You, My Devil - Chapter 10

Tears poured from Heina’s eyes, silently soaking into the plush carpet below. She should have wanted to kill him, the one responsible for her torment. Yet at the sight of that devilish face, an inexplicable wave of relief washed over her, leaving her body limp. Bitter tears continued to flow, staining her flushed cheeks.

“Nadine, what are you doing here at this hour?” Yuri said, his voice cold and sharp. “Shouldn’t you be on your way to Constance by now?”

Nadine rose from the bed, his bare chest glistening under the dim light, and growled at Yuri in a low, biting voice. He was as shocked as he was furious at Yuri’s sudden appearance. Covered in dust and grime, Yuri strode toward him, his boots leaving bloody smudges on the pristine carpet as crimson dripped from the sword he held—the blood of the soldier he had just killed.

“I thought about it, and… I’ve decided I can’t let this happen, Brother Nadine,” Yuri said, his voice calm yet laced with menace.

“And what exactly can’t you allow?”

Blood pooled on the carpet, dark and stark against the rich fabric. Yuri smirked, his lips curling into a mocking grin.

“As you said, I’ve taken from you and the others many times before, but I’m not used to having my own possessions stolen.”

“You think you’ll get away with killing a soldier of Nike in the palace, and right in front of me?” Nadine’s black eyes darkened further, their intensity growing.

Yuri casually wiped his bloodstained sword on the edge of Nadine’s bed, leaving streaks of crimson on the silk sheets. He shrugged nonchalantly.
“Better than killing a minister, wouldn’t you say?”

For the briefest moment, Nadine flinched, unnerved by the dangerous gleam in Yuri’s expression.

“You’ve truly lost your mind,” Nadine hissed. “If you think Nike will forgive what you’ve done, you’re gravely mistaken.”

In the imperial palace, the territories of the princes were strictly designated. Nadine, as the first prince, occupied the floor directly beneath the emperor’s chambers. Pesis, the second prince, oversaw the lower levels, including the underground quarters. Camille, the third prince, presided over the sacred area in the palace’s central temple. Yuri’s residence was in the annex at the rear of the palace, connected by a secluded staircase.

It was a cardinal rule that the princes were forbidden from entering each other’s territories after sunset unless explicitly ordered by the emperor. Nadine had often joked that this rule was the only reason anyone could sleep peacefully at night—a precaution against situations exactly like this one.

“Your youthful impudence has been tolerated one too many times, Yuri,” Nadine said coldly. “Breaking one of the palace’s few laws gives me every right to deal with you however I see fit. And rest assured, the emperor will permit it.”

Yuri chuckled, the sound sharp and unsettling.

Meanwhile, Heina struggled to pull her torn dress back over her chest, trying to compose herself. Crawling to the far edge of the bed, she distanced herself as much as possible from Nadine.

As Nadine gestured toward the soldiers outside the door, signaling them to attack, Yuri lowered his head slightly and spoke in a voice like a blade slicing through the air.

“Tell me, Brother Nadine, do you think Nike would forgive you for the time you tumbled around in the empress’s chambers during your wilder days?”

Nadine’s thick brows shot up in shock. He cared less about how Yuri knew and more about how much Yuri actually knew about his… indiscretions with the empress.

“Do you even understand the nonsense you’re spouting?” Nadine said, his voice a mixture of anger and feigned calm.

Yuri’s gray eyes gleamed sharply. Nadine was rattled, and Yuri wasn’t about to let up.
“Oh? Perhaps I should ask Brother Pesis for his opinion? He’d love to dig into the matter. And you know how thorough Pesis is when it comes to uncovering the truth. Nothing stays hidden when he decides to pursue it.”

“Yuri, do you even understand what kind of madness you’re speaking?” Nadine hissed through gritted teeth.

Yuri smirked, his gaze unwavering.
“Pesis wouldn’t sit idly by if he knew someone had been fooling around with his mother. What do you think, Brother Nadine?”

Nadine’s eyes flickered with rage, his hands trembling. He wanted nothing more than to rip Yuri apart, but the presence of Emperor Nike above them stayed his hand.

