One

"My liege?"

That voice… Where did I know that voice from? I was sure that it felt vaguely familiar, but I just couldn't place it. And, wait, why was there a voice in my bedroom anyways? I was pretty sure that I had just woken up after crying myself to sleep. I'd read the first volume of "Black hearts, tainted kisses", right?

"My liege, I loath to wake you up like this but… Lord Alexis will arrive shortly."

Wait. Alexis? Was the voice talking about Alex? My Alex? But… Alex wasn't part of this world. I was sure about that! After all I was on earth, not seusmerifa. Unless…

Was I dreaming, perhaps?

Slowly I opened my eyes. That ceiling! With a gasp I sat up. A room with golden silk covers and black curtains. Silver floor and lilac walls. Elaborate ornaments in precious metals. Velvet cushions on a leather sofa. A ceiling made of black marble that looked like a starry night if you looked at it right. Heavy dark wooden furniture. Crystal dishes left on a side table.

I couldn't help the tears that sprung to my eyes. Yes. Yes! This really was my bedroom. The one in the castle that I thought I would never see again. And next to me, that voice, was that…?

I turned my head, looking at an elf with skin like obsidian and eyes like Indian emeralds. Her amethyst hair fell in silky waves, braided with silver laurels. I didn't think I'd ever see her again. Her too, I'd missed her too! "Izarra…" I only whispered her name, but she jumped in surprise, her concerned gaze meeting mine. But was she concerned for me or because of me? I didn't even know anymore and that sent a sharp pain to my chest.

"My liege?! What happened? Why… Why are you crying?" Izarra became frantic in mere seconds, and that just made me cry harder. Because that was such a Izarra reaction. It was almost as though this was real. And, god, did I wish that it was.

"My liege, please, what could be the cause of this?"

Ah, right. Dream-Izarra was still panicking about my formerly untypical display of emotion. And even if this wasn't real, I just couldn't stand the thought of making her worry this much, not after all the time I'd spent missing her. So I took a deep breath and dried my tears. If I remembered correctly I used to have a skill that helped me keep a stoic face, right? »Heart of ice«, was it? I let my soul reach out for it, as though I could actually use it. Huh. What a useless thing to do. It wasn't as though this dream, summoned by my internal turmoil before falling asleep, would actually be able to convey the-

*ting*

A sound I knew too well resonated through my soul. It sounded like a glass clinging against ice, clear and cutting through everything else. The sound of a skill being activated. But, why? That… That didn't make any sense! Skills were not something you could dream up. No matter how well you knew the feeling of them, it was impossible to dream about a skill. That was one of the basics of magic. Just like…

With a flick of the wrist, I tried to open my status window. And there it was, clear as day, a plate glowing in deep purple, with golden letters brightening them up.

»Name: Akaya Aitaeru

Personal level: 196

Magic level: 579

Health level: 1934

Species: Devil

➢Subspecies: High Incubus/High Succubus

Titels: Ruler of love. Regent of lust. Third rex tenebrai. The southern demon lord.«

And next to my levels and my name, there was my crest, shining almost glaringly at me. It was intricate and filigrane. Vines that twisted into the shape of a heart, a flower blooming inside of it, and a banner without inscription, and ice shards seemingly radiating from the crest. I never really understood the color coding of this emblem, but it had always felt comfortable like that. Trusted. Familiar.

With shaking legs did I manage to stand up, barely noticing that I was basically nude, and made my way over to the mirror. And really, there it was. My old body, in all its glory. A feminine face, soft lips, porcelain skin, dark red hair that shimmered almost pink-ish sometimes, and eyes as blue as the sea. My body was a bit more curvy than a man's, but I was finally rid of that annoying chest I'd had to put up with for years now. And further down I didn't have either organ right now. It was a passive skill of this body to adapt to my partner's preference in that matter when I needed either and it felt more comfortable to just not have any if I didn't use them.

But yes, this was my body. Without a doubt.

I was back. I was really back. This was home. I was home! I had no idea how this was possible, but…

Wait. What had Izarra said just then? Alex was scheduled to arrive today? Then this was not only my past world but literally the past. Had the gods granted my desperate wish yesterday night? All of those terrible things seemed like a bad dream right now. But… They had been too realistic and too real to have been a dream.

'I don't know what is going on' I thought silently 'but to whoever did this: Thank you. I won't waste your efforts.'

"My liege?"

Oh. Oh, right. I hadn't said anything to Izarra yet, had I? So I caught her gaze in the mirror and let my lips curve up slightly. "I am alright now, Izarra… No, Iza." I was glad for my skill right now, because otherwise I would have broken into a goofy grin just being able to call her by that old nickname again. Because if this was before Alex had arrived it was also before she had grown distant from me. It was before I had let her down in a moment of unawareness. It was not too late to help her family this time.

"Come now. You said Alexis would arrive soon?"

Apparently that was enough to startle her out of her little trance. She nodded with a smile, her ears twitching nervously. "Shall I help you get dressed, my liege?"

