Chapter 209: Lucifer Loses Again
Azazel leaned casually against the polished mahogany counter, quietly chatting with Ren as the late-night hours stretched on.
The ambient lighting of the restaurant cast a warm, golden glow over the two men. Their conversation had drifted into a realm of hushed tones and knowing chuckles. Some of the topics they discussed were of a highly specific, cultured nature that only seasoned men could truly comprehend.
Sitting on the plush leather sofa across the room, Lucifer looked completely bewildered the entire time. Her crimson eyes darted between the two men, desperately trying to piece together the context of their cryptic, amused whispers.
She wanted nothing more than to march over there and join the conversation. Her curiosity was burning a hole straight through her chest.
However, the memory of the absolute "harsh words" she had confidently spoken earlier flashed in her mind. Her pride acting as an impenetrable wall, she forcefully tore her gaze away from the counter and turned back to fiercely glare at the movie playing on the television screen.
*This stinky, infuriating man!*
*He really has absolutely no intention of coming over here to coax me!*
Lucifer clutched a soft throw pillow against her chest, her perfectly manicured nails digging into the fabric.
*Lucifer, you must hold on! There are still over five hours until the daytime shift begins!*
*I am the Queen of Hell! I must successfully resist him this time!*
The fierce, impassioned declarations above were the absolute entirety of Lucifer's current internal monologue. Her delicate shoulders were tense, and her mind was exceptionally firm in her resolve this time.
Of course, she had been just as firm the last time they argued.
And the time before that.
And every single time before that, stretching back to the very day she arrived.
Knowing this predictable pattern all too well, Ren simply continued wiping down the counter, purposefully saying nothing to her.
Suddenly, Azazel let out a booming, thoroughly entertained laugh that echoed through the quiet dining room.
The rich, deep sound once again irresistibly attracted Lucifer's gaze. She turned her head just slightly, her pristine white hair shifting over her shoulder, and saw the Governor of the Fallen Angels laughing exceptionally happily.
But Azazel's joy wasn't the key detail; to the Queen of Hell, his presence was entirely secondary.
Lucifer's breath hitched slightly because she actually saw Ren showing a rare, remarkably genuine smile. It was the kind of handsome, relaxed expression that instantly indicated the two men had just chatted about something incredibly interesting.
Azazel wiped a stray tear of mirth from his eye, his black wings twitching slightly beneath his coat.
"I really didn't expect Shopkeeper Ren to have so many surprisingly brilliant ideas!" Azazel smiled, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the wooden surface.
Ren just smiled warmly and waved his hand in a humble, dismissive gesture.
"They aren't really brilliant ideas at all," Ren replied smoothly. "Ultimately, when it comes to those kinds of situations, it still entirely comes down to one's own natural reaction."
Azazel pondered the profound simplicity of that statement for a moment. He stroked his chin, nodding slowly in absolute agreement.
"Shopkeeper Ren, you possess a terrifyingly sharp intuition. You're really suited to be a high-end psychologist," Azazel praised.
The Fallen Angel then stretched his arms out, a satisfying pop echoing from his shoulders.
"Well, I suppose I should head back to the Underworld," Azazel declared, stepping away from the counter. "My loyal subordinates must already be furiously investigating my sudden disappearance for such a long time."
Ren nodded understandingly, placing his cleaning cloth neatly beside the sink.
"It seems you're quite a highly popular governor among your people," Ren noted.
"Hmm, on that specific issue, I suppose I am," Azazel chuckled with a hint of self-deprecation. "At the very least, no other leader of any major faction is idle enough to sneak away and go fishing."
He paused, looking around the cozy, welcoming interior of the otherworldly restaurant.
"But honestly? I feel like I'll exclusively be going fishing inside this Chinese Cuisine establishment from now on."
"Then I genuinely wish you the best of luck in catching a big fish," Ren said, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Oh, by the way," Azazel paused halfway to the door. "Can you bring your own fresh ingredients here for you to cook?"
"Of course," Ren confirmed smoothly. "As long as it's edible, I can handle it."
After Azazel finished speaking, he happily gathered his fishing rod and tackle box. He bid a polite farewell, his black coat swooshing as he turned to leave through the restaurant's dimensional doorway.
