You, My Devil - Chapter 24

Heina turned her head away, clenching her teeth to endure the pain as the doctor worked. By the time the treatment was complete, the doctor had laid out an assortment of herbs, teas, and ointments from his worn medical bag. Rising to his feet, he bowed.

“I will take my leave now….”

“Go ahead. Return tomorrow at the same time. I’ll be here, and we can check her progress together,” Yuri said with a faint, unsettling smile as he stared at the doctor. His piercing gray eyes seemed to see straight through the man’s soul.

Bowing deeply toward the bed where Heina lay, the doctor quickly exited the room. He had done all he could. Now all he could do was hope and pray for the princess’s wound to heal quickly. It was clear that the red-haired devil would not hesitate to carry out his threat if there were no progress after three days.

“Why the sour face? Is the wound hurting you?”

As the door clicked shut, Yuri rose from the ornate chair he had been sitting in and approached Heina. Tilting his head slightly, a few strands of his red hair fell over his forehead.

Heina thought she caught a faint whiff of fruit wine on him. Deep furrows formed in her brow as she glared at him.

“Are you seriously asking that because you don’t know?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’d appreciate it if you could change that unpleasant expression,” Yuri said.

He plopped himself down on the edge of the bed where Heina was reclining and roughly ran his hand through his hair. Heina’s beautiful face scrunched up even further in irritation.

If he’d confirmed that her treatment was done, why didn’t he just leave? Why was he lingering?

“What are you doing right now?” she asked, her voice sharp.

“It’s a mess, that’s what,” he muttered, ignoring her question entirely. His cold gaze shifted toward her feet, making Heina feel as though his stare was stripping her bare. She instinctively tugged the soft blanket closer around her.

“If your feet are still like that after three days, that doctor had better be ready for what’s coming,” Yuri said.

“Georges is the best doctor in Constance! If he said ten days, then that’s the best he can do. Threatening to cut off his head isn’t going to change the outcome,” Heina retorted heatedly.

“It’s not a threat. I’m serious. And if he’s truly the best doctor in Constance, shouldn’t I be expecting the best from him?” Yuri said flatly, unfazed by her anger.

“Why are you so obsessed with this? I’m the one who’s injured, not you. And I said I’m fine!” Heina raised her voice, exasperated.

“Travel must’ve worn you out. You’re not thinking straight,” Yuri said, smirking.

“What… what did you just say?”

“Why do you think I brought you all the way here? Surely, you don’t think I did it because I wanted to grant your dying wish of being buried in Constance, do you?”

Yuri’s smirk widened, and Heina thought it looked like the sinister smile of a snake.

“Then why? What’s the real reason you brought me here?” she asked, glaring at him.

“Heina, it’s because you’re very useful,” Yuri said, tilting his head leisurely.

Heina recoiled slightly, pulling back from him as far as she could. A faint crease appeared on her pale, round forehead as something flickered through her mind.

‘Could it be? Is that what this is about?’

“Constance doesn’t need barbaric rituals like drought sacrifices to bring rain. We have plenty of it year-round. If you’re thinking of using me as some kind of sacrifice, you’re mistaken,” she said sharply.

“Go on,” Yuri prompted casually, tilting his head as if encouraging her to continue.

“Besides, the people of Constance have a deep aversion to such savage practices. If you kill me, they’ll all curse you behind your back,” she added.

“Haha,” Yuri chuckled aloud, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly as he laughed.

“And why, exactly, do you assume I’m going to kill you?” he asked, leaning closer to her.

Heina’s effort to retreat was futile as Yuri closed the gap between them. His pale face was now so close to hers that their breaths mingled.

The faint scent of fruit wine on his breath made her head spin. His complexion was as ghostly white as ever, unchanging. They were now so close that they could feel each other’s breath.

Heina didn’t look away. She met his gaze directly, and for the first time, the words she had been holding back for so long slipped from her lips.

“Because if you don’t, I’ll kill you.”

