Malerion and Vael's relationship is one of the strangest connections in the Lust Ring:
not a friendship, not a rivalry, not an alliance, but something that fits somewhere between all three.
Vael's Side
Vael approaches Malerion with genuine curiosity.
He sees him as:
someone who treats him like a person, not a title,
someone who doesn't bow, flatter, or fear him,
someone who feels "different" in a way that fascinates him.
Vael is young, inexperienced, and sheltered by the immense security of his noble bloodline.
Malerion is the first figure he's met who stands firm without trying to use him.
That alone makes Vael gravitate toward him.
To Vael, Malerion is:
intriguing,
grounded,
unexpectedly honest,
safe in an emotional sense,
and dangerously interesting in a way he can't quite explain.
Vael trusts him instinctively — perhaps too easily.
Malerion's Side
Malerion sees Vael as:
dangerously naive,
politically radioactive,
but sincere in a way few demons ever are.
He knows that Vael's presence is enough to shake noble hierarchies, and every visit from the young prince brings new political waves.
Yet Malerion does not push him away.
Instead, he keeps a careful balance:
close enough to guide him,
distant enough to protect him,
honest enough not to manipulate him,
guarded enough not to reveal anything that could ruin them both.
There is respect not spoken, but present.
Trust not complete, but real.
And caution constant, deliberate, necessary.
Because Malerion knows the truth:
If Vael ever learned how abnormal Malerion truly is, the entire Goetia structure would collapse on them both.
Vael's innocence is a shield. Malerion refuses to break it.
The Dynamic
Their bond grows slowly:
Vael brings warmth, curiosity, and unfiltered honesty.
Malerion brings stability, subtle guidance, and quiet protection.
They are opposites:
A prince of noble blood who never learned fear.
A cultivator anomaly who carries too many secrets.
And yet, somewhere in the middle of Sin Rouge's neon haze, their paths keep crossing
not by fate,
not by prophecy,
but simply because they choose to.
For now, that is enough.