There was no reason to hesitate.

On the other hand, Asella was distracted from the moment she faced Calix.

Suddenly tossed into such a situation, there was no way that her mind could have reacted decently. When she barely recognized the man as her husband, she was already staggering as if her body was intoxicated by the sweet fragrance wafting out from him.

“Asella, look at me.”

His tone was so low that it made the tips of her fingers go numb. When she finally came to her senses and opened her eyes, she was met with the red color that glowed vividly even in the darkness. She locked her gaze on him as it was.

The hot, hard flesh of the man she had touched conveyed a sensation she had never experienced before. Every part of her body that came into contact with him tingled, and even the hairs on her body stood up.

His scent, a mixture of rich chocolate and well-aged wine, stirred her mind without hesitation.

The raw sensation dampened her brain to the point that she couldn’t regain her rationality, but soon her body, which was out of her control, froze completely.

Her senses became so acutely alert that she could even hear his breathing, but when it came time to move, she couldn’t move a single fingertip.

The next thing she knew, she was lifted off the ground and Calix led the way. Moments later, she found herself lying on the fluffy bed. Asella watched vaguely as he unbuttoned his shirt so roughly that it was almost ripped off. She had no idea what was happening.

The moonlight shining behind the man’s back was especially bright and warm.

His silhouette stood out against the bright light. The tight-fitting shirt that hugged his body perfectly failed to cover his solid physique and toned build.  

After spending several years on the battlefield, his body was so perfect that it was hard to spot any flaws. Despite the fact that his tall body was packed with muscles in every crevice, it gave a sleek feeling rather than crude. Even the statues in the temple were not as splendid!

As the angle changed, his face was revealed.

‘Beautiful…’

It was for a moment, but surely that’s what she thought.

The story of the devil, who appeared in the most beautiful form in the world to enchant humans, flashed through her mind.

It was said that once possessed by the devil, the person crossed a river of no return. And just like those words, it was an absolute beauty that could not be denied nor could it be resisted.

In the moonlight, his face glowed white. The long, fine lashes along his eyes created a dark shadow beneath his eyes.

‘I promise I’ll make it an unforgettable night.’

That moment when her eye met the blood-colored eyes..

“…!”

A dreadful voice, which should not be able to hear in this place, penetrated Asella’s head like tinnitus.

“Go and please His Excellency. Don’t be as stiff as you are now.”

The voice that lingered like glue in her ear was the voice of the one whom Asella had always feared. She trembled like a fish abandoned on land.

“It seems you don’t care what happens to Mariel.”

The ear-splitting, horrifying threats were enough to make her face turn as white as a sheet of paper.

“N-No…!”

Asella stretched out her arms, spitting out the words in a desperate cry.

“Because education is necessary for those who don’t have a good head.”

She shook her head violently, and then pushed the man’s chest in front of her with all the force she could muster.

“Come on, beg you did something wrong!”

Whiik. 

The sound of the whip slicing through the air pierced her ears. The stifling fear began to suffocate her, shaking her mind with fear and making it impossible for her to think properly or rationally.

Asella flinched at the horrible noise and phantom pain that echoed in her ears.

‘We have to run away. We can’t stay here. He will kill me. He will hurt Mariel.’

“No, I don’t want to!”

The unwanted physical contact constantly reminded Asella of her dreadful fear.

She was more accustomed to the harsh touches rather than the gentle ones, to the sensation of the whip tearing at her skin rather than the warm embrace.

Even though she tried her best not to be conscious of it, the learned fear could break through her unconsciousness at the most unexpected moments and paralyze her thinking.

The fact that she was caught by the man she was afraid of completely and utterly volatilized even the rationality that she had retained intact. Her heart pounded like crazy, and raw fear consumed her.

Ugh I feel a bit bad for Calix here  φ(*0)