Drip. Drip.
As the distance between them closed, a thick liquid dripped from the ends of his jet-black hair and ran down Evelyn's thigh, exposed beneath her negligee.
Startled by the cold, sticky sensation, her thigh twitched.
"Blood..."
Evelyn stopped speaking halfway through. The strange scent coming from the man standing right in front of her suddenly filled her nose.
"Why? Does it disgust you?"
It didn't disgust her. If anything, it was too overwhelming.
Even though he was covered in the smell of blood, the scent that clung to the man was thick with raw desire. While her mind grew hazy from that scent, he added,
"Unfortunately, it isn't my blood."
"Then..."
She bit her lip before asking whose blood it was.
She didn't need to know.
Relief that it wasn't his blood barely had time to settle before Kallian let out a weary breath.
"This place was built to imprison me. Before the evil god that craves demonic energy completely consumes me and I lose control."
Only then did Evelyn remember the underground fortress in the North and nod.
It had been an easy thing to guess. She had simply been too shaken by the portrait hanging at the entrance.
"So? What do you think now that you've seen it yourself?"
Tilting his head to meet her eyes, Kallian asked quietly.
Her own stiff expression was reflected clearly in his dark eyes.
They were only looking at each other, yet her heart began racing again, and warmth spread across her cheeks.
"W-What do you mean...?"
"I mean... do I look like a monster to you? A man who is consumed by demonic energy every time he uses his power and struggles like a crazed beast whenever it happens."
Gripping her cloak tightly with trembling fingers, Evelyn looked at his wet face.
The image of him bound in chains and restraints, growling like a wild beast, naturally overlapped with the man before her.
How many tears had she shed before that unbearable sight?
Every moment of that terrible past remained vividly engraved in her memory.
Though now...
Only she remembered it.
"No. Like I told you before, I've never once thought that."
She hesitated before continuing.
"And..."
"..."
"I didn't know this room was for something like this. If you had warned me, even in passing, I never would have come in."
"I see."
He answered briefly.
"If it were you... then yes."
It almost sounded as though the unspoken words—That's exactly why it's unpleasant—echoed in her ears.
She had spoken nothing but the truth, yet he clearly didn't believe her.
Whether intentional or not, she understood why someone would resent anyone trying to pry into the part of himself he wanted hidden.
Growing discouraged, Evelyn explained again.
"I know it probably sounds like an excuse... but I have no intention of intruding into your private affairs, Your Grace. I don't care even if you're considered dangerous."
She meant every word.
Still, she couldn't stop herself from thinking that if she ever lost her value—whether as a cure or even a substitute—he would cast her aside without hesitation.
"I don't want anything from you. I just want to help you somehow... with everything I can."
Her answer was clearly unexpected.
Kallian's dark brows lifted slightly.
Silence followed.
Then, as his expression softened, he gently cupped one side of Evelyn's face.
For a long while, neither of them moved.
They simply stared into each other's eyes.
Perhaps because the room was dim, or because his loose hair cast shadows over his face, she couldn't clearly make out his expression.
It's... warm.
Resting her face completely in his large hand gave her a strange feeling.
Without realizing it, she rubbed her cheek lightly against his palm.
He chuckled.
"You're burning up."
"..."
"I think I have a fever too."
As he spoke, he brushed the hair covering his forehead aside.
Only then could Evelyn look directly into his eyes.
Golden eyes stained with blood.
Like a starving beast that had gone hungry all winter, they gleamed with an unsettling light, sending chills down the back of her neck.
Still, she calmed herself and reached for his sleeve.
Sticky crimson blood stained her fingertips.
He must have quietly dealt with the assassins who attacked him on the way back to the estate.
There were generally two reasons Kallian lost control.
One was the backlash from using his power.
The other was when he was exposed to too much blood—whether from monsters or humans—causing the amount of demonic energy inside him to rise abnormally.
There was no reason for him to use his supernatural power against ordinary humans.
Which meant...
This time, it was probably the latter.
Hurriedly, Evelyn grabbed his collar.
"Your Grace... may I take your clothes off for a moment? I think I should examine your condition first."
"I told you before. Excessive healing will only harm your own body."
She knew that.
Unless someone could freely manipulate mana or borrow divine power, healing consumed an enormous amount of stamina.
And Evelyn suffered from mana reflux syndrome.
But if she wanted to break this curse...
She needed him.
They were two gears that had to move together.
"I know. But wasn't the reason we entered this relationship in the first place to solve each other's problems?"
