**********
“Greenville Dungeon?”
“Hey, the name will soon be changed to something cooler.”
Adelaide made an excuse with an embarrassed face. No matter how much she thought about it, it seemed that the reason other demons refused to sign the contract was because of the ugly name. Of course, that wasn’t the real reason.
Caladium snorted and smirked.
It was amazing. He thought she was an innocent succubus on the verge of being deceived by Boraca, but she’s another fox trying to take advantage of his predicament.
He was deceived by that puzzled face, and he was a fool. Maybe because she looked so cute just now, he felt a kind of betrayal from her.
“How dare you, me, belong to an F-Class dungeon……?”
“I-I’ll untie your cuffs in exchange!”
Adelaide exclaimed urgently. Judging by the sound of a growling animal, it seemed that if she delayed a little, he would lose his temper again.
Caladium’s eyebrows twitched again. Since last time, he has been moving his eyebrows really freely.
He said with a snort.
“This thing that will repel you just by grabbing it. By what means?”
“I’m going to steal the handcuff’s key from Boraca!”
As Adelaide declared, she exclaimed proudly. However, contrary to expectations, Caladium did not seem too happy.
“Hey.”
No, he seemed even more angry.
“Do you think it’s that easy?”
The tone was no different from that of a gangster, but it was fiercer than anyone else. His smile disappeared as if it was washed away, and only his sharp anger remained.
Adelaide’s body stiffened as if covered in ice-cold water. The skin all over her body stiffened with tension. She couldn’t even blink her eyes properly, like when she first met him.
She felt it instinctively.
‘Die.’
The feeling that Caladium could kill her with just a lift of a finger. And that his handcuffs were the only shields protecting her.
She couldn’t breathe. Extreme pressure seemed to have clung to her whole body.
At that moment, she heard a voice of salvation.
“Master.”
A warm feeling spread over her shoulders. It was Lisianthus’ hand.
“I must have been mistaken.”
“Huu.. Huuah.”
At the same time, the tension was broken, and Adelaide took a breath she had been holding back. Lisianthus gently patted her shoulder with his soft hand, as if to calm her down.
“Even if we don’t have talented people, we can’t hire such an arrogant guy.”
“You…”
“Especially an ignorant person who doesn’t know his situation and is only showing pride.”
Caladium shot Lisianthus a nasty look, but Lisianthus didn’t care. On the contrary, he even responded with a cold look as if he was ridiculing him.
It was strange.
No matter how much Caladium lost most of his powers and was bound by a Holy Relic, he certainly gave power to his gaze. For normal demons, like Adelaide, they should’ve been stunned or collapsed, but Lisianthus didn’t appear to have been affected in the slightest.
Well, he guessed that he had been weakened because he had been bound by the Holy Relic for a long time. Caladium, who was still a strong demon, continued thinking without any doubts.
“My situation? I know for sure that this body is not in such a bad condition to enter an F-Class dungeon. Once these handcuffs are removed, a b*stard like you, with just one hand-…”
“When?”
Lisianthus cut off Caladium words.
“When is that? Is it possible to be so lethargic? From the looks of it, this seems to be a rare-grade relic. It also looks like most of the powers you had are gone.”
Crack, the sound of grinding teeth rang out. The veins on Caladium’s neck were clear. However, he only mumbled abusive language and did not respond. It was because Lisianthus hit the nail on the head.
Caladium struggled to hide his blemished pride.
“No matter how long it takes, in an F-Class dungeon—”
“Yes, indeed. Just wait for a hopeless day and be locked up in an E-Class dungeon for the rest of your life.”
But sarcasm was also a skill of Lisianthus. His smile was extremely mean.
Adelaide, who had been holding her breath for a while, was amazed. He had a side like that. Apparently, she didn’t know Lisianthus well enough. But, apart from his high level sarcastic abilities, she now had to convince Caladium. Now that Lisianthus has fully pointed out his plight, it was time to entice him with kind words.
“Wait, Caladium.”
Adelaide, who barely managed to catch her breath, spoke calmly towards the agitated Caladium.