Before leaving, Azazel had paid for his meal.
He was clearly surprised by the astonishingly high price displayed on the menu at the time. Yet, he didn't complain or say a single word of protest.
Azazel, being a fabulously wealthy man with thousands of years of accumulated treasures, simply reached into his pocket and dropped a heavy, ornate ring onto the counter.
The heavy piece of jewelry landed with a solid, resonant thud. A massive, flawless crimson gem was set into its center, reflecting the ambient light of the restaurant like a captured star.
Ren also said nothing in response to the extravagant payment.
As the supreme leader of a powerful, mythical faction, it would be far stranger if Azazel somehow lacked spending money. So Ren didn't say much about the absurd overpayment.
He simply picked up the priceless magical artifact, inspected the pure magical energy radiating from the gem, and quietly decided he would just deduct Azazel's next several dozen meal expenses from this ring's immense value.
Over the years of operating this dimensional hub, Ren had encountered countless eccentric customers who left extremely expensive, unorthodox meal payments.
There was Riven before, who had paid with ancient, battle-worn runic coins from Noxus.
Then came Tony Stark, who casually threw around blank checks tied to offshore accounts with enough zeroes to buy a small country.
And now, Azazel had joined the ranks of the big spenders.
Oh, right. Ren's gaze slowly shifted across the room.
There was also the one customer who currently held the record for the most astronomically expensive meal bill in the entire establishment.
Sitting right over there on the sofa was that beautiful little queen, who desperately wanted to speak but was stubbornly holding back, her tiny fists trembling with the effort.
"A female Fallen Angel who specializes in seducing mortal men to their ultimate fall..." Ren muttered aloud, his voice perfectly pitched to carry across the quiet room. "I'm really quite curious how she actually does it."
Hearing Ren's deliberate, provocative words, Lucifer's entire body trembled.
She gripped the throw pillow with terrifying strength, her knuckles turning completely white as she clenched her fists even tighter. She bit down hard on her lower lip, her sharp little fangs threatening to draw blood.
Unable to take the silence anymore, she swiftly turned her head to look at the glowing digital clock on the computer monitor.
When her crimson eyes saw that only a measly fifteen minutes had passed since Azazel left, she felt a wave of complete, utter misery wash over her. It felt like an agonizing eternity had gone by.
In stark contrast to her internal torment, Ren seemed significantly more relaxed.
He casually strolled over to the lounge area and took a seat right beside Lucifer on the soft leather sofa. He acted as if absolutely nothing had happened, crossing his legs and continuing to watch the movie playing on the screen.
Lucifer slowly turned her head to look at Ren.
When she saw his usual, frustratingly calm expression, her cheeks puffed out into a cute, furious pout. Refusing to give in, she aggressively turned her back to him, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Hmm? Why is someone actively sending messages this late at night... Eh?"
Just as Ren was comfortably settling in to enjoy the rest of the movie, he suddenly saw his smartphone screen light up on the table.
He picked the sleek device up, the bright glare illuminating his face in the dim room. He casually glanced at the notification on the lock screen, and his eyes widened slightly in genuine surprise.
He truly had to admit, receiving this specific message right at this ungodly hour was truly a bit outrageous.
Sitting beside him, Lucifer was watching Ren reply to the messages out of the corner of her eye. Her demonic curiosity was skyrocketing to dangerous, unbearable levels.
She furiously whispered to herself, barely audible over the sound of the movie.
"I'll just look! Taking a tiny peek is perfectly fine as long as I don't actually open my mouth to talk to him!"
Thinking this flawless logic through, Lucifer slowly, stealthily leaned her upper body over to look at the glowing screen.
An intoxicating scent of sweet dark chocolate, rich vanilla, and a very faint, alluring hint of brimstone drifted over Ren as she approached.
Ren naturally had absolutely no intention of hiding anything from her.
Noticing her struggling to see, he obligingly tilted the phone screen closer to Lucifer's face.
Lucifer was completely stunned when her ruby eyes scanned the contents of the text thread. Just as she instinctively opened her mouth, right on the verge of speaking her shock aloud, she violently caught herself.
She quickly clamped her hands over her own mouth, forcibly controlling her burning desire to ask questions.
