CH 35

the intensity of the monster waves was diminishing, but they couldn’t afford to relax this summer. after helping stabilize the frontlines and tending to the wounded, the members of the church of light planned to venture into the depths of the sapphire forest.

before departing, prince harry, who was persistent as ever, tried to persuade lucifer to take him along. fortunately, lucifer remained resolute, and in the end, prince harry gave up but asked lucifer to have a more in-depth discussion with him regarding the scriptures before leaving.

as he watched lucifer and prince harry engage in their discussion indoors, pei xia quietly closed the door for them. he turned away, but his face bore a troubled expression.

pei xia was troubled to the point that he started losing hair.

he really wished he could find someone to talk to and seek advice. the last time princess eva’s suggestion worked well, praising lucifer while switching from white lotus green tea to rose red tea, and he didn’t seem to mind it!

pei xia decided to consult her again regarding his new problem.

inside the room, lucifer, who was casually chatting with prince harry, suddenly became absent-minded. his gaze shifted to the door, his slender and fair fingers resting on the pages of a book, without turning them for quite some time.

“your grace? lucifer?” prince harry asked a question, but seeing that he was not responding, he raised his voice to wake him up.

“your grace, what happened just now?”

lucifer nodded slightly, a faint smile on his face almost imperceptible. he seemed to have just noticed prince harry in front of him and responded with a polite yet somewhat distant attitude, “i apologize, i got lost in thought.”

prince harry looked at him with admiration and said, “your concern for your subordinates truly makes me feel ashamed, your grace. you are the guiding light in my life.”

lucifer’s expression remained unchanged, as if he had little reaction to his praise. prince harry felt somewhat uncomfortable under his gaze and coughed lightly, “perhaps, sir knight has gone to the kitchen again. after all, he always cares deeply about you.”

upon hearing this, the curvature of lucifer’s lips became slightly more apparent. his fingers tapped lightly on the book pages, and his tone carried a hint of delight, “you’re right, perhaps he has gone to the kitchen again. let’s wait here for him.”

prince harry chuckled wryly and waved his hand, saying, “if sir knight serves up another ‘healing’ soup, i might have to run away immediately.”

lucifer smiled and replied, “i will protect you.”

the shadow at their feet followed the contours of the buildings and trees, silently making its way to the kitchen. upon seeing the kind-hearted knight busy in the kitchen, it reported back to its master in an obsequious manner.

[my great master, your predictions were absolutely correct. lord pei xia is indeed cooking soup!]

the smile in lucifer’s eyes became even more evident, and he summoned the shadow demon back.

prince harry didn’t understand why he was so delighted and asked with a silly grin, “what are you thinking about that makes you so happy?”

lucifer was a bit surprised. he slightly parted his lips and looked at prince harry before asking, “do i appear happy?”

“of course, your smile is so charming, just like the bright moon in the night sky.”

lucifer raised his hand gently, silencing prince harry in an amusing manner.

the saintly figure with a smile in his eyes crossed his legs elegantly and lightly traced his fingers over the book pages. he said, “no, you’re mistaken. in reality, i’m quite distressed.”

prince harry asked, “what are you distressed about?”

lucifer sighed lightly and, in a rather good mood, explained to prince harry, “pei xia is always overly concerned about me, like with this ‘healing’ soup. even if i make excuses to decline, this young man continues to strive. it’s quite distressing, to be honest.”

prince harry: “…”

lucifer raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, “what would you like to say?”

prince harry replied, “i mean, if you don’t say it, it’s really impossible to guess that you’re distressed.”

lucifer smiled without saying a word.

prince harry rubbed his nose and asked, “can’t you be more firm in your refusal?”

the kind-hearted lord merely shook his head nonchalantly and said, “that doesn’t align with my style.”

prince harry: “ah?”

lucifer added, “besides, i don’t really want to make him sad.”

prince harry: “you seem to care a lot about pei xia.”

“do i?” lucifer seemed somewhat surprised.

“yes.”

