Phoebe had been relieved when she found out Sarah and the other maids had been unharmed. The halfling had still been a bit traumatized, and she could tell she was younger than the others. Likely still eighteen or whatever the demon equivalent was to that. Now she definitely didn't regret trying to protect her or the other maids.
Though, when Gloria had heard what had happened, she had been scolded for "acting so recklessly." She wasn't sure why everyone thought she was so helpless. Even if she wasn't the most powerful priestess, she could handle herself. Besides, she hadn't gotten hurt and neither had anyone else. Yet everyone seemed to be on Krios's side and thought she should have just run away.
She was a little annoyed, but she knew that they meant well. And at least the guards hadn't found any more devils, only those four. Unfortunately, there were victims found near the stables. Two young demons, dead with their throats sliced open. She had tried to find out more, but it didn't seem appropriate to pry when there had been a loss.
Still, she had questions. Everyone around her had called those monsters "devils." Back home, they were just demons. But the demons here and those "devils" were entirely different. She wanted to know why. The devils were so bloodthirsty and vicious, behaving more like animals than people. Even Krios, who had no issues killing without remorse, still acted with sentience.
She couldn't find the right time to ask though. By the time everything had settled, it was already night and she was left alone in her bedroom to sleep. Not that she could. She just lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. There were too many questions running through her mind to sleep peacefully.
With a huff, she sat up and looked around the room. If there was no one around to answer her questions, then she needed to just find the answers herself. And there was always one place she would go to back home if she ever needed answers.
She shuffled out of bed and grabbed a robe. It felt so weird wearing these expensive nightgowns that seemed so flimsy and sheer. The square neckline and thin straps showed more of her cleavage than she was used to. She was grateful that it at least went down past her knees, but she still felt so exposed. Thankfully the robe gave her more coverage and if she ran into anyone outside, she wouldn't be so exposed.
Quietly, she walked out of the room and into the hallway. She watched the door across from hers for a few moments. While she wasn't sure if Krios was asleep or not, she didn't want to run into him. Every time they met, he drove her crazy. She wanted to hit and scream at him, but when he would touch her, her body would get all hot and her mind would get fuzzy.
Even now, just thinking about him had her chest tightening up. Grumbling to herself, she channeled her mana to create a soft light in her hand. Maybe, in addition to getting answers to her questions, she could figure out if there was a way to break their soulmate connection.
Using Lady Seraphine's memories, Phoebe eventually found herself standing in front of a pair of black double doors. This used to be a huge room that was often used by scholars to study and carve text into stone. Since they now had written word, she doubted there would be much use for that. Still, it had been such a huge room; surely it would have been changed to something more useful.
And her hunch was correct when she opened the door. A magnificent library greeted her, with dozens of shelves stretching high above to the ceiling. There were large tables and comfortable chairs scattered around, giving her plenty of places to sit and do research. And there didn't seem to be anyone else inside either, meaning she had the entire library to herself.
A bright smile came to her face. What she couldn't learn from people, she could always find out for herself in books. Back when she was living at the Temple, she would often go to the library and read whenever she had trouble sleeping. Usually she would read some casual fiction books to pass the times, but she was here for research.
Now she just had to figure out where to start. Closing the door behind her, she quickly started looking around. She prayed that this library was similar to the libraries back home, and were organized appropriately. Or at the very least, the fiction and nonfiction were separated.
Fortunately for her, whoever the curator was actually knew how to organize their books. Even the imperial library wasn't this well-organized. Every section was labeled, with each section alphabetized by author. It was something she had been asking the curator to do at the Temple library for ages, but was always ignored.
She wasn't sure where she needed to start looking, but she could take a few guesses. She had managed to grab a few history books that looked promising, as well as a couple books on culture. Unfortunately, the physiology books on demons she wanted were on the top shelves. She knew demons were tall and had wings, but why didn't anyone think to put a ladder in here? If humans lived here too, surely someone thought of putting up a ladder.
With a wave of her hands, a gentle light filled the entire room. And it was just what she needed to find the ladder hidden in the corner. Carefully, she lined it up with the section she was looking for and climbed up. She pretended that it wasn't high off the ground and kept her focus solely on the books.
And she had to admit, there was quite a vast selection of them. She had expected to find a lot about demons, but she had even found a few books about humans as well. Some titles she even recognized. Though she had to wonder how they came to be in the library. Perhaps something else she could research if she had the time.
