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Episode 4
“First one.”
Lucius answered as if he had been waiting for her to ask.
“First one? How many are there?”
“Three.”
“Three…? Fine, tell me. I’ll listen and then decide.”
Haran’s head was already starting to hurt. She had no idea what kind of strange and completely off-point requests the hidden villain would make.
“First, my name is Lucius. Call me by my name.”
His name?
Haran looked at Lucius with a dumbfounded expression. Thinking about it carefully, she realized that Lucius had never actually told her his name since they first met. This was the first time.
Of course, Haran had never even thought about asking. She already knew his name.
‘From Lucius’s point of view, didn’t he think I didn’t treat him like a person because he was just a slave?’
A wave of guilt rushed over her.
“I’m sorry. I never got the chance to ask your name.”
“Why are you apologizing? You’re such a strange princess.”
“Because before we are a slave and a princess, we are still two people.”
Haran spoke seriously with a neat and righteous expression, like someone straight out of a moral textbook.
“Hmm… Haran noona, you really don’t seem like someone from this world.”
Someone from this world.
‘Ugh.’
Haran quickly changed the subject after being hit right in the weak spot.
“Lucius, it’s nice to meet you. Please forgive me for greeting you so late.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll forgive you.”
Lucius smiled brightly, lifting the corners of his lips. His attractive eyes curved softly, and deep dimples appeared on his cheeks.
When Haran saw that smile.
‘What is this?’
She placed her hand over the left side of her chest and then lowered it.
‘My heart feels like it’s beating a little faster.’
It felt nice, but at the same time, it was strangely confusing.
“…What’s your next request?”
“Hold me once as you did earlier.”
“Earlier?”
“You jumped on me and hugged me.”
He was talking about the time when Iraze came to deliver the brothers’ gifts, and Haran pretended to spend her first night with Lucius in front of the servants.
She had jumped on him.
This time, she couldn’t deny it.
“Okay.”
Haran spread her arms to hug Lucius, but the moment she answered, he hugged her first.
The blanket covering Lucius’s body flew away.
You asked me to hug you, so why are YOU hugging me?!
Haran’s cheek pressed against Lucius’s chest again. The sweet scent of rose oil coming from him tickled her nose.
Thump, thump.
With her ear against him, she could clearly hear his heartbeat.
It reminded her that Lucius was a living person, too.
“Feels good…”
Lucius lowered his head and rubbed his cheek against Haran’s cheek like a young animal seeking affection. His lips almost touched her cheek or mouth, making Haran flinch.
“Noona, you’re really warm. It feels nice.”
“Because I’m a person.”
“How much warmer would it be inside?”
Hic.
Lucius slowly pushed his waist forward once.
The heavy sensation pressing against her through the thin fabric made Haran let out a small gasp.
“I hope you never find out something like that for the rest of your life.”
Haran coldly snapped at him and forcefully pulled herself out of Lucius’s arms.
“What’s your last request?”
“Sleep with me.”
Haran immediately frowned.
“Lucius, are you joking? It’s basically the same thing.”
“Huh? What’s the same?”
“In the end, if we’re going to mix bodies, then I didn’t need to accept your requests from the beginning!”
Silence instantly filled the space between them.
Then Lucius suddenly burst out laughing.
“Pfft… Noona, what were you thinking? Did you seriously think of a different kind of ‘sleep’? I only wanted to hold hands with you, talk quietly, and fall asleep together…”
“If you want a different kind of ‘sleep,’ I’ll gladly accept it. Isn’t that why I came into this room in the first place?”
She had completely fallen for it.
‘Was I the one possessed by a perverted demon…?’
Haran spent a moment reflecting on how foolish she had been for being tricked.
“Fine. Instead of just sleeping together, let’s make a contract so you keep your promise this time.”
“I don’t mind. Later on, you’ll probably be the one who wants it more.”
Lucius shrugged.
‘You won’t even be in the Baral Kingdom by then.’
Haran took out a black candle and a single burning red feather from the drawer.
The body of the black candle was covered in golden letters written in an ancient language from a forgotten mythological era.
Haran planned to perform an Asterian contract.
This oath had absolute power depending on how powerful the item used as a medium was. If she used one of the five phoenix feathers she possessed, it would be impossible to break through by normal means.
