"Eek? Eek?!"
Liliana's blue eyes widened as Lucius's arm wrapped around her.
A flush of embarrassment spread across her pale cheeks, her delicate ears turning bright red.
"Your Majesty, I-I-I—"
The sudden intimacy of Lucius's gesture left her stunned, her mind momentarily blank.
Feeling the heat radiating from her face, Liliana knew she must look utterly mortified.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
But—
How could anyone stay calm in a situation like this?!
The knightly girl wailed inwardly.
The teasing, suggestive glances from those around her made her want to cry, her shame nearly overwhelming.
Lucius's warmth, the faint salty tang of blood on him, and the steady thud of his heartbeat…
Though Liliana appeared pure and professional, she had a slightly indulgent side.
In her free time, she occasionally read risqué knight novels and even penned some herself.
So, in this moment, her imagination was running wild, like a train speeding off the tracks.
Seeing her flustered state, Lucius gave her a look of mild exasperation.
He knew enough about her to guess what was racing through her mind.
His actions had been too abrupt, inviting misunderstanding.
As Liliana stood there, dazed, she felt a sudden weight on her shoulder.
It was as if… someone had shifted most of their weight onto her, using her as a crutch.
"Huh? Your Majesty?" Liliana blinked, turning to look.
Lucius's hand rested subtly on her shoulder, his face bearing a teasing smile.
But his eyes…
Their cold indifference snapped her out of her haze.
She wasn't dim-witted—just caught off guard.
She instantly understood his intent.
Though her embarrassment lingered.
"Liliana, take me to my new residence," Lucius said softly, leaning close to her ear.
"Y-Yes! Understood, Your Majesty. I'll take you there now," She replied, her body tensing briefly.
She realized something.
After battling a fellow Campione, though it wasn't obvious, the Devil King beside her was deeply weakened.
He might not even have the strength to walk.
Perhaps to preserve his dignity or to guard against opportunists, he was concealing his vulnerability.
That's why he used this gesture, leaning on her to mask his condition.
Understanding this, a sense of duty surged within Liliana.
She had already pledged loyalty to Lucius, and now she felt the weight of a knight's devotion to their lord.
She resolved not to betray the trust of the one she served.
"Your Majesty, the car is ready. This way," Liliana said, suppressing her embarrassment, proactively taking Lucius's arm and subtly supporting his weight.
Lucius's hand remained ready to uncork the bottle.
Noticing Liliana's cooperation, he relaxed slightly.
Compared to others, she seemed trustworthy enough.
There was no need for drastic measures.
Though his hand stayed on the bottle.
Using his worldview for mental suggestion wasn't too taxing.
But altering the world earlier had already strained his mind.
The mental suggestion nearly pushed him over the edge.
Without his pact with the demon, allowing him to call for aid, he wouldn't have dared such recklessness.
"You're pushing yourself too hard."
"Before fighting him, your mind was already fatigued from using process-skipping to study this world's magic systems."
"Using your worldview during the fight added even more strain."
"If you were at your peak, you wouldn't have ended up this battered."
"I don't understand why you're so desperate for power."
"My thirst for power is good for you, isn't it?" Lucius replied mentally, forcing his tired eyes open.
His chest, housing the heart crafted by Mozlis, beat slowly but strongly, channeling mana to heal his wounds and fatigue.
But mental exhaustion wouldn't ease quickly.
He needed a rare rest.
"Yes, your hunger for power might free me sooner than expected," Mozlis said, her tone reflective.
"But this relentless, insatiable drive—as if you fear falling behind—I don't get it."
"You don't understand?" Lucius's expression remained unchanged, nodding slightly. "Good. Your lack of understanding is for the best."
"Huh?" The demon loli sounded puzzled.
"Your Majesty, straight to the new residence?" Liliana asked cautiously from the driver's seat, glancing at Lucius in the passenger seat.
Lucius leaned back, eyes closed.
One hand rested in his coat, the other on his leg.
"Straight there," He answered without opening his eyes.
Then he added, "You just drive. I'll… rest for a bit."
***
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