“You think that passes for a threat, Yuri?” Nadine spat.

“You would know best, wouldn’t you?” Yuri replied with an infuriatingly casual shrug.

“I’ll give you one last chance. Leave. Quietly,” Nadine said, his voice low and dangerous.

“I’ll leave,” Yuri said, grinning. “But I’ll be taking what’s mine.”

Before Nadine could respond, Yuri grabbed Heina, who had been edging away on the bed, and effortlessly slung her over his shoulder.

“Ah! Put me down!” Heina shrieked, kicking her legs helplessly as Yuri began to walk away.

“You’ll regret this, Yuri. Mark my words,” Nadine growled from behind him.

“Out of the way,” Yuri barked.

The soldiers parted like a tide, unable to withstand the overwhelming bloodlust radiating from him.

Yuri carried Heina swiftly out of the palace. Outside, his black stallion stood waiting. He placed Heina on the saddle and vaulted up behind her, his grip firm as he seized the reins.

“Hyah!”

The horse bolted forward, galloping at a breakneck pace. The moon hung high above them, its light casting long shadows on the desert sands. As if trying to outrun the light itself, Yuri urged the horse to go faster. The biting winds of the approaching desert night would soon chill them to the bone, but for now, Yuri’s only goal was to reach his waiting allies as quickly as possible.

“Hyah! Let’s go!”

“Ahh!”

At the breakneck speed of the gallop, Heina, seated in front of Yuri, lost her balance and swayed precariously. She clung desperately to the horse’s mane, but it was no use—she was sure she would fall at any moment.

How long had she been holding on like that?

Whinny!

Yuri finally pulled on the reins, slowing the horse down. The animal let out a sharp breath and came to a gradual stop. Heina felt as though her strength had been drained completely, as if she herself had been running the entire time.

As she gasped for air, Yuri turned her roughly toward him, flipping her position with ease.

“W-what are you doing?” she stammered.

“Stay still. Unless you want to fall and break your neck.”

Under the moonlight, Heina could see Yuri’s pale face, his expression unreadable. Her heart pounded so violently it felt as though it might burst from her chest.

Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

The horse began moving at a slow, steady pace. Heina bit her lip before spitting out bitterly,
“You… you sent me to that madman, didn’t you?”

Yuri smirked.
“Is that how slaves from Constance express gratitude?”

“I’ll never forgive you.”

“Funny. I thought the tearful look you gave me earlier was much more welcoming.”

Yuri’s blood-red lips curled upward in a mocking smile, making Heina’s brow furrow deeply. Her lips trembled as she remembered the near-trauma at Nadine’s hands just moments earlier.

“Answer me,” she demanded, her voice laced with fury. “Did you send me… to that animal?”

“Yes,” Yuri replied bluntly. “More accurately, I gave you away and then took you back. Why? Regretful? Were you hoping to become Nadine’s concubine?”

Heina’s entire body burned with indignation at his sarcastic tone.

“You bastard!”

She raised her hand to slap him, but Yuri caught her wrist easily with his iron grip. He burst out laughing, clearly entertained by her anger.

“Haha, did being away from me scare you so much? So much that even a high-and-mighty princess of Constance resorts to cursing like a commoner?”

Her eyes flashed with fury as she suddenly reached for the sword strapped to his side. In one swift motion, she unsheathed it, her body trembling with rage as she pointed it at him.

“I’ll kill you,” she hissed, her voice trembling with determination. “Then I’ll take my own life. I’d rather die cleanly than live like this!”

Yuri’s hand clamped down on her wrist again, his grip like iron.

“Careful. If you get too excited, you might fall off.”

“Let me go!” she screamed, struggling fiercely. Her other hand gripped the sword’s hilt as she tried to turn the blade toward herself. The thought of enduring another humiliation like Nadine’s was unbearable. Death seemed the only escape.

“Ahh!”

Whinny!

The horse bucked as Yuri wrestled the sword from her, and both of them tumbled to the cold desert sand.

“I knew this would happen,” Yuri muttered, half to himself.

