“What did you say?”

Rael was in a state of complete bewilderment. Why?

“I’m saying you need to go to the Demon King’s Castle.”

“Me? Why?”

Because of this absurd order.

In her second year working at the Magic Tower, she finally got her first mission and thought she might shed her apprentice label, but this was like a bolt from the blue. Rael had to question whether her brain was malfunctioning.

“A portal for monsters has opened in the human realm. Only the Demon King can close it.”

“Shouldn’t one of the elders here go instead?”

She barely managed to swallow the words: “It’s not like crossing the street to the bakery, so why send a rookie?”

“Haven’t you managed to stay at the Magic Tower despite your lacking abilities mainly because of your silver tongue? I’m assigning you this mission because I value that skill.”

It was sophistry. The Tower Master was subtly reminding Rael of her inadequate abilities while pressuring her so she couldn’t refuse the mission. He wasn’t valuing her skills—he was choosing an expendable subordinate. The outcome was predictable without even looking.

“I’m counting on you.”

While Rael was racking her brain for a graceful way to decline, the Tower Master finished his business and turned to leave. She quickly raised her head.

“W-wait a moment!”

“Have a safe journey.”

“No, someone else…! I have circumstances…! Excuse me? Tower Master? Can’t you hear me?”

The Tower Master had already closed the door and left long ago. How could he assign a life-threatening mission so casually, like he was merely passing along a message? This was the problem with the Magic Tower—an organization that ground down mages’ rights and wielded them like disposable parts.

With the Tower Master already gone, Rael could only stare at the closed door with a bewildered expression.

This was truly a troublesome situation.

* * *

And now, she was staring at another door.

The Magic Tower had kindly given Rael a warp scroll with the coordinates to the Demon King’s Castle, but she couldn’t understand how the tower possessed such an impressive scroll, or why they would hand it over so readily to a mere underling like herself.

Actually, there were so many things she didn’t understand that she was tired of questioning and thinking about them.

“Sigh.”

With her arms crossed, she had been glaring at the door—which was three times her height—for dozens of minutes. It was time to make a decision.

‘If I knock, will anyone come out? Will they even hear it in such a vast castle?’

What should she say to avoid awkwardness?

‘If I’d known this would happen, I should have insisted more strongly that I couldn’t go.’

Sending her alone to the Demon King’s Castle of all places. Was she their only disposable pawn? The thought made her feel even worse.

“Hello? Hello? How have you been? It’s good to see you so successful… Ugh, what am I saying? Really.”

Greetings were the first hurdle. If they were strangers, it might be different. But she and the Demon King had a relationship that made even basic greetings uncomfortable.

“Haaa…”

She wanted to give up. She had shown enough courage just by coming this far and had done her duty, so it seemed better to turn back now.

But just as she was about to give up and leave, the iron door opened with a creaking sound. The timing was impeccable, perfectly reading Rael’s thoughts.

“Uh…”

Startled by the suddenly opening door, Rael looked up to see a man standing there. A familiar face. No, one that had become somewhat unfamiliar.

“Rubellan.”

Pitch-black hair, red eyes gleaming like jewels forged from blood. The name of the man who always gazed at her with languid, sunken eyes was Rubellan, the King of Demons.

“Nice to see you, senior.”

And he had once been Rael’s junior at the Magic Academy.

“Your hair has grown much longer.”

Rubellan spoke in a gentle, soft tone, greeting her like an old friend, but the smile precariously hanging on his lips made Rael tense.

“Ah… um… have you been well?”

After speaking, Rael wanted to bite her tongue. All she could manage was a simple greeting asking about his well-being.

“As you can see. Your face looks much better, senior.”

If someone else had said it, it might have been a compliment, but when Rubellan said “better,” it somehow felt thorny.

“Hahaha, does it? You look good too.”

Her tone was jerky like a broken toy soldier. Awkward enough that anyone would notice the uncomfortable situation.

Seeing Rael like this, Rubellan let out a small laugh. Then he stepped aside to let her in, creating just enough space for her to enter.

After hesitating, Rael nervously stepped inside.

“Senior.”

Just that one word—”senior”—was enough to make her tense. Whenever his low voice called her, she felt like her spine was vibrating.

“Yes? What?”

