Chapter 181: The Tormented Villain
The fire in the fireplace continued to burn, warming the small room.
Lying on the bed, Yu Mo had already closed his eyes. After days of constant travel and the recent, intense encounter, he soon drifted into a deep sleep.
His sleeping face was serene, his body still even in dreams. Peruth lay beside him, gaze fixed on him, his hand resting lightly on Yu Mo’s waist beneath the covers.
It felt wonderful—intimate, soothing, without any barriers.
Earlier, as they were preparing for sleep, Yu Mo had reached for his nightwear. Peruth had timidly requested that they simply slip under the covers as they were.
Although Yu Mo’s expression had remained indifferent, he had silently complied, tossing the nightwear to the side and slipping into bed.
Was it a silent indulgence, or was he simply too exhausted to argue and yielded in quiet compromise?
As Peruth held Yu Mo close, he pondered this.
Whatever the answer, he could hear a deep sigh of contentment rising from within himself.
He had never realized how deeply he craved this kind of closeness.
His Eloren wasn’t someone who exuded warmth, yet Peruth was captivated by that subtle, almost elusive heat.
It was as if a man, frozen for ages in the snow, had suddenly glimpsed a flame.
The scorching fire made him tremble and freeze, yet he instinctively sought it out, until he leaped into the flames, his numb body igniting. Thus, he was reborn in the fire.
“Eloren…” Peruth murmured softly, his cheek close to Yu Mo’s neck, affectionately entwining with him.
*
Yu Mo woke up in the morning to find himself held tightly in the cardinal’s embrace, his body stiff and sore.
He took a moment, lifted the blanket, and sat up, noticing the marks left on his body from the previous night.
His memory was sharp, so the few marks on his shoulders and arms definitely hadn’t been there before he fell asleep last night.
Beside him, the cardinal gazed at him gently, leaned in to plant a soft kiss on his shoulder, then draped a warm garment over him and spoke his first words of the morning:
“Eloren, do you know, you’re like death before rebirth, like winter before spring.”
Yu Mo: “…” Trying to flirt with me first thing in the morning?
He calmly buttoned his shirt and replied, “Good morning.”
Peruth’s smile widened at his “unromantic” response. “Is that all?”
Yu Mo, already standing, turned his head at these words and met his gaze once more. “Don’t look at me like that.”
That look held a hint of danger, making him feel as if Peruth wanted to turn him into an insect trapped in amber, frozen in this moment forever.
Peruth’s eyes flickered briefly, and he lowered his head, disguising his intense gaze with the motions of dressing.
“Eloren, we need to return to Margburg today, don’t we?”
“Yes,” Yu Mo replied, covering up the marks on his body, his demeanor once again clean and distant.
But then he stepped back to the bedside, brushed the cardinal’s messy hair aside, and added, “If possible, come back with me.”
Peruth was surprised and grasped his hand. “Of course.”
“I thought you’d urge me to go to the new temple in Tusihe.”
“Then you guessed wrong. I want you to accompany me for a while.”
Seeing the person in front of him requesting his company with a cold expression, Peruth held him tighter, his hand already reaching Yu Mo’s lower back.
“Eloren.” He pulled Yu Mo’s hand, pressing it against his own chest.
The burning desire in his eyes made them appear as if they were ablaze.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
Someone knocked at the door. “My lord, the knights are ready and can depart at any time.”
Yu Mo pulled the cardinal’s hand away from his clothes. “Understood.”
Before long, the lord and the cardinal stepped out of the room together.
The waiting knights avoided looking directly at them, bowing their heads.
Although the knights privately speculated about the nature of their relationship, none dared to show any sign of it in their presence.
The wind and snow had stopped today, and the weather had improved. Bright sunlight spread across the vast snowy plains.
They weren’t far from Margburg, and by afternoon they returned.
The castle on the mountainside served as the lord’s residence, surrounded by his vast estate and numerous houses built nearby.
The previous ruler here had ruthlessly exploited the residents. But after Yu Mo took over, his many policies encouraged a significant return of people who had previously left, and the population of Margburg had now grown to over a hundred thousand.
Don’t underestimate this number—in the sparsely populated northern cities of the Empire, a population of one hundred thousand was considerable.
As the lord and the knights’ entourage entered the Margburg territory, Peruth observed many bustling groups at work. The aroma and warmth from large cooking pots nearby filled the air.
Though most of the residents here still looked thin and frail, there was a budding sense of vitality in their expressions.
Small groups gathered, sipping hot soup, casting looks of reverence and gratitude toward the lord and his knights as they sped by.
Peruth had traveled to many border cities to handle the plague, and every place was chaotic and dire, filled with people who were numb with despair.
He had been near Margburg before, and back then it was no different from other border towns.
But now, the transformation here was astounding, like a place being reborn.
And all this change was because of Eloren.
They entered the castle through the newly widened road, where someone was already waiting.
Peruth dismounted first and extended a hand to help Yu Mo down from his horse.
Usually, Yu Mo didn’t need this kind of assistance, but after the long, bumpy journey, he wasn’t feeling his best and accepted Peruth’s help to dismount.
“You’re not a cardinal here,” Yu Mo said, releasing Peruth’s hand.
Amos approached them. “Teacher, you’re back. And Cardinal Peruth!”
Peruth smiled and raised a finger to his lips. “Your teacher just said, I’m not a cardinal here.”
