so much pain, yet he was making such an adorable, innocent face, like a young animal. It irritated her. At the same time, the fact that his cute expression was calming her down also irritated her.

“Lian, come closer for a moment.”

“Huh? Why?”

She beckoned him to lower his head with a small wave of her finger. Like a clueless puppy, he didn’t sense the danger and obediently leaned in.

As the prey approached on its own, the predator’s eyes gleamed.

The hand that had been beckoning him suddenly grabbed his chin, and her thumb slipped between his lips. His mouth was forced open, and her jewel-like eyes were now right in front of him.

“Hmm, ah…!”

Even though their lips were touching, his mouth was forced open, and a moan escaped. The suddenness of it all left Lian unable to comprehend what was happening. For several seconds, he couldn’t understand the meaning of the breath invading his mouth and the hot flesh pressing against him.

His mind, which had momentarily gone blank, snapped back to reality thanks to the wet, sticky sound that filled his head. The unfamiliar, slimy noise flooded his mind, and the hot tongue persistently licked the inside of his mouth.

Lian had once seen Elensia being used by the Outsider, helplessly shedding tears, and had felt guilty for holding prejudices against the ‘Demon King.’

He had thought Elensia was just a kind-hearted beauty forced into the role of the Demon King!

But that notion crumbled in the face of her aggressive kiss. It was as if she was claiming his mouth as her own, licking and teasing it without mercy. Lian’s tongue, which had been trembling like a frightened maiden, was pulled out and lightly bitten by her sharp fangs.

Startled, Lian flinched and tried to pull back, but the hand that had been gripping his chin had already moved to the back of his neck, holding him firmly in place. He couldn’t escape. And with her other hand still interlaced with his, he was completely immobilized.

His mouth stung, and for a moment, he wondered if his lips or tongue had been torn off. Only when she finally pulled away did he realize they were still intact.

“Huff…!”

Even though he wasn’t out of breath, Lian reflexively gasped for air and collapsed to the ground. As he panted, he looked up at Elensia without realizing it.

She was licking her flushed lips, savoring the taste. Her half-closed eyes still held a deep hunger as she looked down at him with raw desire.

She was indeed the Demon King. Her cruel, greedy gaze made him feel like he would be swallowed whole. Lian raised his free hand to cover his face and lowered his head, overwhelmed by the heat coursing through his body. His entire body tingled, and his face burned. Even his ears felt hot, which meant his face must have turned bright red.

“Wh-why did you… suddenly… do that…?”

His lips, swollen from the biting and sucking, trembled as he spoke. The vivid memory of what had just happened made his voice falter.

‘What do I do? What should I do?’

Lian’s mind was in complete disarray. Normally, he would have been angry in such a situation. After all, she wasn’t his lover, and she hadn’t asked for his consent before kissing him.

Moreover, her kiss had been far too… intense. Their lips were the only things that had touched, yet it felt as though his entire body had been toyed with.

This wasn’t something that could be brushed off lightly, like when Noah had drunkenly kissed him by mistake. Lian knew this well, but… he couldn’t bring himself to be angry.

No, to be honest, he felt more thrilled than upset.

‘I should be mad… but all I can think about is wanting to do it again!’

Lian groaned internally, realizing that the dilemma he’d momentarily forgotten because of Elensia had resurfaced.

‘I didn’t know I could fall in love so easily…’

Lian had fallen in love with four women at the same time, but he wasn’t the type to fall for just anyone. If that were the case, he would have fallen for all the Nest executives who treated him like family.

His infatuation with the Demon King had many causes—her unreserved physical affection, her consideration and respect, her tragic backstory that stirred his protective instincts—but the biggest factor was her ‘power.’

Her Power of Adaptation allowed her to observe and ‘understand’ everything around her. When he realized that all the affection she had shown him was genuine, it was inevitable that he would fall in love with her.

As he stared at the pitch-black ground, reflecting on his feelings, a memory of his past foolishness flashed through his mind.

‘I should have realized it back then…!’

Defeating the final boss was supposed to be the role of the ‘Hero Iris.’ That was the thought Lian had always held firmly.

But for him to have said something like, “I’ll definitely come back and save you from this place, Elensia,” was unthinkable unless there had been a special reason.

Only now did he realize that the words that had slipped out of his mouth had been the words of a man in love, wanting to personally save the woman he cared for.

‘Ah, ahh… seriously… ugh…!’

The fact that it had taken him this long to realize it embarrassed him. At the same time, the lingering sensations from earlier exploded in his mind like fireworks, leaving him dizzy.

Unable to lift his head, he hung it low, revealing the reddened nape of his neck and ears through his white hair. In Elensia’s mind, the scales of conscience began to tilt to one side.

It was all Lian’s fault for being so cute and irresistible.

End of Chapter