“Lord Rubellan? What are you doing?”

Joseph asked Rubellan, who was holding back the thick curtain with one hand while languidly swirling a wine glass in the other.

The brilliant midday sunlight reflected off the glass’s surface, causing Joseph to squint his eyes.

“Nothing. Just watching.”

His gaze remained fixed somewhere in the garden.

“To continue what I was saying, the desert monsters have largely disappeared. They haven’t crossed the mountains, yet they’ve vanished without a trace, which suggests they might have gone beyond the desert into human… My Lord?”

Joseph called out to Rubellan again, whose attention seemed repeatedly drawn elsewhere.

“You seem rather distracted lately.”

Rubellan wondered if he had been that obvious. Yet his half-lidded eyes remained fixed on the view outside the window.

“Send a spy to Juletan’s castle.”

“Has something happened?”

“Sezl gave me some information. It seems he’s planning to throw a party soon.”

“I’ll select someone skilled for the task.”

Rubellan drained the last sip from his glass at Joseph’s response.

“By the way, what do you plan to do?”

“About what?”

“About the child in Lady Rael’s womb!”

Rubellan chuckled at Joseph’s question.

“How strange. Everyone asks me that.”

“Pardon?”

“When a child is conceived, the natural course would be to have it and raise it, yet people ask me what I’m going to do. Me, of all people.”

“But…”

Of course, Rubellan understood what Joseph was trying to say. He knew they were concerned for him.

“She asked me to protect them.”

“What?”

“She asked me to protect her and the child. Looking directly at me with those blue eyes of hers.”

Rubellan rested his head on the arm he had propped against the wall. Though his face tilted slightly, his gaze remained fixed outside the window.

“While those clear eyes reflected my image, I stood there like a fool, frozen in place.”

Joseph listened intently, holding his breath.

“Do you know what I thought in that moment?”

“What was it?”

“I was afraid. Afraid that my hesitation might show on my face and make her hate me, so I didn’t dare move even an eyebrow.”

“Pardon?”

Joseph tilted his head, seemingly confused by what Rubellan meant.

“In the end, I realized I didn’t care about the child or my life. I was only filled with the desire not to be hated by that human. So I smiled. I congratulated her and promised to protect her.”

Rubellan habitually twirled the glass in his hand.

“And now people think I have a choice in this matter?”

His lips twisted in self-mockery.

“How ridiculous.”

A hollow laugh followed.

“The decision left my hands the moment I flipped that coin long ago. The power to decide everything in this relationship has always been in those small hands.”

The corners of Rubellan’s mouth curved upward more deeply. Just imagining those small hands in his mind was enough to spread warmth through his heart, making him realize how thoroughly infatuated he had become.

“So what’s the use in asking me?”

“I understand. I won’t ask anymore…”

Joseph made a small sound of contemplation before shaking his head resignedly. With a light sigh of surrender, he continued.

“Perhaps you should put down that glass.”

Joseph had long noticed how completely entranced Rubellan was, still twirling the glass that had been empty for quite some time.

“Ah.”

Rubellan merely wore a faint smile, seemingly unaware or unconcerned that his behavior appeared so unfamiliar to the other demons.

* * *

After returning from her morning walk, Rael leaned against the window, mulling over Sezl’s words.

Sezl, with whom she had made a secret pact, had left the castle shortly after. Before departing, she had told Rael, ‘When the time to leave approaches, I’ll send word. We’ll handle the details by letter. Until then, stay strong.’

Could it really be possible?

Though it seemed absurd that her only lifeline was Rubellan’s sibling, strangely, she trusted Sezl. She had a strong intuition that Sezl would definitely help her escape.

Did Rubellan have any inkling of this?

Rael’s gaze shifted to Rubellan, who sat reading a book in one corner of the room. Sensing her eyes on him, he looked up, and their gazes met.

“What is it?”

Rubellan asked in a gentle voice. He had seemed to be in a good mood recently, treating everyone with such benevolence that the castle residents had jokingly remarked that an era of peace had arrived.

“Would you like to go outside if you’re bored?”

His affectionate words left Rael with mixed feelings. If only he would show his bad side instead. He was treating her too much like a human now.

“No.”

When Rael shook her head, Rubellan stared at her intently.

“That’s strange.”

His comment made her flinch.

“What is?”

“You’re being unusually docile, unlike your usual self.”

“When was I ever flighty?”

She deliberately responded with nonchalance, trying her best not to show any agitation.

Watching her, Rubellan closed his book and leaned back deeply in his chair.

“Has something changed your mind?”

“I’m just being careful for the baby’s sake.”

At her words, Rubellan nodded lightly. Though she was clearly watching his reaction, he knew there was nothing she could do, so he had no intention of pressing minor issues.

“I’ve heard pregnant women should avoid becoming depressed. Would you like to go somewhere far away for a change of scenery?”

“Far away?”

“Perhaps somewhere you like.”

“You’ll take me to where humans live?”

Rubellan’s offer surprised Rael.

