beast chapter 10

To keep her promise, she might have to accept the mission. But even without the promise, she couldn’t abandon Beelzebub. Humiliation was fleeting; death was not.

Ariette clenched her fists. Only one chain remained. It was located near his n*pple, the reason she had left it for last.

I don’t see n*pples. They’re a lovely shade of pink, but I don’t see them. I only see the chains. Only the black chains. She chanted this internally as she reached for the final chain.

“Look closely at my nipples, my dear.”

“What?!” Ariette jumped like a startled rabbit, her cheeks turning crimson while a playful smirk spread across Beelzebub’s face.

“There was a hole on my… lower half. So, if there’s another hole on my upper body, wouldn’t it be on my n*pples?”

Ariette’s lips moved soundlessly, her eyes darting between his face and chest. Finally, a small, trembling voice emerged.

“I-I’ll find it myself… Please don’t say anything.”

Beelzebub shrugged. Thankfully, he remained silent, allowing Ariette to thoroughly examine the last chain.

“There’s no hole… what do I do?” She looked up at him, her face a picture of distress. Her slender shoulders slumped as her hopes dwindled. “I thought, since there was one… down there, like you said, there might be another on your nipple. That’s why I saved it for last, but there’s nothing…”

Her murmuring lips resembled luscious raspberries. Her large, watery eyes trembled with unshed tears. Her face evoked both a protective instinct and a darker desire. She’d be even more captivating if she cried. He expertly masked his thoughts with a sympathetic expression.

“Oh dear, the hole seems to have misbehaved. If I had my powers, I would have created a new one on my nipple just for you.”

If I had my powers… The words struck a chord. Ariette’s head snapped up. Though tears still shimmered in her eyes, they now held a sharp suspicion.

“But you do have your powers, don’t you?”

“Hmm?”

“You came to me in my dreams…! And you created a thread of light to guide me here. Why can’t you use your powers now?”

“Well, that’s…”

“D-did you create this strange mission? Just to torment me…!”

“My dear.” Beelzebub’s melodious voice gently interrupted her outburst. Ariette’s lips, which had been rapidly spilling words, snapped shut.

“If I truly wanted to torment you, wouldn’t I have already released these chains and taken a bite?”

“…”

“And I would have injected you with enough poison to leave you senseless, making you leak your sweet nectar like urine. Then, I would have covered myself in it, rather than sharing it with these paltry chains.”

Ariette’s lips parted in bewilderment as Beelzebub’s voice continued, smooth as silk.

“For your information, I prefer touching to being touched. I prefer to bind rather than be bound.”

“…”

“Meaning, I wouldn’t waste precious time with you on such a trivial mission.”

“I… I see…”

“Yes, you do.”

Silence fell between them. Ariette stole glances at him before cautiously speaking.

“Just in case… I was wondering…”

“Yes?”

“If you’re free, I mean, if I unlock all the chains… I’d be your lifesaver, wouldn’t I?”

“Indeed.”

“You wouldn’t… bite your lifesaver… would you?”

“Only if you asked me to. Otherwise, absolutely not.”

“Oh… good.” She had been so nervous he might say something like, I’ll bite my lifesaver if I feel like it. Thankfully, his answer was relatively normal. Ariette sighed in relief, placing a hand over her heart.

“Now that we’ve cleared up those unnecessary suspicions, is it my turn to ask a question?” Beelzebub’s pupils narrowed into vertical slits, and a completely unexpected question flew towards Ariette.