The Demon King's First General
Chapter 180: Strawberry

Chapter 180: Strawberry

It happened without anyone knowing, a relationship between a demon and a human, a story that started as a mere curiosity until it bloomed into something deeper, something unexpected.

Despite knowing the differences between them, they acknowledged each other, embraced their imperfections, and kept their little secret for the world to unravel.

Days continued to pass, and everything was still in perfect sync—not until that certain time came, making them realize one thing—not all fairytales ended with a happy ending.

. . . . .

"My brave warriors! Erase all those pathetic creatures! Free them from the curse of being weak! All units! Charge!" A man sitting in a silver throne with intricate carvings gave out a command.

Ghouls and winged demons led the attack, and with their incredible agility, they broke the enemy’s formation. Meanwhile, warlocks and death prophets supported them from the rear.

Blood splattered on the concrete pavement, and screams reverberated in the open air. Humanity was like livestock waiting to be slaughtered. They were helpless against the hordes of demons.

Cinhard watched the destruction; he was already halfway to conquering the Plain of Fantasies, but he needed to speed things up.

"Arthur," he uttered as his gaze glanced at his side.

However, the position beside him was vacant; not even a shadow could be seen. The Demon King’s brows furrowed, and then he called another name.

"Eimereen," he said; his voice had a tinge of anger.

"My Lord," a woman answered as soon as her body materialized, kneeling in front of the conjurer.

"Did the general leave again?" Cinhard asked.

The woman lifted her head and dared to look into the Demon King’s eyes before stating an answer.

"My Lord, have you forgotten? The general has not yet returned since that day, and I’m afraid that he would not be coming back," she replied.

Cinhard clenched his fist, his eyes burning with rage. He totally forgot about the fact that his right-hand man was missing for some time, and the idea of him choosing a pathetic human just for the sake of something called affection was beyond his imagination.

"Then be it! I’m more than enough, anyway," Cinhard declared, and he stood up from his throne.

As soon as he took a step forward, darkness loomed over the entire surroundings. The light coming from the sun was blocked, and humanity shivered in constant fear.

And just after a few moments, everything was burned into cinders.

. . . . .

At the same time, Zeno was accompanying Uoiea inside a forest. Tall and thick trees greeted the two people while the smell of fresh air wafted on their noses. They had been walking for almost half an hour already, yet they had spotted not a single beast.

The demon’s presence alone sent them away with their tails tucked between their legs.

"Zeno, how can I catch one if you scared them all?" Uoiea blurted with a deep sigh.

"I’m not doing anything, though," the silver-haired demon shrugged off his shoulders as he made a reply.

They were out on a task to hunt for a large beast as a gift for the emperor’s special day that would happen in two days’ time.

"I’ve already told you, if you want, I’ll catch a dragon for your father, but you won’t let me," Zeno stated with a straight face.

Uoiea cried deep within herself; she halted her steps and looked behind.

"My father is doing his best to win the Dragon King’s favor. He would definitely chase me out if I brought him one," she replied, shaking her head, though there was this sweet smile protruding from her lips.

The demon didn’t reply right away; instead, he moved closer to her. There were only several inches between them when a wild grin plastered on his face.

As a result, Uoiea furrowed her brows upon seeing the man’s wicked smile.

"H-Hey," she stuttered as she looked straight at his eyes, but Zeno ignored her cry.

Instead, the demon grabbed her waist and pulled her closer before whispering a few sets of words, enough to make her blush.

"Then, how about a grandchild? He will like it for sure," Zeno stated, his voice cold, yet the woman found it attractive.

"Y-You! S-Stop! I-It’s broad daylight here!" Uoiea stammered.

She tried to push the demon away, but his body was so tough that he didn’t even budge. During that moment, she saw herself as a rabbit waiting to be devoured by a hungry beast.

"So if the night comes, you’ll let me," Zeno whispered next to her ear.

Uoiea felt her strength leaving her body. The demon’s voice was so pleasant and alluring; however, she was not that weak-minded to let the man do as he pleased.

So, she chose to play along. She placed her arm around his nape, which caused the demon to divert his gaze back to her eyes. Afterward, she raised her chin up and looked at his lips.

Her heart raced like there were horses galloping inside. She pulled him closer, and as soon as their lips grazed each other, she closed her eyes.

It started as soft and delicate, but when the demon put his hand at the back of her head while his other arm’s embrace turned even tighter, it became deeper and more passionate.

The insects buzzed while the leaves flickered as the time passed by. Uoiea pulled her lips away, catching her breath in the process. Her face and ears were flashing in a vibrant red color.

Meanwhile, the demon was smiling while staring at her, but the princess shifted her head towards the left side to avoid his gaze; she couldn’t handle his stare after all.

Upon seeing this, Zeno put his thumb under her chin.

"Uoiea, look at me," he said.

Then he gently straightened her head, and a smile crept onto his face after noticing her still-blushing expression.

"My offer still stands," he chuckled, teasing the princess.

Uoiea’s eyes widened, and her already rosy cheeks turned even brighter crimson.

"Y-You, silly!" She exclaimed.

Then she pushed the demon away, and this time, Zeno just let her escape from his embrace. Uoiea strode deeper into the forests without looking back.

While Zeno was left there standing, a wide smile was brooding all over his lips. Afterward, he looked up and stared at the ball of light hanging above the clouds.

"Strawberry," he uttered, savoring the lingering taste on his lips.

. . . . .

Dusk came in a blink as the sun dipped below the horizon while stars with their fading brilliance illuminated the moonless sky.

After roaming the forest for several hours, the princess finally managed to catch a living beast for her father. It was a huge red lion, a type of creature that could control flames.

It had a burning mane and a blazing tail. They found it hiding in a cave near the desert area. Uoiea managed to take it down without any help from the demon, and now they were on their way back to the empire’s capital.

The princess was walking in front, and the demon was a few steps behind her, while the red lion followed him with obedience. At first, Uoiea put the beast to sleep and asked for the demon to drag it back home.

However, Zeno found it troublesome, so he just woke the beast up and engraved his daunting presence on its mind. Thus, the monster obeyed him in fear.

Uoiea was dumbfounded as she witnessed this scene, though she wasn’t that surprised at all.

’The Demon King’s General is truly terrifying,’ she thought.

Then, she was pulled away from daydreaming when she heard the man’s voice.

"Uoiea," Zeno called her out.

The princess turned around; though she didn’t halt her steps, she continued walking backward.

"Yes?" She answered, showcasing a mesmerizing smile.

However, the demon’s words made her stop and roll her eyes.

"Do you really want to bring this beast instead of a grandchild?" Zeno asked, teasing.

"Father would probably burn me on the spot if he learned that her one and only daughter bore the Demon General’s child," Uoiea replied with a quick-witted response.

Then she laughed at her own remark; though she took it as a jest, she knew for a fact that it was real. Her father, the emperor, would never allow such a thing to happen. She really loved Zeno, but she couldn’t bear to disappoint her father as well.

While she was busy contemplating, the demon stared at her, and the smile on his lips vanished upon noticing the worry in her eyes. Thus, he stepped closer to diminish the distance between them before pulling her in a tight embrace.

The princess blinked a few times; she was stunned by the demon’s sudden actions.

"I-Is there a—" Uoiea was about to question him, but his words caught her off guard.

"It’s okay, I can wait," Zeno stated out of the blue.

Tears formed in the corner of the princess’ eyes; the demon only said a few pieces of words, but they were more than enough to give her comfort.

Therefore, she raised her arm and returned his embrace.

With a teardrop falling, rolling on her cheeks, she whispered. "Thank you."

. . . . .