Jax was deeply buried in Nerith's lips. Squeezing every ounce of taste he could get. His tongue explored her mouth like he owned it, because technically, he did now.

Minutes passed. His lungs screamed for air. Only then did he finally let her go.

Part of it was to tease Astrid. The other part simply wanted it.

Astrid was petrified from the inside out. She had witnessed the impossibly long kiss. Now she was watching her professor walking toward her while being playful with the cold lady from the carriage.

Except that lady wasn't cold anymore.

She was pouting at Jax. Poked her elbow into his stomach with mock annoyance. Blushing like a maiden in love.

A small voice in Astrid's head whispered desperately. 'Astrid, you dummy. That's professor for you. He's probably acting. Plotting something. This is all a scheme.'

Then Jax's eyes landed on her.

She panicked. "Prof... brother! Please—"

Jax cut her off instantly. He turned to the soldiers present in the chamber. "Leave us with this intruder."

The soldiers hesitated. They knew Jax was now a member of the family. They had witnessed his performance yesterday. But taking orders directly from him felt uncertain.

Then they saw Nerith's subtle nod of approval.

That was enough. They departed, leaving the three alone in the cold detention chamber.

Jax pulled a wooden chair and placed it right in front of the bound Astrid. Gestured for Nerith to sit like a queen about to judge a criminal.

Astrid's voice trembled. "Brother, these demo... I mean, these people will kill me! Eat me! Help!"

Jax smiled coldly. "Brother? Brother who?"

Astrid felt something shatter inside her chest. Betrayal.

Jax turned to Nerith casually. "Do we look like siblings, darling?"

Nerith shook her head slowly. She understood Jax's playfulness by now. Sighed internally for the poor girl who had no idea what she'd walked into.

"See?" Jax spread his arms. "No one will believe you."

He closed the distance with Astrid. Stopped mere inches from her terrified face. His breath warm against her skin.

"Now tell me. Why are you here? What do you want?"

His voice dropped dangerously.

"Did you come here to break our relationship? Put a dent in our marriage? Or are you here to announce 'he's my brother and has many girlfriends' to everyone?"

He leaned even closer.

"Speak. Or I tell my father to chop off your horns, demon."

She tried to respond. Tried to defend herself.

But before words could form, Jax's hands shot up and grabbed her horns. Gripped them like he was about to punish her severely.

Then pulled.

With minimal force, both horns popped off her head.

Fake. Just like Astrid's magic had made them.

Jax's expression transformed into theatrical shock.

"She's a human."

He turned to Nerith with exaggerated alarm.

"A human in our demon realm! Nerith, we need to tell general immediately! This is critical information! He'll pass it to his superiors, even the Emperor himself!"

His voice rose with fake excitement.

"We'll show our demon brothers the most brutal execution! Send a message to the mainland about what happens when humans dare to cross into our territory!"

Astrid's soul left her body.

"Professor, please..." Tears streamed down her face. "Tell me you're not serious. Sob... sob..."

Jax laughed. "Oh? Now I'm 'professor' ? What happened to 'brother'? You should have rehearsed better, human."

Her mind stopped functioning.

Too many things didn't make sense. First, he kissed that woman passionately. Called her 'darling.' Cared for her openly. Then called someone 'father,' which was definitely that woman's father.

And the most brutal part?

He had just revealed her identity in front of a royal demon.

Whatever act he was playing with this marriage, she was certain now it was for his own survival. She knew that selfish, greedy bastard better than anyone.

But the part of her that trusted him? That small, foolish hope?

Completely shattered.

She was broken. Sobbing. Head hanging low in defeat.

Then her resolve hardened.

'If I'm going down, I'm taking him with me.'

She looked up, ready to expose him. Ready to scream that he was human too. Ready to drag him into the same grave he'd dug for her.

But before she could speak, arms wrapped around her.

Warm. Gentle. Protective.

Nerith embraced the bound girl, patting her disheveled purple hair like a mother comforting a scared child.

"Jax, don't scare her anymore!" Her voice was genuinely angry. "Don't you see how much you've hurt this poor girl already?"

Jax smiled viciously. Walked over and sat in the chair Nerith had vacated.

"Poor? My foot."

He crossed his legs casually.

"Ask her what she was actually doing here. Why she was spying on a general's household."

Nerith looked at Astrid with a motherly but demanding expression. Asking for an answer.

Astrid sniffled. "I was just... checking on you. Well, scratch that part."