“you’re overthinking it. he’s my knight, and my concern for him is simply that of companions.”

although prince harry still felt that something was off, he wisely chose not to pursue the topic further. why bother clarifying everything? let them be confused for a lifetime; it might actually be to his advantage.

prince harry changed the subject and continued chatting with lucifer, seizing the opportunity to praise and flatter him to raise his favorability. however, for some reason, lucifer’s responses seemed rather indifferent.

after a while, lucifer became even more distant, looking toward the door as if waiting for something.

prince harry almost immediately guessed, “are you waiting for pei xia?”

“yes.” lucifer furrowed his brows slightly. he’s been away for too long.

“perhaps he got delayed with something.”

“maybe.”

lucifer absentmindedly read books with prince harry, but in private, he sent the shadow demon out for another round of reconnaissance.

[reporting to the great master, lord pei xia has left the kitchen!]

‘he’s left? then why hasn’t he come over?’

[where did he go?]

the shadow demon stammered and shivered under lucifer’s oppressive gaze, answering, “[he seemed to be carrying something and went elsewhere.]”

lucifer: “…”

with his white robe as pure as snow and his shining golden hair, he, the embodiment of the light itself, suddenly stood up and closed the book before him with a snap.

prince harry looked up at him and sensed the increasingly tense atmosphere.

“your highness, i believe you’ve absorbed enough of the lessons you’ve been studying recently. perhaps it’s time for you to leave.”

prince harry felt puzzled, “are you not feeling well?”

the once-beautiful but now inexplicably intimidating saint, with a cold expression, gently raised his head and said, “you should leave.”

prince harry couldn’t fathom why lucifer’s attitude had changed so quickly, but he didn’t dare to ask more questions and obediently left.

afterward, the room was empty, with only lucifer remaining.

he walked around the empty room for a while, then stood by the window and quietly conversed with something unseen, “tell me the truth, is he not as concerned about me lately?”

[“not at all. i see that lord pei xia still cares deeply about you!”]

lucifer smiled inscrutably and lightly tapped his boots, free from any speck of dust, on the shadow beneath him. “is that so? but when i was unconscious, he seemed quite composed.”

the shadow demon continued to crawl to the side discreetly while answering in a hushed tone, “[perhaps it’s because you’ve fainted so many times, lord pei xia has gotten used to it.]”

“is that so?”

lucifer picked up a strand of his own long hair, unconsciously twirling the bright golden strands around his finger. “maybe it’s time for a change. simple fainting spells no longer seem to affect the heart of a holy knight.”

[“indeed, my great master, you are truly wise!”]

lucifer: “i haven’t even said anything yet.”

shadow demon: “…”

lucifer released his finger, pushing back the disheveled hair behind his ear, then adjusted his attire. he resumed his refined and pure image, saying, “alright, tell me, where did he go?”

[“it seems that lord pei xia went to find princess eva.”]

lucifer’s smile stiffened briefly, and then he pushed open the door, determined to give his holy knight a piece of advice, ‘your tonic seems to be too stimulating for a princess!’

in princess eva’s reception room, pei xia was seated opposite her.

between them, there was a ceramic pot filled with steaming sugar water.

princess eva: “pei xia, i feel like i don’t really need this.”

pei xia smiled at her and said, “i understand. as a woman, you don’t have the same needs as a man, so i’ve prepared a simple sugar water for you. i heard from your maids that you’ve been experiencing abdominal pain, and you’ve been fighting on the battlefield recently. i greatly admire you, so i made this as a small token of my appreciation. in my hometown, many girls drink this kind of beverage during special times to alleviate discomfort.”

princess eva cautiously lifted the lid of the ceramic pot and saw the translucent deep red liquid inside, with no strange pieces of meat, which relieved her. she asked carefully, “may i ask what ingredients are in it?”

pei xia replied, “it contains brown sugar, ginger, roses, and red dates, provided by local merchants.”

it all sounded quite normal, but eva had never drunk a beverage made from these ingredients together before. she curiously took a sip, and the taste was pleasantly sweet with a hint of spiciness. it wasn’t bad at all, and the warmth it brought to her stomach made her feel cozy.

the persistent pain in her lower abdomen was alleviated, allowing her previously curled-up body to relax a bit.

