Time stopped for them, their lips locked.
Ren and Zuran had their eyes open in shock as they stared at each other. Their brains had gone numb, and the two had forgotten how to separate their lips, which were now glued together.
Ren felt his heart race, and he also felt Zuran's heart skip.
They stayed like that for half a minute before Ren tried to get off. He slipped again and fell back into another kiss.
Fuck!—he cursed inwardly.
This time, Zuran took the initiative to separate them. He did that by pulling a dagger from his side.
Ren felt the movement and immediately pulled himself away. In the process, he fell off the bed with a loud thud.
"Ouch!" he cried as his butt met the ground.
Immediately, he heard sounds from the door. The parents and maids had leaned closer to listen. He heard them mutter:
"Oh! It's already happening?"
"Did I hear that right? They're already getting wild?"
"I heard a sound. What was that?"
Ren stared at the door and then turned to Zuran, who was now sitting up on the bed. Ren knew he had to send these people away if he wanted to rest tonight.
So he initiated a plan to play along with their expectations.
"Ah!" Ren moaned aloud in a feminine tone. "Ah, yes!"
Zuran glared down at him, baffled.
"Ah!" Ren moaned again as he looked up at Zuran. "Take it easy! Ah, yes! There!"
"I love you so much, honey! Yes! Faster! Faster, honey! I'm ready for you tonight!"
Zuran looked horrified. Ren could swear he caught his cheek flush in that moment.
The parents and maids giggled at the door.
"I think our job is done here," the mother said happily.
"Let's go," said the father as they all left them alone.
Ren let out a sigh of relief. "That was close." He casually stared at the incense burner on the table. He had forgotten that he was a demon and a god, so these mortal tricks didn't affect him.
He looked up at Zuran. "Hey, did you want to kill me just now?"
"No. I didn't." He had already hidden the dagger away.
Ren stared at him. He wasn't surprised. He expected that from him. Besides, he already knew Zuran wouldn't admit to wanting to kill his master.
Ren sighed as he got to his feet and sat down at the edge of the bed. He stared at Zuran, who moved backward.
"Hey, listen up. I saved you, which means I've repented of my ways. So I won't harm you from now on. In turn, you should also stop trying to kill me."
Zuran stared back, his eyes cold. "And why should I believe you?"
Ren blinked. "Because… because… because I saved you from the Death Sea place."
Zuran scoffed. "That doesn't mean anything. You were the one who sold me off there. So it makes no sense that you'd genuinely want to get me back. I know you're up to no good. I'll wait for you to drop the act and show your true colors. It's always been like that."
"Besides," Zuran added, "I'd rather be in a slave marriage to the Death Sea snake clan than spend a second with you." He meant it, and Ren could tell.
Ren blinked. Damn, he really hated him.
He sighed. "Well, I guess I can't win you over that easily. But at least you should respect the sacred art of our marriage."
Zuran raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Ren said. "We're officially married today. We did all the procedures, both in the demon realm and here in the mortal realm. So we're bound by the sacred art of marriage. You should at least respect that."
Zuran scoffed. "Marriage? What rubbish are you even saying now? What makes you think I'll take these dumb acts as authentic? Are you being delusional, Master?"
"I'm being real. From today onwards, we're officially married. Blessed by the three realms. It's a sacred union. So you should at least respect that and stop trying to kill me."
Ren leaned his face closer to Zuran, who moved backward. "Besides, we even had a kiss to consummate it. So it's a done thing." He smiled, enjoying the panic that flashed over Zuran's face. "But if you think the kiss wasn't enough, we could do more tonight to consummate it."
Zuran placed a hand over his chest. Ren guessed teasing him would become his new hobby. He actually did look adorable when he panicked.
"Master…" Zuran stared up at him. "What are you planning this time? What's your aim with all this? What project are you working on that needs this?"
"You could just tell me. Do you want me to give a portion of my life? Go to the pit of eternal flames and retrieve something? Tell me. I'll do anything. Stop playing these tricks."
But Ren casually smiled as he raised a finger to hold Zuran's chin. He stared at his face as he said, "From today onwards, you should stop calling me master. It's too formal. You should try calling me Hubby. Or Honey. Or sweetheart." Ren smiled. "That sounds more romantic."
Zuran brushed off his fingers and looked away. "Refrain from making such jokes, Master. It's not appropriate…"
This was a new side of the Demon God to him, and Ren knew it. The Demon God was always cold and ruthless and never used such terms with him. So he was certain Zuran wasn't used to it.
Ren casually smiled at his little panic. "I'm serious," he said as he lay down on the bed beside him, eyes on the ceiling. "So keep that in mind. We're married now."
Zuran sat beside him, staring down as he closed his eyes.
"I'm tired from our wedding processions. You should also get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow." Ren knew it was risky sleeping in the same room with someone who wanted him dead, so he used some magic on himself for protection.
Zuran, on the other hand, didn't move for a while. He sat there staring at Ren, who was drifting to sleep.
Ren didn't know if Zuran would sleep beside him tonight or not. He guessed he'd have to find out the next day.