Tales of a Seductress

TOAD – Chapter 64

I felt a strange flash of confusion as my heart started to increase momentarily. I was naturally suspicious of Min these days. I had left him for dead, and he had suddenly reappeared months later on the other side. He claimed to be a hero from another world named Bryson and seemed to be on the human side. More particularly, he was on Devon’s side. I didn’t have a particular hatred for Devon. There just wasn’t anything between us anymore. It almost felt like all my ex-boyfriends were forming a club to talk about me behind my back.

Either way, he was offering me a way out of Lord Snyder’s awkward questioning. Plus, it had been a long time since I had last had the opportunity to dance. After biting my lip and hesitating for a moment, I decided to pull out my hand. Min took it and then guided me onto the dance floor. The next song seemed to begin just as we reached the floor. Instead of being upbeat and joyful, it was a slow and romantic song.

Min put an arm around my waist and put a hand on his shoulder. Min used to be rather scrawny. When did his shoulders become so broad and muscular? It wasn’t something given to him purely by levels, like my feminine figure. He had already been at a high level back when he was a thin and malnourished female elf. Not everything had changed about Min. He still only came up to my chest, but he no longer felt gentle. I took the first step, and Min followed my lead. We stumbled once as my foot caught on his, but our movements quickly smoothed out.

“You know, I’m supposed to be the one leading.” He smirked up at me.

“Is that a problem?” I demanded.

His smile grew. “Never. I’ll follow you where ever you lead.”

I felt my face grow a bit hot. Had Min always spoken so confidently? I didn’t have time to dwell on it though, as I was leading him across the dance floor. Min was as quick a learner here as he was in the bedroom. Soon, we were moving in near unison, spinning around as the music began to pick up the pace. However, I couldn’t allow myself to be lost in the moment. Min was no longer my trusted slave. I didn’t know what Min was to me anymore.

“Why are you here?” I whispered in his ear.

He hesitated for a second and then whispered back. “The same reason you are here.”

“I seriously doubt that,” I responded wryly.

If Min was there to marry the demon king, then we’d have a far different interaction at that moment.

“This world is broken, Aria…” Min spoke suddenly as I let him pull away.

I pulled him back to me, his body pressing tightly against mine, his face a few centimeters from my chest.

“And you’ll be the one to fix it?” My words sounded almost mocking, but I couldn’t keep the scorn out of my voice.

It was a kind of self-scorn too. I had allowed this world to break me. I had no such dreams or optimisms. I only existed at this point to wonder why I was ever brought here.

“If no one will ever step up, then nothing will ever be fixed.” Min declared, and then he looked away with a momentary look of pain. “I shouldn’t have put my dreams on you. I was too scared of the future, of fate… and so I put all of my hopes and dreams on you. I pushed you away.”

At that moment I was shocked, I was surprised to find that Min was leading me, and I had started to follow. He spun me around, in his arm before catching me, and I heard a gasp and clapping. The dance floor had cleared out, and we were the only couple on the floor. Everyone else had formed a circle around us and were watching, just like the bride and groom’s first dance at a wedding. I wasn’t focused on anyone else though. My mind was completely on this conversation, the first real one we had since Min had disappeared over their cliff.

“Is that what you think? That you were pushing me away?” I asked.

“You’re all alone, now,” Min responded. “I had thought I’d accompany you everywhere, but you ended up alone all the same.”

“That’s on me,” I responded, a slight edge to my voice. “I’m the one who pushed you away. I push everyone away. I used you. I insulted you. I misgendered you. I am the bad guy here.”

“Is that what you think?” He repeated my own words back at me, a slight smile on his face, but also eyes filled with unshed tears. “I don’t think you’re bad, Aria.”

I thought I could no longer feel pain. I had become numb in all things. So, why did those words hurt me so much? He could have said I was evil. He could have said I was a whore. He could have told me I was a murderer, a slut, a monster… it would have all been true, and I would have laughed it away. Yet, saying what he did felt infinitely more painful. I felt a stinging in my eyes.

“You… don’t know me. You don’t know the things I’ve done,” I began, trying to push away.

Min held onto me tighter. Why was he so strong? I felt completely at his mercy in those muscular arms. I felt safe, but also terrified.

“I was wrong.” Min declared as we moved faster and faster, the music reaching its finale. “I have to be the one to save you because once, you were the one who saved me.”

“Min…” When the dance ended, I stopped where Min wanted me.

He had defeated me completely. I was putty in his arms. I wanted him to rescue me. I wanted him to just tell me what to do. My lips started to move toward his. My eyes closed.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The crowds around us broke and started to cheer and applaud. I snapped out of my daze, opening my eyes and looking around. I realized that my hood had fallen back, and my face was on full display to the crowd. There was a large crowd around us now, who had been watching us dance, even if they weren’t able to hear our words. Had they heard what we said? I didn’t even know, I had been so absorbed in our actions.