“Yes. Is that strange?”

Of course it was strange. Until now, he had kept such close watch even when she went just outside the castle.

“Did you think I would keep you confined forever?”

“Wouldn’t you?”

“We need more communication between us. I can be more merciful to you than anyone else.”

His words disgusted her. How brazenly he spoke, when he was the only obstacle in her life.

“If you give me even a small reassurance, I can be more generous than anyone.”

“What kind of reassurance do you need?”

“I’m not sure myself. How can I make this anxiety disappear?”

“How am I supposed to do something even you don’t know?”

When Rael complained, Rubellan pondered for a moment. It truly was a question he couldn’t answer. How could he be certain that he fully possessed Rael?

Even after taking her body, stealing her time, and perhaps even seizing her fate, it still felt incomplete. Perhaps what he truly wanted wasn’t in his grasp at all.

“Could it be love?”

Rubellan didn’t believe in the definition of that embarrassing word. Was there any emotion more prone to corruption? This thirst couldn’t be quenched by such a fleeting sentiment.

In truth, there were numerous emotions useful for manipulating humans: fear, inferiority, anger, or despair worked well. Curiosity and sympathy were also relatively easy to handle.

But what was clear was that what he wanted wasn’t among these.

He needed something stronger and more binding than the illusion of love.

“I think we need trust.”

And he sensed that would be an extremely difficult path. Especially since emotions like trust were delicate and fragile, impossible to force into existence.

“What?”

Sure enough, Rael’s expression couldn’t hide her disbelief. First, she doubted whether she had heard correctly, or if he had misspoken. But looking at Rubellan’s serious face, she realized he hadn’t made a verbal slip.

Yet it made no sense.

From the beginning, they were different species, and particularly in his case, trust seemed impossible. She was so dumbfounded that she could only gape wordlessly, to which Rubellan responded with a gentle smile, seemingly understanding her reaction.

“Let’s take it slowly. We have plenty of time anyway.”

His gentle response only confused Rael more.

“…Honestly.”

What an unpredictable being.

“Just continue as you were. Don’t confuse me like this.”

Despite Rael’s somewhat sharp response, the corners of Rubellan’s mouth didn’t easily drop. He enjoyed when she revealed her emotions through her words.

“I’ve always been consistent. You just don’t recognize it.”

Rael sighed at his voice full of regret.

“If we had about three children together, would I then be confident you wouldn’t leave me?”

Rubellan spoke these words with a slight chuckle, amused by his own statement, and continued.

“Even if you hate me, perhaps you’d look at me more kindly when you see children who resemble both of us.”

This was strange. To Rael, everything he was saying and doing now seemed odd. Didn’t this sound pitifully like begging for love?

If she were to listen to his words while excluding certain emotions within herself, she might mistakenly believe he was acting this way because he truly loved her.

“I don’t trust you.”

“Why not try to trust me?”

There was one emotion Rael had never let go of since meeting Rubellan: doubt. From their very first encounter, while she might have understood or pitied him at times, she had never stopped doubting him.

“Such a thing is impossible between us, Rubellan. You know that too.”

“Think about it. When our child is born and calls us mommy and daddy with adorable smiles, will you still treat me like an enemy?”

“What are you…”

“That wouldn’t be a good family environment. So please, try trusting me once. I’m not trying to threaten you, consider it a request or a plea.”

Rubellan spoke very tenderly and gently. True to his word, there was no hint of coercion. Since what he wanted was Rael’s genuine self, not something fabricated, he too was speaking from the heart.

When Rael remained silent, unable to find a response, Rubellan looked at her stomach and said:

“I think we’ll have a cute daughter who looks like you. What do you think?”

“…How could anyone know that in advance?”

Fortunately, or perhaps inevitably, the topic shifted.

“Where would you like to live after the child is born?”

“Why are you asking that?”

“What about the three of us living in a quiet house on a low hill?”

Rubellan closed his eyes gently, imagining the two of them together.

How happy he would be if they could let their child play in a yard of green hills, while he sat with Rael on a rocking chair, watching affectionately.

“On sunny days, we could just lie on the lawn enjoying the sunshine. When our child returns covered in dirt, drawn by the delicious smell of dinner preparations, I’d wash them. Then they’d sit at the table with wet hair, playing mischievously, and you’d scold us with narrowed eyes while cooking. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“…What?”

Rael was taken aback by his detailed description, too specific to be spontaneous.

“Well, I could do the cooking too, if you prefer.”

“That’s not the issue…”

“It would also be nice to anxiously pace around together, watching over a child who refuses to fall asleep despite having red eyes from listening to fairy tales.”

With his eyes gently closed and the corners of his mouth turned upward, Rubellan looked happy as he spoke. That sight pierced Rael’s heart.

Was Rubellan truly dreaming of such an ordinary future?

This side of Rubellan hadn’t been part of Rael’s calculations. His words and actions weren’t helping her planned course of action.

“In whatever form, I just need you by my side.”

…This really wasn’t good.