DRD1

chapter 1

As her blurred vision cleared, Enya let out a sigh of relief.

I’m back.

Just moments ago, she had been inside the nest of a nightmare demon beneath a crimson sky.

She had killed the demon, and its nest collapsed along with it. She thought she would die there, but she managed to cast teleportation and safely return to the Crown Prince’s office. Both her mind and body were completely exhausted—she felt like she might collapse at any moment—but the arm tightly wrapped around her waist made that impossible.

Only then did she become aware of the man holding her.

Covered in the nightmare demon’s blood, clutching her waist like a hook—

Helios Dephert.

A noble man who had abandoned the imperial castle to become a divine knight in order to defeat the Demon King, and a hero who ultimately slew him, earning the title Radiance.

Right now, drenched in demon blood, he looked more like a monster himself. But ordinarily, there was nothing lacking in his appearance, achievements, or merits.

And he was also a man who got along terribly with Enya, the master of the Morgenda Magic Tower.

His grip around her waist was almost desperate. Irritated, Enya was about to tell him to let go when the Crown Prince rose from his chair and hurried toward them.

“What on earth is going on—ugh.”

As he approached, he suddenly stopped and pinched his nose between his fingers.

“What a dreadful smell.”

It was the stench of blood coming from Enya and Helios. Soaked to the point their original hair colors were unrecognizable, the two of them looked like a tangled mass submerged in thick, viscous blood.

Deciding they needed to separate immediately, Enya tapped the solid arm wrapped around her waist. It felt like steel.

“What are you doing? Let go already.”

At her touch, the man’s vacant gaze slowly turned toward her.

Through blood-soaked hair, his vivid green eyes flashed. The moment their eyes met, he recoiled as if burned and shoved her away. As Enya staggered and glared at him, Helios seemed to come back to his senses.

They looked each other up and down, then simultaneously turned to the Crown Prince and called out:

“Your Highness.”
“Your Highness!”

Their gazes clashed sharply again. Watching two of the empire’s finest talents glare at each other while covering his nose, the Crown Prince smiled in satisfaction.

“You’ve grown quite close.”

“We haven’t.”
“That’s not it at all, sigh.”

Helios and Enya responded in turn, then shot each other another look.

“Hmm. If you say so. Anyway, did you kill the nightmare demon safely?”

The Crown Prince waved off the guards trying to enter and asked casually. But both of them opened their mouths at the same time, glared at each other, then tried to speak again—turning it into a ridiculous standoff.

Finally, the Crown Prince pointed at Helios.

“You go first, Helio.”

“I am honored.”

“Oh, no need for that. Just explain what happened.”

Helios glanced at Enya with half-lowered eyes. His green gaze, clearly suppressing something, looked almost black.

Enya ground her teeth. Did the world know? That the so-called radiant commander of the holy knights was actually as petty as a leech?

There was no point saying it—no one would believe her anyway—and she had to follow orders. So she kept her mouth shut. Helios slowly shifted his gaze to the Crown Prince.

“Your Highness, the nightmare demon has been successfully slain.”

His low voice echoed calmly through the room.

“However, as it died while mating, it destroyed its nest. While I blocked the collapsing debris, the master of the Morgenda Magic Tower used teleportation to bring us here.”

“Good teamwork.”

The Crown Prince frowned slightly.

“But Helio, Enya has both a name and a proper family name—Valencia. How long do you intend to keep calling her ‘the tower master’?”

“…The issue is…”

“Helios?”

“…The demon’s magic hasn’t left my body…”

Ignoring the Crown Prince’s remark, Helios got straight to the point. The prince let it slide.

“What kind of magic? I don’t see any abnormal flow of mana. Are there symptoms?”

Helios closed his mouth, as if at a loss for words. His gaze wavered noticeably as he looked down. Enya seized the opportunity.

“Your Highness, may I explain in Sir Helios’s stead?”

At the prince’s nod, she bowed her head and continued.

“It’s fine for now, but occasionally he experiences phantom pain as if his limbs are being torn apart. Once the pain subsides, he suffers mild hallucinations.”

“A nightmare demon’s magic that even a holy knight and a tower master cannot dispel…”

The Crown Prince nodded gravely.

“For now, what you’re afflicted with isn’t ordinary magic. It’s a kind of curse.”

A curse—meaning sorcery. Though it was rare for monsters to use such techniques, that wasn’t the issue. Sorcery was forbidden across the continent, making it extremely difficult to remove a curse. As Enya’s expression darkened, the Crown Prince waved his hand.

“Don’t look so pitiful. There is a way.”

