My Little Songbird

2: Little Songbird

Cerise opens her eyes to an unfamiliar dark ceiling, and an old european-styled room. The sunlight that beamed through the glass windows gave the room a warm glow, making Cerise feel comfortable rather than alarmed.

She pondered for a second if she was dreaming, until Cerise realizes the heavy thing around her waist. Cerise sits up, and removes the arm that she found, belonged to the man that was sleeping beside her.

Her eyes flashes in surprise for a short moment, before it comes back to being calm. Even when the idea that she was kidnapped entered her head, Cerise did not show fear.

She felt cautiousness, but not at the usual level of a confused and perhaps-kidnapped person.

Did I forget that I slept with someone?

Cerise calmly analyzes the man’s handsome face, searching somewhere in her head of any memory of him. The man had a chiseled jawline, and a bronze complexion under his white cotton top. Just based on the muscles in his arm, it appears that the man possesses a well-built body. He also had a pair of thick eyebrows, tall nose, and a dull red tinted lips. Extremely attractive, Cerise dare say.

Aside from his strange long and silver hair, every other feature that the man has, fit perfectly in Cerise’s ideal type.

Nonetheless, this man seemed nowhere to be found in her memories. In fact, Cerise’s latest memory before waking up in this vintage room, is bringing an injured cat to her house, and directly sleeping after taking a shower.

Oh right, she was planning to bring the cat to a vet. I hope it’s not dead.

Cerise do not believe that she is inside a dream right now. Everything about it just felt too realistic. So right now, in her questionable situation, she is genuinely worrying about a cat.

While she was thinking about something completely irrelevant to her current predicament, the arm that Cerise just removed on top of her body, snakes around her waist again and pulls her down. She could not resist the strength that pulled her back against the man’s body.

Next, something soft had landed on Cerise’s nape. The man kissed her skin delicately, while his arms around her waist only got tighter. She heard him chuckle in a low voice after a few dainty kisses.

“Why are you staring at the window? Planning to escape?” He asks, his tone laced with amusement.

“I was wondering if this was a dream or not.” Cerise calmly answers. She knew it wasn’t, but she still wanted to have a confirmation.

First of all, the room she was in, seemed like a set from a western historical film. Giving off a huge european ambiance. Second reason why she still had some doubts, is the unbelievably handsome man that had a nice husky voice—too good to be true.

Also—third and probably the main reason why she started questioning herself—she saw an impossibly huge butterfly passing by the window. It was huge and colorful that it was impossible to miss.

It seemed like her situation was a lot more serious than getting imprisoned in a european castle somewhere on Earth. Cerise even had time to think lightly and spin her imagination. Did I finally have my own experience of crossing into a fantasy world?

The man had laughed again, sounding more cheerful and entertained this time. “A dream? What an innocent thought.”

Then he adds: “This is not a dream, silly captive.”

“Oh.” Silly captive.

Oh... Oh.

The woman’s mind blanked. In all honesty, nothing really processed properly in Cerise Riven’s head—all of which is deeply rooted in her laidback attitude. All of her previous conjectures had gone scattered in the air.

How was she supposed to react? Scream? Shake in fear? Resist the kidnapper?

Well, she could try screaming, but it would probably only hurt her throat until the captor puts a muzzle on her mouth. She can’t shake in fear either, since Cerise does not even have an ounce of it in her heart. As for resisting—she decided to forget about it.

Relying on her strength will not save Cerise’s life in a survival event, this was what she thought. She only believes in her knowledge, after all. Even if the woman aspires to be like those warrior-type heroines, in reality she was just an ordinary desk worker that only has enough muscle to sustain herself.

So, her collected self decided to ask the first thing she needed—no, wanted to know from the odd captor.

“Then, who are you?” There she was, with her oddly calm and soothing voice. So soft and pleasing to the ears.

Is that really the first thing she wants to know? Not why she woke up in a foreign place?

Arthur was so confused and intrigued that he started towering over Cerise, his deep golden eyes searching her face for any signs of acting. But the woman only blinked at him cluelessly, her pretty face void of emotion.

This time, Arthur laughs loudly. More excitement bubbling in his heart.

“I already knew that humans are stupid, but you’re still a surprise,” he marveled.

Instead of feeling offended, Cerise only gives the man that looked like he came out of a painting, a soft smile.

