Chapter 526: The Key and the Lock, Modeus's Contract
Perona looked ready to spontaneously combust. Floating slightly above the pavement, she crossed her arms and glared at the empty air, her ghostly form vibrating with irritation. Those two absolute meatheads! She seriously wondered if their skulls were just hollowed out and stuffed with swords and whetstones. Two insufferable, bastard men who did nothing but swing blades all day! Neither of them had even bothered to hold a proper conversation with her. And now, looking at the current situation, it seemed a third bastard man had just been added to the roster.
Her method of deduction was flawlessly simple: Hawkeye was a bastard, Zoro was a bastard, therefore, anyone associating with them was undoubtedly a bastard too.
Lucifer and the rest of the girls had been wandering the evening streets for quite some time. Hiratsuka Shizuka and Sengoku Chihiro had already broken off from the group, citing early morning classes and a desperate need to finish their lesson plans before midnight.
Watching the retreating figures of Courage and Decora a little further up the road, Lucifer let out a soft chuckle. "Looks like we have two more interesting ones on our hands."
Up ahead, the two WGO inspectors stiffened, their faces flushing a deep shade of crimson. They had just realized the Queen of Hell was talking about them, but there was absolutely nothing they could do to defend themselves. Why did they have to act out some agonizingly slow romantic comedy trope instead of just being direct?
Lucifer tapped her chin, a mischievous glint in her crimson eyes. "The betting pool is officially open! How long do you think it will take those two to actually succeed? I'll go first. I bet one chocolate cookie on three months!"
Nakiri Mana considered the odds for a moment. "I'll follow your lead with one cookie. Six months."
"Sounds like a fun game," Rantabi chimed in, grinning. "I'll raise it to two cookies! Four months!"
Justice adjusted her aviator sunglasses, a cool smile resting on her lips. "As expected of you all, you really know how to make things interesting. Then I'll guess... one month. And I'll bet five cookies."
"Oh!" Lucifer clapped her hands. "As expected of the High Prosecutor! You never hold back. You're the highest bidder so far!"
"I just happen to believe in Ren's charm," Justice replied smoothly. "What about you, Cerberus? Got a prediction?"
Nami and the other girls tossed in a cookie or two just to join the fun. Hearing her name, the triplet demon practically vibrated with excitement. All three bodies raised their hands in unison.
"Me! Me, me, me!" Cerberus cheered. "I'll bet ten cookies! Two months!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Lucifer reached over and mercilessly pinched Cerberus's cheek. "Why are you even participating? You're a dog! You don't even eat chocolate!"
Cerberus froze, blinking in stunned silence. She opened her mouth to argue, then slowly realized Lucifer made an excellent point.
Justice pushed her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose. "Cerberus, do you even know what a 'month' is?"
"I don't know! I don't know! I don't know!"
Lucifer released the girl's cheek with a heavy sigh. "In a way... your sheer stupidity is almost impressive. Alright, excluding the walking hazard, the bets are locked in."
Checking the time on her phone, Lucifer gestured down the street. "Let's head back. It's getting late. Honestly, eating anything else right now just feels like a waste of stomach space."
Mana nodded in deep agreement. "It is not that the food out here is terrible. It simply feels as though ordinary dishes can no longer satisfy my palate on any meaningful level."
"You could just say he completely spoiled your tastebuds," Rantabi muttered under her breath.
A collective twitch rippled across the group's mouths, but no one could refute the translation. It was the absolute truth.
Lucifer cleared her throat, picking up her pace. "Let's hurry. I really want to see what Modeus and Ren are up to."
Beneath her confident exterior, Lucifer was genuinely sweating. Modeus was completely clueless about actual romance. She wouldn't do anything insanely bold right out of the gate, would she? If she actually pulled something off, Lucifer would have to reevaluate everything she knew about the Lust Demon.
The atmosphere in the bedroom was heavy, thick with a lingering, heated tension.
Ren sat on the edge of Modeus's bed, the sheets tangled around his waist. He stared down at his forearm, tracing the complex, glowing mark of a key that had just been burned into his skin.
"This method of making a contract..." Ren exhaled a long breath. "It really is something else."
Modeus lay beside him, her flushed face half-buried in the pillows. "In our race, each person only possesses one key to open their own lock. Ren... you remember what you promised, right? I want to stay with you. Always."