Her eyes hardened with hatred as she looked at Nerith.

"Your Highness, this asshole is also a human! The worst human to ever exist!"

The venom in her voice was unmistakable.

Jax leaned forward. "Checking on me? Why would you do something so foolish? You know that was basically suicide, right?"

Astrid was confused.

Why wasn't the demon princess shocked? She had just revealed that her so-called pretend husband was human. Where was the outrage? The horror? The screaming for guards?

Instead, Nerith just looked at her with that same motherly, demanding expression.

"Tell me clearly. What would you have gained by taking such a risk?"

Astrid's defenses crumbled under that gentle gaze.

"I... was just checking if he was alright."

Jax stood from the chair abruptly.

"Oh? So you came to check on your 'brother' or 'professor.' But the guards told a different story."

He began pacing.

"They said the intruder claimed she was here to 'enjoy the show.'"

He stopped. Turned to face her.

"Let me connect the dots. 'Enjoy the show' plus 'checking on me.'"

His expression shifted to theatrical shock.

"Does that mean you KNEW something? Something that would put me in danger? Get me in trouble? And you came to watch it happen?"

Nerith looked at Astrid carefully. Immediately caught the guilt and panic flashing across her face.

"No! That's not true!"

But Jax continued mercilessly.

"Or perhaps you knew my horns would shatter at a certain point?"

He reached up.

Removed his hooded cap.

Then pulled off his own fake horn band.

Revealing a completely human head.

Astrid stared in absolute bewilderment.

'Why did he do that? No. What is he plotting? What's going on in that twisted head of his?'

'Why do I feel more terrified of him now than before?'

Fresh tears flooded down her cheeks. Her brain couldn't process anymore.

Nerith watched the scene unfold. She understood now. Understood why Astrid was lying. Understood why Jax was doing this.

But it still didn't sit right with her. Watching a girl get completely shattered like this.

"Enough, Jax." Her voice was firm. "End it already. Don't mock her anymore. She'll lose her mind at this point."

She shot him a glare.

"And I'll take the blame too for supporting an evil bastard in his sick games."

Jax threw his hands up dramatically. "Come on, Nerith! You busted my whole plan! I had already prepared one more hour of psychological torment!"

Her deadly glare intensified.

He sighed. "Fine. I'm ending it here."

Astrid's tears stopped instantly.

Not because she felt better. But because a new emotion had entered. Confusion that physically hurt her small, overworked brain.

'Mock me? Play? Busted his plan?'

'What is happening?'

Before she could process further, Nerith moved. Drew a small blade. Cut through the ropes binding Astrid to the wall.

The purple-haired girl collapsed forward, barely catching herself.

Nerith helped her stand. Her voice was gentle now.

"Don't worry. Both of your secrets are safe with me."

She glanced at Jax with mild annoyance.

"And I'm sorry on my husband's behalf for this entire scene."

Astrid blinked rapidly. "Sorry? Husband?"

Then she saw it.

That wild, victorious smile spreading across Jax's face.

The smile of a predator who had thoroughly enjoyed tormenting his prey.

Nerith sighed. "I'll explain what happened in the past twenty-four hours. The short version."

And she did.

She told Astrid about her situation. The forced engagement to Eryndel. The desperation that led her to propose to a stranger in a carriage.

She told her how Jax helped. How he fought in the sanctrum. Nearly died protecting her from a fate worse than death.

She told her about the revelation of his identity. How she discovered he was human after everything had already happened.

She kept the rest private. Their love. Their promises. Their future. Those weren't for anyone else to know.

Astrid listened with a face cycling through tears and anger.

When Nerith finished, Astrid glared at Jax with pure hatred.

"You... you..."

Her fists clenched.

"I HATE you! I hate you, Professor!"

Then something occurred to her. She turned to Nerith with sudden concern.

"Wait. You said you're bound to him for the rest of your life?"

She grabbed Nerith's hands desperately.

"Are you okay with that?! There must be a way to free yourself from this demon..."

She realized the slang was inappropriate given their location.

"I mean, this MONSTER! Like killing him? So you could choose wisely again!"

Nerith smiled warmly.

Her eyes drifted to Jax with unmistakable affection.

"Why would I do that to the one I truly love?"

Astrid's brain finally gave up.

Her jaw dropped.

Her eyes went blank.

And somewhere deep inside her skull, the last functioning brain cell simply packed its bags and left.

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