The man of her dreams had always been like this. No matter how much Rose begged for help, he always put his own pleasure first. Even when she woke up crying and begging him to stop, it was in vain. 

“Darling, what are you saying? You were with someone else in your dream?” 

Pluto, consumed by jealousy, would punish Rose whenever she mentioned what had happened in her dreams. He wouldn’t stop until she denied having any dreams at all. 

“Am I not enough for you? Hmm? Is that why things like this happen in your dreams?” 

Pluto feigned ignorance of Rose’s dreams, making it seem as if it was entirely her fault for having them, as if she was the one to blame. 

By the time she learned it was all her husband’s doing, she had lost the will to resist. He whispered sweet excuses about wanting to show her a wider world, and Roee liked that. It was easier to believe it was love.

She knew that the moment she doubted, everything would fall apart, so she chose not to dig any deeper. Rose had long since become a demon, a being who only chased fleeting pleasures.

And she remained the same, even now, with a new husband. Rose nuzzled the golden-haired man’s neck and let out a lazy sigh. Whenever she woke up in the embrace of a stranger, she always realised everything in an instant.

‘I have the feeling I’ve seen him before.’

This must be a dream. The young man embraced Rose as if she were his lover.

‘I think I’ve seen you somewhere before.’

When was that? She couldn’t remember. The fleeting question vanished as quickly as the wind, replaced by the warmth spreading through her body. Leaning her forehead against the man’s neck, Rose let out a heated sigh, her eyes half open. 

Even after her husband’s death, a loyal servant remained to follow her orders. What a good and faithful child, Rose thought, and she considered stroking the man as a reward. But she soon noticed a strange feeling of unease creeping over her. 

Come to think of it, all the servants in the Demon Queen’s castle are dead. 

Could this be a demon that had escaped the eyes of the Holy Knights and taken refuge in this dream? Or was it just an illusion, born of their own frustration and dissatisfaction? 

Rose thought about confirming the man’s face, but stopped herself. It didn’t matter. It was just a fleeting illusion that would disappear the moment she awoke. 

So I might as well enjoy the opportunity while it lasts. After all, I was getting hungry.

– Ah, wait… ugh. 

Talking was more of a habit than anything else. Rose had always had to say her thoughts out loud for her husband, who watched over her dreams. 

Even if her husband no longer existed here. 

– It hurts, wait a moment. 

The more she said it hurt, the rougher the incubus became. It was as if this had been the signal given in the dream – a sign asking to be held tighter. 

Even with the sensation of her body breaking apart, the incubus did not stop. As always, Rose clung to the faceless man’s shoulders and sobbed. 

– Stop it, it really hurts… 

Even as she said these words, she didn’t resist. She knew there was no point in struggling or trying to escape. The incubus would not go away until she awoke. 

No one would save her here. 

Over thousands of years, Rose had painfully learned that despair could lead to pleasure. 

And yet. 

– My Queen. 

The sound came from above. 

Amidst the dense dream where the sky melted into waves of pink. 

– My Queen, please wake. My Queen. 

The voice echoed in all directions, as if echoing through the dream. 

Rose blinked, craning her neck as she looked up. It was an incredibly strange sight, unlike anything she had ever seen in any of her dreams before. 

A pure white light was pouring down from the cracks in the distorted sky. It resembled the image of salvation she had once longed for so desperately… 

“My Queen.” 

Rose opened her eyes. 

Beyond her blurred vision, a figure gradually came into focus. The face of a young man, so beautiful it was dazzling. 

“Are you all right?” 

It was Lucian. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at her. 

“I’m sorry for shaking you awake without permission. You looked like you were in pain, so I couldn’t help myself…” 

Her whole body felt as heavy as if buried under a pile of stones. Rose blinked, unable to comprehend the situation for a moment. Something cold pressed against her shoulder. 

Lucian moved a hand’s width away from her line of sight and spoke. 

“Are you feeling a bit clearer now?” 

Feeling a strange emptiness, Rose lifted her head to find the man holding her shoulder. 

“I found you collapsed in the bathroom.”

Lucian said in a subdued voice as he removed his hand. 

“You had a really high fever.” 

A damp towel lay on the bedside table. Remembering the cold hand that had touched her shoulder, Rose let out a small sigh.

Ah, I see. 

I’m alive again. 

“You were moaning so much all night, I was afraid I was dealing with a corpse.”

Judging by his reaction, he hadn’t seen her in her lifeless state. 

She had intended to seek his forgiveness with an apology as weighty as her very life, leaving her feeling somewhat deflated. Though dying wasn’t her intention, she couldn’t help but think that if he had witnessed her in that state, his anger might have already faded.

“If your condition was so bad that you collapsed, why didn’t you say anything?” 

Lucian’s face was stern as he spoke and Rose found herself unable to answer. It was always like this right after she came back to life. Her mind felt fuzzy, her body burned with fever, and she couldn’t think as clearly as usual. 

So she took the easiest way out. 

“Sorry.” 

A short silence followed. 

Lucian didn’t react immediately. His lips moved slightly, as if to say something, but then he closed his mouth again. He didn’t react to her apology and instead changed the subject. 

“Did you have a nightmare?” 

Rose blinked at the abrupt question before answering. 

“…What nightmare?” 

“…Wasn’t it? It seemed like you were having a bad dream.”

“Ah.” 

Only then did she understand the context. So that’s why he woke me up. Come to think of it, she might have been dreaming. 

But had it really been a nightmare? Rose remembered the intense warmth that had enveloped her entire body and shook her head. 

“It wasn’t a nightmare.” 

As she replied calmly, Lucian’s expression became subtly unreadable. 

“…then what kind of dream did you have that made you cry so painfully?” 

“I cried?” 

“Yes. You cried all the time. You groaned and told me to stop, over and over again.” 

It seemed that the tears she had shed in her dream had been carried over into reality. He must have mistaken the tears of pleasure for the tears of pain. 

“That was just something I said.”

“Pardon?” 

“I didn’t have a bad dream, so don’t worry about it.” 

Rose looked up at him and gave a weak, dishevelled smile. But Lucian remained silent, as if something was still bothering him. 

‘Did I upset him again?’

Under normal circumstances, she would have been able to see right through his thoughts. But having just come back to life, her mind was still hazy and disoriented. She wasn’t confident she could handle an argument with Lucian smoothly right now.

As the silence stretched on, Rose quickly added, “I’m sorry, Lucian.”

For a moment, his expression hardened.

It was as if he were silently asking, What exactly are you sorry for?

Rose hurried to explain. “I didn’t mean to trouble you.”

“…”

“You don’t have to stay with me. I’ll be fine sleeping alone. I’m sorry for being a bother.”

Although Lucian said nothing, Rose could easily guess why he was upset. 

She had ruined what should have been a pleasant and sweet evening. 

When situations like this arose, Pluto always remained silent, frowning and glaring at her with a frightening expression – until Rose stopped crying out of fear. 

Although it wasn’t intentional, she had been crying and making noise during a time meant for rest, so it must have been irritating and annoying. Rose understood exactly what Lucian was feeling. 

Even after hearing the apology, Lucian remained silent for a long time. Instead, his expression became even harsher than before. Afraid that speaking further would make the situation worse, Rose remained silent, waiting for his reply.