Chapter 1
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Thud Thud Thud.
The sound of rough footsteps drew closer. Adelaide couldn’t sleep, but even in her dazed state, she could easily identify the identity of the demon who was approaching her room now.
There was only one p*nk in her dungeon who walked around so loudly. She slowly raised her upper body and stared at the open door with an expectant look.
However, an unexpected person quickly appeared next to Pia.
“Adele.”
Instead of bright red hair, gleaming silver hair caught her eye. Adelaide, who had just lifted her upper body, widened her eyes.
“Lisian…?”
Lisianthus, who was always elegant and polite, and Lisianthus who looked at Caladium with contempt when he ran around like an animal in the dungeon, came running with heavy footsteps. He even looked like he had hastily fastened his shirt buttons which were misaligned by one.
Adelaide could not hide her surprise because he was the one who adhered to a neat attire in any situation.
“What happened-”
Adelaide couldn’t finish her words. It was because a firm yet warm thing blocked her mouth. Her eyes wrinkled in bewilderment. A button was visible in front of her. It was one of the incorrectly fastened shirt buttons.
“… Adele.”
He called her name again in a low, hoarse voice.
“You kept… you didn’t open your eyes…”
His chest touching her forehead trembled slightly. She felt a desperate hand touch her. The veins on his arms were clear as he embraced her.
“I thought I was going crazy.”
His voice came out like a rugged scratch. This was the first time she had seen him react so emotionally. Adelaide sat still, as she soon wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Sorry.”
Her memories slowly returned as she was held in his arms. Everything. From the memory just before she collapsed, to the memories she faced not knowing whether it was a dream or a real encounter.
The first emotion she felt was regret. She had so many things to apologize for that it made it difficult for her to open her lips.
I should’ve listened to Lisianthus.
No, I shouldn’t have done anything wrong to Lupin in the first place.
Countless regrets filled her head.
“I’m sorry for worrying you…”
Adelaide said as she buried her face in his chest. Instead of answering her, Lisianthus hugged her tightly.
“And… Thanks, Lisian. For coming to the rescue.”
“… It’s natural. I just regret not coming sooner.”
“No, you came quickly enough.”
Adelaide patted Lisianthus on the back. Somehow, she felt like he needed to be consoled.
Then Lisianthus’ hand on her shoulder got tighter.
“… Adele.”
He slowly pushed Adelaide away. Soon, Lisianthus’ beautiful face came into view. He was looking straight at her, furrowing his well-groomed eyebrows.
“I have realized something from this.”
Whether it was because she couldn’t see the smile he had worn like a habit, or because his eyes were strangely tenacious, Adelaide couldn’t take her eyes off him.
Gulp. Adelaide swallowed dry saliva unknowingly. His lips opened very slowly.
“I lo–“
“Me too!”
At that moment, Bell, who had transformed into a boy, rushed to her. After biting his tail until he was satisfied, he saw Adelaide and Lisianthus hugging, and he wanted to join.
“Oh!”
Adelaide’s upper body fell back at the sudden attack. Lisianthus quickly extended his arm out and grabbed her back to support her.
“Bell! Adelaide is a patient!”
Pia, who was standing in the doorway pretending to know and hear nothing, screamed in shock at Adelaide’s scream. No matter how young you are, you break that atmosphere! Pia felt sorry in her heart.
“I want to hug you too!”
“Yes, yes.”
Adelaide patted Bell, who was rubbing his head against her chest, as if she found him cute. His hair felt so soft between her fingers.
For an instant, the image of a young Lupinus flashed in her mind, and her body stiffened. She bit her lips once and tried to smile.
“Lisian, what did you want to say?”
“… No. I’ll tell you later.”
Lisianthus also replied with a soft smile but his eyes were serious. Looking back, he thought he had really gone insane. It was not good for him to act hastily. He almost made a mistake by acting on his emotions.
‘Why did I forget that there were other demons around? How pathetic.’
Lisianthus quickly erased his regret, which only lasted for a moment. He sent a cold look at the wild Bell who was with Adelaide. Just as he was contemplating what to do with him, a large hand suddenly appeared and lifted the boy’s body.
“Euang!”
Bell’s body fell from the large bed. Caladium, the demon who had thrown the boy away carelessly, concentrated on his purpose without feeling any guilt.
“Adela.”
