Seeing

Aina buried her little face deep into the soft feather pillow, refusing to let Xia Lun see her expression, as if she could hide all her embarrassment and shyness this way.

But Xia Lun wanted to see.

Xia Lun leaned in close, his warm breath brushing against her ear. His hands quietly reached around from behind, cupping Aina's face in his palms.

"Xia—Lun—"

Aina deliberately drew out her words, voicing her displeasure, but her reddening earlobes and burning cheeks betrayed her true feelings.

"I'm here. What is it, my Lord Demon King?" Xia Lun let go of Aina with a cheerful smile.

"Don't look!" Aina's small hands immediately covered her flushed face—but not completely. Her coy, half-hearted resistance was even more tantalizing than outright confession.

"Let me see... just one glance." Xia Lun's voice carried a mesmerizing charm. "Let me get a good look at you."

"No!"

"Aina... can I at least hold your hand?" Xia Lun persisted, trying to trick her into moving her hands.

Aina's voice came out muffled through her fingers: "Dream on! Do you think I'm that easy to fool?"

"Lord Demon King, I wish to kiss the back of your hand to pledge my loyalty," Xia Lun said, lifting a strand of her hair and gently kissing it, offering a condition Aina couldn't refuse.

"Ugh—" Aina instantly fell into hesitation.

Xia Lun looked smug and triumphant, as if he had successfully executed his scheme—he knew his wife all too well.

"Xia Lun, if you truly wish to show your loyalty, kissing the top of my foot would also do, and I think you might even prefer that." Aina peeked at him through her fingers and whispered.

Xia Lun froze mid-motion.

When would Aina ever get rid of this ridiculous stereotype?

A moment later, Xia Lun grabbed Aina's wrist in frustration and pinned her down onto the bed. Aina gasped, her silver hair spreading across the pillow like flowing moonlight.

"I'm still resting!" Aina struggled weakly beneath Xia Lun.

Xia Lun finally got to see Aina's dazed eyes and the tip of her tongue gently protruding.

His hands couldn't resist starting to wander again.

Unfortunately, things didn't develop the way Xia Lun had scripted...

"Hmph!"

With a delicate snort, Aina unleashed a surge of powerful magic, and Xia Lun immediately calmed down.

He had no choice but to comply—his entire body was bound by magical chains, and he could only squirm on the bed like a worm.

"Do you really like being tied up by me, Xia Lun?" Aina narrowed her eyes, her fingertips lightly tracing his cheek, letting out a faint, mocking laugh like a bandit humiliating a hostage.

"Ai—na—" Xia Lun drew out her name, trying to struggle, but found his body completely powerless.

"I'm here. What is it, my hero?" Aina beamed, utterly unbothered by Xia Lun's barely veiled threat.

"If I ever become stronger than you in the future, I'll take back today's humiliation—and everything before it—with interest," Xia Lun said through gritted teeth.

"Oh? Xia Lun, having dreams is a good thing... but achieving them doesn't seem very likely." Aina lay down as well, facing him directly. "I won't just humiliate you today or in the past—I'll keep humiliating you from now on too, my dear Xia Lun."

Aina kissed Xia Lun on the lips, and the wings behind her back fluttered happily, as if she was in a good mood.

Watching Xia Lun bound by magical chains, still twisting restlessly in defiance, Aina lifted her pale little foot and waved it in front of him: "Behave yourself until I've rested. If you dare to move again, I'll stuff my fragrant little foot right into your mouth."

It was the first time Xia Lun had ever heard anyone describe their own foot with such a term. Truly worthy of the Lord Demon King.

But still, Xia Lun settled down.

He wanted to cling to the last shred of his dignity.

What Aina said was no joke—this capricious Demon King always meant what she said.

If she said she’d stuff it, she probably really would...

Xia Lun swallowed hard. That kind of thing was something he only ever fantasized about. He couldn’t actually accept Aina doing that to him... Otherwise, he’d never be able to hold his head up in front of her again.

A man had to have limits. He couldn’t just easily surrender to his desires.

“But why did Mian and the others dream of the goddess?”

Now that only his mouth could move freely, Xia Lun quickly started a new topic.

“Who knows? It seems Aise had contact with the goddess long before this.” Aina conjured a water mirror, its surface rippling faintly, but no image appeared within—the dream seemed to have ended. “Still, Aise himself doesn’t seem to know, either. Maybe the goddess erased his memory.”

Aina’s ability to manipulate memory was actually inherited from the goddess.

No matter how hard others tried or how talented they were, they could never learn such an outrageous spell as erasing memories.

Only Xia Lun—whose magical understanding was utterly hopeless—would ever think such a thing could be explained by ordinary magic.

Was the goddess really guiding events from the shadows all along?

And they had been kept in the dark the whole time.

Could it be that Aise’s current fate was truly a deliberate result of the goddess’s guidance?

Why would she do that? Aise was her own son. Would she really violate her own principles over something like that?

Xia Lun took a deep breath, his face showing some pain and reluctance.

He still found it hard to believe. The goddess he remembered would never do such a thing.

Even from what he had glimpsed in the water mirror—amid the goddess’s memories—there was nothing suspicious about her words or actions.

“The goddess... what is she really thinking?” Xia Lun murmured to himself.

“Don’t worry, and don’t think about that bitch anymore... Just keep your eyes on me, Xia Lun.” Aina knelt in front of him, her fingers tilting his chin upward.

Bound as he was, looking up from this angle, all he could see was Aina...

And he saw it.

After all, the two of them were still in the nude.

Xia Lun swallowed hard again.

“You’re full of energy, aren’t you, Xia Lun?” Aina laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

Clearly, Aina had seen it too.

Xia Lun twisted his body restlessly once more, but the invisible magical chains held him tight.

“Alright, alright, I’ll let you loose now... so impatient.” Aina let out a coy reproach, and like a beast freed from its cage, Xia Lun lunged forward.

“So eager, Xia Lun... Are you really that obsessed with me?” Aina’s wings softly wrapped around him.

“You don’t like it? Should I hold back a little?” Xia Lun paused slightly.

Aina’s fingers slipped into his hair, her voice fading softly. “No need… you can be even more unrestrained, it doesn’t matter…”