But for now, she just wanted a couple of physiology books. Since those devils looked just like demons, maybe there was a biology competent that made them different. If she couldn't find answers there, then she would try looking through the psychology section. She didn't plan on finding all of the answers tonight, but she could at least get a head start.
She took a step down the ladder, but then her foot slipped. She gasped, losing her balance as she fell backwards. The books fell from her hands, and all she could do was flail uselessly. But instead of landing on her back and breaking something, strong fingers grabbed her waist and kept her up. She was balanced precariously against a palm with her feet still teetering on one of the steps.
Looking over her shoulder, her eyes widened when she came face to face with Krios. He just stared at her quizzically, and did nothing other than keep her in this strange position.
"You have a knack for endangering yourself," he said.
"What're you doing here?" she demanded, squirming a bit. While she wasn't worried about falling anymore, the angle she was stuck in kept her from getting out of his grasp.
"I sensed you were not in your room." He finally brought her down to the floor. "I thought you were attempting to run away."
"And go where, exactly?" she snapped, picking up the fallen books. "I don't know anything about the Underworld. I wouldn't know where to go even if I did want to run away."
Krios didn't say anything. He merely watched her collect her books before heading over to a small table that already had three other books on it. "So what are you doing here?"
"Research." She set down the two books before taking a seat. Then she grabbed the nearest book and opened it up to the table of contents. "I don't have all of Lady Seraphine's memories, so if I need answers, I can find them in books."
"Or you could just ask me."
Phoebe stopped for a moment. He wasn't wrong. If anyone had answers, it would be him. But she would rather spend as little time with him as possible. He threw her off her guard every time they interacted. Not to mention she didn't want to trust him. There wasn't a guarantee that she would get more memories to confirm or deny his claims.
She also worried that, if she started getting too curious, he would start restricting her. She had a surprisingly large amount of freedom at the moment. He could easily take it away if he thought she was trying to use this knowledge to escape. And while that was the ultimate goal, she needed to understand the basics of this place first before she started making escape plans.
"I prefer to read," she said simply, looking back down at her book. It was one of the physiology books she had grabbed. "So, if you don't mind..."
He was suddenly kneeling behind her chair. She stiffened as his arm came around to rest on the table in front of her, his head peering over her shoulder. His warm breath tickled her neck and ear, teasing her senses all the way down to her toes. A shudder ran down her back and arms, but she managed to keep a straight face.
"What're you hoping to learn?"
"About devils," she said, trying to pretend she wasn't bothered by his presence. "You call them devils here, but they're just demons back home. Yet they're... different from all the other demons here. Even I can see that much."
"I could have told you why."
"You could just lie."
"And what do I gain from that?"
Phoebe resisted rolling her eyes and kept her focus on the book. Her silence was enough for Krios to huff and pull away from her. Even when she heard his retreating footsteps, she didn't turn to look at him. If anything, she was relieved he had moved away from her. At least she didn't feel as warm.
She only had a few minutes to herself though before a huge shadow was casted over her light. Holding back a groan, she was about to snap at him when another book was placed on top of the one she already had: "The Value of Black Magic." She was even more caught off guard when he opened it up to the table of contents and pointed to one of the chapters.
"'The Void?'" she said, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow.
"If you want your answers, you'll find it there."
She was a little suspicious as to why he would help her. Still, her curiosity overruled her caution. Turning the page, she quickly read through the chapter. Fortunately, she was so engrossed in the text that she was able to ignore him standing so close to her again. Though his hot breath tickling her neck had her heart beating a little faster than normal.
But as she continued to read, she became more engrossed with the content and less on his breath tickling her neck. She had known that all demons carried some level of black magic within them. It was why they were weak against divine power. But she had always assumed that, because they carried it within themselves, demons were resistant to the effects of black magic too.
According to the book, it wasn't so simple. While they benefited from it, such as longevity and poison immunity, black magic could still ruin their minds and bring them to "the Void." Often times, black magic was used to mentally and psychologically torture victims, breaking them into empty husks. But demons didn't become shells of themselves. If their minds became lost to insanity or unending grief or even uncontrollable rage, they would enter "the Void." The black magic within them turned them into savage beasts who needed blood to feed into their mana to survive.
"So devils were demons," she muttered quietly.
"They're still demons," Krios corrected, causing her to look over her shoulder at him. His expression was solemn, and his eyes glowed with a soft sadness. "They... have just lost their way."
