Saint Telmere used to say, “Nothing happens as expected.”
The young successor of Aran believed that he, too, could do the same after seeing bold men in plays and novels.
But reality was far from the ideal, and in the end, the words that came out of his mouth were nothing more than clichés about looking forward to marriage.
In the end, the marriage proceeded as swiftly as planned, and the girl who once dreamed of sweet, fairy-tale love found herself sold in exchange for the count’s assistance.
Liliana, gazing at her beautifully adorned reflection from afar, quietly whispered her name to herself.
“Liliana Aran. The prince you dreamed of is nowhere to be found.”
The naïve daughter was thrust into reality in an instant. She was no longer Liliana Reinich but Liliana Aran, the wife of Rotani Aran.
She understood that in her head, but even as she saw the man before her placing the ring on her finger after the wedding, She kept fantasizing about a prince on a white horse coming to save her, looking at her with affectionate eyes.
Liliana never looked Rotani in the eye.
No love, no intimacy.
Count Rintau passed away due to a chronic illness.
Rotani Aran, striving to become a man worthy of his wife, succeeded him as the new count. Yet, when his wife refused to bear children and urged him to take a concubine, even as their cries echoed to the heavens, Liliana remained unmoved.
Liliana never accepted Rotani’s feelings.
“Don’t worry, Liliana. I will definitely save you, even if it means sacrificing my life.”
A plague swept through the once-peaceful city of Aran.
Liliana, who had been sheltered and admired for her beauty all her life, succumbed to the plague spread by the heretics. The disease rotted her skin, stripping her of her beauty and leaving her bedridden, a living c0rpse.
Rotani clutched her decaying arm, tears streaming down his face.
A tragic heroine, lost and unfortunate. Then the devil seized her in her misery.
In Liliana’s world, Rotani was always the villain. No, he had to be. That was why she avoided his gaze and kept her v!rginity, all for the prince who would come one day.
As her breath waned, she struggled to open her rotted eyes. What she saw was a sobbing, red-haired man, his bloody tears falling unchecked.
The prince she had waited for all her life had always been by her side.
Only the blind and foolish young lady, who closed her eyes and ears to the truth, never knew.
‘…I’m sorry.’
Her silent apology never reached the ears of the man who yearned for her love.
The tale of a foolish woman who perished on a day steeped in tragedy.
***
“It’s been a long time. You, who were once so dependable, have grown into such a beautiful woman. That ‘Pulsating Evil’ who used to follow you around—it would be quite the sight to see that child now.”
Fire, evil, decadence, darkness, immorality, nightmare.
Ominous black eyes, brimming with malevolence that sent shivers down one’s spine, fixed themselves on Aran’s mistress with unsettling interest.
A devilish tone, incongruent with the appearance of an innocent woman neatly dressed in a white blouse and a simple brown skirt.
The ‘Colossal Serpent.’ No, Liliana swallowed hard as she gazed at the peak of the devil before her—the ‘Emperor’s Nightmare.’
At Priestess Emily’s suggestion, Julius and his wife decided to stay the night to capture heretics hiding within the castle.
After a minor incident during her meal, Rotani Aran gently invited Julius, the strongest heretic inquisitor he had secretly admired, to tea time in the room next to hers. Naturally, Cecil and Liliana also had their tea time, but the woman who had been acting like an innocent girl moments ago now had her eyes darkened, her magical energy dissipating as she sat down. Spray began pressing against her.
“Well, what is it that you dislike?”
Both as a countess and as a high-ranking devil, Liliana couldn’t discern what the woman before her was thinking. All she could do was pour tea into her glass with trembling hands, doing her best to avoid spilling it.
As she filled the cup in front of her, Nightmare took a sip of black tea, her lips curling into a grin. After wetting her mouth, she began speaking, discarding any pretense to ask the question she truly wanted answered.
“When did you conceive your unborn child?”
Pointing calmly at her stomach, Nightmare’s question startled Liliana, who stiffened before answering cautiously.
“Oh, not long ago. I think it’s been about two months now.”
“Hmm, I see. I never imagined you had such a gift.”
“Gift? I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about…”
Nightmare let out a small exclamation, her eyes sparkling with intrigue.
Liliana, almost overwhelmed, felt herself falter under the gaze of the eldest devil who had once ascended to the throne.
“… So? What should I do?”
“What do you mean…?”
“How do you win a bet so easily?”
“Well, I didn’t do anything in particular…”
“Don’t say that—tell me your secret too.”
The Nightmare’s intent became clearer: how to make her husband ‘go crazy’ for her.
Liliana tilted her head slightly at the strange words, her mind spinning. ‘secret’? What was Nightmare talking about now?
The blonde woman opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Nightmare, oblivious to her embarrassment, realized her slip and cleared her throat a few times before continuing.
“Hmm, I was just joking. There’s no need to worry. So… Yes! Tell me how to tempt humans as only a devil can.”
“Excuse me… But isn’t Cecil Lionelta, the Nightmare herself, already married to Julius?”
“Yes! I am Julius’ only wife.”
Cecil suddenly burst forth with a flare of blue energy.
As if in response, her black and murky aura filled the room once more, pressing down on everyone present.
“Hmm, pardon me. This just happens automatically whenever the topic of my husband comes up.”
“….”
“Anyway, the only thing I want right now is to be loved by him, both as a human and as a devil.”
Cecil’s tone grew serious as she declared her purpose. “I came to you personally to learn how to achieve this.”
Liliana, caught off guard by the grandeur of Nightmare’s request, reflexively blurted out her response.
“Just… be yourself!”
“…?”
The room fell silent. The faint scent of black tea wafted from the teacups, filling the quiet space.
A devil blushed, flustered by the simple suggestion.
Another devil sat dazed, cheeks red from the unexpected reply.
Thus unfolded the tea time of legendary devils—beings who mocked angels and devoured mountains. Their private lives were unexpectedly endearing.
In the end, this absurd exchange continued until Rotani and Julius, having finished their conversation, arrived to collect their wives. Both were pleasantly surprised by how well the two seemed to get along.
Meanwhile, Priestess Emily, struggling alone in her fight against heresy, felt utterly overlooked.
A lighthearted tale that unfolded in the early evening.
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