Chapter 76: Misunderstanding

Kaan Tung and Usan’s wedding took place in October, during the crisp and clear days of autumn.

Alastor kept clamoring to be the best man, but Kaan Tung wanted me to be her maid of honor, which Samael was naturally unhappy about.

"I want to be the best man! I want to be the best man! Aurora..." Alastor wheedled.

I broke into a cold sweat.

"Not allowed," Samael snorted coldly.

"Why?!" Alastor cried out. "Unless... you want to be the best man yourself?" He squinted his eyes at Samael.

"Hmph," Samael answered him with a dismissive grunt.

"Hahaha, with your current height, you’re more suited to be a flower boy..." Alastor laughed, looking incredibly arrogant.

Samael transformed...

"Ah... Aurora... help!"

Watching the terrifying version of the Great Demon King Samael tossing fireballs at Alastor for fun, I was speechless.

The final result was that there was no need for a best man or maid of honor at all. Kaan Tung’s father insisted on an Oriental wedding, with a grand red bridal sedan chair to welcome the bride.

The bridal makeup was set to take place at the "Three Lifetimes of Fate" beauty parlor.

"Miss, your dress is so unique. Where did you have it custom-made?" Nana, the makeup artist, praised while applying foundation.

"I made it myself," Kaan Tung said with a shy smile.

"Oh! Really? It’s so beautiful."

"I have a tailor shop on Happiness Street. You’re welcome to visit sometime," Kaan Tung handed her a business card.

The makeup artist smiled. "I’ll definitely recommend it to other guests."

Wearing the fiery red wedding dress she had sewn with her own hands, Kaan Tung looked as beautiful as a lady stepping out of a classic painting.

Exquisite makeup, eyes full of happiness.

"Congratulations, Kaan Tung," I said with a smile, looking at her radiant reflection in the mirror.

"Aurora, thank you," Kaan Tung held my hand, her eyes welling with tears.

"You can't cry today; you’re the bride," I said, playfully squeezing her hand.

With a loud

bang

, the door was pushed open. I turned to see Usan. He was dressed in a bright red wedding suit, which looked quite comedic—uh... it was full of festive spirit.

"Get out, you can't see the bride yet," Nana laughed as she shooed him away. "After today, Kaan Tung will be your wife. Can't you even wait this long?"

Usan chuckled sheepishly, took one last look at Kaan Tung, and turned to leave.

I smiled, but suddenly felt my forehead growing hot. Glancing casually at the mirror, I noticed the black flame mark Hino Umaba had left on my brow was faintly glowing red.

I was startled, but when I looked again, it had returned to normal.

"Your forehead..." Nana looked at my reflection with a hint of terror.

She saw it?!

The hand holding the eyebrow trimmer trembled slightly, and Nana accidentally cut her finger, leaving a streak of blood.

The space between my eyebrows burned. A red mist seeped out from the black flame mark on my forehead, gradually coalescing into the shape of a beast before lunging fiercely at Nana.

Nana screamed as she was pinned to the floor.

Horrified and ignoring everything else, I pulled off my jade ring and slashed a sword of light through the air, stabbing toward the blood-red monster.

"Ah! Aurora, stop!" Kaan Tung screamed.

I snapped out of it, only to find there was no monster at all. The sword of light in my hand had pierced straight into Nana’s abdomen.

"What happened?" Usan burst through the door.

"She... she..." Kaan Tung pointed at Nana, trembling.

Despite being a half-demon and the daughter of an exorcist, she had never seen such a bloody scene.

"Dammit! Didn't you tell me not to start a killing spree in the human realm!" Usan roared, pulling the shivering Kaan Tung into his embrace.

I retracted the light sword, staring blankly at the now-dead Nana on the floor, unable to process what had happened.

"Kaan Tung, Kaan Tung! The sedan chair is here!" Alastor pushed the door open with a smile, but his grin faded slightly when he saw the situation. "What happened?"

"She killed Kaan Tung’s makeup artist!" Usan glared at me.

"Aurora, what happened?" Alastor ignored him and walked straight to me. "What’s wrong?"

"I... I saw a monster attacking Nana, so I..."

"Your lie is terrible. The monsters were all devoured by Samael back in the Demon Realm," Usan pointed at Nana’s cut finger. "It’s because you saw blood and couldn't control your vampire instincts, right?"

"What did the monster look like?" Alastor ignored Usan’s words and touched my forehead, asking gently.

