Gray caught her wrist gently but firmly, stopping the teasing circles on his chest.

"Aurora, what are you doing?"

She blinked up at him innocently, long lashes fluttering. Her head tilted slightly, as if she genuinely didn’t understand the question.

"Hm? What do you mean, love?" she asked sweetly, her body still pressed close against him. She shifted again, letting her breasts rub against his chest more deliberately this time.

"I’m just trying to spend time with you... You’ve been so busy lately. I missed you."

Her free hand slid down his side, fingers tracing the edge of his belt teasingly.

Gray’s eyes narrowed.

"You know exactly what I mean," he said, not letting go of her wrist.

"You’re trying to distract me. Why?"

Aurora’s expression remained perfectly innocent, almost pouty. She leaned in closer, her lips brushing against his jaw as she whispered:

"Distract you? Why would I ever do that?" Her breath was warm against his skin.

"I just want you here with me... all night. Doesn’t that sound nice?"

She pressed her body more firmly against his, her thigh sliding between his legs as she nuzzled into his neck.

"Come on, Gray... stay with me. We can forget about everything else for a while..." Her fingers slipped under the hem of his shirt, tracing slow, teasing lines across his skin.

"Let me take care of you tonight. You deserve it."

Gray’s grip on her wrist tightened slightly, though he didn’t push her away.

"Aurora... stop playing games. Tell me what you’re really trying to do."

She pulled back just enough to look at him, her eyes wide and doe-like, as if she was truly confused by his suspicion.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about, baby..." she murmured, biting her lower lip softly.

"I just want you. Isn’t that enough?"

Her hand continued its slow, seductive exploration under his shirt, nails grazing lightly over his abdomen as she leaned in again, pressing a soft, lingering kiss just below his ear.

"Stay..." she whispered, her voice dripping with seductiveness.

"Please? For me?"

Gray’s expression grew colder by the second.

Thruuum!

The air around him thickened as his killing intent leaked out uncontrollably.

Aurora should have flinched.

Instead, the corner of her lips curled up into a small, knowing smile.

Before he could say another word, she grabbed his collar with both hands and yanked him forward with surprising strength.

Their lips crashed together.

The kiss was fierce, demanding, and unexpectedly erotic.

Aurora kissed him like she was trying to devour him whole, her mouth tasting hot and insistent, tongue sliding past his lips without hesitation to tangle with his.

She tasted sweet and sinful, like forbidden fruit and dark wine.

Her body pressed flush against his, soft breasts molding against his chest as she tilted her head, deepening the kiss with a low, throaty moan that vibrated into his mouth.

One of her hands slid up to grip the back of his neck, nails digging in possessively while her tongue explored him with shameless hunger that left him breathless.

She sucked on his lower lip, then bit it gently before soothing the sting with another heated swipe of her tongue.

The kiss was messy, passionate, and full of raw desire as her body was practically melting into his as she poured every ounce of seduction she had into it.

Gray’s eyes widened in complete surprise, his body momentarily frozen by the intensity.

"Phaw~"

When she finally pulled back, a thin, glistening bridge of saliva connected their lips for a moment before breaking.

Aurora licked her own lips slowly, eyes half-lidded and dark with lust, breathing slightly heavier.

"My dear... you simply cannot kill that man yet," she purred.

Gray stared at her, chest rising and falling as he tried to regain his composure.

The killing intent that had been rolling off him in waves faltered for a split second.

Aurora simply smiled at him, innocent as a fox in a henhouse, her fingers still loosely gripping his collar.

"Trust me on this one, Gray," she whispered, leaning in to brush her lips against his jaw.

"There are things you still don’t know."

Gray’s eyes narrowed at her words. He had information that no one else knew, since he literally had the creator of the world’s memories inside his head.

And yet... she was telling him that there was something he actually didn’t know about, much less about his own father?

So... there were only two options.

A mere bluff... or one of the difficulty alterations of the world.

At his words, she reached up and stroked his face softly with the back of her fingers, her touch feather-light yet deliberate, tracing the line of his jaw as if savoring the tension there.

"Because that man..." she purred, leaning in so her lips brushed against his ear, "is surrounded by multiple high-tier demons. If you go rushing in right now to kill him, you’re going to die, my love."

Gray’s body stiffened slighly... at the mention of the word "high".

"Demons...?"

