DSB 82

Norman thought Lebel’s weak body and soul actually increased the chance of a successful summoning. He had already tried summoning many times with several bodies that were strong for humans, but he had never succeeded even once. When he tried to change his approach, the one who caught his eye was ‘Lebel Alcadi.’

Because the body was weak, that “being”!wouldn’t use his full power, so he wouldn’t break the balance of the Middle Realm. His soul was also faint, so it suited receiving a demon’s soul. Even if that being weakened, Norman could support him, so there wouldn’t be a problem. That was the reason he became strong.

Even so, the experiment didn’t succeed. But he couldn’t give up. The image of the dignified and graceful Lebel flickered in front of Norman’s eyes. They only met for a short moment, where their clothes brushed, but Norman set his goal then.

Someday, he would serve that person at his side. He tried to go to the human world to become stronger with only that as his goal. There had been rumors that absorbing human souls and desires made demons stronger.

When he searched for a method, he barely managed to arrive in the human world, but a problem occurred. Because he descended to the Middle Realm in a way that wasn’t a summoning, his demon body disappeared and he possessed a human one.

But Norman didn’t waver. He had been weak as a demon. He had no lingering attachment to a body that lagged behind others.

After that, he grew stronger by granting the desires and wishes of humans. Human desire and murderous intent were sweet, and corrupted souls became his power.

Norman’s rank rose so high that a human body couldn’t endure it anymore.

‘If it’s like this, I won’t fall behind when I stand beside that person. Everything will be perfect once that person is beside me.’

Imperial orders from the emperor or crown prince didn’t matter to Norman. He worked with the crown prince only because the prince was interested in demon summoning, and because he was the only human who recognized Lebel’s existence. Since he was the empire’s crown prince, Norman could use his influence when ‘that being’ arrived in the Middle Realm.

A noble being getting ignored by humans because of mere social rank was unforgivable.

Then he gained a reason to go north. Joining the delegation was only a means to reach the north. Whatever the crown prince said, it was only human affairs, and Norman’s goal was always Lebel’s summoning.

To be honest, until he came north, Norman had erased Lebel Alcadi’s existence from his mind. A body that had already failed at summoning had no value.

Instead, he planned to aim for Yutis’s body, which had powerful demonic energy and strength beyond the human range. He had tried many experiments with strong bodies before, but Yutis’s body had so much demonic energy that even Norman coveted it. If he succeeded, the abundance of demonic energy would please ‘that being’ even more.

He could have gone to the Demon Realm and tried to earn that person’s approval there, since he had become strong. But Norman knew it would be better for him to serve that person in the human world rather than going to the Demon Realm. His strength had surely increased since coming to the human world, but there were many demons around Lebel who were even stronger.

Even if he competed in the Demon Realm, would he even earn a fragment of that person’s attention?

That was why Norman kept thinking about how he might kill Yutis and take his body. Yutis was a strange human who was difficult even for demons to face.

Monster, demon, those words suited him. He defeated the demonic beasts Norman treasured, and even when Norman tried to kill him during battle, but failed. Norman disliked that a human was stronger than a demon.

Then he discovered Lebel Alcadi, who had been sold off as a bride. The body was still weak, but now it had become a strange body filled with demonic energy.

With that body, ‘that being’ might descend. Norman rejoiced. He approached Lebel with only that thought.

A body like this might satisfy ‘that being.’

Norman was already sinking into bliss. But Lebel shattered Norman’s ecstatic fantasy with a smile. As Lebel’s smile grew longer, Norman started to notice something strange and his smile slowly disappeared.

“I can’t die. Yutis would be sad. I’m sorry, but I’ll decline.”

Norman removed all trace of a smile and tilted his head to the left. His eyes were filled with confusion and doubt.

Lebel met his gaze casually and said,

“I’m sorry, but I’d like you to let go of this hand too. My husband gets jealous.”

“Grrr!”

When Karon bared his teeth and tried to bite Norman’s hand, Norman reflexively stepped back. He was confused. Lebel had definitely answered obediently to his words until just now. He thought that was because the charm spell was working.

Norman released stronger demonic energy. Lebel only scoffed, saying the act was pathetic. He brushed off the demonic energy with his hand like it had dust, saying he didn’t even like it touching his collar.