The sorrow in his voice made her bite the inside of her cheek. His concern was genuine, even she couldn't deny that. She had seen what black magic did to humans. It was a terrible sight, but they didn't pose a threat. They were only empty shells. But to turn into monsters to be cut down, especially when they were once friends... She wasn't sure if she could do something like that.
"Is there a way to cure them?" she asked, looking back at the book.
"It's not that simple." His hand scratched into the table, leaving obvious marks into the wood. "We will always be susceptible to the Void. Holy magic can pull us from it, but it's difficult and requires an incredible amount of divine power."
"... Like a saintess."
He didn't respond, but she could see his hand tighten into a fist. An image flashed before her eyes, and she let out a small grunt as her head throbbed. She brought a hand to cradle her head, her face scrunching up in pain. But the memory didn't stop, playing out for her like a scene from a book.
A woman sat next to an injured devil, her hands cupping his head gently with her mana glowing around him. His blackened eyes soon turned back to normal, and he was dazed as he sat up. He looked at the woman, bewildered and asking what had happened and what she had done. But she turned away from him to look at Krios standing among the trees, blood on his hands and chest as he stared at her in shock and confusion.
Then his expression hardened and a growl rumbled in his chest. "Who are you?"
Phoebe then shook her head, letting out a heavy groan as she forced the memory away. So that was how they had met. She didn't know why Lady Seraphine had been out there in the first place, nor did she know why Krios had been covered in blood. Perhaps it didn't matter, but it did confirm that Lady Seraphine had been able to save demons from the Void.
That must have been why the demons wanted to throw a parade, as Gloria had said. Maybe they believed she had Lady Seraphine's powers and could help bring their loved ones back from the Void. Even if they knew she was a reincarnation, they probably thought similarly to Krios. That she was basically the same person, but in a different body.
"I don't have that level of holy power," she said quietly.
"I know. Only your Veil Keeper likely has such strength."
She didn't reply, looking down at the book again. To fall to the Void was a terrible fate. Demons would basically forget who they were and only act off pure instinct. They would even attack loved ones without regard, having no control and simply slaves to the black magic clouding their minds.
His large hand moved to touch hers. Despite her uneasiness, she didn't pull away. She didn't look at him either, only letting out a deep breath. "Do you feel guilty now?"
"For killing devils?"
His hand tightened around hers. "Do you?"
A difficult question. Now that she knew those demons had no control over themselves, she couldn't deny the small sting in her chest. Yet, there was nothing else that could have been done. Her and the other priests couldn't heal their minds, and they had been attacking innocent villagers. She couldn't save the devils, but she could save those people. Something he must have understood.
"I did what needed to be done," she said softly.
The silence made her anxious. His hand hadn't moved from hers either. Did he expect her to be overcome at the revelation? Even if devils weren't acting on hatred and merely instinct, they still had to be stopped. She didn't regret her choices to act in the defense of others. Especially when there was nothing else she could have done, even if she had known the truth.
Then he huffed, his thumb stretching up to caress her arm. She inhaled sharply, but he didn't do anything else other than lean closer to her.
"Sera would have probably cried," he said. "She was... always rather emotional about that sort of thing. She hated violence. She believed it was her duty to protect everyone and would mourn if she felt like she failed."
She raised an eyebrow. "Failed?"
"The healing process takes time. And not all devils could be easily subdued and restrained... so they had to be put down. For everyone's sake."
At least he seemed to agree that there wasn't a point to regretting what couldn't be changed. She attempted to close the book and get up, but his grip tightened on her arm. She tensed up as his other hand came to wrap around her front, keeping her trapped against the chair. His breath was right up against her neck. Her face flushed, and her heart beat like crazy in her chest.
"Sera couldn't accept it," he murmured softly. "She always wanted to save everyone, protect everyone. Even if there wasn't any other way."
"She... wasn't wrong for that."
A humorless chuckle tickled her ear. "Your compassion for life is so much like hers."
She sighed with a mix of frustration and helplessness. "How many times do I have to say that I'm not-?!"
"I know."
He suddenly lifted her out of her seat. She nearly shrieked, keeping it down to a frightened gasp when he turned her on her back and slammed her down onto the table. His large hand easily snatched both of her arms and kept them pinned above her head. Her eyes widened, freezing up under his own dark glare.
"My Sera was a powerful, elegant woman with hair like the sun," he growled. "She was patient, she was kind, she was wise beyond her years – she showed compassion to demons, treated us as equals when every other human was skeptical at best. And she wasn't afraid of me."