“A way…?”

“I’m quite knowledgeable about sorcery. The caster doesn’t necessarily have to lift the curse.”

As if reading her thoughts, the Crown Prince presented a simple solution.

“You two just need to mate.”

“…What?”
“…Excuse me?”

The suggestion was so absurd that Enya’s mouth fell open. Helios, equally stunned, asked in a pale voice:

“You mean… myself and the master of the Morgenda Magic Tower?”

“Of course. Who else would I mean?”

The Crown Prince looked almost pitying, as if wondering whether the demon blood had dulled their intelligence.

“The hallucinations of a nightmare demon disappear when it is satisfied.”

What on earth was he saying?

“They were mating right before they died. If you two repeat the act, their lingering desire will be fulfilled, and the curse in your blood will naturally fade.”

Having offered his solution, the Crown Prince spoke as if it were nothing.

“I don’t know how long you stayed in that nest, but if your bodies were in contact, the pain would’ve been less severe. That’s probably why you’re fine now—you came here stuck together, after all.”

Leaving the two of them completely stunned, the Crown Prince smiled brightly.

“Just do it. That solves it.”

As if it were the simplest thing in the world, he returned to his desk and resumed his work, as though everything had already been settled.

“We should discuss post-processing and rewards. Finally!”

Between the two standing there like statues, Enya was the first to recover.

“Th-that’s not—what kind of—mating?!”

“Yes, no need to overthink it. Just engage physically. Ah, my mistake—you’re not demons or beasts. Let’s call it intercourse instead.”

Without even looking at her, the Crown Prince frowned.

“But shouldn’t you wash up first? The smell of blood is overwhelming.”

“Y-Your Highness—”

“You’re stuttering. Are the symptoms back?”

“Your Highness!”

Enya rushed forward and collapsed to her knees at his feet—not out of courtesy, but because her strength had given out.

“I-Isn’t there… another way? Please?”

The Crown Prince finally looked at her, clearly annoyed.

“There’s already a very simple method. Why insist on another? Helios is quite handsome—you’re not lacking either, Enya.”

“……”

“Don’t tell me you’re only attracted to women. I am familiar with that too, but unfortunately, Helios is a man.”

“N-no, that’s not it—”

“Then what’s the problem?”

The Crown Prince, notorious for his carefree behavior, genuinely didn’t understand her reaction. His sharp eyes flickered with curiosity.

“Ah, are you worried about temple rules? Even though Helios is a holy knight, restrictions on physical relations were lifted long ago.”

“Y-Your Highness—”

“Or are you concerned about your reputation? Then coordinate between yourselves—meet in secret, pick appropriate days. That way, no rumors will spread.”

That’s not the issue, you lunatic.

“Of course, I won’t say anything either. You both know I can keep a secret.”

That part was true. Despite his reputation, the Crown Prince was trustworthy and loyal. But still—

“No! Absolutely not!”

“Goodness, Enya. Why such resistance? There are fewer impossible things in the world than you think. Let go of your fear, and a new world will open up. Were you always this lacking in imagination?”

“Your Highness, please! Isn’t there another way? I—I already have someone I love!”

Taking advantage of the Crown Prince’s fondness for drama, Enya blurted it out. The flimsy lie, however, caught his interest.

“Really?”

“Yes! I’ve loved them for a long time. I was planning to confess after this mission.”

“Who is it?”

“…It’s unrequited, so I cannot say. It would be disrespectful to them.”

“Hmm.”

Murmuring that it was wonderful news, the Crown Prince’s expression quickly softened with sympathy. After a moment’s thought, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“If it is someone you truly love, they won’t dwell on your past. If they’re that petty, I won’t allow it.”

Enya wanted to tear her hair out. Who are you to allow anything? That’s not the point!

“Your Highness! Is there truly no other way?!”

“There isn’t.”

“Aaagh!”

Finally, Enya collapsed onto the floor, crying out in despair. The Crown Prince, however, remained unmoved.

“Look at Helios. Isn’t he calm? You need to tone down your temperament. No, more than that—your frail body is quite pitiful. You’re so thin, you might collapse just from touching him.”

As the empire’s only Crown Prince continued his nonsense, Enya sent Helios a desperate look—Do something.

But Helios seemed oddly indifferent, as if he was willing to go through with it if necessary. Perhaps it was the blood covering him, but the way he stared at her in silence felt sharp—almost as if something unquenched flickered in his gaze.

Stunned, Enya swallowed a sigh.

I knew it. I didn’t like him from the start.

Looking back, her relationship with Helios had been nothing but ill-fated from their very first meeting.