Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was said that in order for demons to deceive humans, they appear to them in the form of their deepest desires.

Sometimes, in the face of a loved one, or the appearance of someone they long for.

When humans are at their most vulnerable and unhappy, the demon appears as a savior, offering a fleeting moment of happiness. And in the end, they all plunge them into misery.

Demons were such a being.

But I couldn’t call the one who reached out to me in my time of misery a demon.

At least, not to me—because he was truly my savior.

So I called him my savior. An impure and immoral savior.

A savior who betrayed the demon.

*

A strong, cold wind blew in from the north, where the land was harsh and unforgiving. White birds flew through the air, following the starlight, and soared above a tall tower.

Through the narrow window bars, the moonlight cast a gentle glow on the space, where the shadows of two people flickered.

The shadows grew larger, then smaller, and repeated the cycle, as if they were alive.

‘”…Ah!”

The woman’s delicate voice cut through the air like a sharp knife.

In the cold air, her pale purple hair, which had been tied up, now flowed freely, swaying back and forth. Her repeated cries were quickly swallowed up by the falling snowstorm.

“Ah, hu…”

With a wet m0@.an, the woman’s body slumped back onto the bed.

Compared to the woman’s slender, almost skeletal arms, the man’s broad and sturdy hands seemed like those of a beast.

As the woman’s consciousness began to fade, she instinctively reached out with her hands.

The sound of clanging metal and the creaking of iron filled her ears.

It was only then that she noticed the handcuffs binding her wrists, and her face contorted in surprise.

“…Where am I?”

The woman, who had suddenly regained her composure, slowly turned her gaze to the man on top of her.

She had no idea why she was in this place. As she looked around in confusion, the man’s heavy shadow loomed over her, casting an ominous presence.

The man’s muscular upper body, with its finely chiseled muscles, was revealed in the moonlight.

Although his face was obscured by the shadows, his eyes, which were gazing down at her, were blazing with intensity.

The man slowly swept his gaze over the sensual curves of the woman’s body, which was lying beneath him.

The thin ch3mi1se she was wearing was barely covering her, and her contours were starkly visible.

“You decided not to cry today?”

The woman always cried whenever she saw him. The man, who had been staring at her for a long time with intense eyes, slowly moved his body.

He spoke in a low, rough voice, which was at odds with the sly and teasing tone of his words.

The man’s eyes, which were filled with interest, slowly roamed over her body, and he reached out to pull down the strap of her chemise, letting it dangle over her arm.

“‘Crying is also pretty, but I’d prefer it if you didn’t cry in front of me.'”

The man’s words were meaningless, but his actions were clear. He curled his upper body above her and sucked her nape. The thrilling sensation sent shivers down her spine.

She tilted her head back and twisted her legs around each other. As the man’s eager hands pulled down her clothes, her plump peaks were revealed.

“Ah…!”

Her nerves were on edge as she experienced a strange and unfamiliar sensation for the first time.

Until now, she had no idea what the man on top of her was doing.

But she realized it now. They were doing an intimate act between a man and a woman.

“Why? Why am I…?”

Her thoughts were interrupted, and her breathing became labored by the er0t!.c act that continued.

For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him to stop.

“Ah, yes…!”

The only sound she could make was a m0@.an. Her heart was racing wildly, and she felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

She was sharing her body with a man, a stranger—something she had never experienced before in her life. It was all so overwhelming that her head was spinning.

“I didn’t know my lady could make such naughty sounds.”

The man chuckled to himself, seeming to enjoy her reactions, and his hands moved down her body. The man called her familiarly as if he knew her.

But she had never been called “my lady” before in her life….Where was she, anyway?

“I wonder what you think of being under me, my lady.”

“Ah, uh!”

“You should only think of me.”

At that moment, the man’s hand, which had been grasping her waist, reached up and grasped her full, plump peaks. Every time he caressed her soft skin, she felt a natural tension building up inside her.

His long, slick fingers flicked at her n1p.pl3s as he spoke in a strong voice.

“Ah, uh, ah!”

Her previously soft n1p.pl3s quickly became erect and swollen, stimulated by the rough, coarse touch of the man’s hands.

She couldn’t help but arch her back, her hips twitching upwards as she responded to the man’s touch.

A gush of liquid flowed from her below, and she trembled with pleasure, gasping for breath.

“My lady…”

The man slowly removed his hand from her chest and called out her name as he moved down. For some reason, his voice was wistful, and she slowed her movements, looking at him.

His face was still obscured by the moonlight, so she couldn’t see what expression he was making. And yet, he called her ‘My Lady’ again. She felt a strange flutter in her chest.

“When will you remember me?”

Just as she was about to speak, but her voice wouldn’t come out, the world around her went black. The man’s words were followed by an eerie silence, and everything disappeared into darkness.

* * *

My…ady!

Someone’s voice calling out to her echoed in her ears as if she were submerged in deep water.

