The man with the deep voice had jet-black hair, smooth bronze skin, and dark crimson eyes.

He exuded a strange and undeniably dangerous aura.

Holding my hand, he whispered pleadingly.

“Just give me one chance. Hm? If you stay by my side, I think I could truly become a good man.”

I wanted to ask who he was, but my lips wouldn’t move.

As if I were being controlled, I stared at him with an indifferent expression before turning my head away.

Reflected on the wall was a woman with dazzling blonde hair and blue eyes.

Her tall, slender figure stood out even in plain, simple attire.

Was this woman Ribe?

“I’ll give you anything you desire.”

“How do you know what I want?”

My mouth moved on its own.

The voice that came out was low and commanding, so unlike anything I’d ever heard from myself.

It must be Ribe’s voice.

“Whatever it is. I’ll give it to you.”

“Then give me the throne of the Demon King, Adan.”

The Demon King?

I called the man Adan and laughed boldly.

His expression crumbled into despair as his gaze faltered.

“Ribe. If I relinquish the throne, I’ll die.”

“Die?”

“Yes. Even if I give up the throne to win your heart, it would all be meaningless if I’m dead. Ask for something else.”

“Then I don’t need it. Get lost.”

Though I wore a cold expression outwardly, I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

The phrase “get lost” was something I often said to my reckless older brothers after becoming Merchen.

It seemed Ribe was also a woman with a fiery temper.

“Ribe.”

His voice was so heartfelt and sorrowful that it could make one’s chest ache, but I looked down at him without any emotion.

I stared at him sternly and finally spoke.

“Then let’s make a bet.”

“Anything.”

“I’ll give you 100 days.”

“100 days?”

Adan’s eyes lit up as he listened intently.

“If you win my heart within 100 days, I’ll become your queen. But if you fail, you’ll have to give up your throne.”

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

He agreed without hesitation.

At that, I furrowed my brows slightly.

“Adan. After 100 days, I will truly kill you without a second thought.”

“To die by your hand would be a great honor. But I’d rather not die, so I’ll do my best to win you over. To seduce you.”

Adan kissed the back of my hand.

Despite the soft sensation and his lingering gaze, I simply glared at him indifferently.

It wasn’t that I disliked him, but I truly felt no semblance of affection for him.

He sent a small amount of his magical power into me.

A tingling sensation spread from my fingertips as his jet-black magic, tinged with violet, climbed up my arm and reached my heart.

The inky black magic that touched my heart turned gold, spreading brilliantly throughout my body.

“What did you just do?”

“I gave you a bit of my magic. If I gave it all, I’d die, and you’d become the Demon King. So today, just this much.”

“Why did you give it to me?”

“Ribe. The Demon Realm is a dangerous place for humans. This magic will protect you from demons.”

“Not bad. Does having magic mean I can use spells too?”

“Of course. Want to try?”

“Sure.”

My perpetually cold expression softened slightly.

Adan smiled brightly at my curious gaze.

***

“Ribe. Ordinary wizards calculate formulas and draw magic circles, but with my magic, you don’t need to bother with any of that complicated stuff. Just imagine it, and it’ll happen.”

“Just imagine it?”

“Yeah. For example, imagine snow falling in this room. Like this… voilà!”

Cold snowflakes fell from above.

Snow landed on my head, nose, and cheeks, melting away almost instantly.

I looked curiously at the snow filling the bedroom, then furrowed my brows.

“The blanket’s getting wet. Stop it, you idiot.”

“Ah, sorry.”

Adan quickly stopped the snow and removed all the moisture from the room.

Even though my tone was sharp, he smiled foolishly and did his best to adjust to me.

“Want to try?”

“I already did.”

“You did? Nothing’s happening though. What did you imagine?”

“I imagined you leaving this room.”

“Ah…”

Adan awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

With a reluctant expression, he slowly stood up.

“Magic doesn’t work on me. But if that’s what you want, I’ll leave for today.”

He looked at me with a face full of regret as he dragged his feet toward the door.

Whether he left or not, I didn’t spare him a glance and stared into the empty space.

When I imagined a sweet strawberry cake appearing, something gently settled on my lap.

It was a strawberry cake on a plate.

Though my imagination had been neat, the cake was a messy, squashed lump.

“Well, it tastes good, at least.”

I chewed on the cake and closed my eyes.

When I opened them again, I had woken up from the dream.

***

“Gasp…”

What on earth was that dream?

Honestly, I was terrified, thinking I’d been transported into yet another novel.

It had been too vivid.

But no matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t recall any novel featuring a woman named Ribe and a Demon King named Adan.

I reached out to Rory, who had been holding my hand and lying beside me.

The soft feel of his hair wrapping around my fingers was pleasant.

As my breathing steadied, I realized how thirsty I was.

“Mel?”

Rory woke up at my touch, his eyes wide with surprise.

His hands moved urgently as he touched my forehead, cheeks, and neck in turn.

“Water…”

Rory quickly brought a glass of water.

He supported my back, helping me sit up, and brought the glass to my lips.

I gulped down the water and let out a deep breath.

I must have been seriously ill, but now my body felt strangely light.

Though my back was drenched with sweat, my head felt clear.

Suddenly, Rory hugged me tightly.

He must have been very frightened when I suddenly collapsed.

His embrace was warm and comforting, so I stayed quietly in his arms.

As I did, Adan’s face, flustered by Ribe, came to mind.

He didn’t seem like a bad person.

“Mel, I was so worried.”

“I’m fine.”

Contrary to my words, my voice came out hoarse and weak.

Clearing my throat, I opened my mouth again.

“I don’t know why I fainted, but I’m perfectly fine now.”

“I was scared I might lose you, My Lady.”

Rory’s body was trembling slightly.