I Became My Son's First Love - Chapter 64

“If you take a bite, it’ll be sweet.”

Azazel licked his lips, flicking his bright red tongue. What had seemed like love just moments ago was suddenly filled with greed and hunger. His pupils gleamed oddly, like a predator eyeing its prey.

Seeing those unmistakably predatory eyes, Dane made up his mind. You are not my son, and your love is dangerous. Dane tightened his grip on the dagger and struck.

Thunk.

He felt the blade sink into flesh and muscle. Dane was entranced by the sight of the white blade lodged in Azazel’s chest, with bright red blood flowing down it. Slowly, Dane released his grip on the dagger and stepped back, trembling at the scene before him.

‘It looks… too human.’

Azazel, noticing Dane’s gaze fixed on his bleeding chest, asked casually, “Aren’t you going to use the other one?”

Even with the dagger lodged in his chest and blood soaking his shirt, Azazel showed no sign of pain. He remained calm.

“It would be in your best interest to finish it quickly, you know?”

What on earth was Azazel thinking? Dane, unable to take his eyes off him, suddenly realized that the air around them had become thick and stifling. Gray mist was spreading from Azazel’s body, and Dane’s instincts screamed that this mist was dangerous. Understanding that hesitation was not an option, Dane fumbled for the second dagger.

But instead of stopping him, Azazel stepped closer. Just as Dane, gritting his teeth, prepared to thrust the dagger into Azazel’s chest, the voice of a woman who should not have been there rang out, stopping him in his tracks.

“Dane! Don’t do it!”

With that cry, the dagger plunged into Azazel’s body, and the black mist exploded, violently enveloping Dane. The mist swept him back like a storm, and in the midst of it, Dane heard a voice full of malice.

“…I really want to kill you.”

At the same time, bam—a blow struck his back, and Dane rolled across the floor. As his vision blurred, he saw a red-haired woman running toward him. He hadn’t misheard. As his consciousness began to fade, he saw Eve looking down at him. Dane’s lips moved faintly.

‘Why do you blame me?’

That was his last thought before he lost consciousness entirely.

***

Eve had rushed out of the carriage and ordered the driver to wait, hastily entering the gallery.

Had Dane used the dagger? What if something terrible had happened to Azazel? Worried and anxious, Eve raced through the gallery, only to feel a wave of relief when she heard Azazel’s voice in the distance.

I’m not too late. Eve quickened her pace, her hurried steps turning into a full sprint. When she finally found Azazel, she saw Dane swinging the dagger at him. She cried out without thinking, and her eyes met Azazel’s.

At that moment, the dagger pierced Azazel’s chest. Before she could scream, black smoke erupted from him, swirling like a violent wind, whipping her hair and clothes. As the mist pushed her back, something crashed into the ground beside her with a loud thud.

Eve turned her head in shock. The black mist obscured her view, making it hard to see what had fallen. Holding her trembling heart, she cautiously approached the figure and found Dane lying unconscious on the floor.

Relieved that it wasn’t Azazel, her frustration with Dane flared up. But she didn’t want him to die. After a brief hesitation, Eve placed her fingers under Dane’s nose.

‘He’s alive.’

He had no consciousness, likely having hit the wall hard, but he was still breathing. Eve laid him down gently and immediately turned her attention back to where Azazel stood.

He was in far worse condition than Dane, having been stabbed. Eve headed toward the spot where thick, dark smoke gathered, far more ominous than where she currently stood.

With every step, the black mist swallowed her. A slight inhale made her throat burn, causing her to cough uncontrollably. Each step weighed her down, as if something was clinging to her feet, dragging her back like trudging through a swamp.

She hadn’t thought it was that far, but despite her progress, Azazel still wasn’t in sight. Eve kicked off her cumbersome heels and steeled herself, pushing further into the endless darkness. Then, a cacophony of eerie, mocking voices filled her ears.

“How pathetic, walking straight into the demon’s grasp.”

Startled, Eve covered her ears, but the voices didn’t disappear.

“You love a demon? You must be crazy! If you keep going, you’ll never escape. You need to make a choice.”

Laughter echoed, voices from children, men, women, and the elderly mingling together to mock her.

“Turn back and run. You know how hard it will be if you choose that demon.”

The voices whispered temptingly,

“It’s a choice with more losses than gains. So, turn away. Trample the fragile sprout underfoot. You can do it, like you always have. Choose for yourself.”

Eve, who had been ignoring the voices with her head down, suddenly snapped it up at those final words. Glancing around with a scowl, she resumed her steps with determination. So, this is how I really felt, she realized bitterly. She had liked Azazel but had constantly weighed her options, choosing her convenience over him.

In truth, Eve still wasn’t sure how much she liked Azazel. It had only been a day since she realized her feelings, after all. But there was one thing she was certain of: she didn’t want Azazel to die.

With that certainty pushing aside all other concerns, Eve pressed on. Her body felt lighter, and after what seemed like an eternity, she finally reached the densest part of the mist. Ignoring the voices screaming in her ears, Eve yelled back, “Shut up and get lost! I’ll do what I want!”

At her outburst, the thick darkness dissipated, and Azazel’s figure appeared not far away. His face was paler than usual, but Eve saw his trembling fingers and took a step closer. Their eyes met, and his fingers twitched again. He seemed to be suppressing something, his fist clenched tightly.

His once turquoise eyes were now bloodshot, and his hair had turned black. Yet, Azazel was still beautiful. Though his features remained unchanged, the shift in his colors gave him an entirely different aura. Eve gazed at his strange yet familiar face.

“Azazel.”

She thought she saw a faint smile tug at his lips. But she couldn’t smile with him. There was something she had to say.

“I don’t love you.”

The confession, delivered out of nowhere, caused Azazel’s jaw to tighten. The black mist thickened once more, but Eve continued without hesitation.

“No matter how I think about it, you’re not a good match for me. Whether it’s the real you or the fake you.”

Even after acknowledging her feelings for him, Eve hadn’t changed much. She liked Azazel, but she didn’t want her life to fall apart because of him.

“Besides, you don’t have the best personality.”

Eve’s gaze traveled from the blood pooling at his feet, up to his clenched fist and the dagger lodged in his chest, before finally meeting his blank expression. His face was as lifeless as the first time she had seen it—like a withered old tree. Seeing his corpse-like face made Eve smile bitterly.

“But isn’t it strange?”

Despite all the blood spilling from him, he remained standing tall. Seeing him like this, Eve felt a wave of affection rise within her. Realizing that, all her other worries and doubts vanished.

“Even knowing all that, I don’t hate you.”

Eve took a step forward.

“I was so worried that you might get hurt or die that I ran here as fast as I could.”

Now standing right in front of him, Eve couldn’t bring herself to touch his torn, bloodied chest, so she wiped the blood from his beautiful face instead.

“And seeing you like this… makes me want to cry.”

The dullness in his eyes gave way to a sparkling brightness. Looking into those eyes, Eve finally confessed.

“I admit it. I like you.”

Azazel’s lips twitched slightly.

“I like you, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Raising her other hand, Eve cupped his face with both hands and lifted her head to meet his gaze.

“So, Azazel. Abandon everything and follow me.”

Azazel’s eyes flickered with emotion. Eve placed kisses at the corners of his tear-streaked eyes and whispered, “Abandon your family, your name, everything. Oh, but you can keep the money. And keep that face, too—I like it. If I like you this much, can’t you do at least that much?”

Azazel nodded eagerly, as if he had been waiting for this moment, his lips forming silent words.

“Love…”