“You can think of me as stupid, but I like to think that I’m only a very calm person.”

The man seemed to like her answer as he amusedly grinned. Arthur’s face closes in and the two never made a move to break the eye contact, even when it was becoming tense.

“Can you really converse with me with ease?” His grin suddenly turns into a devilish one. “In case you have not realized, I abducted you, little songbird. You’re in a place where you can never escape.”

—•—

Warm rays of sunshine lightens the room through the open window, also letting in the gentle breeze. One human girl had her head leaning on the back of a luxurious sofa, her eyes closed and strands of black hair hang in front of her face.

On her lap, was the head of her captor, possibly the most handsome being she had ever laid her eyes upon. Just like Cerise Riven, the man that still have not told her his name, slept peacefully.

Their soft breathing intertwined and was the only sound that filled the room for a while.

*Knock! Knock!*

Arthur abruptly opened his eyes and he shot a fierce glare towards the door. The demon monarch’s subordinate, Rory Zebulon, pauses when he felt the hostility coming from the room.

He decided to change his method of disturbing the demon monarch out of his new entertainment. Rory clears his throat before calmly closing his eyes.

“Lord Elias, there are a group of succubi seeking an audience with you,” his voice was not loud enough for the sleeping human girl to hear, but it certainly reached Arthur.

A few seconds later, the door swings open, revealing the tall demon and his scowling face. Rory was surprised that Arthur did not just yell his response to him like he used to. When he catches a glimpse of the sleeping human, Rory figures out why—making him perplexed than ever.

The subordinate’s calm demeanor breaks when he frowned a little, but Arthur did not care.

“Did I not tell you, I am not to be disturbed until I say so? Are you becoming useless, Rory, that you can’t even kick a bunch of whores out of my castle?” Arthur’s menacing aura makes Rory’s mask break completely as he sweats drop on the spot. His skin felt like it was being pricked by thousands of needles.

Rory felt cold all over his body and his hands started trembling. Arthur’s abundance of ominous energy usually did not affect demons like him, however, since Arthur is the Demon Monarch, he can combine his ominous energy and the Absolute Authority’s Aura into a much stronger intimidation force—easily making Arthur as one of the strongest monarchs.

His combination of auras alone can be deadly to anyone excluding the monarchs (though it can still be fatal to them), and it was just one among his many abilities. Elias Arthur Zebulon can be the most threatening if he wills it.

“... Forgive me, Lord Elias. Madam Eveleen insists on seeing Lord Elias, even at cost of breaking into the barriers of the castle.” Rory’s voice cracked a couple of times, and his expression became more unsightly when Arthur’s face only darkened further after all that he said.

Arthur scoffs. “That witch really has a lot of courage. Am I a dog that answers to her every call?”

Instead of letting out more of his aura and oppressing his subordinates with it, Arthur poured all of his murderous intent on his expression. He seemed to have calmed down at least, which Rory is extremely grateful for.

“Since it seems like that witch likes to see me, I’ll give her a memory that she won’t forget.” Arthur’s tone was dripping with malevolence and it resulted to Rory shuddering in fright. On a second thought, Arthur did not calm down, but his bloodlust intensified instead.

Rory frantically tried to speak, “Please don’t kill her, my lord! Madam Eveleen still has her use to Lord Elias.”

The succubi take a great part in satiating Arthur’s needs for entertainment whenever he gets bored, and Eveleen is the most prominent succubus that he occasionally entangles with. Every time Arthur finally gets tired of the new attraction that he finds, he goes straight to Eveleen.

Rory did not even think twice about Arthur eventually abandon the human girl that he has recently taken a liking to. If Arthur kills Eveleen now and he finds himself restless later, the one that are gonna be dealing with the trouble are the demons that serve him.

“Shut your mouth, Rory.” Arthur then coldly slams the door on Rory’s pale face.

When his pair of golden eyes landed on the sleeping human girl, they momentarily softened. Without making a sound, he calmly walks up to her and gently tucks her loose strands of hair behind her ears. Seeing that the woman just continues sleeping defenselessly, a small laugh emerged from Arthur’s red lips.

Then he decided to carry her off from the couch to the bed, covering half her body with a blanket. After arriving at the door, Arthur glances back at the comfortable scene, highly contemplating if he is willing to leave this serenity and deal with the group of troublesome succubi.