~☙❦❧~

It had been quite some time since I had last felt this comfortable in my own skin.

My wavy hair was tied up to a high pony tail with a few strands plaited and I was dusted in silver body glitter. Faithful to my old sense of fashion I was wearing a dress made out of silk in the color of a mother-of-pearls that hugged my body tightly, with cut-sleeves made out of multiple layers of pastel lace. The skirt was cut and revealed my long legs with their high leather boots and a fair bit of bare skin above that. And to top it all off, filigrane gold chains with pearls were used as accessories, everything from the bracelet over to the necklace, the earpiece and even the waistband. The earpiece was my favorite, though. Five chains with one pearl each, and a sixth chain moving up the curve of my ear from the earlobe. I had always liked it a lot, though I barely ever wore it.

I finally felt like myself again, differently from my time in the plain but overly female body I had possessed on earth. It felt so comfortable and natural… It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it gave me quite the confidence boost.

Or that I really desperately needed that confidence boost as I sat on my throne in the audience hall and waited for Alex to arrive.

'Alexis was a proud and strong demon, but when the tribe of the northern mountains was about to be attacked by the third rex tenebrai he offered himself to save his home. In a contract of subservience his tribe swore their allegiance to the demon lord and he as the first prince would become their concubine. He did not mind giving up everything if it meant to keep his family safe, but he knew that the demon lord he was about to go to consumed physical touch like a meal. It was their strength, and Alexis shuddered every time when he thought about it. He hoped that he would be able to serve them well enough to protect his home, and he hoped even more that the demon lord would not be interested in him much' as I recalled the text from the novel. Back in my first life I hadn't given his situation much thought. This type of thing happened a lot on seusmerifa.

We seven rex tenebrai didn't control the entire continent, but most of it. And since we were devils, none of the demons or humans wanted to mess with us. To appease the sixth rex, the regent of wrath, one would sent soldiers he could use. A present to the fifth rex would entail precious food, jewels and pricey luxury articles for the second rex, the thing you valued most for the fourth rex. The first rex wouldn't accept anything that wasn't hand picked for them and you would have to sooth them by continuing to give them gifts, while the seventh rex just couldn't be bothered with things like this. And as for me, the third rex tenebrai, the ruler of love and regent of lust, for me it was obviously something I could indulge in, such as a concubine.

It was so normal in this world that I really hadn't thought about what it must have been like from his perspective.

I closed my eyes with a sigh. This time would be different. I would make sure of it.

And then the door opened and Alexis came in. He really looked like a demon from the snow tribe. His eyes looked like ice crystals, his hair like snow. His lips were tainted a little blue and I knew, I knew that if I were to touch him his skin would feel like the water of a lake on a hot summer's day. And those lips would taste like fresh mint. He smelled like lilies, I remembered that as well. I remembered everything about it, and I had to swallow to control myself.

Once again, I was thankful for my »heart of ice« skill.

"Alexis Oberon of the northern mountains greets your highness the demon lord," he whispered as he feel to his knees. Just like last time, he didn't dare look at me. And just like last time it felt horrible to see him bow so deeply to me.

That's why I couldn't help myself from saying what I had said last time as well: "Raise your head, let me see you. You don't have to put on an air of decency with me." And… huh? Had he shivered like that last time as well?

Alex took a deep breath before he raised his head, locking his eyes with mine. Both were blue, and yet they were such different hues. And it was so painful to see him. That look in his eyes, like looking at a stranger. The slight tremble of his hands I could have sworn hadn't been there last time. The face that hadn't changed in the slightest. Truthfully, this sight was a valid form of torture that no one in this room understood. I wanted to scream, I wanted to trow something at him, I wanted to shake him and ask how he could do the things he did and tell him to remember, I wanted to stand up and hug him, I wanted to reach out to him and never let him go ever again. I wanted to feel him, I wanted to taste him, I wanted to hear him, wanted to see every expression possible and burn them into my head. I wanted make him look at me, and never look at anything or anyone else.

That was probably bad, huh? Greed would have been envious of these thoughts…

Yes, I wasn't the hero. I realized that once more. I was dangerous and powerful and I was the villain. And before that had never meant anything to me. I'd always known many people had thought of me as such, and even I had to admit that it suited me. But the extend of it, the horror it brought with it, the disgusting feeling of realizing I had been a selfishly cruel monster of a c-ranked villain in their eyes… And, knowing that none of them would ever think that there was more depth to me than the cruel villain they knew…

I was not the hero. And I didn't want to be, judging from what I had read last night. I was the villain. But I wanted to write my story in my own colors, not the shabby image I had left last time.

With a smirk I crossed my legs and leaned back, taking in the scared and so far untainted Alex in front of me. Right. Right, I was the villain. But this time, I would do it right. I would be the villain, and I would be a good villain - and I would make a change in this goddamned world. I would leave my mark, for better or for worse, and form this world in the pretty colors villains like me didn't wear.

'I definitely won't waste this.'