The sudden, late-night message had come directly from Amou Kirukiru.
It was extremely important to note that the formidable Empress from the Supreme Five Swords was usually incredibly tsundere and aloof. When it came to interacting with Ren, she either showed up aggressively in person to demand his food, or she called him strictly to proudly report her martial achievements.
Besides those two specific scenarios, she practically never actively initiated contact with Ren through text.
Amou Kirukiru's lengthy message, when summarized past all her usual sharp-tongued fluff, delivered one core piece of information.
[Many powerful corporate entities are currently hunting for you. They are aggressively trying to locate and hire Ren.]
The sheer volume of headhunters wasn't the crucial part of the problem.
The most critical and somewhat headache-inducing aspect for Ren was the specific names listed. Many of these eager corporations were prestigious companies he had previously collaborated with in his past gourmet endeavors.
Because of those past ties, they most likely already knew his general range of activities and preferred haunts.
Ren let out a long, heavy sigh, rubbing his temples in mild annoyance.
"This is genuinely going to be troublesome," Ren muttered, resting his phone against his knee. "Thankfully, no matter how much money they throw around, they will absolutely never find me hidden away here at the Restaurant."
He shook his head, a wry smile forming on his lips.
"Kirari really got me good this time. Her little stunts have caused quite the ripple effect."
Lucifer stared intently at Ren's exasperated profile. She slowly lowered her head and aggressively pointed a perfectly manicured finger directly at the text message on the phone screen.
She tapped the glass twice, her eyes demanding an explanation.
Ren chuckled, reaching out to gently pinch Lucifer's soft, pale cheek.
"My dear Lucifer, is your beautiful mouth permanently glued shut tonight?" Ren asked, his voice laced with teasing amusement.
Lucifer furiously shook her head side to side.
She pulled her face away from his teasing fingers, smoothing down the lapels of her pristine white blazer. She then looked down her nose at Ren with an incredibly proud, haughty expression, silently declaring her absolute victory in the silent treatment game.
Ren was momentarily stunned by her adorable arrogance.
He then smiled, leaning back into the cushions as a devious thought crossed his mind.
"Say, Lucifer," Ren started, his tone dangerously casual. "Do you think there's a considerably big difference between you and the female fallen angels residing in Azazel's world?"
Lucifer blinked in surprise. She thought about it for a second, then gave a firm, confident nod.
Ren tapped his chin thoughtfully, his eyes roaming over Lucifer's impeccably tailored business suit.
"It's just... Lucifer doesn't exactly give me the traditional feeling of making a mortal man magically fall into depravity."
Ren let out a theatrical sigh, shaking his head.
"Is my mental resistance just way too high? Or perhaps..." Ren paused for dramatic effect. "It seems I really need to experience the sensual embrace of a true, uninhibited fallen angel to understand the hype."
Lucifer's ruby pupils violently constricted into tiny pinpricks.
The absolute audacity!
All logic, pride, and tsundere vows instantly evaporated into thin air. She immediately reached out with both hands, tightly grabbing the lapels of Ren's shirt.
With surprising demonic strength, she violently pulled Ren closer to her body.
Still refusing to speak, she grabbed her own phone with one hand and frantically typed on her screen, shoving the device right into Ren's face.
The digital text read in massive, bold font:
[NO! YOU ARE MY LUCIFER'S MAN! HOW CAN YOU EVER LET THOSE KINDS OF VULGAR WOMEN GET CLOSE TO YOU?!]
Ren felt the soft, lush curves of her chest pressing urgently against his arm as she leaned into him. He chuckled softly, the fragrant scent of her hair filling his senses.
"I'm not going to do anything inappropriate," Ren whispered reassuringly, though the teasing glint never left his eyes. "I just want to purely observe how they tempt people. For scientific research, of course."
Lucifer's thumbs flew across her screen like lightning, her face flushed completely red. She shoved the phone at him again.
[THAT'S STILL ABSOLUTELY NOT ALLOWED! IF YOU DARE, I'LL REALLY BITE YOU TO DEATH!]
Ren burst into a genuine, hearty chuckle at her fiercely possessive threat.
He thought for a moment, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make her anxious.
"Eh? The consequences don't seem that serious to me," Ren teased, gently brushing a lock of white hair behind her ear.