"Red... it came out of this flame mark on my forehead!" I grabbed Alastor’s hand, trying to explain.

"I believe you," Alastor smiled and patted my head.

"You actually believe such a lie?" Usan was somewhat angry.

Alastor gave Usan a cold glance. "Wolf King, watch your tone."

After clearing the scene, Alastor pulled me away from "Three Lifetimes of Fate."

"Alastor, you didn't see it either. Why do you believe what I said?"

"You’re so cowardly, how would you ever dare to kill someone?" Alastor said with a grin.

I laughed. "I thought you were going to say, 'Even if the whole world doesn't believe you, I will,' because that’s usually your style."

Alastor nodded solemnly. "That is true. Even if the whole world becomes your enemy, I will certainly stand by your side against the world."

I chuckled softly.

In the end, I was unable to attend Kaan Tung and Usan’s wedding.

Regardless, they were happy.

Knowing they were happy was enough for me.

At least... someone was happy.

"Early this morning, a vicious murder occurred on Happiness Street in the southern district of this city. Five men were..."

Perhaps because I hadn't slept well, I woke up late the next day. When I went downstairs, the television in the hall was broadcasting the morning news.

"Aurora, morning," Alastor said with a smile, already cleaning the shop to prepare for opening.

I nodded and sat down by the counter.

"I just bought fresh blood bags; they’re all in the fridge," Alastor said, looking back at me.

"I’m not hungry."

"Eh? You usually drink as soon as you get up every morning?" Alastor looked at me in surprise, then suddenly lunged toward me. "Oh... you had a secret snack!"

"Secret snack?" I blinked.

Alastor playfully hooked his index finger at the corner of my mouth and then held his finger in front of me.

There was residual blood on his finger!

I froze.

"...This is already the third vicious murder case in this city."

the female announcer's voice on TV made my hands tremble. I grabbed Alastor and pointed at the screen. "Alastor, those people... could it be me..."

"It wasn't you." The one who answered me wasn't Alastor, but Samael.

I turned quickly to see Samael standing behind me. "You know what’s going on?"

Samael said nothing, but simply cut his own hand.

A drop of black blood slid from his fingertip—it was the blood of Satan, the thing all monsters craved most.

I felt the mark on my brow burn. A red mist seeped from my forehead, manifesting into a blood-red monster.

"That’s it!" I shouted.

"How are you here?" Samael ignored me, his eyes darkening as he looked at the creature.

"You thought I had been devoured by you? You thought I had completely vanished?" The monster could actually speak; it laughed loudly. "My servant sealed me inside her body long ago. As long as I consume enough blood, I can be reborn and gain infinite power!"

"I could kill you the first time; I can naturally kill you a second time." The terrifying version of Samael spoke flatly, and a black sword materialized out of thin air, piercing toward the monster.

A strange smile crossed the monster’s hideous face.

I felt a sudden numbness in my heart and looked at my chest in disbelief. Samael couldn't retract his move in time—the black light sword in his hand had pierced through my chest.

"Lilith!" Samael was horrified.

The "dead-fish face" finally had another expression; I felt quite gratified... even at the brink of death, I still had the urge to joke.

When I was bitten by Albus, I should have already died. But not only did I survive, I had somehow been turned into a vampire through that "tooth for a tooth" accident.

When I merged with Selene, I thought I would die, but I ended up defeating her and taking sole possession of the body.

When I was trapped in the Inquisition hall by Hino Umaba and faced the flames, I thought I would die, but Albus sacrificed himself to protect me.

After so many incredible adventures, at the final critical moment, I always managed to survive by some cockroach-like willpower and powerful dumb luck.

But when all the dangers had seemingly passed, on the day after Usan and Kaan Tung’s wedding, I never imagined that on such a beautiful morning, I would die in my favorite candy house...

And... without any warning.

I never expected that at this moment, I would die here.

Life, indeed, is quite strange.

"Hehehe... Since I am attached to her body, we are naturally a single entity..." The monster laughed arrogantly. "How does it feel to personally kill the one you have guarded and waited for for thousands of years?"

"She died because of you! Samael! You killed all of my kin, and now I want you to taste the feeling of killing your beloved with your own hands!" The monster laughed hideously.

How absurd—this hideous creature did all of this just to get revenge on Samael.

Before I could think further, I fell into the darkness.

A moment before I closed my eyes, I saw Alastor slowly collapsing in front of me.

Stupid Alastor, why did you have to form that damn blood contract with me...

It’s too late for regrets now.