Jaekiel briefly sensed the Emperor's presence, but there was nothing more,
and he spent the whole day in the Demon Realm.
However, what woke him up was a subtle sensation.
Something soft and moist was tickling his feet. It was enough to wake him
up, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a head resting on his foot.
"…"
For a moment, he was speechless.
Akne was lying on her stomach, licking Jaekiel's feet in every corner, as if
she were caressing the most precious thing in the world with her mouth.
Then, as if noticing that Jaekiel had woken up, her sunset-colored eyes
swiftly moved to meet his.
"Husband, are you awake?"
Jaekiel quickly pulled his foot away in shock.
The moment he opened his eyes, he was faced with an unimaginable scene.
It was enough to shock him.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Then Akne finally rinsed her mouth with the water she had placed nearby.
Jaekiel's left foot, covered in her saliva, felt cold and uncomfortable.
"As you can see, I was washing your feet."
"I'm not asking because I didn't know that."
Jaekiel responded with disbelief.
"Why were you licki—?"
Jaekiel was about to ask why she was licking someone's feet, but the
question itself was so absurd that he couldn't continue.
However, Akne calmly answered.
"When we were sightseeing in the city yesterday, it seemed like you were
lost in other thoughts. My heart was so disappointed… so I decided to make
myself more beautiful and serve you. That's why I did this."
When Jaekiel sensed the Emperor's presence and thought about him, Akne
was fully aware of that moment. Her sensitivity was extraordinary.
'She is truly focusing all her mind on me.'
If Jaekiel was planning things secretly in the Demon Realm, there would be
tasks that needed to be carried out discreetly, but Akne's curiosity made it
difficult.
"Don't do this again. It's fine."
"Next time, should I wash your feet somewhere else? There's a cleaner
place, and I'm confident about it."
This was beyond reason, and there was no way to persuade her logically. He
decided to change the subject.
Unlike yesterday, the walls were now covered with spider webs, but not just
any ordinary webs. Jaekiel pointed at it with his chin and asked.
"What's that?"
"I made a city blueprint. Atra is not only our home but also a city that will
eventually rise to become the capital of the Demon Realm. I need to explain
it in detail."
Jaekiel finally took a closer look at the spider webs.
An ordinary map is just flat, but what Akne had made from the webs was a
three-dimensional blueprint.
Even someone who hadn't visited here could immediately grasp the
structure of the city. It seemed that she had a great depth of knowledge in
designing things.
Akne smiled subtly.
"I made it as detailed as possible so that when you make changes to the city
later, it will be helpful. This way, we can change it according to our tastes."
"Atra is the city you've worked so hard to build, and you're saying I can
change it however I want?"
"Of course. My body and heart are yours, so naturally, this city belongs to
you too, doesn't it?"
From Jaekiel's perspective, it wasn't such a bad offer. He now had the
chance to influence a city in the Demon Realm.
'If I change it in a way that benefits the continent… '
This city had many buildings with incredible technology, including a
Dimension Gate. If it were connected to the continent, it could become a
great strength.
Jaekiel didn't stop there and asked further.
"By any chance, can you make blueprints for other cities?"
"If you want, anything is possible."
That was even more remarkable.
After the Demon Realm was devastated, Jaekiel was likely the first human
to examine it so directly.
In other words, the continent still had no information about the current state
or structure of the Demon Realm.
…What if Jaekiel learned everything about it?
'The Emperor will definitely acknowledge this as a huge achievement.'
Already, the Sun Water appeared before him. It wasn't just a few drops; it
seemed to be in bottle quantities.
'I never imagined that coming to the Demon Realm would present such a
huge opportunity.'
A crisis is another form of opportunity.
Jaekiel felt that truth once again.
It felt like suddenly falling off a cliff while walking, but when the light
revealed the place, it was like finding a golden cave.
"…"
A surge of desire and motivation filled his heart. The worries and anxieties
buried deep inside were quickly replaced with excitement and curiosity.
Just as he was deeply lost in thought,
"Husband…?"
Akne cautiously glanced at Jaekiel.
"It seems like you were thinking about something else just now… Did my
licking your feet really upset you that much? I'm sorry…"
She suddenly apologized.
"Why are you lost in other thoughts with me right here? I'll do better. Ah,
should I dance for you? I've learned a few dances that will excite you."
As she spoke, she sat close to Jaekiel, rubbing her body against him.
"I was just a little tired."
Jaekiel responded shortly, pushing Akne away.
Instead, he asked something else.
"This city, Atra…"
"Yes?"
"Starting with the Dimension Gate, can I really change whatever I want?
Our tastes might not align, so I might change a lot."
"You've been thinking about this city, haven't you?!"
Akne's face lit up instantly.
Just moments ago, she had been nervously watching Jaekiel, but now she
was smiling brightly, like a child receiving a treat.
"If I get to live in a city that's filled with your tastes… Ah, just breathing
there will make my body feel hot. Please make it happen!"
