Chapter 138. The Annoying Surprise

Noah was, of course, not truly asleep.

At first, he had observed Valentina pondering something in the dilapidated temple’s bath for quite some time.

He had initially contemplated whether to don a maid’s guise to irritate her further.

But upon seeing the little princess hesitating at the door for what felt like an eternity, Noah reluctantly abandoned that idea.

After offering the little princess a bit of encouragement, he turned and left.

After all, in the original story, the little princess was merely a pitiful creature. Though she didn’t face the same dire consequences as Valentina, who would suffer a humiliating defeat surrounded by enemies, she was still influenced by her villainous royal family, which forced her to adopt an unfriendly demeanor towards Valentina.

If she were truly a wretched little brat, it would be one thing, but the problem was that she seemed to possess a normal sense of values, merely lacking the courage to act.

Noah wouldn’t help someone without willpower to change, but if it was just a lack of courage, he was willing to lend a hand.

Upon returning to his room, Noah naturally resorted to covering his face with a book and pretending to sleep.

As for the reason? It was, of course, to deliberately let the princess see his true self.

Having already corrupted the princess to this extent, Noah could no longer maintain the facade of an invulnerable, bizarre dark god.

He needed the princess to believe he was nothing extraordinary, so she would be resolute in her determination to vanquish the dark god.

Thus, when the princess berated him with her full disdain, Noah responded with a mocking smile, unfazed.

“Ha! Why don’t you give it a try, Princess? Let’s see if I not only forcibly remove your socks this time but also your clothes!”

It was a taunt brimming with threat, more direct than any other.

If she were a normal princess, she would surely feel a strong sense of indignation at such a threat.

What? Such a delightful prospect!?

But this rather abnormal princess, upon hearing those words, nearly flung her shoe across the room.

Being stripped bare? What a threat! It was practically a reward!

—

Yet she knew that in Noah’s eyes, she would not be foolish enough to this extent. So even though she desperately wanted to act, she could only suppress the urge.

The princess tightened her grip on the shoes, her hand trembling visibly, clearly fighting the impulse to throw them away.

To Noah, this display was quite satisfying.

Ha! Look! The princess is so angry that she wants to throw them but dares not! When the time comes for her to seek revenge, she will surely bring back the resentment of this moment!

Though he thought this, like Valentina, Noah concealed his true thoughts, merely looking at her with disdain.

Thus, the two of them simply stared at each other for a while, maintaining a peculiar balance.

“…What a sharp, cruel, and barbaric face you have. Has no one ever told you that you look like a lawless criminal?”

Though she was actually enjoying the time spent gazing at Noah, the princess decided to continue her probing.

This time, she intended to test Noah’s appearance; after all, he had the ability to transform. If this face was not his true form, then it would lose its significance.

So, the princess deliberately wore a cold expression and began to insincerely attack Noah’s looks.

“My face? …Ah, so you’ve seen it, huh? How embarrassing! I bear a savage, brutish, and hedonistic visage, but what can I say? I am a dark god after all~”

Noah pretended to have mistakenly revealed his face, but then, with a nonchalant air, he leaned back, hands behind his head, laughing arrogantly as he continued:

“However, this form is merely a human guise that suits me. You cannot even begin to comprehend my true essence. I transformed into a human just for you, Princess. Shouldn’t you express your gratitude? Why not kneel and lick my shoes?”

Noah thrived on being audacious, pushing the limits of arrogance.

Yet, beneath this bravado, he carelessly revealed more information to the princess.

“…Who would lick your shoes? If you want to be worshipped, go find your own followers.”

The princess’s demeanor was cold. She abandoned the eye contact with Noah, expressing her strong rejection while striding toward her bed, leaving him with a striking, aloof silhouette.

Her silvery hair cascaded down her back, nearly obscuring her attire, making her appear as if she were clad only in black silk, almost nude.

But this visual illusion was merely a coincidence; in truth, the princess had to turn away from Noah to control her expression.

After all, Noah’s earlier words had essentially confirmed that his current appearance was indeed his true form, crafted specifically for her!

How could she not smile at that!?

A dark god, unrecognizable, had chosen to manifest before her in a form she could comprehend—was this not love?

The excited princess nearly forgot all her previous displeasures.

And when she feigned annoyance and sat on the bed to face Noah again, her expression was under control, revealing nothing.

“Ah, speaking of followers, I just remembered. A nun who worships that goddess did say my face is quite handsome. Oh, how commendable! Unlike a certain cruel princess, I wonder if I should seriously seek out my own follower.”

But the unsettling revelation for the princess was not yet over.

For Noah did not follow her movement with his gaze; instead, he closed his eyes, reclining in his chair, speaking leisurely about things she could not pretend she hadn’t heard.

…So, that person who had been stealing what belonged to her all along was a nun?

With this thought, the princess’s inner turmoil and expression finally aligned, settling into a cold, disdainful glare.

She hadn’t expected to probe this deeply; what an annoyingly delightful surprise!

—

Noah would deliberately tease her; she knew this well enough. Yet, she did not believe Noah would lie to her on purpose.

For it was clear that Noah regarded her with indifference, as if revealing the truth held no significance at all.

Very well, let this careless deity understand just how fierce her ‘revenge’ could be.

But to keep Noah in his state of complacency, she must not be discovered.

With this thought, the princess glanced at something beside her, a wicked smile creeping onto her icy face, before she hurled the object away.

—