Sunlight streamed through the heavy curtains.
Ren woke up feeling like he had run a marathon. His whole body ached, but in a satisfied way.
He looked to his side. Malphas was sleeping soundly, his arm draped possessively over Ren's waist. The scary Demon King looked peaceful when he wasn't killing people.
Ren poked Malphas's nose.
"Hey. Wake up."
Malphas grunted and pulled Ren closer. "Five more minutes."
"Did the Demon King just say 'five more minutes'?" Ren laughed. "The Generals are waiting outside, I bet."
Malphas's eyes snapped open. Red met Gold.
"You are still here," Malphas whispered. Usually, after his urges were satisfied, he felt empty. Today, he felt... full.
"Where else would I go? You locked the door," Ren rolled his eyes. "Now get off. I need a bath. I'm sticky."
Malphas smirked. "My apologies."
"You should be. I missed my breakfast."
Malphas sat up, the sheets falling to reveal his toned torso. He snapped his fingers. A bath appeared in the corner of the room (magic was convenient).
"Join me?" Malphas asked.
Ren looked at him. "No. You scrub my back. I'm a guest."
"Prisoner," Malphas corrected.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, big guy."
As they bathed (which was surprisingly domestic and not murder-y), the System beeped.
[MISSION UPDATE: Malphas has stopped searching for the Dragon Stone. His obsession has shifted from the past to the present (You). Stage 1 Complete.]
Ren smiled into the water. Step 1: distract the villain. Check.
"Malphas," Ren said suddenly. "I want to go to the human village tomorrow."
Malphas's playful expression hardened. "Why? To escape?"
"To buy clothes," Ren lied. He actually wanted to check on the heroes. The 'Main Characters' of this world were supposed to kill Malphas. If Ren wanted a Happy Ending, he needed to neutralize the heroes too. "And spices. Your cook uses too much salt."
Malphas studied him. "If you run... I will burn the village down."
"I won't run," Ren promised, leaning back against the tub. "I have nowhere to go. And you have a very comfortable bed."
Malphas relaxed. "Fine. I will accompany you. No escaping."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
[Host, you are lying through your teeth.]
System, honey, it's not lying. It's strategy.