Prolouge

The warm summer seems to be warmer than usual. My whole body is laying over the blanket of grass, I covered my eyes as I looked at the blue sky. Wait...  Is it really blue? Or was it gray? My vision's blurry. I can't gather my thoughts as to what I am doing. Why am I in this situation? Then I remembered the carriage I was in, we got into an accident, the horses suddenly ran havoc and we ended up on the cursed rose valley that the travelers should be avoiding. 

I suddenly feel a faint twitching of my limbs, from my shoulder down to my thighs. 

As if I am paralyzed. 

The wind kisses my skin, and I savor the faint smell of the citrus scent.

I remember that I hate the sour taste of fruits. It also reminded me of how sour my life has been until now. 

I've lost my chance to study,  then I've lost trust, and just before this moment... I've lost my freedom. 

Will it be my life that'll be lost next? 

"I don't want to die! " I cried, though feeling numb with the sensation of pain. Even my tears have left me so dry that I wanted it to flow though nothing came out. 

I pleaded for the heavens all my life, my younger self has not lost its faith and kept on praying, someday, somehow, I will be saved. Like a candle slowly melting by the fire that almost ran out, I could tell my heart and breathing were giving up.

I'll do anything just to continue living, I have not forgiven yet, I still have so many things I want to achieve, people whom I need to get back. Hatred is what lingers on the depth of my mind. I am no longer that young child that thinks everything will be taken care of if I did good deeds. I'll do whatever it takes just not to lose my life! Even if I have to sell my soul! 

As if losing my consciousness a cold voice called out to me, "Are you sure? You'll do anything to live?" 

"Yes, I'll do anything." I answered without a pause.

"Even if it means that living again will cause eternal pain?"

"Yes,  even if it causes me more pain that I've felt before."

"Then, you'll live again. But in one condition, your life is all mine. "

Without any hesitation,  I nodded. My life has not been mine all along, people trampled on me because I am an illegitimate child, as if I don’t have the right to live among them, they treated me worse than a rat. No, they think of me as an object they possess and will be disposed of anytime. . So rather than to lose it without doing anything, I better give my life to someone who'll be needing it.

My blurry vision of a man shows a bright blue pair of eyes that calms like the sea. 

That man inches closer and bit my neck, I gasped for the last moment as I breathed the air. 

I lost all my senses.

- 

The old tales said that the demon who came from the underworld choses the land as his domain, and monsters and creatures attacked the humans. It was then the hero with the help of the temple fought the evil creatures for peace. The Demon King fought hand in hand with the hero, with him having defeated and formed a contract instead and sealed his power for the peace of both creatures and living, thus the evil forces did not flee and stayed hidden deep in the forest. The hero and the temple founded the Kingdom that is co-existing with the demons and creatures. As long as the contract is not fulfilled, the Demon King will remain sealed and thus his kin will remain vigilant among the humans, they will not do harm against them, with this the Demon was given the title of grand duke that oversees the sovereign of the creatures.

“You’ll have to reciprocate the contract and fulfill what the other party desires.”

“My lady, it is time to spend the night with the duke.”

“Do you want my blood?”

“No.”

“Then do you want my flesh?”

“Just what do you think of me?”

The next day I woke up, I am now the fiance of the Demon Duke in the Kingdom of Franche-Comte, a kingdom that believes in religion, however, it has a Demon Lord living among its people, Duke of Dubois Castle, or known as Lemon.

He holds my hand tight and trails kisses to my pulse, ever since I have known that this man is a Demon who saved my life with the contract of fulfilling his desire, he frequents my room almost every night.

“It is not money, and not my title as the countess, also you said that it is not my soul, what is it that you desire Duke?” he paused and those jewel red eyes looked at me intently, he climbed onto my bed and even closed the distance between us. I could feel the warmth of his body higher than usual.

“I am a demon who lives by desire and greed, you have yielded with the contract that you have exchanged with your life?”

“Then what do you want?”

“I want the whole of you Veta Le Blanchet, not just your blood, heart and soul, it is the whole of you.”

Theroux Claude, the third prince of the kingdom.

“Lady Le Blanchet, just how can you stand this demon duke? If you ever get tired of him, you are always welcome to my palace.”

Another troublesome man, my childhood friend when I was at the academy, Durand Gagnon.

“I have attained this nickname not just because I follow all his Majesty’s order, but because I want to have a stronghold in the knight position so that I can support you my Lady Veta, remember that my oath is only for you.”

Then, what is my cousin thinking that he would say such things?

“Sister Veta, I have finally inherited the title of the Baron, please come back to our fief, and I will make sure to bring back the glory of our family!”

As I tried to relinquish the past, the more troublesome it became, the strings that entangled with them all got messed up. Is me clinging to the tiny bit of my life a wrong choice? And why is the temple spying on me?

“Lady Veta Le Blanchet is the only descendant of the family, you shouldn’t involve yourself farther with the Demon Duke.”

Wealthy life has always been my dream, but it has to come with the responsibility. Now that I have all the resources and support I can utilize to reclaim my life, I will use it to the fullest and live with this contract even if I have to give my soul to the contractor.

“It’s done my Lady, as long as it is you, I can give everything, even if I destroy this Kingdom.”

Hold on, just what on earth this demon wants from me?