Chapter 2
Licio’s hand moved slowly, pressing down on the bed as if to trap her. Just this posture made Ellen feel dizzy again.
Maybe he found her expression amusing, because he let out a small chuckle, and his warm breath brushed against her cheek.
“Relax, Anais. It’s nothing.”
His face moved slowly closer to hers.
When the soft touch of his lips met her neck, Ellen shut her eyes tightly.
His breath was so hot it felt like she was being burned.
“Ugh…”
The strange sensation made her eyelashes tremble. She let out a pleading sound from her lips, unable to handle the spreading heat.
“St-stop…”
At that moment, she felt a sharp, stinging pain.
“Ah!”
It was slight, but clearly…
“Did you bite me?”
Ignoring her glaring eyes, Licio gently rubbed her neck with his finger, still feeling the warmth.
“This way, there won’t be any doubt.”
“Even so…”
“Not enough?”
His gaze on her neck was intense, as if he might sink his teeth into her at any moment.
“N-no! You did fine… Hoo, I’m tired. I should sleep now.”
She glanced at him cautiously. Licio slowly licked his upper lip, like he was thirsty.
Why did it feel like she had entered a wolf’s den?
‘Anais… your husband… is a beast at night! Please, someone save me!’
Ellen silently prayed.
Licio couldn’t sleep.
Her small white hand rested on his chest.
It was distracting. Insanely distracting.
He should have stopped it when he first felt the rising heat. No, it wasn’t too late even now. He carefully moved her hand away.
“Hng.”
Her hand immediately returned to his chest, snuggling against him again.
He knew this would happen. Stupidly, he had let his mana flow.
At first, he had hugged her because she was light as a feather. And the second time, it reminded him of someone from his childhood…
“Today I heard something shocking. Nobles check the first night after marriage.”
A memory rose in his mind, and Licio let out a bitter laugh.
“That’s impossible.”
He had said the same thing back then. But she had already believed it, her eyes sparkling green, her cheeks pink with excitement.
How could he refuse such expectation? Even if it didn’t exist, he would make it real.
Who could he appoint as a marriage official to make it believable? A suitable idea came to him, and a small smile appeared on Licio’s lips.
Then he realized how uncharacteristic this behavior was, and his face stiffened.
‘It’s a mess from the first night.’
Why did she remind him so much of Anais?
He needed to clear his tangled thoughts.
If he gave her mana, Anais could move. Her physical strength would increase. For example, a Swordmaster with strong physical ability doesn’t fall easily to dark magic.
But for Anais, already consumed by dark magic, it was only temporary. It wouldn’t heal her fully.
So he didn’t tell her. He didn’t want her to cling to false hope.
Most of all, he had no plans to let her get close to him.
After setting a firm boundary, Licio stood up without hesitation and left the room.
He sought cold air, cold water—something to calm the heat.
Some time passed. Ellen woke up from a gentle touch on her cheek. Somehow, she had fallen asleep.
“Sleeping so comfortably… I guess you’re used to having a man beside you.”
Sunlight filled the room. It seemed morning had arrived.
Even in that situation, she had fallen asleep. She found it almost ridiculous.
“The marriage official is outside the door.”
“Already?”
Her eyes shifted nervously. Licio pulled the sheet over her shoulders.
“Stay like this. I won’t peek.”
After Licio left, a man entered the room.
The official wasn’t what she expected.
‘He’s well-built for an official. He could be a knight.’
She stretched her neck slightly, showing herself. The official cleared his throat and stood back, delivering his congratulations before leaving.
“Seems like they really made sure he could see clearly.”
No one remained in the room. She felt grateful, recalling the events of last night, her face flushed.
‘It couldn’t be helped. Let’s forget it.’
Shaking off her embarrassment, Ellen took a deep breath. She needed to sort her thoughts.
It all started when she became possessed by Anais, the noblewoman.
Why had it happened? Maybe because she hadn’t been kind to Anais before?
Anais’s body, chilled by severe dark magic, sought only Ellen among all the holy women.
The problem: Ellen herself was a worn-out holy woman.
Anais would always complain about her engagement or her sibling, with a heavy heart, despite being noble and beautiful.
‘What do you want from me? I’m not a god.’
Ellen swallowed her irritation and forced a polite smile, only so Anais would donate.
That day, Anais came and said something strange.
“Holy Lady, you receive God’s love. Why don’t I get it?”
God’s love? Ellen didn’t know. Did it even exist? The same old predictable story spilled from Anais’s mouth.
“You too receive God’s love, Miss Anais.”
Anais’s eyes, dampened with disappointment, blinked accusingly.
If she had been a little kind then, would things have been different?
“I envy you, Holy Lady. Can we switch?”
Ellen frowned slightly at the sudden request. It was nonsense unworthy of a reply.
Seeing her lips firmly pressed together, Anais clasped her hands, adding with a trembling voice,
“Holy Lady, you said it would be fine, but things are getting worse. My family wants to kill me.”
Ugh, nonsense again. First it was strangers, now her family? Why her?
Ellen turned her gaze away, looking at empty space.
“Miss Anais, pray to God.”
She meant to tell her to do it somewhere else. A holy woman obsessed with donations could do nothing for her.
“Please, Holy Lady Ellen.”
Ellen rolled her eyes, watching Anais plead, rubbing her hands together in desperation.
The line of followers was long. If she didn’t meet the quota today, she’d have to copy scriptures all night.
Still, feeling a slight pity, she said impulsively,
“Alright, we’ll switch. In God’s eyes, there’s no difference between you and me.”
“You promise?”
“Yes.”
Before she could tell her to leave, Anais jumped up with joy, smiling like sunshine.
“You’ll find your place. God will be happy. Holy Lady, you will do well.”
Anais had always been strange, but today felt even stranger. Ellen felt a chill in her chest, a bad premonition.
‘I hope she isn’t doing anything reckless.’
Even sensing Anais’s danger, she didn’t ask further. She had no interest in meddling in nobles’ affairs.
She nodded mechanically.
“I’m glad it helped.”
Watching Anais leave, Ellen felt unusually uneasy.
‘I used to meddle in everyone’s affairs when I was young…’
Once, she would always help first. But after a tragic event, she stopped interfering in others’ lives.
The thought lasted only briefly. The endless stream of new followers soon pushed Anais from her mind.
A few days passed without Ellen noticing that Anais hadn’t visited.
She only realized when reading a newspaper:
“Miss Anais Rahone attacked by a dark mage, turned into a living ice statue?!”
Ellen was shocked and read the article quickly.
―Duke Debesser and Miss Rahone’s engagement may be broken! Her misfortune is someone else’s opportunity. Even with no ball, dress shops are unexpectedly thriving.
“People are hurt, and they’re worried about dresses? Nobles…”
Anais had inherited extreme fortune from the previous duke’s will, engaged to Duke Licio Debesser, yet with a low reputation.
The article mocked her, giving no information about the attack. Ellen slammed the paper shut.
Her routine resumed, haunted by nightmares.
Dreams where she became Anais. At first, she watched Anais lying in bed, but then she felt pulled inside her body.
Shadows loomed over her. Flashing eyes beneath deep black robes. The eyes of a raider.
Occasional words reached her:
“Before death… pull her out… put her in a bottle… dispose of the body…”
Terrifying plots unfolded right in front of her.