“thank you very much,” princess eva said, taking a few more sips and then putting down the spoon with a sigh. “i feel much better now.”

pei xia also smiled and said, “actually, i’ve come to disturb you for another reason. i have some questions about relationships that i’d like to seek answers to. i haven’t met many girls here, and i thought of you as someone who is thoughtful, intelligent, and brave, so i hope to get your advice.”

“please go ahead,” princess eva said, curious.

“well, it’s like this. my friend has some doubts about relationships. he’s had several opportunities, but none of them seemed to develop into anything meaningful. even when it seemed like there was a potential connection, he didn’t feel much interest,” pei xia explained.

“are you sure he’s interested in women?” eva asked.

“i believe so,” pei xia replied. “he might have some underlying health issues.”

eva slapped the table and said, “that might be it!”

pei xia was shocked and thought about lucifer’s behavior. he remembered how lucifer had flirted with many women in the original story but never crossed any lines. could it be that lucifer was unable to perform?

he looked at eva in amazement and quickly asked, “but even if he has physical issues, his soul should still be fine. how can i encourage him to interact with women he might have a connection with?”

eva looked at him strangely and asked, “why are you so concerned about him?”

pei xia scratched his head, feeling a bit awkward, unsure of how to explain to eva.

actually, in the original story, the next person who had an ambiguous relationship with lucifer was an elven girl. after they met, because she had feelings for lucifer, the elven girl believed he was a good person and brought him to the core territory of the forest elves, leading to the development of the plot.

now, with lucifer in this state, it’s unlikely that anything will develop with the elven girl, and pei xia is very troubled by this.

furthermore, in the subsequent plot, when they encounter danger, the elven girl fearlessly saves lucifer. if she didn’t like him, she wouldn’t have gone to save him, and lucifer would be in trouble!

unable to reveal the real reason, pei xia sighed lightly and said, “i just hope that this person can lead a peaceful and stable life. at the very least, he shouldn’t end up in a pitiful situation!”

princess eva looked at him, and for some reason, her eyes became a little moist. she took the initiative to hold pei xia’s hand and said, “pei xia, why do you have to be like this? if you care so much, don’t push him towards someone else; you should go for it yourself! i believe your sincerity will surely touch the people around you, and when that happens, i and everyone else will bless you!”

pei xia was taken aback and asked, “what?”

just then, a maid rushed in hurriedly and said, “your highness, the holy son has come to visit!”

“huh? why did he come over?”

before she could finish her sentence, lucifer followed closely behind the maid and appeared. he brought with him the bright sunshine and a pleasant breeze, entering the room with a commanding presence.

his face bore a gentle and polite smile, but it froze when he saw pei xia and princess eva holding hands.

“my lord, why did you come over?” pei xia didn’t think too much, stood up in surprise, and went to greet him. “is there something you need? i’m sorry; i forgot the time and didn’t return in time.”

“no, pei xia, i just heard that you brought something for princess eva, so i came to remind you that the soup you made is better not to…”

his words came to an abrupt halt as he saw what was in front of princess eva—a jar of clear, ginger-scented sugar water.

pei xia scratched his head, puzzled, and asked, “not to what?”

lucifer blinked his beautiful large eyes and looked at pei xia seriously, unable to stop himself from asking, “why is there such a big difference between what you gave me and what you gave her?”

pei xia was taken aback and didn’t know what he was concerned about. could it be that he still felt guilty about those five little monsters?

he quickly explained, “because you are a strong man.”

it’s because of insufficient yang energy, a weak body that needs kidney strengthening…

lucifer clenched his teeth, held pei xia’s hand, and smiled brightly, “i think we should set off now. the secrets within the sapphire forest need us to unravel them.”

“now?” pei xia was somewhat surprised.

“yes, now!”

with that, he bid farewell to princess eva, then took pei xia’s hand and briskly walked out of the room.

“my lord, isn’t this a bit too rushed?” pei xia asked as he stumbled behind him.