Phoebe tried to show she wasn't intimidated. Instead, she managed to narrow her eyes and glare back at him.
It made him scoff. "And you? You're brash. Unrefined. You're prejudiced. You blindly believed demons were little more than savages waiting in the wings. And you always look at me with such contempt... with her eyes."
His other hand came up to touch her face. She flinched away, but he did little else other than caress her cheek just below her eyes. The anger in his eyes had disappeared, and his expression softened.
"Even after all this time, they're like emeralds," he murmured. He leaned in closer, their faces only inches apart. Her eyes widened, but she didn't look away. "You're still as altruistic as ever. Even your boldness is the same. You sleep on your right side and curl your knees to her chest. You love white peony tea. You like to eat Earl Grey cookies and cranberry scones. You prefer simple dresses. And... your gaze never wavers when you look at me."
Pain flickered in his eyes. "But you're stubborn. And guarded. You hate cucumber sandwiches and lemon tarts. Your favorite color is blue. You're foolishly devoted to your fucking Temple, and..." His grip tightened around her wrists, making her wince. "You barely have any of her memories. You're not my Sera. You will never be my Sera. She's... gone."
Phoebe just stared at him, biting her bottom lip. Perhaps it was their bond or Lady Seraphine's soul somewhere inside her, but her disdain waned a bit. She may have been taught that the Demon Lord was her enemy, but even she could tell his sorrow wasn't a lie. It reminded her of the many funerals she had attended, watching the deceased's loved ones grieve their passing and mourn them. Krios had the same anguish in his eyes that they had, as if his world had collapsed.
She still remembered that dream. When Lady Seraphine appeared before her and asked to take care of Krios. It was obvious that she had genuinely loved Krios. And while she was compelled to heed her plea, she wouldn't love him. Their souls may have been bound and drawn to each other, but that had been created between the two of them. She wanted no part of that.
But she could still offer him some comfort. So, taking a deep breath, she said softly, "You truly loved her."
"More than you will ever fully understand."
He let go of her arms, though he didn't move away. His hands rested around the table and kept her trapped. He still looked so forlorn. She would have been lying to say she didn't feel for him. He had waited for his soulmate to return to him for centuries, and all he had was someone like her instead. Someone who didn't love him and wanted to run away, despite all his time waiting.
"I'm sorry."
He scoffed. "Are you pitying me?"
"You can call it whatever you want." She managed to sit up, though he still kept her boxed in. "But my condolences are genuine."
Krios didn't say anything and just stared at her for the longest time. She had no idea if he believed or not, but she was being sincere. Demon Lord or not, he had lost someone precious to him. That would devastate anyone.
Then his hand came up again to stroke her cheek. She tried to inch away, but she stopped at the somber glint in his eyes. It made her heart ache, and she couldn't tell if her own feelings or the bond making her feel this way. So, not sure what else to do, she didn't resist when he leaned in close to stare deep into her eyes.
"You're not her," he muttered, his thumb caressing her lips. "I know that. I've accepted that. Yet sometimes... you act just like her, even without her memories. You... truly are her reincarnation."
"I..."
He didn't give her a chance to respond. His tongue snaked out of his maw and passed her parted lips. She trembled, moaning softly as their tongues danced and caressed each other. Damn it, it was happening again. She was getting hot and bothered; nothing she did could get her to calm down. Even closing her eyes and trying to think of something else didn't help. His other hand rested on her hip, pulling her closer to his burning frame.
She needed to push him away. Just because she felt sorry for his pain didn't mean that she was going to sleep with him. She had already lost herself to lust once. She needed to push him away, ignore the throbbing between her legs, and go back to her bedchambers. Using her holy power wouldn't hurt him, just stun him long enough for her to leave.
He broke the kiss. Neither of them said a word as he carefully studied her. She didn't move, only shivering under his heated gaze. Her cheeks were red, and her hands twitched at her sides. His hand slowly undid the tie around her waist, opening up her robe. Her hands balled into fists as he pushed it off of her shoulders.
Embarrassed, she turned her head to the side. But that only gave him access to her neck, and he didn't hesitate to lap his tongue up to her ear. She whimpered and balled her hands into fists. One of his large hands teased her breasts through her flimsy nightgown while the other snaked up her leg. His sharp claws tickled her skin, slipping under her nightgown to touch her thigh.
Her hands, slipping free from the robe, came up to grab his arms. She had to push him away. She swore this wouldn't happen again! She needed to make a choice, and she needed to make it now.
