"Rosearia..."
The way Asmodeus whispered her real name against the sensitive skin of her collarbone made her entire body stiffen.
His lips curved into a slow, dark smirk against her skin. "That’s the first time I’ve heard you go completely quiet."
Rosearia slowly lifted her head, her crimson eyes locking onto his dark blue ones. Their faces were mere inches apart, their shared breath warm in the cool night air.
"Say my name again," she demanded, her voice dropping into a low, velvet purr.
His brow rose in quiet amusement. "Why?"
"I want to hear it."
A dangerous, devastatingly handsome smile touched his lips. "Careful, Rosearia." His thumb brushed slowly, almost reverently, across the curve of her cheek. "You might start wondering how long I’ve been waiting to say it."
Rosearia sighed, breaking the intoxicating spell by lightly smacking his chest. "How do you even know that name?"
"Why?" His eyes gleamed with razor-sharp intelligence. "Does it ring any memories?"
Rosearia immediately dropped her gaze, bringing a delicate hand to her temple and letting out a soft, pitiful wince. "I think so..." She frowned, putting on a masterclass performance. "The name sounds familiar. I think I just remembered something, but it’s so faint. I can’t quite grasp it."
Asmodeus looked down at her in complete silence.
So you stillrefuse to admit you’ve regained your memories, he thought, his chest rumbling with suppressed amusement. Well... two can play this game.
Rosearia lowered her hand and stood up, attempting to fix her dress properly. Unfortunately, after her little stunt earlier, the complicated lacing at the back had worked itself completely loose.
She reached behind herself, her fingers blindly reaching for the trailing ribbons.
Nothing.
She tried again, twisting her spine.
Still nothing.
"Why is this ridiculous dress so complicated?" she muttered under her breath.
A quiet, husky chuckle vibrated from behind her.
Asmodeus stepped up close — so close she could feel the radiating heat of his body against her exposed spine.
"Allow me," he whispered.
Before she could object, his long, warm fingers brushed against her waist, taking the corset ribbons from her cold fingertips.
Rosearia immediately froze.
His hands moved behind her with practiced, effortless grace, pulling the silk cords taut. The sudden constriction made her gasp softly, her back arching instinctively into his chest.
The height difference between them was ridiculous — Rosearia barely reached his shoulder, while the Demon God towered over her, casting a dark shadow over her frame.
She glanced sideways over her shoulder. "You’re enjoying this way too much."
"Immensely."
"Typical predator."
He tied the ribbon into a secure knot before stepping back, his eyes lingering on the curve of her waist. "There. Fully restored."
Rosearia smoothed down her dress and nodded. "Thank you."
"You’re welcome, my fragile mate."
She turned around, her eyes narrowing. "Don’t start."
A crisp knock sounded at the heavy double doors of their VIP suite.
"Enter," Asmodeus commanded, his tone instantly shifting back to cold authority.
A masked demon servant entered, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the obsidian floor. "My Lord, the main auction is about to commence on the lower floor. We have secured the private master box for you and your lady."
"Good. We shall descend momentarily."
The servant bowed once more and withdrew.
Rosearia looked up at Asmodeus, tilting her head. "’Your lady’?"
He raised an eyebrow, a teasing spark in his dark blue eyes. "Would you prefer ’my pet’? Or perhaps ’my Queen’?"
She rolled her eyes, her lips twitching with a suppressed smile. "Let’s just go."
The moment Rosearia reached the main floor, the suffocating atmosphere of the Underworld hit her. The underground black market was packed wall-to-wall with dangerous entities. Horned warlords, cloaked shadow brokers, sirens draped in pearls, beast-traders, and high-ranking demon nobles surrounded by heavily armed mercenaries filled the tiered amphitheater.
"Is it always this chaotic?" she whispered, her eyes mapping out every exit and potential threat out of pure habit.
Asmodeus chuckled softly, brushing his shoulder against hers as he led her toward their elevated seats. "The black-market auction occurs only once a month. The items sold here were stolen from divine realms, blood-soaked battlefields, or forgotten ruins. People would kill their own blood to step foot in this room."
Rosearia’s eyes scanned the room, noticing several hooded figures tracking their movements. "What did you come here to claim tonight?"
"A special beast."
Her curiosity flared. "What kind?"
Asmodeus gave her an infuriatingly handsome smirk. "Sit." He gestured toward the velvet throne beside his. "When it is brought to the stage, you will see. Seeing is so much more satisfying than telling."
"You really enjoy teasing me, don’t you?"
"It is rapidly becoming my favorite past-time."
They took their seats.
A second later, the grand chandeliers dimmed, leaving only blood-red mana-lights illuminating the central stage.
An auctioneer dressed in midnight-purple robes stepped into the spotlight, his voice amplified by magic across the roaring hall.
"Welcome, esteemed monsters and nobles!" the auctioneer bellowed. "Tonight, we present relics that defy gods and weapons forged in dragon fire!"
The crowd roared in excitement.
The first few items were brought out — rare mana crystals that glowed with blinding light, ancient cursed daggers, and forbidden alchemy elixirs. Rosearia watched with mild interest, but nothing truly ignited her spark.
Until the auctioneer’s face turned deathly serious.
"And now..."
Four heavy demon guards pushed an enormous iron cage onto the stage. The cage was draped in a massive dark cloth woven with suppressing runes.