“no.” lucifer suddenly stopped, but the holy knight, who was being dragged along, couldn’t brake in time and bumped into him.

his nose hit painfully, and tears welled up in his eyes. pei xia reached up to cover his nose, his eyes blurred as he looked ahead.

they were behind an unpopulated wall, and lucifer calmly turned to face his holy knight, elegantly raising his right hand to wipe the tears from pei xia’s face with his thumb. his voice carried a hint of a smile but also a strange sense of displeasure, “i’m sorry for making you cry.”

“it’s not your fault, your grace.”

as lucifer wiped his tears away, pei xia felt uncomfortable and nervous. he instinctively tried to turn his head away, but that slightly cool hand followed and firmly cradled his cheek.

pei xia held his breath and dared not move.

lucifer calmly wiped away the teardrops from the corners of his eyes and then withdrew his hand as if everything was back to normal.

pei xia’s heart beat strangely, and he couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling at this moment. the atmosphere between them was incredibly subtle.

lucifer looked at him and tilted his head slightly, asking, “pei xia, do you have any objections to me?”

pei xia vigorously shook his head, “no, absolutely not!”

“is that so?”

pei xia: “yes!”

lucifer sighed lightly, “then, about you and princess eva…”

“i was just asking her for advice on how to pursue someone else. i swear to you, i absolutely didn’t lie! i just omitted the target,” pei xia explained earnestly.

lucifer said, “is that so.”

“yes! please, you must believe me.”

looking at the pitiful holy knight with his anxious and cautious demeanor, lucifer knew he wasn’t lying. however, knowing the truth only made him feel more downhearted.

to think that he was seeking advice from a princess on how to pursue someone else. pei xia, pei xia, you really…

lucifer clenched his teeth and decided that tomorrow he would change his approach! he had to make pei xia admit defeat before he successfully pursued someone else!

but who had caught his eye?

lucifer couldn’t guess, and this made him even more unhappy.

the group of light worshipers, led by the holy son, began their journey into the interior of the sapphire forest. because their destination was inside the forest, and they would need to return later, they left their carriage in the city of atna. everyone was riding horses, including lucifer.

when they departed, the citizens of atna, along with the prince and princess, stood on the city walls to bid them farewell.

prince harry waved with tears in his eyes, “oh, may the light god bless the holy son and keep him safe!”

princess eva looked at her brother in silence and poked him, “brother, you should give up early.”

prince harry: ????

under the city walls, the group began to make their way into the forest. they had set out during the day to avoid the monster tide, and at this time, the sapphire forest appeared calm and harmonious.

even though there were small animals scurrying around, it wasn’t as frenzied as during the monster tide.

lucifer was protected in the middle of the group, with pei xia on his right, standing very close to him.

they traveled for a day, and as dusk approached, the monsters within the forest began to stir, so the group decided to find a safe place to stop and rest.

lucifer stood at a high point, looking down at the monsters surging toward atna city and then at the direction from which they were charging into the forest. he nodded and said: “indeed, there is an evil presence deep within the forest, and it becomes more pronounced in the evening, inciting the monsters to madness and fear.”

“dear holy son, please take a rest, and we can venture deeper tomorrow.”

“wait!” lucifer suddenly saw something and jumped down to the edge of the monster tide.

pei xia was taken aback and quickly reached out to grab him, “it’s dangerous!”

“it’s okay, what’s important is this.”

lucifer rescued an injured little rabbit from under the monsters’ feet.

he cradled the injured rabbit in his hands, looking at pei xia with a compassionate expression, “such a pitiful little life, suffering from such serious injuries, it must be in pain.”

pei xia said, “your heart is truly kind!”

lucifer carried the rabbit back to the safe high ground, treating its wounds gently, and then let it go. he looked at pei xia with anticipation.

pei xia didn’t understand why he was being looked at like this. after some thought, he slowly clapped his hands.

lucifer was exasperated and tried to guide him gently, “what do you think of that rabbit?”

pei xia swallowed and involuntarily said, “it looks very delicious.”