Chapter 177: Hugh’s Arc Part 5

When she said that last part her eyes looked at me with a disappointed longing expression that made me feel terrible.

I hated the feeling she forced upon me with that short glance. The anger and sadness kept conflicting inside of me. My hands kept gripping and loosening.

I came close to her and spoke.

Hugh: “You can’t expect a man, no a demon to behave so nicely when their woman has been taken from them.”

Her head went further down as if crying more.

Sylphy: “But I miss him. I just want him..“

She didn’t seem hurt from my initial look, so I picked her up. My hands were under her legs and around her back.

Hugh: “I am him. I can be as sweet as you like but that’ll just be a facade, at least for the time being.”

She still tried covering her body with her arms and hands. She didn’t seem like she wanted to show me her face either. I started walking to the bathroom.

Sylphy: “So this is the real you, someone who’d step on those he didn’t like and speak rudely to me as if I were his slave?”

My hands dropped her into the tub which was already full. There wasn’t a splash or any such disruption after the action.

I grasped the edges of the tub almost boxing her in.

Her eyes seemed fearful of my appearance, though that might have been because of the lighting coming in from the window.

I spoke with conviction and a growl in my voice.

Hugh: “Stepping on others is the only way to get ahead in this world. I’ll gladly step on anyone who gets in my way if it means making you mine completely.”

I stood straight still glaring down at her.

“Plus, when did I ever speak rudely to you..?“

She looked at me as I looked down at her. My hands started to unbutton my shirt.

Hugh: “Just realize the lovable Hugh you long for, is me. Sigh, you may think of me as a bad guy right now but anger gets the better of us demons sometimes.”

She blushed looking away as I undid my pants.

HUGH: “Why don’t you look at your man’s body? It’s not like you haven’t seen me at least shirtless before.”

I was almost completely bare and moved closer to speak.

Hugh: “It’s been quite some time since the last time you’ve seen me without a shirt. Don’t you want to see how my body has changed?.”

She looked in the other direction. I smiled with a hint of pleasure in my eyes.

Hugh: “It’s fine, why spoil all the fun.”

I looked at the objects available around the tub, soaps, and sponges.

I decided to put some scented oils into the bath.

She spoke with her arms crossed.

Sylphy: “Do you find this amusing, forcing me to bathe with you, manhandling my body and looking at it without my permission?”

It looked like she was trying to be serious, but I found her expression and stance quite cute.

Hugh: “I’m just trying to lighten the mood... Who exactly said anything about bathing together.?”

She looked my way and saw I still had my underwear on. Though she could still see the rest of my body. Her face blushed and she turned back down.

My hand placed itself on her head and patted it.

Hugh: “I just wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt anywhere, so don’t despise me too much.”

I took some water and poured it over her head.

With shampoo in hand, I lathered it into her hair.

I poured water over her head once more. The last pour turned her hair back to a blonde and shimmering growth like it was before.

It’s a shame how it was cut.

I got a sponge nice and soapy. My arms were put to work scrubbing her down.

Her eyes were closed and her fair, lovely skin could now be seen. The dirt was coming off rather well. But the thoughts of another man touching her, how they must have treated her. I unconsciously scrubbed harsher than before. I  wanted her to be clean of all of it.

Sylphy: “Aha, gentler, you're hurting me.”

I pulled away and could see her back was slightly red.

Hugh: “I’m sorry, I won’t press as hard.”

My hand wavered on whether I was going to continue, I poured another bucket of water over her. I stared at her back. Her hair which draped over it so nicely before now is barely past her shoulders. My hands went around her and my head rested against her neck.

Hugh: “I love you Sylphy... I’m sorry for seeming so cruel, but you can’t expect me to react sweetly. I thought I lost you and when I finally found you, you were in the hands of another... A man is protective of what’s his...”

Sylphy: “Is this that mask you were talking about?”

Hugh: “Sigh, whether I’m menacing to others or sweet to you, I’m still the same person. You have to have an iron fist to be the demon king. My father said he would have a personality change whenever my mother was in trouble or she did something that upset him. He said it was the demon instincts kicking in. But after the tension settled he would revert to normal.”

Hugh: “Just don’t hate me for being a little cruel, it was all for the sake of getting you back.”

Her hand grasped mine and pushed it back against her cheek.

Sylphy: “I missed this, being near you. I don’t want to be apart again.”

The back of her neck and ears turned pink as I kissed her nape.

Hugh: “Maybe I should join you.? I don’t think I can be apart from you either.”

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— to be continued