Ren glanced back at her, his expression softening but still carrying a hint of skepticism. "Did you really go through with this contract just because Lucifer told you to?"
A pale hand slipped out from beneath the heavy covers, her fingers wrapping tightly around Ren's arm. Her grip was surprisingly strong.
"No... I didn't," Modeus whispered, her silver eyes locking onto his. "If I wasn't completely satisfied, I would have dragged myself back to Hell before ever signing my name to you."
"But you don't even know what liking someone actually means. You don't understand love."
A small, stunning smile graced Modeus's lips. "My key is in your hands now. I don't have any other choice. So, from now on, you have to teach me. You have to show me what love and liking really are." She shifted closer, the heat of her skin radiating against him. "But what I can be absolutely sure of is this... if your previous definition of liking someone is correct, then I like you, Ren."
Ren let out a quiet sigh, running a hand through his hair. "No matter how I look at it, this whole situation is absurd. But I suppose there is no going back now." He tilted his head, his gaze darkening slightly. "I won't let you fall for anyone else, either."
"Mm!" Modeus nodded eagerly. "Just like we agreed at the very beginning. I am yours. Do whatever you want with me!"
A dry chuckle escaped Ren's throat. "I have to admit, I didn't expect you to have such a... specific hidden attribute."
Modeus followed his gaze toward the nightstand, where a sleek, crimson leather whip rested innocently. Her face instantly burned a shade darker than the leather. She shrank down, pulling the covers all the way up until only her silver eyes peeked out.
"That is just another proof that I like you!" she mumbled defensively through the fabric. "I would never let anyone else touch that whip! Does... does it count as a token of love?"
"Right. I understand." Ren shook his head, amused. "Lucifer and the others should be getting back soon."
Modeus let out a long, shaky exhale, her body sinking deeper into the mattress. "Ren... I can't move. The after-effects of the ritual are way too intense. I feel like every bone in my body is falling apart."
"Aren't you demons supposed to know healing magic?"
"I refuse to use it!" Modeus protested, her voice muffled but fierce. "This ritual only happens once in a lifetime! How could I just erase the feeling of it?! That would be a massive waste! I am going to write about every single detail in my diary later!"
Ren stared at her. "What exactly are you going to write in a diary about this?"
"Things with deep commemorative significance must be properly documented!"
"If you say so." Ren looked back down at his arm. "Speaking of which, does this key mark of yours actually do anything? I feel like something is a bit off."
Modeus averted her eyes, her voice dropping to a whisper. "It doesn't have much of an effect..."
"Hm? Is that right? Is it just because I have too many contract marks on me now?"
"Mm! Yes, exactly! Maybe that is it!" Modeus coughed lightly, shifting the subject. "Ren... my throat is incredibly sore. I want some water."
Ren didn't press the issue. He stood up, throwing on his shirt, and headed for the door.
The moment the door clicked shut, Modeus pushed the covers down. A deeply satisfied smile spread across her face as she looked down at her own skin. Resting right over her heart was her exclusive demonic crest—a padlock, now permanently clicked open.
"I never thought the day would actually come," she murmured to the empty room, "where I would give my key away."
By the time Ren reached the ground floor, the front door was already opening. Lucifer and the rest of the group spilled into the hallway.
The moment Lucifer spotted him coming down the stairs, she abandoned the others and practically sprinted over.
"Is the contract finished?" she hissed, keeping her voice low.
Ren wordlessly raised his arm, showing her the glowing key mark burned into his flesh.
Lucifer stared at it, the corner of her eye twitching violently. She looked around the empty staircase. "Where is Modeus?"
"Her throat hurts," Ren replied casually. "She asked me to come down and get her a glass of water."
Lucifer's eye twitched again, this time much harder. Without another word, she bypassed him and bolted up the stairs, her heels clicking frantically against the wood.
Justice strolled over, her hands tucked into her pockets, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "Not bad, Ren. I honestly didn't expect Modeus to actually go through with signing a contract with you."
Ren paused, narrowing his eyes at the blind demon. "You knew?"
"Roughly, yes."
"You seem surprisingly fond of causing trouble."
Justice's smirk widened into a full grin. "The feeling is completely mutual. We really are a perfect match, aren't we?"
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Read on our site: Elysianreads[.]com or Check the link in my Webnovel Profile bio!
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL or Search AkarinTL on Patreon
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]