Chapter 609: I Regret A Lot Of Things

The quiet creak of a door echoed in the room as Asher stepped in, his eyes falling upon Rachel's form against the wall. Her fair forehead was leaning into the cold surface, and her fist was pressing against it, an image of vulnerability and strife.

"Are you still struggling to come to terms with reality?" Asher probed, his lips curving up into an empathetic smile.

"Stop..." came Rachel's faint plea, her head still bowed, voice barely a whisper against the heavy air.

Unswayed, Asher closed the distance between them, his movements silent but assertive. He reached out, grasping her arm firmly to turn her towards him, her long blue hair cascading in a fluid motion, revealing her face—radiant blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"Looks like you already know in your heart the truth, and you are broken by it," Asher observed, his voice softening slightly at the sight of her distress, "The fact that you are willing to dig into the Golden Prince's death means that you must have always had a feeling about what was wrong and what was not right. So don't you think it's time to be honest to yourself so that you can do what's right as the Daughter of Justice?"

"But I...I am his daughter too..." Rachel's voice broke, her eyes closing tightly, a fragile attempt to barricade her pain.

Asher's thumb, with a chaste tenderness, drew her chin upwards as he wanted her gaze into the depths of his soul, "Facing the truth about your father will be one of the hardest things you'd ever do, Rachel," He whispered, gently pulling her lithe form against his sturdy body, "But remember, as the Golden Prince believed in you, so do I. I believe in your courage, your sense of justice. I'll be there, standing shoulder to shoulder, fighting with you. You will never have to face this alone."

Rachel's heart faltered for a moment, her emotions a tumultuous storm within the confines of her mind. Just why does he seem to know so much about Cedric...as if he had a close relationship with him?

However, the gentle sincerity in Asher's tone, his belief in her strength and courage, resonated deeply with Rachel. It reminded her painfully of someone she once loved, someone whose memory was both a comfort and a curse. This familiarity, this echo of past affection, mingled with the darker undertones of their current entanglement, leaving her feeling vulnerable yet strangely fortified.

"On another note, you even dared to accuse your Master of something he didn't do. Did you really believe I would kill mindlessly? I feel quite hurt," Asher murmured, his breath warm against her ear, stirring the soft skin on her neck.

Rachel's heart thudded painfully in her chest, guilt, nervousness and confusion tightening like a vice around her. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her voice barely a whisper as she responded, her eyes averted, "I am sorry...I felt so angry, and I thought you betrayed me because I—I couldn't think of anyone else who could bring over demons. I am so scared of getting betrayed again. But I won't doubt you like that again. I...I promise."

Asher's gaze briefly softened upon sensing the sincerity in her voice and he could relate to what she must have felt since he had also experienced the same thing. However, seeing her like this, made him want to tease her.

The silence that followed was palpable, charged with an electric tension that only made Rachel's heart thud louder, wondering if he was still angry at her or not.

Asher's face drew nearer, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that seemed to strip her of her defenses, "Are you truly sorry? Are you willing to show how sorry you really are?" he asked, his voice low and enticing, his lips hovering so close to hers that she could almost taste him.

Rachel's pulse raced, her breaths shallow and quick. His golden eyes ensnared her, melting the icy walls she had built around her heart. A tumultuous mix of fear, guilt, desire, and a desperate need to be understood cascaded through her. In a moment of reckless abandon, her emotions dictating her actions, Rachel reached up, wrapping her arm around his neck. She rose on her tiptoes, her body drawn to his like a moth to flame.

"Mmmn~..."

His lips descended on hers in a searing kiss, charged with raw, passionate need. Their breaths mingled, their bodies pressed tightly against each other. His rough fingers traced an electric course over her body, igniting goosebumps as he reached the soft swell of her soft yet firm breasts over her top. Tension built, his hands expertly applying pressure, gently squeezing her plump curves, causing her breath to hitch in surprise and desire.

"Mnn~..."

Her hands instinctively reached out to clutch Asher's shirt, the fabric rough under her fingertips, grounding her amidst the surge of mounting sensations while feeling disbelief at herself that she kissed him first.

The kiss, laden with the taste of forbidden allure and the shadow of pain, sent shivers down her spine. Each touch of his lips was like a spark, igniting a tumultuous mix of desire and doubt within her heart. She knew the dangers of succumbing to his charm—his nature, his past deeds, all whispered warnings in the back of her mind. Yet, as his hands kept fondling her breasts, pulling her closer, the rational voices were drowned out by a louder, more primal call. But what stirred her soul was his warmth seeping into her body. Every single time, it felt so familiar to the point it muddled her thoughts and shook her will.

The betrayal she had accused him of, the hurt in his golden eyes when he spoke of her doubts, the promise he gave her and the reassurance to stand by her side to face her fears, all melded into a poignant ache that throbbed with each heartbeat, complicating her resolve with a painful sweetness.

And so she finally let her grip on his shirt loosen, her emotions running free, and met his kiss with equal fervor, an intimate dance of lips and tongues as they gave into their carnal appetites.

"Oh! Sorry!"

The unexpected interruption shattered the passionate moment like glass underfoot. Amelia's sudden exclamation, rippled through the tense air, causing Rachel to spring apart from Asher, her reaction swift and startled. Her wide eyes mirrored a rabbit caught in the glare of oncoming headlights, her face a image of crimson shame.

Amelia, pretending to be oblivious, retreated a step, her presence a sudden intrusion upon their passionate encounter.

