Asella had a dream.
She moved cautiously, tracking someone through dimly lit corridors. But she didn't know who he was—or why she felt compelled to follow.
The soft carpet beneath her feet absorbed the sound of her footsteps. Otherwise, she would have been discovered long ago.
_I have to find out everything._
But what did *everything* mean? She couldn't understand.
The dark silhouette ahead was alarmingly large, suggesting a man of considerable stature. And for reasons she couldn't explain, Asella felt certain she recognized him. Yet the identity remained frustratingly out of reach.
Finally, the figure turned a corner. For a single heartbeat, his profile was revealed—and that was enough.
_Calix Benvito?_
Doubt seized her momentarily. _Should I continue following him?_
But her legs kept moving, defying her will. Then her body spiraled beyond her control. Space distorted around her, and she was pulled into the unknown.
---
When Asella regained awareness, she somehow found herself in the library.
The interior was familiar—she had visited this place many times before.
Calix Benvito was there as well. The man stood motionless in the far corner of the study, positioned before a towering bookcase that stretched to the ceiling. Then he shifted and confidently pushed several books aside.
*Click.*
The soft mechanical sound echoed through the silence. Suddenly, a section of the bookcase rotated outward, revealing a secret passage.
Asella's eyes widened. She would never have suspected the library concealed such a hiding place. She watched as Calix stepped into the dark aperture, then followed without a second thought—barely managing to slip inside before the passage sealed behind her.
She found herself on a staircase that descended deep into the earth. Sparse torches flickering along the stone walls provided the only illumination, casting dancing shadows that made the descent feel even more oppressive.
Asella placed each foot carefully on the rough stone steps, ensuring her footsteps remained completely silent. Fortune favored her—the staircase spiraled downward, so even if the Archduke turned around, he wouldn't be able to see her.
It was a terribly long descent. The journey continued so slowly that Asella lost all sense of time. Finally, the staircase widened, and she realized they had reached their destination.
When the steady rhythm of the man's footsteps ahead ceased, Asella stopped and pressed herself flat against the cold wall. Then, straining to remain undetected, she peered cautiously around the corner.
_My God._
The vast, circular chamber that opened before her appeared entirely empty. Despite being buried deep underground, brilliant light radiated from every direction, and the domed ceiling arched impossibly high above.
Calix stood at the precise center of this fantastical hall.
_Should I enter?_
Asella hesitated, her heart pounding against her ribs.
For reasons she couldn't fathom, the man remained completely motionless for what felt like an eternity. Then, slowly, he turned around.
Asella recoiled, attempting to conceal herself behind the protective wall—but it was too late.
An unseen force seized her and hurled her through the air, depositing her roughly at the center of the hall. Pain exploded through her body as she struck the cold stone floor. She groaned, sprawled at the man's feet.
"You should be more careful." His voice was utterly indifferent. The Archduke seemed not at all surprised by her presence.
Despite his words, not the slightest trace of concern or sympathy crossed his frigid features. Then, suddenly, his expression twisted into something hideous. Calix examined Asella with those blood-red eyes—eyes now filled with greedy, carnal hunger.
The girl recoiled from the strange, predatory abandon emanating from this mysterious man. She knew she needed to flee, but she couldn't even manage to rise to her feet.
Meanwhile, the man began slowly bending over her prone form. Paralyzed with terror, she watched in horror as he drew nearer and nearer.
Finally, Calix hovered directly above her, his presence halting all her desperate attempts to push herself upright.
"Well? Did you discover what you wanted?"
When he noticed how pale she had become, dangerous pleasure flickered across his face. His bloodshot eyes ignited with an unnaturally voracious light.
"I'll show you." He leaned even lower, his predatory gaze boring into hers.
Unable to bear it any longer, Asella squeezed her eyes shut. The crimson disappeared. But in the impenetrable darkness, a terrible dread began creeping into her heart.
An ironic laugh rang out above her.
"I believe I know what you're searching for. I can help—if you ask nicely."
But Asella was completely frozen with fear. She could only shake her head in mute denial. Some instinct warned her that she must never learn this secret.
Finally, she managed to force a few broken sounds from her constricted throat.
"N-no... not... until..."
Calix withdrew slightly, and his muffled voice slithered like a serpent into her ears.
"Look."
Asella didn't want to open her eyes. Yet somehow, she could still see everything.
Where the man had stood moments before, there now stood a door. An intricate engraving adorned its center.
