When Valencia realizes that Lucien is really her enemy, she gets really furious and even more confused for not understanding his reasons.
His expression remains neutral while the mood gets really tense. Kamala doesn't know what to do as l.u.s.t and Helena prepare to fight. Even Oya stops devouring seafood when she feels that hostility towards her beloved Master.
"Tell me now!! What did you do to Carmelo?!?!" Valencia asks again as she points her sword at him.
Lucien sighs and takes another sip of brandy before looking at Kamala. "What you're going to do next will determine whether your head will stay above your neck or not."
"..." Kamala is more confused than ever. Although Lucien's story about the Leviathan and everything else about him seems so unbelievable, she somehow feels like he's too arrogant to lie.
[Is he really serious?? What should I do???] Act rationally or irrationally? Kamala feels that those are exactly the choices she has now.
Clearly, she shouldn't put the alliance between her people and Valencia at risk, and she has no reason to ally herself with Lucien, a mysterious demon who appeared out of nowhere, speaking absurd things and acting so arrogantly.
But a part of Kamala, her feminine instincts, tells her to trust Lucien despite everything. [Maybe he's seducing me...]
Still ignoring Valencia, Lucien smiles at Kamala. "You're a smart woman, so keep acting like that, and we can be friends."
"If you don't tell me what you want right now, I'll cut your d.i.c.k off!" Valencia threatens in an annoyed tone.
"*ROAR*" Oya is furious at that threat.
Lucien looks at Valencia and smiles teasingly, making her instincts beg for action. So she attacks with her sword, more out of fear than anything else.
*Blink*
But Lucien's body disappears from the pool. Whenever he uses the teleport ability, he can't help but think about Amelia. Their relations.h.i.+p was pretty strange before, but thanks to her love, he has that ability so useful.
[Wha-] Valencia doesn't have time even to think a whole word before Lucien reappears behind her and grabs both her arms.
While she and Kamala are very confused, he holds both her wrists with one hand and uses the other to hold her neck. Then he turns her towards the bathroom door.
*Bam* *Bam* *Bam* *Bam*
The sounds of slamming doors echo as Alonzo and his comrades enter through the main door and secret pa.s.sages of the bathroom.
They were already prepared to shoot magic nets at everyone there, but as soon as he realizes that Lucien is not in the pool anymore but holding Valencia by the neck, he and his guys get perplexed too.
"I can rip her neck out before you think to do anything," Lucien speaks in a cold tone.
Alonzo doesn't understand how Lucien got out of the pool so quickly, but it's evident that he has abilities they don't expect. Anyway, he could actually kill Valencia before they can trap him with the magic nets.
"Drop the nets!" Alonzo orders his comrades while also dropping his shooting artifact too. Then he shows his hands to Lucien. "We're not a threat to you anymore, so don't kill her."
Lucien can hear the heavy breathing of all of Valencia's servants as well as their hearts beating faster; it is obvious that everyone is afraid. But he also notices something familiar in Alonzo's eyes, something he himself once had when fearing for his wives' sake.
Just by that look, Lucien can see that Alonzo has real feelings for Valencia. But that makes him confused because in the few minutes he was inside that castle, he heard dozens of guards commenting on how Valencia tortures men for fun.
l.u.s.t even told Lucien about the wounded man in Valencia's bedroom, so he looks at Alonzo with a curious expression. "Do you really love this woman?"
"Of course!" Alonzo doesn't think twice about answering. "All Black Sea Riders love our Boss because she is the reason we can survive in this s.h.i.+tty world."
Lucien shakes his head before bringing his lips closer to Valencia's face. "I didn't talk about grat.i.tude but real romantic feelings. Do you really think this woman can love anyone but herself?"
Alonzo understands Valencia's personality better than anyone else, but he can't imagine being with another woman, perhaps out of fear or because he's too broken.
"What's this all about?? Do you want to talk about feelings???" he asks Lucien in an upset tone. "Look around; you are surrounded by a lot of Immortal Realm warriors, so you and your women can't escape from this island alive!"
Lucien thinks about saying something, but first, he talks mentally to l.u.s.t. 'Do you think the Leviathan can really watch us here?'
'Yes, her affinity with the water element is very impressive, so I think she can use the water to hear us and even see us if this pool is connected to the sea.' l.u.s.t explains.
Lucien starts to walk away from the pool while still holding Valencia by the wrists and neck. "Escape? I came to kill you so I won't have to run away in the end, but I will leave this island, and your bodies will rot in the sand."
Valencia is furious as she finally understands why her instincts were so alarmed. Lucien was the storm she knew would come, and in the end, she wasn't prepared for him.
Meanwhile, Kamala doesn't know what to do. That situation looks more and more bizarre, but Lucien looks more and more impressive.
[What if he's telling the truth? What if there really is a Leviathan in this world, as my mother said?? And if he is connected to such a creature??? That would make him the most amazing person in the world...] She wonders.
[What's an alliance with a bunch of pirates compared to being on the side of a demon so f.u.c.king amazing?] Kamala makes her decision and looks at Valencia with a fake sorry expression.
