beast chapter 18

“Oh, I’m glad it’s not just important to me.”

“Yes…” Ariette nodded, her face dazed. She had no defense against his eloquent maneuvering.

“So, about that ‘I don’t know’ from earlier… Can I take that as a yes?” He was asking if he could interpret her hesitant response to his question about intimacy as consent. Ariette’s head lifted reflexively, and her gaze fell upon a face that seemed to have stepped straight out of a myth. The next thing that caught her eye were the well-defined muscles etched upon his marble-like skin.

“…I, I don’t dislike the idea. You are beautiful, after all.”

“Oh.”

“Your personality is a bit strange and frightening, but you also seem kind…”

“I am rather terrifyingly kind, aren’t I?”

A slight crease appeared on Ariette’s forehead. Was that… how that was supposed to be interpreted?

“Besides, I’m not a womanizer. The fact that I’m still… untouched at my age is proof of that.”

“Untouched?” She tilted her head, puzzled.

“I’ve never copulated.” When she continued to stare at him uncomprehendingly, Beelzebub rephrased it in terms more familiar to humans. “S*x. S*x.”

After blinking blankly for a moment, Ariette abruptly stood up from the tree stump and exclaimed, “You’re lying…!” How could he so casually utter such embarrassing words, not once, but several times, and then claim to be untouched? No matter how naive she was, she wasn’t naive enough to believe such nonsense.

“Hmm? Didn’t I tell you? I’m not arovsed unless my partner is gushing from every orifice. And I’ve never met a woman I wanted to make do that.”

“R-really?”

“Yes. I’d rather spend my time looking in the mirror.”

“You have quite the… self-love.”

“It would be strange if I didn’t. I have a face even you admit is beautiful.”

Ariette gaped, speechless. Beelzebub seemed to interpret her silence as he pleased.

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about my… capabilities. I may lack practical experience, but my theoretical knowledge is expert level. I’ve studied very diligently, very seriously, for my future wife.”

“.…”

“Although, at the moment, I’m being forced to endure the… rather damp affections of a tree, so I can only use my tongue and lips.” He exaggerated a melancholic expression, his eyebrows drooping dramatically.

“But it will be alright. I can’t use my hands, but you can.” His expression brightened as if struck by a sudden thought. “Ah, I haven’t mentioned this yet. In the beginning, you’ll have to take the lead.”

“Yes…?”

“With our… intimacy. To melt all these chains, you’ll have to release your fluids like water. And for that, my… member will need to be rubbed against your… nether regions.” His voice slowed, dropping to a near whisper.

“But since my arms are bound and I can’t do anything… you’ll have to take out my… member yourself.”

With those pretty little hands of yours, he added smoothly, his eyes curving gently. “Once it’s out, you’ll have to rub it, won’t you? Rubbing your tongue against mine while you rub my member will feel even better, so press your lips together. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Ariette swallowed unconsciously, only then realizing how dry her lips and mouth had become. It was because the scene he described was playing vividly in her mind. Herself, flushed and moving her hips over his… member. Her breath hitched. A strange sensation tingled between her legs. A trembling voice, thinner than the air, barely escaped her reddening lips. “C-could you… not be so… blunt…?”

“What we’re going to do will be far more blunt than this.”

Ariette’s eyelashes fluttered. The reality of the decision she had made began to sink in. At the same time, an unidentifiable emotion washed over her. She couldn’t tell if it was fear or anticipation.

“Of course, this is all assuming you’re willing to be intimate with me.”

“.…”

“And since it’s your first time and my first time, it’s best to… acclimate your ears beforehand. That way, you won’t be as flustered when we actually do it, and you’ll be able to enjoy it more.”

“I-is that so…?” Ariette mumbled, not even registering her own words. Beelzebub nodded, a slightly worried frown creasing his brow.

“But… are you really sure about this? Even if I am beautiful, even if I am… untouched, as you say, the fact remains that I’m an old man.”