“I know my dungeon is still lacking a lot. Caladium is strong, so making such a suggestion would be ridiculous. In particular, I think I would be angry for being taken advantage of in such a situation.”
Persuasion starts with empathy. It was one of the lessons she learned from Penelope. Fortunately, this time his face, which had been heavily distorted, seemed to have loosened a little, perhaps because it was not a bad choice.
She took the next step, thanking her dear friend in her heart.
“I’m sorry, Caladium, I was too…… I was desperate.”
Desperate. She really needed him to be one of her arms.
Adelaide looked up at Caladium with desperate eyes. As if hesitant to even dare touch him with her slender fingers, she carefully grabbed the edge of his clothes.
“I promise you one thing. If Caladium becomes a part of my dungeon…”
Lisianthus looked displeased at the sight of the hem of clothes she had touched, and predicted what she would say next.
What will his Master guarantee? Was it the artificial sun he installed? The crops he grew himself? Or his own cooking?
Nothing was acceptable. He didn’t want to give anything to that cheeky little boy. Whether or not she knew his childish mind, Adelaide continued with a serious voice.
“I’ll cherish Caladium very much.”
Ah, this. The thing Lisianthus didn’t want to share the most.
“I will cherish Caladium and treat you with kindness. I will respect your opinion and guarantee your freedom.”
“What…”
Caladium had an indescribable expression.
What is this… This crazy suggestion?
It was something totally incomprehensible. This was not the type of ‘proposal’ Caladium was familiar with. Wasn’t it normal to guarantee high salaries, luxurious accommodations, beautifully decorated women, and gilded dishes?
He won’t listen to this nonsense.
“I’ll cherish Caladium the most. More than the profits of the dungeon.”
It sounded so absurd that Caladium tried to swear, but he held it in. This was also an act he couldn’t understand.
Why did he hold back cursing? He asked himself, but of course, there was no answer.
“Master, I’m sorry to interrupt.”
“Huh? It’s okay. What is it?”
She was about to run out of words anyway. Adelaide turned her head to look at Lisianthus. He seemed somehow unhappy.
“Someone is coming. It looks like they will come in through the portal soon.”
“What?! Uh, what should we do?”
Adelaide hurriedly looked around to find a place to hide. It was such an empty space that she couldn’t see a suitable place.
“This way.”
Lisianthus led Adelaide towards a pile of crates near the portal. Unlike her, who was shivering, he looked very calm.
“If the escort came along, we’d be caught…!”
Adelaide was about to cry. She can hide in the shadows behind the crates, but it wouldn’t work on someone much stronger than her. Just like when the lawyer Jamie found her hiding at once.
Thanks to absorbing the energy of Caladium to the fullest, her abilities increased, but it was still not enough to deal with that large escort.
Soon a brusque voice reassured her.
“There’s no escort. He’s coming alone today.”
Adelaide opened her eyes wide.
Caladium, who had been busy swearing at her until recently, had reassured her. Maybe he’s in the mood to sign a contract! Adelaide opened her mouth with her hopeful eyes.
“Thanks…!”
“Stop talking and hide. He’s coming in now.”
“Hic!”
Adelaide eagerly crawled into the shadows.
The floor wasn’t that dirty. It was thanks to Lisianthus wiping her quickly with his handkerchief while she spoke to Caladium. Lisianthus hid together with her only after making sure she was completely hidden.
‘They look like cockroaches.’
Caladium chuckled and snorted briefly. He smiled brightly at the fact that he gave her a piece of reassurance, so he will pay the maintenance fee for the dungeon, like what she suggested earlier.
Perhaps it was because it was so absurd, the anger that had risen to the top of his head disappeared. That stern figure might actually be acting, but somehow it didn’t seem like it. It was a conviction, but he didn’t know why.
His face, which had been brimming with anger, was relieved in no time. A smirk spurted out of his rough lips.
But that little smile soon disappeared. The emotional expression itself completely disappeared.
“Hey.”
It was because of the appearance of Boraca.
“Long time no see, Caladium?”
“I told you not to call my name.”
Caladium warned in a low-pitched tone. Then Boraca’s face quickly contorted. He approached Caladium with a fierce look.
