"Lord Laisen——"

But before he could finish speaking, Vili interrupted him.

You've addressed me incorrectly.

"Varied……"

Deville didn't react for a moment, opened his mouth blankly, and then suddenly fell silent the next second.

His collar was soaked with cold sweat, and he almost instinctively looked down, his face deathly pale.

"Your Highness Leisen..."

He stammered.

"You're awake."

Leisen didn't look at him, but instead raised his head straight up, the corners of his lips slightly upturned, his eyes brightening, and looked at the person across the table with great interest.

How did you figure that out?

Even though it was the exact same face, in that instant, even Deville could see the difference between him and before.

...Is it a disguise?

He suppressed the trembling in his body and kept a close eye on Leisen's every move.

The unpredictable and capricious Prince Leisen... if he were to actually make a move, only His Highness the Prince could stop him in the entire castle.

Vili, however, seemed completely oblivious to Deville's nervousness. He picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth and deliberately pulled the chair out with a loud bang as he stood up.

Isn't it obvious?

"I'm going back inside."

He had originally intended to be nicer to Leisen, but when he excitedly went to greet him, he was met with a different pair of eyes.

Even if a demon who has fallen into hell tries to pretend to be a harmless lamb, black flames still surge and dance around him, blurring his body.

He has no interest in dealing with that kind of person.

But Leisen wasn't going to let him off so easily.

He followed behind the boy, his steps light and graceful, like the dance of a black cat.

“Lai…”

Deville tried to call out to him, but the next second an invisible hand gripped his throat, lifting him into the air. His face flushed red, he frantically scratched his neck, letting out weak gasps.

Willie turned around, followed by a heavy thud as the old butler fell to the ground, motionless for a long time.

"..."

Leisen still wore that awkward smile, and even blinked innocently.

Seeing that Deville had regained consciousness, Vili suddenly spoke up.

“…Deville.” He said expressionlessly, “Now that Scarlett is awake, you can go and check on the Prince.”

The old butler's eyes widened, and he instinctively refused.

"No……"

How could he leave his little master here alone?

Despite his advanced age, Devils' physical condition was not a major problem, thanks to the physical attributes of a vampire.

Therefore, Vili didn't look at him again, but simply looked up and stared intently at the red-haired devil.

"There's no point in you staying here."

His words were cruel, but they were the truth.

"……yes."

Without saying anything more, Deville quickly transformed into a wisp of black mist and disappeared from the spot.

"Now you have no hostages."

Although not much was said, over the years, the devoted old butler could be considered a member of Elian and Vili's family, at least much better than Zephyr, who was always sleeping.

"Would you like to choose how you die?"

The boy tilted his head slightly and smiled, mimicking the way the person in front of him did.

He didn't care what the castle owner thought, but he hated being threatened.

After this person dies, he will try to revive only Lyson.

The man blinked slowly, as if he hadn't understood what he was saying.

"hostage?"

His tone rose slightly as he tentatively took two steps forward, only to stop abruptly under Vili's warning gaze.

“I’ve never thought of it that way.”

"I just think he's a bit too noisy."

He had no intention of delving into this topic; to him, it would be a waste to devote any more energy to others.

He simply stared intently at Vili without blinking, his tongue slowly tracing across his upper palate, then irresistibly brushing against his dry lower lip, moistening it into a vibrant red.

Look... he's much prettier than those boring paintings.

He now understood why the little devil had deliberately hidden all the paintings when he sensed he was about to wake up, not letting him see a single one.

Why doesn't he think about this?

In a sense, they are the same person.

He will find everything he hid, and he will also—

He fell in love with the person he loved.

It doesn't take long... just like him, one glance is enough.

He recalled the question Willy had just asked.

"I don't like the word 'death'."

"But love is always born alongside death."

"If it were with you, perhaps I would be willing to... die from excessive indulgence."

"..."

"……ha?"

"You should be an adult by now, right?"

While Willy was still in a daze, he stepped forward, wrapped his arms around the boy's slender waist, and caressed it a couple of times.

"It seems like I'm an adult now... Oh well, whatever."

He was about to lean down and kiss her when his arms suddenly felt empty; Vili appeared two steps away.

"you……"

Her cat-like eyes widened slightly, shimmering with tiny sparkles, making her even more captivating against her slightly reddened ear tips.

Willie gritted his teeth. He had so much to say, his head was a jumbled mess like a ball of yarn, and it took him a while to sort it out.

Do you know who I am?

He ultimately chose this sentence as the opening.

Leisen was truly stunned by his question and stroked his chin.

"They called you young master...you are..." He struggled to recall the hazy memories in his mind, "a surviving child of the Hughes family?"

"But I remember that kid's name was Eleanor... Are you his brother?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!