“Haah… haah…” Heina’s breath came in shallow gasps as she glared at Yuri, her tear-filled eyes a mix of fear, anger, and despair. He held her wrists tightly, and the sword lay far out of reach.

“If you want to use me as a sacrifice,” she whispered hoarsely, “then don’t… don’t ever pull something like this again. Otherwise, you’ll have to put my corpse on the altar instead.”

Her voice quivered as she fought back the sobs threatening to escape. Yuri stared down at her from above, his expression unreadable. Her small chin trembled, and her lips were bitten raw, flecked with blood.

After a moment of silent scrutiny, Yuri chuckled softly.
“You must really hate Nadine, huh?”

Heina’s chest heaved as she struggled to steady her breath, her face twisting with renewed fury. Yuri’s hands tightened their grip on her wrists, pinning her to the sand.

“That’s why I brought you back,” he said, his voice low and deliberate.

His bright red lips curved upward into a cruel smile. Heina’s body was still trembling uncontrollably. Yuri leaned in close to her, his voice slow and merciless as he whispered:
“That will never happen again.”

When she saw his face just before she was about to suffer at his hands on the bed, it felt as if a heavy stone had plummeted into her chest with a dull thud.

“If I had known you’d miss me this much, I wouldn’t have bothered with all that trouble in the first place.”

“Shut up.”

Whether it was the devilish man threatening to kill her every time or the beastly one who had just tried to torment her, both were equally horrifying. Yet, the idea of going back to the other man and becoming his slave was worse than death itself.

“From now on, I’ll never hand you over to anyone else. So stop baring your claws at me.”

“……”

The mix of lime and olive in his eyes wavered. His touch, always unnervingly cold, felt unusually warm today, and it unsettled her even more. Yuri ran his crimson tongue over his lips.

“So… If you ever mention something like dying again, I’ll kill you for real.”

She crumpled her face, clutching a torn piece of his clothing tightly.
“…You’re a demon.”
“Everyone seems to call me that.”

Yuri let out a laugh, the sound sharp and wolfish. His gray eyes glinted like moonlight as they shone in the darkness.

“Let’s go, Heina. We don’t have time to waste.”

Yuri picked up the fallen sword and slid it back into its sheath before grabbing her arm and yanking her to her feet. With a swift motion, he hoisted her onto the horse. Once seated, he turned her body to face him and wrapped her tightly in his arms. His voice came from above her head.

“Let me share some good news.”

She didn’t respond, and he dropped his words like stones.

“You and I are heading to your former homeland, Constance.”

‘W-what?!’

Her eyes widened in shock.

“I was going to leave you behind because the sight of you rejoicing at the idea of going home would have irritated me.”

His hand around her waist tightened like a vice. Heina blinked, too stunned to notice the breath being squeezed out of her.

“If you don’t want to fall off the horse and crack your skull open before we even reach the ground, you’d better hold on tight.”

No sooner had his words ended than the horse he was riding gave a powerful kick and surged forward. Under the bright moonlight, a cloud of dusty sand swirled in their wake. As the horse galloped, their bodies moved in unison, bouncing rhythmically with each powerful stride.

‘Constance… We’re going to Constance?!’

Her mind sharpened, and the lingering drowsiness evaporated in an instant. He was taking her to her long-dreamed-of homeland.

Could she really set foot on Constance’s soil? Could she escape this barren, hellish desert and return to her warm, beautiful country? Her heart pounded, as if it might burst.

“Hiya!”

She clung tightly to his shoulders with her small hands. As Yuri leaned slightly forward, she found herself pulled into his embrace, but she didn’t care.

The horse neighed loudly and picked up speed. The wind whipped past her ears, slicing sharply through the silence of the night. Yuri urged the horse faster, and her long hair fluttered wildly, wrapping around him. Startled by the sheer speed, Heina squeezed her eyes shut.

The thundering sound of hoofbeats, the fierce gusts of wind, and the steady rhythm of Yuri’s breaths as he held her close filled her ears. Her heart raced so fast it hurt, and the biting cold of the desert night clawed at her skin.