“You j*rk… … Hey. You still can’t figure out the situation? Isn’t it about time you accept?”
“How many times do I have to say it for you to understand? I don’t want to work for a baby who’s weak and only has one good thing.”
Caladium meant the sacred material tied to both his wrists. Boraca’s face turned red with shame.
“You son of a b*tch!”
Wuhpssh! The sound of ripping rang in the air. And a louder sound ensued.
Wupssh! Wuhpssh!
[T/N: >< Guys just imagine the whip’s sound or something. Lemme know if there’s a better word/sound to use. lol]
Adelaide raised her head involuntarily. Her pupils trembled at the sight in front of her.
Boraca was hitting Caladium’s upper body with a whip of thorns with all his might. His muscular skin cracked open, and crimson blood continued to pour out.
“Call me Master!”
Wuhpssh!
“Say it!”
Despite the harsh whipping, Caladium did not groan and remained expressionless. However, the eyebrows that flinched every time the skin tore made her guess the pain.
‘I can’t believe it.’
Adelaide’s whole body trembled with shock. She already knew this might happen. But there was a great deal of difference between knowing and seeing in person.
The contrast between Boraca, who spun the whip with a happy expression, and Caladium, who maintained a dignified expression as if nothing was wrong, made her want to vomit.
The most disgusting thing was the fact that she couldn’t do anything.
If she runs out now and attacks Boraca, a warning sound will go off throughout the dungeon. All the demons will run after her and attack her, and in the end, she will die without getting any results.
Then a key sparkled from Boraca’s neck at that moment. It was exactly like what Lisianthus said. But can they take that away safely? What if they get caught and the alarm goes off?
Wuhpssh!
A sharp popping sound awakened Adelaide’s mind. Her complicated head cleared, and only the promise she had just spit out was left.
[I will cherish Caladium the most.]
That’s when Adelaide stood up. As she got out from the shadows, with a determined look, she shifted her gaze to where Boraca was.
For a moment, her eyes met with Caladium’s silver-gray eyes.
**********
“Greenville Dungeon?”
“Hey, the name will soon be changed to something cooler.”
Adelaide made an excuse with an embarrassed face. No matter how much she thought about it, it seemed that the reason other demons refused to sign the contract was because of the ugly name. Of course, that wasn’t the real reason.
Caladium snorted and smirked.
It was amazing. He thought she was an innocent succubus on the verge of being deceived by Boraca, but she’s another fox trying to take advantage of his predicament.
He was deceived by that puzzled face, and he was a fool. Maybe because she looked so cute just now, he felt a kind of betrayal from her.
“How dare you, me, belong to an F-Class dungeon……?”
“I-I’ll untie your cuffs in exchange!”
Adelaide exclaimed urgently. Judging by the sound of a growling animal, it seemed that if she delayed a little, he would lose his temper again.
Caladium’s eyebrows twitched again. Since last time, he has been moving his eyebrows really freely.
He said with a snort.
“This thing that will repel you just by grabbing it. By what means?”
“I’m going to steal the handcuff’s key from Boraca!”
As Adelaide declared, she exclaimed proudly. However, contrary to expectations, Caladium did not seem too happy.
“Hey.”
No, he seemed even more angry.
“Do you think it’s that easy?”
The tone was no different from that of a gangster, but it was fiercer than anyone else. His smile disappeared as if it was washed away, and only his sharp anger remained.
Adelaide’s body stiffened as if covered in ice-cold water. The skin all over her body stiffened with tension. She couldn’t even blink her eyes properly, like when she first met him.
She felt it instinctively.
‘Die.’
The feeling that Caladium could kill her with just a lift of a finger. And that his handcuffs were the only shields protecting her.
She couldn’t breathe. Extreme pressure seemed to have clung to her whole body.
At that moment, she heard a voice of salvation.
“Master.”
A warm feeling spread over her shoulders. It was Lisianthus’ hand.
“I must have been mistaken.”
“Huu.. Huuah.”
At the same time, the tension was broken, and Adelaide took a breath she had been holding back. Lisianthus gently patted her shoulder with his soft hand, as if to calm her down.