Rosearia instantly sat up straighter, her senses tingling. "Is that it?"
Asmodeus crossed one long leg over the other, resting his chin on his knuckles. "Perhaps."
The auctioneer placed his hand on the silk cloth. "Our next lot is an anomaly captured deep within the frozen Northern Abyss!"
He whipped the cloth away.
Gasps echoed through the hall.
Rosearia’s eyes widened. Inside the cage was a tiny, snow-white creature. It was small enough to nestle comfortably in her hands, covered in impossibly fluffy white fur. It had large, floppy ears, short little paws, a ridiculously bushy tail, and large, pale blue eyes. Two tiny, obsidian horns peeked out from beneath its fur.
Rosearia stared, a genuine smile breaking across her face. "It’s..." She paused. "...adorable."
Asmodeus glanced at her. "That is not the word I would use."
Right on cue, the little white creature sneezed.
BOOM!
A shockwave of raw, glacial frost erupted from its tiny nose, slamming directly into the reinforced enchanted iron bars of the cage.
CRACK!
The thick metal bars warped, covered instantly in thick, black ice.
The crowd surged backward in sudden alarm, guards instantly drawing their weapons.
Rosearia blinked, her smile widening. "...Okay. Dangerous-cute."
Asmodeus smirked. "Much better."
"Do not be fooled by its appearance!" the auctioneer yelled, sweating nervously as he backed away from the cage. "This is a surviving cub of the legendary Calamity Beasts! Its growth potential is uncapped!"
Whispers exploded like wildfire.
Rosearia turned her head to Asmodeus. "So that’s why you want it."
"A beast with infinite growth makes a formidable war asset," he replied smoothly. "And more importantly, it prevents certain... fools... from acquiring it."
Rosearia knew instantly he was talking about the Imperial faction.
On the stage, the little white creature suddenly turned its head. Its pale silver eyes locked directly onto Rosearia in the elevated VIP box. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Ignoring the shouting crowds, the little beast scampered to the edge of its cage.
Rosearia’s gaze softened. Without thinking, she raised her hand toward it.
Across the vast hall, the tiny creature raised its fluffy white paw and pressed it against the cold air, echoing her exact movement.
A strange, warm thrum pulsed through her chest.
Asmodeus watched the interaction, his dark eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"Starting bid!" the auctioneer shouted. "Five hundred thousand dark gold coins!"
"One million!" a masked demon lord shouted.
"Two million!" a hooded witch called out.
"Five million," Asmodeus drawled, his deep voice effortlessly cutting through the noise.
Silence fell over half the room, but a rival box across the arena suddenly lit up.
A high-ranking spymaster from the Suncrest Kingdom sneered down at them. "Seven million!"
Asmodeus didn’t even blink. "Fifteen million."
The crowd gasped.
The rival spymaster slammed his fists on the railing, unable to match the Demon God’s endless wealth.
"Sold to Lord Asmodeus!" The hammer fell with a heavy thud.
Rosearia watched as the cage was wheeled off toward the private backrooms. "You really dropped a fortune for that little thing."
"I get what I want," he said simply, his eyes shifting to her face. "Always."
A moment later, two servants carried a long, velvet-lined mahogany box onto the stage.
"Our next item!" the auctioneer declared, lifting the cover. "A masterwork forged by a forgotten shadow-smith!"
Inside lay a breathtaking ornament shaped like a closed black rose, crafted from pitch-black metal and shimmering rubies.
Rosearia tilted her head, inspecting it from afar. "An ornament?"
"Look closer," Asmodeus murmured.
The auctioneer picked up the black rose. "Designed for absolute concealment and lethal grace..."
He pressed a hidden mechanism on the stem.
CLICK!
The sharp metal petals unfolded in a fluid motion, instantly extending a razor-thin, jet-black blade from the center. Faint crimson runes pulsed along the edge of the steel.
"Once deployed, the Thornveil blade can slice through high-tier barrier magic and enchanted armor as if it were parchment!"
Rosearia’s breath caught. It was beautiful. Elegant, concealed, and utterly lethal — a weapon built for a true assassin.
"Thornveil..." she whispered under her breath.
Asmodeus caught the sudden, razor-sharp hunger in her crimson eyes.
When the bidding opened, several assassin guilds threw out aggressive offers. Asmodeus casually raised his hand once, naming a figure so absurdly high that the entire hall went dead silent.
"Sold to Lord Asmodeus!"
Within minutes, a private attendant brought the velvet box directly into their suite.
Asmodeus picked up the black rose, turning it over in his hands before reaching out and pressing it gently into Rosearia’s palm.
She blinked in genuine surprise, looking down at the heavy, cold metal. "For me?"
"You’ve been relying on stolen daggers and bare hands," Asmodeus said smoothly, leaning back into his throne. "A proper lady needs a proper weapon."
Her fingers wrapped tightly around the stem. She pressed the hidden catch — click! — and the black blade gleamed under the red light.
"Thank you," she murmured, a genuine, wicked smile touching her lips.
"Don’t thank me yet, Rosearia," Asmodeus warned softly, his eyes glinting. "I expect you to put it to good use."
"Oh, don’t worry," she purred, retracting the blade back into a harmless rose brooch. "I’m sure I’ll find someone who needs cutting."