As she breathed out, her chest heaved with each gasp.

Nieve finally opened her eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling with empty eyes.

Even though she had already woken up from her dream, a lingering drowsiness still enveloped her entire body.

“…”

Like someone who had forgotten how to speak, she slowly blinked her eyes, and it was only when she heard the familiar question that she finally came to her senses and turned her head.

“My lady, are you awake? Oh my, you’re all sweaty! What kind of nightmare did you have, you didn’t even respond when I called out to you…”

The owner of the cheerful voice was Nance, Nieve’s personal maid.

Nance had been Nieve’s personal maid since she married into the Vale Earldom. She was a kind and diligent girl who were like another pair of hands and feet for Nieve, taking care of her with utmost care.

Nance gently took Nieve’s thin, frail arm and helped her sit up, then quickly grabbed a handkerchief and began to wipe the sweat from Nieve’s face.

She let out a worried sigh as she carefully dabbed at Nieve’s face. As a maid, Nance’s hands moved quickly to ensure that Nieve’s face didn’t get damaged by the sweat.

Finally, Nance carefully brushed Nieve’s glossy, purple hair, which cascaded down her shoulders in soft, luscious waves. Despite having just gotten up, Nieve’s silky locks didn’t have a single tangle.

“…A dream?”

On the other hand, Nieve still looked dazed, as if she hadn’t fully woken up from her dream. With a sense of trepidation, she quickly looked at her arm.

She was worried that the dream had been real, and that there might be marks on her wrist from the handcuffs. Fortunately, her wrist was smooth and unblemished, with no signs of being bound or scratched.

Then, it must have been just a dream… Nieve looked like she couldn’t believe that she had had such a vulgar and adulterous dream.

“I didn’t know my lady could make such naughty sounds.”

“‘When will you remember me?’

“…”

But regardless of the low-quality dream, the man’s voice was too beautiful to be just a dream. It was too vivid, like a whisper in her ear, and it sent shivers down her spine.

And yet, it had a hint of affection that she couldn’t quite explain, and if she were to hear it again, she would surely never forget it.

“……Ahh! M-my lady!”

Nance’s loud shriek pierced the air, interrupting the lingering atmosphere.

Nieve, who had been lost in thought, looked at Nance with a puzzled expression.

“M-my lady, down there…”

Nance, who had lifted up the blankets to make the bed, had seen something that made her scream.

As Nieve followed Nance’s gaze, she too was stunned.

Unbelievably, the spot where Nieve had been lying was stained with blood. Upon closer inspection, the hem of her ch3!mi1se was also stained with blood. It was obvious it was her who bled.

The blood had spread like a foreign substance on the pristine white sheets, and no matter how much Nieve tried to wipe it away, it wouldn’t disappear.

Nieve and Nance stared at each other in silence, neither of them saying a word.

“…My lady.”

Nance’s face was filled with fear as she spoke, as if she had sensed something.

But there was also a strange coolness, a coldness in her eyes.

“No, it can’t be.”

Nieve denied it, but deep down, she had already realized the truth. She had met a demon of dreams, the one who appears in a maiden’s dreams without permission and takes her purity.

The blood that stained her lower body and the bed was proof of it.

The demon’s presence was no longer just a dream, but a harsh reality that Nieve couldn’t escape.

In other words, she had lost her virginity to the demon, or that she was likely to lose it.

*

In the Holy Empire of Sevnier, where Nieve was born and raised, the people worshipped the Healing Goddess as the only true god and rejected heretics with opposing doctrines.

Moreover, they had been in conflict with demons, since the Magic War 100 years ago. After the war, the temple emphasized the importance of ‘purity’ to avoid being deceived by demons.

The ‘purity’ referred to a state of being untainted by evil. Anything tainted was considered to be of the unclean, and if one lost their purity, they would be consumed by the demons.

The words of those who had lost their purity were naturally not trustworthy. Especially if they were a married woman.

In other words, if Nieve had indeed lost her purity to a demon, she would be considered tainted and untrustworthy, and her words would carry no weight. This was especially true since she was a married woman, and the loss of purity would be seen as a grave sin.

Unfortunately, Nieve was a married woman. Her husband was Count Vale, a devout follower of the Temple of Sevnier and a free-spirited artist.

“Welcome, Count. You must be hungry, so let’s have dinner first.”

On the day she had the demon’s dream, Count Vale happened to return from the capital.

Nieve greeted her husband with a smile, as if nothing was wrong.

During the day, she had Nance wash the blankets and made sure to keep her mouth shut.

As long as Nance kept quiet, the fact that Nieve had the demon’s dream and bled would be erased, as if it never happened.

Lately, the Count had been traveling the capital to meet with investors for his art business, which was why his face looked particularly gaunt and tired when Nieve saw him again after a long time.

The Count’s expression changed in an instant, and he smiled warmly as he hugged her.

“I missed you,” he said.