【 A Memorial Ceremony 】

“Strange. After being taken to this extent, her mind should be completely broken by pleasure.”

Barmas murmured this while examining with curious eyes the small, pale white woman who had collapsed unconscious on the altar.

The woman’s body showed no sign of being intact anywhere. Her n*ked form was soaked with sweat and s*men, and between her legs were clear traces of dried white fluids. Her br*asts and n*pples were also flushed red, seemingly proving they had been handled extensively.

Anyone could see she had been pushed to her limits. Yet strangely, her soul wasn’t corrupted in the slightest—it remained surprisingly intact.

‘By now she should have become a half-wit who only pursues pleasure…’

Yet the woman hadn’t uttered a single word begging to be taken more, right until she lost consciousness.

Of course, thanks to the aphrodisiac he had given her, she showed signs of feeling and enjoying pleasure, but she never said the usual things—pleas to thrust deeper or stir her more.

And that was impossible.

He had devoured human souls many times using this method. None of them had ever failed to beg his familiar for more s*men. They typically pleaded for more intense pleasure.

Barmas, looking at the woman’s n*ked body with a serious expression, flicked his finger toward the shadow standing beside him, signaling it to come closer.

The shadow silently approached him and bowed its head. It held its hands—the same ones that had ravaged the woman—respectfully together.

Barmas spoke.

“Did you properly take this woman? Why is her soul so clean?”

“…”

The shadow had no mouth to answer with, so instead it nodded vigorously, full of indignation.

Created from a piece of Barmas’s own shadow, it always faithfully followed his orders. Though unable to speak, it had taken the woman to the best of its ability, until its member ached.

Barmas coldly observed the shadow nodding its head up and down, then gestured outward, dismissing it.

It was created from a part of himself. It was nearly impossible for it to be unfaithful to his orders.

‘Could there be something wrong with the aphrodisiac or hallucinogen used on the woman…?’

Barmas summoned another familiar. This man, like the shadow, bowed his head to him with his hands respectfully clasped together.

“You called for me, Lord Barmas.”

“Examine the hallucinogen burning here and the aphrodisiac used on that woman. Check if they’re the same ones I always use, and if there’s anything wrong with them.”

“Yes, understood.”

The familiar, following Barmas’s orders, thoroughly checked the four incense burners and the sticky fluid covering the woman’s body, then reported back to him.

“They are the same as what we’ve used before, Lord Barmas. The effects are definitely not problematic—they are of the highest quality.”

“Is that so?”

There was no problem with the familiar he controlled.

There was nothing wrong with the aphrodisiac designed to heighten human sensitivity, nor with the hallucinogen meant to show the most lewd and pleasurable dreams.

That left only one conclusion.

“…She remained intact despite experiencing all that pleasure.”

Barmas muttered this while examining the woman’s n*ked body again.

No matter how he looked at her, she was just an ordinary human woman. Even as a holy knight, she was merely a fragile human. A vessel containing a delicious soul.

Barmas approached the woman and lightly tapped her shoulder with his fingertips, like checking a dying body collapsed on the roadside.

Unaware of the danger she was in, the woman slept deeply. Except for her reddened, swollen eyes from crying in pleasure, she looked like she could be sleeping in her own bedroom.

Barmas let out a brief laugh that might have been a sneer.

“Interesting.”

Then he added:

“Take this human to my castle.”

“…”

“Wash her as soon as we arrive and bring her before me. Since she’s a holy knight who can wield holy power, don’t forget to put on restraints. Remember that if the human escapes, you’re all as good as dead.”

“Yes, understood, Lord Barmas.”

The familiar bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle, then picked up the woman’s collapsed body from the floor.

In truth, the familiar wondered why he was taking this woman to his castle in the demon realm.

Barmas had never shown interest in insignificant beings like humans. The only times he showed interest in humans were when a delicious-looking soul appeared and when he savored that delicious soul.

It was completely unfamiliar to see him interested in a woman whose soul was still intact.

However, since he wasn’t permitted to ask personal questions, he simply followed Barmas’s orders.

The familiar cast a light sleep spell to ensure the woman wouldn’t wake, then followed Barmas toward the castle.

* * *

While Barmas returned to his room to rest, the familiar headed to the bathroom to wash the woman as ordered.