The dark magic passed down through his family.
Overwhelming strength beyond compare.
He possessed everything.
Yet Kallian still couldn't freely control the supernatural power he had inherited.
And to surpass his limits, he had to awaken through meeting a transcendent purifier.
Until then... I have to help him.
Only after he becomes a perfect Guardian will my own position become secure.
That was why Evelyn felt compelled to prove her worth.
Only then...
Even if his destined partner eventually appeared, she wouldn't be discarded so miserably.
The more sincerely I support him... the greater the reward and power I'll receive.
That was all there was to it.
As long as she could stand beneath the name of Orpheus, she could survive.
Determination filled her eyes as she looked directly at him.
"If I can help you... then I'll endure any pain."
In response, the man gently lifted her chin and softly rubbed her damp lips with his thumb.
His predatory gaze slowly traveled across her eyes, nose, and lips before lingering at her neck.
Then it returned to her lips.
The thirst burning within his eyes was so vivid that Evelyn swallowed nervously.
Or perhaps...
It wasn't desire.
Maybe it was simply an attachment to life itself.
Anyone who experienced the healing power she gave would probably look at her the same way.
Just then—
"Good."
"Then endure it."
Whispering lazily, he grasped the back of her head and pulled her toward him.
As his face drew impossibly close, Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut, convinced he was about to devour her lips.
"..."
Yet...
No matter how long she waited, nothing happened.
Instead, only his warm breath brushed against her lips.
She realized he had stopped just before their lips touched.
Opening her eyes cautiously, she found his fierce gaze inspecting every part of her face.
"How about you try first this time?"
"W-What... do you mean?"
Their noses nearly touching, he spoke calmly.
"The healing. Pretend I've already lost consciousness."
For a moment, she wondered what kind of strange role-playing this was.
But she understood what he meant.
There had been many times like that in her previous life.
Healing an unconscious man—one as large as a door—while supporting his limp body had never been easy.
Especially inside a dungeon or out in the open.
But what he meant wasn't simply releasing healing energy from a distance.
The meaning behind that lingering gaze was obvious.
"That... isn't something you can practice."
As she answered hesitantly, he leaned even closer, leaving her no room for other thoughts.
"And yet you think you'll manage it when it really matters."
With a faint scoff, he guided her hand to the back of his neck.
The naturalness of the gesture made her eyes tremble.
"...Ha."
There was no escape.
She was embarrassed, but there was nowhere to run.
She couldn't even close the distance between her legs.
They were already close enough to feel each other's breath.
Wrapping her fingers around his thick neck, she inhaled deeply.
Her chest rose and fell with each uneven breath.
Closing her eyes tightly, she slowly exhaled.
"Then... excuse me."
Tilting her head slightly, their noses brushed.
Their breaths intertwined intoxicatingly.
Their awkwardly pressed lips were hot with warmth.
They had kissed countless times before.
Yet perhaps because of where they were, today's kiss felt strangely more intimate.
"..."
Maybe that was why.
She had boldly bitten his lip first, but once she actually tried, her mind went completely blank.
She had always followed his lead.
Now that she had to do it herself, everything felt unfamiliar.
Even so, her healing power steadily flowed into him.
She could feel the cool energy gathered in their joined lips and in the palm resting against him seeping into his body.
Her purification was clumsy despite her determination.
Still, he silently accepted the kiss as he wrapped an arm around her waist.
It was nothing more than physical contact for the sake of treatment.
So regulating my breathing while carefully sending healing power really isn't easy...
She was thinking that when his lips parted slightly.
"So clumsy."
His large hand settled against her flushed cheek.
Pulling her firmly against him, he let out a low growl as though he could no longer restrain himself.
"You said you'd do your best."
"So learn properly from now on."
The next instant, as their noses pressed together, his tongue slipped through her slightly parted lips.
The moment that hot, damp sensation touched her...
Her mind went completely blank.
Following his forceful movements, she instinctively tilted her head.
Her hair scraped against the wall behind her.
Holding her tightly, Kallian slowly traced the line of her teeth.
As their tongues tangled together, her fingers gripping the console trembled uncontrollably from the overwhelming sensation.
"Ah..."
The breath she had thought wasn't enough was gradually filled by the heat of his own.
Without realizing it, she clutched his collar.
In response, Kallian kissed her even deeper, as though he intended to claim every part of her.
His overwhelming strength made the console creak loudly.
Fearing it might collapse beneath them, she let out a faint, pained moan.
Immediately, he pressed his large body tightly against hers.
