Witch's Daughter And The Devil's Son

Those teasing words brought Seren back to her senses and she moved her gaze from his chest back to his smirking face.

"I-I was just..." Luckily, her blushing face was covered with a veil. She didn't know what to say and then chose to gain back her composure. Once her husband was near enough, she noticed the small injuries on Drayce's body. "Dray, you are hurt."

Drayce wanted to say it was nothing but he loved the way she looked worried for him.

"Does it hurt?" she asked as she observed those cuts on his arms and chest, as well as the large bruises at the side of his stomach.

"Hmm, it hurts," he agreed.

With a displeased gaze, she then looked around them. "Then why are you just standing here? Let's first treat your wounds."

"Will my Queen herself treat it?" he asked, acting as if it really hurt.

She felt hesitant as she thought he needed to see a royal physician. "Umm, I can but I am not that good..."

"It's fine." He then held her hand and took her away with him under the gazes of the remaining crowd.

It was a popular rumour that the young king doted on his wife, but these were mostly spread by the servants working in their respective palaces since the two kept their personal lives quite private. Not to mention, for the ordinary people in the palace, the reputation of the Devil of Megaris made it hard for them to reconcile it to the image of a normal husband, much less a doting one.

The King who never looked at any woman before, refusing even the responsibilities for the sake of the royal bloodline, married not for political reasons but for love. He wasn't even hesitating to openly show his affection towards his new wife.

'I don't have much time,' Drayce thought and found a quiet corner in the knight barracks where he took confused Seren. After making sure no one was watching, he then held her firmly and their bodies disappeared from the shadows.

With a strong gust of wind, the two appeared inside the King's bedchamber.

Though startled, Seren was no longer surprised. Her body had somewhat adapted to his power and  didn't feel that exhausted after teleporting. Seren looked around the unfamiliar place and she could guess what place it must be.

"Is it your chamber?" Seren asked.

Seren already thought that the Queen's chamber was large and spacious, but compared to the King's chamber, it could be considered quaint and mediocre. His stone chamber was an extremely grand and luxurious room that took up an entire floor, with a personal study, a small gallery, several side rooms of important documents, rare books and his collection of weapons, among other things, attached to the main bedchamber. Despite the masculine earthy colors of the furniture, rather than a place to relax in, it gave a sense of its owner's display for his domineering collection of weapons and hunting trophies.

It was the first time Seren entered the King's chamber, and after seeing him nod, she wanted to take a proper look around--

But then she remembered why they left the training grounds. She had to treat Drayce.

"Your wounds, we need to--"

"Let me wash myself first," Drayce interrupted her as his body was sweaty and covered in dirt after the intense match.

Seren nodded while Drayce asked, "Would you like to help me bath?"

'This man would never let go of an opportunity to embarrass me.'

"Ah, no. I believe Your Majesty can do it faster without my help. Shall I call for your servants outside to attend to you?"

Drayce saw her flushed face. He let out a soft 'tsk' as he thought, 'still so shy,' and called out for his servants to fill in the bath.

After Drayce went to the side chamber to soak himself, Seren took that chance to observe Drayce's chamber.

Unlike Seren who merely accepted her room as it is since she came to Megaris, without changing its decorations up to her taste, this wasn't the case for Drayce. The interior of his chamber showed hints of his personality and bits of his past.

'So he collects not only swords, but spears and bows as well.'

She looked at the items on the shelves and the walls, trying to relate them to Drayce, wondering what stories each of them held.

'And his bed, this is the bed where he sleeps...well, ever since we married, I remember him sleeping with me every night.'

Her face turned pink behind her veil. She then wandered towards the mirror and imagined him standing in front of it. When she passed the window, she could picture him standing in front of it, solemnly looking at those distant mountains.

Meanwhile, by the time the young king came out of the square-shaped pool made out of volcanic rocks, his personal servant Orion was there to serve him. After realizing that his master had unknowingly disappeared, the man hurried back to the King's residence and was informed by his fellow servants of the King's whereabouts.

Orion quickly handed him a clean towel. Drayce accepted it and as he wiped himself dry, he looked at his body where he had cuts and bruises earlier. All the wounds had disappeared, causing him to frown.

'How come they heal so fast?' Drayce clenched his jaws.

His body's recuperation ability, he cursed it for the first time. He was planning to enjoy teasing his wife while she treated his wounds, but now, everything had turned to ashes because they had all healed on their own already. This was why he left the arena in a hurry, knowing he didn't have much time, but still...

He realized something. 'Him. It's him. He must have understood my intentions and healed my wounds. He wants to stop me from having some good time with her,' Drayce thought and then warned in his mind, 'Erebus, don't act so smart. When she called for you, you weren't even daring enough to face her. Stop messing with me, or else, I will forget my promise with you.'

He wrapped another towel around his waist and then looked at his attendant. "Give me your dagger."

Orion always carried a dagger with him. He pulled it out and handed it over to the King without asking a question. Drayce pulled that sharp dagger out of its sheath, and the next moment, he used it on himself. He duplicated the exact cuts on his body he got from the spar.

There was not a tinge of hesitation or pain on Drayce's face as if he was immune to pain.

His servant was shocked to see him going this far, but he dared not question the King.

After appreciating his 'masterpiece', Drayce then handed the dagger back to Orion. "You must remember the placements of the wounds on my back."

Orion nodded. "There were two."

Being the personal servant of the King, he took note of even the smallest details related to his master. Realizing his intentions, Orion accepted the dagger from the King and watched him turn around, openly showing his back to him.

Orion didn't hesitate as he was one of those close to Drayce who was aware of the reality of his master. He immediately replicated the cuts Slayer made on Drayce's back.

"Get the medicines needed to treat these wounds and hand them over to my wife in my bedchamber."

Orion bowed and left using the servant's door to follow the orders of his master. Though his master didn't need his wounds to be treated, Orion could guess the reason for his actions. He had never expected his cold master to have a romantic albeit silly side as well.

Cleaning the flowing blood just enough so his wife wouldn't suspect, Drayce went out of the bath with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. He was sure Seren wouldn't be able to tell that they were freshly-made wounds.