[BL] I Accidentally Summoned A Demon Husband Now He Won't Leave-Chapter 31: A Devil’s Deal!

Charles gave an indifferent nod as he responded, "Hmm, you will."

Elliot’s eyes widened in horror, his face turning pale as he stared at Charles in disbelief. His voice shook with panic and anger. "What do you mean I’ll die? And you’re saying it so indifferently, like it doesn’t even matter to you!"

Charles looked at him with a raised eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "What do you think?"

Elliot felt his heart sink. "You... you don’t care?" he asked, his voice trembling with disbelief. A wave of hurt washed over him. Did Charles even consider him a friend?

With a resigned sigh, Charles rubbed the back of his neck, his face showing a hint of annoyance. "Alright, stop being dramatic..." He rolled his eyes, a half-amused smile playing at his lips. "It’s not about me caring whether you die or not. It’s about the fact that it won’t change anything. If you’re meant to die, you’ll die. Simple as that."

Elliot’s jaw dropped. He stared at Charles in utter disbelief, his mind struggling to process the callousness of the words. "You... you’re unbelievable!" he sputtered, his face flushing with a mixture of anger and despair.

Charles merely shrugged, unfazed by the outburst. "I don’t see why you’re getting so worked up. You’re the one who messed up, after all."

Elliot’s blood boiled. His chest tightened with frustration, and his fists clenched at his sides. This... this was all Charles’ fault! If Charles hadn’t given him that cursed crystal, none of this would be happening. His stomach churned with anxiety and anger, and before he could stop himself, he exploded, his voice sharp with accusation. "You! Why did you give me that crystal without warning me not to absorb it? If you had, I wouldn’t be facing death right now!"

His shoulders heaved with each breath, his heart pounding wildly. Still, it was infuriating. This was all Charles’ fault—or at least, it was easier to blame him. Even though Elliot knew he was the one who absorbed the crystal’s power out of his own ambition, it felt better to direct his fear and frustration at Charles.

Charles’s expression barely changed. His eyes flicked to Elliot’s face, his gaze sharp and calculating. For a moment, his brow furrowed, as if considering his next words carefully. But just as quickly, his usual smug, arrogant expression returned, his lips curling into a slight smirk. "Uh-huh. I’m sure you wouldn’t have done it if I warned you," he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. He turned his back on Elliot, walking over to a desk stacked high with books. "You’re so obedient, after all."

Elliot’s face flushed red, a mixture of embarrassment and fury bubbling within him. "You...!" he spluttered, struggling to find a retort. But as much as he wanted to argue, he knew Charles was right. Even if Charles had warned him, he would have done it anyway. Elliot’s curiosity and ambition often outweighed his caution. He hated to admit it, but his reckless nature had gotten him into trouble more times than he could count.

His shoulders slumped as the fight drained out of him. Gritting his teeth, he muttered, "Fine... I’m sorry. It’s my fault." He looked down at his hands, his fingers trembling slightly. "But... is there no way out? I don’t want to die..." His voice wavered as fear crept in, his chest tightening at the thought of death. It seemed like every step he took toward his goal brought him closer to danger. It made him wonder—would all this trouble end if he simply accepted his fate and stayed with Azreal? But he quickly shook his head, refusing to entertain that thought.

Charles glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing as he studied Elliot’s face his hand hovering over a book. Slowly, he closed the book he had been skimming through and turned to face Elliot, a smug, self-assured smile spreading across his lips. "Of course, I can save you..." he said smoothly, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint. "But I have a request."

Elliot’s face lit up with hope. Relief flooded through him, his heart racing with excitement. "A request? What is it? I’ll do anything!" he blurted out, the desperation evident in his voice.

Charles’s eyes narrowed with amusement, his smile growing wider. "I’m in no hurry to tell you," he replied, his tone annoyingly nonchalant. "I’ll let you know when the time is right. For now, all you need to do is agree." He held up his hand, his fingers curled in a relaxed gesture. "So, do you agree or not?"

Elliot hesitated for a brief moment. A faint warning echoed in his mind, a gut feeling that this was a trap. But the thought of dying, of his body tearing itself apart from the inside, was far more terrifying. Pushing aside his doubts, he nodded vigorously. "Yes, I agree! Whatever you want, just save me!"

A wicked gleam flashed in Charles’ eyes, his smile widening. But that expression only lasted for a second before it disappeared. "Good. Since you’ve agreed, let’s get started." Without waiting for a response, he picked up one of the books from the desk and flipped through the pages, his brows knitting together in concentration. After a few moments, his frown deepened. "Well... this is problematic," he muttered, his tone serious.

Elliot’s heart skipped a beat. "Problematic? What do you mean?"

Charles snapped the book shut, his face grim. "None of the books I have mention the ancient crystal I gave you. There’s no information on its origin or how to neutralize the raw mana it contains."

Elliot felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. "So... what does that mean?" he asked hesitantly, dreading the answer.

"It means," Charles said slowly, his voice cold and detached, "I can’t fully cure you... not yet, anyway. The best I can do for now is stabilize the raw mana inside you. It’ll keep you alive and prevent the mana from tearing you apart... for the time being." He placed the book back on the desk, his expression unreadable. "But this is only temporary. Until I find the information I need, you’ll have to be extremely careful."