Norman’s eyes twitched. His demonic energy had been blocked. Lebel’s demonic energy was wrapping around him like a shield. A human controlling a power that wasn’t even originally his ? Something was strange.

“Unlike what you’re thinking, I don’t dislike this place. I don’t dislike this life, or Yutis. If you’re done speaking, I want you to leave.”

When Lebel saw Norman staring at him blankly, he spoke softly.

“Leave. Do you want someone else to drag you out?”

Then the door opened with a loud bang. The one who appeared, exuding a fierce aura, was Yutis.

Yutis saw how close Lebel and Norman were, and he immediately frowned and grabbed Norman by the collar.

“W, wait? Young, Young Master?”

Norman came to his senses the moment he heard the loud sound and saw Yutis appear. He grabbed Yutis’s hand that was holding his collar and shouted for him to let go. He was so flustered that he tried to control Yutis with demonic energy, but it didn’t work.

‘He doesn’t respond either? Is it because of the demonic energy? Is that why it doesn’t work?’

The demonic energy Lebel carried had the exact same nature as Yutis’s. Norman’s body dangled in Yutis’s grip, and because the tips of his toes didn’t reach the floor, he was dragged without being able to resist.

“Let go of me for a… ngh!”

Yutis threw Norman down roughly. He was kicked out of Lebel’s room by the force and hit the wall. Sprawled on the floor, he looked up at Yutis.

When he saw the murderous intent twirling inside Yutis’s demonic energy, Norman swallowed dryly.

This was why he never wanted to face him.

‘How can I, a demon, feel fear toward a human…!’

If that person saw him like this, he would definitely be disappointed.

“Count Norman, this is the first time I’ve seen you here. I told you never to set foot in this place. Did you not hear me?”

“I came to see Prince Lebel…”

“Exactly. I meant that you shouldn’t even think of coming to see him.”

Yutis growled and gave Norman a stern warning.

“I don’t want to see you here again.”

He closed the door after saying that. His eyes blazed with anger, and his breathing was ragged, proving his haste.

Yutis turned and faced Lebel.

“Why did you meet Norman again? And you even sent Bron away! What did you talk about… my wife?”

Lebel stood up without a word and hugged him. Startled, Yutis immediately examined his body, wondering if Norman had threatened Lebel.

“Why are you like this? Did something happen? Why did you meet him alone? You should’ve at least kept Bron with you! Did he try something with magic?”

Lebel only listened as Yutis fired questions nonstop without leaving him room to breathe.

“It’s nothing. I just felt bad.”

He only felt irritated because he pretended to be under a spell and let that bastard’s demonic energy touch him. And some of that demonic energy even got on Yutis.

How dare he touch what belonged to him? When Lebel released his pheromones, Yutis’s arms around his waist trembled. He caught a whiff of Lebel’s sweet scent.

“Release a bit.”

“What do you mean…”

“Your pheromones.”

If he released pheromones, his demonic energy would naturally come out too. He only needed to hide the murderous intent.

At those words, the murderous intent disappeared in the blink of an eye and sweet phe romones filled the room.

“…Did you release pheromones in front of that man?”

“Why would I?”

“Then it’s fine.”

Yutis wrapped Lebel with pheromones and demonic energy, making sure no one could covet his scent. This wasn’t enough to completely hold Lebel’s attention, but he needed at least this much to feel relieved.

One reason Yutis blocked the delegation from approaching Lebel was because he was a dominant omega. Dominant omegas were precious everywhere.

And Lebel had only just begun to control his pheromones. In other words, he could be easily influenced by an alpha’s pheromones.

If Norman had been an alpha, Yutis would have blocked the meeting no matter what, even if he had to stay by Lebel’s side constantly. Yutis carefully examined him, wondering if any of his own pheromones had faded.

“Did he try to suppress you?”

“Hmm…”

“He did?”

When Lebel hesitated for a moment, Yutis’s aura grew dangerous again. Lebel patted his back.

“He didn’t.”

It wasn’t suppression, and he had already dealt with it himself.

“Why did you meet him?”

Lebel hesitated for a moment, but since Yutis had rushed here abandoning everything, Lebel found him endearing and decided to tell the truth.

When Yutis appeared, Lebel realized he must have wanted to see him quite a bit.

“I needed to figure out why he shows such excessive interest in me.”

“If you knew he was interested, then even more reason to…!”

“That man seems to want to use my body to summon a demon.”