S-Class Dungeon’s Mistress - Chapter 189

Chapter 189

In the silence, their gazes met. Caladium looked up at Adelaide with vacant eyes. His silver-gray irises remained hazy, as if still lost in a dream.

His half-awake face was so adorable that Adelaide let out a soft chuckle. Then, with a clear smile, she greeted him.

"Good morning, Caladi."

Unconsciously, she stroked her red hair—a habit she'd developed with Bell and Lupinus. Silky hair scattered between her white fingers.

Just as she was admiring its beautiful color, her vision was suddenly blocked. In an instant, Caladium, who had propped himself up on the bed, embraced her in one swift motion.

Startled, Adelaide's eyes widened, but she quickly extended her arms to wrap around his back. The touch of the hand holding her hair was laden with intensity. Beyond their touching skin, she could feel his heartbeat.

"I thought you were dead."

His voice was rough yet tender—exactly what she had longed to hear.

"That you had... died, leaving me behind."

The end of Caladium's voice trembled faintly.

Bewildered by his incomprehensible words, Adelaide blinked. Had she been hovering between life and death after fainting in the Los Halde dungeon? She had been seriously injured, but it didn't seem like she was close to dying. How strange.

As she tried to recall her memories, she suddenly remembered his words during the battle.

"After this, I'll slice off your neck, so just wait obediently."

The memory of him showing murderous intent towards Lisianthus suddenly surfaced, followed by the conversation she had previously had with Lisianthus.

"I'll inform Caladium separately."

"Lisi?"

"Yes. So let's keep Adelaide's return a secret."

Lisianthus had lied!

Adelaide realized this instinctively. She had thought he wouldn't go that far, but apparently, "what if" had caught the demon. Lisianthus had not contacted Caladium, and Caladium had believed all this time that she had died in Helheim.

'Oh, that beautiful liar.'

She had trusted him despite being deceived multiple times. Thinking about how worried Caladium must have been made her heart ache.

She patted his back consolingly, wearing a dejected expression. The arms embracing her body tightened. The hard back muscles trembled as if he might cry at any moment.

"Adela."

"Yes?"

"You don't... have to love me."

What could this mean? Adelaide's eyes flickered with sudden anxiety.

"It's okay if you love other guys."

She slowly grasped his shoulders and pushed his body back. She wanted to see his face. She felt that would help her understand what Caladium was trying to say.

Caladium's body was pushed back weakly. Finally, his face was revealed.

He was the last ruler of Cronatan, a strong demon who had torn out Abaddon's heart. A demon who constantly used harsh language, with fierce eyes and an equally savage body.

Yet at this moment, Caladium's face looked incredibly fragile. His beautiful eyes shimmered pleadingly, and large teardrops rolled down his cheeks, moistening his soft lips.

"So please... let me stay by your side."

He confessed, his lips trembling as if expelling the words.

"I love you, Adela."

Adelaide's eyes widened.

This was the second time she had heard such a confession. Despite this, her heart still pounded loudly, and her breath caught in her throat. Hot emotions surged from deep within her chest.

"The thought of you getting hurt where I can't see you makes me feel like my entire body is being torn apart. I absolutely, absolutely cannot bear your absence."

Whether as a mere tool for absorbing energy or a chess piece for war, he just wanted to be by her side.

Caladium whispered in a heartbreaking voice, bringing her hand to his cheek. Drops of tears fell onto her hand.

Adelaide gazed at him silently. What should she say first? How could she express her feelings more clearly? She opened her lips, pondering.

"Listen, Caladi. As you said, I can't be with you alone. I'll probably continue to make you jealous and hurt your feelings."

She slowly cupped his cheeks. Her small thumb gently wiped away his tears.

After all, she wasn't a demon skilled at eloquent speech. She didn't know how to confess beautifully or captivate someone with elegant expressions.

"But selfishly, I hope you'll be by my side for the rest of your life."

The one thing she was confident about was expressing her feelings without hiding anything. Not fearing anything, not trying to fabricate emotions, just offering her raw and pure sincerity.

"Not because I need your energy or combat power, but simply because I love you. Just like how I can't bear your absence."

That's right, she added with a faint smile.

Caladium's face suddenly went blank. He stiffened like a demon frozen in time, staring at Adelaide.