“Even if we don’t have talented people, we can’t hire such an arrogant guy.”
“You…”
“Especially an ignorant person who doesn’t know his situation and is only showing pride.”
Caladium shot Lisianthus a nasty look, but Lisianthus didn’t care. On the contrary, he even responded with a cold look as if he was ridiculing him.
It was strange.
No matter how much Caladium lost most of his powers and was bound by a Holy Relic, he certainly gave power to his gaze. For normal demons, like Adelaide, they should’ve been stunned or collapsed, but Lisianthus didn’t appear to have been affected in the slightest.
Well, he guessed that he had been weakened because he had been bound by the Holy Relic for a long time. Caladium, who was still a strong demon, continued thinking without any doubts.
“My situation? I know for sure that this body is not in such a bad condition to enter an F-Class dungeon. Once these handcuffs are removed, a b*stard like you, with just one hand-…”
“When?”
Lisianthus cut off Caladium words.
“When is that? Is it possible to be so lethargic? From the looks of it, this seems to be a rare-grade relic. It also looks like most of the powers you had are gone.”
Crack, the sound of grinding teeth rang out. The veins on Caladium’s neck were clear. However, he only mumbled abusive language and did not respond. It was because Lisianthus hit the nail on the head.
Caladium struggled to hide his blemished pride.
“No matter how long it takes, in an F-Class dungeon—”
“Yes, indeed. Just wait for a hopeless day and be locked up in an E-Class dungeon for the rest of your life.”
But sarcasm was also a skill of Lisianthus. His smile was extremely mean.
Adelaide, who had been holding her breath for a while, was amazed. He had a side like that. Apparently, she didn’t know Lisianthus well enough. But, apart from his high level sarcastic abilities, she now had to convince Caladium. Now that Lisianthus has fully pointed out his plight, it was time to entice him with kind words.
“Wait, Caladium.”
Adelaide, who barely managed to catch her breath, spoke calmly towards the agitated Caladium.
“I know my dungeon is still lacking a lot. Caladium is strong, so making such a suggestion would be ridiculous. In particular, I think I would be angry for being taken advantage of in such a situation.”
Persuasion starts with empathy. It was one of the lessons she learned from Penelope. Fortunately, this time his face, which had been heavily distorted, seemed to have loosened a little, perhaps because it was not a bad choice.
She took the next step, thanking her dear friend in her heart.
“I’m sorry, Caladium, I was too…… I was desperate.”
Desperate. She really needed him to be one of her arms.
Adelaide looked up at Caladium with desperate eyes. As if hesitant to even dare touch him with her slender fingers, she carefully grabbed the edge of his clothes.
“I promise you one thing. If Caladium becomes a part of my dungeon…”
Lisianthus looked displeased at the sight of the hem of clothes she had touched, and predicted what she would say next.
What will his Master guarantee? Was it the artificial sun he installed? The crops he grew himself? Or his own cooking?
Nothing was acceptable. He didn’t want to give anything to that cheeky little boy. Whether or not she knew his childish mind, Adelaide continued with a serious voice.
“I’ll cherish Caladium very much.”
Ah, this. The thing Lisianthus didn’t want to share the most.
“I will cherish Caladium and treat you with kindness. I will respect your opinion and guarantee your freedom.”
“What…”
Caladium had an indescribable expression.
What is this… This crazy suggestion?
It was something totally incomprehensible. This was not the type of ‘proposal’ Caladium was familiar with. Wasn’t it normal to guarantee high salaries, luxurious accommodations, beautifully decorated women, and gilded dishes?
He won’t listen to this nonsense.
“I’ll cherish Caladium the most. More than the profits of the dungeon.”
It sounded so absurd that Caladium tried to swear, but he held it in. This was also an act he couldn’t understand.
Why did he hold back cursing? He asked himself, but of course, there was no answer.
“Master, I’m sorry to interrupt.”
“Huh? It’s okay. What is it?”
She was about to run out of words anyway. Adelaide turned her head to look at Lisianthus. He seemed somehow unhappy.
