Luciana laying beneath him, her body rigid, her breath was shallow. Erebus hovered over her, his weight pressing into the bed, his fingers entwined with hers. A cold sweat broke across her skin as she struggled to comprehend the gravity of the moment. His lips curled into a slow, knowing smile—bewitching, yet unsettling.
"What should I do? Scream? But even if I do… he won't move away." Her heart raced.
His voice interrupted her frantic thoughts, rich and edged with amusement.
"Will you call for help? No one would believe you need saving."
She bit her lip. He wasn't wrong. She was his wife—bound to him in the eyes of law, duty, and the expectations drilled into her since childhood. A wife exists to fulfill her husband's desires. That was what her mother, the Empress, had taught her. That was what had been whispered in her ear, time and time again.
A soft gasp escaped her lips when his hands moved—barely grazing her exposed skin, yet igniting something inside her. A feverish heat curled through her veins, foreign and disorienting. Her mind clouded, wavering between fear and something more dangerous.
"Even if he appears cold… he still has desires. But what about me?" She thought about the injustice that bound her to serve him.
She turned her face away instinctively as he leaned in, his breath hot against her cheek. She had never allowed a man this close—never felt the weight of another's presence so intimately. It was too sudden, too overwhelming.
Then, he saw them.
The unshed tears brimming in her wide eyes. The crimson flush painting her cheeks in stark contrast to her pale skin.
His lips hovered near her ear, voice low and firm. "Rejecting me is not a wise choice… as my wife."
A shiver ran down her spine at the warning laced within his words.
Luciana trembled in his grasp, unsure whether she sought to push him away or pull him closer. Her fingers curled against his chest, grasping at the fine fabric between them, betraying her uncertainty.
Then, he pulled back.
A lingering touch against her neck, a kiss featherlight yet searing making her jolt, and then he was gone.
Luciana remained motionless, her heart hammering against her ribs, the ghost of his touch still burning on her skin. The moment he left the bed, she exhaled sharply, realizing only then that she had been holding her breath.
Erebus tied his robe loosely around his waist, the muscles of his abdomen flexing with the motion. His sharp gaze flickered toward her, unreadable. "From here on… get used to it."
And then, just like that, he was gone.
Luciana curled into herself, wrapping her arms around her trembling frame. The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over, rolling down her cheeks and soaking into the white chemise that had barely covered her mere moments ago.
"I… I can't… I'll never be able to carry this burden."
Erebus had already disappeared into the cold morning air, off to train as he did each day before the demon world stirred.
Luciana pulled herself from the bed, forcing her trembling legs to carry her into the bathing chamber. She splashed cold water onto her face, flinching at the icy sensation. The servants had left no warm water for her bath. That meant he had bathed in the cold, despite his injuries.
She turned toward the wooden shelf in the corner. The fresh bandages were gone.
"He changed them himself?" A pang of guilt settled in her chest. "At least I soaked them in the physician's ointment last night…"
She exhaled heavily. "I feel like I'm raising two children."
A knock at the door startled her.
"Who would be here so early?"
"It's Mina, my lady," came the soft reply.
"Come in."
Mina entered with a cheerful smile, balancing a metal breakfast tray in her hands. The scent of warm food wafted through the air as she placed it on the wooden table.
"Good morning, milady," she chirped.
Luciana rubbed her temples. "Where's Nemesis?"
"Asleep, milady," Mina replied.
"Asleep?" Luciana frowned. "He's always awake at this hour."
Mina smiled sheepishly. "He missed you last night, so Jafar and I played with him. He wouldn't cooperate with the other maids."
Luciana blinked at the girl's knowing stare. "What?"
Mina hesitated, then leaned in slightly. "Milady… did something good happen?"
Luciana tilted her head. "Something good?"
"Never mind! It's none of my business. I overstepped." Mina bowed, but the disappointment was evident in her expression.
Luciana narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
Mina shifted on her feet, visibly flustered. "It's just… the Master was smiling when he left for the training grounds. I thought perhaps something… pleasant happened between the two of you."
Luciana's mind flashed back to Erebus's smirk—to the way he had looked at her, teased her.
Her cheeks flamed.
"I didn't think he would toy with me like that…"
"You're mumbling out loud, milady," Mina teased.
Luciana snapped out of her daze. "How did you—"
"I apologize, I overheard," Mina said quickly, changing the bedsheets with practiced ease.
Luciana hesitated before asking, "What… was he like? Erebus?"
Mina paused. "I don't recall much of my past. I lost parts of my memory in an accident when I was young."
Luciana's lips parted in surprise. "Oh…"
"But it doesn't trouble me," Mina continued. "I do remember Master bringing my brother and me here. Sometimes, it feels like I've known him longer than I actually have… as if he's more than just my lord." She smiled faintly.
Luciana studied her, intrigued. "Do you remember anything else?"
"Only bits and pieces. My brother, Sister Lilith, and I were taken in by an old man. He raised us as his own alongside his two sons. But when he passed, we were left alone. My brother did everything he could to keep us safe, and eventually, we found shelter here. Lord Stygian gave us a place, a purpose. Most of the servants here… have nowhere else to go."
Luciana glanced out the stained-glass window. Mina disappeared into the adjoining chamber to prepare a bath.
"He has a gentle side too…" she mused. Erebus was an enigma, shrouded in mystery.
"I want to understand him." She thought subconsciously.
But then, a darker thought surfaced.
"What does it matter? The moment I find an opportunity… I will divorce him."
She gasped at her own sudden thought.
"Oh, my devils!"
Mina's outraged cry startled her.
"What in the seven hells happened in here?!"
Luciana turned to see her holding a fistful of discarded bandages, glaring.
"Master! I won't forgive you for making this poor servant work overtime!" Mina dumped them into a straw basket with dramatic exasperation.
Luciana stifled a laugh.
"He really is like a brother to you," she mused.
Mina grinned, sharp canines flashing. "Ah-ha! You finally laughed, milady! My plan succeeded!"
Luciana blinked. "Huh?"
Mina softened. "Your eyes were red when I came in. I thought… maybe you were missing your homeland." She hesitated. "Milady… please don't leave us."
Luciana met Mina's gaze—so bright, yet so hollow.
Her heart twisted.
"What should I say…?"