Chapter 46
When that deep, lingering voice wrapped around me, I froze—stiff as stone.
Perhaps worried I hadn’t heard him, Ethan muttered again, still pressing a hand to his forehead.
“I feel like I could go mad from wanting to swallow all your magic.”
“…….”
“Hah… to feel your magic so tempting… it seems even a demon like me has lost his reason.”
Raw, unrefined desire reached me directly.
Ethan had shown strong emotions before, but never like this—never such a blatant, primal desire.
Yet, it wasn’t that he had completely lost reason to his lust… rather, he himself seemed bewildered by the situation.
Right now, Ethan was being swayed by the power surrounding his own body, which meant he naturally reacted to me, who carried magic.
In other words, I was prey right in front of him—ripe to be devoured at any moment.
“You… want to… swallow me?” I stammered.
Yet the beast consumed by desire showed extraordinary restraint, pushing away the prey before him.
Perhaps it was difficult for Ethan to endure being in front of someone like me—a bundle of raw magic—so he frowned and forced himself to push me back again.
He claimed the demon had taken his reason, but to me, that didn’t seem accurate.
“Step back, Yunice.”
A demon, who otherwise would have followed his desire without hesitation, wouldn’t have kicked away such a golden opportunity.
If I hadn’t recognized the intense desire in his gaze, I might have thought it was just his usual sharp, prickly Ethan.
“Don’t repeat yourself. Step back immediately. Before something really bad happens.”
His hands shook as they pushed me away.
Yet his voice remained as calm and indifferent as ever, which was strangely ironic.
Even from just watching him, I could see how desperately he was holding himself back.
And yet…
“…I’m sorry, but this time, I can’t step back either.”
It pained me that I couldn’t follow his command.
“I know you’re struggling alone, Ethan, but how could I just leave you?”
“……Yunice.”
“If that’s the case, you should have left me behind when you were crumbling off the cliff alone!”
I knew my words didn’t quite fit the moment.
I knew my response to Ethan’s desperation shouldn’t be mere resentment.
“You ask for help in times like this.”
“……”
“Even if it’s when you’re alone, now I’m right here with you. Right?”
Still, Ethan never asked for help, even in this dangerous situation, and it annoyed me.
I couldn’t tell whether he didn’t trust me or was stubbornly trying to endure alone.
“Just say you need help. I may not be able to do anything… but it’s still better than trying to manage alone.”
Regardless of what Ethan thought, I had no intention of leaving him behind.
Impatient, frustrated, I unconsciously grabbed his arm.
At that, Ethan let out a low, strained groan.
But caught up in my own emotions, I paid no mind to his moan.
“Even if I can’t save you…”
My throat tightened.
It felt wrong to voice those words to him. It was as if a warning said that if I went further, there would be no turning back.
But I didn’t stop.
“…I can at least stay by your side.”
Ethan didn’t answer. I continued without waiting for a reply.
“I may not be the one to hold your hand…”
Right. I couldn’t save Ethan.
Only the original heroine could.
But since she wasn’t there now, the only one who could stay by his side was me.
“I’ll stay with you.”
“……”
“I won’t leave you alone. Let’s get through this together.”
In a world where the original heroine was gone, the supporting characters had to lend each other strength.
“……Yunice.”
Ethan didn’t push me away anymore.
His gaze, slightly softened, fixed on me silently.
It was as if he truly believed that I could pull him out of this mire.
‘How can I stop Ethan from losing control?’
Receiving his gaze, I couldn’t bring myself to speak. My lips pressed together tightly in frustration.
So frustrated that biting down drew a streak of red blood.
It stung, but there was no time to care.
“You’ll regret it.”
“…What?”
“For not running away from me.”
At that, Ethan’s eyes shifted in an instant.
“Ethan…?”
I called his name in a slightly trembling voice.
He stopped staring at me so intensely and lowered his head slightly.
I thought he was forcibly averting his gaze.
Thinking he was trying to hold back his lust and regain reason.
But then, the atmosphere between us shifted.
I realized Ethan’s state was serious.
Now, focused only on saving him, I slowly approached him.
“Ethan, Ethan. Lift your head for a moment. Look at me. Okay?”
“……”
“You haven’t completely lost your reason. You won’t, right?”
I didn’t know if I was asking him or forcing him to answer.
A moment ago, his fleeting glance seemed already completely lost.
Still, I clung to the fragile hope that he retained even a sliver of reason.
I couldn’t let go of that hope, calling to Ethan persistently.
“Ethan, answer me. Don’t just stay like that.”
“……”
“Please… say something. Even if you grumble like usual, I won’t get mad, okay?”
“……”
“If you stay like this…”
“……”
“I feel scared because it seems like there’s nothing I can do for you…”
Until moments ago, I had confidently claimed I could save him—but now I looked like a helpless rabbit in front of him.
Knowing my own powerlessness, I couldn’t help but feel anxious.
“…Ugh.”
I bit my lips again, wincing. There was a faint metallic taste from the blood.
Touching the sore spot lightly with my fingers, a small drop of red appeared.
“Ugh…”
At that moment, Ethan, still with his head slightly bowed, let out a heavy groan.
“Ethan?! What’s wrong?!”
I finally reacted and looked at him.
As if responding, Ethan lifted his head and looked at me.
His red lips trembled slightly.
“You… right now…”
He spoke with difficulty. I nodded in response.
“Yes! Why? What’s wrong?!”
I asked urgently, fearing something had happened to him.
But I couldn’t finish my question.
“Ah… ah!”
Suddenly, the usually restrained Ethan snatched my wrist.
If he normally held hands with some control, now it was sharp and fierce, as if he could devour me.
“Ugh…”
The rough grip on my wrist stung.
I frowned and let out a small groan.
Before I could react, Ethan lightly tugged my wrist.
“E-Ethan! Wait!”
Unprepared, I had no choice but to be pulled along.
When I finally gathered my wits, I found myself trapped beneath his intense gaze.
I couldn’t even think about escaping and called to him in a daze.
“…Ethan?”
No questions about if he was okay, if he had regained control—just silence.
Because the red eyes staring at me suddenly glimmered fiercely.
Seeing those mercilessly crimson eyes, my body shivered instinctively.
‘…I wasn’t imagining it.’
Ethan’s gaze had changed.
Earlier, he still had some semblance of reason, enough to push me away.
But now, that was gone. His eyes overflowed with sticky, possessive emotion.
His lustful gaze began to tighten around me, as if to devour me.
My instincts screamed to run—escape before it reached a point of no return.
Yet my body was frozen, unable to move, held in his embrace.
Ethan’s face, as if fully lost to desire, slowly drew closer.
Finally realizing the gravity of the situation, I tried to push him back slightly.
“W-Wait! We’re… too close…”
When I pulled back my face with a flustered expression, the faint smile on Ethan’s lips deepened.
At that moment, I remembered the warning in his voice from earlier.