“Someone is coming. It looks like they will come in through the portal soon.”
“What?! Uh, what should we do?”
Adelaide hurriedly looked around to find a place to hide. It was such an empty space that she couldn’t see a suitable place.
“This way.”
Lisianthus led Adelaide towards a pile of crates near the portal. Unlike her, who was shivering, he looked very calm.
“If the escort came along, we’d be caught…!”
Adelaide was about to cry. She can hide in the shadows behind the crates, but it wouldn’t work on someone much stronger than her. Just like when the lawyer Jamie found her hiding at once.
Thanks to absorbing the energy of Caladium to the fullest, her abilities increased, but it was still not enough to deal with that large escort.
Soon a brusque voice reassured her.
“There’s no escort. He’s coming alone today.”
Adelaide opened her eyes wide.
Caladium, who had been busy swearing at her until recently, had reassured her. Maybe he’s in the mood to sign a contract! Adelaide opened her mouth with her hopeful eyes.
“Thanks…!”
“Stop talking and hide. He’s coming in now.”
“Hic!”
Adelaide eagerly crawled into the shadows.
The floor wasn’t that dirty. It was thanks to Lisianthus wiping her quickly with his handkerchief while she spoke to Caladium. Lisianthus hid together with her only after making sure she was completely hidden.
‘They look like cockroaches.’
Caladium chuckled and snorted briefly. He smiled brightly at the fact that he gave her a piece of reassurance, so he will pay the maintenance fee for the dungeon, like what she suggested earlier.
Perhaps it was because it was so absurd, the anger that had risen to the top of his head disappeared. That stern figure might actually be acting, but somehow it didn’t seem like it. It was a conviction, but he didn’t know why.
His face, which had been brimming with anger, was relieved in no time. A smirk spurted out of his rough lips.
But that little smile soon disappeared. The emotional expression itself completely disappeared.
“Hey.”
It was because of the appearance of Boraca.
“Long time no see, Caladium?”
“I told you not to call my name.”
Caladium warned in a low-pitched tone. Then Boraca’s face quickly contorted. He approached Caladium with a fierce look.
“You j*rk… … Hey. You still can’t figure out the situation? Isn’t it about time you accept?”
“How many times do I have to say it for you to understand? I don’t want to work for a baby who’s weak and only has one good thing.”
Caladium meant the sacred material tied to both his wrists. Boraca’s face turned red with shame.
“You son of a b*tch!”
Wuhpssh! The sound of ripping rang in the air. And a louder sound ensued.
Wupssh! Wuhpssh!
[T/N: >< Guys just imagine the whip’s sound or something. Lemme know if there’s a better word/sound to use. lol]
Adelaide raised her head involuntarily. Her pupils trembled at the sight in front of her.
Boraca was hitting Caladium’s upper body with a whip of thorns with all his might. His muscular skin cracked open, and crimson blood continued to pour out.
“Call me Master!”
Wuhpssh!
“Say it!”
Despite the harsh whipping, Caladium did not groan and remained expressionless. However, the eyebrows that flinched every time the skin tore made her guess the pain.
‘I can’t believe it.’
Adelaide’s whole body trembled with shock. She already knew this might happen. But there was a great deal of difference between knowing and seeing in person.
The contrast between Boraca, who spun the whip with a happy expression, and Caladium, who maintained a dignified expression as if nothing was wrong, made her want to vomit.
The most disgusting thing was the fact that she couldn’t do anything.
If she runs out now and attacks Boraca, a warning sound will go off throughout the dungeon. All the demons will run after her and attack her, and in the end, she will die without getting any results.
Then a key sparkled from Boraca’s neck at that moment. It was exactly like what Lisianthus said. But can they take that away safely? What if they get caught and the alarm goes off?
Wuhpssh!
A sharp popping sound awakened Adelaide’s mind. Her complicated head cleared, and only the promise she had just spit out was left.
[I will cherish Caladium the most.]
That’s when Adelaide stood up. As she got out from the shadows, with a determined look, she shifted her gaze to where Boraca was.
For a moment, her eyes met with Caladium’s silver-gray eyes.
