“…Then, Your Majesty, since you may be unfamiliar with this kind of approach, would it be all right if I set an example and speak first?” 

“Sure, go ahead.” 

Her simple reply gave Lucian the opportunity to carefully deliver the introduction he had prepared. 

“…You may not know this, but Holy Knights are raised entirely in monasteries, so we are often inexperienced when it comes to relationships with women.” 

“Mhm.” 

“So, in the future, I would appreciate it if you could be a little more considerate so as not to frighten me.” 

To make sure his request didn’t sound unreasonable, Lucian spoke in the softest voice he could muster. 

“Please do not touch my body without permission. Physical contact is only allowed if I give my explicit consent.”

Despite this, Lucian had absolutely no intention of spending his first night with the Demon Queen. His mind was filled with only one thought: 

He had to protect his purity from that horrible demon, no matter what. 

That was Lucian’s plan. He had decided from the beginning that it would never happen. However, knowing that outright refusal would undoubtedly provoke resistance, he chose to take a gradual approach, postponing any deeper interaction. 

Using the excuse that he needed time for his ‘heart to be ready’, he planned to stall until the end of the contract period. 

“If you agree to this one condition, Your Majesty, I will do anything you wish.” 

From the beginning, Lucian had decided to stick to this one rule, no matter what. As long as he didn’t have to spend the night with that evil demon, he didn’t care what else he had to do. 

The demon queen said nothing. In the suffocating silence, Lucian mentally prepared himself. 

He’d imposed this condition on a woman whose desire had been so strong that she’d almost jumped at him the moment they’d met. She would surely be displeased. She might even get angry and accuse him of playing an obvious trick on her. 

‘But no matter what it takes, I will win.’

Now that the Demon Queen was married to him, she had to consider and respect Lucian. If he insisted that it was all for the sake of a harmonious married life, the Demon Queen would have no reason to argue. 

As Lucian braced himself and steeled his resolve, preparing for a verbal battle with the Demon Queen, she suddenly spoke. 

“Alright, I understand.” 

Her voice was as light as a pebble thrown into a lake, and for a moment Lucian froze, completely taken aback, his strength draining away. 

What was that? 

“I’ll do what you say, so don’t worry.” 

Why is she so submissive? 

“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?”

“…You agreed so easily, it’s just surprising…”

“You, even if I agree to your request, you still have something to say.”

“But still…” 

“But what?”

“Is it so strange for me to listen to my husband?” 

Lucian, who had been about to answer, clamped his mouth shut instead. Even though he had gotten the result he wanted, an uneasy feeling gnawed at him. 

He had prepared himself for the possibility that the Demon Queen would force him to do something, but her suspiciously compliant attitude only made him feel more uneasy. 

Who was to say that this wasn’t a ruse? Maybe she was just pretending to have a conversation to lull him into letting his guard down and then make her move… 

“Of course, I won’t agree without conditions. I have conditions of my own.” 

“…….”

“You will agree, won’t you?” 

The demon queen smiled at him, her gaze amused, as if she found him utterly charming. 

“As long as you keep that promise, you said you’d do anything I asked.” 

“…….”

“Now I’ll tell you what I want.” 

What kind of conditions did she have in mind? 

All sorts of bizarre, horrific and obscene scenarios flashed through his mind before quickly fading away. Lucian swallowed dryly and answered carefully. 

” Proceed, Your Majesty.”

Perhaps he had dug his own grave. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret for saying he’d do anything she wanted. 

But what came next was completely beyond his expectations. 

“You must not leave me alone.” 

A blink. Lucian closed and opened his eyes, reacting a beat too late. 

“What exactly do you mean by that?” 

He asked cautiously, wondering if there might be some deeper meaning. The Demon Queen thought for a moment before answering. 

“Hmm… Spend the whole day with me.”

She reached out from under the covers and grabbed the collar of his shirt. 

“Not just share a room, but eat every meal together, go for walks with me, and…” 

“…….” 

“Do the things I enjoy and love with me.” 

After hearing such a simple request from the demon queen, and seeing her wait for his answer as if she had made some great demand, Lucian couldn’t help but feel a little deflated. In this huge castle, with just the two of them, there really wasn’t much he could do to avoid boredom other than stay by her side. 

“Are you really going to do that for me?” 

But what was that, those ridiculously desperate eyes of hers? 

“Isn’t that only natural?” 

“Really?” 

“Yes.” 

“Really?” 

“Why do you keep asking me that? You know I can’t lie.” 

“No, it’s just…” 

Hearing the demon queen mutter, Lucian narrowed his eyes. 

“Hearing it straight from you makes me so happy…” 

…Could she be the type to be moved by such trivial things? 

“Did you really think I would marry you and then leave you alone?” 

“Yes. I thought you’d cast me aside to walk alone and eat separately.” 

“Whatever happens, I’m not cold-hearted enough to do that.” 

As Lucian unconsciously tried to defend himself, he suddenly stopped speaking, overwhelmed by a sharp pain that felt like his heart was being crushed. It was the pain of conscience, a burden experienced by every apostle of God. His mouth, which had almost spoken a lie, went dry in an instant. 

What kindness? In truth, he had not been able to trust her from the beginning and had spent the whole time scheming how to gain the upper hand. 

“You are so kind to me, Sir Knight.”

With a heavy gaze, Lucian looked at the Demon Queen’s hand gripping his collar. Looking closer, he noticed that her other hand was gripping the blanket tightly to keep it from slipping. 

‘How long had she been doing that?’ 

He had assumed that the Demon Queen had some sinister plan, but as she continued to behave like this, he began to feel that he was the one in the wrong, trying to manipulate her for his own purposes. 

Even though a few words weren’t enough to trust a demon, Lucian was beginning to wonder if the Demon Queen was perhaps a little more innocent than he had first thought. 

“Is that all you want?” 

So Lucian decided not to argue and added in a calm, emotionless voice. The condition the Demon Queen had mentioned earlier was, no matter how one looked at it, something so obvious that he didn’t feel the need to present it as some great obligation or favour. 

“No, there’s something else.” 

But the composure that Lucian had just managed to regain was completely shattered the moment he heard her next words. 

“From now on, you must sleep with me every night. Ideally it should last at least three hours once we start. It would be better if we stayed together until the morning, but since that might be hard for you, I’ll try to hold back a little. Still, you can’t stop until I’m satisfied. 

Innocent? Not even close.