He leaned in closer, his lips hovering dangerously close to her earlobe.
"Oh, by the way... Azazel explicitly said that in the near future, if he ever wants to generously reward his top-performing subordinates, he'll start bringing them to dine here."
Ren's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper.
"He even specifically asked me if it was okay if he brought his most beautiful, scantily-clad female fallen angels."
Ren pulled back slightly, flashing a brilliant, utterly fake smile.
"He mentioned he was actually quite afraid that you'd get overwhelmingly jealous."
[Akarin's Note: The term "car god" (车神) is Chinese internet slang initially used to describe someone who is exceptionally skilled at driving. In modern anime/internet culture, it translates to being a "master driver" of smut—meaning someone who is incredibly experienced and smooth when it comes to adult topics, romance, or seduction.]
Lucifer couldn't take it anymore. The dam utterly completely shattered.
She violently slammed her delicate hands down hard onto the coffee table, creating a loud, echoing crack.
"No, no, no!" Lucifer finally shouted, her melodious voice ringing out through the quiet restaurant. "His female fallen angels are all far too immodest, and they practically wear nothing! It is absolutely, unequivocally not allowed!"
She was panting heavily, her chest heaving beneath her white shirt. She glared furiously into Ren's perfectly calm eyes.
Then, her brain finally caught up to the situation.
"Uh..." Lucifer's voice faltered. Her crimson face instantly darkened as she realized what she had just done. "You... you did that entirely on purpose!"
Ren smiled warmly, reaching out to gently poke her forehead.
"Lucifer, my dear Queen... you lost again."
Lucifer looked at Ren with a fiercely puffed-up face. She looked like an incredibly angry, incredibly beautiful white kitten.
"That's way too much!" Lucifer shouted, throwing her hands up in utter defeat. "You deliberately tricked me again! I was doing so perfectly!"
She then abruptly grabbed his arm again, her nails digging slightly into his sleeve.
"But my point still stands! It is absolutely not allowed!"
Ren laughed smoothly, reaching over to gently stroke her soft white hair to calm her down.
"Do you honestly think Azazel would ever dare to ask me that kind of ridiculous question right in front of you?" Ren asked casually.
Lucifer blinked her ruby eyes in confusion, the absolute panic slowly draining from her face.
"Eh?"
Ren pinched Lucifer's flawless cheek once more, letting his thumb brush affectionately against her skin.
He smiled tenderly and said, "Of course I was just teasing you. Although Azazel is considered an absolute 'car god' when it comes to charming women, he is far too polite to ever ask such a disrespectful question in my establishment."
Lucifer's intense gaze slowly drifted away, suddenly finding the wooden floorboards extremely interesting.
Her previous anger completely melted away, replaced by a deep, overwhelming embarrassment.
She nervously fidgeted with the hem of her skirt.
"Then..." Lucifer whispered, her voice incredibly soft and shy. "Then tell me exactly what you two men were just laughing and talking about earlier..."
Ren shifted his weight on the sofa, wrapping his arm casually around her shoulders.
"Alright. I'll tell you."
Lucifer felt the comforting warmth of his body heat. A beautiful, rosy blush rapidly spread across her pale cheeks.
"You..." Lucifer murmured, her voice dripping with sudden, helpless affection. "You need to sit a little closer to me... and you have to tell me absolutely everything from the beginning."
Ren glanced down at his current position. He was already sitting so close that their thighs were practically pressed together, their body heat freely mingling in the cool air of the room.
He smiled, his heart softening at her adorable demands.
"You can absolutely rest assured about that," Ren said softly, gently squeezing her shoulder. "Because there is absolutely nothing I would ever hide from you. Are you still terribly angry after losing our little bet?"
Lucifer aggressively buried her face into the fabric of his sleeve, refusing to look him in the eye.
"Hmph," she mumbled, her hot breath seeping through his shirt. "That entirely depends on your performance moving forward."
Ren looked down affectionately at Lucifer. She had completely given up her tsundere act and was now naturally, comfortably hugging his arm with both of her hands, pressing herself tightly against him.
Ren slowly shook his head with a warm, loving smile.
*This prideful little queen of mine... she really is as unbelievably cute as ever.*
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