Asella released a weak, strangled cry, still struggling uselessly to close her eyes.
"Well? How do you find it? You should be pleased."
Her vision blurred. Her body shook violently, and her heart hammered so frantically it seemed ready to burst from her chest.
The engraving on the door was achingly familiar—so deeply burned into her memory that no matter how desperately she tried, she would never forget it for the rest of her life.
It was the button her dying mother had pressed into her palm with a blood-soaked hand. The killer's button.
The engraving matched exactly.
"So you recognize it. Then you know whose mark this is."
Asella could barely manage to shake her head. Her body refused to obey. Her throat felt stuffed with cotton.
**KARMA**
Asella stood frozen in absolute horror. A thick fog swam before her eyes. And the man's mocking voice echoed in her ears.
"There's no need to tremble so violently."
Calix reached out and brushed a strand of silver hair from her face, then touched her tear-dampened cheek.
His hand was surprisingly gentle.
"I haven't done anything yet."
Then space warped around her, and she found herself encircled by a man's arms. Asella felt his hard body pressed firmly against her back. She tried to break free, but his embrace only tightened.
"Asella Benvito."
His body radiated impossible heat. The sensation was so intense she couldn't even feel the basement's bitter cold.
"Do you want to live?"
Asella couldn't speak. She no longer understood anything. Despite the terrifying aura emanating from him—as though he wished to strangle her where she stood—her heart inexplicably yearned for protection from this dangerous man.
"You must answer me."
"I... I..."
Tears of confusion streamed from her eyes. She felt *something*, but couldn't comprehend what it was. She couldn't express this feeling in words or coherent thought.
She simply sobbed, nodding her head without ceasing.
"I want to live. Please... save me."
The man, who had maintained a frightening silence throughout her pitiful pleas, finally spoke.
"Why do we need people who don't understand their duties?"
These words, delivered in an utterly frigid tone, fell upon her like a death sentence. Only his crimson eyes blazed with cruel fire in that frozen face.
Asella shook her head frantically, managing to squeeze out only one word.
"Please..."
The man suddenly laughed softly.
"If that's what you desire."
In an instant, his laughter ceased. He pulled her closer and pressed his lips to the nape of her neck. Then he lowered his head toward the curve of her throat. Asella shuddered each time his scorching breath grazed her skin.
"Then think carefully. What should you do?"
Calix began slowly lifting the long fingers that had been gripping her slender waist. Higher... higher... touching her body with unmistakable intent. A strange tremor cascaded down Asella's spine. Her nerves wound tight, and her hair stood on end. Every cell of her skin quivered beneath his touch.
When he noticed her trembling, the man chuckled softly. He repeated the movements again and again, seemingly amused by the reactions they provoked. Then his hand returned to her waist and drew her even tighter against him—so close she could feel his deep, steady breathing against her back.
A large hand cupped her cheek, compelling her to turn her head. And Asella beheld his face.
The moment her eyes met his intense gaze, she lost all capacity for movement. That gaze... impossible to forget.
_I'll remember it until the day I die._
"If you don't know..." The fantastically handsome man radiated a sensual, decadent aura.
_If a demon Tempter manifested in this world,_ Asella thought, _this is exactly what he would look like._
"I'll teach you."
A desire that was impossible to miss—impossible to conceal—blazed in his blood-red eyes. So bright... so intense... like a wild predator's gaze, it swept persistently over her body, as though the man might pounce and devour her at any moment.
_I've seen that look somewhere before. Back then... the moon was still shining..._
"I will make this night unforgettable."
Asella already knew what would happen next.
He twisted her trembling arms upward with apparent cruelty.
But there was no pain. On the contrary—the movement felt incomparably gentle. So much so that she didn't even dare resist.
"Asella." The man's hand, softly grazing her cheek, burned like living flame. His face drew closer, and Asella's eyes drifted closed...
---
The girl screamed, gasping desperately for air.
_Is this... a dream?_
Her chest heaved beneath her silk nightgown, and her heart pounded with wild, erratic force.
_What does this dream mean?_
Asella sat upright, her face bloodless and pale. She swung her feet onto the plush carpet and crossed to her vanity on unsteady legs. From the very back of one drawer, she retrieved a pendant she had kept hidden.
She pressed the latch with her index finger.
*Click.*
The lid sprang open.
And a large button tumbled into her waiting palm.