Without blinking, even his previously shed tears stopped midway down his cheek. How did he do that? Adelaide inwardly marveled at how different demons could be.

"...Love?"

"Yes."

"You... love me?"

"Yes."

She nodded her head emphatically to show certainty. Yet Caladium's lips continued to twitch, unable to believe it.

After a long silence, he suddenly began confessing his "secret."

"Adela, I... I'm actually stupid."

It was hardly a secret, as most demons already knew, but for him, it was.

"I swear a lot, I'm really jealous, my memory isn't great, and I have no friends except the demons of Greenville. And... I like cute things. When Bell came in, I was secretly really happy."

The irrelevant content continued. It seemed he was listing what he considered his own shortcomings. Though she couldn't understand why liking cute things was a flaw.

"I'm also really straightforward. But only with you."

You'll never know what I imagined, Adela. Caladium bit his lip and continued.

"Do you really love me like this?"

His voice trembled again. He was afraid of hearing an unwelcome response from Adelaide. His feelings were so evident that Adelaide laughed again.

"I also like cute things. Of course, Bell likes them tremendously too."

She shifted her hips, moving closer to him. Their faces quickly drew near.

"I don't swear, but I only have one friend besides you. My memory isn't great either. And, this is a real, real secret that no one knows..."

Tap. Their noses lightly touched. Just that contact made Caladium's face turn red. He claimed to be direct, but he was arguably the most innocent demon around.

Adelaide moved her face even closer and whispered softly:

"Actually, I'm a bit stupid too."

Then their lips met.

Adelaide pulled his face closer and gently kissed him, while Caladium tilted his head with a face that looked like he might cry again.

Their kiss was both poignant and soft. As if by mutual agreement, neither rushed. They simply gazed at each other with infinitely tender eyes, mixing their breaths.

Their lips slowly parted. Though reluctant, Caladium didn't act hastily. Just exchanging hearts with her was already wonderfully intoxicating.

"...Straightforward?"

He asked in a playful voice. Adelaide burst into laughter and responded.

"Extremely straightforward."

"We're the same."

"But you're probably a bit more stupid."

"Well, I'm not so sure about that."

Caladium lightly rubbed his nose tip. Adelaide deliberately contorted her eyebrows fiercely.

"Let's see who's smarter?"

"I'll pass. I don't want to see my Adela crying from the despair of defeat."

"You mean you don't want to bury your face in a cushion and wail from the shame?"

Sparks flew between them.

Just as their intense battle of wits was about to begin—

Tap-tap, tap-tap-tap!

Familiar footsteps gradually approached. They were slightly heavier than she knew, but there was no other demon in this dungeon who would run so urgently.

'Bell.'

Adelaide and Caladium smiled simultaneously. The darling mascot of the Greenville dungeon was apparently rushing over in human form after sensing she had awakened. Lisianthus was probably warming up some soup in the meantime. By now, this sequence had become familiar.

Caladium watched the door expectantly. Having fallen asleep by her bedside immediately after returning to Greenville, he hadn't had a chance to interact with Bell or even see his human form. He was quite fond of the cute Bell in his heart, so he was looking forward to their meeting. He wondered how much Bell had grown during his absence.

However, the moment the door opened and Bell leaped onto the bed, Caladium's face became unprecedented in its confusion.

"Adelaide!"

"Ugh!"

A considerable weight pressed down on her, causing Adelaide to groan. She was equally bewildered as Caladium.

And no wonder—the Bell charging towards her was no longer a boy. He had grown significantly. Though not as large as the two devils or Lupinus, his shoulders had broadened, and he had grown tall. His slightly lean body was packed with lean muscles, and, unfortunately, he wasn't properly dressed, filling her vision with skin tone.

"Be, Bell?"

Adelaide's mouth gaped in shock. Was this living, skin-toned figure—this young man—really Bell?

But the curly black hair, subtly upturned eyes, and ruby-red pupils were unmistakably the same. Even the large, pointed ears that had emerged due to hastily transforming without properly controlling his energy were familiar.

"Yes, Adelaide! I missed you so much!"

The skin-toned young man misunderstood her reaction and immediately embraced her. His taut muscles mercilessly pressed against her face.

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