Lara’s fingertips trembled. She could hardly continue her meal. Her heart was beating so loud that it felt like the food was going to jump out.
When Demian looked at her mouth, it felt like they were kissing. When he looked at her hands, she was thrilled and felt as if they were holding hands tightly. When he looked into her eyes, her heart rang and swelled, her body temperature rose, and it all made her feel the heat.
Lara took a sip of the wine and rolled it in her mouth. The lukewarm wine disappeared into her hot stomach.
Demian kept looking at her. Even though he was not talking, she could hear his voice in her ears. It was a voice that spoke of love, she could tell just by looking at his eyes. Through Demian, Lara first found out how a man looked at his partner when he fell in love. And she realized. He had the same look in his eyes when he looked at her in her past life.
She did not know how she could have ignored such a beautiful man for so long. She knew what those intense gazes meant. She knew what was growing in his dry and empty mind. His body temperature was high, but his touch was flaming hotter still. He was talking love.
“Demian.”
You always say you will listen to whatever I want. Yet you don’t even know that makes me sad.
“I want a lot of things.”
“Really?”
“I am a greedy woman. There are a lot of things I want to do, a lot of things I want to have, and a lot of things I want to achieve.”
Demian was interested. He tilted his head towards Lara, his deep blue eyes flashed with joy.
“Tell me about it.”
“I want to make the Barbarians heroes. I want them to be the victors of an honorable fight on a battlefield that they desire. And I want to spread the word to the people that they have saved the Tarragon Empire, and that everyone should bow down and thank them.”
“And?”
“I want to prevent the demon from toying with humans for their entertainment. I want the demon worshippers and black sorcerers to disappear into the darkness. So that the terrible history of sacrificing humans to please the demon does not repeat.”
“And?”
“I want all my people to be happy.”
Demian laughed. He had a certain look on his face as if implying that he had already expected that. While leaning on the chair, he leaned forward and approached Lara.
“Think about it again. There’s nothing in it for you.”
Everything Lara said was for others. It was for the world, the God of Fate, Barbarians, and the people around her. Demian pointed that out.
“So it is for you.”
“What?”
“You said you want to do everything. But everything is just for me.”
Demian placed his hand on the table and showed his palm. Lara placed her own hand on top of his as if she had been put under a spell. Her small hand could not cover Demian’s big hand, she trembled over it.
“Lara.”
Demian raised his finger and scratched Lara’s palm. He dug in between her fingers and rubbed her sensitive skin. He played with her palm with his short nails and counted the shallow wrinkles on it. He raised his fingertips and tickled her wrist.
“Tell me what you want.”
He whispered.
“Because that’s also what I want.”
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
For the first time in his life, Domino was really into hotel life. Delicious food that was perfectly cooked, hot bathwater, and a clean and fluffy bed. Everything was satisfactory.
“My body now bathes in luxury and can no longer live in the mountains.”
“Bullshit.”
“That woman Demian loves must be an angel.”
“Whatever.”
“A rich angel.”
Lampion burst into laughter, he did not affirm or deny Domino’s words. While laying down on the sofa in a fleece gown and chewing dried meat, Domino suddenly brought out the thought that came to his mind.
“Don’t you think you can see why the Tarragon people treat us like uncivilized people?”
“Nope.”
“If they have been living this kind of life since they were born, reading books or drawing every day… then all they have ever caught is probably a bug that’s smaller than their finger.”
“Nope.”
“I kind of understand them.”
“You don’t have to bear in mind what the weaklings say.”
“You should model yourself after Oscar, dude. The world is changing. The Barbarians do not have many people left. Our children will now have to learn to live among those people.”
“Cut the crap. Barbarians are strong and will last forever. I will make sure that will happen.”
“How can you be so like your father?”
“Is that an insult?”
“Do you think it’s a compliment?”
Domino burst into laughter and looked at Lampion. In the precious time where they could be taking a bath, taking a rest, and eating delicious food, Lampion pulled out his weapons one by one, meticulously groomed them, and then pulled out his coat.
“Are you going somewhere?”
“I’m going to go out with Demian.”
“Why?”
“Get up quickly. Let’s go out.”
Domino muttered that he felt like he was talking to himself before raising himself up.
“Why do I have to go out?”
“If you don’t, there will just be the two of us.”
“What?”
“Oscar is not here because he went to the Crown Prince. Demian and I can’t just go out together. Hurry up and get dressed.”
Lampion took no refusal. When Domino lay down on the sofa and showed no signs of getting up, he raised him up by force and put his coat over him.
“It won’t be just the two of us.”
“You b*tch.”
Domino was not able to overcome Lampion’s pestering and eventually had no choice but to change clothes. No matter how harsh he grumbled, Lampion did not even pretend to listen to him.
“Why are we going out? Does Demian have something to do outside?”
“No. I asked him to go out.”
“Why?”
“To make things work out with the woman.”
Lampion spoke with confidence. He stuck out his chest and tapped it with his wrist, saying that it was only a matter of time before Demian ended up with Lara if he did what he was told.
“I think if you just keep your mouth shut, that would be the most helpful.”
Domino ruffled his hair with his thick hand.
Lampion was trying to get Demian and Lara together in his own way. Once, he suddenly went outside and used all the money he had to buy a cheap ring.
Oscar scolded him saying that the ring was so old-fashioned and that a ring given by other people would be meaningless. If it were not for him, Lampion might have run to Lara’s room and thrown the ring on her palm.
Another time, he came in with a large teddy bear made of wool in his arms. When Demian asked him with a grim face if that was game he got from a hunting session, Oscar and Domino had a belly laugh.
“What are you going to buy again today? Can’t you just please stay still?”
“Don’t give me that crap. A Barbarian must help a fellow Barbarian’s love.”
“I mean, I didn’t say I won’t help him.”
“Just shut up and follow me. Your senses are dull now that you have grown old.”
When dealing with someone you could not get through to, you either did not talk to them at all or just did what they wanted. Domino unwillingly walked and went outside, thinking that he had to endure it as the older one.
“You got slower now that you’re old, Domino.”
Demian was waiting for them outside.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The hotel manager advised them to go on a carriage because the weather was cold but the three Barbarians hurriedly got on the horse, saying that it would be too stuffy in a carriage. They headed to the street where the most expensive restaurants in Dandelion were located.
“Why food?”
Domino asked. Then Lampion laughed, saying he was confident this time.
“There are women who don’t like jewelry or flowers, but there are no women who don’t like delicious food.”
“What?”
“In between a man and a woman, when you share something delicious, you will be more affectionate. Additionally, the sense of distance between the two will also disappear.”
“Really?”
“One bite for you, one bite for me… If you don’t want to eat it, I will finish it all. Just like that, hehehe!”
“Do you think that makes sense?”
Domino asked Demian this time. Then, Demian answered with an unenthusiastic face.
“He must be the one who wants to eat delicious food.”
“No!”
Lampion spoke of there being a dessert shop that was very popular with women on the high-end restaurant street. He told them to buy all kinds of desserts sold there for Lara.
“I think that’s a useful idea.”
For some reason, Domino defended Lampion.
Demian thought all of it as useless. Lara ate the finest desserts every day. The hotel manager already treated her as a King because she was the successor. Still, Lampion’s effort to play cupid to Lara and Demian was funny. So, Demian withheld himself from telling him that Lara had already accepted his feelings.
