Chapter 126 Chapter 126
“She wasn’t like you would imagine a demon to be, no, she looked like an angel. Her hair was silver-blonde, and her eyes were icy blue,” he recounted hollowly. “She was curious about humans and wanted to visit Earth no matter what. The day I took her there was the day she died. It was my fault alone.” His voice trembled, and he fell silent. Guilt flashed over his face, darkened his eyes.
“After what happened to her, it seemed like a cruel joke to me to end up bonded to you, Valerie. Suddenly, I had to make sure you stay alive even though I can’t protect anyone, especially not a fragile human,” he said bitterly. “I left you because I didn’t want to be the cause of your demise, too.” The self-hate in his eyes was shockingly different from the arrogant attitude he usually displayed, and she couldn’t take seeing it. Biting her lip, she squeezed his hand tightly.
“Understandably, the situation wasn’t easy for you,” she replied. “But I have to disagree with what you said. I think you’ve been doing a great job at protecting me.” Valerie smiled and inclined her head. “And honestly, you’re better than any guardian angel. I’ve lost count of how many times you saved my neck so far. You’d be lying to yourself if you really meant what you just said.”
He stared at her in disbelief and didn’t quite know what to say to that since he had to admit that she wasn’t wrong. “But I messed up in the past,” he said apathetically.
“Stop saying that.” Valerie snapped. The sharp tone of her voice made him look at her face, his eyes widening a fraction. “You didn’t do anything wrong, and I’m sure that Juliana would have agreed with me. I never met her, but I’m convinced that she would have wanted you to live a happy life, not be bitter about her death.”
Again, she read disbelief in his eyes. Her words shocked him, and he let out a breath. “Strange,” he uttered. “That’s what she said… before she died.”
He met her eyes, realizing that she seemed surprised. A mix of curiosity and concern swam in her eyes, and he decided to elaborate a bit more.
“You resemble her in some ways,” Maxwell said softly. “Even your names sound similar. That’s why at first, I couldn’t even bring myself to use it and called you ‘human’ all the time,” he explained hesitantly. She stared at him with wide eyes, not having expected this to be the reason. In the beginning, she had thought that this habit of his had stemmed from his arrogance, but it seemed that this hadn’t been the case.
“I kept comparing you to her since you two are similar in certain aspects; too clumsy and too kindhearted,” he explained and shook his head before letting out a soft sigh. “However, the more I got to know you, the less you reminded me of her… and then it suddenly wasn’t so hard anymore to call you by your name.”
“You haven’t called me human in a long time,” she said quietly, glancing down at their interlocked hands.
“No. You are Valerie and not just a human. Besides, there is no reason to compare you to Juliana,” he answered and finally looked at her. “You won’t die like her. I’m going to make sure of it.”
“I trust you on that,” she smiled, relieved that he let go of his pessimistic thoughts. “And one more thing: If you run away from me again, I’m going to be very angry.”
He smiled tentatively, the corners of his lips quirking up. “You don’t need to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere. You’re a hopeless clutz, and you attract trouble like a magnet,” he remarked. “I shouldn’t have left you alone for a month… but I didn’t know any better.”
“You should learn from that mistake,” she answered lightheartedly, “Or else you won’t get your beloved strawberry shortcake anymore.”
His genuinely shocked expression made her lose the tension she had felt, and she giggled, hiding her grin behind her hand. Her eyes twinkled mirthfully.
“Are you blackmailing me with cake?” he sputtered, astounded by her boldness.
“Is it working?”
He snorted and rolled his eyes. “Maybe,” he smirked. “Are you going to make one for me?”
The greedy look on his face amused her to no end, and so she decided to tease him a little bit. “Does my favorite demon want his favorite snack?”
She didn’t get the reaction she expected, but a wide smirk that told her he had an ace up his sleeve. Tugging at her hands, he brought her closer to him and glanced at her with entrancing eyes she couldn’t look away from.
“He does,” he drawled, and before she understood what he meant, he’d already pressed his lips on hers. Her eyes widened when he cupped her cheeks and pulled her closer, but she quickly responded to the kiss and returned it eagerly. He chuckled, his hands moving from her cheeks to her hair, getting buried in its long black strands.
“You’re a sly demon,” she breathed when they separated. “Should have seen it coming.”
“But you didn’t,” he said smugly and earned himself a nudge.
“Oh, you.” she giggled.
He grinned and raised his chin. The amused glimmer in his eyes proved just how much fun he was having with this. Not that she could blame him… She enjoyed spending time with him after they’d been separated for so long. It relieved her to see his smile return.
“We should head back to Earth soon. It’s not wise to stay here,” he said, glaring at a few low-class demons that had dared to approach them, their eerily glowing eyes watching the human woman closely.
“So soon?” she answered and pouted. “That’s a shame. I like your home.”
“I like yours more.”
“Really?” she stuttered in bewilderment.
“Yes,” he grinned. “Is that small demon still staying with you?”
“You mean Mochi? Yes.”
“But I’m your favorite demon regardless.”