"Let's properly introduce ourselves now! My name is Uranus An!"
Lucien stood up, extending his hand with a bright smile.
"I… I'm Emilia."
Emilia rose and lightly grasped his hand, shy but polite.
"I'm Puck, Liya's contracted spirit," the small spirit added, raising his hand without noticing anything unusual about Lucien.
"Then I'll call you Liya from now on, and Puck too," Lucien said with ease. He had a bold familiarity—conquering a heroine like Emilia required confidence, and he was determined to play his part convincingly.
Lucien was confident in his acting skills. If he failed to make Natsuki Subaru lose the affection of his loved ones and ruin his connections, he would have no recourse. He was resolved to be the schemer, no matter what.
Emilia's cheeks flushed slightly at being called Liya, a name so intimate that only Puck had used it before.
"Liya, Puck, please take care of me from now on!" Lucien said earnestly.
"I…" Emilia was dazed, struggling to keep up with Lucien's quick pace.
"Oh, right! I once visited a country with exceptionally delicious food. I'll take you there," Lucien said, swiftly changing the subject, taking Emilia's hand, and running from the alley toward the outskirts.
"Puck, hurry and follow," he called.
"Okay," Puck responded, intrigued rather than confused.
Half an hour later, they reached a clear river on the outskirts. A small bonfire burned inside a circle of stones, with hot and sour beef noodles steaming in a pan above it. Emilia and Puck sat on nearby rocks, curiously watching Lucien manage the cooking with practiced efficiency.
"You two, try some," he said, distributing bowls and forks as soon as the noodles were ready.
"These are instant noodles. Eat them while they're hot!" Lucien took a bite first, indicating it was safe.
Truthfully, he was already tired of this flavor. A thousand boxes of hot and sour beef noodles had been drawn in the third natural year of the Demon Slayer world. Lucien had eaten hundreds before finally growing weary, and they had remained in his Golden Finger space until now.
Seeing him eat with such relish, Emilia looked at Puck, who nodded in encouragement. Tentatively, Emilia tasted the noodles.
After the first bite, both Emilia and Puck's eyes lit up. The sour, spicy, and chewy combination was exceptionally delicious.
After the meal, the atmosphere between them felt noticeably closer.
"Here!" Lucien produced two cans of Red Bull and handed them to the pair.
"Oh, right. They taste even better chilled," he said.
"Chilled? Watch me." Puck held the can, and a cold aura emanated from his hands, chilling the drink instantly.
"Phew…" Lucien took a deep gulp, exhaling heavily. Then, a faint smile curved his lips. "It's been a long time since I ate like this with anyone. Thank you for keeping me company."
"No… we should be thanking you," Emilia said quickly, waving her hand.
---
Half an hour later, at a busy street intersection, Ram watched Emilia with sharp eyes. How long had she been gone? And who was this man accompanying Emilia?
"Hello, you must be Ram, whom Liya mentioned!" Lucien greeted politely, extending his hand.
"My name is Uranus An," he added smoothly, though Ram merely glanced at him coldly.
"Ram," she acknowledged curtly.
Emilia opened her mouth to explain, but Lucien waved it off. He was tolerant of those around the woman he loved.
"Emilia-sama, the matter has been resolved. We can return to the mansion now," Ram said, her tone still distant.
"En, okay." Emilia nodded. Puck, too, tired from the day, returned to the green magic crystal embedded in Emilia's chest.
"Why are you following us?" Ram demanded after leaving the town, frowning at Lucien's presence.
"Liya is a fated encounter in my life. From now on, I will protect her!" Lucien said dramatically, completely unabashed.
Ram didn't reply but looked to Emilia, her expression full of silent questions. Emilia hung her head, uncertain how to respond. After sharing noodles and conversation, she had allowed Lucien to stay by her side, mainly because she couldn't bear to see his sad expression. And Lucien needed to find his lost friend Kyojuro's family and other spirits, so… she had agreed.
"Sigh…" Ram finally gave a quiet exhale and continued walking. What else could she do?
The trio gradually left the town, following a path into the forest. Beyond this stretch lay the mansion.
Suddenly, pairs of glowing, blood-red eyes appeared in the shadows. Large, bull-like demon beasts with saliva dripping from sharp fangs surrounded them.
"Be careful, they are the demon beasts Wolgarm," Emilia warned, tensing up with Ram.
"Roar!" The demon beasts charged forward.
Emilia raised her hands, summoning floating ice cones in front of her, while Ram's arms were surrounded by spiraling winds.
"Bang! Bang!" The first wave of beasts was hurled backward, crashing to the ground. Despite their injuries, they quickly regained footing and attacked again without fear.
A demon beast lunged at Lucien, but an ice cone from Emilia struck first. Her face was set with determination. "I will protect you."
Lucien's lips curved into a faint smile. How many demon beasts could there be?
Ten minutes later, both Emilia and Ram were pale, their breathing heavy. The demon beasts only seemed to multiply. Lucien, however, remained largely unscathed, protected by their skill. Every time a beast lunged, Emilia blocked it before he could intervene.
"Puck…" Emilia tried to summon the spirit, but there was no response.
"Whoosh…" A sudden cold light streaked toward Emilia's neck.
In a blink, Lucien leaped, catching her and twisting. His back was torn open in a gruesome wound, flesh and bone exposed, blood gushing.
"Lucien!" Emilia gasped.
"I'm fine," he said with a strained smile. He turned to face Elsa, who held a sharp blade.
"Oh my, we meet again," Elsa purred, glancing at Lucien, then Emilia, licking her lips.
"It's you," she said with a yandere intensity. "There's always a protector. How enviable!"
A whirlwind from Ram's attack struck, but Elsa dodged with ease.
"Roar!" The demon beasts attacked again, converging on Ram and Lucien, while Elsa charged at Emilia.
"Bang! Bang!" Ice shields and snowflakes shattered under the assault, leaving Emilia increasingly vulnerable.
"Die!" Elsa's sharp blade descended toward Emilia's head.
At the last moment, Lucien appeared, pushing Emilia aside. Blood spurted from a deep gash across his chest.
Even in such self-inflicted pain, he smiled faintly. This was truly exhilarating for a pervert—pain endured for her safety was nothing.