"Phoebe," he purred against her ear.
It was like he had electrified her. A sharp gasp escaped her throat as her body tightened up in pleasure. Her insides clenched hard, and juices trickled onto her underwear. Every nerve came alive; even her nipples stiffened up just as his fingers brushed against them. Every touch, stroke, caress had her quivering beneath him.
"Spread your legs."
With a shaky moan, her legs opened up. Both of his hands dropped to her hips and pulled her forward. It forced her nightgown up and exposed her wet underwear. He wasted little time pulling the off of her legs; at least he hadn't ripped them this time. But instead of pushing him away, she clung to him. She buried his face into her chest as his claws delicately teased her soaked lips.
Instead of fearing what he could do to her, she wanted him to touch her. Her pussy twitched in anticipation, and each touch had her bucking her hips. When he pressed a finger right against her clit, she shrieked. Her hand shot down to grab his wrist, though she couldn't bring herself to stop him.
He rubbed the sensitive bud with terrifying precision, flicking and circling it slowly to draw out more moans. Just like last time, he knew exactly where and how to touch to drive her crazy. She kept her face buried into his chest. She pressed her lips together to keep herself from moaning. But no matter what she did, she could stop her cunt from throbbing in pleasure or her juices from staining the desk.
"You're completely drenched," he growled, his own breathing heavy and hot against her ear. "Are you eager for me already?"
"Shut up," she managed to choke out. But she couldn't deny that her pussy was practically begging for it. It was so wet, so hot – it ached in desperation. She had half a mind to beg for him to fuck already.
But she refused. She clung to the last bit of her sanity and kept her lips pressed together. Even if their bond was making her drunk of sex, she would never beg the Demon Lord for anything. Especially not for pleasure.
Fortunately, he didn't make her. With a soft pinch of his fingers, a soft orgasm washed over her like a wave. She moaned between clenched teeth and shut her eyes tightly. Her cunt spasmed in delight, more of her juices squirting onto his hand. She was left breathless and slumped against his chest.
Her head casted down, she looked between their legs. She exhaled shakily at the sight of his cock rising from his crotch's slit. Its massive size had her cunt clenching in anticipation for what was to come. Her toes curled as she buried her face into his chest again. She should have been horrified, but her insides were even wetter than before. As if she had been hoping for this all along.
"Phoebe."
She whimpered. The way he whispered her name had her entire body quivering. It was a soft, low rumble that sent tingles all the way to her toes. Even her mark burned every time he called her name, like he was putting a spell on her.
His hand moved from her breast to her chin. Gently, he tilted up her face to look directly at her. It weakened her resistance even more; he was just as turned on as she was. And when he leaned down to lick up her cheek, she could only shudder in anticipation.
"Tell me you want it," he growled. His cock brushed up against her pussy, making her shiver more. It was huge and hot, and her vagina throbbed with excitement. Even her thighs were wet at this point. "I want you to say it, Phoebe."
She had to say no. She had to tell him to stop, to get away from her, to not touch her. But she was so aroused and desperate and wet. It didn't matter if he was the Demon Lord. Her body screamed for relief, screamed for his huge cock to fuck her stupid. She wanted it, she wanted him, she wanted him to make a mess of her and her cum!
"Krios," she whined. "Pl-Please..."
"I can't hear you." His hands dropped to her thighs and lifted her up. Her legs were forced around his waist with her pussy position just above his cock. She held onto his biceps to keep herself steady, only to his when the tip rubbed against her soaked labia. "Answer me, Phoebe. Do you want it?"
"Please~!" Her nails dug into his scales. She buried her face into his chest, too embarrassed to look at him. "Please-! I-I want it, I want it, just put it in already! Krios, please!"
He suddenly forced her hips down. She screamed against his chest, nearly cumming again. Her cunt spasmed in delight and clenched hard around his cock. She felt so full, so hot, so wet – even her womb was begging to be filled. Everything tingled in desire, and she didn't hesitate to grind her hips down to bring him in deeper.
Krios took it as permission to move. Taking a firm hold of her hips, he lifted her up until only the tip was still inside before slamming her back down. Phoebe shrieked, but still kept her face hidden. He bounced her up and down on his cock, picking up a hard and fast rhythm that had her moaning in desire.
She felt almost weightless, falling hard onto his cock every time he forced her hips down. It made it all so much more exhilarating. Pleasure coursed up her spine with each hard trust. She tried not to be so loud, but that only allowed her to hear the mortifying sounds of her juices squelching inside of her.
