Chapter 114: Nuzzle

Vane seemed to regain control of his expression in a flash; he even offered Zora a slight smile.

"...I simply feel that this might also make you happy."

The word "also" slipped by plainly, his tone steady—like moonlight crossing a windowsill, brushing past like a veil, unnoticed.

At the very least, Zora ignored it directly.

Vane’s exquisite eloquence was frequently met with Zora's indifferent responses. From the past to the present, regarding her servant's words, she had evolved from "never listening" to "occasionally listening," and finally to "listening only when interested."

Zora wasn't listening to what he said. She sat up abruptly, but didn't distance herself; one hand propped her up on the edge of the bed as she leaned forward, several strands of her soft, loose black hair falling to hang suspended before her chest.

The shortened height difference allowed the two to easily meet eye-to-eye. The youth’s lashes followed her upward, fluttering gently—as if a person’s heart were being scratched by those black lashes, giving rise to an unprovoked sense of intimacy.

Even if he appeared more agitated, Zora could not ignore that spark of palpitation.

Without much thought, she followed her instinct and hugged him.

However, the youth’s collar was unfastened, and his upper garment had partially slipped down. What Zora touched was no longer fabric, but his back.

It was a back that carried heat, smooth yet covered with a thin layer of undulating muscle, with a slight indentation along the central spine.

"..."

He didn't speak, and Zora didn't need him to. As usual, she gave his cheek a kiss.

Her expression was direct; her affection bubbled up plainly through her actions.

Vane was stunned for a moment, his dark eyes lifting.

Zora placed her arms on his shoulders, resting them there casually and relaxed, her round eyes staring fixedly at his face.

Vane repeated the meaning of his previous sentence: "...I will do whatever you like."

Zora: "Of course."

Her answer made him smile.

Zora: "Then, cry for me again."

Vane paused, his tone appearing casual. "Why?"

Zora was merely recalling that spark of attraction from decades ago and had a sudden whim to experience it again. She said sincerely, "Cry for me one more time? I feel like I like it."

"..." He was silent for a moment, his eyes curving slightly. "I know."

He knew, of course. She liked his tears—especially the tears from before the secret realm, the tears that were utterly fragile, humble, and devoid of everything.

Safe, rare, and truly entering her vision.

"I know..." Vane repeated once more, his voice growing lower until it was a mere whisper of breath, the end of the sentence vanishing at his lips, yet he spoke again in the next breath.

"Because tears are a true revelation of one's feelings."

Zora responded in agreement, "Mhm, mhm."

"Though they can be faked."

Zora disagreed, "Mhm?"

"They can be faked. For some, tears are merely dirty water; their greatest use is to wash their ugly faces."

Zora still wasn't quite in agreement, her brow furrowing.

Vane watched her every moment, yet he diverted the topic: "But precisely because tears represent one's heart, true tears are that precious—that is what you believe, isn't it?"

"Of course," she said as if it were natural.

In Zora's world, anyone crying was a release of true emotion, especially when facing death.

"So you like them because they are real," Vane smiled. "I rarely cry. Right now... I don't want to cry yet."

The youth knew the methods of enticement, but seduction took many forms. Using the body was the most direct and foolproof—after all, every inch of his body was real.

But tears were not. Having learned the catalyst for Zora's attraction, he would not deliberately fake a sob.

Because it wouldn't be real, and if done frequently, it would only erode her affection.

Terrified that she might grow weary of it, Vane carefully preserved this point of her liking, preventing it from cruelly fading away.

Moreover, since in her concept crying was absolutely real, why not turn it into a reality later?

Vane maintained his smile.

In the past, in the cultivation world and unbeknownst to Zora, her reputation had caused countless people to flock to her, many of whom were used to utilizing deception. Among them were those who affected a stubborn, tearful style. Vane would usually offer a few "pointers" with a smile, making those people truly wail before letting them pass.

No longer a faked beauty, but rather a snot-and-tears mess. Not necessarily ugly, but not a shred of beauty remained.

Zora would cast a curious glance and then ignore it.

—She didn't care about just anyone's tears. Only if it were Yiling Ke and the others rolling on the ground crying would she stop and squat down to watch quietly.

Zora clearly also felt that tears weren't something one could just turn on and off, so she compromised with great tolerance: "Alright then, I won't watch."

Then she continued to stare at his face.

"..."

"..."

He was focused as always, looking only into her eyes.

A strange silence, devoid of words or movement—a nearly long and tedious stillness, yet neither of them found it boring.

After an unknown amount of time, Zora still hadn't looked away, but Vane suddenly moved forward a fraction.

It was slow enough that she could have dodged, yet Zora simply watched him approach until Vane’s nose brushed against hers. It was gentle, not heavy at all, more like an itchy, phantom-like nuzzle, with light and hot breaths entwining.

"...Mhm?" Zora found the distance too close; even her vision grew blurred. She gave up on trying to see clearly and squeezed her eyes shut from the nuzzling. It seemed to be very itchy, and her eyes were closed tightly.

He was like an animal, gently nuzzling the tip of her nose.

From outside the window, the youth’s silhouette could completely block her, revealing only Zora’s arms resting idly on his shoulders. The two were nearly one.

After Vane finished nuzzling, he shifted to press his cheek against hers, occasionally touching her ear.

"In the Demon Realm, no matter where you go, no matter what the purpose or what you do, can I follow you always?"

The voice was imperceptible, carrying a hint of submission and enticement, the tone slow.

Zora thought about it while being nuzzled by him.

"If you are still my servant, then yes."

She didn't mind his silent closeness. Beneath her palm was Vane’s back.

She pressed down with her fingertips; it was very resilient and strong. Zora thought about the bones of the human back and felt the vertebrae of his spine.

The sensation was a series of slight protrusions, section by section.

In her first curious exploration of a living human body, she didn't notice when Vane stopped moving; she only felt his body was incredibly tense. Before she could speak, he forced himself to relax again.

Until Vane seemingly could endure it no longer, his brow furrowing, the flush at the corners of his eyes spreading to his ears and beneath his eyes.

It wasn't time for that yet, and Zora had no intention of getting any closer to him, but right now, he wanted to be more intimate.

Wanted it desperately, almost to the point of losing his composure.

Vane could not speak to stop Zora, nor did he want to. He could only control himself as he raised his hands to touch Zora’s back through her clothes.

She didn't know how he touched her, but Zora gave a jolt, nearly sitting straight by instinct. After the jolt, she felt exceptionally comfortable. Consequently, she only cared for her own enjoyment, lowering her hands and resting her head on his shoulder, her whole body sagging.

She was dressed neatly, just as she was before sleep, while he was in total disarray—his robes half-shed, the fabric covered in wrinkles. Some were from the act of undressing, others were rumpled directly when Zora hugged him.

Zora closed her eyes peacefully to welcome sleep.

Total silence.

A drop of sweat slid down the youth’s jawline. He lowered his gaze, but his vision hit the girl’s back. It was clearly the inner garment he often saw, yet he was forced to look away.

The back she had touched... even the bones were burning.

After a quiet moment, Vane still carefully laid her on the bed and covered her with the quilt.

Without Zora, the temperature of the youth’s body finally dropped a bit. He watched her for a long time before restraining himself and sitting back at the table.

His eyes involuntarily glanced back again.

After the unknown-th glance, Vane recited the Heart-Cleansing Incantation once, opened the blank paper, and forced himself to change his thoughts.

For instance, he would first look into why so many demonic cultivators in the Demon Realm were so low in strength.

...They should be able to be killed by her smoothly.