The Villainess's Secret Bedroom Service
Chapter 160: Asmodeus

Chapter 160: Asmodeus

Rosalie slowly raised her head, but her vision remained obscured by the tears that had gathered in her eyes. As the heavy teardrops ran over the pale skin of her cheeks, she blinked repeatedly before the realization struck her—she was no longer in the guest room of Rostan’s palace.

Transported elsewhere, she found herself in a place shrouded in darkness, mist, and searing heat. The air was acrid, burning her lungs with each deep breath. In this unfamiliar space, she was alone with a man she had never encountered before.

While she was trying to examine her surroundings, a pair of light yet resonant footsteps approached, prompting her to turn her head and redirect her focus toward the source of the sound.

Before her stood a tall, muscular man, his long black hair cascading all the way down to the floor and his mighty hands covered in black tattoos featuring bizarre ornaments and symbols, crossed in front of his chest.

His face bore the marks of extraordinary beauty, yet, an unmistakable air of unpleasantness emanated both from the way he looked down at the woman kneeling before him and the confident, arrogant smirk gracing his full lips.

"Asmodeus."

The name escaped Rosalie’s lips involuntarily, but she was certain she made no mistake. The memories of the original Rosalie brought the image of him back, and an unmistakable sense of fear sent nerve-wracking shivers down her spine.

"That’s me."

The demon stretched his lips into a wider smile and lowered his arms, exposing his bare chest, which, much like both of his arms, was covered with black tattoos.

"I was not expecting to see you again, Rosalie Ashter. Or do you still want to be called Meiling?"

"What?"

Rosalie widened her eyes, her mind clouded with confusion at the demon’s words. Asmodeus, savoring the moment of her bewilderment with the spark in his deep black eyes, continued,

"I think it has been long enough for you to finally decide which one of these two you want to be called, am I wrong? So which one is it? Rosalie or Meiling?"

"I... How do you know?"

"Please."

The demon’s chest shook as his loud laughter thundered through the mysterious dark space, prompting the tall walls around them to respond with a suppressed but distinct echo of other sounds hidden within them.

Still struggling to regain his composure, Asmodeus crouched before the duchess and grinned as he spoke again,

"How else do you think you were able to get here?"

The woman finally mustered her courage and locked her eyes with the demon’s, her racing heart ringing in her ears. A swarm of questions attacked her mind, and yet, she was not sure which one to begin with. As curiosity threatened to make her head explode, Rosalie finally inquired,

"What did she do? What was her contract with you really about?"

Asmodeus leaned closer, placing the index finger of his right hand under the woman’s chin and lifting it slightly. His eyes scanned her face for a few moments before responding,

"It must be killing you... Well, since Amarath granted you this opportunity to meet me, I might as well tell you. After all, who knows how this will all end, right?"

A light but somewhat menacing scoff escaped his lips, but Rosalie remained unbothered. The demon continued,

"Rosalie Ashter was a deeply unhappy but also an incredibly greedy, yet cowardly woman. When she summoned me to ask for my powers, I took pity on her and asked only for a part of her soul in exchange. However, even that proved unsuitable for her. A coward like her knew nothing about power and strength. She claimed she could not do it herself. So, I offered a simple solution – to find someone who would."

"I don’t understand..."

"Rosalie Ashter asked me to find someone who would be brave in her stead. Someone who would desire her happiness to the extent that they would not mind replacing her in this world. And that someone was you, Wang Meiling."

Rosalie felt her entire body tremble, as if she were trapped in the heart of an earthquake. Lost and confused, she had no idea what to say to seek clarity.

"Is this the reason why Haemir said that my soul was incomplete?"

Asmodeus nodded, confirming her assumption.

"It is not the right way to put it, but you’ve got the general idea. You have two souls in you, My Lady—one that belongs to this body and one that does not. Rosalie’s soul belongs to me, and it is the soul that I want to take to fulfill the contract. However... Now that you are pregnant, I have made up my mind to show my pity one more time and let you live. Because I will take your child instead. Sounds like you are at the better end of the deal, so why are you here then?"

"How is this the better end of the deal?!"

Rosalie’s voice echoed through the space surprisingly loudly as she insisted,

"Who are you to decide the fate of a soul that never even existed before?! This child, their soul, belongs to me and to me only! I––"

She did not get to finish her cry because the demon roughly grabbed her by the throat, nearly choking the duchess. He offered her a burning glare and almost hissed,

"And you belong to me, got it? Whether there is one or a thousand souls within your being, only I get to decide their fate. Do you understand? I was in a particularly good mood today and was even considering giving you a choice, but your baseless arrogance got on my nerves. I am taking the soul of the child. The negotiation is over."

Asmodeus pushed Rosalie down to the floor; her body hit it with a loud thud. He rose to his feet and turned around, ready to walk away, but the lady did not wish to give up just yet.

"No!"

Desperate, she hugged his legs and pressed her face against them, her hot tears running down her face as she pleaded,

"Please... I am desperate. I am begging you; please reconsider. I will do anything, give up anything you ask for, so please... Let this child live. This child is not only a part of me but also a part of someone else. I cannot let you do this."

Asmodeus’s lips curled into a new, sly grin. He watched the woman grovel at his feet for a few more moments, savoring the humiliating degradation he enjoyed seeing in humans. Finally, he let out a light scoff and jerked his leg, pushing Rosalie back onto the floor.

"Well, I guess you can thank my good mood for my benevolence today. It just so happened that, in mere hours, I am hosting a... gathering for all my friends. And it just so happened that I do not wish to host this party alone. Since you clearly know how to beg, I will extend my kindness to you one more time, Rosalie."

He crouched before her once more and concluded,

"Be my hostess tonight. If you manage to last until the very last second of my party without showing even the slightest sign of discomfort, I will let your child live. The choice is yours."