Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Despite their awkward moment in the room. It seemed his sister wanted to maintain their current status quo for now. Rather, Sigurd seemed to have changed the most. Although Asura enjoyed a long meal with them, he found Sigurd's actions began changing.

Not long after the meal, Asura and Sigurd sat on her balcony, drinking a small glass of wine while digesting their dinner.

"You wearing that apron and such a thin dress almost killed me," Asura said in a light tone, unable to contain the flavour of lust in his voice.

His eyes watched Sigurd's current outfit.

A woman who used only wore martial arts clothes or robes that hid most of her body.

She sat opposite him, her juicy red lips pressed together upon hearing his words. Sigurd wore a low-cut black v-neck dress made of silk that barely covered her enchanting thighs and charming breasts that moved with a gentle sway without their normal support.

'Damn... This girl used to be so pure and chaste!'

"You really cannot take your eyes off me, huh?" Sigurd teased by moving her right leg, slowly crossing it over her left to flash the slightest glance at her undergarments.

Since their confrontation, everything that had stopped her from pursuing him vanished, and she no longer stopped trying to seduce him.

She behaved well and showed restraint when Amalia was present, but the moment she left or in places she couldn't see, Sigurd became like a huntress stalking her prey...

"It's hard not to look at something so captivating," Asura answered, meeting her eyes and staring at him with a mischievous intent. "Sigurd, as much as I enjoyed all of this... If you keep teasing me like this, I will throw you down."

Sigurd's face froze for a moment upon hearing his warning.

She leaned forward and reached across the table to pour more wine into his glass. He noticed the light sweat on her forehead and couldn't help but enjoy this woman's pride.

"How about we take it slowly? Although I would love to taste you now, I would also like to take our time with our relationship. I don't want to rush to the end and miss out on learning more about my cute girlfriend."

Asura relaxed after he said his feelings; there seemed to be endless pressure constantly building on his shoulders and the feeling of rushing everything, be it his strange feelings for Amalia or the relationship with Sigurd and Valerie. He didn't want to betray who he was, thinking back to the faces of Mu Xue and Xavida.

He would rather wait for the right moment, whether tomorrow, a month from now, or longer.

'Oh? She seems more relaxed. Did she force herself to match me or make up for the time?'

Sigurd's usual teasing demeanour vanished, replaced with a gentle smile as she moved closer, hugging his arm. The soft fur comforted her while the backs leaned to the perfect angle to watch the stars.

"You know how to get a read on a girl's heart," Sigurd whispered as her warm breath flowed onto his cheek. "Thank you. We'll do this slowly and patiently... Just promise me you will love me wholeheartedly when together... No thinking about other women, even Amalia."

"I promise," Asura said, hugging her arm as he placed his head on her shoulder.

'Thank god Amalia isn't watching.' Asura thought, watching the moon.

The two of them relaxed after that exchange; their heavy hearts calmed, and time slowly passed. The moon rose higher, dominating the entire sky.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

Asura turned to face Sigurd's beautiful face.

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

"How far would you go to protect me or us? What would you give up and sacrifice for that goal?"

Asura could sense the nervousness and anxiousness in her voice as she asked a question that sounded strange.

"I'd give my life up for you if it were the past me... As for now..." Asura's face turned back to the moon, his left hand reaching out and grabbing it from his perspective. "But now, I wouldn't abandon or lose anything. I will take everything I want and cherish and never let it go. Even if the enemy should be stronger than you."

"That's cheating... but..."

Sigurd's voice stopped as she leaned closer and kissed his lips, her juicy red lips doused in wine gently pressed against his.

She kept her eyes open, not wanting to miss the surprise in his, an insignificant victory in her heart, before he recovered and used his mouth to open hers.

Their tongues twisted and danced like a passionate dance as they ignored the wine and focused on the feel of each other. Sigurd didn't resist and surrendered herself to his instincts, nuzzling him into the chair while sitting on his lap. Her tongue lacked skill as if it were her first time kissing so intensely, as she seemed to hold her breath.

The kiss ended when she struggled to breathe as a trail of saliva connected them.

"So, does this make you mine now?" Sigurd whispered, pressing her forehead against his and using her slender hands to caress his chest.