“Sit down.”
“Okay.”
Haran knelt on the floor, and Lucius followed her and sat down.
On her knees.
The weight of an adult man pressed down on her legs.
She was speechless.
“Not on my knees. Over there.”
Haran pointed to the spot across from her while raising her eyes sharply, using all her patience.
“Ah, I thought…”
Lucius smiled and sat where she pointed.
Haran placed the phoenix feather on top of the candle flame. Strangely, the feather balanced perfectly on the thin candle wick without falling.
Haran closed her eyes, put her hands together, and began praying.
“O Aster, ruler of the sun and desert, almighty god of fire. I ask that your small flame bind together the threads of fate.”
At that moment, a red flame burst from the phoenix feather.
In an instant, the room became dazzlingly bright and warm, as if it had been filled with the sunlight of midsummer noon.
With her eyes closed, Haran carefully sensed every object and living presence inside the bedroom.
If she made even the smallest mistake during the ritual, she could be deceived by something other than a god and enter into its domain.
Fortunately, the bedroom successfully entered Aster’s territory temporarily.
The terrifying energy pouring from Lucius trembled right beside her.
Haran tried her best to ignore it.
“Haran Parfala and Lucius shall completely forbid XX, XX, and XXX actions, as well as all acts and XX related to them. If this rule is broken, the god Aster shall punish them with an equal price.”
No one knew what kind of punishment Aster would give. It is different for every person.
“Noona, wouldn’t it be better to add that you won’t XXX when doing XX? And I think XX should be limited to all situations, not just special situations.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea. I’ll change it.”
Haran recited the contract prayer again.
“Haran Parfala and Lucius shall completely forbid XX, XX, and XXX actions, as well as all acts and XX related to them. When doing XX, they shall not XXX, and XX shall be limited not only to special situations but to all situations. If this rule is broken, the god Aster shall punish them with an equal price.”
Haran secretly added a condition that Lucius could not harm her.
Lucius did not object at all and simply kept smiling happily.
The feather melted completely into the candle, and the candle swallowed it.
Then it transformed into a huge phoenix-shaped flame and burned brightly.
It meant that the god Aster had accepted their prayer.
Haran confidently put her hand into the flames.
She felt no heat.
“I, Haran Parfala, who sits here, swear before the god Aster.”
Haran looked at Lucius.
You can do it too!
Lucius rested his chin on his hand and watched every single movement she made with interest.
Then he reached out, intertwined his fingers with hers, and casually said:
“I, Lucius, who sits here, swear before the god Aster.”
Fwoosh!
The phoenix flew upward, passed through Haran and Lucius, and disappeared into the air.
The contract is complete.
Where the candle had been, there wasn’t even a single speck of dust left.
Lucius continued holding Haran’s fingers tightly.
“So we’re sleeping together now, right?”
His eyes curved mischievously.
Even though the contract was complete, Haran still couldn’t shake off the feeling that she had willingly walked into a trap.
Meanwhile, at the same time, Visenna was completely focused on alchemy using the phoenix feather she had received from Haran.
She was extremely excited.
Using a black crystal flask, strange candles melted into monster-like shapes, and a handful of someone’s long beard, she was completely absorbed in her experiment.
Her jealousy over losing Lucius to Haran was temporarily pushed aside.
Right now, her alchemy research was more important.
The phoenix feather she had failed to obtain through every possible route—black markets, the streets of darkness, even bribing temples was something Haran possessed!
With this, she could finally take another step closer to achieving her goal.
Seven night-service slaves watched Visenna moving around frantically with bored expressions.
Their bodies were completely naked from head to toe. Their faces and physiques were considered high quality, but compared to Lucius, who was the best among the very best, they were incomparable.
“Princess Visenna, Prince Jamshir has come to visit.”
“Tell him I’m busy right now!”
Then a disgusting, greasy voice came from outside the door.
“Oh my, oh my. Visenna, do you not even have time to talk with your older brother?”
Even without seeing him, she could tell.
The unwelcome visitor was probably standing there with his shoulders raised, lifting both arms as if saying he couldn’t believe her behavior.
The first prince, Jamshir.
Visenna politely responded to her brother.
“Get lost!”
