Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Verana and Asura sat at the table, holding various study materials. They watched each other with bitter smiles, feeling nostalgic, as this was how they had met in the past.

"Lady Verana, it feels quite amusing to meet you like this."

"Indeed, Lord Asura."

Her lips trembled, trying to withhold her laughter as they placed their books on the wooden table before closing their eyes and taking deep breaths.

The scent of cedar and musty books seemed to bring the pair a great sense of relaxation.

'It feels like yesterday that we met like this,' Asura thought while peeking at his partner in crime while she organised their different parchments and tasks so they could complete them together instead of wasting time.

"Isn't this like the day we met, Asura?"

"Right. What a nostalgic feeling."

Verana laughed and clapped before taking the first parchment she chose and dangled it in his face, "I cannot believe we are doing this again in such an unfamiliar situation. That time, I made you get the tomes and documents for me, even though I lacked the knowledge of the first year."

"How did I ever find all those tomes for you?"

Asura let out a long sigh. His expression looked like he was replaying those days in his mind, and he couldn't help but feel amused at his past self. He leaned over the table, tapped the current parchment, and winked at Verana. "How about you find them this time, babe?"

Verana felt a wave of surprise as his left hand brushed her hair, teasing her cheek as noticed her face turning red.

She stood up and bumped her chest with her fist as if trying to encourage herself. " Oh? Don't underestimate my ability! I'll have you know I am better at everything now."

"Haha, you are cute when bragging. Do you remember when you didn't even understand that your city had sewers beneath your teeth?"

"Why would anyone make such a disgusting place a sewer? The memories of our first few months are too embarrassing to remember. You wouldn't stop making fun of me!"

"Verana, don't just blame me. How could you not know that a city had a sewage system? Did you think the waste just magically disappeared?"

"That's what they thought in my city, that we used magic..." Verana muttered.

"Huh? You mean you because Valerie pampered you. I remember when you became excited about using slimes to devour waste and then allowing low-level adventurers and warriors to slay them for experience when they grew too big."

"Mm. That was an excellent way to keep the lower class busy and prevent street crime. I didn't realise how much help it made for those warriors or knights who don't serve a noble house."

Asura sighed weakly, "Hmm, sometimes I forget how innocent you were back then. Even now, you seem to keep that adorable mind."

Verana looked away, tapping her chest again in pride as if telling herself it didn't matter.

Asura turned his head towards Verana. "Uh, why are you turning away? Did I make you angry?"

She glanced at Asura with a confident smile and pointed at the parchment on the table. "So what is the answer to this question, Asura?"

"Wait, why do you even need to ask?"

Asura stretched out his hand, rubbed Verana's head, and kissed her forehead. "Silly girl."

Verana pushed him away, smiling, knowing he caught her playing, and replied in a low voice, "Just answer it, please?"

"Well, we can use a rock similar to adamantium for the border, but ensure it has a mana density of over 3000. Don't forget that the rock also needs extreme resistance to mana. It should be simple for someone with a brain like yours. The formation of this machine is something that we eventually created together..."

He grinned as he felt her hand leave his waist.

Asura looked at her expression and laughed.

"Um, did I miss something?"

Verana's forehead wrinkled as she cocked her head sideways, studying the parchment once more.

"Is this the right answer?"

"Yup," Asura affirmed, chuckling.

'If only the past me could realise how smart you were.'

Asura grabbed Verana's waist and pulled her towards him. She didn't resist and quickly sat on his lap. "Do you think we can finish all this by the end of the day so we can flirt here for the rest of the week?"

The pair then spent hours in the library, the early morning and afternoon sunlight dancing across the stained glass windows, while their quills scribbled the answers faster than a senior scholar.

Before Verana and Asura realised it, the library became silent. Verana and Asura found themselves wrapped in each other's embrace, their energy depleted by the intense concentration during the final three hours of question-based challenges.

However, Asura knew he needed to meet Sigurd and couldn't afford to fall asleep. "Verana?"

"Nn..."

Verana sounded like a lazy cat, prompting a smile to grow on Asura's face. He kissed her lips softly as he played with her hair before lifting her into his arms. Her long black hair draped over his arms while she grasped his neck weakly. Moments later, she snuggled against his chest with a soft groan.