"Of course not! You are mine, and this man will devote himself to you," Asura grinned before hugging her tightly. "But what is all this about? Is something worrying you? Why did you ask those questions?"

"No... It's nothing," Sigurd said, hugging him and burying her face in his shoulder. Her muffled voice was both cute and affectionate. "I will wait for you to catch me up, no matter who offers me a path."

Not long after their brief reprise under the moonlight, Asura left, wanting to return to his mansion. He didn't wish to give too much preferential treatment to one woman.

However, as he left, a gentle voice sounded in the wind. Sigurd stood atop her balcony, wearing her usual robes as if only he could see her inner armour.

"Don't worry. I will not make you wait for long..."

'I would wait as long as you did, stupid girl...'

*****

The distance to the mansion and Sigurd's residence was short, but because he felt a little drunk, Asura didn't rush and walked around the Palace pathway to see the beautiful garden and try to sober up before seeing his lovely wives-to-be.

'Did I drink that much?'

He remembered drinking a little with Amalia and a few glasses with Sigurd, yet Asura felt like he drank a few bottles or boxes...

Maybe they spiked his drink to make him lower his guard, but he felt no hostility and soon forgave them as the beautiful garden of silver and blue roses appeared.

"Huh?!"

A woman knelt before the flowers. In the middle of the evening, closer to the morning, her body shone in the silver moonlight. Her long silver hair and beautiful golden eyes watched the blooming moon roses with a longing look.

Her thin white dress hung on her shoulders, with small strings tied on her sides to hold it up. She wore a robe made of white silk with white seams that matched her shoes. Yet he couldn't deny her power. Even kneeling idle, Asura felt this woman's power could match or surpass Sigurd's Manifestation form.

"Amalia..."

"Hmmm...? Where?"

The woman's deep voice itched the depths of Asura's memory as the women looked around, only to turn to face him, and her eyes suddenly widened; her face became strange... with a widely opened mouth, she seemed to panic.

"Sorry... you looked so enchanting and resemble someone I know very well..."

Asura's mind gave so many signals—danger, fear, affection, shock—some related to his past life as Asura. Yet the ones that made him feel the most danger and worry were the ones that belonged to memories he didn't recognise—a strange world, a strange forest, and bizarre monsters.

The woman stood, her entire body like a moving sculpture, crossing her arms and smiling.

Her eyes glowed with a strange lustre and possessiveness that reminded him of the looks Valerie, Lorem, and Sigurd gave him.

"Are you Asura Fenix?" she asked with a hint of warmth and curiosity. Her deep voice couldn't become soft like the women he knew, but it didn't bother him. He felt it comforting and rather charming.

"That's right," Asura answered, observing the woman's changes. "You are?"

"The name's Frey," the woman said, seeming to have trouble breathing when speaking her name. "Sorry, I have to go. I'll see you around."

"Wait!"

Asura stepped forward, worried that she might leave.

However, before he could even reach out, her figure had already vanished... not just a few metres, her entire existence seemed to vanish.

"Who was that... I never knew such powerful people existed in Silvara..."

****

⁜ Frey POV

Asura stood in place for quite some time while the woman who called herself Frey stood silently watching him from the top of the massive sword that overlooks the capital and palace.

Her body could easily deflect and absorb the powerful waves of magic that flowed from the sword, causing a beautiful sight in the sky.

"My son... when did you become so different? For a moment, your mother became charmed by you!"

Her laughter echoed as she muttered, recalling her memories and feelings when seeing Asura's handsome face and identity.

"Yet you have noticed nothing? So that's why... you have realised nothing. Then let me keep protecting you from the shadow of the moon."

Her eyes stared at the horizon as if seeing something. Her expression was calming and happy as she watched the calming moon slowly perform its cycle.

"Keep growing stronger. Protect Amalia and Vela... And keep learning more about yourself."

Her body seemed to disappear into the moonlight slowly as her voice faded.

"Son... Do you know how much I love you?"

Her smile slowly faded into the look of a demon as she transformed into a silhouette.

"Take care... My Asura."

The mysterious woman disappeared without a trace as the night sky slowly broke.