Amos corrected himself, “Understood, Lord Peruth.”
Few people in the castle were familiar with this cardinal, as most of the staff had been newly hired from around Margburg in recent months, including the butler.
“Welcome back, my lord; I hope the journey wasn’t too exhausting,” the butler said, then turned to Peruth. “Shall I prepare a room for the guest?”
Yu Mo replied, “He’ll stay next to me.”
Yu Mo’s room was the finest in the castle—the master bedroom—with only one adjacent room, the previously vacant mistress’s quarters, connected by an adjoining door.
The butler was taken aback and asked for confirmation, “Are you saying you’d like this guest to be set up in the other master bedroom?”
“Yes.”
“Understood. I’ll prepare it right away.”
“And have some food and hot water sent up.”
Yu Mo exchanged a few brief words with the butler, while Peruth, standing beside him, wore a pleased smile ever since he heard about the room arrangement.
Amos stole glances at the cardinal’s expression, then at his teacher, who seemed slightly different than usual. He sensed a subtle atmosphere between the two of them.
He thought to himself that it might be better to delay the update from the magicians for a few days; it wasn’t too urgent, after all.
The butler, perceptive as ever, ensured that all the lord’s requested items were delivered and then made sure no one disturbed them further.
Sinking into the warm water, Yu Mo exhaled deeply.
Last night in the small town, he could only do a quick wash; now he could finally relax and clean up properly.
He heard footsteps approaching slowly and detected a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Peruth leaned on the edge of the bath, gazing down at him.
Yu Mo raised a hand to lift Peruth’s hair, which was about to dip into the water.
“Are you still feeling uncomfortable?” Peruth’s voice was low and gentle, and with his other hand, he produced a bottle of magical potion.
The pale gold potion gave off a distinctive light fragrance. Yu Mo took it with interest, examining the color and sniffing it to identify the magical ingredients.
He had never seen Peruth personally make a potion—this seemed to be a first.
“Interested?” Peruth asked with a smile. “I could show you how it’s made next time. But for now…” He guided Yu Mo’s hand, pouring the beautiful potion into the water. “Let’s use it to ease your discomfort.”
As the unique scent spread, Yu Mo gave him a curious look. “You used gold orchid and dragon grass for this potion?”
Those were ingredients for crafting the precious Elixir of Life, the very kind of life-sustaining potion the Emperor used—exceptionally rare.
Peruth smiled. “Is there a problem?”
Yu Mo observed his expression for a moment. “You’re not particularly skilled at potion-making, are you?”
Peruth admitted, “Not really, but luckily the quality of the materials was good enough, so the healing effect should work.”
Yu Mo refrained from further comment on his wasteful use of rare magical ingredients. Yet the potion was effective; all the fatigue and discomfort in his body disappeared, and he felt revitalized.
He stood up from the water.
“Not staying in a bit longer?”
“Didn’t you want to continue this morning? Now you can continue.”
“…”
“But you need to control yourself, Peruth. No more losing your mind.”
Nevertheless, the cardinal failed to restrain himself again. This time, Yu Mo did not indulge him.
Under a binding spell, Peruth lay beside him, his bewildered gaze fixed on Yu Mo as he smiled up at him through furrowed brows.
“Ah, Eloren, you’re so beautiful.”
Nearly strangled by him, Yu Mo applied a little pressure and patted the cardinal’s flushed cheek. “Don’t move; I’ll handle it.”
Peruth regained some clarity. “Did I…do something again just now?”
Yu Mo didn’t go into detail, simply saying, “Are you trying to devour me? If you die on top of me, or if I die beneath you, it would make a rather tragic joke.”
“So if you still want to continue, just lie still and stop moving.”
“All right, I understand,” Peruth agreed.
But as Yu Mo continued, Peruth’s Adam’s apple moved repeatedly, and he couldn’t help but give a strained smile. “Your binding spell won’t hold me for long. Why not add another control spell?”
Yu Mo frowned—not at his words but because his attempt was becoming a bit taxing. “What control spell? I haven’t seen any record of it.”
“That’s because it’s a contract spell,” Peruth replied, breathing heavily. “It requires a contract first, after which you’d have full control… you could make me do anything, or forbid me from doing anything.”
“So, what do you think? Do you want that?”
Peruth thought for sure Eloren would agree. He’d long seen that Eloren held a hidden desire for control deep within him.
But to his surprise, Yu Mo refused.
Pressing down on Peruth’s chest, he said, “Don’t try to cheat with magic. I want you to learn to control yourself.”
“Ah, wrong again,” Peruth murmured. Even though he was mistaken, his smile only grew.
Under Yu Mo’s lead, Peruth was pushed to his limits. Every time he was about to lose control, Yu Mo would stop, waiting until he was clear-headed before continuing.
Whenever Peruth tried to seize control, Yu Mo would immediately use a binding spell without hesitation.
It was almost cruel, as if he were dealing with an adversary.
Peruth had no choice but to endure the prolonged torment, giving a wry smile. “Eloren, don’t be so ruthless with me.”
Yu Mo wasn’t unaffected either, drenched in sweat, yet he didn’t yield to the cardinal’s pleas.
His intent was to help Peruth manage his impulses. Though, he had to admit, seeing the cardinal in a state of torment and helplessness was quite enjoyable.
It added a whole new dimension of amusement to the experience.
**TN
Ah. So spicy~