'This is more relaxing than when we studied in our first life.'

He wasn't surprised she fell asleep but could imagine she was tired despite wanting to continue; when they did this the first time, they barely finished one parchment.

'I was arrogant and detached from her because I felt inferior.'

He sighed before strolling through the quiet, spacious library. Because of his past, Asura knew the best paths in the academy to avoid people's eyes.

So he chose the quietest areas to return to the mansion, wanting Verana to get the rest she needed. Now he knew about her bloodline, and it became obvious why she always slept during their afternoon meetings.

'A vampire becomes weak in the sunlight. Although her bloodline is pure, she only gets tired or sleepy instead of suffering damage.'

"Ughhhh..."

Verana let out a soft cry that Asura believed was like a pout, so he teased her with his fingers to caress her cheeks. When his eyes observed her drowsy expression, he smiled and leaned towards her neck. "If you behave a little longer, you can have a delightful meal."

Her eyelids twitched when she heard the word meal, and her hands, which had been weak, touched his neck gently. "Asura.."

"Nope. You will only drink it when we get to the mansion, okay?"

"Ugh." Verana appeared displeased with his condition, and her lips trembled as she looked away. "Meanie!"

Asura sighed. 'This drowsy Verana is far cuter than her normal self. Even in this form, she's still beautiful. No wonder I fell for her so easily.'

With a deep breath, Asura entered Main Street, not caring about others seeing his appearance with Verana and entered their mansion.

Thankfully, most maids would serve the girls at the academy during the daytime, so the mansion became silent, void of all people but Asura and Verana.

He entered his room and placed Verana on his bed, allowing her to rest while considering what to do in the next few days.

"When are you going to get up, lazy vampire?"

After waiting over an hour, Asura couldn't wait any longer and shook Verana's body. A low, frustrated cry emerged from her throat as she stretched out her hands, unwilling to leave the softness of the bed.

"Verana, come on. I have to go."

"No~ don't leave. Stay here."

Verana clutched onto Asura's arm and tugged him back onto the bed. Before he could say anything, he noticed her bite his arm with a slight nibble. Her small fangs scratched him before she kissed his arm towards his neck.

'Heh. I guess this isn't too bad.'

Asura lightly flicked her forehead. "Don't play with food and just drink."

Her eyes were sharp, like a starved wolf, as she tore her gaze away from Asura's body. Without hesitation, Verana bit his neck, enjoying the taste of blood. "Mmm..."

Her fangs were smaller than Valerie's, and the way she drank was more passionate and violent, as her tongue pushed into the small holes as if to force more blood into her mouth.

'Her face looks so lewd...'

Asura didn't feel the desire he had experienced with Valerie but felt a wave of satisfaction as he brushed her hair.

'Although I prefer to be dominant, I wouldn't mind satisfying a tired Verana.'

After a few minutes of intense drinking, Verana released Asura and licked her lips as if not wanting to waste a drop before she accidentally burped, her face turning bright red before she hid under the blanket.

"Hey, are you done now? Come on out. I can't be late."

"Sorry."

Verana's voice sounded weak and timid. 'Ugh...I ate too much!'

"Verana, is that your stomach?"

Asura's voice sounded as if he were stifling a laugh.

He knew that vampires rarely had issues with eating, but that was because of the frequency of drinking and the purity of blood they consume.

The level of the bloodline and the more pure it was, the less the vampire would require nourishment. 'Valerie and Verana are extremely lucky to have access to such pure, top-level bloodlines.'

"Come out."

Asura poked her through the blanket but got no response. Only the slight sound of her peaceful breathing... The girl fell asleep after eating!

'Hmmm. So much for a vampire.'

He placed his finger on her forehead and spoke softly and commandingly: "Sleep well. I will see you later."

"Zzz..."

The small snoring of Verana soothed Asura as he headed to meet Sigurd. He felt like today would be an important one for the pair. Since he accepted Auros, there were feelings, broken promises and mistakes he would atone for.

Asura couldn't accept only the good things from these women; he wanted to accept everything and atone for his sins, even if many of them had forgotten their past lives.

He would carry all the burdens to avoid his past mistakes.