Yuri’s lips curled into a slow smile. Watching the arc of his crimson lips curve upward, Heina felt her heart pound violently in her chest.

Her blood boiled, her entire body burning with the desire to kill him.

Yuri, gazing at her flushed pink cheeks, asked lazily, “Oh, my… How exactly does a delicate little rose like Princess Heina plan to kill me? Care to share?”

“Do you really want to know?” Heina shot back coldly.

“I do. I’m quite curious,” Yuri said, his smirk widening.

“I’ll take you to the sacrificial altar, right in front of the people of Constance, and slit your belly open,” she said without hesitation.

Yuri laughed again, a deep, amused chuckle escaping his lips. His pale, slender fingers reached out to brush against her soft, rosy cheek.

“That would be quite the spectacle. But… don’t you think you should come up with something a bit more practical?”

“Take your hand off me.”

“It seems more likely you’d seduce me to kill me, like you did in the desert,” Yuri replied, his hand still resting on her face, his gaze fixed on her.

Heina’s golden lashes trembled slightly at his unexpected words. He was referring to the time in the desert when she had collapsed from dehydration and, in her delirium, accepted his lips.

Yuri smirked, his expression full of mockery.
“Or perhaps, like in the cave, you’ll cling to me desperately, whining about how cold you are, begging me to hold you. That might work faster.”

“…Is filth all that comes out of your mouth?”

Heina’s clear, pale face flushed crimson with humiliation and fury.

“This much is nothing. I haven’t even begun to get dirty,” Yuri sneered, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

“Who knows? If we were to get close enough to share our bodies, you might find a chance to stab me in the back while I’m gasping for air on top of you like a dog. But if you fail, you’ll die. The odds are fifty-fifty. Either I die, or you die. What do you think? Doesn’t it sound worth trying?”

Yuri’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her, his amusement and disdain palpable. Heina clenched her fists, trembling with shame. Yuri’s voice grew crueler, drawing out every word deliberately, as if to savor her humiliation.

“You can’t do it, can you? That pathetic sense of vengeance you cling to—it’s clearly not strong enough for you to throw away your pride. Let me guess: your body’s safety is far more important to you than the Constance you claim to love so dearly. Isn’t that right, Heina?”

Heina’s green eyes quivered as she glared at him, her lips trembling. Yuri found her combination of pink cheeks, golden lashes, and glowing green eyes strangely captivating.

She bit her lip hard, trembling as she stared at him, her gaze defiant but filled with shame. She looked like a small animal, baring its claws but unable to hide its fear. Watching her made Yuri’s desire to torment her grow even stronger.

“Do you think I can’t do it?” Heina finally rasped out, her voice shaking. She refused to back down, determined not to lose to the cold gaze Yuri was giving her.

“Try it, then,” Yuri drawled, his smirk widening as he taunted her.

Heina clenched her teeth so hard it hurt.

“….”

She shut her eyes tightly, slowly leaning closer to his lips, which were so near she could feel his breath. Can I really do this? she thought. Could I use my body to seduce him, make him drop his guard, and snatch the dagger at his side to stab him in the chest?

Her lips trembled violently as they barely brushed against his.

“Gasp…!”

Yuri grabbed her face with one hand and yanked her sharply toward him. Her soft lips were consumed by his.

As soon as her red lips hesitated and touched his, he couldn’t hold back any longer. The wine he had downed at the celebration party to boost his soldiers’ morale had only made the thought of her soft, white body linger in his mind.

Yuri pressed his lips to hers and devoured her as if she were the sweetest wine.

Heina trembled, trying to pull back, but Yuri’s large hand cradled the back of her small head, holding her firmly in place. His tongue invaded her mouth, searching for hers and tangling with it dominantly.

His teeth bit down on her lower lip, not hard enough to draw blood but enough to assert control. Yuri felt like his veins were on fire, about to burst.