After entering, Rael tried to look at Rubellan, but with a thud, the door closed, and everything went dark. Outside it had been midday, but inside the castle it was as dark as midnight. There must not have been any windows, as not a single ray of light entered.

“You know who I am, don’t you?”

His voice, coming from close by, was so low it sent chills down her spine.

“Ah…”

Rael searched her memory, wondering if she had ever mentioned knowing Rubellan’s true identity. Their parting had been hasty and confused, with too many sudden revelations.

“That’s why you ran away from me back then.”

At his words, Rael’s heart sank. Her eyes, gradually adjusting to the darkness, moved to find Rubellan. His red eyes were gleaming vividly even in the darkness.

Thud.

As she heard Rubellan’s footsteps, Rael instinctively stepped backward. The cold iron door pressed against her back.

“Isn’t that right?”

The red eyes came right up to her face. The breath she inhaled showed no sign of being exhaled. The faint vibration that started in one corner of her heart spread throughout her body.

“If that’s not the reason… I might get angry.”

Startled by Rubellan’s words, Rael hastily opened her mouth.

“That’s right. Yes, I know. That’s why.”

There are people who can be allowed to get angry and those who cannot… or rather, beings who cannot. If that being is the Demon King, you must never make him angry.

“If you came to find me even knowing my identity, how should I interpret that?”

“What?”

Rubellan’s cool fingers touched Rael’s cheek. Her body stiffened at the icy temperature, unlike human warmth.

“Can I interpret it however I want?”

Warning signals flashed. His murky red eyes looked particularly decadent.

“…I came because I have a favor to ask.”

She barely managed to speak, but her voice was trembling. Rubellan’s aura was too much for an ordinary person to handle. He was merely speaking quietly, but she felt suffocated, like being pinned under a predator’s paw.

“Go ahead. What wouldn’t I do for my senior’s request?”

His tone was tinged with amusement, but she still couldn’t shake the chill running down her spine. Meanwhile, the fingers that had brushed her cheek touched her earlobe and moved to her hair. The gesture was incredibly natural and affectionate.

“Please close the monster portal in the northern desert.”

“Ah, that. Of course I’ll close it.”

Rael breathed a sigh of relief at his easy answer. Perhaps things would go smoothly after all.

“Now that’s settled, shall we proceed with our promise?”

“What promise?”

What promise had she made?

As Rael blinked in confusion, Rubellan frowned and gave her a pitying look. But she truly couldn’t remember. No matter how hard she tried to recall, nothing came to mind.

“You don’t remember?”

“What promise did I make?”

“You said that when we meet again, I could have my way with you as much as I want.”

“W-what?”

She had to question whether she’d heard correctly. Have his way? With what?

“I never made such a promise!”

No matter how hard she tried to remember, there was no such promise. She had left without even properly saying goodbye to Rubellan, let alone making promises.

“Oh. Is that so?”

His tone was casual and nonchalant.

“It doesn’t matter. Then give me permission now.”

He truly didn’t care. There was no such promise to begin with. It was just a light joke thrown to provoke Rael.

Rubellan’s hand, which had been running through her hair, reached the nape of her neck. Soon his hand gripped the back of Rael’s head, neither too firmly nor too gently.

“Ugh, are you crazy?”

As her hair was pulled slightly, her head tilted back a little. This made Rael look up at Rubellan. Their gazes locked. The face of a terrified human was reflected in his red eyes.

“That’s right. I’m still crazy about you, senior.”

For a moment, the corners of Rubellan’s mouth curved upward. The smile on his languid, bored face was chillingly beautiful.

“Do I have to say it out loud for you to understand? You’re still so innocent, senior.”

Each word seemed to pierce not her ears but her heart. Otherwise, her heart wouldn’t be pounding so wildly.

Rubellan’s face came closer and closer. Sensing danger, Rael quickly grabbed the doorknob behind her, but it was firmly locked and didn’t budge.

“That’s why you crawled into the demon’s lair on your own.”

Rubellan chuckled softly, clearly delighted by the situation.

His large body overlapped with her smaller one, restraining her. Rael took her hand off the doorknob and tried to push Rubellan away, but they were too close together, limiting her movement and preventing her from exerting any force.

In an instant, Rubellan’s lips consumed Rael’s. When surprised Rael’s mouth opened slightly, his smooth tongue invaded through the gap. So familiar, yet so disrespectfully aggressive.