Aurora pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes, her fingers still gently caressing his cheek.

Her expression was a perfect mix of concern and seduction, as if she were trying to soothe a dangerous beast while tempting it at the same time.

"Yes, demons," she confirmed softly.

"Not the weak, mindless ones you’ve fought before. These are high-tier, the kind that serve greater entities. Your father... he made a pact with them years ago. He offered them power, influence, and a foothold in this realm in exchange for protection and strength."

She traced a slow circle on his chest with her fingertip, her voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper.

"They’ve been guarding him like loyal dogs. There are at least seven of them constantly around him... whether that is shapeshifters, shadow walkers, or corruption weavers. They hide in plain sight, wearing the faces of his closest advisors, his bodyguards, even some of his mistresses. If you attack him directly right now, they’ll tear you apart before you can even reach his throat."

Gray’s jaw clenched.

His killing intent flared again for a brief second before he forced it back down.

’Years ago...? Dantes didn’t write a single thing about that!’

"Why would he surround himself with demons?" he asked calmly.

Aurora let out a soft, almost pitying sigh, still stroking his face tenderly.

"Because he’s terrified of you, Gray. He has known you’re coming for him for more than a decade, so he’s been preparing for years. The demons aren’t just bodyguards, but they’re feeding on his fear and ambition, growing stronger the more paranoid he becomes. In return, they give him power. Dark magic, enhanced vitality, or the ability to sense when someone strong is approaching him."

She leaned in closer again, her breath warm against his lips. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"He’s turned his entire inner circle into a fortress of demons. If you go in blind right now... even you might not survive. Not without preparation."

Gray stared at her, searching her face for any sign of deception.

Aurora met his gaze without flinching, her seductive smile softening into something almost gentle.

"I’m not trying to stop you from killing him," she whispered.

"I’m trying to stop you from dying in the process. I want you to win, Gray. I want you to come back to me."

Her fingers slid down to rest over his heart.

"So please... be patient, just a little longer. Let me help you. I know their weaknesses. I know how to get you close enough to end him without walking into a trap."

She pressed a slow, lingering kiss to the corner of his mouth, her eyes half-lidded.

"Stay with me tonight," she murmured against his lips.

"And tomorrow, we can start planning how to kill your father properly."

Gray remained still for a long moment, letting her words sink in. Then, he pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes.

"How was he preparing for decades?" he asked curiously.

That was something he truly couldn’t figure out.

"I was only exiled from the family a year ago. Why would he start building a demon fortress around himself so long before that?"

Aurora’s seductive smile didn’t falter. She gently stroked his cheek again, as if trying to soothe the storm inside him.

"Your father met a prophet when you were still very young," she replied softly.

"A real one. Not some charlatan. This prophet told him that one of his sons would eventually kill him. That the child would grow stronger than anything he could imagine and bring his entire legacy to ruin."

She paused, letting her fingers trail down to his jaw.

"At first, he didn’t believe it. He had many sons. But when he saw your talent... when he realized how fast you were growing, how much potential you had... the fear took root. It consumed him. He started making deals in secret. First with minor demons, then stronger ones. He built alliances, gathered artifacts, and surrounded himself with protectors. All because he was terrified that the prophecy was about you."

Aurora leaned in closer, her breath warm against his ear.

"As a child... You probably knew that your father didn’t love you, didn’t you?"

Gray was silent for a moment.

Then he nodded.

"That was obvious," he said flatly.

"The only one who actually cared about me was Madam Vireux. And my step-sisters, to some extent. The rest... they looked at me like I was a tool at best. A threat at worst."

Aurora’s expression softened, though the seductive glint in her eyes never fully disappeared.

"Exactly. Your father saw you as a threat from the very beginning. That’s why he isolated you. That’s why he pushed you away so harshly. And when you started showing real power... that was when the real preparations began. The demons, the pacts, the hidden fortresses... all of it was to make sure that if the day came when you tried to kill him, he would be ready."

She kissed the corner of his mouth again, slow and coaxing.

"So please, Gray... don’t rush in. Not yet. Let me help you prepare. I know their names. I know their weaknesses. I know how to slip past them."

Her hand slid lower, his fingers tracing the edge of his belt as she whispered against his lips.

"Stay with me tonight. Let’s forget about him for a few hours... and tomorrow, we’ll start our plan to kill him."