"You don't know what we're capable of!" Alonzo tries to threaten Lucien.
Knowing that the Leviathan might be hearing them from the pool water, Lucien starts talking random threats while l.u.s.t stands in front of him and starts writing words in the air using demonic energy.
(Ignore what I'm talking about and focus on those words. I know there are 382 more pirates in this castle with artifacts like this, ready to shot those magic nets on me. But you can't hit me because my agility is far superior to yours.)
(Also, my wife is the soul of a demon made of demonic energy, so even though these magic nets can prevent a physical body from accessing any type of energy, they can trap souls. That way, she can take the net off of me if you manage to catch me.)
While Alonzo, Valencia, Kamala, and their servants are even more confused, l.u.s.t continues to write Lucien's thoughts on the air.
(There really is a very powerful creature out there, and she may be hearing us through the water.)
She stops writing and gives them a few seconds to think.
"I'm going to kill you anyway," Lucien speaks out loud. "But I can give you a quick death if you please me..."
As he speaks, l.u.s.t writes his real words in the air.
(There's only one chance for you guys to survive, and it's cooperating with me to capture the creature. I believe these magic nets of yours could work, but we're going to need a really giant one.)
"..." Just like Kamala, Valencia and Alonzo begin to believe that Lucien is telling the truth. It's easier to believe his story than him doing all that to fool them.
But since believing in the existence of a Leviathan is madness, they start to think that what's out there is another creature; however, if it's powerful enough to scare Lucien, that's because it must be really dangerous. So cooperating with him to capture the creature should benefit everyone.
By realizing that Alonzo believes him, Lucien keeps saying random things while l.u.s.t writes his real words.
(If you get it, nod your head or find a way to write it as we can't let the creature hear our real plan. And if you or your servants make any mistakes, I'll rip your boss's neck and use her skull as an exotic mug to drink brandy.)
Those words really make Alonzo and his comrades tremble with fear. But then Lucien looks at l.u.s.t with a curious expression.
She shrugs as she talks to him mentally. 'I thought you would say something like that, hehehe...'
He smiles and kisses her lips, still holding the neck of Valencia, who isn't enjoying her current situation at all. As a dominant woman, she is suffering a lot from being dominated by a man.
Kamala, on the other hand, would be grateful to be in either l.u.s.t or Valencia's place.
Alonzo is a smart man and understands that cooperating with Lucien is the best way now. Then he nods while taking a diary out of his storage ring to write his real words while saying random stuff to Lucien.
(Can you let go of my Boss now? We already understand that we have to cooperate, and we will do whatever you say.)
Lucien sighs as l.u.s.t writes his reply.
(Your Boss will stay with me until this is all over. You don't need her to make the magic net. The faster you finish it, the sooner you can have her torturing you again; I don't care.)
Alonzo makes a worried expression as he starts writing another request.
"Didn't you get it?!" Lucien speaks out loud and then throws Valencia's body to the floor before stomping on her back.
*Smash*
A white light comes out of Valencia's body as her protection treasure is instantly destroyed by Lucien's brutal force.
*Crack*
"AAAAAHHHH!!" Then she moans in pain as her backbones make crack sounds.
While Alonzo despairs, Lucien says random things, and l.u.s.t continues writing on the air.
(There is a hierarchy here, and while the creature is above me, I'm above you, stupid pirates. I'll keep torturing your boss because I can, and you'll make the d.a.m.n net as fast as you can if you want to have any chance of surviving.)
Alonzo starts to nods quickly like a chicken pecking corn. He makes it very clear that he agrees with Lucien and then writes another question in the diary.
(And how are we going to fool the creature? I mean, pretend everything is going as planned.)
l.u.s.t does not write Lucien's response as he speaks out loud, as that is also part of his 'pretend.'
"Oya and I are still hungry, so bring me fresh seafood and the best wine you have!" He speaks.
Then he lifts Valencia up, grabbing her by the neck again, and rubs his nose on her face. "Meanwhile, this woman and the snake-woman will serve me properly..."
It's obvious what Lucien is talking about, which makes Alonzo jealous and angry. But he can't do anything now and so quickly responds like a servant before leaving the bathroom with his guys.
Valencia is so furious that tears come out of her eyes, but she can't even move as Lucien is squeezing her neck. Not in her worst nightmares, she imagined herself in such a situation.
But Kamala doesn't really look worried. She still doesn't know what to think about the Leviathan as in her mind now only the words 'serve properly' are echoing.
[Are we really going to do it?] She wonders as she stares at the tend in Lucien's underwear. [Even dormant, it looks so big...]
Oya can only think of the fresh seafood Lucien ordered. Well, she can think about playing in the pool with him too and drink some special milk, of course.
Meanwhile, Helena smiles at Lucien. That situation seems so bizarre, which makes it look hilarious too. They are facing a legendary Leviathan, but Lucien still has time to act luxuriously.
She used to live in a deep depression and didn't even know why she kept trying not to die despite wanting to die. But now, she is finding joy in the face of death in Lucien's way.
[Exciting...] That's the perfect word that defines living with Lucien.