Those demons are going to come back if I don’t deal with them now.

“I have to make sure that everyone understands what it means to disturb me,” he muttered under his breath.

And so, Arthur finally leaves the room, letting Rory have his internal sigh of relief. However, the demon monarch made sure to put a barrier around the room, lest his little songbird flies away.

In actuality, many days have passed since Arthur took that human away from Earth. One week of peaceful, but odd cohabitation has passed, to be exact. During of which, the woman had completely thrown Arthur off his rails of accurately guessing humans as his mild amusement.

When Arthur told that human that she was captured solely to sing for him, sang she did. She even let Arthur embrace her all he wants without showing displeasure or hatred. She ate and slept just fine too.

She never even tried to ask if she could go out. Laying on the bed was what she did whenever Arthur sets her free. Arthur’s servants also took care of her body, so she was clean and fragrant. Very pretty in Arthur’s eyes.

“I’m living more comfortably here, than back in my home. This is my ultimate dream, not working but still able to live contently.” Was what she answered when Arthur had asked why she was not attempting to escape.

That woman really have a strange mindset, Arthur concluded.

Although during one week of her stay in that room, the human have never tried to escape, that does not mean that Arthur has let his guard down. Perhaps that human was just trying to catch the right opportunity to escape. That was a tactic that is surely useful against a kidnapper.

Unfortunately for that human, if that is what she plans, it would not work on the demon monarch. Arthur would never let her go until she is not needed anymore. Maybe that is what she understands instead.

—•—

“Lord Elias!”

A female succubus wrapped in a golden fabric, beamed when the huge doors opened and revealed Arthur. Rory, who was following behind him, wore a stiff expression.

The group of succubi behind the one who just called Arthur, noticed Rory’s face and began to feel nervous. There was a flash of anxiety in his eyes and they instantly knew it was not a good sign.

A petite succubus tried to reach for the beaming one, “M-Madam Eveleen...”

The warning never came from the succubus, when the female demon called Eveleen, ran towards the approaching demon monarch. She seductively pressed her soft body against him before raising her head with a pitiful expression.

“I missed you so much, Lord Elias! How cruel of you to not seek my company for one week?” She whined, her saccharine voice echoing on the walls and ceiling of the castle’s grand hall.

“I was so lonely.”

Eveleen did not seem to feel the frosty atmosphere that Arthur’s cold expression had set. Her beautiful eyes began shedding tears, making her appear like an aggrieved beauty that could tickle the hearts of many men. Her curvaceous figure also continued pressing against Arthur’s body, giving the scene a mixture ambiguous tone.

What Eveleen was expecting, is Arthur indulging her again like he usually does whenever she acts coquettish with him. Her face began to flush when Arthur reached for her cheeks.

He had a grin on his face as he leaned to her ear, “Eveleen, Eveleen. If you want to offer yourself to me that badly, why don’t you offer your life as well? I’d be happy to take it.”

Eveleen’s body stiffened, a cold chill swept through her like thousands of ice needles prickling her skin. She felt Arthur’s hand wrapping around her neck and terror crept inside.

The succubus instinctively pushed herself away from the demon monarch, her body shaking from his offensive aura. Although Arthur’s hand was not around her neck anymore, Eveleen could feel his aura taking its place.

The suffocation in her heart became much worse. Eveleen’s beautiful face became pale and twisted.

“Lord Elias.” Rory’s voice rang through the hall, successfully reminding Arthur of the former’s warnings. Just like in Rory’s words, Eveleen is a key figure among succubus.

She’s a useful demon to keep things in order. He can’t eliminate her without reason.

Nevertheless, she still needed to know her place.

“Next time, it’s better to present your heads in a silver platter before I get to you,” Arthur remarked. “I am your monarch—it’d be best if you keep that in mind.”

His cold gaze shot towards the shaking Eveleen once more, before he walked out of the hall. The group of fearful succubi released sighs of relief, as well as Rory.

While Arthur was itching to go back to his songbird, Eveleen’s determination to monopolize him did not lessen. She knew of Arthur’s spontaneous whims and how he quickly gets bored of everything he takes an interest in. The succubus could wait; the demon monarch will seek her once he gets tired of the new attraction.

If, however, that attraction threatens her desired place, Eveleen will do anything to eliminate it.