The corner of her sunset-colored eyes curved into a smile.
"My body, my heart, this city… Please make them all reflect your tastes.
Ruin them as you wish."
As she spoke, Akne flung a spiderweb into the corner of the room, pulling a
garment towards her.
It was a loose-fitting garment.
It resembled clothing from Jaekiel's carefree days. The kind of outfit that
someone might wear to wander around aimlessly and drink all day.
"This is…"
"It's clothing that proves you're my husband. I've embroidered a spider
symbol on the shoulder, so wherever we go in the Demon Realm, people
will treat you as my equal."
"And?"
"Wear it for me. Right now."
Swish!
It was a request, but she used the spiderwebs to forcibly change Jaekiel's
clothes. It was practically coercion.
Clap, clap, clap. Akne clapped her hands.
"Wow, now you're dressed in the same outfit as me. Now, anyone who sees
us will recognize us as a proper couple. Just thinking about the demons who
will see us as a couple… Ah, the deepest part of my stomach is starting to
tingle again…"
She immediately grabbed Jaekiel's sleeve.
"Husband, let's go outside. Hurry up. Let's show everyone that we're
wearing matching couple outfits."
"Shall we?"
"You agreed immediately! Really? You mean it!"
Jaekiel surprisingly agreed easily.
He didn't particularly want to walk around with Akne.
Rather, he intended to observe the city's layout in order to make detailed
plans for how and where to make changes.
As usual, Akne tightly crossed her arms.
Seeing Akne so happy made Jaekiel feel a strange bitterness, mixed with
sympathy.
'What happened to Akne isn't her fault. The situation wasn't good, and the
Emperor's judgment… '
If Akne had been placed in a good environment, wouldn't she have grown
up like any other princess? Jaekiel hadn't forgotten his goal of reforming
Akne.
Just as they stepped outside,
"The new lord of Atra must appear at once and face me! How long do you
plan to keep me waiting?!"
A voice full of fury echoed loudly, and immediately Akne narrowed her
eyes.
"Han Shin has arrived? It seems he's planning to cause more trouble. He's
the lord of a neighboring city and especially dislikes you, husband."
However, Han Shin was not alone.
It seemed that he had gathered demons who shared his views, forming a
force that could almost be called a battalion.
Instead of a head, there was a violet flame burning in its place. A grotesque
demon immediately recognized Jaekiel.
"Pillar Husband! Finally showing yourself!"
He used the term "pillar husband."1
It seemed that Jaekiel's reputation had reached that level.
Han Shin raised his voice on purpose, naturally drawing attention to
himself. Jaekiel found it simply annoying.
'…I need to pinpoint the points to fix in the city.'
That was the only thought on his mind.
Irritated, Jaekiel spoke in a sharp tone.
"What's your problem?"
"What? Problem?"
Han Shin scoffed.
"It's not a problem, I've come to point out what you should be doing. How
can we not be concerned when a mere human becomes the lord of a
neighboring city? Show your love for the Demon Realm."
"What?"
"I know there's a massive Dimension Gate in Atra. If you're working as a
spy for the continent, we'll be in serious trouble."
Surprisingly, Han Shin was quite sharp. He had seen through Jaekiel's
plans.
"Show your affection for the Demon Realm, the demons, and the Spider
Goddess… show something."
"What will happen if I don't?"
"Among the demons, the Spider Goddess will be rejected."
Han Shin said this as if it were obvious.
"Who would trust the Spider Goddess after taking in someone who might
be a spy as her husband? Furthermore, Atra will be regarded as a remote
region of the Demon Realm. It's a perfectly reasonable measure for the
survival and peace of the Demon Realm."
As expected, Han Shin was arrogant but addressed the important points. He
wasn't a complete fool.
The Spider Goddess started pulling out her spiderwebs.
"Husband, stay still. I'll cut off Han Shin's limbs today and cheer you up."
"No."
However, Jaekiel stopped her.
The reason was simple. If he relied on Akne's power to get out of the
situation, it would keep happening.
─**Are you that pillar husband?
─**I heard you've been hiding behind the Spider Goddess's back.
─**Hey, you clueless human.
He could already hear their voices in his head. How troublesome would
Han Shin and others like him be in the future?
In other words, there was only one way to prevent this in advance.
It was for Jaekiel to handle it personally right here.
Fortunately, he had both the method and the confidence to do so.
He began drawing the nearby demonic energy toward himself. Of course,
he knew that demonic energy had the property of consuming anything it
touched.
However.
'I can freeze the demonic energy.'
Jaekiel's cold could freeze the demonic energy.
So, if he handled it delicately, it might be possible to use demonic energy
without it consuming him. The thought flashed across his mind, and he
immediately put it into action.
"Affection for the Demon Realm?"
Whoooosh!
Soon, the frozen demonic energy began to whirl around.
"I will handle demonic energy myself. Is there any greater proof than this?"