Asher's chuckle, soft yet unmistakably amused, floated through the room, further coloring Rachel's embarrassment.

Unable to meet his gaze, she stuttered a quick excuse, "I-I should get going." Her haste to escape was palpable, her fingers clumsily attempting to button her top and cover up her cleavage, a casualty of Asher's previously wandering claw.

As she passed Amelia at the doorway, her look was fleetingly mortified, a silent plea for understanding or perhaps forgiveness for being so immoral. What would she think of her kissing a demon of her own volition, especially the very demon that forced them to be his slaves? She couldn't bear to imagine it.

Once Rachel had made her embarrassed exit, Amelia stepped into the room, the click of the door sealing their newfound privacy. Her smile held a mischievous edge as she apologized again, "I am sorry again if I interrupted you two. I just had to talk about something important."

"It's all good. We can always have that moment later," Asher merely shook his head, an easy smile gracing his features.

The air between them shifted as Amelia's expression softened, her voice carrying a curious blend of concern and inquisition, "But am I wrong to think that you see her now as more than just a slave? Are you starting to care about her? Because I don't think a demon king like you would bother comforting someone. You feel bad about her, don't you? She was after all someone you trained and knew for a while."

Asher's gaze lingered on the door through which Rachel had vanished, his features softening, revealing a rare vulnerability, "I don't know. Maybe," he confessed, his voice a mix of reflection and resignation, "You haven't seen me how I was before, especially when I first met Rachel as a demon. I was in a very dark place, and all I could think about was my revenge, to hurt people like Derek no matter what I had to do. I couldn't think of any weaknesses I could exploit until I came upon her unexpectedly. She reminded me so much of him, and knowing how she supported her father blindly, including destroying my legacy, I couldn't stop myself from turning her into a tool for my revenge. The anger I had towards Derek, I took it all on her."

Amelia's expression tightened, her sympathy palpable yet her stance uncompromising as she pressed further, "But now you regret doing that to her. Don't you?"

Asher's eyes, usually so guarded, flickered with a complex emotion, "I do regret not only that but a lot of things every day. But the thing is that even if I got a second chance, I don't know if I would do things differently. Because I know I wouldn't have gotten here if not for the things I did," Asher's memory flickered with the memory of that bullied boy whose soul he reaped to pass the trial.

"But what I know for sure is I would never hold back against my enemies, even if it means I will suffer for eternity in the Seven Hells. So even if I had long decided not to torment Rachel to hurt Derek, I would have to keep using her to get to him," he said, his determination casting a shadow over any budding remorse, his eyes alight with a steely resolve.

Amelia's soft smile broke through the tension, "I feel glad to hear that. It means you are no longer taking your anger out on her. Even if you say you are using her, you are also doing it for her own good. That is why even if she tried to kill me, I know she is capable of becoming a better person and I have long forgiven her. It might sound wrong and twisted, and it doesn't excuse the bad things you did, but if not for you, she could have become like her father."

Asher's gaze was complicated, a tumult of thoughts behind his eyes, "Well...All this doesn't mean I trust her completely. I still don't know if she will take her father's side or not when the time comes. So you also should be careful even if you consider her as your best friend."

Amelia nodded slowly, the seriousness of his words not lost on her, "Of course. I wouldn't tell her anything you wouldn't want me to. But...why are you not revealing your past to Aunty Grace and those girls? It's not like they can betray you even if they wanted to."

Shaking his head slowly, Asher's voice was low, filled with a resignation born of past pains, "For what? My past wouldn't help us. The only reason I revealed it to your parents is because I didn't want them to suspect our relationship and because I needed their help and also..."

"You also needed a family whom you could trust on this side," Amelia interjected, her voice soft yet carrying a depth of understanding, "Right now, they don't really know who you are. When the news of Thundering Reaper's attack spread, they grew anxious and must have thought like Rachel because you are the only demon they know who could bring over another demon. Even if they didn't say anything like Rachel, they must have been anxious or worried for at least a second that they might be helping an evil demon kill innocents in this world and terrorize everyone. After all, you are the demon king in their eyes, no matter what you say. As humans and as your soul-servant, they must have felt very scared or guilty for being part of the tragedy that happened and the tragedies that could happen in the future."

The muscle in Asher's jaw clenched visibly as Amelia continued, her words striking deep, "But if they know who you really were and why you are doing this, they will never again doubt you, just like me. They will put their entire soul and heart into it since your death was undeserved."

"It isn't that easy for me, Amelia," Asher's voice suddenly dropped to a whisper, his demeanor shifting as he looked at her with a mixture of frustration and vulnerability, "It's easier for me to reveal my past to demons, but to humans like you and your parents, you have no idea how much desperation I felt to reveal it. I needed you by my side, and that is why I told you. But the others...be it any human, when they know who I was and what I have become now..." His voice trailed off, his expression one of internal struggle before he sighed heavily, "Forget it. I have contacted my friend Mikhail in Russia to ask him to pressure his government to make sure the other countries won't easily give into the WHA's temptations. Maybe it should buy us some time until we track Thundering Reaper now that I have also instructed Rachel to collect the mana signature left by her in Finland. Maybe Grace can use it to track her. I will see you later," Asher concluded, his tone resigned yet resolute as he turned to leave.

"Asher..." Amelia's voice lingered in the air, a quiet plea left unspoken. She wanted to stop him, to say more, but she held back, understanding perhaps better than anyone the burdens that shackled him to silence.