"Let out your voice," he grunted in between thrusts. "I want to hear you scream when I finally fill you."
She blushed at the declaration. Her pussy tightened up, the knot in her stomach getting tighter too. Each thrust drove her wild, and all she could do was cling to him. A particularly hard thrust brushed over a cluster of sensitive nerves, causing her to throw back her head and scream. It was enough for him to lean down and lick up her cheek. His hot breath tickled her skin as his tongue trailed up to her ear.
"Phoebe."
"D-Don't!" she shrieked, trying to shake her head but to no avail. Every time he said her name, a jolt ran through her body. "Not in my ear-!"
"So your ears are sensitive," he purred. Gently, he nicked her lobe with his teeth. It was enough to make her groan and tighten her cunt around his cock. He snarled, holding her closer to him. "Fuck, Phoebe, you're so tight...!"
The way he said her name was driving her wild. She couldn't stop moaning or grinding down to meet his thrusts. She was so aroused. Her body was swimming in euphoria, her mind was fogged in pleasure – she was so close to release. Damn it, she just wanted to cum, and she didn't care if the whole Underworld heard her.
"Cumming-!" she choked out. "Please-! Please, Krios-! I'm cumming!"
He gave one final hard thrust, pressing right up against her womb and holding her in place. Her entire body seized up, her legs locking around his waist with her fingernails clawing into his skin. She moaned hard while he groaned, their climaxes ripping through them both. His seed flooded her womb while her insides rippled around his cock. Her hips bucked wildly against him to prolong their orgasms, desperate to remain at the height of pleasure.
But both of their orgasms soon came to an end. Phoebe's body sagged, though Krios kept her held up against his chest. His strong arms kept her steady, even as his cock slipped from her cunt. Their mixed fluids spilled out onto the floor, but neither of them seemed to notice or even care. They both just panted and stared at each other for a few moments as they collected themselves.
Phoebe was the first to break eye contact. Reality settled in again, and she looked away out of shame. What the hell was wrong with her? She let him seduce her again! All he did was say her name, and she lost all reason. Even if she had felt sorry for him, that didn't mean she wanted to give him a pass to do whatever he wanted.
"Put me down," she demanded, trying to push out of his grip.
Krios eyed her for a few moments before huffing. He set her down onto her feet, keeping his hands on her shoulders to help keep her steady. But she quickly smacked his hands away and turned away from him. She quickly fixed up her clothes before picking her robe and underwear off the floor. She threw on the robe and tied it tightly to her body. The underwear was still wet, so she just shoved it into the robe's pocket in a vain attempt to forget about it.
Then, still not looking at him, she gathered some books off of the desk. She didn't want to be in the same room as the evidence of their encounter anymore. It was just an embarrassing reminder that she had lost to the bond between them yet again. And she didn't know whether to be mad at him or herself or both.
At least the first time they had sex, the excuse was that their bond as soulmates had snapped back into place and Krios thought she was Lady Seraphine. But now he knew, and had accepted that she wasn't "his Sera." Yet, he still fucked her and she had let him. Like an idiot.
"Phoebe."
Taking a deep breath, she turned to him with several books in her arms. She was also relieved to see that his cock had retreat back into his body. It made it easier to look up at him with mild contempt. "We're not doing this again."
"Excuse me?"
"This." She gestured to the two of them. "You and I... We're soulmates on a technicality. You bonded to Lady Seraphine, not to me. You should just let me go home and break the bond. I've heard it's possible if we both consent, so-"
"No."
"...Why not?" she said between gritted teeth.
"You'll have to remember that on your own."
She wanted to yell at him, but she decided to keep it contained to a groan. She was hoping a memory would come to her when he said that, but nothing appeared. How she wished she could summon memories on command; why Lady Seraphine didn't give them to her all at once, she would never know.
"I'm going to bed," she grumbled, stepping away from him. "Good night."
She didn't wait for him to respond. She just made a mad dash out of the room. Ignoring the cum trickling down her legs, she quickly made her way back to her room. She held her books close, her arms clenching around them. Clearly, this argument wouldn't go anywhere. She would have to find another solution until then.
For now, maybe she needed to avoid him. Maybe then, she wouldn't succumb to their bond anymore. Or perhaps even find a way to break it herself. Thankfully, she had a whole library at her disposal. She was sure to find something.