Chapter 102: Polyamory

For the first time since her arrival, she caught a glimpse of something behind the mask.

Something ancient.

Something that was probably not human at all.

The colors of his aura immediately erupted.

The dark red intensified.

The violet grew denser.

The scarlet filaments running through his silhouette seemed to stir like embers caught in the wind.

Even the black appeared deeper.

More threatening.

And yet...

The most unsettling thing was still his silence.

Because he wasn't shouting.

Not yet.

He simply stared at an invisible point in front of him with the expression people wear when they're calmly calculating how many laws they're willing to break.

Or how many people.

Blanche exchanged a quick glance with Kiyan.

No reaction.

Of course.

Kiyan seemed to be watching a demonic prince on the verge of exploding with the same calm interest a man might devote to a weather forecast.

At this point, apparently nothing could surprise him anymore.

Practical.

Irritating.

And slightly concerning.

Then Asmodeus took a deep breath.

Mistake.

Because that single breath made it seem as though he had been holding back a dangerous amount of violence for several seconds.

And when his voice finally rang out...

Blanche immediately understood that someone was about to have a very bad day.

"So when I came to see you, you genuinely had no idea I was one of your oldest friends?"

Blanche nodded, stunned. She had become friends with her father? Better that than having him as an enemy...

"Who did this?" the demon roared, making her jump.

Phoenix, who had clearly expected the reaction, didn't flinch.

Neither did Kiyan.

"I don't know," Blanche answered honestly.

"Phoenix. Find out who did this."

"Yes, boss."

The familiar gave her one last strange look before disappearing.

Be careful, little mouse. He may be your father, but Asmodeus is still dangerous.

Blanche took a deep breath before continuing.

"So if I understand correctly... we've been old friends?"

"Indeed," the demonic prince confirmed. "You were here when this club first opened, back in the 2000s. You really knew how to party back then. Then one day, you vanished without a trace. Where were you?"

"Did I ever tell you what I am?" she deflected.

Asmodeus nodded.

"You're a succubus-type cambion. That's why I hired you as a bartender. At first, I thought the nephilim had gotten to you, but it didn't add up. No incidents. And you fed without causing trouble."

"I what?!" Blanche choked out.

A succubus?

She fed like Phoenix?

A touch, a kiss, an orga—

She cut the thought off immediately.

No.

Not ready.

"Yes. For a cambion, you've actually managed quite well. How many lovers do you currently have?"

Blanche turned crimson.

She knew exactly what that meant.

"Polyamorous..." she muttered. "Great."

"That's right. Me, I don't fall in love with everyone I sleep with. But you... you give your body along with your heart. Or perhaps the other way around."

He shrugged before continuing.

"So. Still at four?"

"Uh..."

Impossible to lie.

She nodded with her eyes closed.

Aaron/Kiyan. Sapphire. Fenrir...

Who else was likely?

Sebastian?

Judging from the conversation she'd overheard between him and Asher...

Not to mention the notes in her journals, which strongly implied there had been others.

Many others.

But she wasn't there yet.

Not even close.

"Only four?" the prince asked in surprise. "You must be starving."

Only four?!

Four was already an enormous number!

Red with embarrassment—especially given that she was discussing this in front of both her biological father and her husband—she couldn't help asking:

"How many would I need?"

"To avoid starving? At least seven. To avoid losing your mind? More than that."

Seven?!

Blanche went as white as a sheet.

Kiyan sighed and took her hand.

The simple contact brought her back to reality.

"At the same time, I understand. It's difficult finding partners who can withstand your power. Lilith is no small thing. You're exceptionally powerful. You need high-quality meals. Otherwise they die."

"I'm sorry, what?!"

She went from pale to corpse-like.

"Yes, you know... ever since Lilith's power settled inside you. And besides, 'dying of love' isn't just an expression among our kind. We feed on pleasure, sex, and emotion. Use the same partner twice in a row and you could kill them."

Asmodeus stopped, looked at Kiyan, ran a hand across his mouth, then continued with a weary sigh.

"You always chose powerful partners. Ones who weren't at risk with you. Being with you is a privilege—I completely understand. You're the one who taught me that I deserved better than giving myself away just to survive."

Beneath all the demonic theatrics, he genuinely cared about her.

Blanche realized it was time to tell him the truth.

She searched for Kiyan's gaze.

He sighed, closed his eyes briefly, then nodded.

Even though it was a terrible idea.

"I... I'm half cambion and half drakion," she confessed to the prince.

This time, Asmodeus went pale.

"That's impossible," he murmured, even though he could hear the truth in her voice. "There have been mixed bloodlines before, certainly... but never between a demon and a drakion."

"Yes, I'm what's called an abomination. I'm aware of that. And I left something out earlier: the reason I don't remember you is because I don't know you."

"Not yet."

That completely broke him.

He stared at her with such utter astonishment that she had no choice but to continue.

"What Blanche is trying to explain," Kiyan said, "is that her powers attracted the attention of a god from the Otherworld. He sent her into the past to protect her. She doesn't know you yet because that god has mastered the art of sending people through time."

Asmodeus looked from one to the other.

The explanation was insane.

But it made sense.

"You're kidding..." he breathed.

Welcome to the club, Blanche thought.

"No," Kiyan replied. "You know I'm not. She knows nothing about the early 2000s."

"Nothing?" Asmodeus asked suspiciously.

"Nothing."

The prince rubbed his eyes, overwhelmed.

"So... if you're going to travel into the past... and our past is your future..."

He stopped.

"Wait."

"You're her guardian? You? Why exactly would she need a guardian?" he grumbled as the implication finally clicked.

"Because Blanche is about to turn eighteen."

"Eighteen? Blanchette is about to turn eighteen?"

His eyes widened.

Not much.

Not theatrically.

Just enough for Blanche to understand immediately that something had happened.

Something important.

Something enormous.

The change was so brief that anyone else might have missed it.

But not her.

Not after spending several minutes watching him.

Not after studying every reaction, every expression, every tiny shift that sometimes revealed more than a long speech ever could.

Blanche saw the exact moment Asmodeus realized she was his daughter.

He did the math.

Literally.

The realization hit him head-on.

Like a missing puzzle piece suddenly snapping into place.

Like an obvious truth he should have recognized from the beginning.

His gaze snapped back to her.

Not to Kiyan.

To her.

Only her.