Her first night.

She could feel his heat over her body. His fingers ran over her nape. After a brief inspection, he retreated his hand getting off the bed leaving Luciana too scared to sit up.

"You should be grateful enough that creature did not lay his hands on you," he told her taking off his blood-stained cloak.

He was interrupted by a door knock which increased his frustration.

-"Will they leave me alone?" he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"What now?" he went to the door to ask.

"Master, this soldier means to convey his report," Blake answered.

"My lord. I've brought the men upon your command."

It was Ahriman with Blake.

"Tell them to meet me in the armory after some rest."

"As you wish my lord," he responded in utmost courtesy and left.

He looked at her sitting up and stripped off her clothes.

A wicked smile drew across his face. He took off his shirt and walked towards her when she went for her clothes.

"Serve me well, tonight," he whispered in her ear slowly caressing her rosy cheeks that had turned red as a beet upon hearing those words. His breath was warm to her ear. He bit it playfully causing her to shudder.

"There is a limit to how long I can resist you, as a man."

With that, he went in for a bath as she pulled up her chemise.

She hugged herself protectively.

-"He... What did he mean? S-surely he was inspecting odds over my body."

She had done this to herself. Her thoughts became jumbled. She shook her head. She was already set for this fate the moment she accepted her father's plea.

She needed to escape. But where? The only way for her were the merchants. But the Blue Van never came at the time she had told them.

"What do I do?" she sobbed covering her face.

"Oh God! I know you're listening to me. Please send me help. I can't take it anymore."

She prayed wiping her tears.

She did not notice him coming out. He stood near the fireplace wearing a fresh pair of woolen trousers and his overcoat. His hair had grown longer over the past month. His torso was wrapped up in fresh bandages covering his right shoulder.

He drank water from her wooden cup and sat on the couch made of wild bear fur with his axe on his lap and a flint stone.

She kept a cautious check for his movements.

"Come sit here," he called out to her in a softer tone.

She stared at him but did not dare move until he stopped midway of sharpening his war axe and turned to look at her. His eyes locked on her making her flinch.

"I may be a brutal beast but not to my wife. You can rest assured."

Seeing her still on guard he put away his war axe. Only then did she slowly get off the bed and sit beside him.

"Not on the rug. Beside me." he sighed.

She hesitantly stood up and sat on the other side of the couch as far as she could.

-"Does she think I'm crazy?"

He caught her arm and pulled her to his side.

"I never knew a simple talk with my wife would become this hard."

"Please, c-could you please let me go?" she begged him.

"You're planning on running away?"

"N-no I don't," she reassured him.

He realized that he had exerted a little too much force. He loosened his grip.

"Are all of your kind this weak? Or is it just you?"

"Women are weak naturally," she confessed arguably.

"Mina is tough. And so are all the women working here."

-"How could he compare one who never underwent hard labor with those who did?"

"O-of course I never went through hard labor before.",

"You seem like you're used to raising brats."

-"His vocabulary is unbelievable." she instantly lamented.

"That's because I raised my younger sisters."

"Are parents not supposed to do that? Or so I hear."

She stopped and did not respond for a few heartbeats.

"The empress... My mother died when my little sister was born," she spoke nearly choking on her words.

"I had no choice but to take her place... And to raise them."

"Well... At least you have a family." he mumbled.

She looked at him. His eyes seemed lonely. She now came to understand his loneliness.

"Are you by yourself?" she asked but regretted it instantly.

He smirked wryly.

"What can you expect from a war orphan and a former slave?"

Her heart felt as if it had stopped beating at hearing those words.

"I-I apologize," she said.

"No need to be."

"So how do you feel about me?" he asked her out of the blue.

She could not well respond to his question.

"You despise me, don't you?"

She remained silent keeping her gaze low.

He gently stroked her white hair that slipped away like a silk cloth through his fingers.

"And yet you didn't refuse my touch." he now closed up to her and had instinctively made her watch out for him.

-"You finally looked at me."

"It is because-" she began.

"Of obligation? As a wife?" but he cut her off from speaking her thoughts.

He felt her delicate and soft pink lips beneath his calloused thumb. He could see her flustered face, she was still not used to his touch. She did not desire him, nor did he need for her. But he was always drawn towards her. Something that he never had felt before. He never felt this way whenever he saw lustful eyes on him. But she never saw him with those eyes. She never judged him of anything. She only wanted to escape him. It only made him want to keep her for himself.

He did not care about her past, even if she had been married before or had kids. Her eyes were all he needed to know her.

At that moment he feared how the demons would lust after her with just a glance.

-"So this is why they desire her kind." he slowly bent closer to her.

"Ah!" before she could react, his lips had locked to hers. She could only let out a hopeless moan. She knew she couldn't refuse him. He would force himself on her anyway. With a heavy heart, she accepted her fate.