Betrayed, I Knocked Demon Lord's Door - Chapter 73: Chapter 73

Slap in the face... Yeah, that was not happening.
That kind of humiliating, pride-crushing roughhousing was way past playful.
Caitlyn watched Leon with a smile, the fire in her eyes burning even brighter.
Of course, it was not like she actually wanted to play those kinds of games with this troublemaker.
Leon hung his head, eyes shut, already bracing himself for the punishment.
A fist shot into his stomach before he could react, and then a whip-like kick sliced through the air and smacked him right on the butt.
Leon yelped, clutching his backside and hopping up like some overdramatic blue cartoon cat. Halfway through, he realized something was off, suddenly grabbed his stomach, and squatted down.
He screamed, "Ow, ouch! That hurts! I'm dying here..."
Caitlyn stared at him, emotionless, watching his over-the-top performance.
Honestly, she couldn't bring herself to really hit him.
Kicking his butt felt a little satisfying, but when it came to punching, she just couldn't put any strength into it. It was more like a kitten kneading than a real punch.
She used to be able to go all out and smack Leon right in the face without a second thought.
Caitlyn's feelings were complicated. This change in her, the softness in her heart, and these subtle feelings for him...
He was a total pervert who just patted her butt. She should've sent him flying. No one else would ever get this close, let alone touch her like that.
But why? Why was it that with Leon, even her usual guard and instinct to push people away just disappeared?
Leon kept his head down for a long moment, then quietly peeked at her with one eye.
And just like that, he locked eyes with Caitlyn.
Leon's face turned a little red with embarrassment. He mumbled, "Uh… if you're still not happy, you can kick me a couple more times."
Caitlyn let out a soft huff and turned to leave.
Leon stayed crouched for a bit. When he saw she wasn't going to wait for him, he rubbed his butt and hurried after her.
He apologized, "Caitlyn, my bad."
Caitlyn kept her face frosty as she walked ahead in silence, but her eyes were full of ripples—nowhere near as calm as she looked on the outside.
The more she thought about it, the more she tried to face her real feelings, and the more flustered she got.
It was like the truth was right there in front of her, impossible to avoid anymore.
Even Germaine and Kathleen would never mess around with her like this. They all knew exactly how cold, distant, and standoffish she was with people.
But Leon did, and somehow, she didn't dislike it at all.
Leon kept sneaking glances at Caitlyn's pretty face, his own expression all scrunched up, kind of regretting how impulsive he'd been.
Maybe she really was mad.
But then again, maybe she was not that mad.
She didn't even kick him that hard. For Caitlyn, that was actually pretty gentle. Even if she didn't train in martial arts, she was, well, kind of soft.
Of course, it still stung a little, probably about the same as when he'd patted her earlier.
But he'd done it in a playful, flirty way, and Caitlyn's reaction…
Leon tentatively brushed her soft hand.
Caitlyn dodged, acting like she wanted nothing to do with him, but somehow, she didn't actually pull away, still keeping close enough so they almost bumped into each other as they walked.
Leon blinked, then just went for it and grabbed her hand.
Caitlyn shot him a fierce glare, and that was it.
Leon's lips curled up in a secret smile as he gently squeezed her hand, his heart full of joy.
'Lady Caitlyn, you're the best.'
They walked down the narrow path winding through the little grove. Just past there was the academic building.
Suddenly, Caitlyn slipped her hand out of Leon's grasp. Before he could catch her again, a crisp "smack" echoed through the trees.
Leon stared blankly at the usually cool and aloof young professor beside him.
Caitlyn's cheeks were tinged a rosy pink, and the tips of her pointed ears had turned a bright red—like some irresistibly tempting little fruit, just begging to be tasted.
Her face was flushed, but her expression stayed perfectly calm. She rolled her wrist and said in a flat tone, "Not bad. Your butt feels pretty solid, nice and firm."
Leon's eyes trembled, and a faint blush crept up his own cheeks as he looked at her, his feelings all tangled up.
He said, "Lady Caitlyn, now you've hit me one more time than I hit you, haven't you?"
"Oh? I wouldn't know. Class is starting." Caitlyn said it with a hint of confusion, then picked up her pace and walked out of the grove.
Leon watched her retreating figure, slowly covered his face with his hand, and let out a low, frustrated groan.
"Oh my, this little minx... How can she be so cute?
"I just want to pull her into a big, tight hug..."
After roll call, Leon lingered for a bit, reluctant to leave, sharing what he imagined was a sweet, lingering look with Caitlyn. Only after that (all in his head, really) did he finally leave the classroom to make the final push for the next day's birthday dinner.
During the class, the students could all tell that Caitlyn was a little out of sorts.
She kept zoning out, staring at the same spot for ages before snapping back to continue the lesson.
Those who were in the know, well, just about everyone assumed it was because of a certain teaching assistant named Leon.
At the same time, a stern-faced old man in black, along with a few equally stiff-looking companions, showed up on campus.
After a quick look around, they headed straight for the academic building.
Caitlyn snapped out of her daze again, let out a small, helpless sigh, and turned to glance at the bare, withered branches outside the window.
A few crows were perched there, bobbing their heads and staring right at her, looking just as clueless and silly as Leon.
She paused, her eyes flickering, unconsciously clenching her fist. Her chest felt heavy and tight, like she could barely breathe.
She couldn't help but complain, 'It must be Leon's antics in the bike shed messing with my head. Otherwise, why would I keep thinking about him after he left?'
Caitlyn's eyes shimmered for a moment, and she suddenly found herself a little ridiculous.
'What am I even doing? Is this the last stand of a hopelessly naive girl?'
Caitlyn sighed, her expression tinged with melancholy.
'It's getting harder and harder to lie to myself.
'But really, how long has it even been?
'Am I really the kind of woman who gives in so easily?
'No, wait. If I'm being honest, it's actually been a long, long time now.
'If it's been ten years, maybe it's not so impossible to accept after all?'
All of a sudden, she kind of wanted to eat something.
Caitlyn lowered her head, staring at her hands, her eyes downcast.
She asked, "Has anyone figured out the answer to this one yet?"
Caitlyn took a deep breath, trying to pull herself together. Just as she turned to keep talking, her voice suddenly caught. A wave of sickening, revolting energy crashed into her senses out of nowhere.
Her brows knit together before she even realized it, a flash of pure disgust flickering deep in her eyes.
She slowly turned her head toward the door, her gaze dark and stormy.