The servants guarding the mansion stared at the unfamiliar presence with wide eyes.

“What is this, Rajie?”

“A human Lord Barmas brought. He ordered me to wash her clean and bring her to him.”

“A human?”

The servants responded in unison, sounding puzzled. They couldn’t help tilting their heads in confusion.

“He’s not one to bring humans back without eating them…”

This was a point that puzzled Rajie as well, but he had no explanation to offer—only that their master seemed interested in the woman.

But since the very fact that Barmas was interested in a human woman was equally puzzling, Rajie said nothing.

Rajie spoke to the servants who were whispering in lowered voices, surprised by the strange creature that had appeared in the mansion.

“I need restraints for this woman. She’s a human who can use holy power.”

“Ah, understood. We’ll bring them to the bathroom.”

“Lord Barmas ordered her to be washed, right? Shall we fill the bathtub?”

“Yes. And please bring several dry towels as well.”

When Rajie made these requests, the servants scattered to their respective tasks and acted like nothing unusual had happened.

One went to the storage room to find restraints, another to get dry towels from the supply room, and the third headed to the bathroom ahead of Rajie to fill the tub.

By the time Rajie arrived at the bathroom carrying the woman, the large tub was filled with steaming hot water.

Rajie carefully laid the woman in the tub. Her body, dirty with bodily fluids, gently soaked in the clear water.

Deeply asleep in the clean water, she had the grace of someone who had been touched by an angel’s breath. She was too beautiful to be mere prey caught in Barmas’s trap, struggling in pleasure.

A servant who had been staring at the woman’s face in a trance-like state suddenly spoke.

“She’s an extremely beautiful human.”

“Indeed she is.”

“Was this always his taste? I thought he had no interest in such things.”

“I don’t know either. I’m simply following Lord Barmas’s orders.”

Rajie calmly answered the servant’s question. Whether they found the woman’s presence puzzling or not, nothing would change. Their only duty was to follow Barmas’s orders.

The female servant nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. We are Lord Barmas’s loyal servants after all.”

“He said he would kill us if this woman escapes. Please inform the other servants in advance. I’ve cast a sleep spell, but she might still wake up.”

“Understood. I’ll make sure everyone knows.”

With that, the servant began washing the sleeping woman. Rajie watched from the side, monitoring in case she woke during the bath.

After washing her golden hair that had been dirtied with dust and sweat, they cleaned away the marks that were evidence of her being trapped.

The servant asked about the vivid red handprints on her pelvis that wouldn’t wash away.

“Should we leave these red marks as they are? Or should we treat them?”

Rajie pondered briefly before answering.

“There were no specific orders to treat them, so I think we should leave them as they are. Just wash her clean.”

“Yes, understood.”

The servant continued washing the woman’s body.

Though her skin was fair and white, she strangely had many small scars. Her skin texture wasn’t as soft as expected, but rather dry and rough.

While not in ideal condition for their master’s entertainment, the servant carried out the orders without comment.

As they nearly finished the bath, the other servants returned to the bathroom right on time. One brought several towels, while another brought restraints.

“Come over here and help me dry her body.”

At her call, the servant holding the towels approached and lifted the sleeping woman from the tub. Though her body was heavy from absorbing water, this was nothing to Barmas’s servants.

While two servants dried the woman with towels after seating her in a chair, another approached Rajie to confirm if he had brought the right items.

“Are these the restraints you were looking for? Just in case, I brought ones inscribed with magic circles that seal holy power and restrict movement to prevent her from leaving the castle.”

“That’s perfect. You’ve brought exactly what I wanted.”

“I’m glad I could help. Then I’ll put them on the human.”

“Please do.”

With Rajie’s permission, the servant approached the woman with the restraints.

He fastened them to her wrists and ankles, which hung limply below the chair. The restraints tightened to fit the circumference of her wrists and ankles. No one could remove them without Barmas’s permission.

After completing their bath duties, the servants informed Rajie.

“We’ve washed the human clean as you instructed. Now you can take her to Lord Barmas.”

“Thank you for your hard work. Well then.”

Rajie checked once more to make sure the woman was truly asleep, then lifted her body into his arms. He then quietly walked toward the bedroom where Barmas was waiting.