His purpose was to completely monopolize Adelaide by himself. His body, full of tight muscles, hugged her tightly.
“I missed you.”
“Ack! Caladi, your strength, lower your strength!”
“Too strong!” Adelaide squeaked.
Caladium seemed so happy that he had forgotten to adjust his power properly. And why did he take his clothes off again? She saw his exposed muscular body without the slightest cover and marveled. Somehow, the warmth underneath her palms was a little different from usual.
“Loosen your strength a little bit…”
Adelaide wanted to hit him because he didn’t even pretend to listen to her but then paused. It was strangely wet on the side of her shoulder where Caladium’s face was buried.
“You… Are you crying?”
“I’m not crying!”
Even his voice was sorrowful. His back muscles were also trembling.
“I think it’s fine to cry…”
“Who’s crying…! Not me!”
Caladium swung his body away and huffled. His mouth insisted that he wasn’t, but his eyes were moist. He squinted his eyes, bit his lips, and stared at Adelaide. He wanted to turn his head away from the embarrassment, but more than that, he wanted to see Adelaide’s face right away.
‘So is that snot glittering around your eyes?’
Adelaide barely swallowed the words that reached her throat. If she teased him some more, he would sulk again for half a day.
Soon the other demons heard her voice and flocked to Adelaide’s room.
“Adelaaaa! Uwaaa!”
The Skeletons shed so many tears that it could not be compared to Caladium.
“It’s a relief. Everyone was very worried.”
Raham was also there who calmly greeted Adelaide, saying “Thank you for waking up safely”.
Adelaide felt relieved as she saw her demons. No one was seriously injured. Caladium and Bell were also wounded during the battle with the warrior, but they had already recovered thanks to Pia’s treatment. When she saw this, Adelaide breathed a sigh of relief and then opened her mouth.
“I’m sorry, everyone.”
The eyes of her demons were all focused on her. Adelaide clenched her fists and spoke to them.
“This thing… It all happened because of me.”
Everyone stayed silent. Everyone already had a vague feeling that there might have been some kind of incident between the warrior and Adelaide. The warrior’s words were unusual. But they did not rush Adelaide, and waited for her to explain.
“… It’s a story from 30 years ago.”
Beginning with this sentence, Adelaide slowly told them her and Lupinus’ story. From the moment she first met the boy, to his tragic end. As the story progressed, the demons’ expressions became more serious. When she talked about what had happened to the humans, everyone gasped and glared their eyes.
And when the story ended, there was a cautious silence in the room. Adelaide stayed silent and looked down, like a prisoner awaiting her sentence.
The first to speak was the Skeleton Captain.
“What happened after that? Seriously, have you not absorbed energy in 30 years?”
“It must have been difficult…” He murmured as if he was upset.
As they listened to everything and started worrying about her without asking any questions, Adelaide felt something rising. The tip of her nose twitched.
“After that…”
From that day on, she spent each day aimlessly. As she promised, despite being tormented by extreme hunger, she never absorbed energy. She stayed away from work, and her body grew weaker day by day.
- “Adelaide! You are the next succubus queen, why are you being like this!”
Maximilian stopped by, visiting her every now and then, but Adelaide stared blankly at her. Like a demon who had lost all meaning in life, she said nothing. Maximilian soon gave up on her as she was nothing short of a corpse.
The succubi and the incubi, who were jealous of Adelaide, thought this was the perfect time and tormented her. There was even an incubus, who was once beaten by her, who physically as*aulted her in invisible areas. The weakened Adelaide could not even fight back.
“… That’s why I don’t really like handsome men. Although, I’ve become a lot better since I came here.”
Adelaide sighed, however, upon seeing Caladium and Lisianthus’ faces lined up, she gasped.
She felt strange auras.
Lisianthus had an expressionless face, but his eyes was swarming with murderous intent, and Caladium had a terrifying expression as if he could kill anyone at that moment.
“What are their names?”
“H-Huh?”
To Lisianthus’ question, Adelaide asked awkwardly. He smiled and asked again.
“The demons who tormented Master. What are their names?”
“I’m just curious.” Lisianthus added.
With eyes that were clearly saying he was not ‘just curious’.
“No, it’s just a thing of the past…”
“So what’re their names?”
Caladium urged with a ferocious voice.
“Tell me right now, before I kill every incubi there is.”