“Haa… haa…”

When he finally pulled back, Heina gasped for breath, her red lips swollen and trembling. Her beautiful green eyes were wide with fear and unease. Yuri stared at her intensely, as if studying her reaction.

“You didn’t expect this? This is only the beginning,” he said, smirking as he licked his lips.

“Ugh…!”

Yuri grabbed her face again with both hands, pulling her into another deep kiss. This time, it was even fiercer, his lips moving with fervor as if he intended to consume her entirely.

Heina felt tears welling up in her eyes without even realizing it. His overwhelming force left her breathless, her heart racing so fast it felt like it might stop.

“Mm…”

With a thud, Heina’s body fell back onto the bed. As Yuri’s lips devoured hers, his hand slid down to caress the space between her legs. His fingers brushed over the bandages wrapped around her thigh, hidden beneath the thin fabric.

Yuri’s hand froze for a moment, then his movements slowed. His sharp eyes narrowed as his gaze shifted downward. Looking at Heina lying beneath him, he noticed her tightly shut eyes and furrowed brow.

Each time his hand inadvertently touched her injured leg, it was clear she was suppressing her pain. Her bandaged and battered feet were bleeding slightly, staining the cloth with fresh red spots.

Yuri let out a long sigh.

‘She really knows how to be troublesome.’

When Yuri suddenly withdrew his hand and sat up, Heina cautiously opened her tightly shut eyes. Her entire body was trembling with tension, a mix of fear, confusion, and a small measure of relief flashing in her gaze.

Yuri’s voice came out cold and indifferent as he looked at her.
“I can’t stand weak, frail women, Heina. If you want to seduce me to kill me, you’d better start by toughening up that fragile body of yours.”

He ran a hand through his red hair in irritation and climbed off the bed. Then he shouted toward the door, “Send in the maids!”

At his command, the door opened immediately, and two maids scurried in with their heads bowed low.

Yuri stormed toward the door, trying to cool his heated body, but not before barking more orders in his icy tone.
“Clean and disinfect her feet again, feed her the medicine the doctor left behind, and put her to bed. She is not to leave this room until she is fully recovered.”

“Y-yes, as you command… Ah!”

At that moment, a soft pillow flew through the air and hit Yuri square in the back before falling to the floor. The maids gasped and covered their mouths with their hands, horrified.

Yuri stopped dead in his tracks. Slowly, he bent down, picked up the pillow, and turned back toward Heina.

The maids, trembling with fear, wondered if Yuri was about to kill her. Meanwhile, Heina glared at him, her jaw clenched tightly.

“…I’m going to leave.”

“What?” Yuri asked, his voice calm but with an undertone of warning.

“I said I’m going to leave. I’m not a bird in a cage or your toy,” Heina growled, her green eyes blazing with anger.

“You want to leave?” Yuri said as he approached her, the pillow still in his hand.

Heina’s breathing grew heavier as she stared him down, thinking that suffocating her with that pillow might be easier to endure than his constant torment.

“I’ll make you regret bringing me to Constance,” she spat.

“Then recover quickly. Once your body is healed, I’ll let you leave this room as you wish,” Yuri said, lowering the pillow gently behind her head and pressing her back down onto the bed with a firm hand on her forehead.

“Think about how you’ll kill me after that,” he added with a smirk.

For a brief moment, a faint glimmer of light flickered in Heina’s large green eyes. Yuri turned on his heel and walked out, brushing past the bowing maids.

Women are such a nuisance, Yuri thought to himself as he left her room, walking quickly through the halls.

At last, the alcohol he had consumed earlier was beginning to have some effect. He tried to calm himself, his mind lingering on her injured body. If he had continued with her in that state, her recovery would have slowed even further.

And that was precisely why he hated weak women—they couldn’t even be embraced without complications.

Passing by the ornate statues lining the halls of Constance’s palace, Yuri clicked his tongue in frustration. Just as he did, the chandelier overhead swayed violently, and a dark figure dropped silently to the floor in front of him.

Yuri’s eyebrows arched sharply.

“Who are you?”