I noticed Devon watching from one side of the room. He didn’t have a particularly pleased look on his face. Lord Tigon was sitting near him. He had an indescribably smug expression on his face. His eyes weren’t locked on me though. They were on another form, which I realized was Oberon. If Devon’s expression looked cloudy, Oberon’s expression appeared to be thunderclouds.

My sluggish mind started working again. I had been taken by the moment, but I wasn’t dumb. I understood enough about political intrigue. I was supposed to be announced as the upcoming queen and wife to King Oberon at this very celebration. Yet, my first introduction to the demon nobility was in the arms of a handsome hero. Our dance had also been very close, and we had almost kissed.

“I-is that what this was about?” I demanded.

Min cocked his head. “What?”

“You just wanted to embarrass me?” I sneered.

Min’s expression looked confused. I shook my head. Maybe he hadn’t known. Either way, ignorance wasn’t an excuse.

“You dance well, elf.” My voice spoke up, and I laced my voice and body with whatever charm could be squeezed through my various restrictors.

My voice seemed to cut through the clapping and shouts and the crowds quickly quieted down.

“Elf?” Min couldn’t help but stare at me like I had grown horns.

Well, maybe I would have to grow horns at some point. I had already warned Min, after all. I wasn’t the woman that he once knew. I was something else. The sooner he realized that the sooner he’d be better off.

“I think that in the future, I’ll leave the lead to my husband.” I declared, taking two steps back and then turning away.

My words caused a wave of confusion. I could see Min confused as well. The crowd moved aside for me though, and I walked directly to the front of the room. The confusion only grew as I approached the demon king. Those that didn’t already know thought I was trying to cause trouble. A few even waited for one of the guards to grab me and push me away. Yet, the guards didn’t stop my approach, and Demon King Oberon didn’t hesitate as he stepped next to him and wrapped my thin army through his broad one.

As I looked up at him, I thought that this was better. I should be looking up at my man, not having him look up at me. This was just the way it had to be. As I looked back at the crowd, the realization was only just starting to spread. There had been a reason that this celebration was called out of nowhere. Everyone figured there would be some kind of announcement. To find out that a random beautiful woman who stood out at the beginning of the dance was part of that announcement was a shock to everyone.

Min’s face went through several changes of expression. He was surprised, angry, and frustrated, and there was even a moment when he looked hurt. However, he quickly schooled himself and returned to Devon’s side. I also noticed that when I touched the demon king, Devon had stood up, and it was only through some choice words from Lord Tigon that he finally sat back down.

“You like to cut things close.” Demon King Oberon spoke in a low voice toward me.

“You should have realized that when you proposed to marry me,” I responded, smiling up at him.

“You are… interesting. I’ll give you that much.”

“I want far more than that.” I pouted, my free hand grabbing his butt from behind.

He stiffened for just a moment before shooting me a narrowed-eye look. “Damn it, woman. Sometimes I don’t know if I should kill you or fuck you.”

“That’s how I like it.” I batted my eyes.

“Hmm.” He snorted.

He didn’t sound particularly displeased. I had taken a situation that might have embarrassed the demon king and turned it around to embarrass the elf hero. I had to throw Min under the bus, but it wasn’t like he wasn’t partly to blame for it.

“Is it really true?” One of the spectators could no longer stand the mumbling suspense.

The crowds of demons finally settled down as the question they were all wondering was asked. Well, he hadn’t asked a question that said anything. What was true? Still, everyone waited on Demon Lord Oberon’s answer.

“I have decided to get married.” Lord Oberon declared. “In one month, I will be wed to this woman, Aria.”

The hushed voices exploded again into excited conversation. I could feel Devon glaring unhappily at us, only just managing to restrain himself. As for Min, he seemed to have left the room to go compose himself. Lord Snyder who I had spoken with earlier was staring with his mouth wide open. Lord Tigon wasn’t looking our way, but I had a feeling he had many eyes on us anyway.

I couldn’t bask in it too much though, as the announcement turned out to be one for myself as well. Lord Oberon had declared we’d be marrying in a month. Wasn’t that a bit fast? I didn’t know how these kinds of things went, but I had thought I was going to have more time than that. I noticed that Lord Oberon was looking down at me.

“What is it?” I asked.

“You will be very busy this next month.”

“I don’t care about decorations or dresses. I’ll just trust whoever you pick.” I declared.

He shook his head. “No, you misunderstand. Before our wedding night, you have much leveling to do.”

“Leveling?” I blinked. “How much?”

“I’ve decided you’re to reach level 90 before we get married.”

“Before!” My eyes widened. “H-how?”

A scary smile formed on his lips. “The only way you know how.”